#source: how to lose a guy in 10 days

[incorrectlooneytunesquotes]

Pepe: True or False: All's fair een love and war. Fifi: True. Pepe: Great answer. Fifi: Good question!

[evilwickedme]

Help me, a disabled transmasc with no income, save my traumatized cat

Bug, who survived October 7th, is currently being hospitalized for liver failure and possibly blockage in his bile ducts and/or jaundice. The minimum cost of his hospitalization is 2000 USD, but since they told us that it's unlikely that we'll get him back in under 3 days the cost is closer to 3000 USD, and may go all the way up to 4000. My only income is my disability check, which goes to cover rent and utilities and leaves very little to use to cover such a huge and unexpected expense. Please if you can, donate to my ko-fi to help save my boy:

(if you're Israeli, DM me for details on how else you can send me money)

@not-the-blue is offering some commissions to people who've donated (minimum $10 donation). Contact her for details, she is a fantastic artist and I've commissioned her multiple times. Below the cut are some of my favorite pieces of hers & some of my commissions (including one I forgot to post oops) as well as more details about Bug's life so far

More Bug details:

My boyfriend and I adopted Bug last summer, with the hopes that having a friend would calm my other cat down a little. Originally I was going to call him Spike - my other cat's name is Buffy - but what we got was not the skinny boy he looked like in the pictures, but an overweight, tail-less creature that looked, well, kind of bug-like. Over the past ten months he has been slowly - SLOWLY - losing weight as he has been playing with Buffy and eating a steady healthy amount of food.

He came to us deeply traumatized, having been found locked in a room in the south on October 7th with shrapnel in his tail, necessitating its removal (there's not even a nub!). At first he was quite skittish, although over the past ten months he has warmed up to us steadily, and a few weeks ago he actually sat on me for the first time! Kind of hilariously and also tragically, he's afraid of the dark, and when we go to sleep he spends a good half hour every night crying at the top of his lungs, and guys - you've never heard a cat that sounds more like just straight up a baby, it can be so distressing to hear.

Over the past week he very suddenly started deteriorating fast. He started coughing, throwing up this green foam, stopped crying at night, spent most of the day hidden under the bed, wasn't eating as much and eventually at all. We took him to the vet the moment we could, and they said he needed to be taken to the ER to be hospitalized *now*. So we rushed him there, and were eventually told he's probably going to need several days of hospitalization. The itemized bill made me cry even harder than I was already crying - I can't afford to take care of my boy.

Buffy also got sick earlier this year, although in a much less serious manner, and she has an appointment that will probably result in most of her teeth getting taken out next month, in itself not a cheap process but nowhere near as expensive as this. And because of the war with Iran, my one source of income for this month was literally canceled - no public events when missiles could land at any moment.

We're already at over 25% of the goal reached, which means the world to me. Still, the goal is a minimum - it may very well end up being much, much more expensive. Your help has been so appreciated - I've gotten some very generous donations, but also just the people who've shared it and the kind words people have sent with their donations. Thank you thank you thank you

[pinkpigtailsprincess]

◠࡛۬🏩⋆.How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days ! 🍋‍🟩 ₊˚☆ 💿ୢ꣒

𝓐: Have you ever been personally victimized by a guy before? he’s made you feel crazy? stressing you out? well today ill be giving advice on how to get rid of him with ease and my credentials? being absolutely STUPID about this boy for possibly 2 and a half years…(not my proudest moments) 💢

Dial “D” for DETACHMENT ๋࣭⭑

The d word is gonna be a key source is forgetting about this guy it may start slow but gradually reply to him slower,don’t engage with him lots when you see him at school,work etc. and if you’re angry enough and over him you’ll be able to do this with ease - distance is key

Remove his presence from your life ๋࣭⭑

not his PHYSICAL presence but his spiritual presence so his clothes,memories,any relic that reminds you of him or that keeps you attached to the IDEA of him must go any and all of it BUT if you choose to keep something like shirt at least wash his scent and skin flakes out of it P.S - keeping a negative energy in your sanctuary is not the way to go

FLITER HIM OUT ๋࣭⭑

you HAVE to completely filter out his presence in your personal possessions and my that i mean your devices delete pictures,delete his number,delete chat and call logs,block him on all socials , stop stalking and engaging with his social media , stop obsessing over him i promise you are more valuable than a crumb of attention or satisfaction a guy could give you ESPECIALLY if he’s playing mind games

AFTERMATH ๋࣭⭑

Now even thought you may miss someone doesn’t mean that you HAVE to go back to them or that they’re some special being NO. you can miss the memories you have with someone and the love they gave you but that doesn’t mean that they are the beat for your mental and physical health you are ALLOWED to mourn the loss of a relationship that once seemed perfect

and beware these steps wont completely wipe your memory of this person but it will help you to stop obsessing and realize that you are worth more and deserve better NEVER let a guy drain your energy or back you feel ugly or bad about yourself you’re way to valuable for that !!!

𝓐: Thanks for tuning in pretties remember never let someone break you do or steal your spirit and your energy you’re worth more and you deserve better!! 🫶🏼

[genderqueerdykes]

hey, i saw a post on here saying you guys support non "traumagenic" systems and I was wanting to know if thats true.

You guys are so amazing and have helped me with my identity a lot, but this information is really important to me as a trauma survivor with severe PTSD. If you are pro endos but are open to listening to trauma survivors and phycology sources, I absolutely will provide them. I want you guys to be a safe space for people with PTSD and dissociative disorders so bad, as people who has OSDDDID tend to have more "contradictory" labels in the first place, due to the complex relationship all the different alters identities make combined.

I'm hoping so much that you'll be open to listening if this is true.

hello! i'm good, i don't need any!

if you only have severe PTSD and not a dissociative disorder and do not identify as plural, you should NOT be commenting on plurality at all. like i hate to break it to you, but if you do not deal with plurality, you do not know what the experience is like. reading papers about it will not give you insight into how people actually live.

i'm an inclusive Dissociative Identity Disorder system who is 100% pro endo, and any other type of system. i support ALL plurals, i don't cherry pick. you're correct, this blog is a safe space, especially for people with "contradictory" identities or ones that "don't make sense." why wouldn't i be here for endogenic and non traumagenic systems?

that would go against everything i stand for.

i am a trauma survivor as well. i *have* DID, i don't really need any resources on the matter- before I was diagnosed i spent years researching, and i still do keep up with research. i am aware that DID and OSDD are caused by trauma! generally it's severe, repeated trauma and/or neglect. i have no memories of my life before the age of 10. i too have severe PTSD, i have a diagnosis for C-PTSD in specific. i live with this every day of my life. i still have a lot of trauma and triggers. i black out and lose time and regularly forget who i am or where i'm at.

something to keep in mind is research on DID has literally 0 bearing on other types of plurality. just because there is a lot of research into DID, OSDD, etc. does not mean that other plural experiences do not exist. when ONLY siting medical sources and saying that because there's no other "proof" or "evidence" that other types of plurality "can't" exist, it's an appeal to authority. there is no research data to point toward because studies on DID and OSDD and other dissociative disorders have really only gained traction within the last 10 - 20 years maximum. this is an extremely recent phenomenon! just because there are no (paid, keep in mind that studies have to find funding, and investors are picky) medical papers or studies to point toward doesn't mean something isn't happening.

someone identifying as plural without trauma is not an affront to plurals who do have trauma. someone identifying as a system who doesn't have or know of any childhood trauma is not spitting in your face. i've seen this take around and it's just not it. don't take someone else's mental health as an attack on yours. it's not hurting you at all for people to identify as plural if they don't have trauma. it's not spitting in *my* face, so it's not spitting in yours, either. it's okay to let non traumagenic systems exist. it's not exacerbating your trauma or re-traumatizing you or subjecting you to new trauma.

they're not saying that your trauma is invalid just because they don't have any. i don't like people who get on a high horse because they have a dissociative disorder and act like they get to police how other people's brains work. you only know how your brain works. you do not know how any other type of system works.

endogenic systems are not identifying as endogenic to spite you or dissociative systems. they're not doing it to hurt you. they're doing it because they identify as multiple people. that is not being done with the intention to hurt anyone. this is about THEM, not you. nobody is the protagonist of the plural community. no one.

as a plural, myself, i get to choose who i support. and i choose to support people who aren't hurting anyone or doing anything wrong. i really don't care how offensive some people find non traumagenic systems, but they're not hurting you, me, or anyone else. live and let live. you don't know how someone else's brain works. you will never be able to know how someone else's brain works. accepting that will make your life easier.

being angry at other people for not having trauma will not make yours go away or undo what was done to you. you should never take out your frustrations on people who haven't hurt you. endos haven't hurt you, you just don't agree with them. these are 2 separate things. also you really don't have the right to comment on the nature of how complex non traumagenic plurality is or is not- endogenic systems can have just as many nuanced and complex identities regardless of whether or not they're dissociating. they're still multiple people whether or not you see them that way. they also have complex identities, why wouldn't they? being different people leads to a lot of complexity. you should still see them as multiple people even if you don't think it's legit. that's basic respect for another person who, again, literally hasn't hurt you.

also endogenic and non dissociative systems are still people, and we should still care about them. they're still people even if you don't agree with them, and again: they have not hurt you by virtue of existing.

hope that helps and makes sense. i am not open to changing my mind on this, but i appreciate you giving me a good reason to explain my stance on the matter. i don't have the right to police other people and tell them how their own brains work. you don't have that right, either. i'm not here to police anyone. that goes against everything i stand for. i don't gatekeep.

i'm not a cop.

[jweekgoji]

Yandere!Five/Reader.

wow how long has it been? two years since I wrote something for TUA? I still haven't rewatched it since I'm finally catching up with breaking bad but I hope I'll rewatch TUA next week or so. for some strange reason I feel that weird feeling like I need to come back to my fav fictional family with bread and milk and concentrate on it ughhh. when I rewatch it I will check that requests I had before for TUA and will finish them!

tw: yandere Five, unhealthy obsession, mentions of the reader's death, Five has ZERO moments of peace here, angst, controlling Five, mentions of Five's childhood, sort of happy ending?

I'm probably describing my thoughts sooo bad don't be mad please

Like we know, Reginald wasn't afraid to use his own «children» for every heroic mission. Bank robbery? He'll make a 14 year old kids deal with it. Some villains are trying to cause problems? Well, another time to test Number 1's leadership skills, no time for a happy childhood, kiddos! And that is basically what their life is.

Basically, the only source from which they can get the feeling of being needed, loved by the public, and recognized, if not by their father but by the citizens. Reginald trained them well, as long as there are 6 of them, they can deal with any kind of problem. I mean, come on, they're THE Hargreeves, one of the strongest people in the world who have unique superpowers, it's not like something might go wrong one day.

Five was always the most compatible member of the team, always trying to be the best. Despite only being the fifth in the ranking, it doesn't stop him from showing off every time he taunts another criminal, making them lose their minds in attempts to catch him.

It was another day when he and his siblings would find a criminal to deal with. Everything went smoothly, as Luther would discuss the plan with everyone. Klaus and Ben would be outside waiting for the signal, Allison and Luther would be the ones to distract the criminals from the hostages and Diego should disarm them before causing any serious trouble. Five would be the one who would save the hostages.

I think his abilities help the most in such situations. He can teleport any person away in just seconds and lead them into safety, no one would even notice. And if something happens, Five is capable enough to fight by himself.

You are the last hostage he protects now. He had already saved more than 10 people non-stop before, and for some reason, his powers refused to work. It's not like he is weak or something, no, no, just give him some time to catch his breath, and he will continue in a moment! He can't let someone see him like this, let alone let his father find out about this little problem.

He would huff and puff about it, probably imagining how Diego or Klaus were teasing him, how Five was losing his cool and accidentally forgetting how his own powers were working due to what a pretty little hostage Five talked to! And they're close to his age too, so it would be natural for his age to get shy and awkward in front of someone cute he found~! Well, at least it's exactly what he imagines hearing from Klaus after the mission.

Five wasn't quiet around people, usually. He enjoys talking with his siblings, well, with some of them—and he finds it amusing to toy with criminals.

For some reason, he is quiet around you.

Of course, he would try to reassure you that everything is fine, he is a good guy here, and soon enough, you would be safe. The only thing you have to do is just listen to him and follow his lead.

He didn't suspect everything, of course, and was so full of himself even at such an age, thinking nothing would go wrong. You were around his age, and naturally, despite being an arrogant little brat, he did find you quite cute. Maybe, if he had a different life, he would have approached you in different circumstances.

But Five learned the hard way that he's not the strongest and could never be the number one. He would never be able to save everyone. He just stopped paying attention for a one damn second, and the next thing he heard, was a gunshot. Five could feel your hand slipping away from his own, and he would look back just in time to see you almost stumbling, only to catch you in his own arms. Blood painted his dark blue uniform in red.

After that incident, Five became more obsessed with the idea of time travelling. If at first he wanted to prove to his father that he is capable of much more, to show that he's actually much better than everyone, this idea also feeds off his guilt. His first mistake, the only time he failed to do his task. And he just can't let go of it, no matter how much Viktor tries to tell him that it's really not his fault, that he couldn't predict it.

And then, during dinner, he runs away, despite Viktor silently begging him not to do it. Then he blinks again, again, and again, until it's nothing but ruins surrounding him. Until The Handler decides to pay him a visit, expect that he will probably be much more calculative and controlling. 40 years of being alone did it's horrible job on his mind, every day trying to survive while thinking about a possible way out of this situation. Maybe, if he makes much better calculations, he will actually succeed. But being away from humanity for so long makes him crave human contact, he already had that mannequin, Dolores, he could find, talking every day to her about how he actually missed his family, how he wants at least some kind of sick normalcy he had back in the academy. At least he had a place to live without worrying every day about his own survival.

During these moments, where he actually gives himself some time to be weak, he wonders would he still do this if you were still alive? Would he still risk everything just to make his father proud?

