#so working on it now felt like it was just. Quite ooc for our current moment in the canon timeline

[helielune]

powder keg (full under the cut)

[wanderingwomanwondering]

911 Season 7 Critique

This is a long post. If you don’t make it to the end, I totally understand.

I know we all have lots of feelings about this season and most of what I’ve read from others in the fandom here on tumblr has been overwhelmingly positive, but I have serious and persistent concerns. Here me out, if you’re willing and able.

This entire season something about 911 has felt off for me in a big way. I couldn’t quite put my finger on exactly what the problem was until recently. All I knew was that season 7 was weird out the gate. Now I finally think I have something coherent to say about this season now that it’s over. The whole season’s main plot(s) have been overblown and overworked. All season long, the characters have felt bodysnatched by extraterrestrials being just similar enough to our beloved characters to not raise total alarm - at least initially - but different enough to snatch some epic side-eye outta me. Then ep 4 happened and the whole time I was a mix of elated and confused. Anybody who’s been paying attention for the last 7 years knows that Buck is queer so that wasn’t the shocker. For me, it was the way everything went down in ep 4 with the characters that felt heavy-handed and untrue to who they are. The weird strange bizarreness through the season just kept on coming like a freight train with no breaks or relief. By the finale I was scratching my head and kinda irritated because the tiny bit of actual character work that we saw over the course of the season was odd as hell and now it’s over and I’m not really excited about much of anything that’s supposed to be coming in s8. The characters feel too ooc and the plots feel too uncharacteristic of 911. Like for a bit there I thought I was watching Days of Our Lives meets Miami Vice meets The Walking Dead, and that’s not what I signed up for with 911.

Season 7 left me earnestly wondering: Where are the family feels, the tight bonds, the heartfelt connections, the vulnerable conversations, the healing community that is the 118, the fucking togetherness? Everyone feels like they are adrift and alone without the found family support that they enjoyed in previous seasons. This season has been a trauma fest with little to no emotional payoff. Drama for its own sake. Problems resurrected, rehashed, blown way out of proportion, repackaged, and sold as authentic current issues. This season I felt like I was watching a completely different show.

Yes we are on a new network. Yes Tim is back. Yes a bit of shake up can be good. But this doesn’t feel like a good shake up. I feel like I’m being jerked around for sport. Like past BS is being thrown in my face instead of laid on the table and worked through by the characters that I know and love. Season 7 was mostly just trauma porn and I did not enjoy it.

Yes we could argue that Tim is trying to grab the attention of new viewers on a new network. But honestly that kind of feels like a cop-out explanation given what he delivered. If I were new to this show, I would not feel like I have any idea who these characters are beyond the wild crap that happens to them. I feel like I know more about how to sink a cruise ship or how to traverse the desert than I do about how the characters relate and connect with one another.

As someone who’s watched 911 from the very beginning live and in real time, the plotting, pacing, and character choices in season 7 feel like Tim is putting on a show instead of telling stories. Shows are a wacky wild ride with little cohesion and/or progress; characters take a backseat to whatever the ptb can cook up for the weekly plot. Stories center characters and what’s happening to them is processed by them and moves their arcs along in mostly coherent ways. A show is ‘shit happens’. A story is ‘shit happens TO ME AND I DEAL WITH IT in ways that show the audience who I am and what matters to me’’.

Maybe season 8 will feel more like a story since it won’t be a truncated season, and season 7 has reintroduced people to - aka dredged up long-past but somehow present again - character issues. I don’t know. I hope season 8 is more coherent, character-focused, and progress/healing-oriented like previous seasons have been. Honestly the show has been running too long to act like rehashing the past over and over again is enough to carry it for 7 more seasons.

Anyway, my specific concerns with season 7 are below the cut.

The main plots have just been hilariously bad. Soap opera levels of wtaf.

The cruise ship disaster had pirates, cheaters, and poorly-developed conflicts between lovers all of which (mostly) came out of the thin blue sea air and/or were handled in incredibly ooc ways. MIssing groom because of viral encephalitis. Hospital wedding like its a good thing and preferable to the warm fuzzies that Madney deserved. Long-dead wife put on such a high pedestal by Eddie that she walks the earth once more. Bobby chasing a random man from his past into the desert to say/do what exactly? All while mixing it up with a literal Mexican cartel. A desert crossing complete with traumatic flashbacks, a car crash, and a makeshift stretcher. (Bobby should have left Amir where he was after the crash and just walked the mile to the road without him in tow. But instead he slowed himself down and risked sunstroke in the process. That was a drama choice made by the writers, not a paramedic/firefighter choice made by the character.) Post-house fire Bobby’s heart stops for 14 whole ass minutes and he wakes up fine and perky as meringue. Athena Grant choosing cold-blooded vengeance over holding vigil for her allegedly dying husband. Racist and misogynistic Gerard returning for absolutely no narrative or character-related reason at all, at least not for one that couldn’t be more effectively accomplished by some/any other means.

The women have been side-lined in their own stories, and/or their characters altered in problematic ways.

Hen dismissed the councilwoman’s son in the season’s opening arc and ignored his potential injuries because he was being an asshole. A lesser paramedic would do that, but NOT our Hen. Also that plot point was unrealistic af because if someone is not in their right mind to make a life-saving decision for themselves, like in the case of intoxication, medical personnel can ethically treat them anyway. It was such a weird plot/character choice to Hen use that guy’s intoxication as a reason NOT to treat him when it’s actually a great reason to go ahead and check him out. She should have and would have worked the problem (poised and professional) instead of storming off in a huff (emotion-driven and unethical) because that guy was being a dick. Hen is not easily unsettled, nor is she unprofessional!

Hen and Karen were oddly clueless about Mara’s trauma and the fact that it was actively relevant to her behavior when they took her in, despite the fact that they have fostered several children at this point in the story. They considered “returning her” before they considered the trauma factor. Unreal. Our Hen and Karen were not born yesterday, are no strangers to hard times with foster kids, and have hearts the size of the 7 seas. This writing choice made no sense to me and made Hen and Karen feel like extraterrestrials to me. Ignorant ones at that. In the finale, Hen didn’t tell Karen she was going to see Mara. Like. Why? They talk about everything. Hen claimed it’s because Karen would have tried to stop her but we all know that would have been a half-hearted comment while she put her shoes on and grabbed her purse. No. Hen and Karen are partners and they act like it. The one woman show era between them has been over for a while. Especially when it comes to their family.

Athena and Bobby had a conversation at the end of season 4 about cutting each other out and leaving each other emotionally stranded and since then have been actively committed to communicating and staying a team. So what the hell was that vibe between them on the cruise. Athena was evasive and weird the whole time and in the most banal gender stereotyped way possible. In addition, Tim seems obsessed with women as damsels in distress this season which is not and has never been Athena’s vibe. Even with the Jeffrey arc in season 5 while she coped with the trauma of that encounter, she displayed agency. So I’ll never understand her indirect approach to dealing with Bobby running off to ‘Step 9’ Amir or her decision to turn right around and talk to Amir about Bobby instead of talking to Bobby directly. Athena is a direct person, especially about her family. She cuts to the quick and gets to the heart of things. The drama I needed was Bathena working through Athena’s fears for Bobby and Bobby working through his trauma/recovery with Athena…not a Mexican cartel and shenanigans in the desert. Then there was the way Harry talked to Athena when she discovered that he ran away from Miami. Athena’s response to Harry would have been understanding but corrective. She wouldn’t have stood there and let him disrespect her. Not in a million lifetimes. She also wouldn’t have left her allegedly dying husband at the hospital to reenact a revenge plot from some B movie. Plus what was up with her blaming herself for Amir supposedly burning the house down, and her doing no police work to puzzle out what happened? She just went on an emotion-fueled rampage. That’s not how Athena operates. Remember her namesake, goddess of WISDOM and warfare. Come on bffr.

Maddie. Oh where do I even start. From ep 1 she was treated like a means to an end instead of the first responder former nurse badass that she is. This whole season, she comes across as ‘just another dispatcher’ instead of the focused problem-solver and active agent that we know her to be. Prior to season 7 Maddie would have had her thinking cap fully on right along with Hen in the first episodes as they worked out a way to get in touch with the cruise ship. Calling Tommy could have even been Maddie’s idea since Chim and Tommy are still in touch but Hen and Tommy don’t seem to be. Then there was the whole Maddie hearing what she expected to hear with the abuse victim on that one call. Like. What?! This is not Maddie’s first rodeo, she is not easily unsettled, and she’s a damn professional. She would have done what she had to do to emotionally regulate and help the woman in danger before she let herself ‘hear what she expected to hear’. Admittedly she would have cried the whole time because that’s JLH’s jam and she’s good at it but Maddie wouldn’t have fallen down so hard on the job (especially not after what happened in season 3 with Tara and Vincent). And the wedding stuff! Maddie was just watching and waiting instead of using what she knew about her partner in life Chim to deduce where he might go or what he might do. Instead of collecting information about their previous calls and how they might be playing into Chim’s disappearance, she was busy being insecure about whether Chim actually wanted to marry her. Mind you, Maddie was the one who was originally reticent about marrying again AND she’s the one who proposed to Chim. After all the drama with the ring, there is no world in which Maddie would have imagined Chim was running from her. She would have known something bad was up and that it had nothing to do with their love for one another. In the finale Maddie calls Chim to talk about Athena’s suss behavior but Maddie has more connections and professional wherewithal than just ‘call my husband he’ll know what to do’. She would have called the precinct and asked about 727-L-30 in a discreet way and put most of the pieces together herself and then actually sent Chim and Hen to stop her. And she would have been ready at a moment’s notice to call the cops on the rogue cop. The way that scene actually played out felt more like gossip on the high school bleachers than Maddie doing her actual job.

The relationships seem plain odd/ooc, distant, and/or superficial. Very few vulnerable emotional conversations happened and when they did they felt generic, shallow, and/or incomplete.

Bobby and Athena on the cruise. Athena just didn’t feel like herself because she refused to talk to Bobby. When they did finally talk it was when they were about to drown and it was more of a mini-therapy session for Bobby. After Amir was introduced, Bobby pulled away again and Athena let him. Then Athena chose to approach the traumatized stranger rather than have a talk with her own damn husband. When they finally confronted each other about that situation, she walked away from Bobby almost like she was punishing him for walking away first instead of them both leaning into the conversation as partners. Really? Bffr.

Buck and Eddie having a bro convo about womanizing in the early episodes of the season. The ‘hey pal please talk to my kid bro because you have experience with these issues’ rather than the all important ‘there’s no one in this world I trust with my son more than you’ vibes of it all. Eddie making limited eye contact with Buck and ignoring him in ep 4. Eddie’s physical demeanor in ep 4 being bro-ed up and distant. Yeah I know we can argue that was all from Buck’s perspective in the moment but that explanation seems insufficient to me because it was so extreme, and was kind of maintained in some ways throughout the season. The ‘i’m gonna maim my best friend’ energy of the bucktommy origin story despite the fact that buck is not violent at all and definitely not towards loved ones. (Tim seems determined to ruin everybody just enough to generate unnecessary and ooc drama.) Buck’s weird dudebro conversation with Eddie while on his date with Tommy as if the foundation of buck and eddie’s relationship has ever been conversations about women solely to assert their heterosexuality * facepalm emoji * The super textbook sterile coming out scene in ep 5 like these guys aren’t besties and don’t actually know each other deeply. I wanted that coming out scene to have 504 patio conversation energy, not whatever it was we got in 704. Like that coming out conversation could have played out the exact same with one of the no-name background firefighters at the 118 or with Connor or some other rando. It felt so impersonal to who they are and to their particular brand of vulnerable courageous conversations. Honestly even the hug in 704 was weird. I was happy to have it but it was still weird. The kitchen conversation in ep 9 at Eddie’s place felt odd and incomplete for buddie. We get queer sexual innuendo (‘skulking around my back door’), basic mutual acknowledgment of worry about the dead wife doppelganger, and that’s a wrap? Okay I guess * eyeroll emoji * Then we had the finale where Eddie is obviously losing his mind and Buck is just sitting on the arm of the couch like ‘i dunno what to tell you man’. Like they’ve never had a (chris) conversation before in their life. Like buck wouldn’t have been the one to VOLUNTEER to go talk to chris without eddie spelling it out. Like buck wasn’t the person who stayed with chris talked to him and took care of him when eddie got shot and when eddie lost his damn mind in 513. The buck in the finale was not the buck who did all those things. He was so bodysnatched it’s not even funny. Also, in what world would buck have snarked that chris can’t keep eddie out of his room??? Buck, my good sir, if eddie wanted to break down chris’ door he wouldn’t have called you over bc he can do that on his own without a consult. That scene felt ooc af plus the dialogue was just plain dumb.

Hen and Chim have barely had a meaningful friend moment this season. It’s mostly Hen razzing Chim, a polite smile, or nada. Let’s not even talk about the ‘betrayal’ in the beginning with the councilwoman’s son and then the deeply meaningless drama that ensued after. So much so that they commented on it in a joking way on the helicopter. That’s not how Hen and Chim roll. They give each other clear and unapologetic honesty at all times. Not the cold shoulder for sport which is what it felt like when Hen finally said she wasn’t actually mad. The gender and racial implications of how that played out are not lost on me. It felt like a 180 from how these characters normally interact in serious circumstances. Complete waste of time and invented drama for drama’s sake. I don’t blame Hen and Chim for that, like everything else I’ve mentioned in this critique of the season, it’s pure writing room weirdness.

Bobby’s locker room conversation with Buck in ep 9 was more like mentor-mentee than father-son. We’ve stated that as their dynamic several times but that’s not what we got in that locker room. They were standing several feet apart, Bobby and Buck smiled politely, no hug, no shoulder pat. Just textbook sterile ‘you’re okay kid’. Bobby could have given that speech to no-name firefighter number 12 and it would have felt the same.

You mean to tell me in the finale that Bobby was just gonna stroll back into work in uniform after quitting like nothing happened? Like he’s still employed. My good sir, you didn’t even call headquarters before showing up to be like ‘just kidding i want my job back’. You mean to tell me Buck and Ravi were at work, in uniform and clocked in, but didn’t already know Gerard was there? You mean to tell me Bobby was supposedly that allergic to having a real emotional/vulnerable conversation with literally anybody that he strolled into work WHEN HE NO LONGER WORKS THERE like he was gonna get to actually work??? I just can’t -

Anyway, this post is long af so if you made it to the end, thank you. Honestly, I'm still processing this season but as of now, in the words of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, “I take no leave of you, [Tim Minear]. I send no compliments to your [season 7 showrunner decisions]! You deserve no such attention! I am seriously displeased!”

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for puting too much pressure on my little brother? (TW for death)

Hello. I don't want to seem too direct but... I guess I'll have to be.

To start things off, I (19, F) am no longer alive. I am but a mere ghost, capable of infrequent visits to my loved ones. One of them being my little brother, S (16, M at the time).

My cause of death is very, well... unusual I suppose? I have died around his current age, while we were in a heavy argument. I'll have to give context.

We both play instruments, him playing the violin and I playing the piano. Around four years ago, we were meant to play at a recital we had been practicing for a long time now. We never ended up playing it.

I was extremely serious about the recital at the time; I needed it to be perfect. I... am not sure why I was so adamant about everything going perfectly, nor am I aware of why I was so stressed over any forms of minor mistakes. I suppose I was hard on myself. I needed to be perfect for everyone, and that meant our play had to be perfect too.

The thing is, I had done things I never meant to do. I had pressured my own brother into having to play perfectly, to be perfect, when I knew how stressful it was. What I didn't know was how often I would burden him. I never said anything out loud, but I think he could tell this performance meant a lot to me, which stressed him even more.

At one point, on the day of recital, he had done something that extremely upset me. He threw his violin down the stairs.

After so, so much practicing and perfecting, after so much excitement, stress, and more, he had simply broken any of our chances to fulfil for what we have prepared for in such a long time. Not to mention the violin was really expensive too, and we all worked really hard to buy it for him.

But that's not important. He threw his violin, and then we got into the heavy argument I had mentioned earlier on.

We.. well I made a lot of mistakes. I screamed a lot at him. I was just so upset but I know it's not justifiable. From the argument I found out that he was clearly overwhelmed and stressed from everything, and that he was for quite a while, as much as he refused to admit it. We argued back and forth, until he accidentally... threw me down the stairs we were standing over.

After that event, as I would look over him, I would soon realize that he felt so, so guilty over my death, that he isolated himself from everyone and everything.

Because I made him feel like he wasn't perfect enough.

Because I made him feel like he wasn't enough, and that he didn't deserve a life outside of his bedroom.

The more I thought about it the more I realized that if I hadn't been so pressuring, none of what happened would've happened.

I should've done better...

Quite recently I had attempted to talk to him and explain that it's not his fault... he needed to move on and forgive himself.

But I'm not sure if I could move on and forgive myself either.

Please, if you genuinely believe I am not TA for what I did, vote NAH. My brother never meant for any of this to happen, and like I have mentioned earlier, he's extremely guilty about it all, even though it wasn't his fault.

(OOC: I am NOT blaming her for anything that happened, most of this is her being insecure)

[kronosfm]

JANUARY 8, 2040 — MIDNIGHT

( tw: violence, gore )

the gala of the year was in full swing; champagne showers under hung artifacts from the world’s most powerful fallen empires and crystalline chandeliers, shared laughter and the clinking of glasses toasting to new beginnings, the dawn of a new era is upon the citizens of novus now that kronos’ super serum had been brought to light. despite the whispers of the opposition, those who own the power in novus seem to be at an agreement — this is how the truly powerful will stay powerful.

it all happened in a blink of an eye; first started with a pained scream, accompanied soon after, the crash of the last surviving aztec sun stone, following suit, queen victoria’s most prized chandelier broken into indiscernible diamond specks and hurled into the unlucky few who were standing far too close. panic ran rampant across the packed halls with many rushing towards the double doors — until they slammed shut, and kept everyone inside.

it was the villains, it must be! they must have infiltrated! who else would do such a thing?

the heroes sprung into action, though their efforts deemed fruitless as … no one knew who to attack, and who to even defend. for once, they felt distraught. even.. powerless.

a few went to work on opening the double doors, eager to at least pave an exit path — until the newly appointed senator and his legislative aide are lifted off the ground, their bodies as if possessed by a force much greater than their own. 

one that can only be done if they carry the power of the mind.

the twins’ eyes trailed blood down their cheeks as if their tears were sacrilegious — as if even they couldn’t control the power they possessed. they had been taken over by something much more carnal, much more sinister, a surge their will couldn’t overtake.

the senator and aide screamed and begged for mercy, words hinting at struggle despite their strained bodies. blood trickled down their eyes similar to the twins’ until their heads mimicked victoria’s prized diamonds — split to millions, scattered viscera across the hall.

as the two bodies fell, so did the twins, over-exhausted by whatever overtook them.

ACTA DEOS NUMQUAM MORTALIA FALLUNT

this unfortunate incident was the result of unpredictable elements, says the official statement. the twins are the culprits; the blame lies not on kronos. any mention of the super serum is erased, and all recordings of buchanan’s speech replaced with the unveiling of a different way to the future. 

THE NOVUS TIMES REPORTS: MUSEUM RESTORED IN RECORD TIME DUE TO KRONOS’ NEW POWER ENHANCEMENT SERUM. 

the aztec sun stone was repaired without a single crack, diamonds once again whole — if you weren’t there, you’d think you were dreaming.

yet those who were remember. even as many found their chance to escape or to save a helpless few — no one quite got the answer to the one question on the tip of everyone’s tongue: is this the start of a new era, or a new evil?

ooc information: 

so.. the serum wasn’t all that great, huh? not to mention kronos’ covering it up, their PR machine out in full force! even if the team’s little experiment ended horribly — we would like to thank everyone for participating in our first event! we were really happy with how everything turned out and everyone’s participation was very much appreciated.

this concludes the end of the event — you may continue to wrap up current threads, and write new interactions with the present day dating at least one hour after the disastrous gala. flashback threads may also be written, as long as they date at least one month before the gala. you may also have your character suffering from injuries sustained in the disaster. if you have questions, please feel free to let us know in the server. get ready, this is just the beginning!

[beneathashadytree]

maya! I hope you’re doing well!

i’ve been on a one piece kick lately and am literally obsessed lol. i was wondering if i could request a hurt/comfort one shot with trafalgar law. maybe reader is overly sensitive and takes something he says to heart? he’s not really the type to dwindle on things like that. So I def feel like he’d just not understand why reader is being so sensitive over something so trivial.

