#tagging this as body horror because some of his paintings made me feel a bit queasy?
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Note
Hei! I love your lockscreens, and I was wondering if you can do some wallpapers with Roberto Ferri's paintings
please like/reblog if you save!
more paintings lockscreens here!
#roberto ferri#lockscreens#wallpapers#painting lockscreen#painting wallpaper#aesthetic lockscreen#aesthetic wallpaper#requested#tagging this as body horror because some of his paintings made me feel a bit queasy?#tw body horror#cw body horror#body horror
106 notes
¡
View notes
Text
confession
pairing: jay halstead x reader
summary: you find yourself in some trouble while clearing a location with your partner jay.
word count: 2.8k
tags: @specialagentsoftie @fighterkimburgess @everythingaddictxx
note: different kind of pd fic then i'm used to but hope y'all like it! âş
"we're eight minutes out. don't go in yet." voight said into the mic but you and jay had already entered a second too late.
jay's been your partner for almost a year now. the one he had before you was a blonde named hailey that took a position from the fbi.
when you first met him it was about a month after the previous detective left and you could tell he was obviously still in denial. you gave him space and only input your opinion about cases you worked on with intelligence.
it took about three weeks until he actually said anything besides the occasional comment. and he knew deep down that you weren't trying to replace her. but since you were together a lot during the weekâjay couldn't help but make his own conclusion about you.
he started to open up more when he looked past the stubbornness after concluding that you were a decent person. for a moment there, you could have sworn he was having an out of body experience with how nice he started treating you.
jay started to invite you out to drinks on a periodic basis. he wanted to explore the possibilities of having you as his permanent partner. one night after a couple of drinks, jay was in a good mood and showed you a picture of his old partner.
the two of them were standing in front of their new work truck with bright smiles on their faces. he talked about her a lot after that night as a way of meeting you half-way. and by the end of that monthâit was as if you physically knew her and who she was as a person.
the both of you hit it off pretty well and became friends. even as far as, having drinks every tuesday and thursday after work at molly'sâthe firefighter owned bar.
jay mumbled a curse at the order voight gave but it was already too late. "get behind me." he spoke in a hushed whisper. not wanting to argue in that particular moment you did as told.
detective halstead had his gun raised and in a firm grip around his fingers before stepping further into the house. you followed his position and warily stepped more into the creaky house.
luckily the both of you had vests already on and around your chests. the material easily gave you a visual view of his arm muscles around the freckles splayed across his biceps.
right away you spotted the cans of spray paint sitting on the concrete living room floors. crude words were traced along the four walls and you couldn't help but scrunch your nose at the horrid smell.
it only had you raising your pistol higher.
while you glanced around to survey the room closely, you couldn't help but notice the gang symbols that you were familiar with. due to the cpd database you knew at least three different affiliations drawn over the wood boarded windows.
the overused drug house looked like something out of a horror movie.
"clear." he grunted between paced cautious breaths and you continued to walk behind his careful steps around the garbage to venture into the main hallway of the house.
jay stopped at the entryway and you turned back around to double check the area once again while he scanned the front view where you and he needed to go.
both sides of the hallway were clear but he made sure his gun was raised and followed every inch of the hallway space that he inspected.
you felt a tap on your waist and turned back around to see jay was still facing forward. he probably hadn't noticed the spot he touched of your body but it still sent shivers down your spine with the intimacy of it.
but you pushed away the anxiousness to check and see what was bothering jay. the only thought you should be having right now is how to get out of the dangerous position.
the hallway was full of open and vulnerable space. a clear point of range that could be taken advantage of to take either you or jay out at any time.
jay was concerned for you. he couldn't help the anxious feeling that he had in the pit of his stomach. the unknowingness ahead in the crack house irked him greatly that he couldnât predict what was about to happen.
the walls of the hallway smelled highly metallic and if that hadn't given it away, the walls were filled with fresh blood splatter. you gulped at the sight of the bright red handprints going down the length of the hall and glanced at jay from the corner of your eye with an eyebrow raised.
he sighed and nodded his head while pointing his gun to the left to signal the continuance of moving on. you bit the bottom of your lip and tipped your head to let him know you were ready to go.
turning your body in a three hundred sixty angle, you watched his back and felt the hairs on the back of your neck lift up in a static gesture. you could also feel goosebumps all over your arms and you just wanted to hurry up and get out of there.
it was truly the most awful scene you've ever been to. with everything you hadâyou kept yourself together and calm. your lips were in a straight line the whole time.
you should have known with the uneasy feeling that things were going wrong within a split second. and you were right because after jay turned just slightly he felt a gun being pressed against his forehead.
âput your guns down or else iâm going to blow his head off.â an angered voice said into the echoey hall.
not believing what was happening, you turned your body to survey the area and another man came into your view and held his gun higher. ââtsk tskâ miss. hand me that gun or else weâre going to have problems.â jay sighed from behind you and you rolled your eyes.
âiâm not putting down shit until you tell me your demands.â you said maybe a little too cockily but it was protocol.
voight had told the team plenty of times to stall and not give up your gun at first. in hopes that the otherâs would show up and it would become a better outcome if you just continued talking to the person who was a threat.
a third one appeared and now you were officially outnumbered but you were still hoping they were dumber than they looked. the one that was pressing a firearm to your partnerâs temple spit out, âlisten lady. you either put your weapon down or else his brain matter will be just another body that was paved across the walls of this house.â
you tried to calculate in your head quickly if you should take the risk of surrendering. voight said they were eight minutes out. and if youâve been in the house for almost four minutes now.
that was half the time left until they were going to show but then those few precious minutes would be enough time for literally anything.
sometimes you hated being a part of the police force. how could you ever know the correct answer and outcome within a split second of your life? could anybody be capable of that? whatever choice you decided to take would be the outcome.
you knew you wouldnât be able to live without jay as your partner and in your life. and his blood would be on your hands if you didnât surrender now. a shaky breath fell past your lips when you clicked the safety back on and handed it to one of them.
of course they used your gun against you and headbutted you with it. little black spots were in your vision before it completely knocked you out. you just hoped the intelligence team would be able to find you and jay.
it would be your fault and youâd feel guilty until your last breath if they didnât.
you werenât sure how much time had passed but a hard slap against your cheek woke you up. a blood trail still continued to trickle down your forehead and you winced at the feeling of an awful beating in your eardrums. âwake up sleeping bitch.â
you tried to speak but instead you coughed at the buildup in your throat. not being able to help yourself, in a snarky tone you replied. âi thought it was sleeping beauty?â that earned you another slap that ensured fingerprints across your cheek but you werenât feeling any regret about it.
ânow shut up and answer my next question.â he inputted before you could interrupt again. you looked at him with a devious grin and he rolled his eyes in annoyance. âwhat were you looking for in that house?â
when you leaned forward, you realized the reason why you couldnât move was because your arms were tied behind your back. but nonetheless you leaned forward encroaching in his space enough to feel his breath span out against your red cheek.
âas if iâd tell you.â your defiance had him pushing your head back forcefully so you hit the concrete behind you, feeling as if a baseball bat hit your skull.
he smirked at your uncomfort. âperhaps a little visit with your boyfriend will help you come to understand that i donât mess around. if you donât give me an answerâmy boys wonât hesitate to put a bullet straight through his head.â your only reply was a silent one.
spitting blood onto his shoes and he cursed before grinning again. âyeah thatâs what i thought.â turning his head towards the door, he yelled. âbring the pretty boy in!â
your shoulders immediately dropped when they entered the room. the other two men from earlier were dragging jay into the room and disposed of his body roughly on the ground in front of you. if it werenât for his chest rising up and down faintly then you would have thought he was dead.
both of his eyes were already swollen and you knew he would have two black eyes for weeks, dried blood dripped down his face and you didnât even want to look at the rest of his body. despite the fact he was wearing clothes, you knew he had many internal problems that would need only the care a hospital could provide.
âj-jay?â you stuttered at the sight of him.
he kept blacking out and struggled to stay awake. jay had been counting his breaths to make sure he had enough air circulating through his body. cracked ribs were no joke and he could only groan to let his favorite person know that he was still holding on.
âyou think beating people is the only answer? violence?â you glanced around the room and glared at the three with a venomous look. they shared similar smiles hearing how hoarse your voice was.
âi hope my team finds you all and you rot!â the two that brought jay in walked away and the one that talked to you a few moments ago stood and looked down at you. saying one more thing before walking out the door and shutting it. âand i hope next time i come in hereâyouâll feel more generous and tell me what you were up to. if you donât then our pretty boy here will die as promised.â
as soon as he left the room, you started rubbing your arms up and down the wall in hopes that the binds around your wrists would break off. ây/n.â jay mumbled. you didnât even notice he had turned his face and you shushed him. âdonât open your eyes jay. itâll be okay, i promise.â
he tried again. ây-y/n. i need to t-tell you something.â jayâs lip was busted and bruised. he hissed at the pain. âyou donât need to tell me anything. weâre getting out of here, detective halstead.â you stated with confidence and continued to run your hands up and down despite the sting of your wrists.
jay had a feeling earlier this morning that something bad would happen. his gut had told him something and he wished he hadnât ignored it. but he canât always follow everything, especially when they didnât even have their case yet. but of course after finding out the hard way, this case was bad.
he knew it and it still put you in harm's way but jay had to tell you how he felt just in case it did go the way he was hoping it wouldnât. âi donât care if i need to keep my strength right now. listen to me please.â he pleaded and you finally stopped, turning to glance at his face.
jay was squinting and the visual of his state had your stomach churning.
ây/n i havenât been completely honest with you and i need to tell you this. iâve wanted to for a while now, but i just couldnât find the right moment to.â it was getting to the point where you were desperately trying to keep together. and now that he wanted to confess a deep secret that heâs held close to his chest, the whole thing just had you hysterical.
jay frowned when you started laughing. he tried to scoot closer but the pain he felt was significant. it was just one of those situations where it wasnât an appropriate response but you couldnât help yourself either.
he noticed the tears falling down your cheeks while watching you quiet down. a reaction like this didnât surprise your partner so he didnât blame your outburst in the least. âiâm s-sorry. iâm sorry.â you muttered and tilted your head to both sides.
you looked back over to jay after successfully wiping more than half of the tears on your sleeve. and for a moment he just gazed into your eyes with his blue ones. a look that you couldnât decipher nor describe appeared across his face but he seemed to snap out of whatever he was thinking.
jay cleared his throat and continued with what he was about to say earlier. âitâs okay y/n. but i need you to know that i donât blame you in the slightest for what went down in that house. i would have done the same exact thing because i love you.â
it was like time stopped and you couldnât speak even if you wanted to. after all of that time you spent with jay. him wanting nothing to do with you, then becoming your acquaintance, somewhat of a real friend and he loved you?
âyou really love me?â you questioned. not being able to believe what was coming out of his mouth. you wondered if the three men drugged him and he was high or delusional. a grunt came out his mouth at the current aching pain he felt all over his body.
âyes y/n, i love you so much. if i could, iâd be over there right now and giving you a hug. then iâd lean down and give you a kiss that iâve been wanting to give you for months now.â
that honesty from him had you laughing, âmonths? me too. iâve wanted to kiss you for almost the whole year that iâve known you.â you replied with the same amount of honesty he had given you.
âyeah, y/n. itâs probably going to be a year soon but i meant what i said. i really do love you and iâm sorry weâre in the situation that weâre in now. i wish i could protect you from this.â before you could reply the two of you heard gunshots outside of the room. âshit! i hope thatâs them.â you mumbled and jay nodded as best as he could.
the door banged open and hit the wall. you almost peed your pants with how happy you were to see kevin and adam surveying the room. âclear!â kevin announced and then walked over to you and jay. adam spoke into the radio, â5021 ida. we have officers down and need two ambos rolled to our location.â
after kevin ripped the binds from your wrists, you crawled over to jay even though your arms were killing you. another tear fell down your cheek when you got up and close to him. he looked awful but now that the two of you were safe, he could begin to heal soon enough. âjay.â he made a âhmmâ sound due to the exhaustion he was feeling.
âi love you too.â you finally said and he smiled. you leaned down to brush your lips against his carefully. âafter all of this is done. iâm going to give you a proper one.â
you winked and he grinned and responded while the medics rolled in. âwe have plenty of time in the world now.â
#jay halstead#jay halstead x reader#jay halstead imagines#jay#halstead#jesse lee soffer#halstead x reader#jay x reader#chicago pd#pd#cop#angst#jay halstead one shot#chicago pd x reader#jay halstead chicago pd#one chicago#halstead one shot#halstead imagine#imagine#jay imagine#jay halstead imagine
532 notes
¡
View notes
Text
strawberry flavored
pairing: ryĹmen sukuna x reader
genre: fluff, a lil suggestive?? kinda
tags: sukuna and strawberry food !! also sukuna has his own body here, set in modern times
word count: 1.3k
a/n: two of my favorite things combined đ this is mostly thanks to @sakeomi who asked me to feed her soft sukuna content and @hanniemilk who joined me on my sukuna brainrot!
warm curtains of golden light cascaded between the shades of old trees, their leaves swaying along to the melody provided by the cool breeze. the sun is high up in the sky beating down on the village and its people.Â
it's a perfect weather to be having a little adventure by yourself. picking up the small basket filled with items for a picnic, you grabbed a big blanket and decided to head out of the house. you smiled and breathed in the air â the sunlight making you look as if you're glowing.Â
you trudged along the path, swaying the basket lightly as you hummed to yourself, paying no mind to people who gave you judging looks or onlookers who are wondering what got you in such a good mood.Â
the path you took lead straight to the woods and up the mountain. it's a long walk but it was worth it.Â
the infamous shrine the villagers told horror stories about around a flame to their children and family stood before you. some of its pillars are broken, paint somewhat fading as if it too was being abandoned by time itself. the building itself was dim and gloomy â the sunlight never reaches this part of the mountain, always dark and away from all things light.Â
the unknown always intrigues you, it's kind of weird how this looming infrastructure straight out of a scary movie seems comforting to you and provided peace when you wanted to get away. you love it here, it's just you and nature.Â
âyou again,â the voice that spoke from behind you made you jolt in surprise, halting your movements as you prepared your things.Â
turning around, you saw the pink-haired man (at least, you believe he is) wearing a white kimono, his hands hidden inside the sleeves. he raised his eyebrow at you in question, clearly not surprised that you're here.Â
âsukuna!â you beamed at him, waving him over from where you're sitting on your picnic blanket. he eyed you for a moment or two before giving up and walking over.Â
âwhat is this?â he nodded to the assortment of food, or more like red and pink foods laid out in front of you. he can't lie that most of them smelled sweet, he wonders what you're up to today setting up in his shrine like this.
âoh, i thought we could have a picnic together!â you gestured to the food, oblivious to his confusion and slight irritation. you pat the spot next to you, âcome sit.â
although reluctant at first, sukuna went and sat next to you. a little too close, to be exact. he can feel how warm your body is and how much he had craved feeling someone next to him. not that he'd told you that.Â
you reached for a jar filled with red jam, opening it and lathering it evenly onto a bread you brought with you, topping it with another bread before handing it to him.
sukuna stared at you then back at the sandwich. at first, you would've thought that he's mad at you for giving him food that he doesn't like (not like he needed to eat anyways) but in reality, he's just thinking what the hell do you want him to do with a sandwich.
âgo on, try it!â you urged him, pushing the sandwich a bit closer to his mouth.Â
slowly, he took the food from you and took a bite. he was chewing with a frown on his face as he couldn't see what the fuss is all about until the taste hits his tongue and exploded inside his mouth. he's left there staring at nothingness. he has reached oblivion and he's not coming back.Â
glancing at his dumbstruck face, you giggled to yourself because that's exactly what your reaction was the first time you tasted strawberry. you watched as sukuna wolfed down the whole sandwich in amusement as you ate yours.
âgood, isn't it?â you asked, already knowing the answer.
âi've had better.â he grunted, looking away as if bored by the whole ordeal and he did not just inhale the sandwich you made. but, you'll play along with his little game.
âthen, perhaps, this will satisfy you?â you offered a donut with strawberry icing and sprinkles on top, wiggling it in front of him with a wide smile.
he hummed thoughtfully, âwhat is this circular food called?âÂ
âit's a donut,â you spoke through your mouthful of your own, munching it with delight. sukuna can't help but smirk at how much of a messy eater you are. mouth and cheeks covered with crumbs, your hand decorated with strawberry jam and the pink frosting.Â
you're too entertaining and endearing to look at. he doesn't really get bored of your presence and you always have something new to show him every time you visit him.Â
he felt his once cold and dead heart skip a beat when you reached over to him with your hand, a furrow on your eyebrows as you wiped away a stray sprinkle on the corner of his lip before popping it inside your mouth. he suddenly felt hot and sweaty even though the sun isn't glaring down on the two of you.Â
the feeling of your thumb left his skin tingling from the spot you touched. he knew it was a simple act, yet his heart raced inside his chest like it's about to bust out of his body. he can't help but look over at where you're sitting, happily eating your food as you spoke from time to time about whatever you can think of.Â
you truly are a sight to behold.Â
âtry this one next, it's my favorite.â he snapped out of his thoughts when he felt something touching his lip only to realize it was a plastic straw from a small box you held in your hand.Â
leaning down, he closed his lips around it and took a long sip. you made a mistake of watching him as he gazed up at you through his lashes, pools of crimson staring through your soul and making you feel like you've been lit on fire. he pulled away with a smirk, his lips a glistening a little from the drink.Â
with your face feeling hot, you looked away from him and started to clean up a bit since it was the last food you brought. you swiftly gave him a tissue too to clean himself up, gaze not tearing away from you.
cute, he thought.Â
when you're done, you breathe in the air and closed your eyes. it really is peaceful up here. no one to bother the two of you, practically hidden from the hustle and bustle of the world. it's like being someplace that is forbidden yet magical.Â
part of the reason why you love coming up there is because of sukuna. when he wasn't being his bratty, grumpy self, he can be serene and a lovely company to have.
before he could react, sukuna felt you cling to his arm and your head slotted itself on his strong shoulder. he felt tense at the moment, not knowing what to do. he could smell your shampoo and your perfume, and just you. he didn't know if the harsh beating he was feeling was from you or him. maybe it's both your hearts beating together.Â
âi like hanging out with you, sukuna.â you admitted out of the blue, eyes closed as you relaxed against him.Â
his arm lifted up to wrap around your shoulder, bringing you closer to him.
âwhyââ before he respond, you cut him off.
âeven though you're a grandpa at times.â you chuckled. he was about to push you off because of your statement but you held tight on his kimono.Â
âi guess you're tolerable,â he mumbled, leaning down to give you a kiss on your forehead, âbrat.â
general taglist: @chibishae34 @behan @zukuroo @nakizumie @kirakirasaku @duhsies @marksflvr join my taglist!
Š lovelytarou 2021
#i just want soft sukuna đ¤§đ#đŤ. ryomen sukuna#ryĹmen sukuna#ryĹmen sukuna x reader#ryomen sukuna x reader#ryoumen sukuna#sukuna x reader#sukuna fluff#sukuna x you#sukuna x y/n#jjk sukuna#jjk sukuna x reader#jujutsu kaisen fanfiction#jujutsu kaisen#jujutsu kaisen imagines#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jjk fluff
484 notes
¡
View notes
Note
Fav Peeta moment or quote in each books?
(Please tag other blog who want answer too)
Thank you đ
@curiouspeetamellark
-
Hunger Games :
[1]
âWhat was that you were saying just before the food arrived? Something about me...no competition...best thing that ever happened to you..."
"I don't remember that last part," I say, hoping it's too dim in here for the cameras to pick up my blush.
"Oh, that's right. That what I was thinking," he says.
[2]
âSo, since we were five, you never even noticed any other girls?â I ask him.
âNo, I noticed just about every girl, but none of them made a lasting impression but you,â he says.
âIâm sure that would thrill your parents, you liking a girl from the Seam,â I say.
âHardly. But I couldnât care less.â
-
Catching Fire :
[1]
âThey're playing with you because you're so ... you know.â
âNo, I don't know,â I say. And I really have no idea what he's talking about.
âIt's like when you wouldn't look at me naked in the arena even though I was half dead. You're so ... pure,â he says finally.
âI am not!â I say. âI've been practically ripping your clothes off every time there's been a camera for the last year!â
âYeah, but ... I mean, for the Capitol, you're pure,â he says, clearly trying to mollify me. âFor me, you're perfect. They're just teasing you.â
[2]
âWith my paint box at home, I can make every color imaginable. Pink. As pale as a baby's skin. Or as deep as rhubarb. Green like spring grass. Blue that shimmers like ice on water.â
The morphling stares into Peeta's eyes, hanging on to his words.
âOne time, I spent three days mixing paint until I found the right shade for sunlight on white fur. You see, I kept thinking it was yellow, but it was much more than that. Layers of all sorts of color. One by one,â says Peeta.
The morphling's breathing is slowing into shallow catch-breaths. Her free hand dabbles in the blood on her chest, making the tiny swirling motions she so loved to paint with.
âI haven't figured out a rainbow yet. They come so quickly and leave so soon. I never have enough time to capture them. Just a bit of blue here or purple there. And then they fade away again. Back into the air,â says Peeta.
The morphling seems mesmerized by Peeta's words. Entranced. She lifts up a trembling hand and paints what I think might be a flower on Peeta's cheek.
âThank you,â he whispers. âThat looks beautiful.â
-
Mockingjay :
[1]
"That last night...to tell you about that last night...well, first of all, you have to imagine how it felt in the arena. It was like being an insect trapped under a bowl filled with steaming air. And all around you, jungle...green and alive and ticking. That giant clock ticking away your life. Every hour promising some new horror. You have to imagine that in the past two days, sixteen people have died--some of them defending you. At the rate things are going, the last eight will be dead by morning. Save one. The victor. And your plan is that it won't be you."
My body breaks out in a sweat at the memory. My hand slides down the screen and hangs limply at my side. Peeta doesn't need a brush to paint images from the Games. He works just as well in words.
"Once you're in the arena, the rest of the world becomes very distant," he continues. "All the people and things you loved or cared about almost cease to exist. The pink sky and the monsters in the jungle and the tributes who want your blood become your final reality, the only one that ever mattered. As bad as it makes you feel, you're going to have to do some killing, because in the arena, you only get one wish. And it's very costly."
"It costs your life," says Caesar.
"Oh, no. It costs a lot more than your life. To murder innocent people?" says Peeta. "It costs everything you are."
[2]
âLet me go!" I snarl at him, trying to wrest my arm from his grasp.
"I can't," he says.
-
13 notes
¡
View notes
Text
She lives in daydreams with me
or alternatively, when jean and you visit Ikea
ââ
ââ
â
pairing: jean x fem! reader
wc: 1.5k+
tags: fluff, modern! au, female reader, language, mentions of food.
a/n: I was inspired by this post, also I just like Ikea, I think Jean would to tbh. am i living out my own daydreams with Jean by writing this? potentially. i love him lol. Feedback and any criticism encouraged lmao.