He didn't know much about you before. The police shortly said that day that one of the employees had a child in the building, and they were taken hostages by the villains. You were around his age, a young, probably promising student in your normal school, with caring parents and friends who worried about you. Something he craved deeply, even though he would have never admitted it.

When he couldn't have teleported you away safely, he led you through the second way out. He can tell you were scared. Of course, who wouldn't be? It's not like you were used to it. He isn't the gentlest person, more like focused on the business and how to end it all as fast as possible. But you were shaking mess, asking from time to time if it's safe or is actually everything okay? Five, in his some kind of nonchalant and gruff manner, would only nod, reassuring you that his siblings probably dealt with the villains by that time.

You looked so normal for him. You had no powers, no one made you train every day just to bend you into their high expectations, you didn't have to compete for someone's love and approval. You acted like he's just a normal person too, never bothering him with questions about his brothers or a sister, not trying to peek into some secret life of the Hargreeves family. Do you even know who he is?

Eventually, he can't remember who exactly started the dialogue. Was it you, who just wanted to talk about something so boring like your school life, or like that you probably skipped a few classes and missed a math test? Or was it him, remembering his trainings how he should try to make the worried and scared hostage less afraid by making a small talk with them? He's too old to remember every single detail. But he certainly remembered that he at least listened to what you said to him. That he was actually looking at you, giving you his full attention.

Maybe if he was born into a normal family, he would have had a chance to live that normal life with you. But that would be too kind to wish for, wasn't it? Now, that his hands are covered in blood of so many innocent people he had to kill, asking for a normal life is impossible. Even after taking hundreds of lives, he still can't understand why is the sight of yours in his hands any different? He thought he would be used to it by now. What kind of evil God makes him see it over and over again, in every goddamn timeline?

First, it was a villain killing you right in front of him. Second, it was the Swedes who killed you the next day they saw Five trying to talk to you. He almost lost his mind when he spotted you living near the same hotel where his siblings and he decided to stay. But once again, the more problems just followed, leading to another damn disaster to take you away.

When he lost his powers, he didn't know if he should feel relieved or more concerned about it. Of course, that means that he probably has to find Reginald, to get more answers about what the hell happened in this new universe. But that also meant that he finally has a chance to live like a normal person too. Like you did.

He was unfamiliar with this world. He felt lost, humiliated most of the time now that everyone treat him like he's actually younger than he is. At least people stopped treating him like a child, yet he still has to deal with someone underestimating him. He has to find a job, a place to live, for God's sake, how the hell is he going to live without any documents here?

The fate seemed to be connecting you two once again, as it seemed. You would meet him accidentally, one time you just saw him visiting a café you were working for and the same process would repeat again. This time, he would actually remember every single little detail. He would approach you first, carefully and as politely as he could. He still thinks that if he makes even the smallest mistake, he would experience your loss once again. This time he won't screw up, he would plan everything strictly to his scenario. Your meeting, your first date, your first 'I love you'. You might think he's just the most perfect guy you ever met, which actually... would not be so far from the truth? ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[kacievvbbbb]

The thing is despite shanks outward appearance off a hedonist man living it up in the moment. He is in actuality a man torn between a tragic past and a hopeful future. He only stopped running from the past when he started preparing for the future. Up until recently everything we’ve seen shanks do in present day canon is ready the way for a new era. He has forfeit being King to become a Kingmaker. He carries himself like a Regent just waiting for the next generation to come of age. He is a deeply tragic man stuck between times. Haunted by the ghost of a captain it wasn’t his destiny to save and the dreams of a boy he helped inspire. OPLA Buggy really was right when he said “you’re just a sad lonely little boy wearing another man’s hat” he just wasn’t talking about Luffy.

And despite outwards appearances of a calm and calculating man. Outside of the battle field Mihawk cannot, refuses too, exist anywhere else but the present. He’s a man that lives one day at a time, not because he’s just surviving but because why concern himself with the past or the future when there is now. when there is nothing there that can hurt him anymore and nothing he is scared to face. It’s in the way he went about getting his title, unlike Zoro there wasn’t some guy he was biding his time growing stronger to face. No he went out of his way everyday looking for stronger and stronger opponents to face until he was all that was left till there was no one that could face him, till he was without a doubt the Strongest swordsman there was. That dogged pursuit of anyone and anything capable of putting up a fight with a sword isn’t the Machiavellian calculations of a man capable of planning in the long term. It’s the single minded pursuit of someone only capable of living day to day, opponent to opponent.

And that’s why they fit so well together, Shanks reminds Mihawk that there’s a future out there and it’s gonna be new and interesting and Mihawk reminds shanks that he has a life here and now in the present and he should live it. It’s also a source of contention because Mihawk can’t understand what Shanks is hurtling towards and Shanks can’t understand how Mihawk can stand to stay still when the past is constantly licking at his heels threatening to consume him.

They are playing a game of chess and Shanks is already planning his moves for a play, 10 games ahead while Mihawk is trying to get him to focus on the one right infront of him lest he lose.

[tubatutan]

OFF THE TABLE - YEONJUN X FEM READER

themes: angst, a bit of fluff, an attempt at smut

summary: inspired by “off the table” by ariana grande and the weeknd

warnings: my first work, so go easy on me

“Will you be there?

can I still love you?”

[]

I think I’m done with relationships, they never work out. The one guy who I thought would be my forever ruined everything. I gave him everything, my time, my love, my body, and my soul, but that didn’t fucking matter to him. The fact that he acted as if I was the crazy one for not wanting to forgive and take him back was the icing on the cake.

Everyone warned be about him, rumours about how he had an ex-girlfriend, well I thought she was, about how she was his first love, how she was his first everything, how attached he was to her. He told me I didn’t have to worry about her, he was over her, how stupid was I.

It had been an entire year since then; I was over it but not willing to be with anyone else after that. It was great that we didn’t attend the same campuses or else I’d lose my marbles. He was my first everything too, and his betrayal and lies fucking hurt, I don’t have to try again, I could just die alone.

On the bright side, I made a friend, a cute, hot friend. Choi Yeonjun. I don’t know why I never noticed him, we started the same year, hung around the same areas, but I guess we just never approached each other. It had been three months since my break-up, I had forgotten my wallet when I was a nearby fast-food place and he offered to pay for mine, I didn’t have to pay him back and we talked a lot. We’ve been talking since then, we’ve shared things, I told him about Simon and he’s just so fucking supportive. I love that about him.

What I don’t like is how quick I fell for him, I’m not even sure that’s it, maybe I’m just lonely and horny. I’ve been reading too much into things lately, the way he’s been complementing me lately, the way he hugs me when we see each other and when we depart, and the way he looks at me, it’s really getting to me. A surprise kiss on the cheek after a day of hanging out had me using my pillow as a source of release, it was so embarrassing, and I don’t regret it. He’s tall, pretty, hot, and well-liked, he’s perfect.

I was really hoping I was reading too much into things, that was until tonight.

It was exam season, but with the way timetables were structured, Yeonjun and I were already done with ours. So, to unwind, we decided to plan a little movie night. The deal was each person would come with two movies of their choice. It was nothing special, that’s a lie, but that’s what I’ll continue telling myself. I wore a simple t-shirt and pyjama shorts, Yeon-Jun wore the same but his were longer pants.

Sleepaway Camp and 10 Things I Hate About You from me and, Call Me by Your Name and Final Destination.

We started with Sleepaway Camp and Final Destination because it’s better to start with horror and get it out of the way.

Then it was time for 10 Things I Hate About You, my favourite. It was Yeon-Jun’s favourite too, he just wouldn’t admit in front of me.

“Why can’t all guys be like Patrick?” I sighed and I heard a chuckle beside me, “You do realise that he was paid to go out with her and was never interested in her in the first place, right?” I scoffed.

“Well, he fell for her as time went on and loved her for who she was, besides, he was only focused on her and only her. He wasn’t hung up on other people, that’s what makes him better than any other guy.” I felt him wrap an arm around my shoulder, “Not every guy is like him. You know that, right?”

“I know, sorry. It’s just,” I sighed as he turned to me, “I don’t know if I can ever trust someone like I trusted him ever again.”

There was some silence, until Yeonjun uttered words I never thought would leave his mouth, “Can I show you how that’s a total lie?” My eyebrows furrowed, “What are you saying?” He sighed and took my hands in his.

“I didn’t want this to be where I would say it but,” I held my breath, “Even before we met, I’ve always felt drawn to you, I just didn’t know how to say it. If you hadn’t forgotten your wallet that day I don’t know if I would have ever gotten the confidence to talk to you.”

“Jun – “He cut me off, “Please, I just… I really like you, y/n. I think I’m also falling in love with you, please tell me you feel the same. It doesn’t have to be the same, it could just be similar, you know – “

Seeing him plead was so cute. Without thinking, my hand went up and caressed his cheek, “I really like you too, Yeonjun.”      With that, it looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, “But” His shoulders slumped, “I don’t know if I can give myself to someone yet.”

“But – “Now both my hands were caressing his cheeks, “I know, you’re nothing like him. Not at all. Trusting people is hard, and for some you really trusted to do that to you is not, it doesn’t – “

It was his turn to start putting his hands on me, his hands went to my waist and pulled me closer to him.

“Please let me be everything he never was.” Before I could respond to that, to be fair I don’t think I had a response at that moment, he kissed me.

A part of me wanted me to pull away because I wasn’t ready to let someone back into my life yet, but a much bigger part of me wanted me to trust him and take that chance. Taking chances is the whole point of life, I guess. I really hope this doesn’t blow up in my face.

As it felt like he was about to pull away, I slipped my hands behind his neck and deepened the kiss. I felt him smile and pull me even closer to a point where our bodies were against each other. He felt warm and comfortable. My hands went on to dig themselves into his hair, and with that, he prodded his tongue into my mouth, which I gladly welcomed.

Kissing with Simon was never this beautiful. His kisses were untidy, forceful, and uncomfortable, plus his breath never smelt nice. The way Yeonjun was gently caressing my tongue with his and going on to suck on my bottom lip made my spine tingle, and my hips started moving against his. I started moaning into his mouth while simultaneously creating friction between our bodies. I felt the space between my legs start to get hotter and wetter, I really need him inside me. He suddenly pulled away, his lips swollen and eyes dazed, “Fuck.”

I nodded frantically, “Please – “

“Please what, baby?” He asked in a soft but teasing voice.

I don’t know what got over me at that moment, but I’ve never wanted a man this bad, “Fuck me.” His eyes went wide and his grip that was now placed on my hips tightened. He didn’t answer, he stood up keeping my legs wrapped around his waist and placed me on my small but spacious bed.

He didn’t touch me for a while; he towered over me with a soft smile on his face.

“Are you just going to stand there or are you going to make me yours?” I asked breathlessly.

“Can’t I do both?” He just stood there with a proud look on his face. I took it upon myself to reach down and hook my fingers in my shorts and undergarments and pull them down my legs, leaving the bottom half of my body naked to him. I felt nervous, a part of my subconscious was telling me to put my clothes back on, he’s the second guy I’ve ever been naked in front of, but all those thoughts were overridden by how much I wanted Choi Yeonjun to make me his at that very moment.

His smile turned into a straight line, and he tensed up, his hands gripping the sides of his pants. I kept my legs open and reached down to play with my clit. I pressed my middle finger onto it and felt a jolt of electricity go through my body, I kept going and whines kept leaving my mouth.

I opened my eyes to see his pants and underwear off, stroking his already leaking cock while staring at me with insatiable hunger. We kept on going like this for a while, until he went on his knees and yanked my body towards the edge of the bed where he was. Without giving me time to adjust, he laid his tongue flat on my pussy and groaned at the taste. I cried out and he kept on licking and thrusting his tongue inside my leaking entrance. My hands flew to his hair, digging into and tugging at his locks.

“You taste so good.” He moaned against me; the vibrations make me cry out.

No one has ever eaten me out before, Simon never did this for me. He always said he was “too scared” to embarrass himself in front of me.

I didn’t know if I could hold out any longer, it was too much for me. I couldn’t move because his arms were holding my thighs down, his nose was nudging against my clit as he was basically making out with my pussy. He wrapped his lips around my clit and started sucking, and that was when it snapped. I couldn’t stop the flurry of moans, whines, and whimpers leaving my mouth, he was still lapping up every drop of my release with a strong grip on my thighs.

He started kissing my inner thighs and moved up, sliding his hands underneath my t-shirt and slipping it over my head. I arched my back off the bed, giving him the space to unhook my bra, sliding the straps down my arms and throwing it off the bed.

“You’re so perfect. How could anyone ever be so stupid to neglect you?” I tried speaking, but eventually caught my breath, “No one has ever made me cum before, you’re the first.” I rubbed my thumb against his cheek as shock was displayed all over his face, “What a fucking idiot.” He started kissing me again, a fusion of lips, tongues, and teeth moving against each other. I reached down and started stroking his cock, causing him to moan into my mouth.

He's bigger than him, too.

His lips left mine and moved to remove his t-shirt, he’s been working out more and getting bigger. Yeonjun came back down, but started planting kissing along my neck, sucking and leaving bruises that would be difficult to hide the next day. He moved down to my chest and encased my nipple in his mouth and started sucking, one of his hands went down and fondled my clit, the range of sensations making it difficult to concentrate. Thrusting his fingers into my pussy and sucking on my nipples, I could cum again, but he suddenly stopped making me whine.

He got up and I whined from the lack of warmth. He chuckled, “Don’t worry, my love. Do you have condoms?”

“No, but I’ve been taking birth control, and I haven’t been with anyone for a long time, can we say the same for you?” I raised an eyebrow, and he laughed softly, “I have not been with anyone for quite some time either, I’m very clean.”

I smiled in relief and opened my arms for him to come back, and he did, “Then fuck me raw.” A blush crept up on his cheeks and planted a soft kiss on my lips, and got up, “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for you to say that to me.”