LEARN TO LOVE - TRAFALGAR LAW X READER

Warnings : a couple of curses, Law is kinda unintentionally mean and clumsy at love, this is not proofread, reader is gender-neutral!

Genre : hurt/comfort, fluff!

Word count : 1.6K words

Additional notes : THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REQUESTING FOR ONE PIECE HOLY SHIT😭😭 I’m doing quite well, thank you 🥰 I’m literally hyperfixating on the show rn and no one ever requests for it 💔 Law might be a little ooc because I personally believe he’s on the autistic spectrum, and it makes perfect sense with this request. I absolutely adored writing this, please feel free to request at any time for more characters if you’d like! Hope you enjoy this 💗💗

Requests : Are open! Check the rules over here.

Want to support me financially? Here’s my CashApp!

Masterlist

Rubbing their temple with pure exhaustion from the draining one-sided argument they were currently having, they sighed deeply, closing their eyes for a moment. “Listen, Law, just… all I’m asking for is some of your time.”

Their boyfriend clicked his pen twice, setting it down on the desk as he heaved out heavily. “And I’m telling you that I’m busy and don’t have time to spare. That’s all.”

“Time to spare?” they echoed incredulously, eyes widening with disbelief. “You’re making it sound like I’m an extra that you might or might not make time for… not, I don’t know, maybe your partner?”

With a small wave of his hand, he gestured to the pile of papers in front of him, scribbled with his black ink. “I’m a doctor. I need to be up-to-date. You know that.”

A frustrated expression made its way on their face. “I’m not stopping you from doing your job. I just don’t think it’s normal for you to set our relationship as your last priority.”

“Never said it was.”

With a pointed look, they said, “You’ve implied it plenty enough with your actions. I’ve barely seen you this past week.”

Law only shook his head. He wasn’t particularly impatient, per se, he just simply disliked the interruption. It wasn’t easy to focus again once his train of thought was interrupted, and this discussion had dragged on for too long. Already he’d begun to forget where he’d been on the latest research paper he’d managed to get his hands on.

Before more thoughts could slip his mind, he turned back to his desk, crossing his leg as he picked his pen back up. He needed to wrap this up and set a later date for this discussion. “I have important shit to do right now. We’ll talk later tonight.”

Law had already long turned his attention back to his work before he could spot the horrified expression on their face, stunned by how off-handed his comment was and how uncaring he seemed to be of the effect of his words. The callousness behind them would’ve probably hurt less had they been intentional, but the fact that he had no idea how deep they cut only drove the knife in even further than their implication did.

He hadn’t even stayed around long enough to see the consequences of his actions in the form of their reaction, only turning back to what he deemed his priority at the moment. Nothing remained for them to do but to leave the room before their tears began to fall. It felt far too humiliating to do that with his back turned to them and hunched over his desk once more.

***

By the time Law had turned in for the night and got into their shared bedroom, they’d already been tucked in and fast asleep with their back facing him and a troubled look on their still face. Ruffling his hair awkwardly, he frowned a little. Hadn’t they wanted to talk about things earlier? It made no sense for them to not stay up for a little while when they had seemed so concerned that afternoon.

He didn’t dwell on it for long, instead slipping off his shirt and settling in for the night beside them. He’d get to the bottom of things later, when they’re both awake and free. Right now, he was positively knackered and could do with a proper rest—or as much as he could.

***

The following day had been twice as confusing as the note the night had ended on. Having woken up before them as he always did, he’d expected them to have breakfast in his quarters as they’d gotten used to, but he’d instead found himself dining on his own. Though he’d scowled at that, he’d brushed it off soon as he busied himself with finishing up some notes he had to write. It was always better to pen things down when he was focused.

Come lunchtime when he was finally finished up with his work, he’d found them leaning against the submarine’s rails, taking in the fresh saltwater air and sunshine while it lasted. With the intention of lingering outside, he’d walked up to them to perhaps strike up the conversation once more, but they’d promptly ignored him and stepped back inside. In all honesty, it left him a bit irritated; he clearly had no idea what was going on.

Weren’t they always the one insistent on communicating everything? More often than not he found himself having difficulty with that, and yet he’d always done his best to express himself and his emotions (to the best of his abilities, that is—which often were none). So what was this evasion of him about?

With these thoughts in mind, he followed them back into their shared room, where they lounged on a chair, book in hand and completely ignoring his presence in the room.

“Shouldn’t we be talking about what you had to say yesterday?” he asked, brow arched as their jaw tightened in response.

“What do you want me to say?” they spoke in a low and controlled voice, “You’ve already expressed how you feel about that matter.”

Law frowned as he walked up to them. “I haven’t said anything. I just told you we’d discuss it later.”

“After you’d reminded me that our relationship wasn’t important enough,” they snapped, finally setting their book down, “”I have important shit to do.” Really, Law? Is that how little you regard us?”

His expression only grew more confused at that. “What’s that got to do with anything? I was simply working and didn’t want to get distracted at the time.”

“The way you worded it, Law, that’s what fucking hurt,” they ground their teeth, eyes shimmering with what seemed to be unshed tears as they stood up and glared at him, “There was the implication that any issue concerning us and our relationship itself wasn’t important enough for you to prioritize. You deny that being the truth, but your actions clearly speak louder than your words.”

Law was still none the wiser after they’d ranted. It wasn’t that he was particularly invalidating how they felt, but he truly didn’t understand how they’d come up with this conclusion after one single sentence he’d said. Perhaps the core of the problem being their request for more time spent together was the cause for this, but he failed to understand how his words had upset them.

To him, no matter how he’d worded it, he’d only meant that he’d needed to finish up some readings before he could give them his full attention. In all honesty, it felt a little too trivial for him to get.

However, the way they looked up at him with tears that threatened to spill over their lashes and a deeply wounded look in their eyes, he had to swallow that unnecessary commentary down. Despite everything, he hated seeing them so distraught, awkward as he felt when he knew little to nothing of how to properly comfort someone else. It was a brand new experience; learning how to love and be loved, and he’d come to realize how fragile of a thing that was.

Regardless of how he would’ve personally felt in their shoes, he forced himself to remember that not everyone reacts the same way to everything, and that emotional triggers are different from one person to the next. Besides, hadn’t he fallen for the way his lover always seemed to wear their heart on their sleeves? Hadn’t he thought it quite endearing that they were sensitive to their emotions and his as well? It wasn’t his place to dictate how they felt about things.

And so, with a slightly heavier heart than when he first stepped into the room, Law found himself gently taking off his hat and plopping it ontop of their head. It was far larger on them, and drooped in front of their eyes, but perhaps it was better that way. He’d rather not meet their eyes when he was feeling this sheepish and embarrassed by his actions.

“Sorry,” he gruffly apologized, patting their head, feeling a tug in his chest as they almost instantly sniffled in reaction to the small gesture, as though all they’d wanted was for him to recognize that he’d hurt their feelings. “Was just swamped over with work. I didn’t mean it like that.”

They sighed a little, sniffling twice afterwards. “I know, it just hurt.”

“Sorry,” he repeated, this time with a little more meaning and his heart pounding furiously for some reason. “I’ll make it up to you. Let’s sit and discuss how to better spend time together.”

Briefly, they glanced to the side, a trace of hesitance on their features. “I don’t want to be demanding—“

Huffing a little with exasperation, he pulled them into his chest. The embrace was a little stiff, even he had to admit, but he hoped that the message came across loud and clear. Their head nestled into his chest, and the comforting warmth had him inhaling shakily as he took his hat off them before he spoke again. “You’re not. You’re asking for the bare minimum.” His hand was gentle as his fingers brushed through their hair; the one affectionate gesture that came naturally to him. “Sit down with me. Help me fix up a better schedule.”

Pulling back from his hug, they clumsily wiped at their eyes, removing all traces of tears from them as they took a seat on the bed. “Better fit in six hours of sleep too.”

Without meeting their eyes, their boyfriend hummed as he sidled in beside them. “We’ll see about that.”

“Law…”

Taglist: @stories-that-shaped-me @finch-ya @wifeofkyojuro @livwritesfics

[omgrachwrites]

Her Prince - Prince Hal

Pairing: Reader x Prince Hal (The Hollow Crown)

Summary: The man that comes to visit you at your woodland cottage - the man that you’re falling in love with - is a mystery. When you discover what he’s hiding from you, it turns your whole world upside down.

Warnings: fluff, angst, ooc Hal probs, mentions of blood

Words: 2569

Disclaimer: So, I know that none of this would ever happen but I’m a hopeless romantic?? Characters will be ooc probably

A/N: I promise that I will be getting back to my usual fics but I had a really shitty day in work and I had to make my self feel better. The Hollow Crown was one of Tom’s superior looks! Hope you guys enjoy and please let me know what you think, I love you all! xxx

I've been living to see you Dying to see you, but it shouldn't be like this This was unexpected, what do I do now? Could we start again please?

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

The day was swelteringly hot and you were in front of your woodland cottage, tending to your herb garden. You were the best healer in the village and the townspeople ventured out of the safe confines of their stone walls to come and seek an audience with you in your forest cottage. As you were tending to the thorned plants, your hand slipped and you near enough sliced your hand open.

You gasped out into the silent air as thick scarlet blood blossomed on your palm but before you could do much about it, you heard the gallop of horse hooves in the distance, getting closer with every breath you took. Then, he called out to you and your heart fluttered with anticipation.

“Good afternoon, Y/N,” he beamed as his horse came to a stop.

You blushed as you looked at Hal’s handsome face, he was handsome enough to be a Prince with his honey brown curls and sparkling blue eyes, “hello, Hal,” you smiled as you sat on your little stone wall, your legs hanging over the edge, “it’s nice to see that you’re not half dead this time,” you laughed, recalling the first time you met him. He’d been injured and if you’d waited longer to heal him then he’d be dead.

Hal sighed, teasingly as he dismounted from his horse, “must you always mention that every time I come to visit you?”

You laughed as you reached a leg out to lightly kick at his knee, “of course, I’m never going to let you forget it,” you smiled and he rolled his eyes. By the look of his flushed cheeks, he’d been riding a long way today and you thought that he might care for some refreshment, “would you like some water? Or milk and honey, perhaps, to cool you down?”

Hal smiled and opened his mouth to reply but he hesitated when he caught sight of your slashed palm. He tutted and reached out for your hand, running his gentle fingers over the cut, “you’re hurt,” he lifted his concerned eyes to meet yours and you bit your lip as your eyes dropped down to his lips for a split second.

“It’s alright,” you breathed, “it’s just a cut from some thorns.”

“Here,” Hal smiled as he reached into his satchel bag and pulled out some fresh smelling cloth, “I don’t think that my healing skills are quite up to the level of yours, but I always keep some with me, just in case,” he chuckled and wrapped your hand in the bandage.

It was so courteous of him that you couldn’t help but stare at him, flustered and searching for something – anything – to say, “I’ll go and fetch you that glass of water,” you laughed nervously as you turned away, grimacing when his pleasant laughter followed you into the cool interior of your cottage. It was such a relief to be out of that heat, if only for a couple of minutes.

Quickly, you poured him a tankard of water before walking out into the scorching sun again.  Hal gave you a grateful smile as you handed him the water and he drained it in one swallow, gasping as he smacked his lips before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. You had to fight back a giggle.

“By God, I needed that, thank you, Y/N,” he smiled as he sat beside you on the small wall, his leg pressed against yours. Your cheeks flushed at his close proximity.

Over the few months that he had been coming to see you, you had grown to care for him, in fact you were falling in love with him. You wondered who he really was, “have you got an outing planned for tonight? I know that you prefer to collect your ingredients at night,” it was so nice that he’d remembered.

You bit your lip nervously as you tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear. You could hardly tell him that you were going to the Royal Palace, Hal had already expressed his distaste for King Henry and the Prince of Wales, you didn’t want him to think any less of you. The King had heard of your skills and he’d invited you to court to speak to you about taking the post of physician when his current one retired. You were very grateful that word of your skills had reached the King’s ears.

“No, no outings tonight,” you felt your cheeks grow hot and the lie tasted bitter on your tongue.

Hal sat on your stone wall with you, keeping you company for a little while longer, and when he took his leave, you sent him off with raspberry tartlets which you had drizzled with honey and baked golden brown. For as long as you lived, you would never forget the way he smiled at you so sweetly as he cupped your cheek, before he brushed his lips against yours, as gentle as a whisper.

When he pulled back to look at your reaction, your heart pounded so loudly in your chest that you were afraid that he’d heard it and you felt pleasant tingles all over your body. When he found no sign of hesitance – you would have to be a fool to reject him – he pulled you closer and kissed you deeper. You stood on your tiptoes to meet his kiss as you allowed your fingers to run through his curls as you kissed him in the peaceful little clearing. Long after Hal had left, your lips still tingled from the memory of his intoxicating kiss.

Later on that evening, you were being escorted down the never-ending hallways by a Palace guard – how people found their way around this castle, you had no idea – you were dressed finely for your audience with the King, a dress from green silk that you’d made yourself. You were so nervous and the guard must have sensed it because he gave you an encouraging smile.

“Everyone has is worrisome before meeting the King,” he chuckled, “the common folk prefer the Prince.”

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise, “they do? I have never met him; will he be at court today?” you asked with interest.

“I think not, he’s been in the tavern often, of late.”

You grimaced to yourself, spending time in the tavern was not wise for the future King but you kept your thoughts to yourself. As you entered the Throne Room and saw the old proud King on his Throne, you wanted to bolt out the way you came in but you forced yourself forwards until you were kneeling at his feet.

“Your Majesty, thank you for seeing me,” you kept your head bowed as was the custom.

“Please, rise my child,” with a small smile, you got to your feet and looked at the King, “Miss Y/N, I have heard great tales of your skills and accomplishments. I believe you’ve healed quite a few soldiers in my army?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, they often come by my cottage, it’s the quickest path to the castle.”

“Quite,” the King nodded, “I thank you for your service, my physician has grown old and his methods are not what they used to be. If you would, return three days from now and we can truly see what you can do.”

A slight sting of annoyance shot through your body but you would never let it show on your face, you would rather show him now but to argue with the King was to wish for death. Before you could accept, the door to the right of you opened and the King sighed as he shook his head, you were too nervous to see who it was.

“Finally, my son, you need to extend your apologies to our guest for being late.”

“My apologies,” a soft distracted voice came to the right of you, the King gave the Prince a sharp look and the Prince of Wales sighed as he walked in front of you, “please accept my apologies, my lady,” when he looked at you, his eyes faltered and his mouth opened in surprise.

Tears sprang to your eyes as you practically felt your heart crack as you stared at Hal – your Hal – he was the Prince? Words couldn’t describe how you felt but if you had to use one word, it would be ‘betrayed.’

Keeping your voice steady, you looked back at the King, “may I have your leave to go, Your Majesty.”

“Of course,” the King inclined his head.

As soon as the King replied, you bowed once more and escaped from the room as quickly as you could without actually running. You heard Hal say something to his father before you heard his quick footsteps follow you, “Y/N!” you shook your head and kept walking, refusing to look back at him, you wouldn’t let him see you cry, “please!” his voice broke and you couldn’t help yourself, you had to stop and look at him.

Well, you didn’t look at him, you kept your eyes on the floor, “Your Majesty,” you mumbled as you saw Hal’s feet walking closer to you.

You felt a warm gentle hand on your chin and you allowed yourself to look at his face, he looked so apologetic and his eyes almost looked wet, “we should talk.”

“As Your Majesty wishes.”

Hal looked sick as he rubbed his thumb against your cheek, “please don’t call me that, nothing’s changed between us.”

“Nothing’s changed?!” your sadness quickly turned to anger and you momentarily forgot where you were, “everything’s changed!  Why didn’t you tell me? By God!” you gasped as you slapped a hand to your forehead, “I’ve been rude to you! And you’re the crowned Prince! I kissed you!”

Hal bit his lip as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to treat me any differently, and technically, I kissed you,” he chuckled.

“Why?” you asked, holding back the tears, “why would you kiss me? Was it for something to laugh about with your noble friends,” your eyes went blurry as a wave of sadness washed over you.

“No, Y/N! Angel, no, I kissed you because I love you!”

Your heart stopped in your chest but it wasn’t from happiness, it was from overwhelming sadness, you would have longed to hear that just a few hours ago but now, you would rather that he didn’t say anything, “you can’t say that,” you shook your head as you backed away from him and Hal’s face fell, causing you to look away as you felt a stab of pain shoot through your heart.

“It doesn’t make it any less true,” he mumbled.

“I have to go,” you sighed as tears slid down your cheeks and ran over your lips, “goodbye, Your Highness,” walking away from him was the hardest thing you had ever done – especially when he was calling after you in that broken voice – but you had no other choice. He was the future King.

A year later, you were in your chambers at the palace, you hadn’t seen Hal since you had said goodbye to him. He’d been staying at his castle in Wales, though it wasn’t far away enough to make you forget about him. It was a particularly rainy day when your apprentice came bursting through the door with a shocked look on his face.

“Y/N! Y/N! Have you heard the news?” he was out of breath from running and it made you laugh.

“Calm down! What news?”

“The Prince is back, he’s in the tavern in the village, the word is that he’s abdicated the Throne for a peasant girl.”

You were so shocked that you dropped the empty beaker you were holding, letting it shatter across the ground, “are you,” you cleared your throat as you tried to gather your thoughts, “are you sure?” when Arthur nodded, you gulped and looked at him nervously. He’d probably abdicated the Throne for a pretty girl that he’d met in Wales but he used to love you and there was a sliver of hope in your chest, you had to go and see for yourself, “can you keep an eye on things here?”

“Yes, but where are you going?” Arthur frowned at you as you grabbed your cloak but you shook your head without another word.

Your riding had got much better while you were staying at the castle and you got to the tavern in a surprisingly short amount of time. You hoped that Hal was still here. As you opened the door to the warm tavern a hushed silence fell over the patrons as they stared at the newcomer. You didn’t have to search far for Hal because he was in the middle of everyone with a pretty blonde woman perched on his lap. His eyes widened as he looked at you, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he swallowed. Hal had seemed to become even more beautiful in the year that he’d been away. He looked like an angel.

The woman sneered at you and you realised that he hadn’t abdicated the Throne for you at all, you were such a fool. Offering Hal, a sad smile with tears sparkling in your eyes, you turned to leave, walking out into the cold evening air again. You had barely mounted your horse before you felt a strong arm wrap around your waist from behind and a warm hand came to brush your tears away.

“Why are you crying petal?” he whispered.

You could feel the fissure in your heart widen and your knees almost buckled at the sound of his soft voice, “because you’re you a fool,” you sniffled as you turned to face him, “abdicating the Throne for that woman.”

Hal let out a surprised laugh as he shook his head, “I haven’t abdicated the Throne for her,” he jabbed his thumb in the direction of the tavern, “I’ve abdicated it for you.”

Your heart soared as you gasped, searching his face for any deceit, instead you found nothing but love, “me? Why?”

Hal grinned as he cupped your cheek, “isn’t it clear my dear? Because I love you, I would rather give up my future rule than lose you.”

Tears sprang to your eyes again but for a completely different reason and you rested your hands against Hal’s firm chest, “was your father angry?” you couldn’t believe that this brave handsome man had given up everything for you.

“Furious,” Hal rolled his eyes, “but I don’t want to live without you, I love you, Y/N. I would like nothing more than to live the rest of my days with you by my side.”

You smiled as your fingers curled through his hair as you gazed up at him, “I love you too,” you pulled him into a passionate kiss and at the first touch of his lips, you gasped, it felt like coming home, “I’m going to have to find a new post,” you laughed, you couldn’t go back to the palace now.

Hal only chuckled as he pulled you in for another kiss, for the first time in your life you had no idea what was coming next. However, you couldn’t find it in your heart to care, you had your Prince and that was all that mattered.

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

@smiithys​

[stxleslyds]

NIGHTWING #81

UMM... HOW ABOUT NO. 

Ever since Tom Taylor took over Nightwing I have only made a post about one issue of his (I will leave it here Nightwing #78), that issue was beautiful, it was a solid start and the little things that made me feel a bit icky were not mentioned in the post because the issue was good.