ââ
ââ
â
Your head tilted as you stared dead-on at the boy in front of you.
âJean, what is that?â
âWhat are you talking about baby, this is a-â He squinted, looking at the tag, of what you assumed to be a night light?
âAn-garna.â Jean looked back up at you, grinning widely.
You had come earlier to Ikea, needing to buy some storage baskets for your room, and yet here you were standing in a miniature model of a childâs room, staring at the six-foot three-man holding a childrenâs night light, that had...Was that panda face design on it?
âJean, my love, my dear, we donât have kids; why on Earth would I need a childrenâs night light?â The toothy grin quickly disappeared from his face, quickly replaced with a stern expression.
âJust because something is marketed towards children doesnât mean adults canât buy it, and anyways I was merely suggesting it, knowing how you canât sleep after watching horror movies.â Itâs more like when he canât sleep after watching, but his ego would never let him admit that.
You rolled your eyes at your boyfriend, âput it in the cart, Kirstein.â He flashed you a smile, coming over and placing a kiss on your cheek before mumbling a small thank you.
As much as you would act annoyed or unamused when it came to Jeanâs antics, it was more or less a front. You loved it when he would let his guard down in public with you. He wasnât always like this; the Jean you met years prior would be caught dead before expressing his affections in public. He would get easily flustered, blush to sport his face if anyone he knew saw him admiring and doting on his girlfriend. It wasnât something that deeply upset you; in a way, you were able to keep a tiny part of Jean to yourself, the goofy, tender side of him that he only let out when he was with you. However, watching him become more confident in himself and expressing his love for you outranked any desires that you had to keep Jean bottled up for your gratification.
He walked in front, long legs carrying him practically miles in front of you until he turned a corner and found himself situated in a living-room model. You followed shortly after and saw that he was making himself comfortable on a charcoal-grey couch.
âMm, come sit,â he patted gently on the cushion next to him, gesturing to you to join him on the sofa. You raised your eyebrows and let out a giggle, situating the cart near a side table before accompanying him.
âWhat do you wanna watch babe,â Jean tilted his head, signalling to the fake flat-screen in front of you. You thought about tormenting the boy; however, you opted to play along with him this time.
âOooh, I donât know, check if the new Greyâs episode is out.â He smiled at you, appreciating your willingness to get lost in this daydream with him. His smile quickly shifted into a mischievous grin as he poked your side.
âHeyyy, what the fuck was that for!â You recoiled, shrinking away from him, but before you could get far enough away from him, he pulled you back into his side. You tried squirming away from him, only for his grip on you to get stronger, and you were met with a chuckleâthe noise reverberating around the tiny living room.
âReally? Greys? On a night like this?â You shifted your body, turning your head to look at the âwindowâ covered with sheer beige curtains, overlaid with opaque maroon ones. Outside, or rather you should say the wall was painted white, so you began drumming up a scenario in your mind. That was tonight, a spring evening, stars visible in the night sky? Or a cold and snowy winterâs night? The purple tinge of the atmosphere apparent through the translucent curtains. Jean stared at you intently, wondering what you will come up with, his gaze shifting as the corners of your lips upturned; you had settled on an idea.
âOooh yeah, itâs practically pitch black outside; I can only see the streetlights in the distance. We should really do something about that pesky tree, though. Its branches keep tapping on the window; itâs frankly quite annoying.â A rosy tinge was present on his cheeks, hazel eyes twinkling at you.
You placed a hand on his chest, your focus entirely on the love-struck boy in front of you, âYou know what? We should totally watch a horror movie!â Just as you began to immerse yourself in the daydream, Jean shot up from the couch, leaving an indent where he was sitting behind.
âAlright, enough dilly-dallying, we should go home now.â He clapped his hands together, moving to grab the cart to leave the store display.
Dilly-dallying? Did he really just say dilly-dallying?
âWhatâs wrong, Jean-boy? This is our home! Oooh, donât tell me you donât wanna watch because youâre scared.â You fell back on the couch, beaming, elbows propping you up as you teased him.
âAm not. I just decided that Iâm in the mood for cinnamon rolls and fro-yo.â He placed his elbow on the handles of the cart, head resting in the palm of his hand. He gave you an unimpressed look.
âOh really? Whoâs that night-light for again? I seem to have forgotten.â This time it was his turn to roll his eyes at you. Without saying anything, he placed his hands back on the cartâs handle and began to leave the âliving room.â
You swung your legs over, a giggle leaving your mouth as you walked over to your boyfriend. You wrapped your arms around his middle, resting your cheek on him. âBabe, I was just joking; I didnât mean to upset you,â you mumbled into him.
He let out a sigh and stopped in the middle of the aisle. You watched as he brought one of his hands down to grasp one of yours that had taken hold of his waist. Jean turned to face you, head tilting as a slight smirk overtook his face. âThatâs what I was waiting to hear.â He placed a soft kiss on your forehead before turning around to continue rolling the cart forward to his destination.
His arm extended behind him, motioning to you to hold his hand. You obliged, your palm sliding in his, fingers curling around your knuckles as his. âWhatever,â you grumbled, choosing to turn your head to observe the variety of rugs that were hanging on display. He tugged at your hand, an amused expression painting his face.
âYou want those cinnamon buns or not, pretty girl?â The pet name almost made you choke. He knew what it would do to you. He would use it sparsely, only to coax a reaction out of you, but you werenât going to give him the satisfaction of letting him know the hold he had over you.
You whipped your head back to face him, confident to quip back at him, but it all melted when you saw the way he was looking at you; a lop-sided smirk, his tongue peeked out to wet his bottom lip before capturing it between his teeth. He raised his eyebrows, waiting for what you had to say.
âYeah, I do.â You managed to slip a few words out. He had won this one, using his charms to debilitate any assuredness you had. He brought your linked hands up to his lips, tenderly kissing the back of your hand, humming in delight.
âYou know, we should come here more often, live out our domestic daydreams together.â The smells of cinnamon buns were getting stronger as you walked on.
âSure, but you could also just move in with me.â
The tips of his ears went red, and you paused, realizing what you just said, the weight of what you just said. You had thought about asking him to move in with you, but you didnât mean for it to slip out in the middle of a random conversation; in Ikea nonetheless. âI- You donât have to. I was just joking. I donât know why I said that.â
Your voice dwindled to merely a whisper as you completed your sentence. Jean stopped the cart once more. âYes. Yes, Iâll move in with you.â His expression was earnest as he looked at you, eyes glittering with adoration as he waited for your response.
âWhoa, whoa, hold your horses cowboy. We can talk about this after you get me those cinnamon buns you promised.â you wiped any sense of embarrassment from your face as you tried to suppress your laughter, which was caused by the zealousness your boyfriend had just shown.
However, there was no doubt that your heart did grow in fondness for Jean, and you were relieved that he wasnât off-put by your haphazard confession. He was absolutely whipped for you, and you couldnât deny that you were head over heels in love with him either. You desired to continue to share your life with him, and moving in together would be the next step in your relationship.
âYes, Maâamâ His voice broke you out of your thoughts as he placed his hand to his forehead to salute you. You giggled at his actions.
âLead the way, Kirstein.â
a/n: lol, this was practically for my own self-indulgence. and i feel like this was a tad bit ooc idk. Anywayssss, I would like to mention that I'm working on a navigation page with taglists and such and thinking about requests. I wanna branch out write for more aot characters as well as jjk and hq. Again, I'm very new to this so it's gonna take some time. I would love to know ur thoughts on all of this lol.
As always, please leave a like/reblog (i love reading tags makes me happy heh) if you enjoyed this, I appreciate lots <33
#jean kirstein x reader#jean kirschtein x reader#jean kirschtien#jean kirstein#attack on titan#aot#aot x reader#aot fluff#jean x reader#jean kirschtein imagine#jean kirstein fanfiction#jean kirstein fluff#jean kirstein imagine#jean kirschtein x you#jean x y/n#snk#snk x reader#snk imagines#jean kirstein x you#jean kirschtein x y/n#jean kirstein x y/n#attack on titan x reader#jean kirstein one-shot#harry styles#she#ikea#anime x reader#my writing#snk fluff
351 notes
¡
View notes
Text
âLook at me.â
Hi there. Iâm new here, but also very much not, which is to say youâve probably seen me pop up a few dozen (hundred) times in your notifications with likes and comments and the occasional ask when Iâm feeling brave, sliding under the radar from the safety of my obscure fandom-turned-main account.
POINT IS, Iâm no stranger to the wonderful works of this community, and CERTAINLY no stranger to whump appreciation, even if I havenât always had a word for it. And because Iâve been so inspired by all the talented writers here, Iâve decided to finally cut loose and throw my own work into the ring, and the whole @whumpmasinjuly thing seemed like an opportune time to pop up.
Iâve aggressively lurked on so many of your pages in the last year so Iâm sure Iâm leaving someone out, but I did want to tag a few of the writers who have really motivated me to start this page just by reading their writing:
@ashintheairlikesnow @orchidscript @deluxewhump @whump-tr0pes @evermetnotforgotten @card-games-and-pain
And if youâve made it this far into the post, weâve arrived at the actual content. This snippet is from a project I started writing before I knew about the existence of the BBU, but Iâve slowly started molding it into something that fits more-or-less within the bounds of that collective universe. Some things may take slightly different turns to the rules established there, but itâs the same general concept.
Without further ado.
PROMPT: âLook at me.â
WARNINGS: General BBU-esque warnings, human trafficking, slavery, non-con (fade-to-black ish but the lead up is⌠Not Great). Let me know if I missed anything!
He knows something is off right away when Mr. Torley calls to him from the end of the long hallway on the other side of the house.Â
When the children are home, Jaime is confined to the main common areas: the living room that spills into the large open-concept kitchen, the guest bathroom, the laundry room (where he has already spent most of his time working), the boysâ toy room (where he has only gone to clean up after them), and of course, the small room he has been given to sleep in, which he is sure once served as some sort of storage area.Â
At the mouth of the living room is a corridor that leads to Mr. Torleyâs study, and across from that, his bedroom. So he is told. Jaime was given instructions never to go into that wing of the house unless explicitly invited. He has been in his new home assignment for three days now and has never once been asked to cross those bounds.Â
Until now.Â
Carefully, Jaime places the mug he had been diligently scrubbing in the basin of the sink and shuts off the tap. He looks around for the hand towel and, remembering he had thrown it in with the last load of laundry, dries his hands on his t-shirt instead.
Thereâs a shift in the air, something thick and weighty and terrible as he steps into the opening of the hallway, but he doesnât allow himself a moment to hesitate. He pads near-silently forward, toward the only open door, all the way at the end.Â
In the threshold between the hall and the master bedroom, Jaimeâs toes brush against where pristine hardwood meets soft carpet. It feels good against his bare feet after days of standing on an unforgiving surface without the allowance of shoes or socks, but not nearly good enough to settle the uneasiness building in the pit of his stomach. Mr. Torley sits on the edge of the bed, a long, deep-colored robe covering most of his body, save for the deep strip of exposed skin down his chest where a few patches of thick, dark hair peek through. Jaime forces his eyes up to his.
âYou called for me, Sir?â His voice low and steady, even as his eyes draw unwittingly to the lamp on the bedside table, which has been dimmed to an orange glow that makes the room feel small and suffocatingly warm.Â
âCome here,â his Keeper beckons, and Jaimeâs muscles operate by the hand of some unseen force, pushing him forward. He only makes it half a step in before Mr. Torley raises a hand, gesturing to where the light of the hallway spills in around his silhouette. âClose the door behind you.â
Jaimeâs limbs feel very heavy all of a sudden, but he moves anyway, a phantom sting buzzing beneath his skin at even the briefest thought of hesitation. Never make your Keeper wait. Never let your Keeper ask twice.Â
The hallway is plain and sterile, much like the rest of the Torley house, but Jaime stares longingly out at it as he pulls the door shut, wishing he were out there instead.
When the door clicks shut, he can feel a pair of eyes rake down his back like cold fingertips. It raises the hair on the back of his neck, his skin breaking out in an unpleasant chill, but he forces perfect neutrality into his expression before he turns around. He zeroes in on the sensation of soft carpet under his soles instead of the prickling dread under his skin as he makes his way toward the bed, coming to a stop a couple feet away.
Mr. Torley chuckles under his breath, a low, amused sound that Jaime is already getting used to hearing. He seems to reserve it for Jaime alone and it always serves to make him feel like there is some sort of private joke heâs not been let in on. Or, more accurately, that he is the joke, and he canât quite stifle the lingering sense of shame that comes with that.Â
âI said, come here.â Itâs a direct order, but paired with a hint of amusement and something darker swimming behind his eyes. He rubs a hand invitingly, pointedly, over the comforter next to him and Jaime swallows back a lump in his throat that feels a lot like bile.
He isnât stupid. Despite everything thatâs been told to him, heâs not. But in that moment he wishes maybe he was, and then ignorance could be bliss for just a few more seconds. He knows where this is headed, and he knows that itâs wrong. It is against the policies, against the rules, he knows it is, but he isnât surprised, either. It hadnât taken long at the training facility to discover that the system on paper looks a whole lot different than the system in practice.Â
ââWe uphold a zero-tolerance policy for the sexual exploitation and abuse of Domestic workers,ââ a cruel, mocking voice recites in his head, alongside the memory of a leather-gloved thumb sliding between his lips, his wide, tearful eyes glued to the tiny, black remote in his handlerâs fist.Â
The skin beneath his collar burns at the memory, and he raises his fingers absently to touch there, half expecting to feel the heavy weight of the electric clip attached. He doesnât, of course, and the only electricity he feels now is of a different nature, coming off his Keeper in waves as he waits, a bit more impatiently with every second, for Jaime to sit.Â
So he does.Â
Mr. Torley crowds his space immediately, and his instinctive response to pull away is smothered by a heavy arm draping over his shoulders and a droning voice inside his head. You must make yourself available at all times. You may not refuse any order or request that does not directly interfere with the wellbeing of another person. Jaime allows himself to wonder, for the briefest moment, if his wellbeing counts for anything. He knows it doesnât. They had just spent the past three months teaching him, in every way imaginable, that he was not, in fact, a person at all.
All the offhand remarks from the trainers, the lewd sneers, the heavy-lidded glances and roaming hands⌠they had all painted him a picture of what to expect. He had just tricked himself into thinking that maybe, hopefully, if there ever really was a god in this universe that loved him like he was sure he once believed, that he was wrong. In the three days since he had stepped foot into his newest post, Jaime had managed to convince himself that maybe, possibly, he had gotten one of the good ones.Â
Mr. Torley is all too happy to shatter the illusion as his finger and thumb find Jaimeâs earlobe, rubbing it between them and then ghosting down the side of his neck.Â
âTake off your shirt,â he whispers.
Jaimeâs blood runs cold.Â
You may not refuse any order or request. He canât conceal the trembling in his fingers as they curl around the hem of his standard-issue grey t-shirt. You may not refuse any order or request. The warm ambience of the room feels startlingly cold against his naked torso as he pulls the fabric over his head, letting it fall in a soft whisper onto the carpet. You may not refuse any order or request. His arm is back around his shoulders instantly, hot and cold assaulting his skin all at once and he feels so exposed and he doesnât want to be here he doesnât want to do this.Â
Mr. Torley places a heavy palm against his chest, running it slowly downward, and Jaime can picture what it looks like without even looking; calloused pads scraping over soft skin, all thick fingers and subtly unkempt nails, the beginnings of age spots and wrinkles and small dustings of black hair across the knuckles. He thinks his keeper must be able to feel the way his heart is pounding through his ribs, and he feels a surge of embarrassment that he was sure the training should have beaten out of him.
Itâs because you werenât trained for this, the panicked voice in the back of his head screams as the hand trails lower, grazing the thin patch of hair below his navel. This isnât supposed to happen. This is against policy. You werenât made for this. His skin feels static in every place Mr. Torleyâs fingers brush, and he wishes he could dissolve under them.
âYouâre shaking, baby.â Jaime winces at the unexpected term of endearment. So far, it has only been boy, curt and abrasive when thrown in his direction, usually followed by a direct order. âHave you never had a man touch you like this?â
His mind supplies a horror show of memories, flashes of images behind closed eyelids -Â leather-gloved hands and concrete rooms of the training facility - and he realizes he doesnât know how to answer that. He wants to cry. Canât cry. Isnât allowed to cry. Then there are fingers on his chin, on his jaw, softer than any of his touches have ever been; soft like the word baby on his lips, soft like the half-lidded eyes that he is forced to meet.Â
âI asked you a question.â
âI havenât. Sir.â His voice shakes, barely a whisper.Â
It is mostly true, probably in the way Mr. Torley really meant it, and unfortunately seems to be exactly the answer he was looking for. Dread splits Jaime in two. One part, the part of him thatâs hazy and pliant and good tells him he has done a good job, that he has pleased his Keeper, he has said the right thing. His keeperâs needs are his needs, if his Keeper is happy, he is happy.Â
The other part just keeps screaming. And screaming. And screaming.
He doesnât want this.
It doesnât matter what he wants, heâs not supposed to have wants.
But this isnât allowed.
His Keeper is happy.
Please, please stop touching me.
He canât say no, no is forbidden to him.
Please donât make me do this.
His keeper is smiling.
âYouâre very lucky,â Mr. Torley says, dragging the thumb that was holding his jaw over heâs lower lip. âThey could have given you to any one of your bidders, and trust me⌠there are some messed up people out there who invest in the services of Domestic Companions. But I can be good to you.â
Somehow, he doesnât feel very lucky at all.
âYes, sir,â he says, a bit breathless as fingers trace up and down his spine. His own fingers curl into the bedsheets on the opposite side of his thigh where Mr. Torley canât see the outward signals of his distress, though from the naked delight in his eyes as he watches him, he doesnât think he minds.Â
There are lips on his before he can even process what is happening, and he feels his whole body go rigid in his Keeperâs hold. Heâs never been kissed before and the cold wetness against his mouth is nothing like the movies make it out to be. Itâs hard to wrap his head around the overwhelming sensation, but the one thing he knows for sure, immediately, is that he hates it.Â
He hates his first kiss unlike anything heâs hated before. Terror and humiliation seize him in equal stride as he realizes he doesnât really know what to do. He is frozen, for a moment, his own pulse beating wildly in his ears as slimy lips move against his own. When Mr. Torley cups a hand around the back of his neck, pulling him closer to lean into the kiss, his mouth opens instinctively, submitting to the insistence of the movement, and this seems to be exactly what he was looking for. A low, throaty hum vibrates against his mouth and Jaime clamps his eyes shut tight. He feels like he might die. For a moment, he kind of wishes he would.
He doesnât register the pressure of the hand against his chest until his back is already pressed into the duvet. Mr. Torley sits up then, breaking the kiss, then stands. Jaime doesnât look at him - he canât bring himself to - but he can feel his eyes on him anyway. Thick fingers hook into the elastic of the thin, gray pants he had been given three days prior, and his breathing goes flat. Please donât please donât please donât, his brain lights up with panic, every nerve ending in his body on high alert. But he doesnât move, other than to close his trembling fingers around the material on either side of him, curling the soft fibers of the duvet into his fists. He wants to close his eyes, but he can feel them burning, then swimming with moisture, and he knows if he clamps his eyelids shut, the tears will spill over and he doesnât want to cry in front of Mr. Torley.
Instead, he stares up at the ceiling fan, focusing on the long, thin blades of wood instead of the feeling of cool air against his lower half as the material is pulled away from him. He hears the rustle of cloth as his pants join the discarded shirt on the carpet at his feet, and then another sound of the same, this time heavier, but he doesnât dare look away from the grey clump of dust dangling from one of the fan blades above him.
Worse than the chill of the exposure is the heat that follows in the form of skin on skin, an immovable weight settling over his body. His throat jerks in another attempt at a sob, a plea that canât let free. He swallows it down and tells himself that if he just keeps staring at that one spot of dust, he isnât really here, that his keeper is not on top of him, that this isnât about to happen to him.Â
But he is. It is. Thereâs no stopping it now. There never was.
âLook at me.âÂ
For the first time, he allows his eyes to slip shut in a quiet moment of defeat - just a singular moment of hesitation before he follows the command. He feels the moisture slipping out at the corners but he canât do anything to stop them even if his hands werenât being slowly pressed above his head and into the mattress. When he opens his eyes, he looks up into the cold expression hovering over him, fully eclipsing the spot of his previous focus. Itâs just him now. Itâs all him, every one of his senses besieged by the one person whose life he is supposed to center himself around now. In that context, perhaps this should feel exactly right.Â
Somehow, it doesnât. Not at all.
#whumpmasinjuly#whump#tw: noncon#bbu#kind of#like bbu adjacent?#further exploration to come if i can manage to keep posting#Do No Harm: Jaime & Sebastian#Jaime#Mr. Torley
155 notes
¡
View notes
Text
cinderella and the mystery of the red lipstick (sfw version) - d.sc
reader x roommate!winwin
genre: fluff, humor, (optional smut below)
warnings: a bunch of swearing, mean insults and a bit of gaslighting
word count: 2972
synopsis: this is another Cinderella fic, except for the fact that she left lipstick stains instead of glass slippers
tags:
@byutafy for the short notice beta reading. love you!
networks:
@nctcreations @kdiarynet @kpopscape @kwritersworld @culture-cafe @neowritingsnet @neoswitchnet @czennienet @nct-writers
prompt:
The song it was based on was Lips by NCT 127 (although it leaned towards the demo version more)
It was also a bit upbeat because the song Cinderella by CNBLUE (the Youth With You version) has been stuck on my head for ages now.
Enjoy reading!
Love, Ellie.
It was already two in the afternoon but Winwin still stayed lying in bed, clutching his blanket close to his body in an attempt to prevent the chill of the afternoon breeze from coming in contact with his bare skin.
The plan was to stay in bed until all remnants of the vodka and last night's shenanigans have washed away. Or until he dies from starvation. But his roommates have other things in mind.
"WINWIN HYUNG!"
He was jolted awake by the loud noise coming from his bedroom window. Half-awake, he peeked through the sheets to see what the commotion was about.
The first thing he saw was Lucas holding his now broken doorknob in one hand, happily waving it around like a lightstick. Hendery was happily mumbling some bullshit that he didn't care enough to comprehend. Xiaojun was holding a tube-like contraption that he assumed was confetti, Ten and Yangyang were on the side, dancing like the game show girls while holding up each side of a handmade banner stating "Congrats on getting laid!" badly written with a green crayon. Meanwhile, Kun at the end of the line, leaning back at the door frame with his arms crossed while watching all of the chaos unfold right before him.
"Fuck off..."