He stroked his cock a while and aligned his tip to my entrance, and entered slowing, the stretch causing my breath to hitch and eyes to squeeze shut. He’s big. He moved further and filled me to the hilt, I whimpered.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he started moving slowly, to help me adjust. I didn’t want to adjust though; I wanted him to take me in any way he wanted and use me.

“You don’t have to hold yourself back, use me, please.” His movements stilled and unwrapped my legs from his waist and threw them over his shoulders, “Fine.” He moved back and came back in hard causing me to scream.

He was thrusting roughly into my pussy, more arousal forming and spilling, squelching sounds littering my room. One of his hands went up and started squeezing my breasts, rubbing the hard nipple between his fingers.

“You feel so fucking good. If I had done something sooner, I – “

I held onto his face, “It doesn’t matter anymore, I’m yours now. I always have been.” I let out in between pants.

He somehow started thrusting faster and rougher than he already was, I could feel another orgasm coming in. I whimpered, “Baby, I think – “

Before I could say anything else, he pulled out and flipped me onto my stomach and re-entered my leaking pussy. “Me too, baby, I – “I could feel his body tensing up, “I feel – “

I turned my head to look at him as he was ruining my pussy, “It’s okay, baby. Cum inside me, I need it.” That caused him to groan and one of his hands slipped in between my legs and started rubbing my clit. That paired with the tip of his cock constantly bruising that one spot, I was unravelling rapidly.

“jjunie – “I let go with a loud cry, the orgasm washing over me, causing my body to jolt and fall over the bed. Yeon-Jun came after me, his release spilling into me and I never thought it could feel so good. He fell over me and tried to recover from what he just experienced.

He pulled out of me which caused me to whine out, I felt empty now. He laid me down on my side and settled beside me, wrapping his arms around and kissing my forehead, cheeks, and lips.

“I feel sticky.” I said in a tired voice, causing him to chuckle, “But it’s okay.”

We laid together in comfortable silence.

“I won’t ever be like him. I love you.” Yeon-Jun uttered as he pressed a kiss to my lips and looked into my eyes with a fond look on his face. “I know, I love you too.”

Yeonjun is good, I’m willing to trust him.

[]

Well… that’s all folks!

I did pour my personal life into this, accept no yeonjun was present in my story..

I hope you enjoyed this ^^

[c2-eh]

24 on the kiss writing!

the itch under my skin did not let me write anything else but this. enjoyyy anon (and Ta) 💓

24. kiss in danger

"Firefighter Leclerc, do you copy?"

The only thing Charles is aware of once he opens his eyes is prickly and penetrating pain in his temple. His vision is blurry when he finally looks around and then there it is. That annoying pain in his right arm, which tells him all he needs to know.

Fuck, what happened, is his first thought when his brain starts working again.

Actually, he partly knows what happened. He and Carlos were trying to rescue all the people left in the building that was just about to collapse. They got them all out – 3 women, 4 men and 1 cat – except one. They went back to look for, apparently, a tall black-haired man, probably unconscious, as he was not responding.

One look at each other and a nod was all they both needed to understand. Charles went right and Carlos went left, automatically, without any conversation needed beforehand. However, he did not get far. The last thing Charles remembers is turning around to check on him and then nothing.

He coughs multiple times and tries to grab his radio to answer to Cap – Seb – but to no avail. Okay, don't panic Charles, this is not your first rodeo.

As he's trying to think of a plan how to free himself from all the concrete pile that landed on him, he hears footsteps. Carlos. He could recognize him anywhere – yes, by his steps (especially his steps) alone.

"Charles," he says loudly and Charles’ head throbs, "Charles, are you with me?"

Charles uses his left hand to show him a thumbs up, as his left is, kind of, not functional right now, "yeah," he says weakly and promptly coughs.

"Okay, I'm gonna get you out of here and then we go. I saw some passage at the right hand side, we will check it out and then call for a backup," Carlos' voice is focused and firm, in his firefighter mode and it makes Charles smile slightly. Ever since day one, he has been teasing him about it.

After god knows how much time of Carlos wrestling everything away from Charles, they both stumble towards the only source of light they find. It looks like it's a passage to some other room. Charles is not sure anymore, not with the mess this place has become.

And of course, because nothing can ever be easy for them, they suddenly feel the ground – or well, the building – shake underneath them. It's nothing they haven't been through before, but Charles feels a bit unsafe now, with his arm hurt and all.

He's already thinking of the plan how to save Carlos with his dysfunctional arm if something was to happen. After couple seconds the shaking stops and Carlos looks right at him, "this is not good," he says and looks around himself, probably contemplating what their best chance to get out is.

"Cap said they're already thinking of a plan how to get us out. Apparently the 'unconscious guy'," Carlos makes the quotation marks with his hands, "was already in a triage area."

Charles let's the information sink in, "so it's only the two of us here," his voice is still raspy and his throat closed up.

Carlos takes off his helmet and his hair look so unfairly good Charles is kind of jealous. Very jealous actually, he looks like a wet rat when he takes off his own helmet.

Another earthquake hits them and Charles tries his hardest not to react, but knowing Seb has been silent for about 10 minutes now, he gets a bit agitated.

"I'm gonna check the other side of the building, you stay here. We should try to find another way to get out," Carlos says and Charles stops him right when he's about to put his helmet back on.

"Wait," he grabs Carlos' wrist which brings him closer, "I-," he starts and he really means to continue, but his throat sizes up and he has no idea what is happening to him. This is so not like him, getting choked up like this, losing his words in these situations. Especially not next to Carlos. It's Carlos for fucks' sake, his best friend, his partner, his everything.

Oh. Oh fuck, now really is not the best time for realizations. The building is collapsing underneath our feet, for fuck’s sake Charles.

(But it might as well be the perfect time – perfectly aligned with who they are).

He's spiraling and Carlos can probably see it, because his face scrunches up and he takes another step closer to him, "hey, Charles. What's wrong?"

Charles doesn’t say anything, doesn’t explain what kind of thoughts are running through his mind at this exact moment, he only grabs Carlos’ face and smashes his lips against Carlos’ plush and beautiful and pink ones.

He doesn’t really have any time to panic, to overthink his whole life, because Carlos is kissing him back with such vigor, Charles wonders why it took them so long to finally do this. Carlos’ lips fit perfectly against his own and Charles shortly forgets about the situation they’re in.

Carlos pries his lips open and licks into his mouth, which makes Charles’ heart skip a beat. It’s perfect, absolutely delightful like everything about Carlos. He never wants to go without feeling Carlos’ lips – a bit chapped, but perfect the way they are – on his.

They break apart for a moment, to breathe in, but Charles dives right back in to kiss Carlos again and again. His good arm is resting on Carlos’ shoulder and his fingers and buried in Carlos’ hair and somehow his head has stopped hurting too. Maybe Carlos’ kisses have a healing power.

“Leclerc, Sainz, we found you a way out,” Cap’s voice breaches through the radio, which makes them pull away – with resentment, but they really need to get out of here. Carlos steals one last kiss from Charles, a little peck.

“We’re talking about this once we get out. No take backs, no running away,” Carlos’ whole face is a sight for a sore eye. His pupils are wide and the smile on his lips could light up a whole room – or well, the ruins of the building, “copy, Cap.”

Charles smiles and nods. No take backs.

send me a ship and a number and i will write a kiss

[toon-topaz]

The vampire if how overprotective does the rest of the cast get when they find out Subaru's not a vampire like one to ten scale

Oh boyyy this is gonna be fun Scale is gonna be from 1 (Doesn't give a fuck) to 10 (keep him on a leash at all times good god)

Emilia - Emilia found out at the beginning of arc 2, once she brought Subaru in for Beatrice to heal him. She then spends the entire series horrified at the lengths he will go to to protect her, or prove himself or whatever the hell he's trying to do. Especially after he got mauled by the Ulgarm, her worry for him increased tenfold, and then another tenfold after he challenged Julius. Her reasoning for leaving him behind in arc 3 is in part because she sincerely believes herself to be a bad omen, because of Subaru's continued offers for her to bite him (he thinks it'll be romantic and doesn't understand how weird that is), she thinks he might have some kind of brain damage after what Julius did to him. She believes she may actually end up getting him killed (little does she know, it's already happened, a lot), but also that she might lose control one day because damn, his blood smells nice. By arc 4, she understands his reasoning a bit more, but still hates to see him constantly putting himself in harm's way, and considers it extremely important for him to continue hiding his true identity. Despite not being the best liar herself, she's dedicated to keeping him safe, but will usually just avoid talking about it. In a way she feels kinship with him, as they both need to be careful about going out in public, due to her identity as a Witch of Envy lookalike, and his identity as what's essentially a talking prey animal. 8/10

Beatrice - Beatrice also knew the moment she met him, her ability to read Mana coming in handy for this. At first, she finds him more annoying and stupid, and even when she starts to like him more, her reluctance to exit her shell and bare her vulnerabilities prevent her from being too involved in what he's doing. After their contract, she's about as protective of him as in canon. Beatrice isn't a vampire, she's a spirit, and so she doesn't have any reason to be scared of herself losing control and attacking him. He's her contractor, she cares for him and his safety and will protect him with her life, but she also trusts him to take care of himself. She knows he may be reckless, but he's not stupid. 5/10

Rem - Rem finds out in arc 2, once it has to be explained to the staff that they need to somehow find a food source just to feed this one guy. Needless to say, she finds it incredibly suspicious, especially when in earlier loops Subaru keeps tailing Emilia and casually suggesting they have a taste of his blood. He has to be up to something. Not to mention, there's not only a ridiculously sweet scent wafting off of him whenever he accidentally cuts himself, but there's also constantly the smell of the Witch on him. She's fully convinced he's a Witch Cult plant, some kind of fabricated existence meant to be as tempting as possible. She does actually end up biting him, in the loops where she kills him, to punish him for daring to step foot in her sister's home. After the Ulgarm fight, she becomes one of his most fervent protectors, while also passively encouraging his reckless behavior. His weakness is also a strength in her eyes, as it gives him a unique kind of bravery she's absolutely in love with. She won't stop him from getting into trouble, but she will without hesitation kill anybody who dares attempt to harm her Subaru-kun. He could walk into Hell and she would follow him unflinchingly. Rem is hard to categorize, because her protectiveness of him is filtered through her view of him as her hero. She doesn't want to stifle him, but in the process enables a lot of his bad habits, opting to take action to defend him in the moment, rather than preventing him from getting into danger in the first place. It helps that she knew the moment she met him. 7?/10

Ram - Ram also knows right off the bat, and she's initially a bit wary, like her sister. Depending on how suspicious Rem is of him, her own concerns vary. She's a lot quicker to understand that he's just kinda stupid however. Ram does care for him, but holds no small amount of exaggerated disdain, usually teasing him for his weakness and taunting him with his status as food, with such charming nicknames as "cattle", "pig", and "snack". It's all in good fun, but it's also a subtle warning to him to not get careless. Sometimes she brings him grass, for their "livestock", and he responds to the jab by shoving it in his mouth while maintaining full eye contact. 4/10

Otto - Otto genuinely has no idea until, like, Subaru's knighting ceremony at the end of arc 4. He's absolutely piss drunk when he finds out, and it sends him into a goddamn crisis. He feels like a fucking idiot for not realizing his incredibly fragile best friend is not in fact, a vampire with a chronic health problem, but apparently he's been a whole other species this entire time. He's starting to wonder if Subaru technically counts as an animal, and the only reason they're able to get along so well is because of Otto's Divine Protection. Knowing this now, he sees how Subaru never seems to eat the same meals as everybody else, he's never shared a glass of blood with anyone, and no, that sweet smell is not just Otto's imagination. Otto's dedication is second only to Emilia's with helping Subaru keep his secret from everybody else, and he's a much better liar than her. He essentially crafts Subaru a whole fake backstory, makes it absolutely fucking airtight, and all but forbids him from speaking to strangers without at least one bug tailing him to report back to Otto. If he could he'd ground him to his room forever. About half the paperwork he does now involves forging Subaru's legal documents (which he apparently didn't have for a whole two-ish months??? He's lucky nobody bothered to check), birth certificate, Lugunican citizenship, etc. Poor Otto is about to have an aneurysm every time Subaru goes anywhere. 9/10

Garfiel - Garfiel thinks this is the coolest ever actually. He finds out while fighting Elsa, and at first he's pissed cuz y'know, she hurt his Captain, but once the dust settles he's actually thrilled to find out that the dude he looks up to is part of a long extinct legendary species he's read about in all his favorite stories. A lot of the heroes of legend were human, and he really admires Subaru's tenacity despite his weakness. Everyone's a little fragile to Garf after all, so the most he'll do is offer to train Subaru to fight or dodge better, and act as his bodyguard when he goes out in public. Alas, he's bad at keeping a secret. He will punch anyone who fucks with the Captain though. 5/10

Frederica and Petra - Frederica learns when she comes back to maid duty, and Petra needs to be informed once she gets hired. I don't have much to say about them, but Frederica makes sure Subaru gets proper nourishment, and Petra is a little weirded out that she can lift Subaru up with ease, but she's mostly chill about it. Sometimes they team up with Otto to keep an eye on him. 6/10

Roswaal - This fucking guy knew before Subaru even got here. He's been growing orchards in his backyard in preparation for the day his favorite little pawn would show up. His sacrificial lamb. He's been doing everything he can to put Subaru in harm's way, knowing he can just try again if things go wrong. He fully believes in him to pull through somehow, even as he actively throws him to the wolves. Not only that, but Roswaal is one of the only vampires alive who was once human 400 years ago, so he knows how it feels to be preyed upon, and yet he could not give less of a shit as long as Subaru helps him achieve his goal. 0/10

Part 1/2

[cuntaries]

Seventeen as types of guys found on my campus

hyperspecific to my experiences from 2015-2018 (i.e., o level - karachi, pakistan). desi carats, enjoy!!!