Then the issues felt like connectors or just very bland story wise. I had problems with the book also feeling like a Nightwing and (fake) Oracle book instead of just Nightwing. There were many instances where Dick alone could have gotten himself out of situations without Barbara, but because she was there the opportunity to show that he can do things was taken from him. I guess what I am trying to say is that the book has disappointed me but I didn’t feel like making a post because it was too early and this is an ongoing book that Taylor said he planned on continuing for a while, but now I can’t not make a post.

A few days ago, I finally read the Red Hood story in Urban Legends (I have a review for that one too I will link it here Red Hood part 4) and I couldn’t stand how OOC and disappointing the story/characterization has been. I am saying this because I am only reading these two books at the moment, ONLY these two, and all I have gotten from them is shit.

I know it’s still early to say that the Nightwing book is bad but…I hated this issue, I hated it with all of my heart. But now that I am a bit calmer, I have come up with some ideas of what is truly going on with the Melinda situation.

Anyway, let me give you my thoughts.

There are big Wilson Fisk vibes coming from both Blockbuster and Melinda Zucco. Those two will lie, manipulate and be evil every chance they get. They are working together to make Nightwing disappear. I know it. The whole “make us all much wealthier and to extend your power beyond the city” idea does not include Nightwing.

Melinda might not want to burn anything down but she sure isn’t a hero. This woman accepted the position of Mayor after watching Blockbuster kill the former mayor. I understand that talking with the BHPD isn’t the best idea but this woman feels way too comfortable in the presence of a killer.

She is cunning and she has plans, I strongly believe that she might be a villain and that she will betray Blockbuster and take all the power (if it reaches that point) to herself.

Heartless is just another weirdo, he tricks both Nightwing and the reader into thinking that he has a soft spot for kids but surprise! He doesn’t. There isn’t much to say about him, he just has very complex gadgets and doesn’t know how to fight. I don’t even have any ideas about who he might be.

What I know though is that there was absolutely no need for Dick to think that he had “underestimated” Heartless, my love you threw your stick at him while he was looking directly at you, there was a 50/50 chance of him catching it. I swear I don’t understand the need to write him thinking that mostly because Taylor then has Dick swiping the floor with the guy, not only is it a simple fight (for Dick) but it’s also boring for him. Taylor’s writing is so annoying sometimes, he just loves to write extra things that are out of place like the “Tim Drake. Thought of by many as the best Robin” why the fuck did he put that there? Honestly, what was the point of having Dick say that, I don’t read a Nightwing book to have Tim Drake praise. If it doesn’t offer anything to the story that is being told then keep the thought to yourself Tom...

Moving forward the scene in the pier was quite nice, mostly because it’s Dick’s quick thinking that gets everyone to safety, he knows exactly what to do and how to contact the Maritime distress channel.

He has hope for his city, he knows there is good in it and he believes help will show up when lives are about to be lost. I loved that, just like Heartless said, Nightwing IS Bludhaven’s Guardian Angel. Once again, I am having Daredevil vibes from Dick (like from the show)

After the fight we get to see consequences of Dick not healing properly from a shot to the head. He loses his consciousness which is extremely dangerous but luckily Tim is at arm’s reach to help him out of the pier.

There are many things I want to talk about from the scenes that happen after Dick wakes up in his apartment so here we go.

First of all, Bitewing is adorable, she loves Dick the most and was happy to see him awake once more, what a good girl!

Secondly, Barbara, honey, you do not have three names, you aren’t Batgirl anymore, you are a grown woman that needs to move on from a mantle that has other people that can do something else/better with it. And we all know that this Oracle is just the ableist version of Oracle. So yeah…all I ask is for Barbara to move on from Batgirl, Cass and Stephanie are right there, enough is enough.

In these panels we have Dick, Tim and Barbara being kinda dismissive about the homeless kids, and it has been happening for so many issues, what is the point, Taylor? You made Dick a millionaire and you just can’t have him say or think for a second that he will monetarily help those kids and make sure they are put somewhere safe? You are really going to wait up until you have Dick running for Mayor or something to help the kids? I just don’t get it. Kids living on the streets and each time they are mentioned the three heroes of the book act like it’s normal and doesn’t need fixing. What the fuck.

Then we have the gang finding out that Melinda Zucco is the new mayor, the woman has an FBI file and a redacted one! This makes me think two things, either things are like I thought in the beginning of the post (she is evil and very good at it) or this woman is actually FBI and she is undercover (this one is less likely because of what happens at the end of the issue).

What we can see from the file that Barbara found is very little, but in these two pictures we can see that maybe she was put in foster care and x age? Also, she was apparently investigated in April of 20xx, the investigation must have been recent, why would the FBI investigate a minor or college student? What if these files were implanted by Melinda for someone to find them, and for her to have some sort of proof of her lies? If the file is about her being left in foster care or something while would the file be redacted? I don’t know, everything about her is shady and I don’t trust anything from or about her.

This could be a complex and very interesting character but Tom Taylor and DC really love to do stupid shit for shock value (more of this later).

All the new information (the Maroni, Blockbuster and now this very shady Mayor) has Dick saying that it is a bit too much for him and yeah, it is too much, you know who could help? Red Hood. I am of course not talking about current DC comics Red Hood, I am talking about the Red Hood that I would love to see, just yesterday I had an ask about who would I like to see working with Jason and I said Nightwing because Dick puts a lot of responsibility on his shoulders so it would be nice if they negotiated and each could work on different crime areas in Bludhaven, if only DC would hear me…

Anyway, now that we come to the end of the scene let’s talk about Barbara’s shirt.

That was unnecessary and not funny. That’s all it was. Yeah, I know it’s a meme and I know it was included for funny ha-ha purposes but I am not laughing. Bruce has been written as abusive towards his kids for so long, Jason, Tim and Dick have been physically harmed by Bruce and writers use it as just something that happens, there are never repercussions for the Bat. And this shirt sucks because Dick was Robin there and he was a kid, so having Barbara or anyone wearing a shirt with Batman hitting Robin!Dick right in front of Dick is just disgusting. What if someone wore a shirt that had Joker beating Jason with a crowbar in front of Jason, would that be a funny ha-ha too? What about Dick wearing a shirt with the Joker shooting Barbara, is that a funny ha-ha? The answer to those questions is no, it’s not funny.

The idea of that shirt shouldn’t have been pitched, drawn or included after the editor took a look at it.

The picture is a meme in our world, not in theirs. And the readers aren’t laughing.

 Back to the issue, Dick is left alone in his apartment to rest (seriously? You think the man that showed up to help Bruce in Gotham with a knee brace is going to rest?) but he can’t, he just found out that Mayor Zucco might be trouble for Bludhaven and might be working with not only Blockbuster but the Maroni family. He is not waiting one more second to have a chat with her.

Dick is obviously still concussed so of course he grabs a mask that has a camera that Oracle can view, and of course he enters yet another window without being careful.

Melinda and Audre were obviously waiting for him.

But here is where the real bullshit begins. Dick is unmasked.

I am so mad; it’s been four issues and Dick gets his ass in a trap and is unmasked by a villain? Are you kidding me right now?

But that’s not all, after Dick breaks free and accuses Melinda of being the daughter of the man that killed his parents, she pulls out a uno reverse card and says that her actual father is John Grayson, and that she is his sister.

How about no. Absolutely not. Go away.

Let’s re-visit Melinda’s appearances in the book so far so we can start theorizing about her real intentions or if she could be saying the truth.

Back in issue #78 where she is first introduced to us, after Melinda watches Blockbuster kill the mayor, she goes home and tells her Audre that she is now mayor because Blockbuster did what he does, so she knows that this guy is trash and a killer. But that’s not all, Audre asks her if she came across Dick Grayson to which Melinda answers “I am not ready for him yet”. Audre suggests she talks to him sooner rather than later because she might not have “another chance”, and the issue ends with Melinda agreeing with her while she is looking at a Flying Graysons poster with a red circle framing Dick’s face.

That whole thing? Shady. Melinda, obviously, wanted to talk to Dick Grayson, probably to tell him that she is his sister, but why is there a time limit, why is Audre telling Melinda that she can’t wait too long? Is it because her undercover work is ending soon? Is it because it’s not real at all and she needs to tell that lie in order to move forward with some sort of plan? I don’t know…

In issue #79 Melinda (and Audre) are out in the open with Maroni and they are talking about her becoming the next Mayor, Nightwing was watching from afar so this is his first contact with her. And it might be the first time that Melinda and her friend see Nightwing in action too. I cannot tell if she is aware that Nightwing/Dick Grayson are the same person here.

In #80 she doesn’t make an appearance.

But now in #81 she is taking her place as Mayor of Bludhaven, there Commissioner McClean takes her somewhere she didn’t expect to go (she is shown not knowing that Maroni and Blockbuster were in the next room over). Once in the room she refuses to take the cash from McClean but she will take the money as a transaction (for a second I thought she wouldn’t take the money but she did because she is very corrupt) and talks to Maroni once more. Before I talk about what happens with Blockbuster let me say this, she acts so distant to Maroni, she calls him Mr. Maroni every single time and she comes off as cold and feeling no type of way while talking with someone that is part of the family that actually raised her, and this is not because she is in a room full of other people, she did it too in #79. It seems weird that she acts that way with someone that took her under his wing since she was eight years old.

When she sits with Blockbuster he says “tell us your plan for my city” to which she says all of this: “My plan, Blockbuster, is to make us all much wealthier and to extend your power beyond the city. But to do so in a way that builds on the good work you’ve already done I have no interest in burning anything down.”

At the start of the post I said she gave me big Wilson Fisk vibes and that right there is why. She is shady, she has plans on top of plans, she calls Roland Desmond Blockbuster to his face but says that he has done good work for Bludhaven, which is weird because Blockbuster destroys Bludhaven a couple of times a year…

As I said before whatever she has planned does not include Nightwing, and here is where I kinda start theorizing a bit more, what if Blockbuster told Melinda Nightwing’s real name, he used to know who he was once upon a time…

Later in this issue when Nightwing is going to Melinda’s place Audre is already waiting for him right next to the window (with a sword), so, was he making an insane amount of noise or were they told to be ready for him?

Melinda traps him and takes his mask off, she barely seems surprised about Nightwing being Dick, she barely reacts when he jumps at her. She is in complete control of the situation and proves that by disarming Dick, as fast as he accuses her of being Zucco’s daughter she tells him that her real father is John Grayson.

She is in complete control. She has to be lying, she put a stop to whatever Dick had to say and do in seconds. This woman is trained and she is manipulative as fuck!

And if she isn’t lying then fuck DC and fuck Tom Taylor, this woman is either younger or the same age as Dick, John Grayson was not a cheater, the man is dead, has been dead for so long, don’t throw dirt on his name at this point. I refuse to believe this is true.

I honestly think that she is evil, and knows more than we are aware of, her first appearance was shady as fuck, let's suppose that she didn’t truly know that Dick was Nightwing, why on earth did she have a Flying Graysons poster with a red circle on top of Dick’s face? That doesn’t seem like something a sister would do! And why would this be information that is so important that she NEEDS to tell him in a certain amount of time?

It’s fucking insane. Tom Taylor, if she is actually Dick's sister then shame on you. Disgusting, what is with writers and cheating, what the hell is going on? Dick doesn’t need to think back to his parents and see a cheater in one of them. This better be Melinda being a cruel and vile human being that is trying to emotionally hurt Dick/Nightwing so she and Blockbuster can do whatever its they want to do.

That’s all I have to say.

[doctorgerth]

Hello, how ya been? Could you do “Wanna, like- I mean if you’re not busy... We could get lunch? Or even just coffee if you don’t have a lot of time?” 'n Confession for Killer, X Drake or Bartolomeo with a female reader, fluffy, mild nsft n all that, where they like are talking to her the morning after the naughties and they're trynna ask her on a date (I hope that isn't too much expansion lmao-)

Thanks in advance uwu

❥ “Enchanted” - Valentine’s Day Event Scenario [ 2 / 14 ]

❥ prompt: “Wanna, like- I mean if you’re not busy we could get lunch? Or even just a coffee if you don’t have a lot of time?”

❥ theme: Confession

❥ pairing: Drake x F!Reader

❥ warnings: light ns.fw, one night stands, implied drunk sex, brief mention of reptilian/dino sex

❥ word count: 1k

❥ a/n: apologetic, blushy Drake is my weakness. 🤧 it was nice to explore a more casual side of him! I hope he’s not too ooc in this. thanks so much for this request, my love!!

Feather-like touches tickled against your skin, jolting you awake with a sharp inhale that startled both you and the stranger in your bed.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

A distant, hardly recognizable voice called out from behind you. You rubbed at your eyes, adjusting to the warm lighting of the bedroom that was most definitely not yours. As you took in the scenery, your eyes fixated on the tall wardrobe, then the mahogany desk that was adorned with a dingy vanity mirror and what appeared to be your undergarments. You were in a hotel room and the memories of last night at last became clearer; alluring memories of an incredibly handsome and adorably blushy redhead filling in the gaps.

Turning to face him, you silently prayed that your memories weren’t distorted and he had retained the handsome imagery your mind was currently painting in your headspace. As you locked eyes with him, you audibly sighed, not hiding your beaming smile as he was just as sexy as you remembered; even more so with sleep heavy in his eyes and the aftermath of last night’s events laced through his disheveled hair and printed along the pale skin of his neck like a work of art.

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t sleep too much longer anyway.” You stretched your body to life, yawning as you did so. His brows furrowed in concern as you lightly hissed when your muscles quickly reminded you how sore they actually were.

“I got you some water.” His head notioned over to the nightstand where a tall glass of water never looked so good.

“How chivalrous of you.” You sat up and covered your body with the sheets, or rather, what was left of them, and unabashedly chugged the water.

He chuckled, “Well, you did call me Mr. Chivalry last night.”

It was your turn to blush at the memories of your overbearingly flirtatious slurs of that silly nickname. You didn’t want to admit you had forgotten his real name already, but you figured you wouldn’t be able to hide your fuzzy memory for long.

“I’m sorry about that. Could you remind me…?”

“Don’t worry about it - it’s Drake. Truthfully, I don’t remember yours either and I was hoping you’d be the first one to bring up the names.”

You playfully smacked his arm, “You sneaky bastard! I’m going to have to deduct some chivalry points for that one.” He laughed this time, loudly, and it made your heart beat wildly in your chest. You were sure he could hear it too. “You’ll be paying for all of this too, as recompense.”

He groaned as you held up a tattered pillow, feathers spilling out of the seams, “I’m sorry, it seems I might have lost a little bit of control last night...”

“The biting and scales were a bit adventurous,” You discarded the pillow with a sly smirk, “but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a good time.”

Drake face-palmed with hints of red peeking between long, slender fingers, “Agh, please forgive me. I’m not usually like this. I mean, I don’t usually partake in things like this.”

“What? One night stands? Or reptilian sex?”

He stiffened, a mad blush now blooming across his entire pale face as he covered his head with the only intact pillow left, “Don’t be so blunt! But, yes, to the former. I’m going to ignore that second question.”

“So you’ve never had one before?” You inquired.

“Very few. I’m usually quick to leave before they wake.”

You gasped dramatically as you placed your hand over your chest, “Well that’s not very chivalrous of you, Drake.”

He snorted, “No, it’s not. I have many regrets.”

“Well, now you have me curious.” You joined him under the sheets again. Flipping onto your side to face him, you placed your head in the palm of your hand and offered him a wicked smile. “Why are you still here then?”

Drake inhaled deeply before slowly removing the pillow. His head rolled towards your direction, and his lips curved upwards as he inched closer to you, holding your gaze as he reached out to touch your hair, “That’s precisely what I’m trying to figure out…”

You bit your lip as you pondered for a moment, “This doesn’t have to mean anything if you don’t want it to. We got what we wanted, and now we can go our separate ways. We don’t have to stay.”

His bottom lip dropped into a slight pout, “But what if I want you to stay?”

“What?”

“Forgive me if this is too forward, but, I’m enchanted by you and I don’t think I’m ready to say goodbye just yet.”

Your entire body tingled at his confession and you had to pick your jaw up off the floor. Thankfully, he was too flustered himself to realize your own embarrassment.

He continued on, a nervous quake in his voice as he began rambling, “Wanna, like- I mean if you’re not busy…we could get lunch? Or even just a coffee if you don’t have a lot of time?”

After some time, which felt like years to poor Drake, you responded with a playful tone, “Is this for chivalry points?”

“Well, I would very much enjoy a chance for you to see me as my true self and not just a drunken, horny mess.”

“You say that as if that side of you is so bad.”

“Please don’t tease me.”

“You make it too easy.” You giggled as you nearly leapt out of bed with pure excitement. As pathetic as it may have sounded, which is exactly why you didn’t voice this thought out loud, you were quite relieved to not have to spend Valentine’s Day alone. “Lunch sounds great! I’ll go get dressed and we can-”

He gently grabbed at your wrist, preventing you from leaving the bed just yet.

“I was also thinking maybe we could give last night another go, especially since we’re sober and you know my name now…if you’d be interested?” A mischievous twinkle gleamed in his blue irises. Sneaky, cheeky bastard you thought to yourself, such a tease and he doesn’t even know it! You rolled on top of him, still clutching at the sheets to cover yourself, a playful gleam of your own shining right back as you straddled his lap comfortably.

“Sure, as long as you don’t get another nose bleed when you see me naked.”

“Oh, of course you remember that!” He pulled you down to him with another hearty laugh hidden behind a warm blush, claiming your lips and tangling with you in the sheets once more. The two of you knew those lunch plans would in fact be changing to dinner plans.

If you enjoyed this, please be sure to leave a like, comment, and/or reblog! 💕

[the-crows-typist]

Thank you for you patience on this, here is the first installment of the Valentine’s event with Jade and the word ‘Chocolate’ which was requested by  @takumipineapplexd. Enjoy.

CW: For potential OOC and Slowburn with small bits of Angst

Word count: 6378

A Heart from Me to You

“Welcome to the Sweet Tooth, may I take your order?” Deuce says as the customers enter the café in an excited hurry. From your position behind him, you couldn’t help but smile at their reactions to the confectionary seen within your shop; they were your creations, after all.

“I’ll have the lovers’ bite with some black coffee…Oh, and a tuna sandwich with some extra chips.”

“Alright, please take a seat and your order will be with you shortly.” The young man motions them to a nearby table with comfortable chairs and when they giggled to themselves, Deuce got to work on the order given to him. Just as the loud clatter overtook your hearing, you looked away, drowning the voices out to concentrate on the batch of brownies that had been cooking in the oven, the smell of chocolate wafting through the air and mingling with the smell of roasting coffee. You were proud of your achievements and you were proud of the atmosphere you’ve cultivated through your hard work.

“Ah, come on. Let me pay this time!”

“No, let me. I was the one who took you out on a date.”

“That’s not fair! Why don’t we pay half?”

“Eh, but—?”

But through your hard work, you ended up skipping on the life most people your age have. While you created beautiful pieces of art with sugar and meat, couples young and old enjoyed them. While you went out to get supplies, others spent time with people they wish to build a life together with. You couldn’t be angry at them, they deserved the happiness they found, but there was always that pang of jealousy and longing of what might have been had you just looked away from your work for one second.

You shrug your shoulders, hearing the timer ring. Then again, things wouldn’t have been any different.

“Deuce, can you clean up table 3 for me after you deliver the orders? I’ll be preparing the brownies.”

He smiled and nodded his head enthusiastically “I’ll go right to it.” and got to work. You were grateful to have him by your side, though you often felt guilty for the times you asked him to work alone during the days you needed to restock and resupply. Despite his insistence that he was fine, you could see the small tinge of exhaustion in his eyes.

You let the brownies cool on the counter and watch the small business thrive on the love of your heart. You are happy to see it flourish but you couldn’t help the biting bitterness of a love you yearned in return. Shaking the feelings away, you go back to work and grabbing a bar of chocolate, some milk, and hot water. The brownies aren’t gonna garnish themselves.

The next day was relatively quiet, the two of you replenishing the stock of your products and making small talk between each other. Deuce talked about his family while you gave your own opinions and listened. It wasn’t until near completion that customers rolled around. Two tall waltzed into the café, both of them wearing apparel far too expensive for a visit to a small establishment.

“Welcome to the Sweet Tooth, may I take your order?” You took to the counter prompting Deuce to continue the restocking by himself. They looked like identical twins, only distinguished by their eyes and blank hair strands against messy and neat teal hair.