Winwin grunted and grabbed the pillow under his head, throwing it with full force so that it ended up hitting Xiaojun on his chest.
They seem to have taken the hint because they all scrambled outside, laughing their asses off as they try to get away and avoid getting their asses kicked by a martial artist.
Meanwhile, Winwin buried his face under the thick sheets, trying his best to block the light coming from outside from reaching his eyes, heightening his already throbbing headache. He was planning to stay in bed no matter how loud his stomach grumbled, but his resolve is weaker than he expected. Begrudgingly, he dragged his tired ass out of bed to take a cold shower, hoping that will shake his hangover out.
///
âHoly shit.â
This wasnât the usual statement that he says to himself whenever he would look at himself in the morning. However, as soon as he lifted his head in the mirror to wash his face, he might as well be an extra for a horror movie.
All over his upper body, especially the neck and chest area, was filled with red smudges. He also found tiny hints of it at the corners of his lips. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was lipstick.
Whoever he made out with (or had sex with) last night mustâve gone wild and tried to mark every part of him that she could place her lips on.
Winwin felt his heart sink. He couldnât, for the life of him, remember who he was last night. Just like his body, the memories of her red lips lingered on his mind. But thatâs about it.
It took him a long time to squint his eyes and try to recall the moments leading up to him getting on the bed with someone, but it only made his headache worse. Defeated, he chose to let everything go and proceeded to hop in the shower just like he initially intended.
He opened the shower, letting it get to his desired temperature before he stepped in and let the water flow from his hair to the rest of his body. He didnât move, instead of leaning one of his hands on the wall for support as he closed his eyes and tried to soothe himself with the water pressure from the showerhead. He took a deep breath, letting the air come out slowly of his lips, eyes still heavily shut.
Thatâs when the memories kicked in.
He finally remembered being in that same position, in a familiar corner of their dorm, as he leaned over to kiss the girl with the red lips. He also remembered the heat, the intensity of the kiss as his subconscious made him remember that he was gasping for air afterward. And so, he resorted to kissing her jaws instead. She willingly returned the favor, which is probably where heâd gotten the smudges that he found that morning, and how her red lips formed a proud smile as she kept on going, painting his fair skin with her rouge.
He sucked in another lungful of air before opening his eyes and hopping back into reality. Heâs still clueless as to how the girl looked like, but he was determined to find out whoâs the owner of those red luscious lips, and he would love it all over him again.
///
Sicheng came out of his room already dressed up, water still dripping from his hair to the towel that he placed on his neck. He made his way to the kitchen and he found the rest of his friends sitting around the table, smiling like idiots.
âWhat?â
He asked, already annoyed about how theyâve been acting all day, or at least, for the past two hours.
âYangyang saw you enter your room last night. With a girl,â says Kun.
âUhh, duh?â Ten replied, raising an eyebrow at the older as he grabbed the butter knife and spread peanut butter over a piece of bread.
âHow sure is everyone that it was a girl?â Hendery squinted his eyes, trying to look intimidating as he interrogated his friend for further details about last night.
âWhy is everyone so concerned if I fucked a girl or not? Or if I fucked at all?â Winwin replied in annoyance, coming out almost whiney, hoping that they would cut the questions out and leave him and his breakfast alone.
âYou donât know either, do you?â Xiaojun tried not to laugh as he stuffed a sunny-side-up egg in his mouth, failing at the last minute to the point that he almost spat some of it out.
Winwin sighed. He knows they will plague him with questions until next week and will do anything to squeeze it out of him at the best of their abilities. Him getting laid feels like some event to be celebrated because out of all the guys, he was the least interested in women. Not that he doesnât like them, itâs that he just refused to do it unless heâs genuinely interested in the girl.
Or guy.
Was it a guy?
Winwin resorted to stuffing his mouth with as much food as he can because it would give him an excuse to not speak further and answer their questions. For how long he can keep it up is a question that heâll have to face once his plate full of food is decimated.
///
By the time you get into your brotherâs dorm, the whole place was so trashed that you even hesitated to proceed inside. However, your mother asked you that morning to come over to your brotherâs dorm as he refuses to reply to her texts and respond to her calls that morning.
âSsup, nerd.â
You always cringe whenever Hendery calls you that nickname. Not that it affects you or anything. It was just so⌠old-school. Youâre a big fan of insults and you would certainly be happier if the nickname was a bit more creative.
âSsup, failure.â You replied, sitting right beside him as you grabbed a plate and helped yourself with the food served at the table, courtesy of Kun. Heâs the only one thatâs competent enough to fry eggs that beautifully.
âMomâs been calling non-stop since last night. I didnât tell her I wasnât with you. I couldnât come up with an excuse so I just told her you slept early because of morning classes.â
Hendery snickered.
You and he have very different lifestyles. He was supposed to be two years ahead of you in college, but heâs always caught up in partying and having fun that he missed some subjects that he had to retake that year. One more fuck up and youâll be joining him in classes next year. And as your parentsâ only hope, you feel compelled to stay away from all the fun stuff until you graduate. That is also the reason why Hendery felt it was his moral obligation to shoo you away from last nightâs party, despite sharing the same room as him.
At least that's what he told you. You have a reason to believe that he shooed you away last night just so he can do whatever he wanted without you around to snitch on him.
âEverythingâs fine, kid. I already told her the same thing last night. You and I share the same brain.â
âYes, except one of us has his brain fried by substance abuse and the other has a perfectly functioning human brain capable of making future science discoveries.â
Your eyes then diverted to the guy sitting right across you. He looked sickly and pale, his organs probably screaming inside asking to die.
âWhatâs up with him?â You asked your brother.
âHe had done the deed with a guy last night.â Winwin, with an expressionless face, was quick to throw a flying spoon in Henderyâs direction. The milk splattered everywhere, but Hendery was able to evade it, laughing maniacally as he wiped the milk off of his arms.
âHey, youâre good with this investigation stuff, right? Maybe you can help prince charming over here find his Cinderella?â
///
"Tell me what you can remember."
Winwin thought you looked ridiculous when you grabbed a pen and a notepad, looking like some low-budget investigator in the movie. He wasn't in the mood to play along, but he might as well humor you and find out what happened last night.
"This may not help at all, but I can't remember jack shit except for one thing," He paused. You raised both eyebrows expectantly, signaling him to answer faster. "Red lips. That's the one thing I haven't forgotten about."
You scribbled the word, red lips in your notepad.
You scribbled a few more words and nodded as if you understood its implication.
"Well, that doesn't narrow down the suspects at all."
You placed your notepad in your pocket and stood up from your seat.
"We shall now go and investigate the crime scene."
///
You decided that the crime scene was Winwin's bedroom since this is where he found himself last.
Winwin saw that you're very detail-oriented, looking at every nook at cranny to see traces of the mystery person around and aid in the investigation.
His room was cleaner than you'd expected, so finding things that stick out or are out of place will be a clear sign of the perpetrator.
You searched high and low, from the shelves to the bed, but you're only able to find two things that might help his case.
As soon as you lifted one of his pillowcases, you saw traces of red smeared across its white surface. Some of it even transferred in the bedsheets.
"Your story checks out. It is red lipstick." You lifted the pillow and walked towards Winwin, who's just sitting at one of his bean bags and mostly just observing you doing your stuff.
You pointed out the smudges to him and he nodded. You then proceeded to grab one of your magnifiers from your backpack and looked at the stains for closer inspection.
"Seeing its transferability, I can say that the lipstick in question has a satin finish. The shade, as far as I can see, is somewhere in between orange and bright red." You grabbed your notepad once again and listed down your observations.
"Know anyone who wears that often?" He proceeded to shake his head.
"Alright then. Now, we ask the witnesses."
You were about to leave the room when Winwin called you out to call your attention.
"Hmm?"
"I think there's something under the bed."
He stood up from his seat and proceeded to walk towards his bed, kneeling as he tried to reach for something below.
You were surprised to see what he found, though. In between his fingers is a piece of thin, lace material, glowing red just like the lipstick shade. It was someone's underwear.
"Yeah⌠I think we should keep that from the witnesses."
///
"Where were you at the time of the incident?"
As it turns out, the rest of the boys are no more helpful than Winwin. You just finished interviewing Kun, Ten, Yangyang, Xiaojun, and Lucas. The boys themselves barely remember what they did last night, let alone whatever their friend was doing. Meanwhile, the victim (aka Dong Sicheng) sat there right alongside you while you asked the questions. You asked them if they were helpful at all, but alas, nothing resonates to him.
"Hey, aren't you going to ask me about last night?"
Hendery popped out in the makeshift interrogation room (aka the living room) and sat down right beside you, peeking in at your notes.
"Nope. I only interview reliable sources. You can barely remember your stuff sober." You stuffed your notepad back again at your backpack, hugging it close to your body to keep it from your brother.
"I saw Winwin with someone though. He was making out with someone right just a few meters away from his bedroom."
"Go onâŚ"
"I didn't see her well though. She was pinned across the wall and Sicheng hyung's body was blocking the view."
You sighed.
"See. It was pretty useless information."
He was about to say something else, but you cut him off.
"I'll keep them in mind, thank you very much."
///
Youâve finally sat down back again in the kitchen to give yourself a moment of peace to piece the things you found together. Winwin is just right beside you, just quietly observing just as usual.
Everything is laid out across the kitchen table, your notepad, the pillowcase, the underwear (which is kept in a ziplock bag for hygienic purposes).
âYou still donât remember anything?â
âI do remember seeing those before, but nothing is still coming out. I still canât remember who she is.â
You can tell that Sicheng was getting a bit frustrated. He was trying his best to remember as he once again shut his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows, seeing if there is anything that he is missing.
As he did this, Hendery popped in again in the kitchen, this time holding a full laundry basket.
âI would just like to let you know that I am being a good brother and roommate by doing your laundry.â
âYes, yes. Thank you Hendery. You did well." You smiled at your brother to acknowledge him, but you mostly did it just to shoo him away from the investigation room. He seems to have gotten the idea and left as soon as he showed the basket to you for one last time.
He shut the door and you were met with a deafening silence once again. This time though, you felt weird energy coming from the guy right in front of you. He stared at you for a long time, specifically your lips, and then he started to break down right in front of you.
"Shit."
"Hmm?"
You asked him what the problem was, but all that came out of his mouth are grunts and a string of curses.
"You alright?"
He was now going between laughing and frustration, rubbing his hands on his face as he lets out all emotions.
"It was you all along. You're red lips girl."
You smiled as you looked at your phone to check the time.
"Five hours. I'm impressed. If that was my brother, it would've taken him a week or two."
"Why didn't you just tell me? I feel stupid."
"And take the fun out of it? Nope."
You then watch him react, different kinds of emotions flooding in at the same time. You laughed as you stood from your seat and patted his back.
"What gave it away?"
He stopped reacting for a while, composing himself as he relayed his deductions to you.
"I had my suspicions when you opened your bag to get the magnifying glass. I saw a red lipstick tube scattered across but I dismissed it since any girl would have lipstick on her bag. I was also confused when you refused to acknowledge the underwear. I saw it from my point of view, but it's like you purposely didn't look under the bed just so you won't find it. You know it was there, didn't you?"
You finally grabbed a seat right beside him, interested to hear what he has to say next.
"And then there's Hendery's story. You didn't ask him to mess with him. It's because he did see us. I remember now, it's what got us in this mess in the first placeâŚ"
You nodded to acknowledge him. You've always known that he's a bit smarter than the other guys, but he was very observant as well. That's why he was quiet all the time.
"Lastly, when Hendery came in with your laundry, there was something sticking out," He picked up the ziplock and held it across your face. "The bra that came with this, it was sandwiched along with your other clothing, but the bright color stuck out to me."
"Mhm⌠" You nodded in approval. You didn't even notice that last one, but he was able to pick that as well.
"And then I stared at your lips for a while. That's when it hit me. It was the same lips that I claimed last night. The red lips that drove me crazyâŚ"
You gave him a small round of applause as he finished his spiel.
"Honestly, you were on point on everything. I'm just sad that you can't remember anything."
His moment of clarity was shut down and he smiled apologetically.
"Want me to tell you what happened?"
He nodded profusely.
It was already two in the afternoon but Winwin still stayed lying in bed, clutching his blanket close to his body in an attempt to prevent the chill of the afternoon breeze from coming in contact with his bare skin.
The plan was to stay in bed until all remnants of the vodka and last night's shenanigans have washed away. Or until he dies from starvation. But his roommates have other things in mind.
"WINWIN HYUNG!"
He was jolted awake by the loud noise coming from his bedroom window. Half-awake, he peeked through the sheets to see what the commotion was about.
The first thing he saw was Lucas holding his now broken doorknob in one hand, happily waving it around like a lightstick. Hendery was happily mumbling some bullshit that he didn't care enough to comprehend. Xiaojun was holding a tube-like contraption that he assumed was confetti, Ten and Yangyang were on the side, dancing like the game show girls while holding up each side of a handmade banner stating "Congrats on getting laid!" badly written with a green crayon. Meanwhile, Kun at the end of the line, leaning back at the door frame with his arms crossed while watching all of the chaos unfold right before him.
"Fuck off..."
Winwin grunted and grabbed the pillow under his head, throwing it with full force so that it ended up hitting Xiaojun on his chest.
They seem to have taken the hint because they all scrambled outside, laughing their asses off as they try to get away and avoid getting their asses kicked by a martial artist.
Meanwhile, Winwin buried his face under the thick sheets, trying his best to block the light coming from outside from reaching his eyes, heightening his already throbbing headache. He was planning to stay in bed no matter how loud his stomach grumbled, but his resolve is weaker than he expected. Begrudgingly, he dragged his tired ass out of bed to take a cold shower, hoping that will shake his hangover out.
///
âHoly shit.â
This wasnât the usual statement that he says to himself whenever he would look at himself in the morning. However, as soon as he lifted his head in the mirror to wash his face, he might as well be an extra for a horror movie.
All over his upper body, especially the neck and chest area, was filled with red smudges. He also found tiny hints of it at the corners of his lips. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was lipstick.
Whoever he made out with (or had sex with) last night mustâve gone wild and tried to mark every part of him that she could place her lips on.
Winwin felt his heart sink. He couldnât, for the life of him, remember who he was last night. Just like his body, the memories of her red lips lingered on his mind. But thatâs about it.
It took him a long time to squint his eyes and try to recall the moments leading up to him getting on the bed with someone, but it only made his headache worse. Defeated, he chose to let everything go and proceeded to hop in the shower just like he initially intended.
He opened the shower, letting it get to his desired temperature before he stepped in and let the water flow from his hair to the rest of his body. He didnât move, instead of leaning one of his hands on the wall for support as he closed his eyes and tried to soothe himself with the water pressure from the showerhead. He took a deep breath, letting the air come out slowly of his lips, eyes still heavily shut.
Thatâs when the memories kicked in.
He finally remembered being in that same position, in a familiar corner of their dorm, as he leaned over to kiss the girl with the red lips. He also remembered the heat, the intensity of the kiss as his subconscious made him remember that he was gasping for air afterward. And so, he resorted to kissing her jaws instead. She willingly returned the favor, which is probably where heâd gotten the smudges that he found that morning, and how her red lips formed a proud smile as she kept on going, painting his fair skin with her rouge.
He sucked in another lungful of air before opening his eyes and hopping back into reality. Heâs still clueless as to how the girl looked like, but he was determined to find out whoâs the owner of those red luscious lips, and he would love it all over him again.
///
Sicheng came out of his room already dressed up, water still dripping from his hair to the towel that he placed on his neck. He made his way to the kitchen and he found the rest of his friends sitting around the table, smiling like idiots.
âWhat?â
He asked, already annoyed about how theyâve been acting all day, or at least, for the past two hours.
âHendery saw you enter your room last night. With a girl,â says Kun.
âUhh, duh?â Ten replied, raising an eyebrow at the older as he grabbed the butter knife and spread peanut butter over a piece of bread.
âHow sure is everyone that it was a girl?â Yangyang squinted his eyes, trying to look intimidating as he interrogated his friend for further details about last night.
âWhy is everyone so concerned if I fucked a girl or not? Or if I fucked someone at all?â Winwin replied in annoyance, coming out almost whiney, hoping that they would cut the questions out and leave him and his breakfast alone.
âYou donât know either, do you?â Xiaojun tried not to laugh as he stuffed a sunny-side-up egg in his mouth, failing at the last minute to the point that he almost spat some of it out.
Winwin sighed. He knows they will plague him with questions until next week and will do anything to squeeze it out of him at the best of their abilities. Him getting laid feels like some event to be celebrated because out of all the guys, he was the least interested in women. Not that he doesnât like them, itâs that he just refused to do it unless heâs genuinely interested in the girl.
Or guy.
Was it a guy?
Winwin resorted to stuffing his mouth with as much food as he can because it would give him an excuse to not speak further and answer their questions. For how long he can keep it up is a question that heâll have to face once his plate full of food is decimated.
///
By the time you get into your brotherâs dorm, the whole place was so trashed that you even hesitated to proceed inside. However, your mother asked you that morning to come over to your brotherâs dorm as he refuses to reply to her texts and respond to her calls that morning.
âSsup, nerd.â
You always cringe whenever Hendery calls you that nickname. Not that it affects you or anything. It was just so⌠old-school. Youâre a big fan of insults and you would certainly be happier if the nickname was a bit more creative.
âSsup, failure.â You replied, sitting right beside him as you grabbed a plate and helped yourself with the food served at the table, courtesy of Kun. Heâs the only one thatâs competent enough to fry eggs that beautifully.
âMomâs been calling non-stop since last night. I didnât tell her I wasnât with you. I couldnât come up with an excuse so I just told her you slept early because of morning classes.â
Hendery snickered.
You and he have very different lifestyles. He was supposed to be two years ahead of you in college, but heâs always caught up in partying and having fun that he missed some subjects that he had to retake that year. One more fuck up and youâll be joining him in classes next year. And as your parentsâ only hope, you feel compelled to stay away from all the fun stuff until you graduate. That is also the reason why Hendery felt it was his moral obligation to shoo you away from last nightâs party, despite sharing the same room as him.
At least that's what he told you. You have a reason to believe that he shooed you away last night just so he can do whatever he wanted without you around to snitch on him.
âEverythingâs fine, kid. I already told her the same thing last night. You and I share the same brain.â
âYes, except one of us has his brain fried by substance abuse and the other has a perfectly functioning human brain capable of making future science discoveries.â
Your eyes then diverted to the guy sitting right across you. He looked sickly and pale, his organs probably screaming inside asking to die.
âWhatâs up with him?â You asked your brother.
âHe had done the deed with a guy last night.â Winwin, with an expressionless face, was quick to throw a flying spoon in Henderyâs direction. The milk splattered everywhere, but Hendery was able to evade it, laughing maniacally as he wiped the milk off of his arms.
âHey, youâre good with this investigation stuff, right? Maybe you can help prince charming over here find his Cinderella?â
///
"Tell me what you can remember."
Winwin thought you looked ridiculous when you grabbed a pen and a notepad, looking like some low-budget investigator in the movie. He wasn't in the mood to play along, but he might as well humor you and find out what happened last night.
"This may not help at all, but I can't remember jack shit except for one thing," He paused. You raised both eyebrows expectantly, signaling him to answer faster. "Red lips. That's the one thing I haven't forgotten about."
You scribbled the word, red lips in your notepad.
You scribbled a few more words and nodded as if you understood its implication.
"Well, that doesn't narrow down the suspects at all."
You placed your notepad in your pocket and stood up from your seat.
"We shall now go and investigate the crime scene."
///
You decided that the crime scene was Winwin's bedroom since this is where he found himself last.
Winwin saw that you're very detail-oriented, looking at every nook at cranny to see traces of the mystery person around and aid in the investigation.
His room was cleaner than you'd expected, so finding things that stick out or are out of place will be a clear sign of the perpetrator.
You searched high and low, from the shelves to the bed, but you're only able to find two things that might help his case.
As soon as you lifted one of his pillowcases, you saw traces of red smeared across its white surface. Some of it even transferred in the bedsheets.
"Your story checks out. It is red lipstick." You lifted the pillow and walked towards Winwin, who's just sitting at one of his bean bags and mostly just observing you doing your stuff.
You pointed out the smudges to him and he nodded. You then proceeded to grab one of your magnifiers from your backpack and looked at the stains for closer inspection.
"Seeing its transferability, I can say that the lipstick in question has a satin finish. The shade, as far as I can see, is somewhere in between orange and bright red." You grabbed your notepad once again and listed down your observations.
"Know anyone who wears that often?" He proceeded to shake his head.
"Alright then. Now, we ask the witnesses."
You were about to leave the room when Winwin called you out to call your attention.
"Hmm?"
"I think there's something under the bed."
He stood up from his seat and proceeded to walk towards his bed, kneeling as he tried to reach for something below.
You were surprised to see what he found, though. In between his fingers is a piece of thin, lace material, glowing red just like the lipstick shade. It was someone's underwear.
"Yeah⌠I think we should keep that from the witnesses."
///
"Where were you at the time of the incident?"
As it turns out, the rest of the boys are no more helpful than Winwin. You just finished interviewing Kun, Ten, Yangyang, Xiaojun, and Lucas. The boys themselves barely remember what they did last night, let alone whatever their friend was doing. Meanwhile, the victim (aka Dong Sicheng) sat there right alongside you while you asked the questions. You asked them if they were helpful at all, but alas, nothing resonates to him.
"Hey, aren't you going to ask me about last night?"
Hendery popped out in the makeshift interrogation room (aka the living room) and sat down right beside you, peeking in at your notes.
"Nope. I only interview reliable sources. You can barely remember your stuff sober." You stuffed your notepad back again at your backpack, hugging it close to your body to keep it from your brother.
"I saw Winwin with someone though. He was making out with someone right just a few meters away from his bedroom."
"Go onâŚ"
"I didn't see her well though. She was pinned across the wall and Sicheng hyung's body was blocking the view."
You sighed.
"See. It was pretty useless information."
He was about to say something else, but you cut him off.
"I'll keep them in mind, thank you very much."
///
Youâve finally sat down back again in the kitchen to give yourself a moment of peace to piece the things you found together. Winwin is just right beside you, just quietly observing just as usual.
Everything is laid out across the kitchen table, your notepad, the pillowcase, the underwear (which is kept in a ziplock bag for hygienic purposes).
âYou still donât remember anything?â
âI do remember seeing those before, but nothing is still coming out. I still canât remember who she is.â
You can tell that Sicheng was getting a bit frustrated. He was trying his best to remember as he once again shut his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows, seeing if there is anything that he is missing.
As he did this, Hendery popped in again in the kitchen, this time holding a full laundry basket.
âI would just like to let you know that I am being a good brother and roommate by doing your laundry.â
âYes, yes. Thank you Hendery. You did well." You smiled at your brother to acknowledge him, but you mostly did it just to shoo him away from the investigation room. He seems to have gotten the idea and left as soon as he showed the basket to you for one last time.