(note: translations can be furnished upon request)

Seungcheol:

“TU GROUND MEIN MIL”; fight-starter fight-winner, gets called to the principal’s office pretty often

Probably one of the guys who returns from PE absolutely REEKING and then uses body spray on himself in front of the entire class so he looks cool

Makes sure to walk past his crush’s classroom so he can make eye contact with her and has a friend with him so he doesn’t look weird

His friends only call him by his nickname

All his friends start being noisy when his crush walks by while he acts smug/confident

Boy-mom type teachers ka favorite but convent school-type teachers ka least favorite

Jeonghan:

Sweet-talks teachers into extending homework deadlines

BULLSHITS THROUGH PRESENTATIONS LIKE ITS NOTHING

GASLIGHTS teachers into increasing marks and giving step points

Tried MUN during the 10th grade but didn’t get the hype

Buddhi teachers ka favorite

Probably hides from his homeroom teacher when he skips out on morning assemblies bec chakkar aatay hain

Naturally smart at bio and chem and put effort into studies when he feels like it/is forced

Purposely yells out the wrong answer in class

Has a will they-won’t they thing with a girl from section A

Joshua:

Teachers ka genuine favorite but is secretly the guy who plans every ijtimai tulla

And then is the only one to show up

If by chance some teacher writes a note in his diary for his mom to read tou wo page phaar ke kha jaata hai

Major class monitor/prefect energy. If he’s prefect, he lets his friends go to and from class during break time

The class monitor who writes everyone’s names on the board besides his friends’

Probably head boy of his year; is well-liked and also bribed the student body by promising them a movie day,,,,which did not happen btw

Junhui:

Signs up for the student body elections for shits and giggles in his final year and ends up getting elected as head boy!!! Boo Seungkwan led his campaign (source: me)

Probably sits at the back of the class, partner ke saath bachodi karta hai but still ends up as one of the highest-ranking students in class

Beloved by underclassmen and upperclassmen, very popular despite mostly keeping to himself

Teachers ALWAYS choose him for dialogue-heavy roles in school plays/morning assemblies

Soonyoung:

Har fight mein sab se chaura honay wala aur sab se pehle pittnay wala

Probably eats spicy food from the canteen everyday, ends up with severe diarrhea, and calls his mom to pick him up from school at least twice a month

Banned from the library

Bathroom jaakay pani se spikes banata hai

Also stinks after PE but does NOT use body spray because yaar badbu thori arahi hai

Biggest loser in head-tail

Is the main reason why his class loses the cleanliness competition

Is the first person to clock that the Taekwondo instructor and PE instructor are engaged since he’s one of the 10 people in taekwondo class (the rest of them are 3rd graders).

Wonwoo:

Brings noodles for lunch 3 times a week, gets noodle-stains on his uniform. Also buys (laal wali) sting from the corner shop outside school. Probably how he developed a taste for Monster 

Is on a first name basis with the librarians and volunteers to help around when his class has its library period

Avoids swimming week like the plague, prefers staying in class and reading (until he was introduced to the gym during his A level)

Has a habit of mumbling answers under his breath when the teachers asks the entire class a question

Did NOT realise that the one group of girls passed by his classroom window four times just so they could look at him until Jihoon pointed it out

Suddenly becomes the loudest fastest talker when the teacher leaves the classroom

During the science fair, he accidentally knocked over his diorama when he was presenting it to his family

Jihoon:

Asks the music teacher if he can try playing his keyboard

Gets so MAD when school cancels music class in o level

Also gets so MAD when the school canteen stops selling Coca Cola

Second to Music class, he really enjoys ICT class; already knows most of the material being taught takes the lead in pair work. Even designed Junhui’s election posters

Volunteered to DJ for the annual mela and farewell party

Has never worn a tie to school because he never bought one in the first place

ENGLISH HANDWRITING COMPETITION WINNER and urdu handwriting competition loser

Seokmin:

LOVES the annual sports day; his favorite part is the PE Display (the school alternates between stand up for the champions and the cup of life so he knows the choreos by heart)

Probably gives really shitty excuses as to why he took the day off from school like his ammi ki mami ki behen died then gets upset when nobody believes him because he was actually being truthful

Seat pe jhoolay khata hai; one time he leaned back in his chair too far and fell

Probably gets his teachers flowers/thank you cards on result day

Can’t lie to save his life but has acted in school plays. 

Can’t present in morning assemblies because van uncle humesha late drop karte hain - when morning assembly is almost over aur late-comers ki line mein khara hona parta hai

Probably learned a lot of cuss words from his van mates and started using then without knowing what they meant,,,until he got called to the principal’s office for calling someone gandu

Mingyu:

Dumbass

But still scores first place in class

A total dweeb up until class 10; didn’t go out with friends because mummy kehti hain parhai par focus karo, wasn’t even allowed to add girls on his social media up until he was 16

Which is when he started trying to look cooler

Goes along with every dumb trend, including the one in which larkon ki aadhi shirt tucked in hoti thi aur aadhi tucked out, wears sports wristbands all the time, and wears stick-on studs

Totally ass at sports but tries his best lmfao

Starts hanging out with the cooler kids in his batch to improve his street cred

Uses retrica to take all his selfies and captions his instagram posts with cringey song lyrics (Don’t get too close, it’s dark inside. It’s where my demons hide.). Listens to yo yo Honey Singh when he hangs out with his old friends.

Still manages to keep his grades up or his mom will take his phone away

Minghao:

Star pupil when it comes to English language/Urdu language classes bec he’s so articulate and well-read for his age

Spends a lot of time on the internet and keeps up with pop culture

Keeps calm and stays level headed most of the time but is known to cuss people out when he’s pissed

The Mature Friend™

I feel like he’s probably also the nastiest out of his friends (since he's on the internet a lot) and gave lots of his male peers the talk when they hit their teens

Steers clear of canteen food and brings ghar ka khaana

Seungkwan:

Commutes to school and back in the same van as Soonyoung and Seokmin; the three of them instigate end-of-the-school-year water fights on the way home and everyone in the van ends up drenched

REALLY cares about reaching school on time; Soonyoung and Seokmin couldn't care less but Seungkwan specifically asks his mother to have a word with the van driver about picking kids up early

Gets recruited to host the annual sports day and the prize distribution ceremony

Gets roped into performing a duet with Seokmin for independence day (like Aye Jawan or smt)

Also the most decorated MUNer in his batch!!! Owns multiple Best Delegate awards and was the lead organizer of the school's MUN (ewwwWW)

Begged the PE instructor to set up a basketball net in the school ground,,,,which was only set up after he had graduated

Unlike Seungcheol and Soonyoung, cares very much for his personal hygiene and tries to shower after PE

Vernon:

Transfer student

All his classmates assume he can’t understand/speak Urdu until he introduces himself

Spaces out during class and gets called out for it

Had insane stomach problems when he first moved here but he no longer has issues scarfing down thelay walay fries with extra masala

Really good at kho kho but not the best at games requiring hand-to-eye coordination; accidentally threw a ball at someone’s face one time 

Friends call him ‘angrez’ sometimes (annoying as helllll)

Chan:

The one junior who doesn’t have more than five friends in his own batch but is friends with most (if not all) of his seniors

Everyone thinks it’s so cool that he’s ‘in’ with the popular seniors but they don’t realize ke wo har waqt isski lerahay hotay hain

He’s probably the first person in his class to decide on what subjects he wants to take up for his O level because his older friends held one-on-one counselling sessions w him

Works really hard to earn the top spot in his class - stays up late on school nights and pulls all-nighters on most weekends because he wants to be the best!!!!!!!! (and he is)

Nerd that knows how to party!!! Trust that he's going to be showing up in EVERYBODY'S ig stories

[suchine-toki]

(One more) Top 10 Gintaka moments

Arranged chronologically because it was too difficult to choose. Spoilers ahead.

1. First victory

After going day after day to the Shouka Sonjuku for an undetermined amount of time, Takasugi achieves his first victory against Gintoki. Understanding that he was weak, he defined him and Shouyou as his goal to reach. Thus, chasing Gintoki's back became an objective that he maintained throughout his life. But at this moment, Gintoki was really upset because Takasugi popped his cherry… his defeat cherry, that is (ch. 517).

2. The courtesan incident

After a fight between Gintoki and Takasugi, Sakamoto appears to say that the better friends they are, the more they fight. He also reveals that the reason for their latest conflict was that they both chose the same girl when they went to the red-light district, and she preferred Takasugi. This provoked an attack from Gintoki, but then Tatsuma added that the girl said he only drank and turned out to be very boring, which also provoked an attack from Takasugi, who was in the vicinity despite their previous fight (ch. 453).

3. We like petty wars

Back in the Joui War, when Sakamoto is injured, Takasugi is the first to speak to him, albeit harshly. Nevertheless, Takasugi seems relieved that Sakamoto survived and won’t keep risking his life. However, Gintoki intervenes, challenging the notion of quitting and affirming that Sakamoto can continue fighting, but in his own way. In an instant, both Gintoki and Takasugi agree to hunt down Sakamoto's attacker, declaring that they enjoy petty wars, i.e. not for grand ideals but to protect their loved ones. Naturally, this agreement turns into another competition to see who finds the guy first (ch. 568).

4. Give my regards

In spite of being estranged, they both say the phrase "give my regards to sensei for me" as a tribute to their master and a reminder of the legacy he left in their lives to those responsible for his death, showing them that Shouyou still lives. This also demonstrates how they are still united by the same emotional root while reflecting the duality of the paths they chose (chs. 397/398).

5. Pride

Being in Rakuyo and facing an imminent threat, Bansai believes that Gintoki is going to fight for the pride of the samurai, to which he responds that he is not interested in that, but his source of pride lies in both winning and losing against Takasugi many times, and that is the pride he is not willing to lose. In this way, Gintoki acknowledges that he still holds onto the respect and camaraderie they once shared (ch. 569).

6. Friggin' awful

When the Joui 4 were fighting, Gintoki is isolated from the rest and is ambushed by a huge machine that threatens him with a cannon. Before he can react, Takasugi comes to his aid, sabotaging the weapon in front of Gintoki's perplexed gaze. Then, both attack the mecha together as they tease each other, Takasugi asking how it feels to be saved by him who has just woken up from a coma, while Gintoki flips the question around, asking how it feels to have to be protected by him in the first place. To this, both respond that it's the worst, as an explosion occurs behind them. But they play it cool, because cool guys don't look at explosions (chs. 574-575).

7. Shouldn't interfere

Matako and Takechi have been tracking Takasugi and, after two years, finally found him. However, Matako hesitates about whether they should continue following him after seeing him fighting alongside Gintoki, feeling unsure of what to do, also recognizing that it was the first time she saw him acting silly and carefree. Similarly, the ship's captain comments that they both looked like ordinary no-good brats, which not only shows the camaraderie between them but also that they are happy being together (ch. 683).

8. Holding hands

While infiltrating the Terminal, Gintoki and Takasugi held hands twice. The first time was when the stairs they were climbing with Zura were destroyed, so Gintoki extended his hand, and Takasugi managed to grab it. The second time was when they were attacked while climbing the steel cables of an elevator. Here, Gintoki grabs Takasugi's hand to prevent him from falling and throws him towards a door. There was almost a third occasion where Takasugi was going to help Gintoki, but to no one's surprise, he was stabbed before he could do so (ch. 699).

9. Use me

Takasugi urges Gintoki to use his body as a shield, to which Gintoki seemingly agrees. They fight together, protecting each other and deceiving their enemies with strategies they can devise in an instant without speaking, demonstrating how well they know each other. Takasugi uses himself as bait to help Gintoki attack the terminal, but when he decides to sacrifice himself, Gintoki comes running to push him out of danger, a decision for which the enemy mocks him, saying he wasted his chance just because he couldn't bear to lose Takasugi (ch. 700).

10. Mutual support

Takasugi smiles while watching Gintoki reunite with the Yorozuya, something he urged him to do on multiple occasions since they reunited because if there is one thing he wants, it is for Gintoki to be happy. With the little strength he has left, he takes Gintoki's bokuto again and uses it to support himself, symbolizing how Gintoki helps him move forward. Similarly, in his final fight against Utsuro, Gintoki declares that Takasugi is in his soul while seeing his spirit protecting him. Thus, Gintoki holds his sword and defeats the enemy with Takasugi's aid. This is the second time they exchange swords in the series but, unlike the first, here it is more explicit that the other's soul is what helps them do what they have to do (chs. 701/703).

Part (1) (2) (3) (4) (Bonus)

[anki-of-beleriand]

Bad Liar ch. 6

Summary: Life is about lessons, and Wanda has been learning some harsh facts that had define her life and taken her to a place in which she was given a second chance. Then, all of a sudden, she meets you, and she realizes why it's easier to lie to yourself than to accpet what's right in front of her.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff/ Female!reader - America/Kate - Mentions of past Vision/Wanda - past Natasha/Reader - Some Female!Reader/Carol Danvers - past Shuri/Female!reader

Warnings: Slow burn - lightly Enemies to friends to lovers - Mentions of abusive relationships - Toxic relationships - angst - drama - mentions of abuse - unrequited love - gay panic - fools in love - more tags as the story progress.

Author's note: New chapter and yes! This time around things start changing, and Wanda and R are experimenting some emotions that may changed their lives forever, so obviously they do the most mature thing they can do...they denied them.

Thank you so much for reading, commenting, liking and reblogging the story guys! Remember that English is not my mother tongue, so forgive my grammar, spelling and funny mistakes.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18

Chapter 6

Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt

In the blink of an eye your relationship with your neighbour changed.

None of you were too sure as to how it happened, or when exactly it happened. But after that fateful day, in which you had played the part of a hero, you and Wanda engaged in a game of playful and deep conversations over the chat in your phones. For more than two weeks, you would seek your mobile while your heart skipped a beat, your lips curling into a strange smile that was not missed by those around you.