“Let’s see.” The one to your left said, his hand coming to his chin to think as he browses the menu. “I’d like a chocolate lava cake, the hamburger steak set…and some mint tea. What about you, Floyd?” He turned to his twin who had messier hair and droopy eyes. A small hum and he shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll have…french-fries. Ah, there’s flavors available, right?” Floyd leaned down and his towering figure making you falter but only for a while.  

“Yes, we currently have cheese and sour cream at the moment.”

“I’ll take the cheese, then.”

With a motion of your hand, you guided them to one of your plush seats. “Please have a seat and wait for your order, thank you.” As they went, you look to Deuce who had the same expression of fear and surprise on his face. The two of you congregate together while working on the orders. “I could feel my heart leap outta my chest, they look so scary.” He whispered to you.

“Shh, don’t say it too loud.” You chided, bumping his shoulder lightly. “But you have a point.”

Deuce pulled out the fries from the fryer and let it cool just as you began setting up the hamburger set carefully and slowly heated the lava cake. “I don’t know what business fancy-looking guys have with our café but…Profit is profit. Are the fries ready?”

“Just gonna put the cheese powder. The water for the tea is ready.”

“Good. Clean up the area, I’ll be the one to deliver the order.”

“Sorry for the wait. Here’s the hamburger set, a chocolate lava cake, mint tea, and cheese fries.” You set the food down onto their table and set two small pieces of chocolate. “We have a special promo today that if you order a certain amount of food, you get one of our premium chocolates.”

“That’s wonderful, thank you.” The neater looking twin said just as his brother began eating the fries. You nod your head and gave him a polite smile. “Please enjoy the meal.”

The twins ate quietly, their eyes looking over your creations with healthy scrutiny. Floyd’s tongue slipped out of his mouth as he ate his fries and Jade took a bite from his hamburger. They both hummed, looking at each other as if communicating through their thoughts.

“My, such flavor.”

“Does that mean Jade likes the food?” Floyd leaned closer to his brother with a giggle. “We’ll have to see. Let’s finish this up, shall we? Would you like to split the cake, Floyd?”

Floyd stuck out his tongue towards his brother again and grabbed a fork. “Okay~. It looks pretty yummy too.”

The small cake was split between them and the aroma of chocolate hitting their noses.

“Jade, this is…”

“Indeed. Let’s finish up this meal and report to Azul, shall we?”

“I believe this will cover the payment.” Jade offered a card to you, allowing you to input the amount. “May I ask, do you create all the food you here?” As you give the device to him for his card number, you nod your head. “I do. Well, except for the core ingredients and bread I make everything I sell by hand with help from Deuce.”

“Just the two of you?” The receipt prints out and he takes his card.

“Yes, just the two of us. We are a small café, after all, so we don’t expect a long line of customers compared to more corporate and well-known shops.” You let out a small laugh, a hand to your cheek. “Though I wouldn’t mind a small line one in a while.”

Jade laughs along with you, his voice soft and calm yet smile so practiced. “I hope that it would one day happen.” He slips his card back into his wallet then produces another card, handing it to you carefully and respectfully. “I am Jade Leech and this is my brother Floyd, thank you for the wonderful meal.”

You take the card from him and he gives you one last smile before he leaves with Floyd waiting for him by the door. “We’ll come by and visit again one of these days.” Jade gives you one last smile and both you and Deuce were left alone in the empty café.

“The Octanivelle Co.” You read the card out. “Have you heard of this, Deuce?”

He drew a little closer and hummed. “No, not really.”

The two of you walked to the table the twins ate on and found the plates were empty save for a few crumbs of cake and cheese powder. The two of you exchanged looks and couldn’t help but smile. “Looks like they enjoyed the food.”

The door’s bell rings suddenly and an old couple looks at them from the counter. “Can we order some tea and cookies?” One of them asked with uncertainty and you quickly let go of Deuce and walk towards them. “Of course, what kind of tea would you like?”

Deuce looked at you with a smile, seeing your face now vibrant and happy. Just as he went back to his duties, he took the card into this hands and looked at the name. Jade Leech. Octanivelle Co. Why does it sound so familiar?

“We’re back!” Floyd announced just as he entered through the apartment door with Jade following close behind. Azul Ashengrotto had been reading some papers by the coffee table before hearing the two come in. He got up from his chair with a smile, a warm blanket over his shoulders, and clothes baggy and drooping. He looked quite tired. “Welcome back. How was the small trip around town? Did you find anything interesting?” Jade hands him a single piece of paper, a flyer. The young man’s eyes arched.

“The Sweet Tooth?”

Jade’s smile remained pleasant while Floyd plopped onto one of the comfortably plush chairs. “While we did go to the restaurants you asked us to sample, we chanced upon a small café with a wonderful array of pastries and confectionery. I had a nice chat with the owner who makes all their products from scratch.”

Azul brought a finger to his chin in thought. “And what of the food?”

Floyd leaned back on the chair with a hum. “I took a look at them while cooking. They’re pretty careful with food prep and had the right equipment on them.” He looked to the side, remembering how he stared at the owner as a way to look beyond what was allowed to be shown to him. “The assistant reminded me of a mackerel, always flopping around but pretty strong when it comes to it.”

“While I enjoyed the flavor, I think it would be best that you have a taste of it yourself, Azul. Perhaps The Sweet Tooth’s menu is exactly what we’re looking for.”

Azul looked at the flyer again. Its design was basic and borrowed and printing style, it was not at par with those used by more popular cafes. “I’ll take your word for it, thank you. Let’s schedule this for the end of the week.” The smallest of the three set the flyer down on the coffee table.

“Here’s your order of assorted chocolates, a cream and strawberry cake, and some black coffee.” Deuce put all the food into a plastic bag and set it for the customer to take. “Thank you for shopping at The Sweet Tooth, please come again soon.” Sighing, the boy leaned against the counter to stretch his stiff neck. With the last customer on the line gone, the shop was now silent; a cold object hit his elbow and you smiled at him, handing him the cold soda. “You look like you need some refreshments.”

He gratefully took the can from you and popped it open to take a swig. “I’m just happy that I got everyone’s orders to them on time. I know we can handle it but boy does my arms hurt.” You stood next to him and shrugged your shoulders. “Cakes can be deceiving, can’t they?” He nods his head and continued to drink the soda. “But now that it’s the end of the week, I can surmise that we’ll get a few more customers.” You whisper to yourself then look over to Deuce. “Why don’t you take a break? I’m sure you’re tired.”

“But…”

“It's fine a good ten minute rest won’t hurt, right?”

Just as Deuce was about to say something, the bell rang as the door opened, three people entered your establishment. Two familiar and one not. He wore clothes that both fit and hid his figure, his hair neatly styled and white, his blue eyes scanned the quaint shop he just entered. “What a lovely aroma.” He commented. “Is that chocolate?”

Nodding your head, you took your position by the register. “Indeed, sir. Ah, I think I remember serving your friends a few days ago.” You turned to the one with slightly messy hair. “Mister Jade Leech, right?” The three of them chuckle and Floyd pointed to his brother next to him. “Wrong Leech.”

“It’s quite alright. The two of them have told me about your shop and I’ve decided to try some of your food out. I’ve heard nothing but praise from the two of them.” Your cheeks flushed and your heartbeat was sudden, a smile formed on your lips. “Ah, I’m so happy you think that!” you exclaimed but quickly clear your throat when the twins chuckled at your reaction. “Might I suggest our roast beef sandwich? Oh, and a nice slice of chocolate cake??”

The small man nods his head. “As well as some tea, for three please? Mint will do.”

“Understood. Please take a seat while we prepare your order.”

“Thanks for waiting.” You set down the order on the table along with the tea and three cups. Azul lets out a hum of approval when he smells the food. “It’s as Jade says, it smells very good.” The other twin, Jade, chuckles. “They used their spices quite well, don’t they? I have to doubt in my mind that it will be an enjoyable meal.”

“Ah, shucks, I don’t deserve such high praises. I’m just following the recipe.” You say sheepishly, scratching the back of your head as Azul took a bite of the sandwich. “Recipe? Did you get all these outta some cookbook?” Floyd wondered. “Most of the food here is my Uncle’s. Ah, but, the sweets are mine.”

“Are you a family business?”

“Yup. The business went to me after my Aunt retired, I’ve been running it ever since with Deuce.”

Azul swallowed his food and licked his lips. “Interesting. This Deuce person is your assistant, correct? Is he a recent hire?”

“No, he’s my cousin. We’ve been working together since the business was passed down. As for assistant…Honestly, we’re each other’s assistants, sir.”

Jade leaned back against the plush seating, his long legs splaying out. He looked like a model with his clothes on, the way his dark turtle neck defined his face and his light-colored long coat accented his look further. Oh geez, you felt yourself staring and decided to look to Azul. You could hear him chuckle at your movements and you felt this petty frustration boil in you.

“That’s all we wanted to know, thank you,” Azul said to you and catching himself. “Ah, where are my manners? Please, call me Azul. Might I ask for some extra water for the tea?”

“Of course!” You take the teapot from the table. “One moment. Please enjoy your meal.”

Once you were out of sight, Azul took a bite into the cake and his eyes went wide.

“What do you think?” Asked Jade while Azul continued to eat.

“I think we found it.”

“The meal was lovely, thank you.” Azul reached into his pocket and produces some bills. “I’m surprised you don’t have customers coming to you in groves.” Shrugging your shoulders, you input the amount and slip in the bills. “I wish for that to happen but I don’t think Deuce and I can handle it with how we are now.”

You hand Azul the receipt and he looks through it, quiet for one moment. “Say, do you do catering?”

“Not at the moment, no.”

“Shame.” He pouted but moved to take a card out of his pocket. Azul Ashengrotto. Octanivelle Co. Your eyes widened at the familiar name. Was this Azul working with Jade and Floyd? “Come along, you two.” Just as the two walked out, the resting area’s door burst open with Deuce clutching his phone to his chest and face full of surprise. “You gotta see this! I can’t believe—!”

The trio left as Deuce approached you quickly. “I searched for Octanivelle Co. Look at all this! Their brands, the events!!” He pushed the phone to your face which you swatted in surprise. “The CEO’s name is Azul! That was him, right? Azul Ashengrotto?! He ate here!”

You moved quickly and ran outside the shop in your uniform, chocolate stained apron and all, to find the three. Oh, you should have known! You should have known!! You turned the corner to the nearby train station and soon as you moved to turn another side, your eyes collided with a dark-colored wall.

“Oops.” Said the person you bumped into, a pair of hand-holding your shoulders lightly. “Are you alright—Hm, aren’t you…?”

Jade Leech tilted his head down at you and you pulled yourself away. His shocked expression turned into a knowing smile. “Ah, I see.” He says and you’re sure you’re starting to feel the strong urge to pinch this man’s cheek…If you only you could reach him. “Azul, someone is looking for you.” He said to someone behind him as he let go of your shoulders.

“It’s you. What a pleasant surprise.” Azul’s smile was just as conniving as Jade’s but you could save the petty anger for later. “You asked about catering, right? I’ll do it.” You breathed in again. “But I need to know what you’ll need first.”

Azul’s back was straight and head held high as if he was triumphant in battle. “We need your food for my sister’s wedding.”

The shop was closed for the day as per the suggestion of Azul, the two of you using the time to discuss and plan, to add and remove, to agree and disagree. “Okay,” Azul began, tapping his pencil on the table. “My sister loves strawberry shortcake so that will be the flavor of the wedding cake. The other finger foods will be the smaller version of the—.”

Deuce stood by the counter away from the two and watching Jade and Floyd rummaging through the kitchen and adjusting themselves to the environment. “When will the wedding be?” he asked, looking to one of the twins. Floyd pulled out a can of condensed milk before looking at him. “In few months, three or four, I think. Enough time to get the order done.”

Jade sets down some cups of tea and tea leaves. “When Azul sees something he likes, he won’t stop at anything until he gets what he wants.” He pours some water into a prepared teapot and added the leaves. “He has enough resources to make his vision a reality.”

“But with just the two of us…” Deuce’s words trail off as Azul continued his speech.

“I’ll have Jade and Floyd help you with your preparations.” Your eyes widened and you looked to the two twins standing at the ready, Jade smiling at you while Floyd waved. “They are fast learners and have been trained in many culinary techniques, just show them the ropes of your establishment and they’ll do the rest.”

You could feel yourself flush at the sudden act of kindness. “T-thank you very much, Mister Ashengrotto. I won’t let you down.”

“I’ll leave you to it, then.” He leans to look at the twins, nodding his head. “Jade, Floyd. Be here first thing tomorrow morning, you’ll be learning The Sweet Tooth’s recipes to perfection.”

“Understood.”

“Got it.”

The twins smile in unison, your heart feeling the heavy pressure of the responsibility put onto you while Jade poured each one a cup of calming tea.

Training the twins and running the shop took a bit of time to get used to. You made sure the schedules lined up and two people were always available at the counter at any given time. In the kitchen, you stayed with each twin and made sure they understood the recipe.

Floyd was a natural but often very flimsy when something different catches his attention. You often had to pat his back and tell him to be careful with adding ingredients. “Add the sugar in little by little. Good. Now mix until you’re to make ribbons easily.” You say, guiding his hand by holding his wrist.

“This takes a lot of work…My wrist is starting to hurt.” He complains and you pat his back. “The molds are the fun part. Just a little more and we’ll get to that, okay?”

Just as you move away from Floyd, Jade had just come out of the walk-in freezer with his mold in hand. “Ready for the testing?” You asked as he carefully set down the flimsy material and turning it over to let the pieces carefully slip out. Jade’s work was the polar opposite of his brother with actions precise and instructions followed to the tee.

“As I’ll ever be.” He says, handing a piece to you.

As you chewed, you felt the burst of chocolate hit your tongue and you let out a small noise of approval but there was something in his creations that unnerved you. It was perfect. Too perfect. “It’s good…But it lacks.” You say and Jade’s eyes widen a small bit. “I do remember adding all the ingredients as per the recipe.”

“No, no. It’s not about that. Your handling of the ingredients was perfect and precise but…” You take another bite of his chocolate and continue to chew the piece yet feeling nothing in it. You backtrack a little bit, scratching the back of your head knowing that your next explanation was going to sound stupid to those who don’t understand the concept. “Ah, how do I explain this? It isn’t just the balance of sweet and bitter, you need to put your feelings into it.”

The silence that followed was nerve-wracking and you couldn’t help but cough into your hand. “I-if that made any sense.”

Jade’s smile was what brought you a small ounce of relief and his hand on his chest. “I understand,” He says. “I’ll improve on that as we work together.”

“Hey, chef, can you taste this for me?” Floyd called out to you from behind. “I can’t get the balance right.” You turned around and hurried over to him with a spoon. “Let’s have a taste—Ack, it’s so sweet! What did you put in this?”

Jade’s hand never left his chest, his palm feeling the steady and soft beat of his pusher. “My feelings, huh?”

“It’s quite festive outside.”

Deuce grunted, setting down a box full of milk and following Jade’s eyes to the crowds of people gathering and walking outside. “Ah, yeah. The town has a special night market that pops up once a month. Even people from outside of town come here to check it out.” Jade begins piping the cream covered cake and carefully decorating its top. “Really?”

“Yup. They like it since it’s a nice time to relax but recently, it’s become a place where people like to have dates.”

Jade laughs and begins adding the strawberries on top and sprinkling powdered sugar. “I’m sure the two of you have had your fair share of dates then?” Deuce scratches his chin, remembering his dates. “I have a few times.”

He looks to his cousin, watching them laugh with customers. “But I get guilty having to leave the store to them while I’m out having fun.” He hands a carton to Jade which he stores overhead. “They keep saying they’re fine but I can tell they get tired. They’re not very good at hiding it.” Deuce sighs and takes the box again and moves to the freezer. “They always put the shop first and I’m happy it’s still up and running. I just wish they knew that it was okay to have fun.”

The air was cool and the roads silent, you took a deep breath in after staying in the café for so long. Just as you were about to take the in the signboard, a pop of color and voice of awe distracted you from your activity. Fireworks colored the sky with bright colors, the wind blow again and offered you comfort after a long day. To your left, a couple held hands as they watched and you forced yourself to look away and begin to take the signboard from the ground.

“Good work out there.”

Something cold touched your cheek and Jade stood over you with a glass of water. “Thanks for helping out too. You and Floyd were a big help.” He took a sip of water just as more fireworks flew into the sky. “Do they always do this?” He asks and you shake your head. “Not often. But it’s beautiful to look at, huh? It’s been a while since I’ve seen the fireworks.”

Jade looks to you just as another rocket soared into the sky, the colors of pink and blue, red and green, illuminated the sky in a grand finale. Its colors reflected in your eyes, the shine of the light against your skin that cast a different glow to your sweaty face, he blinks then looks back to the people with their loved ones clapping their hands.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

You look down at your cup of water and chuckle bitterly. “It is.”

“You didn’t have to accompany me on a supply run, y’know?” You say as Jade helps load butter and sugar into a basket. “I would but your cousin was worried about you being tired so I decided to tag along.” He smiles at you in the most cryptic way imaginable, you couldn’t tell if he was making this all up or Deuce was trying to set you up.

“Besides, we’ll be working together for a while so it’s only right that I get used to the routine.” He took another look at the list and reached for the fruits too high up for you to take. While his height had been a bane, it was also a kind of blessing for reaching high places. “Now, what should we get next?” You look through your list and nod your head. “That’s all of it. We can grab a quick bite to eat before heading back.”

Once leaving the store will all the bags in tow, the two of you walked the streets. “How come you didn’t go to the night market yesterday?” He asked, your eyes looking to him. “You let Deuce go but he eventually came back to help.” Shrugging your shoulders, you look away with a pout. “Someone needs to look after the shop, that’s all. Can’t have the business suddenly tanking because of monthly market.”

“Besides…” Jade’s eyes widened slightly, seeing such an embittered grin on your face. It seemed that you had been hurt by this before. Your brows furrowed and eyes closed in a weary smile. “With all I’ve done, I don’t think I have time for that anymore.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—.”

“It’s fine, it’s just personal experience on my part. Let’s go back to the shop, Floyd and Deuce are probably wondering where we are.”

Jade continued to walk beside you but his eyes never watching as the bitter smile relax to one of content and nostalgia. He looks forward, thinking of something to say yet wondering if he should say anything at all.

“And that should be the last piece.” You say, popping the last chocolate strawberry into the container and sealing it. Floyd takes the box and chucks it into the freezer. “This warrants a celebration, don’t you think?” Deuce nudges Jade’s arm. “I hope you got everything prepared.”

“Of course. It’s only your company that’s needed.”

Your confused expression is what prompts Jade to motion you to follow him to the back. “Follow me.” The four of you walk deeper into the shop and you begin to smell a charcoal grill and hear the crackling of a fire. A small party area had been made. A clay grill and some meat laid out to be cooked.

Floyd let out a noise of happiness and you looked to Jade. “Surprised? Good. Let’s enjoy the meal.”

The four of you were merry as you ate your fill of meat and assorted vegetables, Deuce and Floyd sharing their own stories while you and Jade listened. At first, you didn’t think the two would get along but seeing them be so comfortable with each other made you smile.

“Will I see you at the party?”

Jade had poured himself a cup of tea and looking at you expectantly; your stunned silence was what prompted him to explain a bit more. “It is only right that you attend, you did agree to supply delicious food for the wedding.”

“Oh, uh…I suppose I can go. I might need to get a wardrobe check first.” You took a bite of the meat and chewed. “Though, parties like that tend to get wild as the night progresses right? It’d be nice to see you getting wild.” He took your tease in stride and chuckled. “My, is this an excuse not to see you at play as well? I’m certain your hand and eye coordination in sweets making will extend to your ability to dance.”

You hit his shoulder slightly, cheeks flushed yet smile wide. Your dancing skills weren’t anything to be proud of but you could keep a beat. You swear on that!

Jade laughs, his brows furrowed and shoulders shaking. “What I mean is, you’ve worked all this time. It’s time for you to have fun.”

Fun. Your shoulders hunch over with a smile on your face. Jade sets down pieces of meat on the grill while you think. You had spent so much time at The Sweet Tooth making things from the bottom of your heart. You had spent so much time skimping and ignoring what could have interested you for so long that it made you question if you deserved it? The fun most people you know have, the happiness they found and cultivated.