He shut the door and you were met with a deafening silence once again. This time though, you felt weird energy coming from the guy right in front of you. He stared at you for a long time, specifically your lips, and then he started to break down right in front of you.
"Shit."
"Hmm?"
You asked him what the problem was, but all that came out of his mouth are grunts and a string of curses.
"You alright?"
He was now going between laughing and frustration, rubbing his hands on his face as he lets out all emotions.
"It was you all along. You're red lips girl."
You smiled as you looked at your phone to check the time.
"Five hours. I'm impressed. If that was my brother, it would've taken him a week or two."
"Why didn't you just tell me? I feel stupid."
"And take the fun out of it? Nope."
You then watch him react, different kinds of emotions flooding in at the same time. You laughed as you stood from your seat and patted his back.
"What gave it away?"
He stopped reacting for a while, composing himself as he relayed his deductions to you.
"I had my suspicions when you opened your bag to get the magnifying glass. I saw a red lipstick tube scattered across but I dismissed it since any girl would have lipstick on her bag. I was also confused when you refused to acknowledge the underwear. I saw it from my point of view, but it's like you purposely didn't look under the bed just so you won't find it. You know it was there, didn't you?"
You finally grabbed a seat right beside him, interested to hear what he has to say next.
"And then there's Hendery's story. You didn't ask him to mess with him. It's because he did see us. I remember now, it's what got us in this mess in the first placeâŚ"
You nodded to acknowledge him. You've always known that he's a bit smarter than the other guys, but he was very observant as well. That's why he was quiet all the time.
"Lastly, when Hendery came in with your laundry, there was something sticking out," He picked up the ziplock and held it across your face. "The bra that came with this, it was sandwiched along with your other clothing, but the bright color stuck out to me."
"Mhm⌠" You nodded in approval. You didn't even notice that last one, but he was able to pick that as well.
"And then I stared at your lips for a while. That's when it hit me. It was the same lips that I claimed last night. The red lips that drove me crazyâŚ"
You gave him a small round of applause as he finished his spiel.
"Honestly, you were on point on everything. I'm just sad that you can't remember anything."
His moment of clarity was shut down and he smiled apologetically.
"Want me to tell you what happened?"
He nodded profusely.
(link to the optional smut right here)
#nctcreations#kdiarynet#kpopscape#kwritersworldnet#neoculturecafe#neoswitch#neowritingsnet#cznnet#nct-writers#nct#wayv#wayv smut#wayv fluff#wayv imagines#wayv humor#dong sicheng#winwin#winwin smut#winwin fluff#winwin fanfic#winwin au#winwin x reader#winwin wayv
86 notes
¡
View notes
Text
RWBY Recaps: Volume 8Â âCreationâ
Happy Saturday, everyone! Oh man, oh man, oh man. I think I'll need to steer clear of the general RWBY tags this week, simply because I know the sort of responses I'll see to this episode. From smug celebration at Ironwood's downfall, to bad takes about what makes us human, this episode is a petri dish of sensitive material handled insensitively.
Letâs unpack it, shall we?Â
We open on an action that feels like a summery of the last three volumes: a grimm attacks an airship from the front, no doubt killing its pilot, while the other grimm conveniently ignore our heroes, no masking in sight. The group looks a little sad at the destruction around them, but ultimately ignore it because they have bigger, heroic things to do. I could write a whole, additional essay on how the huntsmen code â to protect the people â has been warped and abandoned by our protagonists in their effort to do what they think is right. It's a tale that might have been compelling if only RT knew they were writing it.
We get a shot of Atlas drones unloading the bomb before one is taken out, presumably by Qrow and Robyn. Segueing to Ironwood and the Ace Ops, they're waiting for Penny to arrive, the former carrying a massive gun presumably capable of capturing her. Despite the horror we saw on their faces last episode at the realization that Ironwood would kill Marrow for speaking up, it seems that now the Ace Ops are entirely in agreement with these measures. A week ago the implication was that they fell back in line out of fear, but now Harriet talks passionately about "putting down" the group if they were stupid enough to accompany Penny. "The General gave his terms." Vine sighs at this, but doesn't actively disagree. He's just "retracing the steps that led us here."
So, congratulations on introducing four new characters, not bothering to develop any of them, killing one off while ignoring Qrow's hand in that, and having the other three become all, "Yeah! Mass murder is a perfect solution!" off screen. Marrow is the only one with something resembling development and, as covered in these recaps, that's been pretty badly executed too.
Ironwood sends them to deal with Robyn and Qrow after Winter reappears to "assist" him. That gets quotation marks because most viewers at this point have realized that she's who our two birbs spotted in the elevator. Winter isn't on Ironwood's side anymore, she's just skillfully clearing the field for the final attack. Indeed, we get a moment where she hesitantly brings up the bomb and Ironwood responds that he hopes she's not going to try and talk him out of it. No. Winter doesn't think that's possible. This was her final attempt at peace.
One of the reasons why I think I'll stick to my own blog for a while is because the fandom has a tendency to paint broad personality traits as evil when applied to some characters, yet simultaneously heroic when applied to others, when really it's about how that those traits are used. What I mean is, I've seen a lot of Ironwood critical posts that emphasize how stubborn he is. He thinks he's right and he won't back down. He wont listen to others. He's going through with this plan and if anyone tries to stop him? That's their mistake. Totally evil, right? Except, this is the exact same behavior Ruby displays, particularly in Volumes 6 and 7. She was stubborn about stealing from Argus and continuing the fight to the point where it endangered her and her teammates, to say nothing of the rest of the city. She refused to listen to Qrow, or Ironwood, or the Ace Ops, loudly announcing that she was right about, well, everything. If they didn't agree with her, the options were to leave the group entirely, or fight her. The actual difference here is that the writers have taken Ironwood to an extreme, one that's incredibly easy to understand as bad because it is bad: bombing Mantle has no defense. Ruby pulls the exact same nonsense, it's just not to that same extreme and her actions are followed by scenes that are meant to make us forgive her: a sad look because she didn't mean to get a city attacked by a leviathan grimm, a cry on the staircase because she didn't mean to risk the lives of an entire kingdom... even though she did. Ironwood is the bad guy because he's been written to take specific, OOC actions like shooting unarmed kids. He's not the bad guy because when other characters go, "Don't do this" his response is, "I have to." Because that's been Ruby's motto ever since she "had" to use the Lamp to rip Ozpinâs life story away. RWBY introduced those extreme actions of shooting the youngest in the group (for no reason) and threatening to bomb a city (for no reason) or shooting a councilman (for no reason) because when you remove those you've got a man who looks exactly like our hero. Ironwood's arc has been peppered with these confusing, unpersuasive actions because if you just keep the story as him stubbornly keeping to a plan he thinks will save the world, you're left with the reminder that all Ruby has done lately is stubbornly keep to plans she thinks will save the world. This moment with Winter just highlights how ill thought out Ironwood's descent has been because he does everything Ruby does... with a few, tacked on, âand randomly shoots people!â moments to ensure we understand that heâs definitely evil. No comparison to our heroes here, folks!Â
Ironwood is a bad guy now. Thatâs certain, but he was made that way so the story never had to grapple with the question of what that means for Ruby if we really start condemning things like lying, secrets, stubbornness, or endangering others for the greater good. Well then damn, if we strip away the hypocrisy then she might not be a good person after all. Or the people sheâs simplistically labeled as bad might not be the devils Ruby claims they are.Â
But thatâs a level of nuance RWBY would rather pretend doesnât exist.Â
All of which is highlighted by Ironwoodâs reaction to "Penny." He sighs and sags over the gun, immediately putting it aside. With his hand on her shoulder, Ironwood tells her she's "done the right thing." Precisely the same way Ruby would lower Crescent Rose and give someone a smile when they decided to fall in line with her.
Which, of course, is the moment when Emerald reveals herself, dispelling the Penny illusion and revealing Team JNPR The Second behind her. She gives a quip about it feeling "weird" to do the right thing before disappearing.
From there the action picks up fast. I really enjoyed this battle simply from a choreography and energy standpoint. It gets the blood pumping, Ironwood's hand-to-hand is spectacular â especially that moment against Ren â and the group actually displays teamwork for the first time in what feels like forever, all of them needed to land a hit on Ironwood. As always, out of the context of the rest of the show it feels and looks great. My primary issue is that we get this fantastic fight against Ironwood. Not Salem, not Cinder, not Watts (like last volume when Ironwood was still a hero), not even Emerald as a means of transitioning from murderous villain to the group's best bud. No, what's arguably the best action sequence in the volume thus far goes to beating up the guy they betrayed from the start. There's no catharsis for me here, only frustration as we watch Ironwood stand in shock as Winter powers up Nora â who's fine now, I guess â and she slams her hammer into his face.Â
It never should have come to this and when a good character is done so dirty, their downfall doesn't evoke the emotions the writers are looking for. Watching Ironwood fall doesn't generate feelings of victory, or even tragedy at a course of events others were powerless to stop. It's just frustration at watching years worth of bad writing, sprinkled with fantastic ideas that never go anywhere.
Oscar gets a few hits in, Ironwood snatches his cane, and just as he's about to throw a punch, Winter arrives with the most dramatic sword slash I've ever seen.
Ironwood's aura breaks and he falls, unconscious. We cut to an image of a droid's head separated from its body, one of Robyn's arrows through its skull. That doesn't have meaning or anything.
I suppose I should be grateful they didn't rip Ironwood's arm away during the fight, or outright kill him, though I'm still expecting him to die before the end of the volume.
Hmm. Wouldn't that be something? If after Salem's arrival, freezing cold, a Hound attack, grimm soup, a giant whale, a massive army, and a hack ending in self-destruction, the one character who actually dies is Ironwood.Â
It's looking more and more likely.
Honestly, beyond all the obvious, what's so frustrating about this fight is that characters are only now using their impressive abilities to their fullest. Emerald creates an entire fantasy of what's happening and then straight up disappears, but she only does a half-assed version of that when fighting against Penny. (And really, she put more effort into helping the heroes she just joined over Cinder, the woman she's been obsessed with since the start?) Marrow refuses to use "Stay" against a group they wanted to peacefully arrest because that's just too horrible an act, I guess, but he'll do it on his own teammates the second Qrow and Robyn donât want to fight. Â
This is what I mean when I say the rules of the world bend to assist the protagonists in absurd ways. It's not nearly as egregious as Amity suddenly being up and running, but the fact that characters become substantially more powerful while fighting for the protagonists than they do against them is still a significant problem.
So Ironwood is down and out. As much as I hated watching that and didn't necessarily want more, am I the only one who felt like it was... a bit lackluster? I mean, the action was great, yes, but relatively short. There was no dialogue, such as another delve into the moral questions that led to this fight in the first place. There certainly wasnât any hesitance against fighting a former ally. (Again, weâre meant to believe that the Ace Ops won because they just couldnât bear to fight the group seriously, but every former ally here is capable of wailing on Ironwood without a single pause or pained look?) Ironwood just skillfully blocks for a while, is blindsided by Winter's betrayal, and then falls unconscious. Given that we learn he and Jacques will be evacuated after the rest of the kingdom, it's possible he'll escape somehow and we'll get a fight 2.0, but if not that feels like a rather tame end to the guy forced into the antagonist seat. Plus, what was the point of having Qrow frothing at the mouth to kill him this whole volume? I never wanted that to happen, I'm glad it hasn't, but I'm nevertheless left to ask why we bothered with that eleven episode side plot if we were going to erase it with one sentence from Robyn about Qrow being better than this. If that's all it took, let them work through Qrow's irrational anger while sitting around in a cell.
Winter tells the group to move onto "phase two" which is when we're treated to a flashback. We return to the ending of the last episode, with Ruby realizing that opening the vault is an option. Jaune, all smiles, goes, "We never considered using what's inside!"
This is what I mean about no consequences! This is what I mean about it all being a meaningless circle that ends with undeserved praise for the group! We started this horror show with Ironwood going, "We don't have a plan to protect the people, so I'm going to take what people we do have to safety" and the group going, "We don't have a plan either, but we're going to stop you implementing your plan because it's not perfect, risking a kingdom's worth of lives in the process." Now, the group has used two plans, one of which two characters knew about at the start and another they could have devised with the information they had. Oscar and Ozpin's, "We have an all powerful magical blast in our cane" and the group's "What if we used the Staff for something other than raising Atlas?" are both things that could have come up in the office debate. These were both always on the table! Instead, Ruby grew furious over the mere thought of cutting their losses, betrayed Ironwood again, attacked his people, denounced him to the world, and then two days later goes, "Oh wait! We could do something now that we could have easily done before if we hadn't made a needless enemy!"Â
Everyone realizes how much worse they made things, right? Turning against Ironwood, bringing everyone left in Mantle directly under Atlas, sitting around while an army was devoured, drawing it out until Penny was hacked... all of it would have been avoided if the group had thought and discussed things for a few minutes, not jumping straight to violently resisting what Ironwood came up with first. "We never considered..." Ruby says. Yeah, you didn't, except that's not something to smile about. The group made the situation a thousand times worse with their reaction when they could have just magically evacuated the kingdom from the start. âMaybe we could use it to save Penny and get everyone in Atlas and Mantle back to safety." Nothing has changed! They had this ability the whole time! Nothing about the last twelve episodes led them here, they just randomly thought of it after RT had padded the volume with needless drama. Considering that they're heading to Vacuo now, we could have just made this the finale of Volume 7 instead: big fight with Ironwood, revelation, get everyone evacuated while Salem attacks, leave her behind, then Volume 8 begins in Vacuo with the group knowing Salem is out there looking for them. This entire volume has been pointless. What did they accomplish?
Oscar got kidnapped and beat up, Nora was scarred, Ruby and Yang realized horrible things about Summer, and the whole world is panicking about a witch. Good things are... Ren and Ruby unlocked some semblance stuff? Weiss loves her brother again after he proved himself useful to her? Great work, team.
So this one moment makes everything they've done up to this point useless and, of course, once thought up the plan goes off without a hitch. Note that the summary of this episode says, "It's risky, dangerous, and nearly impossible â but it's the only plan they've got." Nearly impossible? That's a whole lot of talk for a plan that was implemented perfectly.
There is, admittedly, one snag, but one that is likewise made meaningless just seconds later. We'll get to that.
We see Winter call Weiss who also smiles at hearing from her sister. Obviously interactions like the group's with Emerald are the bigger concern, but it's still an issue that no one reacts as they should to people reappearing in their lives. Rather, RWBY continually confuses audience knowledge with character knowledge. We know Winter is on their side now, but Weiss hasn't a clue. Last she saw, she and Winter were agreeing to head down different paths. She has no reason to think her sister isn't loyal to Ironwood, so why isn't the group treating this call with suspicion? What if it's Ironwood trying to mess with them through a presumably safe party? I swear to god, with any consistency in the story this group would be dead ten times over because their decisions are so stupid. Oscar decides to believe in the guy currently beating him to a pulp, the group decides to trust a villain over a flawed ally, and now they see Ironwoodâs second calling and are like, âGreat, big sister Winter is checking in!â Thereâs a difference between a hopeful story filled with second chances and characters whose reliance on the narrative bending to assist them makes them come across as insanely naive.Â
None of which even touches on characters forgetting that other characters are presumably dead. Ironwood shot Oscar off the edge of Atlas, but doesn't react to learning he was kidnapped, or when he shows up to the fight. Thanks to Marrow's comment, Winter thinks YJOR have perished in the whale, but also has no reaction to them appearing to help with this plan. Absolutely nothing is followed up on.
We then get a flashback within the flashback (fun) of Winter â shock â not arresting Marrow. It's precisely as I assumed, with Marrow angrily asking why she hit him and Winter responding with, âBecause you were about to get killed if I didnât do something!â As I said last recap, I feel like I should let the marginalized groups lead this discussion, but I do want to add that no matter how well intentioned â or strategic, as I mentioned last time â the imagery itself is still harmful. No matter the context, we were still left with white woman Winter putting her knee on black man Marrow's back to arrest him, and itâs an image that everyone in the U.S. should be familiar with the horror of. Far more of a problem than the (presumed) ignorance of this scene is, I think, the choice to make Winter entirely unrepentant. I think some of this discomfort could have been alleviated if RT had written Winter as apologetic, contrite that it came to that and asking Marrow to understand that she only did it as a means of assisting him. Asking his forgiveness. Instead, we get this
So what, the only emotion we have room for is gratitude that Winter beat him up? Yikes.
As a lighter side note, I find the animation here unintentionally hilarious. Winter's assistive device makes her shoulders look too high, making this gesture more, "Woman exaggeratedly pouts about not getting ice cream for dinner" and less, "Woman sternly closes off during a disagreement about saving lives and betraying their general." Gotta find our humor where we can, right?
What's intentional, but far less funny, is the needless animation to show us that, yes, Marrow is peering at Winter calling Weiss. Oh, the shenanigans.Â
The elevator opens where Qrow and Robyn spot them. "Speaking of help," Winter says, as if she has any reason to believe Qrow didn't kill Clover. He and Robyn lower their weapons a bit, as if they have any reason to believe Winter and Marrow aren't still loyal to Ironwood. Would it really be so hard to have Winter immediately throw up her hands in the face of their almost-attack, blurting that she's not their enemy and needs their help, please listen? Again, RWBY can't remember which characters know what, let alone what their motivations and reactions should be.
We then enter the third part of the flashback where everyone piles into the Schnee dining room and discusses doing the things they could have done from the start. I'm metaphorically banging my head against that table. In RWBY's favor though, we also get a long shot of Jaune continuing to boost Pennyâs aura.
Though it's only one of many issues, just the other day I asked, "Hey, why has Jaune always needed to hold onto the person he's assisting, but now suddenly he can touch Penny once and the boost remains?" It still doesn't explain why he was letting go before/why him needing to boost her continuously didn't put a hard time limit on their plan â not that Mantle's hour limit meant a thing â but at least they're showing more of that here.
Oscar notes that Atlas has enough gravity dust that it won't fall immediately when they use the Relic, but they will have to move fast to ensure no one is underneath. Yeah, like all the civilians you put there. He also cautions that the Staff isn't a "magic wand" that they can just wave to make all their problems go away... even though that's precisely what they're going to do. Ozpin gets some lines that aren't apologies or followed by attacks â hallelujah! â about how the Staff's spirit is a "character" and requires that you be able to precisely explain anything you want him to make. Blueprints, examples, a firm knowledge of how this will be accomplished â all of it is required to actually get what you're after. That's a cool limitation. It's just too bad we didn't know about it episodes ago, forcing our heroes to find ways to meet those requirements. Instead, they already have everything ready to go the moment they learn about it: Penny has her own schematics and Whitley apparently has knowledge of the entire kingdom after sending some ships out. Normally I'd go, "Really?" but I'm still just struck by how much good he's done compared to everyone else in this room. Your show is seriously broken when the side character the writers didn't even want the audience to like until a few episodes ago is more active, mature, and sensible than the heroes.
From there we see the group implementing the plan. They fly up through the hole Oscar left, straight to the vault. Penny opens it without any trouble and Ruby uses her speed to grab the Relic and stop time, halting her self-termination. I do like that combination of skill and their knowledge of how this magic works. That felt like a smart move. What's interesting though is that the Relic appears to stop time in the entire kingdom. We see people in Mantle and Atlas slowing to a halt too. I assume no one remembers that happening after time restarts, otherwise people would be freaked out by suddenly being frozen in place.
Wouldn't that have been cool though? The group often takes a while to use the Relics, either deciding what they need, or watching Jinn's information, so what if you had a population that blinks and suddenly, from their perspective, half an hour has passed? How long might Ozpin have sat on his knees after Jinn told him he wasn't able to defeat Salem? How long was that space frozen? We could have had a world built around rumors and fairy tales. Not the random stories Ozpin brings up to make a point and that we never hear about again, but tiny details that foreshadow these revelations. A Beacon where the kids tell each other spooky stories of people suddenly losing time, once a whole day. The wives, sisters, daughters, and nieces who disappear, or wake up one day with horrifying, unnatural powers. We see magic influence the world around it, but we've seen very little of the world reacting to that influence. The one time I can think of is Blake reading a book about "a man with two souls," the fiction clearly inspired by knowledge of Ozpin. And indeed, it felt great to recognize that as a significant detail and then be proven right years later as the lore was revealed. We could have gotten so much more of that if RWBY was better planned out.
I'm getting off track though. As time stops we see a series of images: Ironwood being led to a cell with Jacques, Penny succumbing to her hack, Team JNPR The Second preparing to contact the kingdom about what's going on. Then everyone is distracted by the giant, blue, buff Ambrosius who comes out of the Staff.
...there's a lot of innuendo in that last statement lol. At least RWBY is committed to the crazy design they chose? I was never particularly comfortable with the image of characters gaping up at a giant, naked woman in chains, so it's nice to balance that a bit with an equally giant, naked dude in chains.
From here things get confusing. In all honesty, I'm not sure if this is another moment where RWBY is trying to pass off a retcon as the group being brilliant, or if I, as an individual, simply didn't follow the logic. I won't bother to rehash the slow, meandering way that Ruby reveals their plan â that certainly didn't help with the clarity. Not in an episode where we didnât even know these rules ahead of time â but it boils down to this:
The moment they have Ambrosius create something new Atlas will start to fall. Two of his creations can't exist at the same time.
He needs clear instructions about what he's making in order to create it.
The group has brought him Penny's schematics so that he understands how she's built.
They want, specifically, "a new version of her... using her exact robot parts." Â
They can't just create an exact duplicate of Penny because that would carry the virus with it.
They can't create an exact duplicate without the virus because that Penny would cease to exist as soon as they used Ambrosius to make an evacuation plan instead.
So they essentially want Ambrosius to create a new Penny by removing all the robot parts from the Penny that currently exists, carrying the virus with them, and leaving only the human parts of Penny behind: her aura/soul. Then, the purely robot version is destroyed when Ambrosius creates something new.
Except... this new Penny, this human Penny, still needed a human body. That's what Ambrosius created and that's the snag I don't understand. They want a version of Penny that's just her aura, just her soul, but that soul still needs something to be housed in. Ambrosius himself notes that. At first I thought the group would just have some wisp-like version of Penny they'd have to find a new body for â perhaps leading to a new one for Ozpin too â but she's just... given a human body when he takes the technology away, something she absolutely didn't have before. That is Ambrosius' creation. That is what should have disappeared along with the removed parts of Penny, leaving only her soul â what Ambrosius didn't touch â behind. Instead, the plot oh so conveniently has Penny get a new body for free and it's untouched as they move onto the next task.