The changes had been so slow, and so deeply engraved in the idea of a new friendship that you and Wanda missed the signals.

The questions about the twins well-being turned into questions about preferences in music and movies, it became conversation about current events or what you usually do in your free time. At some point, even the friendly banter you two shared in the chat made you think of a juvenile adventure, but the thought was soon dismissed by your rational side telling you that friendships were supposed to be like this. A friendly chat, and a bickering friendship whenever you saw her right outside her home with the twins.

Whatever game you had entered into, for America and even Carol it was pretty obvious something had changed, and while Carol was trying to figure a way to reach out to you and not lose you; America had seen in your eyes, in your behaviour, in your phone who was behind the sudden changed. But whenever she tried to delve into the subject your quick dismissal and tangled explanations told your sister you were not ready to face reality. Much like Wanda, whenever America was to ask about the growing friendship between the both of you.

Of course, that didn’t mean you were not allowed to make questions or seek the answers eating out at you. So, when America couldn’t answer your questions about Wanda’s relationship status, or where was the husband and the father of her children, you went after the next best source of information you had.

Natasha Romanoff sat right in front of you, with her power suit on and a playful smile on her lips. The restaurant was packed, and the muffled conversation around you two was enough to bring relief to your mind that no one would be able to snoop into the conversation you would hold with the other woman. Natasha leaned in, her chin resting on the back of her hand, while her eyes gleamed with a knowing glint you had always hated on her.

“Now, this is quite surprising.” Natasha Romanoff leaned back on her chair; she tilted her head with her full lips drawing a tantalising smile you had come to know too well. “You either want to reignite a flame, or you are looking for something, Y/N.”

“Can I invite one of my oldest friends to lunch?” You retorted sounding slightly offended, Natasha snort signalling with her hand to the waitress.

“You hadn’t invited me to dinner since you broke up with Shuri.” Natasha had always been straight forward, you could always count on her to be direct and honest with you, and her brutality had saved you any trouble to not face the truths right in front of your face.

“So, what is going on?”

You shifted on the chair, the waitress taken the order from Natasha and then from you, he smiled bowing his head while giving Natasha a quick glance before walking away. The older woman tilted her head, resting her cheek on the palm of her hand while her eyes twinkled mischievously at you.

“Is it your new girlfriend or…”

“Oh, god, does everyone know about Carol?” You inquired frowning deeply. “She is not my girlfriend…”

“Someone should tell her that.” Natasha rolled her eyes leaning back. “So, what is it?”

“Wanda.”

Now this got Natasha’s full attention.

The older woman leaned forward again, her single eyebrow lifting slightly while her eyes twinkled with interested. Her lips quirked upwards, and you could tell she was trying to figure out what were your real intentions behind such a question. You pressed your lips together, tapping the table with your fingers drifting your eyes around the restaurant before settling them on Natasha.

“So, Wanda…”

“Now, stop right there, Tasha! I know that tone of voice and it’s not what you’re thinking.”

“It’s not?” Natasha chuckled, tilting her head. “I heard you went nurse on her and her kid a couple of weeks ago, and that you even brought Christine to her home to make sure the kid was fine.”

You rolled your eyes, of course Natasha would know about that. The freaking woman had a special ability to know everything that happened around her friends and the people she loved.

“Come on, Y/N, what is it you want to know?” Natasha finally inquired; you pursed your lips leaning forward lowering your voice as you did so.

“Her husband, the father of her children…what happened to him?” You didn’t beat around the bush with the question, Natasha scowled at you waiting until the food was served and the waitress had gone to speak again.

“Why are you asking this?” She finally asked piercing you with a deep stare, you shifted on your chair scrunching up your nose contemplating the real reasons for your question.

The truth was you hadn’t stopped thinking about Wanda since the day of the school event. The fact you got to see the glimpse of her family and a part of her you didn’t know was just a plus of what you were looking for. Why did you want to know that? Why was so important to know if the father of the twins would be back? If he was in the picture?

The answer to that question scared you.

More than you care to admit.

And thus, you decided to change the answer in your mind, it was not so much about Wanda, but the twins and what little you had discovered about them (and her). With that in mind, asking about the father, about Wanda’s status as single or with someone would be easier to handle.

The lies we told ourselves could go beyond the unimaginable, and you had learnt to lie to yourself a long time ago.

“I just…well, I was wondering if he is in the picture, why wasn’t he with her and the twins. I mean…”

“He is alive.” Natasha cut off your babbling, her posture never changed but her eyes were now analysing your every move, your every word.

“Oh, that…that’s good.” You replied frowning at your food, you pressed your lips tight while lowering your head.

“You don’t sound so happy about it.” Natasha replied after a few bites, you lifted your head offering a bittersweet smile.

“Oh, I’m just…I mean, are they divorced or…?” You trailed off clenching your eyes closed, Natasha snorted taking a sip from her glass before speaking.

“It’s not my story to tell, Y/N.” She straightened up and made sure you could not take your eyes away from her. “But I do want to make something very clear, Y/N, I won’t let you play with her the way you’re playing Danvers. Wanda doesn’t need, nor does she deserve to be played at by anyone. Not that Carol does, but with Wanda it is a little different.”

“I’m not playing with Carol or Wanda, that’s not what I was asking you this.”

Natasha shrugged gauging your reaction as she kept talking. 

"Either way, Wanda is not gay, not even bi so…"

You placed a single hand on your face, hiding the growing blush on your cheeks. Natasha stretched her hand to grab her glass of water, her deep blue eyes seizing you up quite surprised by your sudden interest in Wanda. 

"I'm not interested in her, not in that way." You stated with a straight face, trying to convince Natasha as much as yourself of the veracity of your words. 

Natasha hummed, not really believing your words but not ready to start a discussion that you were obviously not ready to have. 

"Then, what is your interest in her? Last time I checked you two didn't get along because you decided to be a bitch on your first encounter." 

Natasha chuckled just as you rolled your eyes making a face. 

"I wasn't being a bitch, she was being overly dramatic, that's all." You straightened up, lowering your gaze as you continued. "Anyway. I just noticed something the day I helped her with Tommy, I was just curious, that's all."

Natasha wanted to add something else, she could only imagine what you had discover to trigger the curiosity. Afterall, Natasha had accessed to the medical file of the twins and Wanda, she knew exactly what you had found that day. But for the moment, she would not dig further into your real intentions, and would play along with you while also finding her own way to know exactly what your intentions with Wanda were.

"Well, as I said, that's not my story to tell, perhaps you could take a chance of this newfound interest and ask her yourself." 

You were very tempted to press the topic, and for a brief moment Natasha thought you would do it; but soon your interest drifted and the conversation changed into one of pure business and plans for the future. The questions you were left with, however, never left your mind, and you were already trying to devise a way to get the answers you were looking for.

Natasha or her part smiled to herself, you had played right into her hands and she had a plan for you already in mind.

‘This ought to be fun…’

_________________________________________________________

Winter had come early that year.

The rainy season had given way to low temperatures, piercing winds, and white, teasing snowflakes that would come from time to time to tease the inhabitants of the city Wanda now called her home. She glanced out of the window, with her eyes following the twirls of wind and snow dancing in the streets while the school offered a protection and warmth she was grateful for. She placed her chin on her hand, her green eyes softening slightly as she remembered the recent conversation she had been holding over the phone with Y/N.

Her lips curled slightly, she knew you were stubborn, but she never thought you were such a petulant child. The discussion had been quite foolish, and you had stood your ground quite firmly by sending her papers written by people Wanda could hardly recognize. It amused her to not end knowing how easily you get riled up whenever you knew you were in the right but someone tried to tell you were wrong. It had been quite some time since she found herself so relaxed by talking to someone that wasn't her therapist or Natasha, and the fact she didn't need to discuss her life and the problem plaguing her mind was a refreshing situation. It made her eager to continue talking to you, to allow the small glimpses of friendship to sprout so easily. 

Wanda quite enjoyed contradicting you and whether she knew it or not, she was starting to look forward to those hidden conversations on her mobile. 

“You seemed quite content over there, Wanda, good day?” 

Wanda jerked away from her position, turning to see Natasha Romanoff standing by her desk, her head tilted to the side and her blue eyes twinkling with amusement just as Wanda felt her cheeks warm up at the sudden intrusion.

“I…yeah, you could say that.” Wanda straightened up trying to organise the paperwork laying on her desk. “Is there something you need from me, Natasha?”

“My, Wanda, can't a friend come over and see how you are doing?” Natasha sat down on the desk, crossing her legs while leaning forward, her eyes following Wanda’s gaze to the world outside just before she settled on the mobile the young woman had on her desk.

“Of course, you can.” Wanda replied, lifting her head to stare at the older woman. “I'm sorry, it’s just I thought perhaps you need something or…or something had happened?”

The unasked question hung heavily above their heads; Natasha shook her head glancing at the mobile on the desk vibrating under the pressure of a series of messages. The young woman went to grab her phone, but Natasha was faster than her, her red, puffy lips curling into a smile. Wanda felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment, and her heart hammering against her chest as if she had been discovered doing a naughty deed. 

"Y/N? I thought you hate her." The statement rolled out with a hint of amusement and inquiry; Wanda looked down with her hands wriggling around a piece of paper. 

"Hate is a strong emotion…"

"You said, and I quote, I hate that bitch." Natasha chuckled watching the mortified stare crossing Wanda's face at hearing her own words thrown back at her. 

"I was mad that day." She defended herself by stretching her hand to the other woman wiggling her fingers in request of her phone. "I don't hate her, but I do think she is annoying and sometimes stubborn and quite frankly she is a spoiled brat."

"Ah, so you like her." Natasha was enjoying this conversation far too much.

The older woman raised a single eyebrow, her eyes studying every reaction that Wanda was experimenting. From the way those green eyes open wide, to the pinkish colour of her cheeks and the sudden trembling on her lower lip. Natasha was not a fool and she suspected something was happening, but she didn't dare yet to put a label on the sudden relationship between Wanda and Y/N, it would be far too early and far too foolish to jump to any conclusions. What Natasha did know was that this newfound friendship was helping Wanda with her mood, so the older woman considered that a winning situation. 

"I wouldn't say I like her, more like I tolerate her." Wanda replied with a small voice. "She did help me with Tommy, and she is America's sister so…"

"Of course, it's not a matter of liking her but of putting up with her."

"Exactly." Natasha rolled her eyes but decided to not press the situation any further. 

Wanda grabbed her phone, her eyes falling on the screen and her fingers trembling lightly just before she put the gadget away. 

"Anyway, I came here because I talked to Y/N today." This seemed to grab Wanda's attention, Natasha narrowed her eyes before continuing. "Every year, just before Winter break we have a celebration for the seniors and really for the whole school. Y/N was supposed to be the organiser this year, and as our newest addition I also proposed you to be part of the committee."

"Me?" Wanda felt dizzy at the proposal, this could mean a lot of things for her. 

She knew such an important position would require time and dedication, but most importantly she would be working right alongside you and that was something that was making her feel slightly anxious. 

"Yes, it has been a couple of months since you got here, Wanda." Natasha softened her expression standing by the window before turning to Wanda. "You have done amazing work with the students; they love you and it is about time for you to make a name for yourself. Get notice and get credit for the amazing ideas I know you have, let everyone else know you and… Who knows? Perhaps, this is what you need to start healing."

Wanda nodded tentatively, she knew the responsibility she was being given was Natasha's way to empower her and get her more familiar with the world she had been introduced to. 

"What about the press…" Wanda started and she was quite shocked to see the smirk on Natasha's face. 

"Now, that's where Y/N comes in, she also needs this, and the press would be busier with her in the spotlight." Natasha winked at Wanda. "I've already spoken with Tony about this, your name would be hidden by everyone but the board, and you can work marvels without fearing your name would go out there and put yourself and the twins in danger."

Wanda knew she was given too much, but the old fears came rushing in. She remembered the old wounds on Tommy's back, the overprotective nature of Billy, her own weakness and incapability to form new bonds, to allow others closer. Wanda crumbled under her fear of Vision finding her again, and this time around, of Vision keeping his promise of destroying her and the twins. 

"Natasha…" The name left Wanda's lips with a quiver.

The older woman stepped closer, wrapping a comforting hand around Wanda. 

"Don't worry, Wands, Vision would never find you out in here, I made sure of it."

"I just… I know it's s a great opportunity, but he threatened me… Billy and Tommy… And he has money, and…"

"It's gonna be fine, Wanda. I know it is."

Thunder rumbled right outside the classroom, the silver light of thunder ignited the darkened hall and America jumped slightly with her eyes wide to the door of her classroom. Soon the two women engaged in a conversation America was not ready to hear, a conversation that would be far too intrusive to listen to. 

Stepping back, she turned around and left the hall before she could be discovered. The information she had just gathered out of chance store in her memory while her hands moved swiftly to write to her friends and call on an emergency meeting. 

Now, more than ever, they needed the help of Kate's company to know the truth hidden behind Wanda Maximoff’s sudden appearance in the Academy. 

_____________________________________________________________

The supermarket was full. 

Everyone seemed to have chosen that day to fill up the pantries back home to prepare for the long weekend. Wanda winced when Tommy and Billy ran to the section with sweets and packaged goods she knew she would fight over with the twins. However, watching them ran free, with smiles on their faces and not a single sign of sickness or fear in their eyes was enough for her to allow them to pick something up to enjoy after dinner. 

Wanda glanced at her phone, the notes app had the list of what she would need to make sure to spend some time with the twins and, perhaps, to repay the help you and America extended to her weeks ago. This last thought made her hesitate, she chewed her lower lip, with a crease of her brows at the sudden summersault her stomach experiment at the thought of having you back in her home. 