“Ah, I almost forgot.” Jade reaches down and pulls a box. “You did say that my work lacked a certain something so I’ve been practicing with the help of Deuce and Floyd.” Opening it, the smell of chocolate hit your nose. “I think I’ve perfected it.”

You pop a piece into your mouth, the sweetness and bitterness mingled and taste whole and honest. As you chewed, you tasted the memories and the conversations you had with Jade up until this point. His teasing remarks and his honest comments. It was perfect.

His look was expectant. “Well?”

You swallowed the sweet morsel and smiled at him, nodding your head “Well done.”

The wedding was beautiful, the ceremony was solemn and the dance floor was filled with people dancing together. You were dressed in your best attire and nursing a drink in your hands. “There you are.” Azul’s voice pushed through the noise, behind him was his newlywed sister. “This is the owner of The Sweet Tooth, they’re the ones who made all the sweets,” Azul said with the bride, his sister, next to him. “Your sweets are the best. Everyone loves them!” She says, taking your hands in hers. “Your strawberry cake is delicious, I couldn’t stop myself from taking another slice.”

“I’m glad you liked it.” You say, smiling at the infectious sweetness of the newlywed bride’s smile. “Please, enjoy the food to your heart’s content.”

She nods, shaking your hands. “Enjoy the party! You’re welcome to dance with us if you’d like.” Azul chuckled as his sister ran to entertain the guests. “That girl, always too excited for her own good but I’m glad she’s happy. Thank you for helping, I really appreciate it.” You laugh, shaking your head. “It’s not a problem, Mr. Azul. Just seeing people happily eat my creations is enough for me.”

Nodding his head, he moves to step away. “Do enjoy the party.”

The music shifted to a slow beat and you couldn’t help but chuckle at the sudden shift of mood as the guest scrambled to dance with their respective partners. Your loneliness wouldn't sit for long when Jade took to your side. In his hand was a plate of strawberry cake.

“Enjoying the food?”

“I’d be lying if I wasn’t.”

He continues to eat while you watch the people dance in the center, the bride and her groom waltzing it away in the center with foreheads connected and smile wide. “Would you like to dance?” Jade looked down at you, his hand at the ready. You hesitated for a moment before taking it and walking with him to the dance floor.

The music was slow and so were your movements. Jade’s held your hand as you spun around slowly, the distance between you and him growing smaller and smaller. “Having fun?” He asked just as the lights dimmed to match the mood of the floor. “You always ask lots of questions, Jade.” You said, leaning your head to his chest. “I can’t help but be very curious, that’s all. I only want to make sure everything I do is satisfactory.”

You spun again, changing sides. “So you’ll only act if the person likes it, then?” He chuckles, eyes furrowed and sharp-looking teeth showing. You never admitted to it but, seeing him this way made him look so cute. “When you say it that way, you’re making me up to be some kind of boot licker.”

“Ah, c’mon. There’s no harm in making people happy. But you gotta think for yourself.”

“How ironic of you to say that.”

You stuck out your tongue at him in defiance and he laughed again just as the song shifted to one more intimate. “But…If I were to have things go my way.” He pulled your hands a little closer and letting go to let them settle on your waist, rocking you side to side. “I would want you to stay a bit longer.”

Your foreheads connecting and your noses almost touching. “That’s what I want.”

The hands on his chest bundle into fists, your cheeks quite warm. “I-if…If that’s what your heart desires.” Did you really deserve this kind of happiness? You asked yourself that millions of times yet never thought to answer it yourself. Did you deserve the singing feeling in your heart after ignoring it for so long?

“Then, will you dance with me again?” He asked, your body shivering as he held you close to him,

“Yes.”

The wedding ended and the guests began to leave. You stood at the edge just as the taxi you flagged down came to a crawling stop. Jade stood behind you with his hand holding yours. “Well,” You say, turning to him with a smile. “This is goodbye, then. The wedding is done and the customers are happy with the food. A perfect run, don’t you think?”

“Indeed.”

The two of you stood together for a while before you spoke to break the silence. “Thank you for tonight, Jade. I had lots of fun.”

Your heart soared remembering the dances you had with him but it soon plummeted to your stomach knowing it would probably be the last you’d do that with him. “I’m glad.” That was all he could say, “I’m glad you had fun.”

Nodding your head, you turned around and opened the car door. “Yeah. Real fun. Goodnight, Jade.” He nodded his head and your hand slipped out of his hand you. He put his hands behind his back and watching you speed off home, his tall figure growing smaller and smaller as the distance between you grew.

“Where to?” Asked the taxi driver.

You sniffle, looking away with a sigh. The moment of happiness you felt became a distant memory to come back to. The answer to the question you’ve always asked yourself was all too clear to ignore. You spared no second in answering.

“Baker’s Street.”

The new day had started and you thought it couldn’t get any worse. You had slept through your alarm and Deuce was nowhere to be seen. Hastily donning your uniform, you sprinted your way to the shop only to see loads of boxes being hauled in. Deuce watched by the door.

“Deuce, why didn’t you wake me up? What’s going on here??”

Your cousin gave you a questioning look that turned into realization. “Didn’t Azul tell you? He was planning a visit after the wedding.” Azul and his sister, as if on cue, walked out of the store. “Good morning, sorry for the mess we’ve caused.”

“N-no, it’s not a problem really but what are you doing here?”

“Everyone loved your foods last night and thought to have breakfast here before leaving. Deuce told us you were short on hands so I had the twins help out.” Deuce chuckled and scratched his head. “You looked so tired that I didn’t want to wake you up.”

“Azul, everything’s ready.

Jade came out, his apron stained with oil and hair slicked back. The two of you alock eyes with one another for a split second. “Right. Let’s have a nice meal, shall we?” He and his sister went back in and leaving you alone. Deuce was quiet with his exit, only letting out a small laugh as he left you alone with Jade.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.” You scratched your cheek with a small laugh. “I didn’t expect to see you again so suddenly.” He drew closer, taking your hand in his. “That’s not a bad thing, is it?” In your hand was a piece of chocolate, the very first thing you taught him to make.

“I just wanted to make sure everything is perfect.”

You popped it into your mouth and chewed. The morsel was not too sweet and not too bitter, the memories of the both of you making your heart soar to the heavens. “What do you think?” The hold on his hand never left yours.

“I think you’ll know what I say.”

He chuckles, moving with you to enter the shop. The bittersweet taste lingering on your tongue for longer than it should. Your fingers intertwined as you turned the sign over, signaling a new day of business at your shop. This was your happiness.

[theodora3022]

Too Trusting (Yandere Ciel Phantomhive X F!reader)

Summary: You picked up a half-dead young man from a dark alley, tended to his wounds  with your nurse skills. However, you did not expect his way of paying his debts.

Notes: So this is a Ciel counterpart of this by @animeyanderelover First time writing for Black butler so hopefully this do not turn out to be too OOC.

Ciel is aged up in this, so no pedophilia haha.

Word count:3.1k(I went overboard oops, a sequal is already taking space up in my mind but whatever), long read with caution

Trigger Warning(s): Gore, drugging, implied dub-con, stalking

Stars glistening behind thin clouds, while the silver moon watches over midnight London carefully. 

You yawn and stretch your stiff limbs as you walk out the hospital hall. It has been a long night, though not many patients, the slow hours from afternoon to midnight is nothing less then torture. 

You know what you were getting into when you took up studying nursing, but you still cannot chase away this sensation of annoyance. The walk back to your family’s manor is usually peaceful, as it is through a well-to-do neighbourhood of the city. But you still stay on your guard as you lower your hood cape and hurried along. Under ideal circumstances, you would have a carriage for commute, but your noble yet impoverished family could only live a modest life even though your father holds the title of Count. As a result you grown to be independent, cleaned your own room, dressed yourself,  enough to become a hard-working nurse instead of a proper noble maiden.

You were unsure of your eyes when you noticed a trail of blood prints leading towards a dark alleyway. Judging by the traces, it means the person, or the thing is still nearby as they are fresh. Should you follow this? What if it is a criminal? But your care for this person’s health got the best of you. With this amount of blood loss, the wounds can be fatal if not given proper medical care. Whoever they are, you cannot just walk away and forget all about them, as it is against your conscience.

A young man dressed in fine suits is not what you expected, although you imagined that suit would look better if not soaked crimson, it seems that he has been shot by guns, the bullet wholes are the proofs. This is no good, you thought as you observe the pool of blood forming underneath him. He needs treatment right away. Although the gunshots are not on his vital parts, such as heart or brain, the blood loss from arteries would drain his life quickly.

“Sir? Can you hear me?” Crouching down, you made a close-up examination of his condition. Unconscious and pale, it seems he had dragged his way into his dark back alley with all those bullet shots. Putting some simple bandages over his wounds, you scoop his slim form up and hurried out of that place.

It feels like a long, feverish dream for Ciel, being carried as he senses the bullets still present in his flesh.

He woke up staring towards your bedroom ceiling. It is morning already, where is Sebastian? Noticing the unfamiliar scenery, Ciel quickly reaches for his right eye, relieved to feel that his eyepatch is still intact.

With a crack of the door, you walked in with a teacup in hand. “I see that you’re awake, I was expecting you to be in coma a bit longer.” Although you are a bit offended by the young man’s cold and evaluating gaze, you still put the cup of warm water on the nightstand.

Instead of taking a sip at the liquid, he asked questions. So demanding, fitting for a young noble.

“Where am I?” “The (family name) manor, do not worry, my parents would not be home until later this week.” Brining a man home while your parents are away, how scandalous, yet you know the laundry maid and the cleaning maid knows to keep their mouths shut. “I advise you to not trying to move too intensively at present, your wounds are still healing.” Pouring yourself a cup, you took a seat on the long sofa next to him. That is where you doze off last night, where the wounded man took your bed. Today is supposed to be your day off, you planned to use it to catch up on sleep, but now it is all ruined thanks to mister mystery on your bed here.

The (family name) family? Ciel vaguely recalls reading about this name before. This house of Counts used to be quite influential in the days of the Queen’s grandfather, George III, and the regency era, but now they are nothing more then minor nobles. Still, he cannot fandom how a lady like you had saved him from that bloody mess. 

Looking down to his abdomen, Ciel can see he had received medical attention from you. Now that he has been saved from the reaper’s collection, Ciel knows the best thing to do is calling for his loyal butler. However, he must find a way to repay his debts you. You did save his life, after all.

“How long was I unconscious?” “Only for a couple of hours. May I have your name, Sir?”

He knew he should hide his identity, even from you. The less people knowing that the Queen’s guard dog was almost successfully assassinated last night, the better. But as if his lips have a mind of its own, Ciel let it slip out. “Ciel.” Good thing he managed to hold the word after.

Ciel, the French word for sky. Suitable for his eye color. “Well, pleasure to meet you Sir Ciel, I am (y/n). You might have guessed I am a noble but spare me the court protocols. Right now I am nothing but a humble nurse.” Now you have a chance to look at Ciel properly, he is actually quite handsome with those delicate features. Silky blue-black hair paired with peacock blue eyes, although one of them is covered by an eyepatch. You were tempted to pry when he was still out but choose not to as it could bring horrific consequences. Noblity can be so cruel, you do not want to get dragged into their mess further.

“I thank you, for coming to my aid.” Ciel lowering his upper body forward, attempt to bow as best as he could in his current state.

“It was nothing, really. Please be careful, Sir Ciel. Your wounds are sealed, but vigorous movement can still open them up.” Your knotted brow amuses him, how can you act so nonchalantly when receiving gratitude form Lord Phantomhive himself? You are a peculiar one indeed. Brining a stranger home and patching him up, while you know nothing of his identity or intentions. How very naïve of you. Guess there no harm in trusting you for a bit. If you want him dead you could have just left him in that damp alleyway.

Taking a sip of the teacup you prepared for him, the Earl frowned at the plain taste. But he drank all of it, nonetheless. Being subjected to tea for so long, he finds water dull and it leaves a foul taste in his mouth. It would have to suffice for now. “My butler would be here soon; would you mind opening the windows?”

Baffled by this odd request, you still drew away the curtains and let the morning sunshine in the room. Seeing you bathed in sunlight had made Ciel feel a certain something. He is startled by this strange sensation, how it made him blush and lose composure. The Earl had never been very sociable person since childhood, so the only female he frequently spend time with is his fiancée Elizabeth. One could say the fairer sex is foreign territory to this man. Ciel is used to being around Elizabeth, out of duty as she is his future bride. But he never felt this warm feeling when he is with her. You might not be a beauty by popular standards, but there is just something about you that made him want to... maybe it is your caring gaze, or your easygoing attitude, Ciel is not sure which one to pick.

“Excuse me, young lady, do you mind telling me how serious my lord’s injuries are?” You jumped back, frightened by the sudden appearance of the tall man on your window ledge. This is two stories high; how did he get up here? No wonder why Ciel wants you to open the windows.

“Sebastian, you frightened her.” The young man scolded the butler, who merely bowed and apologized for the intrusion. You begin describing his bullet wounds in great detail, even showing him the aftermaths: the bullets you took out before on a plate. But you soon found yourself staring up into the butler’s gorgeous eyes, and you started stuttering. Those eyes are like swirling tornadoes, drawing you close every minute. Although Sir Ciel is already an attractive lad, his butler seems to be on whole new level.

Usually when women were swooning over Sabastian, Ciel would find it irritating but simply ignore the interaction, as it could be used to their advantage. But seeing your starring eyes fixated on the tall man in black, a bunch of...jealousy hit in in the head. You saved him; he is supposed to be the one you are looking after! Why are you so focused on that demon? Taking notes of his young master’s angry signs: how Ciel bit his underlip, Sabastian knows he had gone too far with you.

“Sabastian, carry me back home, that is an order.” He spitted out the sentance rather harshly.

You snapped out of your funny state, approving his actions: “If you must move, it is the best if someone carry you. Sir Sabastian, do you need me to call you a carriage?”

“No need, Miss. My lord and I would be on our way now, thank you for your assistance.” Within two seconds, they both disappeared from the room, as if they were never there. You shook your head, cleaning up the teacup and the messy quilts, wondering how you are supposed to return that blood-stained suit jacket that still lies in the laundry bin downstairs.

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The Earl Phantomhive is now back to his study, reading a report about you.

“May I ask you why this young lady had peaked your interests?” That smirk on Sabastian’s lips successfully irritated Ciel’s short temper. Scowling at him, he tried to explain how he only wants to properly thank you on saving his life. “I never like owning debts, but I do repay them. What is that smirk for, Sabastian? Are you teasing me?”

“Why, how could I milord. I do not have the courage to mock my master.” After giving him a warning look, Ciel returns to his paperwork, setting your files aside. But unfortunately his mind starts to wonder.

 What would it be like, to have your hands messaging his shoulder when they are sore from work? Those hands that pulled him from death not so long ago. No, no. He has to stop. Ciel Phantomhive already has a fiancée, and even though he had no romantic feelings for Elizabeth, it is not proper to just daydream about another lady in such salacious manners.

Even so, Ciel needs to make you do not face any dreadful consequences because of him. Many people want him dead; he simply cannot allow you to be affected by his foolishness. A precious person like deserves to be protected and cherished. 

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Labelling your strange encounter with Sir Ciel as a notable but past event, you carried on your daily duties per usual. Your parents did not suspect a thing as you took care of all traces of Ciel, you still work those awful full night shifts. That suit jacket is cleansed, folded neatly in your bottom drawer, as a reminder of Ciel and his handsome butler is not a fever dream.

While browsing the London news during afternoon tea, you glance at the gossip column and find how Lord Phantomhive had broke off his engagement with little lady Midford. You pay it no particular mind, as you were barely involved in high society due to your family’s declining status. Gossips such as these does not bother you a bit. You placed the newspaper back to its proper shelve, finishing the biscuits as you thought about how you should get out of this state of unease.

Maybe you are just losing your sanity from night shifts, but ever since that day Ciel appear in your life, you have this constant feel of being watched everywhere. In your bedroom, in the hospital halls or in the streets, no matter where. No matter how hard you searched, there is nobody. Even though you sense no malicious intent, it still worries you and kept you up at nights. Your parents are worried about your ever-growing dark circles, but you just brush it off as side effects of your job.

“Really, dear, you shouldn’t overwork yourself.” The Countess, also your mother said at the dinner table one night. “The household can still run without your overtime pay; you know.”

You nod silently, pretending to be having trouble dissecting the salmon filet. Working is a way to help your parents pay for the ever-expensive bills of this manor, as well as your insurance of not being sold on the marriage market by your devious uncle, who brought suitors to every family party. How he said: “Your family might not be what it used to be, but a son of a wealthy merchant can change that!” disgusts you so. Those men disgust you also. All they want is that Count title, as you are the only child, your family title would go to you.      

“You got mail, milady.” Your washer maid presents the latest postage to you. Ah, is it the pay checks?

When you held the white envelope in your hands, you could not believe your eyes; The scarlet wax seal is engraved with the crest of a dog, representing the Phantomhive family. What could the Earl possibly want with you? Although you are a nobleman’s daughter, you never acted like one and you lived a middle-class life. The only distinction being the family tree and your blood. Knowing your worth, you did not assume naively how the earl must have want your hand in marriage, even if he recently broke off his engagement. Your status of a backwater noble is too insignificant for him to notice, so why did you receive this letter?

It indicates the Lord wants you to join him for dinner tomorrow night, which made your stomach churns. Your table manners are not the best, as your parents do not care for such things. Along with the letter there is a package containing a fine black dress, its velvet material surely feels expensive. What did you do to attract such attention from the Queen’s guard dog? You simply cannot fathom why, never at once Ciel came to your mind. You initially wanted to turn down the invitation, but your father said it would reflect poorly on the family. You accepted it, not wanting to put your parents in trouble. This must be a mistake, you thought. I am not qualified to be some lady, all I wanted is to help people in the infirmary.

The dress fits you perfectly, as if it is tailored by the finest in London. A shiver climbs down your spine as you thought about how he obtained your measurements. All you have to do is smile, eat whatever, and he will get bored of you in no time, right?

No.

When you were greeted by that devilishly handsome butler again, you were so relieved. This is just Ciel inviting you to dinner, to show his gratitude! There is nothing to be concerned about.

Ciel not like himself from few weeks ago at all. You can tell that he is trying whatever strategy to make you feel comfortable, even telling you to forget about stiffy table manners if you like. Hm, how unusual, as you heard before the Earl is found of strict etiquette and protocols. But having seen him in a fragile state before, you never once suspected his true intention.

Ciel is mad. Not at just anyone, but at his loyal servant, Sebastian.

How dare he drawn your attention away, how dare he makes you giggle like a fool, how dare he make you smile like that. Doesn’t the demon know you will soon belong to his master from all those investigations? It is bad behaviour for a servant.

“Were you listening, (y/n)?” Ciel suddenly stops in the middle of a description on his company’s latest candies.

“I-I’m sorry Lord Phantomhive, it is just...” You lower your head to apologize, but he seems less then pleased.

“Sabastian, leave the room now.” “As you wish, young master.”

 After the butler backout of the dining room, leaving the two of you alone, Ciel’s expression completely changed. But you are a bit preoccupied by your dizziness. Why did your head feel so heavy all of a sudden? Have you caught a chill? Standing up from the chair, you courtesies to your host: “Thank you, Lord Phantomhive for this delicious dinner. I am feeling rather unwell, so I am afraid I must take my leave.” You almost lost your balance because of your vertigo, only caught the chair for support at the last moment.

Thin, but strong long fingers grabbed your wrist, forcing you to sit down beside him. “Oh no, my dear. I think you are exactly where you need to be.”

His...dear? What can he possibly mean by that? There are certainly many other suitable noble ladies available to him, why?

However, your mind starting to become cloudy, as you can no longer form coherent thoughts. Seeing you in such hazy state, a sinister smile forms on his lips, as he pulls your body into his embrace, slowly stroking your hair as you black out. Feeling you had been forced into a dreamless sleep, Ciel knows he had succeeded, as always. To be honest with himself, Ciel did abuse your trust, by seasoning your steak a little differently, but it is your fault for being so trusting of someone you only met once. Ciel had won this game, now he would gladly take the prize to the new bedroom he so thoughtfully prepared for you. You are going to love it, including his series of plans. The title of Lady Phantomhive suits a sweet person like you impeccably.

He had thought about this long and hard, and he came to a conclusion of the best way to repay you is to offer you a position you cannot possibly refuse.  The position of Lady Phantomhive. He even upsetted Elizabeth for this! It should qualify as a decent compensation. Should you ever think it is not suitable, your parents would be a good place to start negotiating. You wouldn’t want anythnig happening to them, don’t you?