Ruby drops a casual line about Ambrosius not being able to kill, or destroy, or something, which I think is meant to be the justification here. The rule (which, again, we JUST learned) about not killing anyone supersedes the rule of two creations not allowed to exist, allowing Penny to stick around. But even if thatâs true, itâs a load of bull. What, does the magic think no one in an entire city might die if the floating mechanism is removed and it plummets to the ground? Ambrosius didnât say, âSorry, canât stop floating Atlas because thousands of people are still here and theyâll die if I create something new,â but weâre supposed to believe the group skated by on, âSorry, canât destroy the last creation like everything else because thereâs a single person still using that body and sheâll die if I create something newâ?Â
Seriously, did I miss something? Or is this another, "Amity is ready because the group needs it" situation? The rule of creations ceasing to exist is bent because the group needs to have their friend around. Ambrosius is certainly enthusiastically complimentary, saying how "smart" the group is and that they've "done their homework," but I'm not so sure. It feels like a moment where the show is (once again) insistent that the group is far more talented and brilliant than their actions actually imply. It's only the rules of the world twisting and turning that allows for their success. To say nothing of how the episode dropped all these rules on the viewer in a ten minute info dump, ensuring we didnât have any time to think about them before the deed was done.Â
It doesn't add up for me and honestly, even putting that aside? I hate this. I absolutely despise it. Look, if it turns out this really does make sense then props to the group for coming up with that plan. Our snag aside, the rest is a legitimately well thought out wish. I don't have a problem with the execution so much as the message. I've been saying since Volume 7 that RWBY has done Penny a disservice in terms of her "real girl" narrative. Whereas before we had a firm message that you don't need "squishy guts" to be human, to be real, Volume 8 continued to carry us further and further into the idea that it is necessary. That Penny's body is entirely inhuman, something to hate, but at least her soul is human and good. That's what the virus arc taught us: your terrible, technological body might be betraying you, but hold onto the parts of you that are really human. I hated that too, but I never thought RWBY would go this far. They made Penny fully human and went, âTHIS is the version that always should have existed.â
And this isn't just me reading into the implications. It's right there in the text. Blake says that they're looking for âPenny, the girl whoâs always been there underneath." Meaning, underneath the metal. The girl exists trapped in the robot body. Yang holds up her arm and says that the metal is only "extra," it's not really who you are.Â
That gets into two perspectives on disability that RWBY just doesn't have the nuance for: what's an integral and celebratory part of one person's existence can be seen as something separate and discomforting to another. Though there are many people with disabilities who would happily cure themselves with a magic Staff if given the chance, there are just as many who say no, this is a part of my identity. I don't want to change, I just want the world to accommodate my existence. However, RWBY takes a hard stance here, saying that any metal in your body is intrinsically bad. We didnât use to have this take, but now the show has embraced it. Blake says the real Penny is trapped in there. Yang's words implies that she'd get rid of this "extra" bit of her if possible. Mercury with his metal legs is the enemy. Ironwood with half his metal body is the enemy. Whereas once difference was truly accepted, now it's shunned and fixed whenever possible. Those who can't be fixed, like Yang, must simply deal with the lot they've been dealt, reassuring themselves that the metal isn't really them. But Penny? Penny they can fix.
So they do and the very first thing Penny does is hug Ruby, exclaiming, âDo hugs always make you feel this warm inside? Wow. More!â and proceeds to hug all the others.Â
What's the underlying message there? Penny didn't understand hugs before this moment. She never experienced the "warmth" of them while an android, despite the fact that here warmth is entirely metaphorical and has nothing to do with a literally cold body. RWBY really went and said that the "real girlâ android was never actually real at all â not as real as she could be â because it's only when she's given "squishy guts" that she understands the true happiness of a hug.
Wow.
I mean seriously, wow.Â
Never-mind that, you know, we've seen that happiness and warmth since she was first introduced.
RWBY is really rewriting all the core themes introduced in Volumes 1-3 and it sucks. The show is absolutely the worse for it.
To say nothing of all the other disservices to Penny's character here. There's all this buildup about whether she'll still be the same Penny once the wish is complete, but of course she is. We wouldn't want to have Penny struggle when she becomes something other than what she's always been, would we? After all, it took Yang an entire volume to work through the shock of a metal arm, but taking away a metal body for a human one is in no way traumatic. Having a normal, human body is intrinsically a good thing! Of course Penny accepts it with nothing but smiles. Becoming human is celebratory, but becoming more machine is a horror.
She gets to watch her body self-destruct, glitching out and collapsing in front of her. But again, nothing to unpack there that can't be covered with a hand over her mouth.
There's no discussion of whether Penny still has the Maiden powers, or whether a wish like that would mess with the transfer in any way. How did the group know this action wouldn't register as a clear-cut death, forcing the power out of her and into someone new? Obviously they couldnât know, but no one even thought to bring it up?Â
And the entire time they're formulating their evacuation plan, there's no talk of whether these portals will appear before everyone currently alive in the kingdom. I mean, if they do then Ironwood and Jacques can just waltz through and escape into Vacuo. If they donât, then Maria and Pietro don't necessarily have a way out. We still don't know if they're stuck floating in Amity, or if Amity crashed, or if they made their way back to Mantle or Atlas. More importantly, the characters don't know. I have no problem with RWBY keeping that a surprise until the finale, but I absolutely take issue with Pietro's daughter walking through a portal, seemingly not to care whether her father is going to make it out too.
It's been the same with Qrow and his nieces' relationships. The show is good at insisting that these families love each other because they hug and smile while on screen together, but when shit is actually going down, none of them care about pesky things like disappearances, arrests, or âThe last time I saw you, you were with an old woman on a damaged station after a villain attack, potentially stranded in deadly cold if life support failed.âÂ
So yeah, this entire arc with Penny has been a disaster. From throwing away her framing subplot, to giving her a virus that did absolutely nothing, to giving her the Maiden powers which she's also done nothing with, to erasing her android status for a âShe's really human nowâ message, Penny has been done dirty by the show these last two volumes. Not nearly to the extent Ironwood has, but still. At this point I wish they'd just kept her dead dead. Why do I want her back when that resurrection produces no reaction, her conflicts lead nowhere, and one of the core things that made Penny Penny has now been magically erased?
I've been saying for weeks that killing Penny off and keeping Penny around each had serious downsides attached, yet I never expected RWBY to do BOTH.
Also, I'm warding off any, "But Pinocchio was made into a real boy too" defenses. RWBY is not Pinocchio. Penny is not Pinocchio. I thought the allusion was going to be the Pinocchio inspired girl heading into the whale, not the show forcing the exact plotline â down to a blue, magical creature â onto a character whose entire journey has been about accepting herself as an android. Congratulations, RT. You just obliterated years of work.
Again, if you'd like an example of how to do this far better:
As Penny's character falls apart, Atlas shakes, alerting Jaune and the other that a new wish has been granted. Jaune pecks at the screen and realizes "That did, uh, somethingâŚ?â but doesnât realize that there's a giant, red "LIVE" up in the corner.
Jaune tries to warn the entire kingdom about their plan, but what he actually says is
âAtlas is falling, but â !â
And then the communications cut out.Â
Watts, perhaps?
Our heroes are really good at saying things that make large populaces panic, huh? This is the one (1) snag in their "impossible" plan, but as said above, it doesn't amount to anything. We get a shot of Nora, horrified at the thought of kingdom-wide communications being down, but literally seconds later Team RWBY has made portals appear that everyone can walk through. So... why do we care about communications? More importantly, why does the show try to make us care? So much time is spent getting the viewer invested in problems that never come to mean anything.Â
Including the problem of Salem herself.
Because the group successfully creates that evacuation plan. This is it. Everyone is leaving while Salem still reforms.Â
Yang asks if they can use the vaults themselves as a single point for everyone to go to and Ambrosius agrees. So everyone is going to pile into the Vacuo vault that can only be opened by an unknown Maiden? They're going to put an entire kingdom's worth of people, including their enemies, into the vault where the Relic of Destruction is? Yeah, that's great. Prior to this â like if this had been the plan at the end of Volume 7 â I would have 100% agreed that these risks are better than death by Salem/grimm/cold. Now though, Oscar as axed Salem for an unknown length of time, the cold is having no impact on the civilians outside, and the grimm only attack background military personnel that supposedly no one cares about. They couldn't have spent another few minutes (especially with time stopped!) to figure out a means of getting to Vacuo that doesn't involve revealing and providing access to the location of a super secret vault? To say nothing of what they're going to do if Salem wakes up and snags one of those portals for herself. Two kingdoms for the price of one!
But that's what they're going with. Weiss gives Ambrosius a schematic of the kingdom, I guess, and he makes branching pathways appear with numerous portals for everyone to step through. They'll enter through one and, when they exit another, will be in Vacuo. Easy peasy, right? Especially since Ambrosius doesn't seem to have any limitations about how often his power is used. Is it three creations every 100 years like Jinn? We're not told, at least not to my recollection. However, I was expecting there to be a waiting period, that they'd fix Penny, go to evacuate the kingdom, and learn that sorry, I can't make another creation just yet. It feels like the sort of shit move these beings would pull â "Don't cry to me when it's not what you wanted" â it would have been another commentary on the group's insistence on putting friends over the people's safety (like demanding the Ace Ops not bomb the whale because of Oscar), and crucially, would have kept the action in Atlas. Isn't that what this volume is? The battle for and potential destruction of the Kingdom of Atlas? We have two episodes left and, unless something unexpected happens, we're moving that action to Vacuo. Why?Â
Meanwhile, Penny's corpse is just chilling in the background đŹ
While all this is going on, Winter reassures Jacques that he and Ironwood will be evacuated too, though she makes it clear saving him was Weiss' idea. It checks out, considering Weiss is the one who turned her father's arrest into a joke last volume. Winter still takes his abuse seriously.
The group prepares to leave with a celebratory, "We did it!" from Weiss. I'm still banging my head against that dining room table. Before they can pass through the portal though, Ambrosius leaves them with one, dire warning: "Do not fall."Â
In any other story a line like that is a neon sign announcing to the audience that someone will absolutely fall, and maybe they will, but RWBY has dodged consequences so often I wouldn't be surprised if this was merely another way to string us along. Remember all the hype surrounding Salem? The cold combined with her army and magic? How she was going to decimate Atlas and leave our group broken in a Fall 2.0?
I mean, we still have two episodes left. Forty minutes of content. Salem might still decimate them, especially since something has to happen in the finale. But god, it's a problem that we've come this far without a payoff. Salem randomly decided not to attack anyone, was stopped by a weapon added in solely for this purpose, and now the whole kingdom is being evacuated with a plan the group could have used at the start. This volume really is meaningless.Â
âWe go to vacuo and hope weâve thought of everythingâ they say as the camera zooms in on Cinder's smiling face. For the second week in a row.
Bingo time!
Winter betrayed Ironwood, the group used the Staff of Creation, and I'm axing Maria on behalf of Pietro. You can't have the guy's daughter become human â after he was killing himself to give her his aura?? â and magically walk to Vacuo, not knowing if he's even survived since she last saw him, and expect me to think he hasn't been forgotten. Same with Maria. Has the group mentioned her since Amity cut out, notably for reasons they couldnât explain? Of course not. Did they care to find out what happened? Of course not. I have no doubt they'll both re-appear in the next two episodes, Pietro crying over how perfect his girl is now and Maria congratulating the group on their actions, but we're still marking it.
This is the ugliest thing Iâve ever created, I hope you all are enjoying it :D
Another week, another couple feet added to the hole weâre digging. I know I keep saying I have no idea what's going to happen next... but I have no idea what's going to happen next. A Vacuo ending was not in the cards, not outside of them miraculously showing up in ships. Maybe they have been on their way to Atlas (somehow...) and will arrive precisely when everyone has left! Anything is possible at this point.
See you next Saturday, everyone. Hold on until then lol. đ
93 notes
¡
View notes
Text
another one down Helmut Zemo x reader x Bucky Barnes
+++++++++ Mostly Zemo but ends with Bucky, if you read it you'll see what I mean lol
Song: control freak by doll skin
tag list: @cynic-spirit +++++++++
The safe house was a beautiful sight to behold. It was minimalist but very lavish, something that absolutely screamed Helmut Zemo. From the colors used in the paintings on the walls to the furnishings placed ever so carefully around the large room. Even for just a safe house, not a intended, livable, home; everything seemed so meticulous and thought out.
"Do you like it?"
The baron inquired, motioning his hand for me to sit on the plush couch. I of course would be lying if I said I didn't. It was much nicer than any place I'd ever had the pleasure of staying, apart from maybe the compound but even that didn't have the same spark that this did. I couldn't help but gawk at the grand estate he'd lead us to stay in.
"It is nice, that's for sure."
I confessed, trying not boost his ego but catching the smug look on his face as he watched me sit. Another thing I'd noticed about him. Every move I made since I'd met them in Madripoor seemed to catch his eye, and then some. Not only did he carry himself with stature, he made sure he was always one step ahead, knowing you better than you knew yourself. Part of me wondered if he knew I found him attractive. The other part wanted me to stop thinking about it.
"I've seen better."
Bucky said slyly, pouring himself a drink. His whole body looked tense, angry even, like he was trying with every fiber in his being not to kill the man standing in front of me. And who knew, maybe he was.
"Sure you have."
I barely caught as Zemo mumbled under his breath. I glanced between the two of them. Bucky was staring daggers through the baron and his jaw was visibly tightening.
"What's the point of all this stuff anyways if it just sits around doing nothing?"
Buck grumbled, clearly annoyed. Similar to me Sam just sat and watched the little quarrel at hand.
"Usually it would not just be sitting around. But in case you forgot I've been a little busy elsewhere."
Zemo was stepping further and further away from me, seemingly challenging Bucky with every step he made.
"Back in my day you only needed one place to call home."
Bucky stepped closer. They were almost chest to chest.
"Back in your day-"
"This is not a pissing contest boys."
I interrupted, Sam sending me a look as I stood and walked to them. I looked between them both. Bucky was all but seething; and I'm sure it didn't help that Zemo looked as cool as ever, barely worked up or even irritated.
"I don't care what the two of you have to do to get through this but it had better happen sooner rather than later, because if I have to listen to you two bicker like an old married couple for five more minutes I am absolutely going to lose it. And I don't think any of us want that."
It came out a little more stern than I had intended but they knew exactly what I meant. My powers sort of permitted that, but of the three of them Bucky was the only one who'd ever seen it happen. Not to mention the only one who'd ever been able to come near me enough to calm me down.
"How about we all just get something to eat and go to our respective rooms for the night. Not another word nor topic need be talked about."
The suggestion didn't go unnoticed as Bucky side eyed me, looking to Sam sat at the table watching this play out in silence.
"I think that's the best idea you've had all day."
°°°°°°°°°
After dinner we were shown to different rooms upstairs. It was all just as elegant as the rest of the house but the thing I was most excited about was the large bed taking up the majority of the space I was in. The only thing that would've made it more perfect was if Bucky could manage to sneak his way in here and fall asleep in my arms like he did back home. Not that we were a thing, but we found comfort in each other, so often times he spent the night at my place. After the first couple times we realized how stupid it was to not stay in the same bed together and here recently that had become the new norm. That is until he left to take care of the Karli situation.
It didn't matter though, because we were back together again. Well, sort of. But even here I felt betrayed by my own body. Usually I thought solely about Bucky. He was my person whether I wanted to admit it or not, even if we'd never gone on a proper date or called it what it really was. But despite that, and despite myself, I was yearning. And I felt guilty about it because now I was doing something that felt worthy of guilt. I shouldn't be thinking about the baron the way I was that's for sure. God I needed to go to bed, to shower, to do anything that made me stop thinking about it. But then there was a knock at the door. My brows knitted together in confusion as I opened it, just the person I didn't want to see.
"I wanted to come make sure you were comfortable with your accommodations."
Helmut said, his hands clasped behind his back as he stood tall and stoic in front of me.
"Yes, thank you."
He nodded once, turning his body away from me like he was preparing to leave.
"Is there anything I could get for you before you turn in for the night?"
He asked and it hit me, the shame of wanting him to come in.
"Actually, would you mind showing me how the shower works, I would hate to accidently break it."
I let out a nervous laugh, one he rivaled with a toothy grin as I let him into my room.
"It would be my pleasure."
He sang, following me slowly to the bathroom. Once there he sat at the edge of the tub and looked up at me, a small smile now playing on his lips.
"You know, you seem to be a complicated little thing."
I drew my brows.
"How so?"
He shrugged, reaching over and turning the faucet on the right.
"Hot here, cold here, shower plug."
He instructed before turning it back off and standing up. I watched as he walked back out into the room and before he could leave I caught his arm.
"Wait."
I said quickly. I needed something answered.
"Please tell me what you mean. I've heard about you and I need to know why it's me that escapes you."
I confessed almost desperately.
"Of the heroes you are the one with the least information, no background, no comprised list of powers, and no track record. Apart from James' apparent desire to please you, you don't have a tether to anything or anyone. I admire that about you."
God the blood should not be rushing to the places that it is. he spoke so smoothly it was like my brain stopped working. But despite that, there was one thing that caught my attention.
"You think Bucky aims to please me?"
I asked almost embarrassed and he smirked at me.
"There are much better pleasures in this world than the ones he is offering you."
He said lowly, stepping closer and closing the gap between us. It took me a moment to realize but I'd been holding my breath as his gaze bore into my own.
"And what pleasures are those?"
It was quiet and reserved, and maybe a bit testing, though unintentional. The look he gave me following my statement told me everything I needed to know, but if I had any questions about it they were answered when he leaned down and kissed me gently. There was a pause at first, from both of us like he was waiting for me to pull away, but I didn't. When he realized that though he stepped closer, if that was even possible; one hand on my hip and the other placed gently at my jaw as he now kissed me with purpose.
Once again my brain stopped altogether and I couldn't focus on anything but him. My hands tailed slowly up his arms, one making its way into his hair and tugging lightly. The hum that escaped him made me smile before he pulled away. His eyes were darker now, a hunger behind them as he stared down at me.
"Pleasures you could never even imagine."
He recited, trailing his finger tips across my jaw. We were still in very close proximity and as I thought for a second to kiss him again it was like I was brought back to reality, pushing him away and covering my mouth with my hand.
"No."
I said, muffled, unbelieving myself and what I'd just done.
"I can't do this, not to him."
It came out a little more broken than i'd intended but then again that's kind of how it felt. He looked down, nodding once as he resumed the position I'd met him in, hands clasped behind his back.
"You have a commitment to him. I understand."
He said in a soft tone. I felt bad again but this time I couldn't quite tell why. It was like I was letting him down but he was right. I did have a commitment to Bucky, to be there for him like he was for me.
"He's the only one who understands me."
I croaked out, trying to find any other answers behind the barons eyes that I was right to feel the way I did.
"That could change."
He said matter-of-factly and suddenly the feeling in my gut changed.
"Maybe I don't want it to."
I snapped back, brows drawn in frustration that he would be so bold to suggest I pick him over Buck. I stepped to him, finger in his face as he walked backwards into the door.
"at the end of the day you'll be back behind bars. He has been nothing but amazing to me since we met, a true gentleman and a friend. That's not going to change just because you come along with your stupid fancy house and antique cars. He cares about me, and I him."
The rage behind my eyes must have told him all he needed to know after that, his hands in the air as he finally looked different than his usual cool self. I had to admit though that it was probably my powers coming through, when I got worked up or angry they had a tendency of showing up. But one thing we didn't need was me crushing him or his house into the ground. I shook the thought as I opened the door, motioning for him to leave. He stood in the doorway for a second though.
"It wouldn't matter anyway y/n, like you said, he cares about you."
When he looked to the side with a knowing glance my face dropped, watching in horror as he nodded.
"James."
He said, walking off and leaving me to my devices as Bucky came into view.
"So you don't mind that I don't have a fancy house and antique cars?"
I laughed out, a sound somewhere between angry and unbelieving, reaching for his hand and squeezing it lightly.
"Do you love me?"
I asked. There was a pause and I almost got worried, but the genuine smile that spread across his features tore that feeling away very quickly. He nodded before pulling me flush to him.
"I do."
He said and all my worries melted away. i couldnt believe id been so stupid.
"Do you?"
He asked, making me blush as I nodded back, snaking my arms around his neck.
"So frickin much."
"thats good, cause i was worried id lost you there for a second."
he confessed and i just closed my eyes, feeling him press his forehead to mine.
"you could never lose me."
i breathed against him, his lips ghosting over my own.
"promise?"
i bit my lip for only a second before crashing them into his, holding the back of his head in my hand as he held me tightly to him. when we pulled away i looked between his eyes, almost getting lost in them. i nodded slowly as he stared back down at me waiting for an answer.
"i promise."
#wattpad#x reader#baron zemo#helmut zemo#zemo#bucky barnes#james buchanan barnes#the winter soldier#white wolf#the falcon and the winter soldier#the falcon#captain america#imagines#one shots#marvel#322
58 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Van Zieks - the Examination, part 7
Warnings: SPOILERSÂ for The Great Ace Attorney: Chronicles. Additional warning for racist sentiments uttered by fictional characters (and screencaps to show these sentiments).
Disclaimer: (see Part 1 for the more detailed disclaimer.) - These posts are not meant to be taken as fact. Everything Iâm outlining stems from my own views and experiences. If you believe that Iâve missed or misinterpreted something, please let me know so I can edit the post accordingly. -The purpose of these posts is an analysis, nothing more. Please do not come into these posts expecting me to either defend Barok van Zieks from haters, nor expecting me to encourage the hatred. - Iâm using the Western release of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles for these posts, but may refer to the original Japanese dialogue of Dai Gyakuten Saiban if needed to compare whatâs said. This also means Iâm using the localized names and localized romanization of the names to stay consistent. -It doesnât matter one bit to me whether you like Barok van Zieks or dislike him. However, I will ask that everyone who comments refrains from attacking real, actual people.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
Back to the second game we go for The Return of the Great Departed Soul! (Part one, this is another two-parter case)
Episode 2-3: The Return of the Great Departed Soul
So now, chronologically, six months have passed since The Unspeakable Story. Susato returned to Japan at the end of the first game and hasn't returned yet. Ryu was reprimanded for all the perjury and the questionable McGilded defense, so he had his right to stand in court revoked for now and instead had to focus on studying English law some more. He's done so quite patiently and now he feels he's ready to return. He just needs to get Stronghart's permission first. Meanwhile, the Great Exhibition is happening in Hyde Park, pulling in visitors and scientists from all over the world. Exciting! (S)Holmes hands Ryu a newspaper with an article on the exhibition, talking about how the brighter things shine, the darker the shadows cast behind them. By now, Ryu is fluent enough in (S)Holmes speak to know this means he should flip over the newspaper. There, we find an article of an entirely different sort.