“Let me guess, you are ready to fight over a box of Mac & Cheese and a yoghurt?” Your teasing tone was not missed by the young woman that turned around wide-eyed and flustered.

“Y/N!” She exclaimed, putting her phone away rather quickly, you tilted your head with an amused smirk playing on your lips.

“Wanda!” You exclaimed back, chuckling, walking closer to her, your eyes danced up and down her body before focusing on the cart she had behind her. “Ah, you already have the Mac & Cheese…but you are missing this!”

You put from the supermarket basket a six pack of your favourite yoghurt; the same one you had taken from her on your first encounter. You winked playfully, chuckling when Wanda merely rolled her eyes, clicking her tongue while shaking her head.

“Right, are you gonna take it from me like last time or…”

You opened your eyes in mock shock, leaning over and placing the pack on Wanda’s cart. Wanda shivered lightly, your close proximity letting her catch the smell of your perfume, and the warmth emanating from your body.

“Never, please allow me.” You straightened up but never bothered to put some distance between the both of you, you were enjoying the nervousness coming off from Wanda and a part of you was tingling all over to perhaps do something rather dangerous and daring.

“I…I...Uh…” Wanda was trying to say something but your eyes on her, and the teasing smirk on your lips made her lose her words.

“I’m pretty sure there is an intelligent thought behind those beautiful stutters, though I think you’re a lot smarter when you write to me than when you talk to me…”

“Oh, shut up!” She replied slapping you playfully on your arm, your laugh made her blush and stepped back to put a safe distance between you and herself. “I was just…I was just thinking that I never thought I would find you here.”

You nodded, turning to the sound of laughter coming from down the closest aisle, in there you could see the twins that had found America strolling around. You smiled at the sight, soon finding the figure of Wanda all the more comforting at the foolish scene the five of you played inside your head.

“I came here for some groceries, and something for tonight's dinner.”

Before Wanda could ask about the dinner, she heard her name and yours being called from two different parts of the supermarket. Wanda turned to see her children running towards her with America smiling sheepishly, you turned to the other end to see Carol Danvers coming with a satisfied expression on her face and the can of goods she had been looking for. Your stomach dropped, remembering the reason you ended up in the supermarket after work, and a sudden wave of guiltiness came over you when you realised the blond-haired woman had been really excited when you invited her over for dinner that day. You dared a side-glance to Wanda that was now engaged in a discussion with the twins, and a pang of affection mixed up with your guilt for the whole situation.

Something absurd, if you think about it, since you shouldn’t be feeling guilty about anything at all. You were not doing anything wrong, and whatever mixed up emotions you were experimenting, it was the mere confusion that Wanda had come to create in your mind by being herself.

“Hey, I found it!” Carol exclaimed happily, stretching her hand with a proud stance, she drifted her attention from you to the redhead talking with two children and her eyes opened in surprise, though another emotion flash in her eyes. “Oh, Wanda!”

Wanda turned around and she too was highly surprised at the sight of Carol in there, her eyes went from Carol to yours then back to Carol. You could see the realisation flashing in her green eyes, and your mind pressed over for you to speak and clarify the situation.

“Eh, Carol, right? Hi.”

“Yes, the very same.” The woman stretched out her hand, and Wanda soon found herself under the firm grasp of the woman. “How have you been? I never got a chance to ask Y/N how you were feeling after that night, I hope everything went well.”

Wanda shifted uncomfortably, shooting you a quick glance before returning her attention to Carol.

“It did, I was just…not feeling myself that day.” She retorted softly.

“Mom! Can we?” Billy stepped forward putting the pudding box up, pouting and putting on his best puppy stare to make Wanda give in.

Carol stepped aside, she was surprised by the sight of the kid but pleasantly so as she stood beside you, her hand sneaking in to entangle around yours. You tensed, grabbing the offering hand without actually looking at the blond standing beside you, Tommy stepped forward moving past his begging brother to look up at you with a shy smile.

“Hi, Y/N.” You knelt down letting go of Carol, while smiling back at the boy.

“Hey, Tommy, how are you feeling?”

“Better, thank you.” You ruffled the kids' hair winking at him.

“Nah, it was all on you, kiddo, you were a real superhero.”

Tommy smiled please, and you stood up to see Wanda about ready to burst under the begging of Billy and the sudden tension in the group.

“He is quite persistent, eh?” Carol commented amusedly, Wanda winced tilting her head.

“You have no idea.” She replied while lifting a single hand, Billy clamped his lips close while Tommy grabbed his brother dragging him away.

“Mommy said no more desert, Billy put it back.”

“It’s my fault, Professor Maximoff, I told them I could also make pudding for them next time I babysit.” 

Wanda shook her head, her lips curling tiredly, “that’s okay.”

“I didn’t know you were so good with children.” Carol stated in a faint voice to your side, you turned to her eyebrows raised at her sudden change of tone and the close proximity with you.

“Why not?”

Carol made a face, shrugging, “you never seem the type and…I just thought it was cute.”

“Humph, I’m not cute.” You replied slightly offended, the woman rolled her eyes before leaning in to steal a kiss from you.

The kiss was supposed to last a few seconds, or so you thought.

But soon it became evident that Carol’s intentions were totally different. She put a possessive hand around your waist, pressing her body closer to yours while her lips danced sensually against yours, her tongue teasing around before she pulled away rather breathless and flustered. Whatever her intentions, Carol smirked satisfied, her eyes found those of Wanda that was shifting uncomfortably on her spot.

“Right, I think we better keep moving, there is going to be rain and…and the twins may catch something.” Wanda started talking fast, moving back while placing the pudding box on her cart. “It was nice seeing you, Carol, Y/N, America. I may need you tomorrow but I will text you the details…bye!”

You had never seen the young woman move as fast as she did at that moment, the twins waved good-bye and soon they were following their mom towards the other end of the supermarket. America stood there with a frown, her eyes found yours and the both of you had the same questioning glance on your faces. Carol on the other hand was tensed, her eyes flashing something cold with hints of sadness in them.

“Shall we go?” She asked, you turned to her frowning before nodding.

“Yeah, are you okay?” You stepped forward but Carol stepped back.

“Yes, just tired and a little hungry.”

“Okay, yes, let’s pick something else up and we go home.” You mumbled slightly confused, your heart hammering against your chest and your mind a twister of emotions, memories, and thoughts involving the woman you hadn’t stopped thinking about ever since you met her.

______________________________________________________________

Dinner had been a quiet event. 

Something had been bothering you all afternoon and part of the night, and Carol had long lost the battle to try and regain your attention. She and America spoke most of the night, with Carol speaking about her adventures and the long process that led her to be the most decorated Captain in the air force and the newest commander of the base. 

America had enjoyed the conversation, she asked questions about life in the force and the possibilities that could be opened for her. But as the conversation took a more professional note, you couldn't help but drift away into your own thoughts. 

By the time you and Carol were left alone, you were even more confused than ever, and this only made the breach between you and Carol that much bigger, deeper and almost impossible to cross. 

"You had been awfully quiet all night, is something the matter?" Carol had not missed your mood, and a part of her continued holding onto the hope that your relationship would turn out to be something meaningful. 

"I'm just tired, and thoughtful." You replied offering a small smile. "Today was a long day at the office, and I followed your advice so tomorrow I will have lunch with Hope."

"You do?" This time around Carol was completely surprised, her face relaxed at the news and she took this chance to come closer to you. 

"Yes, I think it is time to just rekindle that friendship and…" You shrugged, leaning back to face Carol. "I did miss her, you know?" 

Carol knew. 

The last year had been a complete roller-coaster for you, Carol had been there the moment you broke up with Shuri and your inner circle took sides without knowing the full context of the fight. Carol had found out by chance, but Hope had heard both sides of the story and had stepped aside by trying to balance her friendship with Shuri and with you. The breakup, as well as the weight of the daily business and raising a teenager had left you in an emotional state you wished to never experiment again. It was in the midst of such disarray that Carol and you made a deal. 

Carol never imagined she would want more, and you never entertained the idea of falling in love again. And while you had been firmed in your resolution, Carol had been breaking the silent deal she had made the first night she spent in your bed. 

Now, after almost six months of the affair, Carol realiser she had been a fool. 

"I was offered a new position." Carol stated all of a sudden, she placed a hand on your shoulder and her fingers started a game you knew well enough. 

"A position? Where?" You shivered as her fingertips brushed against your skin, her lips wrapped around your earlobe. 

"They are renewing the security plans in the base of Eastern Europe." She whispered, her hand moving down your open shirt, your hands already positioned on her lower back pressing her closer to you. "They want me to lead the new training drills, and be in charge of the whole operation." 

The blond-haired woman trembled with her legs spread and her clothed crotch pressed tentatively on your thigh. You lifted your leg applying more pressure, a soft moan leaving Carol's lips. 

"What are you trying to say, Carol?" You asked softly, this time around you leaned in kissing the woman on her lips tearing out of her a needy moan just as you pressed her closer to you. 

"Come with me." Carol finally stated, breathing hard, her hips rolling to get more friction. 

She fluttered her eyes open, and as soon as she did she knew the answer to her question. Her face fell for a moment but a spark of determination ignited inside her chest. She offered a mischievous smile and without any warning she knelt down, her trembling hands playing with the zipper and the buttons of your pants. 

"Let's just talk about this later." She finally mumbled, lowering your pants and underwear and digging right in your already wet pussy. 

Your thoughts leaving your mind as soon as her tongue came into contact with your pussy. Your hand pressing her closer never once did you notice the tears in her eyes. 

______________________________________________________________

Hope had chosen a nice restaurant right outside her office. The place was small, cosy and filled with sweet aromas of homemade food. The music was a remembrance of your teen years, and you couldn't feel more relaxed under such an atmosphere. 

"So, you like the place I chose?" Hope asked amusedly, you snorted tilting your head with a shrug. 

"It is nice." You played the nonchalant card, but Hope was not having any of it. 

"I knew you would like it." Hope took a sip from her glass glancing around the place before letting her eyes rest on you. "The food in here is amazing, and actually this is a good place to think and have private conversations."

"Private, eh?" 

Hope shrugged leaning back on her chair, "it's been a while and in my office we have the risk of one of my patients coming over without knocking, like Wanda did last time." 

At the mention of the young woman you felt your body tense, your eyes diverted their attention from Hope to some unknown spot in the restaurant. Hope narrowed her eyes with some interest, filing this reaction away to bring it over later. 

"Right, like last time…" You grabbed a napkin facing Hope with some trepidation. "How is she?" 

"Who? Wanda?" Hope opened her eyes until the face you made told her the other woman was not the one you were talking about. "Ah, she is doing fine. After her brother's funeral she and her mom took some time off work and now they are back. It's just that she is not overly fond of coming back to the States."

"I see, that's good."

"And you? How are things with you, Y/N? What about America?" Hope was being honest in her questions, she had lost contact with you but she never stopped loving you like a sister. 

She listened attentively as you evaded the topic of your life and instead focused on America and the family business. The conversation about your sister made Hope smile, she knew you adore the kid and your life decisions had been made around her well-being but she also worried that after your break-up with Shuri America had become your only focus. 

"Right now she is just… Trying to decide what to do." You shrugged, shaking your head. "I just have a feeling that they would end up in the same University…breaking havoc as always."

Hope chuckled, America and her group of friends had been like that ever since they were little children. Everyone was expecting great things from them. 

"Okay, that was a long storytelling about America, her friends, her future, school, and about your business and Tony, and Strange, and…" 

You rolled your eyes, making a face you busy yourself with your fork. Hope tilted her head softening her stare. 

"And you, Y/N? How are you, really? What about Carol? I heard you and her were a thing… But…" 

Hope could see the topic become personal for you, your whole stance changed and soon your eyes dropped. The woman waited for a moment, her eyes never leaving your form and you knew she was just analysing your every movement and your every word.

"We were just fucking." You let out a heavy sigh after that, Hope winced at your crudeness but was really not surprised about it. 

"I met her the other day, you know?" Hope pursed her lips before continuing. "Are you sure it is nothing else…?" 

"I know she wants more." You replied. "But I made it clear to her, I cannot…" 

"You can't or you don't want to? There is a difference in there, Y/N." 

You fixed your position on the chair, grabbing the glass of water before speaking. 

"I don't want to, Carol is amazing. She really is, but my affection for her doesn't go deeper than friendship." You took a long sip from your water, Hope offered a sympathetic smile. "I know she wants more, but I can't give her that. I don't want to hurt her."

"Well, it is inevitable, she has always had a crush on you and you just gave her something she wanted."

This revelation came as a surprise for you, Hope could tell you didn't know that detail about Carol. 

"She never said anything."

"You are hard to crack sometimes, Y/N, and you were so absorbed in your pursuit of Shuri and all that you missed her feelings." Hope shrugged. "But now it's your time to make it right, if there is nothing else you can offer than a night of sex then you better end that right now."

You nodded furrowing your brows for a brief moment. Hope narrowed her eyes at you, and the next question almost made you choke on your own spit. 

"And what's your relationship with Wanda Maximoff?"

"What?!" You exclaimed, changing to different shades of red. "There is no relationship whatsoever! What made you say that?" 

Hope raised a single eyebrow, waving her hand away pointing at you. 

"That reaction." 

"This is nothing but me thinking how ridiculous you are being, Hope." You huffed indignantly, finishing your glass of water while looking away. "That woman is insufferable, and she has two kids, and really I find her quite dull and… And…"

"Insufferable?" Hope chimed in when you seemed lost at words. 

"Exactly!" Hope rolled her eyes and you clicked your tongue aggravated by the suggestion. But there was something else, you grabbed your phone putting it away protectively while you made sure to never look Hope right in the eye. 

She was very tempted to press the conversation, but she had a better idea. 

"Right, sorry I ever asked." She stood up putting some bills on the table. "Walk me to the office, I have an appointment in five minutes."