Now that Ciel understand how it is like to “love” someone romantically, he swears he is going to try his best to make you comfortable with him in this new home. Your presence would lighten the grim mood of this manor greatly. Easily swooping your unconscious body up bridal style, Ciel begin to walk up the grand staircase, towards the bedrooms. Maybe the manor could return to its former glory in the near future, with a happily married couple and their adorable little brats. He could have a family again! Doesn’t that sound just lovely?

[dianapana]

SH Day 7- Genin Era

Rated T

Honestly I’m never confident in writing in the original Ninja Universe, my depiction of most of the characters is so OOC and that works fine with AUs but I fell like I need to be in character to write in the Ninja Universe, not sure I achieved it in this story but yes…either way, I hope you enjoy.

~Love Dia.

@sasuhinamonth

Hinata POV

When Iruka sensei first announced the teams, I was disappointed that Naruto-kun and I were on different teams, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was actually best that way. No matter how hard I try I always get flustered and distracted around him and for a ninja focus is important, especially in the middle of important and dangerous missions. And even despite being on different teams, I’m always able to find him around town and look from afar, just seeing him is enough for me. I got used to this way of thinking for a while now, thus when Kurenai mentioned that we’d go on a mission together with team 7 my anxiety levels rose higher than my excitement to see Naruto. I was already too weak and dragging my team down, father always made sure to remind me just how much of a disappointment I was, our initial track record of failed missions, or barely passed ones only added as proof to his words. I was terrified I was going to put everyone in danger, I was scared to make a fool of myself, I was filled with fear that was threatening to overflow from deep inside me.

I tried approaching Kurenai about the issue, tried to ask her to allow me to stay behind, but they needed every one in our team in order to track a run-away criminal, they needed Shinos bugs, Kiba’s nose and my eyes. Naruto’s team was in charge of fighting him if necessary and bringing him into the village. Kiba had been furious when he heard our job was to be a map basically, but I was glad we wouldn’t have to fight. However, my relief was short-lived when Kurenai mentioned that it was an A-class criminal so there was a high chance that team 7 would need our help in combat as well.

The day of the mission started pretty similarly to my usual days, I got dressed, packed bentos for everyone and left bright and early for the training ground where we were told to meet up. The whole way there I kept thinking about what I should do if Naruto was already there, what if it were just the two of us there, what would we talk about? Or would we just sit in silence? However, my worries were futile, Naruto wasn’t there, it was only Shino, I and Uchiha-san. Shino greeted me, but Uchiha-san didn’t acknowledge my existence, the three of us stayed in silence which usually I wouldn’t have minded but my thoughts were hectic and I would have liked any sort of distraction. Slowly more people joined, Kurenai, followed by Sakura and Kiba and soon there was no longer silence, Sakura was talking to Sasuke and Kiba was complaining to Kurenai-sensei. After a few minutes of being ignored Kiba let it go and came to talk to me, he was telling me about some of the new dogs his older sister rescued and Akamaru placed himself in my lap for pets, it almost felt like a normal day and for a moment I forgot all about Naruto and the joined mission, that was of course until Naruto appeared, he had been running to get here on time, you could tell he was hurrying by his slightly red cheeks, the rapid way in which he breathed and the droplets of sweat rolling down his temples.

His sunny disposition was wonderful from far away but it was maybe a bit too bright and blinding from this close. I followed him with my eyes as I were so used to do, not even registering he was walking to me until he was barely a few feet apart, his eyes focused on me with a smile.

“Mornin’ Hinata-chan” I loved how my name sounded on his lips, I blushed hard and murmured a reply, before any more talking could occur Kakashi-sensei arrived as well. Kurenai laid down a map for us and told us to gather around, I was too conscious of Naruto’s presence so I moved as far away from him as I could, I needed to focus on the explanation, my distraction could already be seen for in my attempts to distance myself from Naruto I bumped into Uchiha-san. I screeched, took a step to the side and apologized but he didn’t acknowledge me this time either. The only nod I got from him was when I gave everyone their bentos right before we split into smaller teams.

Thankfully I was able to focus on the plan and understood my part in it. I was to be in front of the team together with Kakashi-sensei and Uchiha-san, I’d use my Byakugan at the beginning until my chakra level was about half and then took small breaks if we hadn’t found the criminal by then. I was glad that Naruto wasn’t directly next to me, however, I was extremely uneasy around Kakashi and Sasuke as well, I had hoped at least Kiba would be next to me, but he was with Sakura and Kurenai to the left while Shino and Naruto were in the back.

“Ok Hinata, you can turn it on whenever you want, if you see anything unusual let us know immediately,” Kakashi said as we stepped outside Konoha grounds. The scroll with the mission information had a portrait of the man and information about his chakra type as well, which all in all helped me a lot, I knew exactly what I was looking for, thus being able to ignore all the movement around me that belonged to the team. The criminal had escaped from Suna three days ago and from their sources, he would pass through the forest outside Konoha somewhere today or tomorrow depending on his speed.

We had been running for almost 3 hours when I felt my chakra levels falter for a moment. I had never used it for such an extensive period of time, plus Kakashi and Sasuke’s speed was much higher than I was used to, all in all, I was having a tough time keeping up with them. I turned off my Byakugan when I felt my left eye hurting badly. “My chakra needs to recharge” I let them know and Kakashi nodded. We didn’t stop running, however, we slowed down significantly in order for Shino and Naruto to catch up with us, Shino too had been using his bugs and was tired, thus it was only Kiba that was still actively searching. Once my chakra felt stable enough, I turned on my Byakugan again, I could still feel discomfort in my left eye but ignored it for the time being.

Another hour passed when Akamaru barked loudly and not even a second later I spotted the criminal, he was far to the left, Kurenai’s team was maybe 45 minutes away from him, I informed Kakashi of that and we too turned to run that way, slowly increasing our speed.

“Hinata, we need you to keep your Byakugan active and let us know exactly where he is going, Shino if you can send some poisonous bugs ahead, our best plan is to knock him out without much fight needed”

The closer we got the more I felt his chakra overpowering me, the faster we ran, the faster he ran too, I wasn’t sure if he knew we were on his tracks, he had made no movement that indicated he knew. It was a split-second event, he was one, he was alone and then there were two others. before I could even open my mouth to tell everyone I felt a sharp pain at the back of my neck and the world slowly started getting blurry and black, the last thing I saw was Uchiha-san’s hand reach out to me.

Sasuke POV

The mission started about 2 hours ago but I could hear Hyuuga’s breath getting heavier and heavier with each step, I kept waiting for her to tell us she was tired, but she didn’t. Kakashi was quite far ahead of me and her but I’m sure he knew she was tired as well. Finally, an hour later she admitted to being tired, I turned for a mili-second to look at her and her left eye was closed, you could see the eye twitching underneath her lid, she had exhausted herself. We met up with the dobe and Aburame, I expected Hyuuga to lose her composure just as she had at the meeting place, but she was either too focused or too tired to give Naruto any attention. Even Naruto was uncharacteristically quiet.

The mission had been a long run thus far, that was until Hinata finally saw the suspect in the distance, we changed our path the way she guided us and kept increasing our speed. Kakashi told her to keep her Byakugan on and she made no comments. Out of everyone I was the closest to her and I could hear her getting more tired by the second, I kept mental tabs on her just in case she was going to pass out. For a split second, I heard her breath patter change, as if she was about to speak and I turned to look at her, her left eye was bleeding and from behind her came a man that hit her hard with the side of his hand on the nape of her neck, I reached out to her and barely caught her, held her against me before we hit the ground. Before checking how Kakashi and the others were faring I cupped her face and brought it up to my ear, for an agonizing long second, I couldn’t hear or feel her breath, but thankfully she was breathing, she was alive.

“Sasuke, take care of Hinata” Kakashi ordered, he had already knocked out the man that attacked us and was carrying currently carrying him on his back while writing a scroll and running at the same time. I picked Hinata up and continued running too.

“Is she ok?” Aburame asked and I nodded trying to ease his worry. I had been worried too, for a moment there I panicked, what would I have done had she died? Her left eye was still bleeding slowly, it looked as if she was constantly crying blood, I could feel my shirt getting wet with her blood, having her blood on me made me feel even more in charge of her safety.

“I found them too, I put a bug on each of them, there are three men in total” the information was welcomed “Kurenai-sensei’s team should reach them about 10 minutes before we do, I managed to inject with a small dose of poison one of them, the other two killed my bugs” Despite Hinata’s approximation beforehand, the criminal and his partners, apparently, were running too, all we could do is try to catch up to them in due time.

Holding her into my arms I felt oddly detached from the mission, for the majority of it I had been distracted, more interested in her state of being than the mission itself. Today had been one of my first interactions with her, what was it about her that caught my attention? Her blush and stutter when Naruto was concerned? Her loud scream when she bumped into me? The bento she offered me with no alternative reason? Either way, her presence distracted me and I did not appreciate that, her weight in my arms felt comfortable and even that annoyed me.

“Sasuke, you turn around with Hinata, I trust that there are no other men involved with the criminal. We can’t be sure how long the chase will take, Shino will keep trying to poison them and we hopefully will be done soon, however Hinata needs medical attention”

My detachment to the mission only furthered, I asked no questions, I gave no reply but simply turn around and run towards Konoha. Despite the extra weight and the long run thus far I wasn’t tired, I was oddly energized, my blood was boiling and I was running even faster than I have ever had. We were about 5 or 6 hours away from Konoha, but I wanted to reach it in 4 if possible. My focus returned and I heard every little leaf crunch on the ground, every little branch being moved by the wind.

When we were getting closer to Konoha, meaning maybe under an hour away Hinata moved into my arms, I stopped abruptly and looked down at her, her eye had stopped bleeding 2 hours ago thankfully, her complexion which had been white before was rosier and I could feel her sweating under her enormous jacket. I lowered myself to one knee and propped her legs onto my knee thus using that hand to undo her zipper, then without much thought I took off her jacket and threw it on the forest floor, it was covered in blood, sweat and dirt anyway, she wouldn’t miss it. I got back up and adjusted my grip on her, my hand was touching the skin of her upper arm, it was moist and hot but soft. I was about to start running again when her eyes fluttered open. The sclera of her left eye was blood-red, her right eye was also red but not quite to the same extent.

“Uchiha-san…? Where are we?” her voice was meek, but for the first time, she was looking me straight in the eye.

“We are maybe 1 hour away from Konoha”

“D-did the mission end…? where is everyone else?”

“The mission hadn’t been over when we departed form the group. Kakashi sent me to take you to the hospital. I am sure he assessed the situation and decided they could finish without us and that this was the best course of actions”

I had no expectations of how she would react, but her sudden sobs took me by surprise. Without even realizing it, I brought her body closer to mine and raised it a little. “Hold onto my neck” I ordered, Hinata looked at me with glossy eyes but obeyed nonetheless. I resumed running in that position. Was I offering her privacy to cry? Was this meant to comfort her? Even I couldn’t say.

The rest of the run went by fast, after crying for a while Hinata fell asleep, in the meantime, I started nothing things that I was grateful for. I was grateful for her short hair since the wind couldn’t blow it in my face, I was grateful for the soft skin of her arms since they felt nice onto my neck, I was grateful for her height since it made her the perfect size for me to carry, I was grateful that she was asleep and not dead.

When we reached the hospital, I placed her onto the bed in the room a nurse guided me to. She didn’t let go of my neck for a moment and whispered “it’s a-all my f-f-fault, I ruined another m-mission. I’m so s-s-sorry” her voice broke, and for some reason hearing her say that hurt me as well. I didn’t know how to comfort her, so all I did was rub circles on her back with my hand, I sat down on the bed and allowed her to keep holding onto me for a bit longer. “You did nothing wrong, thanks to you the others knew where the enemy was. We failed you because we didn’t notice the man behind” I had heard about the Hyuuga blind spot from father, but had forgotten about it until that moment. I wasn’t sure f my words or actions were of any help to her, but she didn’t cry, she was just hiding, and even that didn’t last long, for the doctor came to check on her.

I walked out of the hospital and went home to rest, in the middle of the night, hours later I heard a knock at my door, it was Kakashi-sensei. He came to let me know everything went well and to ask about Hinata. I told him what the nurse told me, a blood vessel busted in her left eye, she was knocked out and had a slight concussion, but nothing major. They were going to let her out of the hospital in the morning. After Kakashi told me some more about the mission he left for the night and I made a sudden decision.

I found myself in front of the hospital. I knew which window belonged to Hinata’s room, I had seen her through it when I left that evening. So instead of going through the door, I decided to jump onto one of the trees and then right outside her window. I tapped it lightly, not wanting to wake her if she were asleep, but thankfully she wasn’t.

“Uchiha-san?” she said as she opened the window for me to get into the room. She looked confused and embarrassed. I walked to her bed and took a seat on the side of it.

“I just wanted to let you know the mission was a success, everyone is fine.” Her eyes widened. “You didn’t ruin it, as I said before they couldn’t have done it without you” it felt odd o say that and the more the words gained meaning into my mind the more embarrassing they became. “Either way, I just thought you’d worry so I came to tell you that there’s no need for that”

I got up and wanted to leave, the room felt small and warm, but Hinata grabbed the back of my shirt. “Thank you” she mumbled the words about a dozen times, each time a little quieter and broken than before. I wanted to stay and comfort her some more, but I also didn’t want to see her crying anymore. My feelings were confusing me and so was she, so I simply replied ‘go to sleep’ before going out the window and leaving her behind into the dark hospital room.

The first week of Sh month done oof, can't believe I pulled through, especially since I didn't really plan on posting anything but day 1 so most stories (apart from day 6) I things I randomly wrote at 1 am. Thank you for reading and interacting <3

[mr-and-mr-diaz]

I Don’t Understand Buck Begins.

PSA this is a bit of rant. Not a hate-rant or anything like that, but I do express frustration and if you’re not here for that right now, please skip this. It is complicated and ended upa bit long. But if you’re up for it, I’d LOVE to know your thoughts.

I actually want to talk about this with people. I’m not here to drop a statement like a microphone and walk away. The first time I watched Buck Begins, I loved it. I still do. But as I think back on it and rewatch, there are some major issues I’m spotting:

1. Buck in his whole life has been endangering himself in order to get the attention (dare I say LOVE) of those around him. I feel like the Firefam’s (very OOC) responses to him recklessly endangering himself again only enforced these destructive habits?

2. Firefam’s OOC reaction: In literally every other episode, when Buck recklessly endangers himself the firefam immediately put the brakes on, tell Buck to treasure himself, not to be reckless, to think things through, to realize that the victim got out because of sheer good luck (as well as hair-brained thinking on Buck’s part, but some of Buck’s decision making also really endangered him, more on that later.) The fact that Bobby let Buck work that fire at all in the state of mind he was in is odd. The fact that Hen told him he was for whatever reason correct in choosing to split from the party and go on his own in his current state of mind was beyond odd. Looking back, it doesn’t feel like real moments, but rather contrivances dressed in nice words like “I don’t this often but you’re right” (NO HE’S F**KING NOT!!) so that we wouldn’t question them immediately. Was Buck correct that the other team needed anotehr man? Yeah. Was he right that it should be him? NOPE. Anyone could see that, we could see that, the Firefam could see that. but they let him go anyway. This is OOC, they’re smarter than that, and they’ve known Buck for long enough to know when he’s triggered and more likely to make poor decisions. During it, when Buck disobeys orders and Bobby is calmly just like “Yeah he does that sometimes.” I’m sorry, did someone put Xanax in Bobby’s coffee? Why on earth would he be so calm?? In a normal situation he would never be calm about that--add to it the fact that he KNEW Buck wasn’t at his most stable at the moment? He should have been shouting into his radio and hauling ass, not shrgging and smiling with pride like “Yup! It’s cool with me” like what?? Then afterward, nothing but kind words and praise. Good job risking your life like an idiot, good job risking the other guy because you were so determined to get him out asap you didn’t stop to think. That’s what you do, Buck. 

Like did they really just say that!?

The only nuance that I thought was right here, the only thing that was given emphasis that felt RIGHT, was not that Buck stays behind, not that he makes reckless decisions sometimes, not that he jumped into a fire while unstable, THE ONLY THING that should have been emphasized here, that the episode should have been based on? Is that BUCK DOESN’T GIVE UP. There’s a quality in him that we’ve seen before. one that Buck doesn’t seem to realize about himself. Athena’s moment was the only moment that looking back gives me any kind of cathartsis, because it is the only healthy reaction from the firefam that I saw (aside from them all running in after him--still love that moment.) they should’ve been gentle baout it, but nonetheless should’ve told Buck to treasure himself more, not be like “And here’s our most rekless memeber, pat on the back, kid, we love that you throw yourself into danger without thinking, in fact that’s what we love most about you!” Thinking back, I could SCREAM that that’s the message they left Buck with.

3. The victim: Let’s face it, the only reason the victim didn’t die is because the writers didn’t want him to. They made sure the tank landed somewhere non-fatal so that Buck could still get a win, even though many of his decisions thus far had been hare-brained and ill-advised, driven by a mad need to prove himself, and to never leave people behind, even if stopping and waiting and thinking might be more advisable at some points. In fact, when the victim first falls, and buck wakes up and he looks at him and I thought the victim was dead, first of all I was really sad for the victim, but I also felt like that was the right way to go. Buck’s decision making wasn’t sound, he wasn’t thinking straight, he went in anyway, by all rights the only reason the victim stayed alive after everything he went through was because the writers wanted him to stay alive which they followed with a big and in my opinion inappropriate Pat on the back Moment. The victim dying would’ve been tragic, but it would’ve driven home a lesson for buck, that hurting himself, endangering himself isn’t the answer, won’t always save the day. It would’ve taught Buck (harshly yes, but) that he needs to get his head  on straight in this job. And if he had lost teh victim and the firefam had been there for him anyway, it would’ve been a whole different scenario.

In the episode, while it was super sweet and had some incredible moments, Buck learns nothing, his relationship with the Firefam doesn’t actually change at all, and his relationship with his family doesn’t appear to have actually progressed. He’s still prioritizing them over himself (bringing the parents into therapy since well, they’re trying which is apparently enough now), he’s now been encouraged to continue the reckless streak of self-sacrificing decision making that he’s been on in the past in order to gain teh love and recognition of the poeple around him.

I wish the writers had placed focus, not on Buck being accepting, not on Buck being restless, but on Buck not giving up. We saw bits of that yeah, but it wasn’t as highlighted as Buck ebing reckless and feeling overall like he’s not enough. I wish the episode had been centered there, and they had created an entirely different scenario start-to-finish that (like in Eddie begins, where there were no contrivances, the only reckless thing he does--cutting the line--is something that there isn’t a quetsion in a single brain he WOULD do and should do) where Buck is level-headed, where he’s in some kind of scenario where only he could uniquely succeed in because he never gives up. This episode had bits of it here and there, but ultimately what was running teh day was buck vulnerabilities, not his strengths. Insead of pointing out where Buck shines (like the other Begins episodes), they really only further highlighted what his weaknesses are and then proceeded to have the people around him encourage those weaknesses. Like, what?!

I also think this was the moment to solidify the firefam as his family. Instead, we see Buck retreating back toward a very unhealthy family situation and the firefam remains where they always are. What they did for buck in this episode was something incredible, but it’s also something they would do for any member of the firefam. What I wanted was for the firefam to show up for Buck in a way that he uniquely needs. How, I don’t know--perhaps taking a jab at his loneliness, surprising him with a dinner party at the loft, whatever. Something that told Buck “we see your pain, we see how tough your parents are, how you and Maddie need family who will show up and treasure you no matter what (WHICH BTW INCLUDES YELING AT YOU WHEN YOU’VE BEEN AN IDIOT AND TELLING YOU TO PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF CRAP DON’T ENDANGER YOURSELF LIKE THAT AGAIN, PLEASE VALUE YOURSELF), that’s what Buck needed. An episode that would help him learn to treasure himself, believe in himself more, love the fact that he never gives up about himself, learn that dangerous stunts and running into things without thinking because he bleives that’s what gets him love is incorrect and unecessary. We didn’t get any of that. The episode was also trying to kill two birds with one stone, which brings me to my last point:

4. Framing Buck Begins around the sibling’s relationship, while GORGEOUS (seriously LOVED these moments they did and the casting was amazing, and both JLH and OS played their younger selves to perfection) I wish had been placed in a completely different episode. They didn’t belong here in an episode of Buck learning about himself. And because of the amount of airtime they took up, we ended up with an episode where Buck doesn’t really learn about himself in the end. Everything remains largely external instead of internal.