So not only was Van Zieks apparently attacked, Ryu shows horror and concern at the notion. No hard feelings from our wholesome boy! (S)Holmes explains that London's finest criminals often find ways to get acquittals from trials through bribery, threats, sham witnesses... We saw this in McGilded, of course, so we know all too well how dangerous that can get. But since the Reaper and his curse are immune to such tactics, when a ringleader or fellow ends up being 'taken' by the curse, retaliation can occur. So it's established that this isn't the first time Van Zieks has been attacked by a group of thugs. Fortunately, Van Zieks is an âaccomplished combatantâ who doesn't take these attacks lying down. Unfortunately, the thugs were carrying guns this time. Uhoh.
This warms my heart, it really does. Van Zieks has been a terrible scumbag, but Ryu doesn't think he's gotten his comeuppance at all. He's genuinely concerned for this man and intends to find out more about his condition. So since he was planning to meet with Stronghart and ask for attorney permission anyway, it's the perfect opportunity to also ask about Van Zieks! Iris decides to tag along because she wants to visit the Great Exhibition. Let's shove the newspaper in Stronghart's face as soon as the game allows it.
The phrasing of ânumber one prosecutorâ is interesting, but then... We never learn of any other (living) veteran prosecutors in this country, so of course Van Zieks would be number one. Stronghart says there's no need for concern; Van Zieks would not be so easily dispatched. Street ruffians are no match for him, since he's a very capable fighter. Seems like that sword he carries around isn't just for show after all. As for why he was attacked this time... Well, a month ago Van Zieks prosecuted a leader of a criminal organization. Nice to know he didn't just return to retirement and instead got back to work like a normal person without cherrypicking his cases based on what Ryu's doing. The defendant was acquitted, no doubt thanks to large sums of money being shifted around behind the scenes, but he still met a dramatic end just yesterday during an accident at the Great Exhibition. The man in question was Odie Asman, and the one now being detained on suspicion of murder without a defense attorney is Professor Albert Harebrayne. Albert's case has just been assigned to Ryu, so we're sure to find out more about Asman as we go. As as final touch, Ryu asks Stronghart why he continues to use Van Zieks as a prosecutor. Since the criminals are becoming fearful of the curse and attacking him, it's dangerous to Van Zieks himself. Stronghart explains that he has two reasons: Firstly, Van Zieks is the best prosecutor in the capital, bar none. And secondly, any deaths that have occurred outside the courtrooms after his trials have nothing to do with him. (S)Holmes alluded to the same thing, saying that Van Zieks had a rock-hard alibi for each and every mysterious death.
âSo he will continue to prosecute on behalf of the Crown. ...Unless he wishes otherwise, of course.â With that, Stronghart admits he needs to get going since he's already 11 hours late to his next appointment (fsdkjfls). Ryu asks where he might be able to find Van Zieks and is told to head to his office. So even after being told that Van Zieks is just fine, Ryu is still concerned and wants to discuss the matter with the man himself. Let's gooo! Naturally, the first thing out of Van Zieks's mouth when he catches Ryu and Iris in his office is to wonder what the heck they're doing here.
So there's several things of interest in the office, with the game automatically addressing the biggest one: Van Zieks has an apprentice now! It's a mysterious, rigid dude wearing a hood and a mask who is absolutely not familiar to us, nope. We don't know him. Gosh, what a mystery. Van Zieks doesn't seem to know who he is either, instead just referring to him as his apprentice and nothing more.
Ryu sees this as an opening to ask about the attack on the Reaper that was in the newspaper. Van Zieks admits that he too is very interested in the true identity of the Reaper. âAssuming, that is, such a fabled fiend genuinely inhabits our great courtrooms.â The conversation halts for a moment so we can examine the office and this is the best opportunity for humanizing traits we've gotten so far, so LET'S DO IT! The enormous portrait in the back is the first thing to peek at.
Iris says whoever painted it exaggerated the subject's handsomeness, which in turn is reminiscent of Napoleon ordering the painter to make him look more attractive. That's super vain and not an attractive quality in a person at all. I laughed the whole way through that bit of dialogue and Van Zieks, who was in earshot the entire time, gets his feathers ruffled.
When Ryu asks who it is then, Van Zieks doesn't reply. BACKSTORY ALERT! Examining the chalices and bottles on the left leads to Van Zieks explaining the hallowed bottles are filled with the finest grapes from the finest vineyards he visits (so it is grape juice!!!) and he personally oversees the chalices being made by the finest crystal craftsmen in the world. Right, so not only is he filthy stinkin' rich, he's a perfectionist. Iris points out that Van Zieks throws the chalices and bottles around like they're worthless, to which Van Zieks says:
âBefore you open your mouth next time, you should consider the poor artisans whose work you defile.â
As it turns out, passive aggression is contagious now. Ryu replies with a âSo it's my fault? Silly me! How could I ever have thought otherwise?â and honestly I love that he's got enough guts to say this out loud. Our boy is growing a spine. Examining the wine casks has Ryu and Iris theorize about how there might be dead bodies in there, which once again ruffles Van Zieks's feathers.
Snrk. Examining the big diorama in the middle of the room has Ryu and Iris wonder whether Van Zieks can't go to the Exhibition in person and this is his way of dealing with that, which has Van Zieks snap that it's obviously an investigative aid. Â He even has pets of sorts in his office, in the form of a couple of bats hanging from the curtains. Alright, so the game's definitely humanizing this poor man now. No matter how many crazy stories Iris and Ryu come up with about him, there's usually a very innocent explanation to debunk the eerie myths. Something particularly interesting happens when Ryu shows Van Zieks his defense attorney armband. Van Zieks asks what the reason is for showing it to a British prosecutor, to which Ryu admits that he doesn't quite know. Van Zieks is silent for a bit, then says that he understands. âThere's merit in reminding yourself of who helped you become what you are today.â
As he says it, he reaches for his prosecutor's badge and if you're aware of the backstory, you'll know he's thinking of Klint. More importantly, this conversation puts Ryu and Van Zieks on the same level. Ryu is always thinking of Kazuma, who 'helped him become who he is today' and the armband signifies this, along with the sword. Similarly, Van Zieks lost someone very close to him and he's walking the path of prosecutor in his brother's memory. Ryu thanks Van Zieks for understanding and it's very significant that Van Zieks understands in the first place. Remember, in the first game he was under the impression that a Japanese person could never understand a British person and vice versa.
Showing Van Zieks the newspaper article has him looking a bit embarrassed, pointing out that a reporter must've been nearby and he'd been careless to let himself get photographed. Either way, all the thugs responsible have already been apprehended. The investigation into Odie Asman's activities meant that their arrests were already imminent anyway, and some hoped to kill Van Zieks before that happened. Much like McGilded, Asman used his wealth to buy his way towards an acquittal in court, but âhe got his comeuppance in the end.â Which is strange, right? Very suspicious. Van Zieks asks whether Ryu believes he has some sort of divine ability to make an accident like that happen. Ryu admits that would be far-fetched, and thinks to himself that even if Van Zieks were the Reaper, he'd have to be innocent of this particular death. We also learn that Van Zieks is familiar with Professor Harebrayne, the suspect in the Asman incident. When told that Ryu will be taking on the defense, Van Zieks is shocked.
Van Zieks goes on to explain that he knows Albert quite well. They were at university together. While he's lived in Germany for quite a few years, Albert is actually from a respectable British family. And despite Albert being in the science faculty and Van Zieks in law, they got along quite well. Now he's in pretty hot water for that Asman accident.
Hm. I don't quite know what to make of this reaction. I think what's going on here isn't that Van Zieks is rattled because Albert is being defended by a Japanese person, but because he's being defended by a rookie attorney who was just disbarred for six months for accidentally encouraging perjury, false witness and crime scene tampering in a court of law. Yes, Ryu has won his trials every single time, but it came at a price. Aside from this, there's one other thing Van Zieks knows about Ryu: he'll pursue the truth, no matter what. This means that if Albert indeed didn't succeed at inventing teleportation, it'll be revealed in court because exposing shams is Ryu's whole deal.
We learn that Van Zieks will be the one to prosecute Albert tomorrow, which is curious to say the least. Ryu wants to know why he'd do something like that, with Iris pointing out that so long as the Reaper is the prosecutor, Albert is doomed. Van Zieks replies that he's a Crown prosecutor and a mortal like any other; he's no demigod. In other words, he doesn't believe the curse to be a real curse. Iris points out that everyone who's been prosecuted by Van Zieks has died (which is already objectively wrong), to which Van Zieks replies that he usually prosecutes the vilest wretches of society.
⌠Harsh. Ryu points out that Soseki wasn't a vile wretch though, with Iris chiming in that Gina's also turned her life around and she's working very hard now. Van Zieks admits that things have changed ever since meeting Ryu- which of course has to do with Van Zieks's need to face Ryu in court even in mediocre trials rather than pursue his usual corrupted targets- but the point is that if any of those vile wretches died in mysterious circumstances, it was âat the hand of their own kindâ, not Van Zieks's. So basically, he believes that they were killed because they were dubious people engaged with dubious activities, not because of the Reaper's curse. Not only that, but ever since the rumors of the Reaper began, the number of serious crimes in London has decreased significantly. Even the most hardened criminals can be made fearful of their lives. Therefore, if his pseudonym of the Reaper can serve a useful purpose, he'll âadopt it gladly and with honourâ. Ryu repeats that which he already told Stronghart; that it's putting Van Zieks in danger.
He really is a prosecutor on the edge with nothing to lose, huh. So what Van Zieks is basically saying is that he doesn't care if he dies, so long as he spends the rest of his life serving the 'useful purpose' of carrying the Reaper moniker to intimidate the vilest of society. But is that really all there is to it? (Spoilers: It's not)
There's a bit more talk about the mysterious apprentice here, with Van Zieks explaining the man was placed in his care under Stronghart's orders. He's wearing a mask on Stronghart's orders and also doesn't speak to anyone from outside the office on Stronghart's orders. HM. Van Zieks claims that Stronghart isn't one for âmeaningless folliesâ, therefore he must have a good reason. This implies that Van Zieks believes in Stronghart's judgment almost blindly. To round up the conversation, Van Zieks asks about âthat Nipponese man. The one arrested twice in succession six months ago. With the stoop. And the moustache. And the jitters.â Looks super offensive at first glance, but I gotta admit, after six months I wouldn't remember Soseki's name either. Better to describe him than to guess the name and get it wrong. Still though, just because it's not super offensive doesn't mean it's not offensive. Just saying âthe one you defended six months agoâ would've done the trick. Either way, Ryu says he's doing just fine and a letter from him arrived by post just the other day.
So this is interesting. Earlier, Van Zieks claimed in his own words that he doesn't believe in the curse and those who died had it coming to them, but he's still inquiring after Soseki. Perhaps not so much because he's worried about Soseki himself, but because he's curious whether this man has successfully escaped the curse so far. He would know that for a fact about Gina, but the only way to verify Soseki's status is to ask Ryu about it.
Time to leave this glass cage of exposition and meet the defendant in person! Albert spouts a whole lot of dialogue about how his machine is treated differently depending on whether the case is treated as an accident or as murder. If it's murder, it can be examined up close and that's what Albert doesn't want. It has to be treated as an accident so that it'll be protected from prying eyes through The Special Dispensation for Scientific Equipment Act (wow that's a mouthful). Of course, that's not entirely what we're interested in. Let's ask about his friendship with Van Zieks! Ryu asks what he was like back in his university days and the answer surprises him.
HAH, wonderfully written exchange, this one. Albert goes to describe him as âthe little darling of the Van Zieks family, with all its great aristocratic originsâ. So Van Zieks has some very noble blood in him. We could've already guessed this from his title of Lord, but apparently it's a bit more serious. I could derail here with wild theories about his family originating from the Netherlands and having migrated to the UK around the time the first king of the Netherlands, Willem I van Oranje Nassau, rose to power in 1813. Willem changed the way nobility works to some degree in the country and not all noble families would've agreed with his way of doing things. But anyway, point is, Van Zieks is a big shot. Albert says that it was kind of a shock to him when he came back to Britain and discovered 'what Van Zieks had become'. He heard that there was 'a very big event' that completely changed Van Zieks after his graduation, but doesn't know what it was because he was already in Germany at the time. So here we have some more traces of that backstory and we have enough pieces to start sticking some things together. We know Van Zieks was once betrayed by a friend and we now know he was a very modest, pleasant gentleman when he was young. Whatever happened must've been very harsh indeed to turn him into such a sour lemon. Either way, Albert doesn't seem to know yet that Van Zieks will be the prosecutor and Ryu doesn't have the heart to tell him.
So let's investigate the crime scene! Here, it's confirmed that Gina Lestrade is indeed just fine and now in training to become a detective with Gregson. Cute! So eventually we get to talk to Gregson about Van Zieks and how he's acquainted with Albert. Gregson is overdramatically shocked to find out that the two of them are old buddies.
Remember when Van Zieks took a five year hiatus and nobody had to mysteriously die from the Reaper's curse? Those were the days, eh Gregson? Now he's even prosecuting his own friends willy-nilly. Gregson states he has no idea what goes on in Van Zieks's head  (a sentiment we've heard before in 1-4) and goes on to bring up the newspaper article about Van Zieks being attacked. When told that our good old pal the Reaper is just fine, Gregson utters a very uncomfortable âglad to hear itâ which honestly had me wondering whether he'd preferred Van Zieks to die.
Up until a certain someone gets killed and stuffed into a suitcase, I'd reckon. Gregson says that Van Zieks is a top class prosecutor, but not even he can always push the right verdict through. âSometimes justice can't win.â Gregson explains that naturally, Scotland Yard suspected Van Zieks at first and assumed he was taking matters into his own hands. There was a very thorough investigation and the outcome was that Van Zieks was in no way related to the mysterious deaths. So that's three people now who all insist Van Zieks couldn't possibly have committed the murders. Gregson says he's willing to stake his reputation on it, even. Of course, Gregson would know for sure, wouldn't he? But the narrative is telling us over and over that Van Zieks himself isn't the Reaper, with even Van Zieks himself implying he'd like to know just who the Reaper is. There's a conspiracy happening that Van Zieks is the centerpiece of, with the narrative really pushing the mystery aspect of it. The writers want us to care about the truth of the Reaper for sure.
OOOH that's meta! Ryu, being nosy and overly invested in Van Zieks's life, asks Gregson whether he knows about the 'incident' which changed Van Zieks after graduation.
Okay he clearly knows. Even a first time player can tell from this single reaction that Gregson's lying. The mystery thickens! At the end of the conversation, when Gregson's gone off, Iris recommends asking (S)Holmes about it instead. Safe bet, since (S)Holmes continuously knows more than he's letting on. To the house of wax we go! When asked about it, it's clear that he does know something (and is described as suddenly clamming up), but before he can explain there's a distraction in the form of Madam Tusspells and we have to sit through a mostly-unrelated Joint Reasoning segment. It leads into a conversation about a mass murderer known as the Professor. Ten years ago, there was a series of murders which rocked the capital right around the time Van Zieks graduated from university. Five people were killed before the man was caught and executed. This fifth victim was Klint van Zieks, Barok's older brother.
I really, really dislike this phrasing because Van Zieks was already studying law to begin with. He'd just graduated as a prosecutor; his brother's death had nothing to do with him pursuing that path. Anyway...
OOOH that's meta! So remember way back in the first essay when I said the backstory is optional? Well, here it is. The Great Ace Attorney is going all in for it. It's being tied to the ongoing plot, just as pretty much all the main prosecutor backstories are. Edgeworth's backstory is tied to Von Karma being the final boss, Godot's backstory is tied to the Fey lineage, Klavier's backstory (I say this lightly) is tied to Phoenix's disgrace... Now Van Zieks's story is tied to the serial killer who ruined so many lives a decade ago. And technically, we already have all the puzzle pieces we need for the next twist; we know Van Zieks was betrayed by a Japanese person who was his friend. So really, we can now say with absolutely certainty that the man arrested and executed back then was a Japanese buddy of Van Zieks.
The investigation segment is pretty much over, but the game has one more scene for us. This is something Ryunosuke won't witness, but the scriptwriters deemed it so important that we're ignoring Ryu to focus solely on the two characters involved. And cutting away from our main character is something that usually doesn't happen in Ace Attorney. Even when characters like Phoenix or Ryu are out of commission for whatever reason, a new 'main character' takes over for a second and we see everything from their point of view. I can think of only one other scene viewed without Ryu there, which happened in 1-5 just before Susato had to leave London. So what we have here is a very private moment between Van Zieks and Albert.
AWWW... The scenes in the office were great and all, but this right here is perhaps the most humanizing exchange we'll ever see with Barok. The reason for that, I think, is precisely because Ryu isn't there. He's alone with an old friend now, which means he can let his guard down more than he usually would. Even so, it's worth noting here that he doesn't look directly at Albert. He stands with his back to him the entire time and I'm certain this is intentional, because they could just as easily have rotated him into that sideways view that's often used in dialogue and courtroom scenes. He made his way down to the gaol to speak with his friend after ten long years, but is reluctant to look right at him. The conversation itself feels rather distant as well. Albert is delighted to see Van Zieks, but the sentiment isn't returned vocally. Van Zieks points out that they're meeting again âin prison of all placesâ and that the court will decide Albert's fate tomorrow. When Van Zieks raises a warning, Albert says he already knows his friend will be prosecuting and doesn't appear bothered at all at first. He does try to raise a question in the form of âAre you really...?â, but ultimately drops it and says that he knows Van Zieks has his best interests at heart. Van Zieks says he wouldn't entrust the trial of his friend to anyone else, and Albert thanks him for that. So my first guess upon taking in that dialogue is that Albert wonders for a brief moment whether Van Zieks really is the Reaper/really is cursed, only to shake it off because he considers the man his friend. Van Zieks seems to know it's risky to prosecute Albert, but deems it more important to handle the case himself than to let someone else do it. This, as we learn later, has to do with the Special Dispensation for Scientific Equipment Act and the protection of Albert's scientific secrets.
Next day, we're at the Old Bailey! In the defendant lobby, Ryu is once again told by Albert that the true goal to aim for in this trial is to protect his scientific hypothesis. So hypothetically speaking, the ideal outcome here would be to prove the death was accidental and that the kinesis was a success at the same time. (S)Holmes and Iris don't believe Albert's theory to be sound though, instead saying it couldn't possibly be done. In the courtroom, Ryu faces off against Van Zieks once more for the first time in six months! The judge is quick to point out that Odie Asman is a name familiar to him; a man who was prosecuted only a month ago by Van Zieks. When he asks whether this death is the work of the Reaper, Van Zieks instead describes it as âdivine retributionâ, but also âa direct result of the actions of the accused, Professor Albert Harebrayneâ. The prosecution asserts that the instantaneous kinesis demonstration was a success. He himself can't say for certain whether it's a sound theory, but it's being investigated by the British government since it was deemed to have potential and the prosecution's case aligns with the notion that there was indeed instantaneous- You know what? Let's just call it teleportation. That's easier to type.
Unfortunately, Van Zieks doesn't want to follow the accident angle. Instead, he outright accuses his old friend of murdering Asman using the totally-functional-teleportation-machine-which-totally-worked to be the sole benefactor of a scientific grant. Harsh. Very harsh. I don't entirely understand why he didn't pursue the accident angle instead, but then, I don't quite know enough about law. My guess is that as the prosecution, he's not allowed to. Scotland Yard found enough evidence at the scene to substantiate a murder plot, especially that damning screwdriver that Ryu so graciously handed to Gregson, so that's what the prosecution has to go with, maybe? It's up to the defense attorney to debunk that down to an accident, then, so in essence Van Zieks is counting on Ryu to 'defeat him' and prove the murder aspect wrong. It would align with the conversation Albert had with Van Zieks in prison, where he said that 'it was a terrible accident and the young Eastern man acting as his defence assured him that he can prove it'.
So speaking of that screwdriver, Albert tries to discredit it himself by saying that if he had stabbed Asman on the stage, there would've been a whole lot of blood. Van Zieks pours himself a glass of wine and 'congratulates' his friend on a good rebuttal.
âHere's to you, Albert!â
Albert laughs it off sheepishly, saying he's nothing compared to âBarokâ (awww, first name basis), but a chalice is immediately flung. Van Zieks says Albert neglected to mention one crucial possibility, which is that the lack of blood is explained by the notion that the screwdriver remained in the victim's chest to plug the wound. Therefore, since the demonstration was totally a success, the screwdriver was teleported along with the victim. Ryu thinks to himself that he had no idea the victim had been stabbed and wonders whether Van Zieks kept that information to himself to keep the upper hand on purpose. This whole thing jars me a little, because the screwdriver is brought up relatively early in the trial during the very first cross-examination. Is not mentioning it during the opening statement and waiting for Gregson to bring it up three minutes later really the same as 'keeping it to himself to gain the upper hand'?
Either way, Ryu counters, saying that the screwdriver was found at the stage and therefore didn't teleport at all, with Gregson serving as an official witness to this location. It's pretty clear from the next dialogue that Gregson never told Van Zieks where that screwdriver was found.
âThat you contravened the Special Dispensation for Scientific Equipment Act?â
Gregson is immediately up in arms, but it's fine. There was no investigation needed to find a screwdriver lying in plain sight. So now Ryu decides to tighten the screws. He claims that if the prosecution can't explain the inconsistency (the screwdriver being found on the stage but no blood being there so clearly it must've plugged the wound), the testimony is unreliable. Van Zieks doesn't reply and Ryu thinks to himself that he looks stumped, but uh...
He just looks annoyed to me. The person to object next is not Van Zieks, it's Albert. He says that metal can't be teleported with the machine, so it only makes sense the screwdriver stayed behind and there's no inconsistency at all. Van Zieks suggests: âClearly we should hear the accused's explanation. ⌠Or should I say, this brilliant scientist's explanation?â And I think here in these two sentences we have the crux of the issue. Albert wants to be treated as a legitimate scientist above all else. Even if that means he's branded a murderer, so long as his hypothesis is protected and the confidentiality stands, it makes no difference to him. This was likely discussed with Van Zieks the night before as well. Albert is apparently willing to die for the sake of his scientific principles and... Well. I'm sure Van Zieks can understand. He's willing to die for the sake of serving the Reaper purpose. In a way, this means the defendant and the prosecution are in cahoots together, which is another first in Ace Attorney history. The two of them are fighting to keep the hypothesis of teleportation intact and if Ryu manages to prove that it was an accidental death, then great! Unfortunately, the second that screwdriver was discovered, the chances of that became slim to none. It was murder, plain and simple. On a sidenote, I found this little gem:
I'm counting this as humanization, because the underlying sentiment here is that despite his haughty better-than-thou attitude, Van Zieks is still friends with someone so very scatterbrained, his name is forgotten sometimes. Even Ryu is taken aback by the purity of the friendship.