You let out a sigh of relief, standing up you left a generous tip before going out of the restaurant. The day was cold and dark, but people were enjoying the Saturday afternoon with long walks and shopping for the holidays. Hope started talking about her own family, and how she had spent her last eight months away. 

You listened carefully, always enjoying the presence of one of your oldest friends in ways you never thought possible. For a moment, you entertained the idea of telling Hope about your recent confusion, but voicing your thoughts would give a form to something you didn't want to face at the moment. Besides, it was nothing! You were confused because you had found in Wanda a kind heart and two amazing children, it was nothing more than sympathy. 

The theory you had played inside your head crumbled the moment you found yourself staring into a pair of deep, green eyes. 

"Wanda! I'm sorry to take this long, this slowpoke was just entertaining me after lunch." Hope let go of your arm coming towards Wanda and giving her a warm hug.

You stood there mouth hanging open as Wanda turned to Hope. 

"Don't worry, I just got here as well so I didn't have to wait…" She trailed off, hesitant at first before turning to you. "Hello, Y/N, I hope you are doing fine."

Her tone was quite different, detached and almost cold. You furrowed your brows but soon shook away your head and offered a half smile. 

"Yep, more than okay, Princess." Wanda tensed at the nickname, and Hope was having the time of her life observing the interaction. "What about you? Did you have a good night?" 

"Not as good as yours, I bet." She replied icily, you opened your eyes with your lips parting with  an answer at the ready but before you could say anything Wanda offered a strained smile to Hope. "If you don't mind, Hope, I think I will go inside. I need the bathroom. Y/N have a nice afternoon, give my best to Carol."

And with that she left in a hurry. You stood there slightly hurt by this reaction, but you concealed your expression as soon as you felt Hope's knowing stare on you. 

"Right, she is crazy, I tell you no wonder she is seeing you."

Before you could go, the voice of your best friend stopped you. 

"Don't judge her too harshly, Y/N, you don't know the whole story." Hope approached you giving you a long hug. "Stop running, Y/N, and start living, you fool. We will talk about that next time. Don't be a stranger."

"I won't." 

Hope lifted her face to the building, a spark of curiosity awakening in her. This session promised to be an interesting one. 

______________________________________________________________

Wanda hadn't stopped pacing around the room. 

She had served tea twice, and her purse was left forgotten on the sofa while she babbled about the progress she had made, how empowered she felt at the moment. She talked about her job, about her family and her brother, she told Hope about the photo album and about her children. And just like that, her conversation went down a path she had tried to divert for more than thirty minutes. 

"I have never been so scared before." Wanda dropped her weight on the chair, her hand resting on her forehead, covering the rampaging emotions going through her at the memory. 

"I can't imagine what that might have felt for you, Wanda. Your children are your main motivator, and finding that one of them is suffering…"

"I thought I was failing; you know?" Wanda finally revealed. "I couldn't stop his voice from drilling mocking words inside my head. It was as if his predictions became real."

Hope scrunched up her nose, she let out a huff that Wanda answered with a crooked smile. 

"Habits are difficult to break, his voice may be there as a memory but not as a compass to your actions." Hope softened her gaze. "But how did you overcome such hardship? Is Tommy doing better now?" 

This time around Wanda leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees and the wrinkles around her eyes and the bridge of her nose softened considerably. Hope observed with a twinge of interest the reaction, she didn't miss the body language and much less in the words Wanda was using to talk about what happened next. 

"He is so much better now, I actually received help from my neighbour." 

"Y/N?" Hope straightened up, her eyes going wide at this revelation. 

"She and America, they came in and…" Wanda trailed off looking away from the knowing glance of her therapist. "Can you believe they are sisters? God, America is like the sweetest, smartest and kindest person I have ever known and Y/N…"

"What is it? Hope finally asked after a minute or so, Wanda shifted, crossing her arms and clicking her tongue. 

"She is just… Infuriating!"

"I agreed though I believe you and I have different reasons for thinking that." Hope stated amused, Wanda winced leaning forward again. 

"I know she is your friend, and she did help me with Tommy, but she is just…"

Wanda trailed off again, Hope waited for a moment and soon Wanda let out a heavy sigh. 

"She is confusing." Wanda finally said, frowning at her own words. "And this thing she has with Carol, showing off as if…ugh, can you believe she was showing off last night? It's just…" 

Wanda trailed off leaning back, "it's confusing."

Hope lifted a single eyebrow, her lips twitching fighting over her obvious reaction to such a declaration. 

"Whatever you mean by that, Wanda? I mean, what does Carol and Y/N, for that matter, have anything to do with your confusion?" 

Wanda pressed her lips together, her heart hammering against her chest and her cheeks tainted in pink. The young woman opened and closed her mouth before dropping her defences. 

" I didn't know she… I mean that Y/N was into… I mean… " Wanda stuttered trying to find the right words, Hope waited for a moment before talking. 

"Into women?" 

"Yes!" Wanda exclaimed wincing, she had heard something of course, but to actually see you with the blond-haired woman, shared such a deep kiss, it had ignited inside Wanda an emotion that made her heart twisted with a painful thud. 

Seeing you today, after what Wanda had seen, what she had imagined you and Carol were doing back in your home, it was almost ridiculously unbearable for her. Wanda wanted to come onto you and slapped you, but as soon as that thought sneaked in, another stranger, yet familiar emotion came to the surface. 

Sadness. 

"She is confusing, sometimes.". Wanda hesitated before continuing. "Sometimes she is… She is this nice person and some others she…" 

"She is confusing." Hope chimed in, Wanda nodded and the look of pure panic and puzzlement in her green eyes told Hope this was a topic she could not press any further without discussing other important points about Wanda. 

"Wanda, before Vision, was there anybody else you were interested in?" 

The question caught Wanda by surprise, she straightened up, tilting her head while frowning a little. The young woman was trying to remember her childhood and her teen years, flashes of people she had been interested in came rushing into her mind but most of them had been singers or actresses that called her attention. 

Then, she stopped her trail of thoughts. Actresses. No, actors. There was this one actress that she had always thought was beautiful but that was admiration, not attraction. 

Then, she tried to go back to the mirage of faces until she found herself thinking of you. Her heart leaped, and Wanda shook her head rapidly. 

"I…I don't remember." She stuttered, glancing at her feet. 

"You don't remember or you don't want to say?" Hope pressed but Wanda didn't lift her face, and Hope knew the other woman would say nothing else about the topic. 

However, Hope had sowed the seed of doubt and that would be enough to press the matter on another session. For now, she was starting to see a pattern in Y/N and Wanda, a dangerous game that if executed incorrectly could leave the women involved more miserable than they already were. 

"I think this is all for today." Hope stated and she could tell Wanda was relieved by this. 

"Okay, yes, today was…" Wanda gestured with her hands but said nothing else.

"It was." Hope smiled and Wanda hated the fact her therapist knew more than she cares to admit. 

There was a long silence in between, Hope could tell Wanda was in the middle of an internal battle but the contents of this battle were the myriad of emotions Wanda had allowed herself for the very first time. Independence.

Wanda was finally freed to make decisions on her own, to take the path she thought better for herself and her children. Wanda was finally freed to be herself, and that was something the young woman was discovering little by little with the ups and downs that this discovery might mean.

“I never thought this was going to be this…difficult.” Wanda wrapped her arms around herself, she lifted her gaze to the ceiling pursing her lips.

“You are discovering yourself, Wanda, there are many aspects of your personality and even of your life that you hid in order to survive and to comply with what was expected of you.” Hope offered a comforting smile, her words washing over Wanda just as reality hit the redhead. “It can be difficult for as long as you fight it over, and this may happen because you are still fighting with the ghosts of the past.”

Wanda shifted on the chair, she never turned to Hope but the therapist didn’t need to see the expression on Wanda’s face to know she was struggling with the words and her thoughts at the moment.

“So, I could be…this could be…This is me?”

Hope tilted her head analysing the statement. 

Who Wanda could be was more complicated than Wanda really knew, but certainly the little pieces that she had been revealing in the sessions and the little pieces she had discovered on her own were just a reflection of the amazing person that was hidden behind the masquerade of the well-behaved, quiet and mellow housewife that Vision had built from an early age. 

“Isn’t it fantastic to start discovering what you are capable of? What can you really do? Who can you love?”

Wanda clenched her eyes close, feeling the tears rolling down her face. The last question made her heart jump and her stomach shrank with the sheer emotion of the real meaning behind such a question. Who could Wanda love…Who could be that one person she could love that would never make her feel the way she felt before.

The room drowned in a tense silence, without meaning to, and actually without thinking clearly about anything else Wanda lowered her teary gaze to the mobile she had dropped on the table. The screen popped up with a myriad of messages that had a single name on it.

A detail that had not escaped Hope at all, and that Wanda had evaded the moment the conversation turned to personal.

But now…Y/N’s name was a constant reminder that Wanda had been experimenting emotions she never thought possible.

And fear was still holding her back, and she was still denying herself the possibility of digging deeper into what she was feeling for the woman she had come across by chance. Wanda grabbed the phone in her hands, and with a tear rolling down, she put it away trying to hide the part of herself that Y/N had brought to the surface without meaning to.

_____________________________________________________________

Next chapter: Wanda's secret is out. Everyone has a plan, America is a fool and Kate decides that she can't wait for her any longer. There is a new player, and Wanda and Reader fell right into the schemes everyone prepared for them.

[radiance1]

Vlad Masters. Ceo of Vladco, survivor of Ecto-acne, first halfa to have ever come into existence and brilliant scientist.

Is currently lost.

He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before reopening them. He crouched down, before jumping up and over a nearby fence, determined to wander around in hopes of finding a solution to this perdicament.

Curse you, Jack Fenton. He didn't know how, but everything is always, undeniably that oaf's fault.

===

Billy Batson dashed into a nearby alley, urging his legs to keep moving despite the burning feeling in both his legs and chest that demanded he stop. His eyes quickly scanned the alleyway, looking for anywhere to hide, or a path to continue his escape, only for despair to consume his heart.

A dead end.

A loud bark came from behind him, and he turned, blood rushing in his ears as he backed away slowly. He slowly moved his hands forward in front of him, a weak, fearful smile on his face. "E-Easy there, doggies. We can, we can talk this out. Yea?"

The biggest of the three dogs currently chasing him stepped forward, and he stepped back. The dog was all skin and bones, so much so that its ribs were clearly on display, the two smaller dogs behind it weren't faring much better, and only looked to have just a bit more meat on their bones than the one in front. The dog growled lowly, taking another step forward, while Billy took another step back.

"Ok uh, just- just wait a second okay...?" Billy slowly reached a hand up to the strap of his old bag and lifting it from his back. He slowly unzipped it and reached inside, digging around while keeping his eyes straight on of the dog in front of him, his hand hit his desired object and he slowly pulled it from his bag, before throwing it in front of the dog.

The dog sniffed the object, before taking the pack of jerky and slowly walking backwards, eyes trained on the human in front. Billy felt like crying.

That was supposed to be my lunch and Dinner...

The dog threw the pack of jerky over its shoulder, and the two dogs behind didn't waste a moment before ripping open the packaging and chowing down on the jerky inside. With each and every chomp, Billy felt more and more like he would cry. From his position, he could see the amount being reduced down to the single digits under seconds, before the two dogs stopped eating, instead licking the crumbs from the packaging and then raising their heads to bark happily, causing Billy to almost smile.

Almost.

If he weren't lamenting over the fate of his lunch and dinner for the next few days being gone in under 10 seconds.

The dog in front barked again, taking another step forward and Billy flinched. "Oh, oh! Uh, I'm sorry but I don't have anything else. So, so uh." Billy take another step backwards, cold sweat running down his face as he felt his back hit the wall. "So how about you guys, you know, leave me alone now?" He squeaked out.

The biggest dog growled lowly before, with surprising speed, ran forward and sank its teeth into Billy's bag. "He- HEY! Wait!" Billy struggled to both pull the bag back into his arms and not cause it to tear at the same time.

Unfortunately, very difficult to do in this situation.

"How are you so strong!?" Billy nearly sobbed, he's losing to a dog! "I only have one of these you know!? So let go already!" Billy held onto his bag's straps for tear life, struggling to gain more ground in this tug of war, before the sound of leather starting to tear reached his ears.

"My bag!" Billy tug his feet into the ground, finally succeeding in gaining from ground when he readjusted his hold from the straps to the top of it, before the other two dogs joined in.

He thinks he's going to lose a bag.

"Meow."

All movement ceased. The sound of struggle being replaced by silence as both human and dog(s) looked for the source of the sound.

"Meow."

They looked up, and a singular (extremely fluffy) black cat with fully red eyes stared back. The two younger dogs whined, ears lowering as the biggest began to growl.

"Meow." The cat meowed for a third time, staring down the three dogs intensely. The smaller dogs instantly let go, and fearfully backed away while the biggest ears lowered, yet their teeth was still lodged into Billy's bag.

"Meow." It meowed once more, fixing the biggest dog with the full brunt of its stare, and paralyzing it from fear, before a few seconds later it let go of the bag and backed away, turning around and barking at the two smaller dogs as they ran away from alleyway.

Billy blinked, staring at the retreating backs of the dogs until he couldn't see them, in disbelief. He stared back up at the cat, who licked the back of its paw and raised it up to its head to groom its fur. Billy quickly stared at its neck, seeing the lack of a pet collar of any kind.

"Meow." The cat stared at him with one open eye, and Billy jolted. "Oh! Uh! Thank you!" Billy nodded his head in thankfulness, before staring at his bag. "Oh right. My bag."

Billy felt like crying. Staring down at the nearly broken bag covered with bite marks. Actually, scratch that.

So he started crying.

[subwaytostardew]

▽ Subway to Stardew - Adoptable Joltik ⚡️

This would play after Emmet's 8 heart event and getting Joltik up to 8 hearts as well.

I released a separate mod specifically for adopting Joltik, so you only need to get them up to 8 hearts to adopt them! You can do it right now!