All in all, I feel like we need another Buck Begins episode to right the wrongs of this one. Nothing has been solved or fixed. Buck’s relationships remain pretty much the same going in as they do leaving. He has found no peace, no resolution (except in confirmation that Maddie loves him, which is nice, but largely external) he is still fuled by the belief that reckless behavior is what wins him teh love and attention of those around him.

This frustrates me to no end. If you feel like Buck Begins did scratch every itch for you, I’d love to talk and see your perspective as well, because I hate this itchy feeling of dissatisfaction and I dearly hope I’ve missed something here.

Anyway sorry this got so long. Didn’t realize I had QUITE so many thoughts until I started writing and then shit happened. If you made it to the end, thank youa nd I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts, whether you agree or disagree.

[mamahersh]

The Road to Hell (is Paved with Good Intentions) Chapter 2

“Season 8 was well underway, and the server’s first conflict is bubbling just under the surface. But BDoubleO can’t worry about that right now because he has an Etho to find so they can work on the Horse Course together. However when Xisuma calls a surprise server meeting on behalf of EvilXisuma, BDubs gets his answers about where Etho’s been in the worst way possible.”

(CW: angst, blood, gore)

Chapter rating: M

Now in Etho’s POV

Chapter 1 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4

Welcome to my first attempt at Ethoslab angst! I wanted an nHo-centric fic with a heavy dose of Etho angst. I have nowhere else to post this, and fair warning I am terrible at characterizations, so everyone will probably be a bit OOC to some extent; but for sure EvilX will be very OOC in how evil he is in this one. The Rating for this and later chapters is a solid M, so be warned about that. If y’all have suggestions or feedback, feel free to come and say hi!

P.S. I got my inspiration for this fic from this fic over here! Give them some love too.

Chapter 2 (below the cut)

The first thing Etho noticed when he awoke was that his mask was still in place on his face.

The second thing he awoke to was a sharp throbbing in his arms and legs. Biting back a hiss of pain, he opened his eyes and looked around to figure out why he was in such pain and sitting upright.

He appeared to be in a dark room, plain stone walls on all sides he could see, and a stone floor. The roof above seemed to be some basalt variant and a darkened redstone lamp was above his head, implying an almost spotlight effect on where he was sitting when turned on. Looking more at himself, he could see that there were spiked cuffs on his wrists, ankles, and neck; spiked in such a way that the spikes were on the insides of the cuffs, so that each movement of those affected body parts dug them further into the spikes and causing him more pain. Admittedly, the ones on his wrists and ankles were already in fairly deep due to how tight his captor had adjusted them. A further perusal of himself, led him to believe at least one of his ribs was broken due to how painful it was to breathe at the moment. He also seemed to be covered in a plethora of bruises and scrapes, indicating either an altercation or a bad fall.

Etho took a moment to collect his thoughts and try to remember what had happened before he had fallen asleep. Last thing he remembered, he had been out on another midnight deal making spree with Xisuma and Evil Xisuma. Admittedly, Xisuma had been acting a bit off since the last server meeting, asking for midnight anything was fairly out of character, and his sudden complete trust in EX was somewhat concerning even in the best of times. But this certainly hadn’t been the best of times. Their midnight haggling had been slowly getting more antagonistic over the last couple of weeks and Etho had been planning on cutting off any further dealings with the Derpcoin pioneers to keep both himself and Iskall’s diamond investment safe. However, last night the haggling had gotten quickly out of hand, EvilXisuma not taking any of his excuses for why Iskall and himself couldn’t actually use Derpcoin in their shops.

The last thing Etho can remember is EvilXisuma yelling and angrily gesturing before there was a sudden pain at the back of his head, and the world going black. ‘Well that explains the headache and sudden displacement from our weekly meeting place,’ thought Etho, idly flexing his fingers and toes to make sure that everything was still working properly. (They were). Didn’t explain the broken ribs and looking (and feeling) like he had been through a wood chipper, but that could be written off as EvilXisuma wanting to rough him up for some reason. Which was weird, because last Etho had checked, EvilXisuma had claimed that he had turned over a new leaf. Not to say anyone trusted him when he said that, particularly Etho, but over the opening couple of months on the server, EvilXisuma had kept true to his word. He had kept to his Derpcoin empire, and kept a ruthless rapport going with his business competition; but he’d never resorted to the violence and underhanded villainy that had characterized his previous attempts at taking over the server before he was banished to the Void. Except for now apparently. 

Which led to the next question of why? Why Etho? Why would EvilXisuma desire to kidnap and rough up him? He certainly didn’t have important connections with any businesses this season. He also didn’t have any close partners this season outside of Iskall. Well, ok, he had that deal with Doc recently, and he was building the horse course with BDubs; but neither of those could possibly have anything to do with EvilXisuma’s Derpcoin empire. Plus, the people who were resisting Derpcoin, had nothing to do with him, and cared for him only as Hermits care for their own. (Which was a lot admittedly, but in this case, it didn’t seem like a logical choice. They all cared for each other, and there were far better bargaining chips on the table than him.)

A sudden bang of an iron door behind Etho startled him from his reverie, along with a flash of the overhead light as the redstone activated. Jerking his head to the side to see who it was, caused a stab of pain in his neck and a sudden wet sensation on his neck and shoulder. He instantly jerked back into place, silently hissing at the sudden pain. “Well, well, well,” started a familiar evil voice from behind him. “I see you’re awake!” With a final tap of his boots, EvilXisuma stepped into Etho’s visual range. “I hope you have found your accommodations suitable?”

Etho rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure, I love being tied up on a chair in a dramatically lit room with no explanation as to why.”

Evil Xisuma chuckled, and leaned forward to trail his hand along Etho’s forearm. “I’m glad they did what they were meant to then. Can’t have you too comfortable for my upcoming show, now can I?” With a sudden tightening of his grip on Etho’s forearm, he quickly twisted it and pulled the arm closer to Etho; tearing the skin and one or two of the outer tendons in his wrist due to the spikes in the cuff, causing Etho to yell in pain. Etho bit down on his tongue to cut off his yell, though he couldn’t quite mute his own whimpers of agony as EvilXisuma let go of his arm. 

“Th-that…”, Etho managed to hiss out between his teeth. “That w-as compl’tely unnecess’ry.” 

EvilXisuma hummed beside him, a long thin sharp bit of metal suddenly in EvilXisuma’s hand. “Perhaps,” he mused, seemingly eyeing the arm he hadn’t touched. Etho’s anxiety spiked as EvilXisuma slowly paced his way around behind and to the other side of Etho’s chair, lightly dragging the piece of metal along Etho’s arms and shoulders as he went. Then, as suddenly as he had clutched Etho’s right arm, he stabbed down with the metal stake into Etho’s left forearm, impaling it to the chair. Etho yelled again, but quickly silenced himself, unwilling to show the sadistic bastard just how much pain he was in. “However, that was entirely necessary, as will be the next 3.” Etho felt his heart stop for a moment as he looked over to see if EvilXisuma was in an uncharacteristically joking mood. 

He was completely serious. Oh Lord, he was completely serious.

“Nonononono, n-now come on Evil X, my guy, this is all very unnecessary,” stuttered Etho, fingers rapidly flexing despite the pain both his arms were now in as EvilXisuma pulled another long metal stake out of his inventory.

“Hmm, I disagree Ethoslab. But if you continue to be excessively disagreeable, I shall have to take steps to make you more agreeable.” EvilXisuma lined up the stake on Etho’s upper arm. Then, with a sudden lunge, EvilXisuma pinned Etho’s upper arm to the chair; making it so his entire left arm was basically unusable. Etho yelped and the rest of him squirmed in subdued agony as he tried to block out the new pain in his arm. His yelp morphed into a whine, but he pushed through the pain to try and pay attention to what Xisuma was doing as he moved around the back of the chair.

“W-what do you even accomplish w-with this stunt anyways?”

“What do I accomplish? Currently I’m making sure you won’t get away. It’s imperative you don’t escape during the stream after all.” Most of that went over Etho’s head, pain addled as it was. But what stuck out to him the most was the “stream” part. He had heard of those from some of the other Hermits, BDubs and Doc the only two from the old NHO that had picked up the habit. However, what mattered to him, was that it was a way to show other people something at the same time you were doing it. Meaning that EvilXisuma wanted to accomplish something for someone in real time, and Etho was being used for it.

His thoughts were once again cut off as another spike was jabbed through his other lower arm. This time, he was able to keep his vocalizations to a minimum, only whining in pain as the new wave of agony overtook him. But before he could completely acclimatize himself, the final spike was shoved through his right upper arm. He screamed, and the edges of his vision went dark as his right arm was immobilized completely. His scream petered out, and sat huffing as Evil Xisuma stood in front of him, staring impassively down at him.

“Hmmm, I just don’t know…” mumbled EvilXisuma, continuing to stare at Etho. Etho continued huffing through his mask, though the bad feeling from earlier hadn’t left, and only seemed to be increasing and he began to take more notice of his surroundings. He really didn’t like how EvilXisuma was staring at his face. “It’s so hard to read your expressions with this mask on your face. What do you think? Should I take it off now or later?” Etho did a full body twitch, agony lancing across his arms as he instinctively went to reach for his face to protect his mask.

“You absolute asshole,” Etho hissed, head cringing as far back as he could pull it into the seat to get away from EvilXisuma’s wandering hand that had started for his mask. (This despite the sharp spikes that were actively digging into the back of his neck causing blood to layer into the back of his shirt). “You touch my mask and you won’t like what I do.” EvilXisuma chuckled at that, clearly amused that Etho thought he would be able to do anything to him. 

“Oh I’m sure someday you’ll ensure I’m fairly miserable.” EvilXisuma reached forward and slowly began lowering Etho’s mask. However, EvilXisuma was unprepared as Etho twisted his head and snapped up at EvilXisuma’s hand, biting through the protective gauntlet and into the hand beneath. EvilXisuma flinched back, ripping his hand out of Etho’s now exposed mouth. However, as Etho pulled back himself, he began to shake as the fresh pain of deepend wounds on his neck overtook him.

“Th-that’s what you get…” he rasped, energy waning as EvilXisuma continued to stay away. “Try that a-again, and I’ll r-remove a f-finger.” For a moment, EvilXisuma was still, his own mask making it impossible to tell what he was feeling. Then he began to laugh, a deep full bodied laugh. He cackled and wheezed, and Etho grit his teeth, because this would not end well.

“Oh Etho, your sense of humor never ceases to amuse me.” EvilXisuma turned away, and began to fiddle with his communicator. Suddenly, a floating box appeared in the air in front of him, a circular glass piece embedded in the side facing the two of them. Etho gave it a curious glance, but kept his focus otherwise entirely on EvilXisuma, too worried about the backlash to his comment. He knew how this worked, and he knew EvilXisuma was not going to take his threat lightly, despite how he had initially reacted. He watched as EvilXisuma turned back to him, and went back to making considering “hmm”-ing noises. “You know Etho, I don’t know what I want to do first once the livestream is up.” He walked up again in front of Etho and crouched down into a squat. “After all, I was initially planning on just roughing you up a bit, do something memorable to start it off.” He then reached out and trailed a finger along the back of Ehto’s left hand. Etho tried to suppress his instinctual flinch, but it was in vain as the twitch still caused agony to lance up his arm and forced a whimper from between his lips. EvilXisuma smirked at this and continued, “however, you threatening my fingers got me thinking, that maybe I could remove one or two of yours…” He gently trailed down Etho’s middle finger before jumping to the upper arm’s stake and lightly circling it. Etho took a shaky breath, the pain slightly easier to ignore now, perhaps because his mind was starting to block most of it out. “But you’ve been very mouthy, and I’m not feeling particularly generous about your speaking and biting privileges right now.” EvilXisuma had by this point circumnavigated the chair, and was back to standing ominously in front of Etho’s line of sight. “But all this is idle speculation. We shall find out what I’ll do momentarily.”

With that, EvilXisuma stepped off to the side, and began typing frantically into his communicator. At this point, Etho was just distanced enough from himself that he idly wished he had access to his communicator to find out what Evil Xisuma was typing into chat. Then he realized if he had access to his communicator he could call for help. But he didn’t know where he was. But his communicator would have exact coordinates. But he didn’t have his communicator. But if he did, he could let Iskall know he’d be late getting back to the base because some asshole had tied him up in their basement. Which looped him back to his surroundings, which had EvilXisuma suddenly leaning down next to his ear and saying, “Now behave Ethoslab, you’re the star of the show after all.” And then with a surprising lack of further fanfare, a light on the box blinked  on, and EvilXisuma began his speech.

[kitsunekissesxo]

“Breaking a Rule to Mend Another”

Obey me Diavolo Smut: “Breaking a Rule to Mend Another”, part 2 to “Let’s Break a School Rule”

Warnings: 18+ under the cut, implied fem MC, punishment, spanking, minor sir kink, blowjob, oral, pure smut

Summary: Lord Diavolo tends to your 3rd time in the RAD office. Lucky for you, he’s a benevolent prince and just so happens to be incredibly handsome. 

Writer’s comments: I’ve never written for Lord Diavolo before, so I apologize if he seems OOC at some points. I’ll be working on it and I always appreciate feedback and constructive criticism. Enjoy <3

This was it. Out of all the times you were sent to RAD’s office, you finally got to face Diavolo this time. 

As you walked down the hall to the office, you could feel yourself begin to shake, nervously wiping your sweaty palms against your skirt. You knew Diavolo wasn’t cruel, but you also knew that you just got caught fucking Satan in a storage closet. You began to realize that you would have to explain those lewd antics to Lord Diavolo and wanted to curl up and disappear. Unfortunately, there was no out this time. No Lucifer to make your punishment lighter.

Before you knew it, you were standing in front of RAD’s office door. You were talking yourself up to just knock on the damn door. With a gulp, you rapped on the door three times, and within a matter of seconds you were face to face with Barbatos.

“MC, what are you doing here this time?” He inquired, cocking an eyebrow. His expression alone made your stomach churn.

“Uhm, Lucifer sent me to speak with Lord Diavolo, if he’s in,” You explained shamefully, not wanting to tell Barbatos that you got caught breaking yet another rule.

With an expression that you couldn’t read, Barbatos nodded and motioned for you to come in.

“You’re in luck. Lord Diavolo is free at the moment. I’ll see to it that you speak with him shortly.” He politely answered. And with that, he turned to inform the Prince of Hell of your presence.

You stood in the outer office, biting your nails while looking around. You couldn’t decide who decorated- there were flowers and plants everywhere, but also cheesy posters that you could find back in your school in the human realm. Barbatos was always in the damn garden, so perhaps he decided to decorate as well.

You were examining a plant that adorned beautiful deep purple flowers and dark colored berries when the door to Diavolo’s office opened, revealing Barbatos once more. 

“Aren’t those flowers lovely? I’d be careful though, MC. That’s Atropa belladonna. Otherwise known as deadly nightshade.” Barbatos informed.

You snapped your hand back from the plant quickly as Barbatos chuckled.  He proceeded to inform you that Lord Diavolo was awaiting your presence. With a sharp nod, you hesitantly walked into his office.

At the sound of your footsteps, Diavolo raised his head from some paperwork he appeared to be filling out and gave you a warm smile. You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling back.

“MC! What a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting to speak with you today- our monthly check-up isn’t for a couple of days yet.” He beamed, appearing to be genuinely happy to see you. “Hah, yeah...I uh, wasn’t really planning on speaking with you today either...” You mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

“Did something happen, MC? Are you alright?” He asked quizzically. 

No, you thought, I’m not alright. Lucifer caught Satan and I having sex and neither of us even finished so I'm feeling a little embarrassed and very unsatisfied. 

You weren’t going to say that to Lord Diavolo, though.

“I’m okay, but uh, something did happen. I might have...broken a school rule...” you trailed off, dreading having to come clean about what happened.

Diavolo’s facial expression shifted, taking on a darker look. 

“You broke a school rule.” He repeated you slowly. “Which one?”

You gulped. Here goes nothing.

“Lucifer caught Satan and I....having...uh, sex....in a storage closet.” You stuttered out shamefully, feeling your cheeks ablaze. You didn’t even want to imagine how red your face was. You had never felt so embarrassed in your whole life.

You could have sworn you heard Diavolo’s breath catch. 

“I see...” He said, seeming to be thinking things over in his head.

“And what drove you to do that?” He asked unexpectedly. 

You snapped your gaze towards his, locking eyes with him. His eyes held a glimmer in them that just screamed mischievous. He thought this was entertaining.

“I- Uh- What?” You sputtered out in disbelief. What drove you to have sex with Satan? 

“You heard me.” He taunted. “Was it the way he looked at you? He’s a very intense demon. Perhaps it was the way he spoke to you. I know he’s very eloquent- I’ve never met a more well-spoken demon.” He continued, not taking his eyes off of you.

This wasn’t at all what you were expecting. It was like he was mocking you, yet genuinely curious at the same time. 

And yet, it definitely got you thinking. Aside from the fact that Satan was undeniably gorgeous physically, his mind, his words, and his actions were just as stunning. His dirty talk, while filthy, was simultaneously charming. His ability to creep his hand up your thigh while keeping his nose in a book drove you deliciously crazy. 

“Maybe blonds are your type? Or maybe you’re in an...exclusive relationship with Satan?” He further inquired, interrupting your lustful thoughts.

“N-no!” You blurted out. “We’re just...friends with..benefits.” You added quietly. 

Diavolo paused, appearing almost...pleased with your answer.

“Well, there we go. You’ve told me what you’ve done, and why. That’s good. All that’s left is...your punishment,” He drawled, standing up and peering down at you.

You subconsciously rubbed your thighs together under his intense gaze.

His eyes lingered on you for a moment longer before turning around to open and rummage through a drawer.

“What are you looking for?” You asked him, trying to get a good look at what was in the drawer. 

He turned around, turning over a leather riding crop in his hands. 

“Your punishment.” He stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Oh.

Punishment.

He meant that kind of punishment.

“MC, stand up and walk over here behind my desk,” He commanded, watching your every move like he was captivated by you.

You followed his order, and once behind the desk he decided to take things into his own hands. Quite literally. Roughly grabbing you by your waist, he spun you around so your back was to him, your palms flying out to catch yourself before falling face forward onto his desk. Your heart was racing. Was he really going to spank you with that riding crop? 

“Lay forward,” He gruffly instructed, grabbing your wrists and pinning them on your lower back. After a moment of shuffling you felt him tying them in place with his uniform’s tie. 

Your face was bright red. You were bent over Diavolo’s desk, your ass fully exposed to him. For a brief moment you wondered if he liked the lace panties you had on, and if he could see your earlier arousal stain. You hoped it got him as hot and bothered as you were. 

You wondered if he could feel your breath catch as you felt him lean down to murmur in your ear, his body pressed flushed against yours. You couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped your lips when you felt his semi hard on pressed against your exposed lower half.

“MC, I’m going to administer your punishment now. I fully expect you to count every smack, and it better be audible. Understand?” He murmured lowly in your ear. His breath fanned against you and you know he felt the shiver that ran down your spine as his lips ever so slightly brushed against your ear. 

“Yes sir” you gasped out, not even thinking before speaking. That earned you a satisfied grunt from the Prince of Hell as he pulled away.

And then, the cool leather of the riding crop made stinging contact with your ass. You let out a sharp cry, uttering out a desperate “One,” as you prepared for him to strike you once more.

Smack!, another loud moan and a higher pitched “Two,”.

Smack!,  you cried out, gasping out a whiny “Three,”.

You awaited the fourth smack, breathing heavily. But it didn’t come. Instead, Diavolo’s low voice spoke out. 

“MC, this is a punishment. You really shouldn't be enjoying yourself,” He scolded darkly. “That defeats the whole purpose of a punishment, don't you agree?”

“I-I’m not, I’m not enjoying it, Lord Diavolo, I swear,” you whimpered out, vehemently denying your own arousal.

 Big mistake.

“You shouldn’t lie to the person delivering your punishment. Not only can I see that you’ve soaked your pretty panties, but you seem to forget that I’m a demon. I can smell your arousal more intensely than I can see it.” He growled out, making a point to inhale deeply.