Heh heh... Time to cause some more havoc by informing the court that Asman's metal-rimmed glasses were still on his face and since Albert already said metal can't be teleported, his hypothesis is a load of tosh. The jurors go up in arms about it, saying the machine should be stripped down and examined. The game gives Ryu the option to either raise an objection or 'wait and see', but this is another one of those fake choices. Waiting and seeing just leads to a bit more dialogue between the jurors before Ryu steps in of his own accord. He says Albert would have no reason to build such an elaborate fake machine and put on a public display for murder, but Van Zieks counters with the very good reason: Money. The jurors are even more outraged, calling him a fake scientist who's only in it for the guineas, and Albert begs them to believe that his science is built upon a sound hypothesis. Van Zieks comes in to 'save the day' (sort of).
âThe fact remains that the victim was transported instantly to the Crystal Tower. Which means that the experiment... was a success.â
And I gotta say, this next bit is just very enjoyable to me. The way it's written is so great.
HEH HEH.... Van Zieks has some more witnesses to summon who saw the incident from some 'very special seats', but let's end the essay here for now and pick it back up next time!
25 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Into the Dark Tamaki x Fem! Reader
A/N: WOW this took fucking FOREVER, But Iâm super proud of it! I didnât proof read the last bit cause Iâm LAZY but I hope yall like it!
This is in a  Apocalypse AU. There are no Quirks in this AU. Female Reader
TW: NSFW, Gore, Death, Violence, Some Blood, SelfHarm ish, Kinda Angsty
Tag list: @strawbirbâ @heroheadsâ @caprisun-caloriesâ @hummusatuneâ @honeytamaâ @we-mentally-unstableâ @redflannelâ @engel-hageshii
Check out the others here!: https://lady-bakuhoe.tumblr.com/post/620733945423740928/here-is-another-nsfw-collaboration-for-the-bnharem
Word Count: 4.3 k ish
------------------------------------------------------------------
The irony of the situation was not lost on you. It has been over a year since the mysterious disease that spread worldwide had first come around. There was no real name for this infection other than calling those who were infected âVampiresâ or âThe Dead Onesâ. Thereâs only one real way of being infected and that's to have one of the infectedâs blood mix with your own in some way or another. They always show the same feature. Sharp teeth and claws, inhuman speed, strength and the most dangerous of them all, a never ending hunger for human blood. So strong that the âvampiresâ become bloodthirsty and violent monsters who are more than willing to tear into the throats or limbs of their loved ones to quench an almost never ending need for the crimson liquid. Once infected there was no way of turning back. Mostly because you were, in fact dead as a doornail. You canât reverse death.
When the disease first came around the only option was to kill them. Despite their strength and speed it wasnât so hard. They were weak to the sun and always burned in a horrific way into ash. The smell of burning flesh was so strong around that time. Another way to kill them was to take off their heads. Which wasnât as easy. They could heal their bodies quickly and if you miss it almost guaranteed your death by the monster.
Once they were changed they were no longer the one you loved or knew. Most arenât even sure if they remember who they were before they were changed. They attack with no remorse. So they ended the same way.
  Which is why you find your situation so.. Disheartening. You sat on the wooden crate staring at the dark haired man in front of you. Tamaki Amajiki was someone who you didnât know well before this whole event happened. His anxiety was an ever flooding emotion that got in his way of making friends. He sat next to you in your animal science class and his shyness always made it difficult to start a conversation with the man. Despite this your heart would always flutter at the sound of his soft voice whenever he did speak. When he did speak his passion was conveyed in a way like no other. You could see it in his dark colored eyes. The sparkle in them when he talked about how he wanted to become a vet to help animals in need.
His kindness didnât stop at animals though, he was also incredibly kind to people as well. More than willing to help others in need. Which is how you both ended up in this situation. Tamaki was chained to the brick wall. The gray metal shined dimly in the little candle light there was. You watched him softly as small whines of pain left his lips. You hated to see him this way.
  While out gathering supplies you were attacked and Tamaki protected you. Unfortunately he was badly injured from it. You donât know how but at some point the vampire must have bled onto Tamaki, because now heâs on the floor in front of you as one of the infected. You know that youâre supposed to get rid of them. To stop the spread of this, but over the year you have spent together you had fallen deeply in love with the timid dark haired man. You couldnât bring yourself to hurt him. So instead you chained him up in the basement of a cabin that the two of you had found way out into the forest in the mountains away from the dangerous cities.
This was a stupid thing to do, this could get you killed but the fear of death didnât scare you. Tamaki would never hurt you. He is far too kind and caring to do that. Not on purpose anyways.
When you first met him one year ago he was timid but had a kind heart that you found to be his best trait. Over the time that you had spent with him you learned more things about him. You learned he looked up to his best friend Mirio. You learned how hard Tamaki worked. You could see the passion in his eyes, you knew no matter how much anxiety he had that Tamaki would do his best no matter what.
You thought that heâd become a great vet. That was before everything went to hell. When this mysterious disease first appeared it spread fast and took down large cities, Like Tokyo, New York and Shanghai in only a matter of days. Law enforcement and medical workers were affected first since they came to the aid of those injured and infected. Without reinforcements and medical care many people died or were unprotected. The âvampires; were mindless and violent. No one was sure if they could even talk or communicate in any other way other than ungodly screaming. Like the hunger they suffered was so painful they could feel it in their very souls.. If they had one anymore that is. They attack any and all without prejudice. Blood covered the streets and the inside of homes. It was clear to most that leaving the city was the best option. If only it had been that easy.
You did what most people did and packed up your car to leave. You didnât pack much, some clothes, pictures, food and water. You knew this would last a long time and packing light was your best option. It hurt to leave some of your things, to leave precious memories behind, but at this moment, survival was what was important. You didnât have any family or much friends for that matter. Not anymore. All of the streets leading out of the city were packed with cars as far as you could see. It seems you werenât the only one with common sense. After an hour night fell over the streets like a suffocating blanket, you felt uneasy. Nothing was moving.. Why werenât the cars moving?
That's when you heard it. Screaming, it wasnât just from one person. It was from many. Young and old, men and women. All their screams echoed down the packed streets. You panicked and slid into your back seat grabbing canned food, water, a shirt and pants into a backpack and slung it over your shoulder, there was no way in hell you were gonna sit here like a pig to the slaughter. You exited your car with a machete in hand and weaved and dodged around cars keeping low. How could you have been so stupid? You put yourself in a bad position. Surrounded by people in a place you couldnât move, you needed to get out of here.
You didnât want to die. Not yet, you wanted to do so much. Â You wanted to be so much. Though those plans are ruined now that you look back. You were disoriented by a scream. This scream wasnât far away. In fact this scream was right behind you. You turned and saw it standing over the body of a young woman. You could hear her downing in her own blood as that thing tore into her throat with a god awful sound that you could never describe in a way that would truly express how horrid it was. No amount of horror movies could prepare you for a sound like that. One that made your stomach turn and your heart break. The glass of her car window laid on the ground, her hands gripping at it, like she was trying to look for some sort of weapon to protect herself. You could see the desperate fight in her eyes. One of someone, who wasnât ready to die yet. Soon her body went limp. Her blood colored the street and her car like paint.
You slid behind a car and covered your mouth. You wanted to sob, scream or try to help her but you knew there was no helping her, she was gone. You steadied your breathing and looked around. Was that the only vampire here right now? Was there still hope of getting the fuck out of this situation? You couldnât keep yourself still, you wanted to run. You wanted to get out of there. You didnât want to be like her. Suddenly you felt something on your neck, something that both terrified you and sent your heart into despair. The smell of copper heavy on its rotting breath. You turned your head to see it staring at you with sharp golden eyes that practically glowed in the darkness that surrounds you.
It was mere inches from you, and yet your body wouldnât move. Fear etched its way into your bones and muscles stiling you like a statue. Your eyes moved down to its fangs. Itâs mouth twisted into some sort of sick grin as its clawed and disfigured hand reached out towards you. That's when the situation hit you. You need to fucking MOVE. Â NOW. It was like the cement in your bones disappeared as you bolted from your hiding place. You had never moved so fast in your life your legs and lungs burned as raced around cars and people.
Just as you thought you had gotten away you feel a sharp pain in your side and your legs turn to jelly under you. Your face hits the rough asphalt hard, bits of rock digging into your hands, knees and cheek. The matchette you once held thrown out of reach. You let out a whimper of pain. Not from the fall but the burning hot pain in your side. Like someone pushed hot steel through your skin. The taste of copper filled your mouth. A string of curses leaves your lips as you desperately try to crawl away. This wasnât how you were going to die. Not by one of those things. You were NOT going to be an unsatisfying meal to one of those vampires.
You felt something grab your leg with sharp dagger like nails digging into your ankle. You kick at it with your other leg screaming as you desperately try to fight. âIs this karma?â You thought. â Am I being punished for standing by while others died in front of me?â A sob wrecked through your body as you turned clawing at the ground trying to reach for your only weapon.
âL-LEAVE HER ALONE!â the familiar erupted through the night. It felt like everything was in slow motion as you turned to see the face of the timid man who used to sit next to you in your class and the now headless vampire who had your life in itâs hands.
Before you could even react to what had just happened you were wrapped into Tamakiâs arms and lifted up. Tamaki didnât say a word. In fact he didn't even really look at you as he ran through the cars and into the grass that separated the road and the thick forest that leads to the mountains. His breathing was uneven and panicked as he bolted past the tree line and into the dark forest.
That was how the two of you ended up together in such a fucked up situation. The two of you wandered through the forest for days until the two of you found an abandoned cabin at the base of the mountains, the thickest part of what seemed like a never ending woodland. Your wounds werenât too bad and with the little medical knowledge Tamaki had from class he was able to patch you up. As the weeks went by the two of you became closer. Â
The more you were with him the more you fell in love with him, and he also fell for you just as hard. On cold nights youâd sleep close to him with his arms wrapped around you. At the time. The small things you two did together made it seem like the world hasnât fallen apart. Like Everything was okay.
But now. Your world was falling apart all over again. The one person you had, the last person you had in the fucked up world was now one of the vampires. The pain of this realization twisted in your chest. Being stabbed again would hurt less than to watch your love cry out and whimper on the floor, begging for something to eat. But you knew it wasn't food he wanted. Unfortunately the blood of animals didnât work. Instead it only made him sick and hurt him more. You want to stop his pain. You want to ease his hunger. There was only one way to do that.
You pulled out a pocket knife from your jacket pocket. You pulled off your jacket and tossed it on the cold cement floor. Tamaki looked up at you from the floor, his reddened eyes scanning your form. âW- ⌠What are you doing?â His vision is blurred from pain filled tears but he could clearly see the gleam of the pocket in the dim candle light. He knew exactly what you were going to do. He didnât want that. Tamaki shifted from his laid down position and tried to move towards you. âS-Stop donât do that!â The chains pull tightly, stopping him from moving closer.
âTamaki.. Youâre in so much pain. I just want to help you.â You look at him softly as you open the pocket knife and put the blade to your wrist. âI can give you some of my blood. Animal blood is only hurting you more, it makes you sick!â
Tamaki pulls at the metal confindments roughly. The thought of you hurting yourself for him made his chest burn in despair. This was his fault. He got infected and now youâre suffering for his mistakes. âIâm infected. Iâm already sick. Donât ⌠Donât hurt yourself for me, bunnyâ He looks at you with sadden eyes as he watches you intently. It made him feel sick that part of him wanted it, that he could smell your scent no matter how far away you were. A sickly sweet smell of burning sugar or incense. One that he craves to always have near him. It only made him hunger for your blood more. To be buried in your scent and devour you whole.
His heart sank as he saw beads of crimson blood slide down your perfect skin. You slowly make your way towards Tamaki with your arm outstretched. âTamaki Please.â the crack in your voice spoke volumes about how you felt. This is your fault. You wanted to help him, he was in pain because you lost focus, because you didnât check your surroundings. You had your head in the clouds and forgot what kind of world you live in now.
âJust drink it, Tama.â Â Tamaki looked away from you and moved back. âN-no. I canât. I don't want this..â He swiftly turns away and leans his head on the wall behind him. He wraps his arms around himself like if he didnât heâd fall apart right there. You wrap your arms around him and lean your head against his back. You felt his body tense under your arms. At this point it didnât matter to you that he may be dangerous. This is Tamaki. A man you loved more than anything, whose kindness knew no boundaries. Â Nothing would change that, here he is, in an unbearable kind of pain youâd never understand. A never ending hunger you'll never feel, but he still refuses. Heâs different. He isnât like anyone else. He may be a âvampireâ now but heâs still the gentle man, with the same soft eyes and caring hands.
âIâm sorry, Tama. This is all my fault. Youâre like this because of me.. I just wanted to help you.â Â Tamaki starts to shake a small groan escaping his lips. âI-I .. You need to move away from me...â
âNo.â You rub your face into his shoulder, trying to fight off the tears. âIâm not going anywher-â Â your words are cut short by a sudden and swift movement from Tamaki pushing you into the freezing brick wall. You never saw Tamaki as being particularly big. He always slouched into himself making him seem much smaller than what he really was. But in this moment he loomed over you, his dark eyes almost shining red in the soft yellow light. Youâd be lying if a small bit of fear didnât grip you in its paralyzing claws.
Tamaki grabbed your hand, the blood from the cut you made earlier smeared across your arm and hand. His thumb moved carefully over the red and raised skin. He never breaks his gaze from your arm as he brings it closer to his trembling lips. Â Tamaki didnât want this. He needed this. Overwhelming guilt flooded him as his pale lips pressed against the fresh cut. He couldnât hold back any longer, the smell of copper and your overstimulating scent made his head spin. Â
You bring your other arm up and run your fingers gently through his indigo locks. Your face twists slightly with pain as Tamakiâs tongue runs across your self made injury. The crimson honey sliding along this tongue and down throat. It was almost intoxicating, it was addicting. He wanted more. The normally reserved man pressed into you his grip on your arm tightens as he locks his lips around the source of his pleasure. He slides his knee in between your legs, a soft groan radiating from deep in this throat.
âTama-.. ki?â A heat rushes to your cheeks as soon as you see the look in his eyes. Not the same look he used to have. He has a much darker expression now as his lips release from your wrist and he pressed his forehead to yours. The smell of the rouge liquid heavy on his breath as he leans in closer to your lips. His hands move down to your hips and pulled you flush against his growing bludge. You gasp slightly as his lips lock with yours in a needy and sloppy kiss.
Tamaki bites your bottom lip asking for entrance that you gladly gave him. He slid his tongue into your mouth and the taste of your own blood filled your mouth. There were so many things running through your head at the moment. Should you even be doing this? Was this okay?
You grab onto Tamakiâs shirt to tug him closer to you. The heat of the kiss was leaving you breathless, your mind was reeling from lack of air and the pang of need that radiated from in between your legs. Youâve never done something like this with Tamaki. Youâve never really kissed him before, because heâs always become far too nervous and would hide away. Now here he is taking your breath away in a way you never thought he could. Or would do.
The way Tamakiâs scorching hot tongue explored your mouth made your heart feel like it was going to explode. You wanted to melt into his arms and stay like this for ever. But the moment was cut short when Tamaki pulled away heavily panting, a string of saliva connecting your lips. You almost forgot you hadnât been breathing, âTama..â
âI want more..â Â His lips brush across your neck making your heart leap into your throat. A small whine forms at the back of his throat as he nips gently at your neck. His hands slip under your shirt as he kisses and sucks on your neck leaving small hickies as he works his way to your collarbone.
âI⌠I want more of youâ  Tamaki lets out a shaky breath as his fingers make their way to your unprotected plush breasts. You let out a sigh as he pulls your shirt over your head and tosses it to the floor. The cold air of the stale room brushed over your now exposed skin. His sharp eyes trace over every line and curse of your body committing it to memory. A red blush dusted across his face and to his pointed ears as he looks up towards your equally flustered expression.
He looks back towards your breasts cupping one into his hand and taking your sensitive bud into his searing mouth. His sharp fangs drags gently over your skin as he sucks and licks your nipple. His fingertips run gently over your sides causing you to moan his name softly. The sound of your voice only makes his erection that much more unbearable for him. He bites down softly and a small sharp pain fills your breast. The metallic taste of blood ran over his tongue once more as he runs it across the newly made mark. A twinge of guilt setting in this stomach at the small whimper that radiates from your throat. He pulls away slightly, only to have your fingers run through his long soft locks.
âTamaki.. Do whatever you want with me, Iâm yours..â Â You lean down and place a gentle kiss on his lips, that quickly turns heated once again as his worry and guilt dissipates and is replaced with lust. His hand slides over your bare soft stomach towards the hem of your pants. He quickly unbuttons them and slides his fingers into your panties brushing his fingers against your silky wet folds.
A shiver runs up your spin as you feel Tamakiâs warm breath against your throat. âYou're so wet and warm..â his words dance across your skin as he nips at your pulse point gently. A low grow reverberates from his chest as he slowly rubs circles with his calloused finger over your engorged clit. Your delicate hands quickly cling on to Tamakiâs shirt. A needy moan fills the room. You hips moved on their own begging for more stimulation against his hand. You almost felt embarrassed grinding against his finger like a bitch in heat, but youâve wanted this for so long. You want Tamaki. You didnât care about anything else at this moment.
âYouâre so pretty like this.. Youâre so beautiful. â Tamaki begins to rub against your greedy clit faster. âCum for me, bunny. Pleaseâ His lips latch into your collarbone kissing and suck eagerly leaving his mark. Your cries of pleasure become stuck in your throat and all you can let out are choked out whines and praise as the coil in your stomach begins to tighten rapidly. You pussy empty pussy clenching around nothing. You wanted him so badly. The feeling of euphoria washes over your quacking body as your orgasm washes over you. You bury your face into Tamaki unable to hold yourself up anymore as his fingers continue their assault against your now overstimulated clit.
âTamaki, Please. I want you so bad.â With your words Tamaki helped you pull off your remaining clothes. He unbuckles his pants and pulls his cock out. It was much thicker than you thought it would be. A small bit of panic runs through you as you begin to wonder if that would fit in you. You push the thoughts to the side as you run your fingers over his hot shaft. He pushes you back into the wall pulling you around his hips, his hands cup around your ass holding you up. The cold metal of his chains press into your skin causing a chill to run through your body. You wrap your arms around his neck looking for any kind of support. The feeling of his precum covered tip running over your entrance set your body on fire.
His names fell from your lips to implore him to take you. To finally make you, his. His sensitive tip presses into your cut without much resistance, inch by inch his member stretches your wall. His fingers dig into the flesh of your ass as he bottoms out inside you. A loud moan rips through his throat as the taut ring of your entrance squeezes around him.
Before you could become used to the size of him inside you his hips began to move. Your legs wrap securely around his lower back as you cry his name with each needy thrust. His thrusts are irregular and fast slamming into you without thought. His lips find yours in a passionate and burning kiss. His moans fill your mouth as his hips snap into yours. The feeling of his cock rubbing against your tight walls made your head spin. You hadnât noticed the look in his eyes as he kissed your jaw and down towards your throat once again.
A scorching pain fills your body as Tamakiâs fangs skin into the soft skin of your neck. A small string of sorrys leaves him as he laps up the small river of crimson honey. He sucks your blood desperately as his pace picks up and becomes much harder. The pain in your neck and pussy sends you over the edge again as your body is once again hit with another orgasm. Your nails dig into Tamakiâs shoulder as you press your head into the stone wall.
The head of his cock kisses the entrance of your cervix and his sloppy movements become slower. You could feel his cock twitch inside you. A loud groan radiates from the back of his throat as his cock spits ropes of cum into your pussy, filling you up. A hiss of release bruisers across your neck as he kisses the bite mark on your neck in apology.
âIâm sorry⌠Did I-I hurt you?â he slowly lets you down as his knees finally buckle underneath him. He wraps his sinewy arms around your waist and lays his head in your shoulder. Taking in your sweet scent. You shake your head and run your hands down his back.
âNo.. You didnâtâ The two of you stay like that on the floor for a while. You didnât mind this.. You didnât mind that he was no longer human. If this was the life you were meant to have them so be it. Youâll gladly go into the dark with him. Tamaki is different from the rest. You love him and he loves you.
#bnharem collab#bnharem#tamaki amakiji#tamaki amajiki x reader#bnha#n-s-f-w#apocalypse AU#amajiki#amajiki x reader#tamaki x reader#tamaki#knifeewifee art#knifeewifee fic
648 notes
¡
View notes
Text
rest in my arms, sleep in my bed
Summary: Jiang Cheng goes to Qinghe before a snow storm.
Tags: post-canon, fluff, implied sexual content, morning after
ao3
Nie Huaisang was a selfish man and he was willing to admit it.
Many things heâd done in his life were born of selfish desires and he was happiest at his most selfish. His disciples seemed to understand that and seemed to be content with it, though a part of that selfishness was making sure they were good, taken care of disciples and therefore it worked in their benefit. He couldnât risk having shitty people that he was required to trust and rely onâthat would not be happening again.
Still, that selfishness had also led to him doing exhiliratingly dumb things like dragging Sandu Shengshou into his bed. It was absolutely a dangerous prospect and couldâve very easily gotten him killed or at least a few broken bones, but Nie Huaisang apparently had caught him at a goodâor bad, depending on how you looked at itâtime and he needed someone to go a little wild on who would also pet his head and call him embarrassing pet names just to see how red he could get.
That was a while ago now, though, and theyâd fallen into a nice pattern of not seeing each other for months on end and then showing up when they needed a day of pretending they werenât sect leaders with someone who was just as fucked up and unqualified as they were. It was pretty effective and gave Nie Huaisang a large amount of time and space to wallow in self-loathing. Granted, he was pretty sure Jiang Cheng did something like that too, so they were basically fated at this point.
Last night, however, the idiot himself had flown to Qinghe and stupidly misunderstood how weather worked. Nie Huaisangâs functioning theory was that he was so angry that he didnât feel the cold because as soon as they banged it out and he got some fucking rest for what was probably the first time in a week, he was freezing. Nie Huaisang had wrapped him up in the thickest blankets he could find and cooed at the way he burrowed into them like an adorably angry baby.
Sometime during the night it only escalated and snowed so hard Nie Huaisang was beginning to think they might have to send a quick letter to Lotus Pier to let them know their fearless and highly feared sect leader was incapacitated by way of being scared of the weather.
âFuck this fucking white shit,â Jiang Cheng grumbled in his heap of blankets on Nie Huaisangâs bed. It was usually made by now so it was slightly annoying that it wasnât, but he could excuse it. For today, at least. Extenuating circumstances.
âDoes it not snow in Lotus Pier?â Nie Huaisang mused from where he sat cross-legged on the other side of the bed. He had ink grinded and was working his way through a painting, one of a pretty tree in the snow. Part of him wanted to paint in Jiang Cheng pouting under said tree, but he assumed that would go as well as that time he painted Da-ge smiling with a flower. âDoes it not get cold?â
âIt does,â Jiang Cheng said, sounding like an absolute child from inside his pile, âBut not like this! This is torture. Inhumane. Wrong. Lotus Pier gets, like, windy. A bit snowy, sometimes, yes, but fuck all of this shit.â
âYouâre such a baby.â
âYou are not allowed to talk to me like that!â Jiang Cheng snapped, but he didnât move from his blankets and therefore it meant nothing. Truthfully, even if he had, it wouldnât have meant anything. Jiang Cheng was just like that. It was part of why Nie Huaisang liked him so much.