Adoptable Joltik Mod Link: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/21002

And of course... Commentary under the read-more.

Joltik's adoption event sat in the drafts for quite a while. It took me whole a day to implement and I didn't let myself sleep until I finished everything. (It's 1 PM now...)

The event ended up wildly different because of how extra custom pets are implemented. You would think that they would be added in the same way as you get your cat/dog that you select during character creation. No. You have to buy a license. Only Marnie is authorized to sell them.

Here's the original script for Joltik's adoption event:

[Joltik Adoption Event]

Emmet: @! Joltik likes you verrrrry much. They want to stay with you. I'm letting you adopt them. Yup. I filled out all the paperwork. The Joltiks are legally documented now. 

I never gave ours a name... Galvantula wouldn't let me. She is verrrry picky about it. But that's okay. Joltik is yours. You should name them. She came along for approval. So. What name should I put on the adoption form?

[Name input box like Marnie's adoption thing...]

[Galvantula pauses for a moment to think and then offhandedly agrees.]

Emmet: Galvantula didn't shock me for that. That name is okay. Yup. I will file that with the Ferngill Republic. Don't worry about it. Make sure you take verrrry good care of our little Joltik!

[Joltik jumps and heart emotes]

◇──◆──◇──◆

The whole naming portion was a source of much more frustration than it should have been. In events, the name input box is brought up by the "catQuestion" command (which applies to dogs chosen at the start, too...

If you refuse, then Marnie also shows up no matter what you do. Farmhouse positions are also tricky and made even harder to find reference for after 1.6 added the farmhouse being moveable. Joltik kept spawning where Emmet was supposed to be so I had to use a move command just to get them to spawn one tile to the side. Galvantula was fine. I didn't get to updating her vanilla portraits yet so she's staying quiet.

The catQuestion command also only adds the pet you pick during character creation. There's no fields to target the usage. You have to buy a license. It's the only way to get another pet. I didn't want Joltik to replace a cat either since in-story you would have to earn the trust of both Emmet and Galvantula... There's no way you can do that by the first 25 days of spring. It's immersion breaking and you lose a cat.

I did find the license aspect funny though. It was oddly fitting for the mod's lore of Pokemon being pretty much banned from the region. Emmet is a threat to Stardew Valley's ecosystem. Not the best guy for the task of combating anti-Pokemon xenophobia.

Pet sizes are apparently hardcoded so I had to make a new spritesheet for Joltik as if they even need a 32 x 32 pixel area per frame. I did end up making new sprites for them while I was at it. I tried to base it off of the cat's behaviors so I have less animation fields to edit (I was tired). The cat loafs a lot. Trying to convey that in a tiny spider posed quite the challenge.

After everything was done, I figured that the whole adoption portion of the mod could easilly be taken apart to be its own mod as a demo of sorts for the expansion. So I went and made a content pack to post.

Bringing up your starter pet's friendship level takes quite some time, so it would be awkward if I let the event play with no preconditions. Because of that, I ended up including Joltik as an NPC and locking their adoption behind their heart level.

We actually only had two lines per day of the week (not including season) for daily dialogue. That shot up to six lines per day of the week for a full 0-2-4-6-8-10 in spring because I was determined to publish a mod. (I've been modding for nearly a year nonstop and I don't have anything playable... humiliating...)

Anyways! I hope you're all having fun with 1.6! It certainly brought new challenges and opportunities to the modding scene!

▷ Station Steward Thylak

[bluelocksource]

Karasu Tabito’s trivia (source: twt & Egoist Bible 1 & 2).

"You'll receive a delicious attack, you average guys."

☆ Character's colour: Dark blue.

☆ Weapons:

Keep (keep the ball from opponent), feint technique, and handwork (using hand or arm to block the opponent / to keep the distance from the opponent / to secure the play area). (EB1) Analytical skills and handwork. (EB2)

☆ Nicknames: ‘Assassin’ and ‘Analyst’.

☆ Birthday: 15th August. (Obon festival)

☆ Current age: 18 (3rd year of high school)

☆ Zodiac: Leo.

☆ Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture.

☆ Family: Grandmother. Mother. Father. Older sister. Himself.

☆ Current height: 183 cm.

☆ Dominant foot: Right foot.

☆ Blood type: A.

☆ Starts playing football: At age 4.

☆ Team before joining BLUE LOCK: Bambi Osaka Youth (same team as Hiori) .

☆ Motto: "Never lose your intelligence and your curiosity!"

☆ Favorite food/drink: Kelp tea (kombucha). “It calms me.”

☆ Disliked food: Salmon roe. “The texture and fishy smell are unusual. It’s like eating a monster cells.”

☆ Favorite animal: Hawks. “I heard it has good sense in hunting." “Those sharp eyes and claws are marvelous.”

☆ Favorite season: Autumn. "I like the feeling of solitude."

☆ Favorite football player: Ruud van Nistelrooy.

☆ Favorite song: “FLY” by GRAPEVINE.

☆ Favorite manga: GANTZ “The Osaka version. It’s just too awesome.”

☆ Favorite movie: “It’s a foreign movie, ‘Westworld’.”

☆ Favorite TV show: Documental (a comedy documentary program)

☆ Ideal type: Smart and strong woman.

☆ Hobby: Observing, analyzing, and assessing people.

☆ Fixation: Voice/way of speaking. "I feel unusually aroused whenever I sense intelligence from the way a person speaks."

☆ Mushroom shoots vs Bamboo shoots: “Bamboo shoots. It’s pretty common but honestly, bamboo shoots.”

☆ What goes best with rice : Kimchi. “It’s good no matter how many times you eat it.”

☆ What makes him happy: To be left alone. “I want to live as I please, die as I please.”

☆ What makes him upset: Surprise presents. “It’s impossible to be happy in a forced atmosphere. I kind of feel bad.”

☆ What he thinks his strength is: Rational, calm, and determined.

☆ What he thinks his weakness is: He can't be kind to ordinary people. “I need to fix that.”

☆ Favorite/Best subject: Modern literature, Chemistry, and World History.

☆ Dislike/weak subject: Swimming. “I’m scared of water.”

☆ What made him cry recently: “Not gonna tell ya, idiot.”

☆ Usual sleeping time: 6.5 hours.

☆ Place he washes first when taking a bath: Hair. “My hair's too stiff from all the hair wax.”

☆ Number of chocolates received from previous Valentine: 6. “They’re definitely messing with me. I keep receiving bonbon whiskey.” (bonbon whiskey: chocolate confectionary that contains whiskey.)

☆ At what age he experiences first love: At age 8. “Marisa was the cutest girl in class. And then there’s ordinary me...”

☆ The first time he got confessed to: “Marisa confessed to me on elementary school graduation day ceremony. But since I’ll be playing soccer at a faraway middle school, I turned her down. Something like that. Nothing out of ordinary."

☆ What will he do if received 100 million yen: Invest in index funds.

☆ At what age he stops receiving presents from Santa: "Around 10 years old. I stopped because I want to be considerate of my parents."

☆ What was his last wish from Santa: PS4 & Winning Eleven.

☆ What will he do during his last day on Earth: “To be with someone important to me. If such a day comes, it’s being ordinary good enough for me.”

☆ Favorite historical figure: "Zhuge Liang. The strongest strategist in history. I really like him."

☆ If he hadn't encountered soccer, what will he be doing: "I’d want to be a management consultant. I want to help ordinary people become extraordinary."

☆ If he could only take one thing to a deserted island, what would it be:  "I wouldn’t need anything. Surviving there would be great. The greatest ability of humans is "adaptation" to their environment."

☆ If he had a time machine, would he go to the past or the future: The past. "I want to know the truths of the struggles and glories of those who came before me and use that as my nourishment."

Last updated: 1/11/2024

* The crossed words are the changes made from twitter’s answer to the answer from Egoist Bible.

note: i want to apologize in advance for any mistake made in the translation!

[ac-liveblogs]

Archon Quest - Paralogism

Natlan was really straightforward, so it's been awhile since Genshin tried to be clever with its plot twists. It's interesting to be back to form...

Anyway, uh, this sucked.

As nice as it was to be back in Mondstadt, I spent most of this quest bouncing from one kind of disbelief to another. I guess the overall impressions are this;

On a macro level, it's really odd to 'resolve' the Durin storyline this way. Durin was a limited event lore/backstory character from years 1 and 2, who we have never come into contact or communicated with. We've only ever had to deal with his proxies, which seem to be acting somewhat independently of him (being dead and all).

The structure of this quest is 90% "everything is going according to plan" (the trial, Albedo 'creating' the new Durin) and 10% Albedo asking the witches for the rest of the materials he needs to do his plan. As such, because everything was so meticulously planned by the knights, it never feels like there was ever any real threat in Mondstadt. (Aside from them letting things get this far in the first place.)

Additionally, Durin has never had the chance to seem really dangerous. That's what happens when you only give the guy generic enemy resources to work with - which they didn't have to do! They chose to make the boss this time the chess pieces for the Hexenzirkel's trial... and then taking Durin's "core" from his heart is so easy that Albedo can rip out out of him while also holding a conversation with us.

Three events and one Archon Quest's worth of buildup, and Durin didn't even warrant a boss battle. That's how much of a threat he was. Here, fight some chess pieces instead so some witches can give you some stuff instead of... idk, going to fight the immortal beast in Mare Jivari, upcoming area, and getting that shit yourself?

Genshin always feels lazy (oh look, Traveller found a hidden compartment in the first piece of furniture they examined!), but this felt REALLY lazy.

Because a lot of the legwork was handled off-screen, everything just kinda... happens, by the end. "And then Albedo just kinda ripped his heart out. And then Albedo just kinda made life. And then Gold just kinda ate the Ruler of Life offscreen" Like, okay, glad this was all such a simple process? The only real issue was getting the materials to do it, and that came down to asking the Hexenzirkel?

The issue with making everything go according to plan is that it does kind of drain the tension out of a conflict. It's exciting when things go wrong, or you have to figure out a solution on the spot.

In terms of the micro elements of the plot... look, I might have missed something, but I have no idea why Albedo had to go to trial at all. I understand that Hertha as a proxy to Durin wanted to get rid of Albedo and this was how she was doing it, but the Knights of Favonius knew she was the imposter Day One and let her stay active for 6 months. If the issue was that she had to feel threatened to reveal the other imposters/brainwashed citizens, I don't see why they couldn't have attacked her way sooner than this. Like on Day Two.

Especially since the concern was "hey, people keep going to Dragonspine and getting eaten/replaced or brainwashed!" Like, we're going to... not address that for 6 months? Is that right?

I know this is bc HYV wanted to have a big "actually, we planned everything ;)" plot twist, but by making the Knights too in the know they accidentally made the whole thing pointless. If they hadn't known who the doppelganger was, I can see the trial being necessary to lure her out by making her overplay her hand; as is, I have no clue why they waited so long.

(Or why Albedo didn't go talk to the Hexenzirkel to fix the Durin problem sooner, if it really was just a case of needing the materials. Cut the issue off at the source? Whatever.)

Very often, I find that in trying to be clever, HYV often loses the plot and overlooks some big holes in their 'mysteries'. This drove me up the wall in the Fontaine trials.

Also, I hate that I always end up saying this - but this really felt like the easiest possible way to handle the "Albedo might destroy/be responsible for the destruction of Mondstadt" drama.

Everyone being in on the loop that "Durin" was trying to attack Mondstadt because of Albedo just meant they could skirt around any drama that might result from "oh shit, Mondstadt is under attack because of me" on Albedo's part and focus on the Durin element instead. They didn't even make use of the doppelgangers to stir up any real shit in the playable cast, and pushed it all on Hertha instead... which just boiled down to the real Hertha walking in and going "hey, that's not me".

I remember thinking around the time Hertha showed off her scars "hey, what if this had been a fake Kaeya instead, and the gotcha was 'what's beneath my eyepatch'?" (Reinforced by Diluc already noticing something was up with Kaeya's behaviour).

This game hates real interpersonal conflict that goes any further than being snippy, so I'm not surprised, but it does feel like they sidestepped any real drama that could've resulted from this.

Again.

Eula did not come across as having been in the loop the whole time. There's an issue with "and this was all a set-up ;)" plots... you do have to be careful what behaviours you give certain characters, because they won't believably have come across as being in the know if you make them TOO confused. Diluc aside, I just got the sense that HYV just kinda went "yeah Eula knew!" without altering any of her behaviours to have that make sense.

Since Diluc had no idea any of this was suspicious until apparently day 1 of the trials (because of Kaeya's acting), I'm still not sure why he saw a guy bury a dead body on his land and didn't go... I don't know, confront him about it? There are a lot of characters I would understand waiting and going to report it to the knights, but Diluc is not one of them. I know Diluc is on good terms with the Knights now, but he's a proactive guy that takes justice into his own hands. Seems kinda weird.

As expected, Dahlia didn't do much here. I was also disappointed by Varka's non-contribution to the drama. The Hexenzirkel are eternally frustrating characters. I don't understand being excited for them at all. Also, something about the ethics of creating sentient chess pieces with relationships for the purpose of the Traveler and Albedo killing them.

Also, Genshin's game design is... why would you design a boss that is supposed to be balanced around Cryo/Hydro characters, and then use that as a fight that LUMINE AND ALBEDO (GEO) are meant to be handling by themselves?! Especially since it results in Albedo being removed from the party in a quest that was very consistent in having you use the Mondstadt characters to fight??? Feels weird.

Also, the King moved more than one space at a time. illegal.

I do think the way the crisis in Mondstadt was handled was mechanically better than Natlan, but they have got to get better overworld enemies. Or increase their HP pool or something, I don't know.

as expected, this mostly felt like a way to segue into hexenzirkel lore. albedo coming to realise what gold's plans for him were were kinda... 'and i figured that all out off-screen :)', but that's very typical of this game.