You decided to test the waters a bit.

“But Sir, I thought you were enjoying it too? I hear your breath catch and the growling you make every time I moan...I even felt your hard co-”

Smack!

Instead of leather, you felt his large, calloused, warm hand make contact with your ass as his breathing got shallow. 

“That’s enough, MC. Do you understand me? Tell me you understand me.” He demanded lowly as he surged forward, reaching his arm around you to grab your chin and force you to look at him. 

“I understand...that you want me just as bad as I want you.” You gasped out, attempting to push your ass back into his hard on, desperate for some kind of relief. 

Diavolo let out a deep chuckle.

“You want me that badly?” He mocked darkly. “Alright. If you can please me, then the rest of your punishment will be forgotten. Sound good?” You nodded quickly, eager to touch him. 

He untied your wrists, stepping back to allow you to push yourself off of his desk. You turned around to face him, to take in his current state.

He was sitting in his chair, hair tousled, cheeks the slightest tinge of red, lips slightly parted, head slightly tilted up to look at you. His arms were draped on the armrests of his chair, his tie gone, leaving his uniform to appear messier than ever, his legs completely parted. He was giving you full access to pleasure him. 

With a surge of confidence, you straddled his lap and slotted your mouth against his. His large hands immediately came up to press you closer to him, one hand entangling in the back of your hair, the other pressing into your lower back.

He kissed you back with ardency, his lips practically melding with yours. He gave a sharp tug to your hair, and with the gasp that escaped you, he ensured to slip his tongue into your mouth, massaging your tongue with his own. You moaned into his mouth, grinding down on him and balancing yourself by keeping a death grip on one of his broad shoulders, your other hand entangling in his soft auburn locks.

And then you remembered that, while you did want him to make you feel good, you had to focus on his pleasure. 

You broke away from the searing kiss, gasping, and slipped off of him, kneeling in between his open legs. His fingers threaded into your hair, eager to feel your mouth on him. You began by pushing his shirt up to roam your hands over the expanse of his warm, tan, and muscular abdomen, placing wet kisses above his belt. He let out a satisfied sigh, but added a bit more pressure in pushing your head down. You mouthed his hard cock over his pants, earning a grunt from the handsome devil. You continued to kiss and kitten lick him through his pants as you fumbled with the button, and only pulled away to pull his zipper down, revealing his boxers. You once again placed a wet kiss on him through his boxers before pulling them down, his cock springing free and slapping up against his lower abdomen.

Your eyes widened as you took in just how....huge his length was. Thick and long. No offense to Satan, but Diavolo’s cock was the largest and thickest you had ever seen. You began to wonder how exactly you were going to fit him into your mouth.

With a deep breath, you took the tip of his cock into your mouth and gave an experimental suck, earning a sharp intake of breath from the demon above you. You took in a deep breath through your nose and took more of him in your mouth, swirling your tongue as you did so. What you couldn’t fit in your mouth you pumped with your hand, the other reaching down to fondle his balls around his boxers the best that you could. He let out a loud groan and moaned with every bob of your head, every swirl of your tongue, every swipe on his balls, every pump at the base of his cock. You sped up and attempted to take even more of his member in your mouth, your eyes watering. 

“Fuck, yes, that's good” Diavolo groaned out, and, without warning, took your head in both of his large hands and snapped his hips forward over and over, the tip of his cock hitting the back of your throat relentlessly. He abused your mouth and throat, your gagging egging him on even more. Tears were streaming down your face, you could hardly breathe, but the moans coming out of his mouth were more than worth it. As he got closer to climaxing, his moans got higher pitched, more desperate. You strained to look up at him and couldn’t help your own hand trailing down to rub yourself through your panties at the sight of him. His eyes were screwed shut, mouth hanging open, hair sticking to his forehead. His tanned skin was flushed a beautiful red color. You moaned around his cock at the sight of him and how he was using your throat like a fuck toy. 

“I’m going to cum, and when I do, keep it in your mouth, okay princess?” he breathed out through gritted teeth. You moaned around him in response, and, in turn, he let out a loud, higher-pitched moan, and snapped his hips back so only the tip of his cock was in your mouth when he spilled his seed.

His cum was surprisingly sweet, so you didn’t mind not swallowing immediately.   He peered down at you, catching his breath.

“Open your mouth, show me my cum,” he ordered, watching in satisfaction as you followed his order. “Good girl. Now, swallow every last drop I gave you and show me your empty mouth,”

You quickly swallowed his load, and stuck your tongue out to prove it. He nodded, groaning, running his fingers through your hair once more. He tilted your head up by your chin and placed a gentle kiss to your lips. 

He then put his cock back into his boxers, zipped and buttoned his pants, and helped you stand up. He placed a gentle kiss on the back of your hand before grabbing a bottle of water from a mini fridge and handing it to you. 

“You did very well. Consider your punishment forgotten for the good job you did.” He praised, and smiled warmly while helping you straighten out your uniform. 

Once you both caught your breath and were presentable, Diavolo bid you a good rest of your day. You turned to open the door and leave before he spoke one more time,

“Oh, and, MC, please try to follow the rules from now on. Unless you want a repeat of today. Either way, I won’t complain,” He gave you a warm smile, before that glint came back to his eyes. “I think someone else might, though,”

Confused, you just nodded, promised you were going to be a better student, and quickly opened the door back into RAD’s office from Diavolo’s office.

And there he was, sitting in the office, almost literally fuming as his wrath-filled emerald glare met yours, his jaw locked. His hands were balled tightly into fists, the anger almost coming off of him in the form smoke.

“Satan?”

part 2 FIN!! I hope you enjoyed!! Again, I apologize if Diavolo is OOC occasionally. I hope to correct that!! I might do a third part to this, but make it more... fluff? Definitely with Satan lmaoooo. I also hope to write more scenarios/imagines with the other boys, so keep a look out for those to come in the future!! Thank you sm for reading my works and all the feedback is appreciated. <3

[equizona]

Hey! Can I please request Kyoya with a reader who isn't rich and is studying musical theatre and he doesn't like her a lot at first???

Of course ^^ thanks a lot for sending in the request, and I hope you like it. [This was also very fun to do, I don't do musicals and we usually only do normal ones, but I've done one musical before, and it was The story if evil, we write the thing ourselves based on the story of songs, check it out, even if its Vocaloid, their some very nice songs!]

Also I'm so sorry for Kyoya being OOC, it's kind of how I see him acting around the person he likes? Also I'm very sorry this is bad :|

Soft Voices{Kyoya Ootori x reader}

When you first started in the same year as Haruhi, Kyoya couldn't have cared less about you. Sure, he had done his usual research, but other than that you weren't anything intresting or valuable to him. However, one day you had ended up crashing into him while running down the corridor of the school, and instead of stopping to help him after you had knocked down his things, you had just continued rushing down. Which caused him to be very sour against you.

So to say he was unimpressed when you stepped into the host club was an understatement. Though he knew he couldn't act on it, since it would lower the reputation of both him and the host club. He knew you had gotten a scholarship for musical theater, but he really didn't care, so when the two girls you went with dragged you to Tamaki to rant about how the three of you had decided to come here since your practice had been canceled, he ignored it.

And he continued to do that for months. He wouldn't glance at you. He didn't like you, so he didn't see a reason to interact with you. Especially since the few times you went to the host club you would request either the twins or Tamaki.

But Kyoya was on his way to the newspaper club one day, when he heard a voice. A girl was singing. He walked closer to the door. "Drifting further away, little wish upon the waves. With eyes full of tears she regrets those days." The voice paused for a few seconds. "If the day comes that we are reborn once again..." the voice trailed off, and Kyoya wondered if the girl would continue singing.

Which she did, but the song was different. "Now kneel before me peasants." The voice went from the sad and lonely sound to an arrogant and rude tone, and kyoya frowned in confusion. What happened? He looked at the door sign, and realized this was the musical theater room. "She's a very good actor" Kyoya mumbled under his breath. He remembered seeing some of the girls who was in the club at the host club, meaning this was someone staying behind to practice.

Kyoya realized he had to get going to the newspaper club, and he promptly left.

---

He had originally tried talking to some of the girls, wondering if they would bring him to their practice. But no matter hoe much he tried to buy off and blackmail convince them, all of the girls were very adamant about not letting anyone see until they were done practicing for their play.

So he was left with one option. Y/N, the girl who was a commoner, just like haruhi, but in difference, a commoner he didn't like very much. So, he decided to approach you one day. "Hello there, your miss L/N, are you not?" The black haired boy spoke in his dark and silky voice, trying to make you more willing.

---

You turned around at the calling of your family name, only to see Ootori Kyoya. You'd been to the host club a few times, so you knew who he was. But more than anything you recognized him as the guy you crashed into in the hallway once. You still felt kind of guilty over that, but he never seemed approachable, so you stayed away.

But now he was the one talking to you first, but you'd heard he could be very cunning and manipulative, and since you didn't have a lot of money, you were slightly scared. "Yes, that me. Your kyoya Ootori, correct?" You made sure to keep your voice steady. The male hummed in agreement.

"So, is there anything I can do for you?" You asked him, giving him your best smile. "Well yes, I've been rather intrested in the musical theather lately, and so I figured I should talk to a member." He spoke up, and you beamed. Not a lot of boys actually joined theater, let alone musical theater, so one who was intrested was a score!

"Yes, of course! What would you like to know?" "Well, is there anyway I could join in on practice to see what you do there?" You frowned inwardly, he couldn't. Everyone in the group had decided that no outsiders were allowed into rehearsals after the first time. You shook your head. "Sadly you missed practice day, though it's only a few months until our play is ready and we'll be performing? You could come watch then if you'd like?"

---

That wouldn't do for Kyoya. He liked knowing things, and he wanted to know who had been singing. Though, mabye if he befriended you, you'd let him in? He settled with that. "Ah, well that's to bad, though is it possible we could hang out and mabye you could give me some tips?" That should work.

You grinned, before digging your phone out of your backpack and handing it to him. "Yep! That works for me! Here, give me your number." Kyoya typed his number in,trying not to groan. Kyoya knew how to hold a grudge, and he was still salty.

"And actually, I'm not sure if you remember, but during the first week, I crashed into you. I was almost late for theater, and I didn't wanna be late so I couldn't stop. Also, you were kinda scary and I chickened out from apologizing to you after that, and even if it's a bit late now, I'm very sorry about crashing into you! Anyways,I should get going, talk to you later!" Well nevermind then, mabye Kyoya wasn't so salty about it anymore.

---

It had been two weeks, and no matter how persistent he was, you wouldn't let him go to the practice. Not that he minded that much, you were good company, and you had a nice voice.

Besides, he kind of enjoyed when you would wait outside the host club room and wait for him, before dragging him to do something. Whether that was just walking around and talking, or you sneaking into a market to eat free samples while he face palmed at your stupidity.

---

One day you had brought him to an amusment park. He hadn't actually ever been there, and he didn't really want to. But you were so persistent, And had offered to pay for his tickets as well. Though in the end he ended up paying, and he didn't give you a choice.

---

After about a month or so, Kyoya had lost all interest in the voice he heard, and he would much rather be listening to you talk about your day, before asking him about his. And then you'd just keep on finding anything to talk about so that neither of you were ever bored.

He liked your company far more than he wanted to admit.

---

After about two months, he was coming to term with the fact he liked you. It was ironic, the person he had dislikes the most was now the person he liked the most only about teo months later.

Though he didn't seem to be the only one who realized he liked Y/N. As Tamaki was currently bugging him about it, the twins were laughing at his pain, and Haruhi, Mori and Honey were confused in the background. "If you like her you have to confess to her! You can be her Romeo, wait that ended badly- you can be her prince charming!"

How Kyoya wished he was walking around town with you right now. It's not that he disliked Tamaki, in fact he treasured the blonde a lot, but he could get quite tiring sometimes. As the rest of the host club could get. And he tried calming himself down like your voice always did. It didn't quite work though.

Soon the twins decided to join Tamaki though. "You know, if you like her you really should confess. I've heard shes been getting quite popular with teh boys lately. Who knows what type of person could come sweep her off her feet right under your nose." The twins cackled evily. But Kyoya realized that yes, some perverted rich boy could take advantage of her! But when had she been getting popular among the boys? If she got a boyfriend would she stop hanging out with him? Wait if they became lovers it would open an even bigger field for the two...

"Fine. What is your confession plan then?" He huffed annoyed, not wanting to admit that he wasn't really sure how he should confess to you. Tamaki lit up. "Well, the plan is.."

---

Kyoya hadn't liked Tamaki's plan, and he felt you wouldn't either. So he had taken things into his own hands, something he was starting to regret, because everything was going wrong.

It had started with the day being normal, but when he saw you waiting in front of music room three for him, he walked up and asked if you wanted to walk around the city that day. Your eyes had filled themselves with stars as you beamed at him, before nodding eagerly.

And so it had went, you dragging him around the city, doing random things and talking about random things as he tried to get the courage to confess to you.

Though he hadn't ever gotten the courage. He had been planning on giving up for the day since it was very late, but his phone was out of power. He had asked you borrow yours, but yours was out of power as well. So now you were standing at a bus station since it had started snowing. Kyoya groaned.

You turned towards him. "You okay Kyoya?" You questioned him, and your voice made him feel atleast a little bit better. He nodded his head. You frowned at him. "Don't lie to me." Even when your voice was stern, it was still as soft as ever.

But Kyoya knew he couldn't lie to you, so he gave into his fate. "This wasn't how today was supposed to go. We stayed out way to late, our phones are out of power and it's snowing." He couldn't help but give into his emotions and frown. He glanced at you, but you where only staring at the sky.

Kyoya didn't know how, but somehow the stars where out and it was snowing. He could feel his face heat up at the sight of the pale snow landing delicately on your own S/C skin, along with the stars twinkling in your eyes. Fuck, he was in way to deep for this.

You grinned at him. "Why do you say that like it's a bad thing? Sure we stayed out longer than we had planned, but that just means we like being with each other, right? And phones go out of power sometimes, it's normal! And the snow is lovely, don't you think?" He blinked.

But before he could give you an answer, you intertwined your hand with his and started pulling him to the right. "But no worries! I know my way home, you could just stay over at my place for the night, we don't have school so it's okay!" Kyoya's face was redder than an apple at this point. He wasn't sure why entirely. But it was a pleasant feeling.

"I love you." He spoke without thinking, no like or anything. He knew he loved you, but he hadn't been planning on saying that. And you hadn't been prepared for him to say that either considering how you stopped walking and froze.

You turned around in a split second, your E/C eyes glimmering with both confusion and surprise. "What?" You asked in disbelief. Kyoya sighed, he knew he'd never get the guts to do this again, so he tried giving himself some encouragement. It didn't work. "You head what I said."

You both started at eachother for a while, neither saying a single word. Before you grinned, throwing your arms around his neck with a hug. He frowned in confusion, he was sure you would have denied his feelings based on the long silence?

Not that he was complaining, instead he let out a relived sigh and hugged you back. You stepped away from him, grinning wildly, before taking his hand and rushing towards your house. "Alrighty, date night at my house it is!" You shouted into the night, and Kyoya couldn't contain his own smile.

---

Kyoya had eventually stopped talking with you about Musical theater, and the only times it was talked about was when you brought it up, or the times where he got the two of you tickets to watch one. You never asked him about why either.

But the play that you had been practicing for months to was being played at the school later this evening, and you were inviting him to watch. Even if he wasn't actually interested in playing, he was intrested in your interests, so of course he agreed.

And now you were standing in front of him dressed in a yellow wig, along with a fancy old-fashioned yellow and black dress. He couldn't see your feet, but you looked lovely. "This is so exciting! The play will be starting soon, but I wanted to see you before it started!" You grinned at him, letting your voice play out.

He gave you a tiny smile in return. And you were signaled by one of your friends to get to the stage. He waved as you ran to the stage. The lights went off not long after, and a light shone on one of your friends.

"Long, long ago there was a kingdom by the sea, it was rich and wonderful, with a young queen on the throne. But many people referred to the young maiden as the daughter of evil, for she was truly selfish. She would take and take from her pupils, not sparing any mercy to the people she should have led. However, this tale will tell more than just that, we are here to tell you poeple the story of evil, so that you too, can see the real story of that faithful day..."

The lights went off again, and a new light shone, and there was you. Music started playing, and he realized you had a microphone headset on. "Now, kneel before me peasants." Your cold eyes glimmered sadistically at the crowd, and he felt a shiver run down his spine.

He recognized that voice. It was the very reason he had talked to you at all! He was so stupid, both voices had been so soft, though he had to admit he preferred the person you where with him. But this was nice, he would make sure to support you in your dreams. They where the very reason he met you after all.

---

The story had ended, and Kyoya had to admit it had been awfully sad, but over all a very good story. Some of his fellow host club members where outright crying though.

He raised himself, and went over to you. You smiled, stepping away from your friends after seeing him. "You know, I feel I should tell you that the reason I talked to you was because I wanted to know the person who I had heard practicing oneof the songs. It was unexpected, but not quite that surprising to see you behind the lovely voice."

You snorted, laughing a bit at his statement. Though he was happy you didn't get mad over him lying to you. He wrapped his arms around your neck, burying his face in your H/L hair. He could feel you grin into his chest, not trying to escape from his embrace.

"You know what Kyoya?" He hummed in response. "I love you." He grinned, though luckily nobody could see that. "I love you too." "Only my voice?" "Not at all, I adore everything." "Good, because so do I."

[dojimakaichou]

*inhales* I don't see the feedback meme posted anymore but you're getting unprompted feedback anyway. :) Okay. Dojima Daigo used to be this character I was aware of because he was there in the games as I played through Y0 to K2 and... That was it. I had no particular feelings, no emotions, no thoughts about Daigo. And then I met you.

And now I am fighting with myself so I do not to open his wiki page or to delve into all things Daigo because of spoilers. But honestly, I have so many feelings now? I played through Y3 to wherever I am to Y5 currently and I was outraged at how they lost him in Y3; I was moved by the pain he endured because of Mine; I was frustrated his plans didn't work as well as he wished for re. Arai; I was devastated by the way he was seemingly abandoned by Kiryu in early Y5.

Everything that happens to him now - I have so many emotions and reactions and I love every second he's on the screen and it's all thanks to you. Your writing, headcanons, ideas and feelings about who Dojima Daigo is, what makes him tick, his fears, his passions, his relationships with the other canon characters (Saejima, Kashiwagi, Majima, Yayoi, Kiryu!) are all so detailed and so plausible. I often see myself watching him in canon more like a confirmation of what I already suspected/thought of him because of your writing than the reverse.

It's clear that you love him - and have dedicated a lot of time to all these lovely small details that are peppered all over your interactions with everyone and it's such a joy to read him. His fancy guns, the layout of the Tojo office, his favorite colors, the sports he likes/follows, the way he deals with his emotions (or ignores them! :D Denial is more than just a river in Egypt!) - there's not a thing I've seen about your Daigo that felt out of place to me and as far as I am concerned, you own him. It's your son. SEGA and RGG should be paying you royalties, really.

You are doing amazing, sweetie. Thank you for the husbando. <3 *exhales*

how’s my portrayal? ♡ ★ accepting

ooc. MARI. THANK YOU SO MUCH. You were one of the first blogs to take a chance on my Daigo when I come back to Tumblr in December  ―  even when this space practically still had an ‘ under construction ’ sign plastered on it. I still remember the conversation where I had to ask you how to trim my rp posts, since it had changed so drastically since 2017, and I get a good chuckle out of it from time to time.

I adore all of our OOC conversations. Yours is a lovely and kind soul, Mari. I am honored to call you my friend and to have had the opportunity to get to know you better. ❤ 

If my Daigo is truly worth all you say, then it is only because of you. Thank you for supporting me from quite literally the very beginning and listening patiently while I poured my soul out about this character. Thank you for throwing ideas at the wall with me, no matter how far - fetched or disconnected they seemed at the time, as we built something AMAZING. 

We have a two - decades love story between our muses that covers the entire mainline ‘ Yakuza ’ timeline and features at least 10 OCs and their respective stories. The kind of connection that it takes from mun to mun and muse to muse to craft something that intricate is so rare and unbelievably precious. It is incredible to me that we fostered a bond like that practically instantly. It has been an absolute joy to talk with and write with you over the last few months, Mari.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ll never be able to say it enough. ❤