âSeriously, this is nothing. You should come when it gets too cold to snow.â
â Too cold to snow?â Jiang Cheng repeated, absolute disbelief and horror in his voice. Nie Huaisang found himself smiling.
âDarling, youâre adorable when you donât know things.â
âSays the Headshaker,â he grumbled.
Nie Huaisang huffed a laugh and carefully put his ink and painting on his bedside table that existed solely for a place to put nightly paintings and ink. Once it was settled, he crawled back over to the lump of blankets and draped himself over it.
âIf youâre truly that cold, I can think of a few ways to warm you up,â he said. Jiang Cheng grunted in disdain because he thought he needed to be manly and Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes.
âNo offense, but Iâm too cold for that. Iâm pretty sure my dick has climbed into my body,â he said. Nie Huaisang rolled onto the other side of the mass of blankets, sliding his hand beneath them. âIf your hand is cold, Iâm going to fuckingâ Fuck! Why do you feel like ice?! What is wrong with you?! Are you even human?!â
Nie Huaisang laughed and dug under the blankets more to press his cold fingers into his skin. That was another reason that he liked Jiang Cheng so much. He made him laugh. That was something he hadnât done earnestly in well over a decade.
â Stop, â Jiang Cheng whined, finally letting his stupid facade drop. Nie Huaisang felt motivated by it and started to make his way into Jiang Chengâs blanket heap. âYouâre so cold, what the fuck, youâre letting the cold air in!â
âYouâre a cultivator, arenât you warm naturally? Your core is so strong, can't you just get over it?â Nie Huaisang asked, easily slipping his foot to press against the back of Jiang Chengâs thighs. He jumped and half-assed swatting at his leg. Nie Huaisang hooked his leg around him and pulled himself in. âHere, you big baby, Iâll tuck you in.â
He took a second to seal off any passageways into the blanket heap, closing them in together. Once he settled, he got a good look at Jiang Chengâs pouty little face in the darkness of the blankets. Somehow, he still seemed to be glowing. As much as Nie Huaisang never cared to grow his own core, he couldnât deny that it helped create some breathtaking men. That in itself was a gift.
âDo I need to get one of my disciples to take you back to Lotus Pier?â he asked. Jiang Chengâs eyes slowly slipped across his face and then down between them where they were pressed together, more or less. Nie Huaisang raised an eyebrow and waited for him to meet his eyes again. âWell? Do I?â
âI donât need help. â
âYes, but it isnât safe to fly on your sword in this,â he pointed out, âAnd it definitely isnât safe to travel on foot alone. I donât care how known and powerful you are.â
âWhat,â Jiang Cheng said, voice a bit quiet, âAre you actually worried about me?â
Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes again. âImagine the kind of attention weâd get if you died in the middle of nowhere from exposure and the last place youâd been was the Unclean Realm. I do not want to deal with your brother or either of your nephews, thank you very much.â
Jiang Cheng stared at him, eyes still squinted like he was trying to read him. Fortunately, that was something heâd been notoriously bad at for his entire life. It was a good thing that he was pretty and strong.
âYou know, youâve gotten pretty lucky that youâve basically got your foot in every other major sect. Youâre running YunmengJiang, your nephew runs LanlingJin, your other nephew is the last living QishanWen, your brother is shacking up with an important member of GusuLan, and youâre shacking up with the man running QingheNie. Look at you, making connections by chance,â Nie Huaisang said, patting him on the chest. Jiang Cheng blinked three times in succession.
âHow did you know about Lan Sizhui being a Wen?â he asked, âI didnât tell you that and surely Wei Wuxian didnât.â
Nie Huaisang huffed a laugh and pushed further into Jiang Chengâs space until they were nose to nose, twirling his hair around his finger. He was so dumb and so, so cute. Nie Huaisang should've taken advantage of him when they were young.
âDarling, when will you learn I know everything?â
Jiang Cheng scoffed, but he didnât push him away. Instead, his hand pressed against his back and pulled him in tightly.
âNo wonder you and Wei Wuxian get on so well. Youâre both know-it-all assholes,â he said.Â
Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes and poked him in the chest, deciding not to comment. He and Wei Wuxian got on so well because they knew different, complementary things. But it was less that they got along and more that they could respect each other for thatâand that they both knew what the other was capable of even if they didnât know the specifics. That was enough to keep distance.
Jiang Cheng didnât need to know that if he didnât already.
âAh, would you like me to get him to come here and lead you back? I bet heâd love that,â Nie Huaisang said. Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes at him all over again.
âAsshole.â
âMm, quite.â
Jiang Cheng made a little mocking noise and paired it with his hand carefully combing back Nie Huaisangâs hair. He was sure he looked a mess with all the blankets, but he could handle that later.
âHow long will it snow for?â Jiang Cheng asked.
âAlright, when I said I knew everything, I didnât mean I could predict the weather,â Nie Huaisang scoffed. Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes and gently flicked the base of his spine. Chills shot all the way up to his neck. âMy guess would be itâll stop by this evening, probably.â
âThen I will stay until the morning,â Jiang Cheng decided. Nie Huaisang raised an eyebrow.
âReally? Youâre just going to invite yourself to stay another night? How hospitable of you, Jiang Wanyin,â he said. Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes and then gripped him a bit tighter before rolling him onto his back and placing himself on top of him. Nie Huaisang gave a mocking, âStop it, youâll let the cold air in!âÂ
âDidnât you offer to warm me up earlier? Has that offer been retracted?â he asked, lowering himself down until Nie Huaisang could feel his breath on his lips.Â
âOf course not, I have no intention to let my guest suffer.â
âAsshole,â Jiang Cheng said, but his voice was soft and he was smiling.
âBaby,â Nie Huaisang accused right back, but he was grinning all the same.
Jiang Cheng kissed him then, a way to silence him and a way to get warm all the same. And he would be staying another night, officially the longest theyâd spent time together since this whole tryst began.
And perhaps Nie Huaisang wouldnât be able to wait another handful of months before doing this again.
43 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Frantic -- Matthew Tkachuk (Pt.1)
a/n: Iâve spent the past 48 hours reading fanfiction for this man, it is time I write something
Summary: Growing up around the game y/n has met too many hockey players to name but one of her brothers old team mates always held a special place in her mind. Running into Matthew wasnât what she had in mind but maybe it was a good thing.
Word Count: 1.5K
Warnings: age gap
---------------------------------------------
Frantic was the only way to describe you on this cold February morning. Overtired from a frustrating night of painting, annoyed at your roommate and already stressed about tonight's game. As you manover your body through the streets of Toronto the air was almost too cold to handle. Not remembering a jacket or boots, it was just you, your coveralls over an old sweater and beat up vans dredging through the snow to the coffee shop around the corner. Your head was throbbing as you were walking but the streets were quiet for 7am and that was the only thing you appreciate about the day so far.
âStupid pregame rituals, stupid Nick, stupid Emily reminding me I made a promise.â You grumbling as you throw yourself into the store, shuffling to the side knowing your mobile order would be up soon. Closing your eyes you bring your hands up to your face to relieve some of the from tension from your eyes  you're met with the cold feeling of wet paint on your skin. This morning just kept getting better.
âMobile order for Y/N!â The barista yells, snapping you out of your bitter attitude. You say a soft thank you as you turn on your heels, suddenly being met with the hard chest of the man standing behind you. As you pull away your face drops as you see blobs of black and blue paint where your face hit is white hoodie.
âOh my god! I am so so sorry. Game day turns me into a mess, at least let me--â He cuts you off before you offer to pay for his drink. Looking up, youâre thrown off when you meet his eye. You havenât seen Matthew in probably four years. Heâs filled out, the curls on his head suit him and his blue eyes are still the same. A blush creeps over your cheeks of as memories of watching him practice and endless team dinners filled your mind. You wonder if he recognizes you but his words confirm that you are in fact a stranger to him.
His first statement is extreamly blunt for how early it is âYouâre too much of a mess to work for either organization.âÂ
You were a little thrown off. He scans you up and down before he continues. âGuessing by how young you look youâre probably a girlfriend soâŚâ He drags the o-sound out for far too long making you giggle slightly then he keeps going âWhich leaf will be paying for my hoodie in punches tonight?â His face twists into a wicked smile as he waits for a response.
Taking a deep breath you reply. âTechnically, Nick Robertson⌠BUT Iâm not his girlfriend nor is it his fault that your clothes are ruined. Plus I think my roommate would prefer I wasnât the reason her boyfriend loses some of his teeth.â You voice trailed off near the end because the thought of that happening made your head hurt even more.
He stands there as you watch the gears turn in his head. In a moment of quick thinking you blurt out, âIâm a flames fan! If that makes this situation better.â Smiling slightly as he rolls his eyes.
Quietly he says, âFine, Iâll let it slide⌠but I better see you in the stands in red tonight sweetheart.â He flashes you a wink as he reaches past you to grab his coffee and he quickly leaves you standing in the empty shop once again.
Dumbfounded, your phone begins to buzz in your pocket seeing your moms name flash across your screen. You groan internally and talk to her the whole walk back to the apartment as you replay your meeting with Matt.
-------------------
âY/N are you ready yet!! Weâre going to be late!â Emily screams from the living room as she adjusts her beanie for the millionth time and looks at Nickâs last in the mirror with a goofy smile.
You were standing in your room with two jerseys staring back at you. You couldnât make up your mind between the blue and white #16 and the red and black #19. You knew the consequences of both choices and decide you could deal with Tkachukâs bad attitude. Slipping the leaf jersey over your shoulders it swallows you whole but the hoodie you have on underneath makes up for that a bit. You pull on a black Nike ballcap, grab your bag and meet Emily in the living room. As she goes to ask you what the hell you are wearing you just shake your head and start for the door.
The guys are doing their big entrance into the arena as you and Emily make your way to your seats next to the penalty box. Sheâs scolding you the whole time about missing warmups and how sheâll be getting an earful from Nick later about being late. You zone out as you scan the ice for Matt. Unfortunately, he finds you before you can find him and a frown is glued to his face. Like you decided earlier, you will deal with him later.
The game was actually pretty good with the Flames winning in overtime. Matt shooting you dirty looks every time he was sent to the box which kinda made you laugh. Standing in the family and friends area, Nick is one of the first out, pulling Em aside to ask where you guys were and probably looking for support after the game. Leaving you fend for yourself. A few minutes pass and Matty is out now along with a few other leaf players who were hanging close by, you instantly catch his eye. Making his way over to you he puts his hand over your head and uses two fingers to lift your chin so you meet his eye.
âI thought I asked you to wear red tonight princess, youâre breaking my poor little heart.â He slides his tongue over his bottom lip, cocky grin never faltering.
Returning his energy you push up on your toes as you breathe on his neck âYou havenât seen what Iâm wearing underneath this yet, handsome.â Â
Surprise covers his face and quickly turns into lust again. Before he can say anything you duck under his arm, running full force towards Mitch as he approaches. Opening his arms for a hug, you hurl yourself at him and he spins you around. As Matthew watches, jealousy burns in his chest as he approaches you to chirp Marner.
Before he has a chance to bite, Mitch starts laughing.
âI canât believe you actually wore it, must been torture for you.â He ruffles your hair and you scoff at his antics.
âI swear you told her about the bet just so you could watch me in pain.â Your smile was so radiant as you laughed Matthew couldnât help but smile too.
âI swear I didnât! I just knew mom would want to know how your midterm piece went more than how I was feeling about a game.â Matthew was a few feet away still pretending to play on his phone as he listened to the two of you so he wasnât sure if he heard Mitch right.
âMatty! I didnât see you there, bring it in buddy!â Mitch called him over, bringing him into a tight hug. You stood there awkwardly watching the two old friends catch up when Mitch finally remembers youâre there.
âOh hey, you remember my little sister Y/N from when you lived in London right.â The second the words left your brother's mouth, a look of horror crosses Matthewâs face. The last time he had seen you, you were fourteen years old. The Y/N he remembered was quiet and collected. Always had her head buried in a book at games and never really gave the boys the time of day because you were never interested in hockey when you were a young girl. But now you stood before him, a woman. You had dyed your hair, lost your baby face, got glasses and your style had done a 180. Standing in front of the two of you now, he didnât realize how he couldâve missed the obvious resemblance between you and your brother.
Shyly you smile and say âItâs nice to see you again, Matthew.â
Still in shock he nods and says. âStill the same mini marnie for sure.â
After a bit more chatting Mitch decides itâs time for you guys to get dinner so you part Matthew with heartfelt goodbyes and âuntil we see each other againâ.
Once you guys leave Matthew stays in place ordering himself an uber, thinking about what just happened. He feels a slight tap on his shoulder. Turing meets a not too happy Auston and he knows heâs in trouble. Going to apologize for stealing Austons stick heâs met with a very different topic.
âIâm just letting you know that Jake and I heard what you said to Y/N earlier and I want to remind you that sheâs like a sister to all of us so you better watch yourself Tkachuk.â Matthew says nothing and simply nods because chirping Aus was dangerous territory especially when it involved family.
You were back at Mitcheâs apartment after dinner to spend some time together. Or so he says, you knew he was just lonely because Steph was out of town. When he gets up to call her in between episodes of Brooklyn Nine Nine it  gives you a chance to check your phone. There were a few tags on instagram and a handful of snapchats youâd answer in the morning but one notification stood out against the rest.
Follower Request: matthew_tkachuk
Part Two
#matthew tkachuk#matty tkachuk#matthew tkachuk imagine#calgary flames#flames imagine#nhl#nhl imagine#hockey#mitch marner#nick robertson#toronto maple leafs#auston matthews
234 notes
¡
View notes
Text
ANGELS & AIRWAVES (w. jjk)
He's never met you but you know how he sounds when he wakes up from a nap and his greatest fears. Â You know the way he sings after a shower and that he could be mistaken for a dying seal when he's laughing too hard. Â The best part? Â You don't judge him for any of it - including the fact he's a filthy Widow main. Â He might just love you.
alt summary. Jeon Jungkook has a big fat crush on a girl he's never met.
pairing. Â jeon jungkook
genre + rating.  fluffy crack. general, for now.
warning / tags.  long-distance relationship, crushes, canon compliant (ish), eventual happy ending, gaming, gamer!jungkook, strangers to lovers, friends to lovers, overwatch. tags are hard. :(Â
reading. Â n/a. Â a three part one-shot.
word count. Â ~2750
part ii.
JUNGKOOKâS ROOM Sunday, 15 March, 2020. 2:01 AM.  Â
He falls for you in between the tireless teasing, the laughter that sinks into his ears and replays like a highlight reel. It happens when he leasts expects it, when he's got his face pressed into the velvet of Yeontan's fur and you're cooing over voice chat, whispering sweet nothings to the manic panic pup. It comes in the moments he's not expecting it to, when he's frustrated and unbearable and you're as sunny as always, spilling yellow paint across the doors he tries to keep shut. Â
Bit by bit, day by day, he finds himself thinking of you more.Â
First, it's wondering what you're doing while he's half-asleep and on his way to the studio. Do you look as tired as you sound? What colour is your hair and how does it stick up when you've just rolled out of bed? When you yawn, do you stretch like a cat? He thinks you do, if the sounds you make are any indication.
Then it's asking himself whether you might like the same things he does, from horror movies to carnival rides. Would you hold his hand as you made the drop, stomachs leaping into your throats? Would you scream? Would it sound anything like that terrified pterodactyl noise you make when you're spawn camped by a Roadhog? He doesn't consider the fact that he doesn't even know if you're in the same city and you'll likely never meet - bound to the servers of Overwatch only. Â
He thinks about all the things he'd like to do with you. Video game nights filled with butter-tipped fingers and spilled popcorn. Walks with your family dog - Natto - you'd told him about, all fluffy white fur and dark teddy bear eyes. Sunrises on the rooftop of his building, because you had the worst insomnia he'd ever seen and what better way to spend your endless waking hours than with him. Â
Jeon Jungkook knows he'll probably never get any of these things, but he lets himself daydream anyway.Â
Like now, for instance, as the two of you sit in another queue at 2 AM. You just woke up and you've got that tell-tale rattle in your lungs, words sluggish and lacking any real intent. He imagines you look the way you sound - tired and a little out of it, with barely opened eyes and sleep-loosened limbs. Â
"How'd you sleep?" He asks softly, crossing his legs beneath him and raising his arms high above his head in the same instance. The bones of his body realign, ridges of his spine clicking into place when he knots his fingers together and pulls taut. Â
"You know - the usual," you muse, apathetic. It's always the same. Â
He doesn't question it any further. He had once or twice, when you'd first started talking and he'd noticed the way you were always up at inhuman times. One grumbling response had told him enough - your schedule was what it was and no amount of remedying could fix it. Â
There's a beat of silence before he hears rustling and then the loud, inescapable sound of an electric toothbrush. You don't bother to mute your microphone, not that he minds. He simply sits quietly, scrolling through his phone as you go about your "morning" routine. Â
"How was your day?" You're settled back at your computer, he thinks. The acoustics sound far less like that of a bathroom. Â
"I had the day off, actually." He'd used it to edit some footage and record a cover. He hasn't posted it to Twitter yet - there were certain times he was supposed to, to maximize visibility - but he's excited for when he does. It's a song that's been stuck in his head for weeks, all thanks to you.
"Woah - you didn't work today?"Â There's genuine surprise in your question, rounded syllables that pop off your tongue in an explosion of shock.
âRight?â He laughs a little, short and sweet.
Despite his carefully crafted facade, there were certain plot points that just stuck, intrinsically weaved into his day-to-day whether he liked it or not.
His jam packed schedule, for instance.Â
To you, itâs the result of stretching himself too thin between teaching at his friendâs dance studio (where he also apparently moonlights as a personal trainer) and working as a videographer for his media-involved friends. Not that you know any of them. No, no. All the work he does is for the little guys - none of those big companies like BigHit or JYP. Jungkookâs just your average Joe behind the camera.
âWhat did you do all day then?â Youâre still in awe, little flecks of wonder threaded throughout like glittering gold yarn. Â
âHung out. Did some editing. Iâm kind of behind.â That was an understatement. Heâs working on footage from six months ago, trying to get it out before they head on tour and he wonât have the kind of time he has now. Â
âProbably spending too much time gaming.â Â
âYeah, probably.â Not that he minds, or that heâd change it. He savours the time you spend together, even if it has kind of messed up his sleep schedule. Â
âSorry not sorry,â you quip, seemingly reading his mind. Â
âYou should be,â he retorts with laughter that builds in his stomach and echoes out of his chest. âI donât think Iâve had a good night's sleep in weeks.â
If you hadnât had this conversation a handful of times before, he thinks you might be offended. Instead, he can practically hear you roll your eyes - imagines your optic nerve nearly severs with the intensity of it - and grins.
âDonât kid yourself - you know Iâm the best thing about your nights!â
Youâre not wrong. âYouâve been lied to.â
âIâm suing!â
âIâll have my lawyer contact your lawyer.â
âWait, what?âÂ
The two of you have done what you always do - talked yourself into a tizzy that has you both laughing, sound crackling across the airwaves. Itâs nonsensical and silly but it feels good. Your bond shines with it, glitters prettily between you.
Thank god for Overwatch.
You return the conversation to a semblance of normalcy first. âDid you listen to that song I sent?â
âYeah.â The briefest pause. âIt was terrible. Hated it.â
âOh, shut up!âÂ
âIâm kidding. It was really good.â Jungkook doesnât tell you that heâs had it on repeat for the past few days, saved to the private playlist thatâs filled with the rest of your song recommendations. Â
âI know!â Youâre preening as if heâd just complimented you, clearly pleased by the praise. He supposes itâs a pretty good endorsement regardless.Â
âGot any more for me?âÂ
âI should just make you a playlist.â
He ignores the way his heart skips a very real beat, mimics the erratic rhythm of his fingers on his keyboard. Because heâd absolutely love that.
âYou should.â
âReally?â You sound uncertain but maybe - just maybe - a little hopeful. He might also just be imagining things, as he so often does with you.Â
âYeah. Why not?â It comes nonchalantly despite the rushing in his ears, the wave that threatens to drown him. He can feel emotion in his chest - winged and distracting. A kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering away.Â
Youâre quiet for another second. It feels like an eon. âOkay, yeah. Iâll start one and we can just add to it together.â
BIG HIT ENTERTAINMENTâS GYM Thursday, 26 March, 2020. 6:30 PM.  Â
âYou sound like a meathead,â you say, off-hand and disinterested. Â
He loathes the grunt that squeaks past his teeth as he gently returns the dumbbells to the floor. Cue a generous chug of water and a near death experience when the liquid goes down the wrong pipe.Â
Loud coughing crackles through his airpods before heâs addressing you. âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â
âYouâre grunting like a caveman.â
If your first comment hadnât offended him, this one does. Jungkook scoffs, tonguing the interior of his cheek as his brow furrows. Weights are returned to his hands, rotated above each shoulder as he resumes another set of presses.Â
âDo you even workout anything other than your fingers?â Heâs making a conscious effort not to make a sound, breath exhaled sharply through his nose. Itâs harder than he cares to admit but heâs also not about to give you an excuse to tease him further. You already had way too much material.
âDonât shame me!â You really donât sound that indignant.
âSo, Iâm right? Youâre a big couch potato whoâs just jealous of my hot body?â
Now youâre incredulous. Itâs one of his favourite sounds because it comes draped in laughter, dancing around his head in the form of cartoon hearts.Â
âDid you just say âhot bodyâ, Jay?â
âMaybe I did. What of it?â He sniffs - heâs picked it up from you over the months - and your amusement doubles, giggles crashing into each other in their haste. Â
âYou are so, so weird.â Thereâs a tenderness in your voice that heâd like to live in. It wraps him up like a hug, tugging at his feeble little heartstrings.Â
âWeird and hot.â
âYou canât just say that!â
âWhy not?â If anything, youâre the one person he can say it to. With you, itâs the funniest joke heâs ever made. Itâs playful and silly, with no rhyme or reason. He doesnât have to worry about it being misconstrued or held against him.Â
âYou just canât! Only other people can say it.â You sigh dramatically, from your chest. âDo I have to teach you everything?â
âEverything but being healthy, probably.âÂ
âHar har har.â Â
He can tell by how the words roll off your tongue, muffled and lacking clarity, that youâre eating. He wonders if youâve made pancakes - youâd been complaining about craving them just two days ago. There are no tell-tale crunching or slurping, so he knows it isnât your usual double whammy combo of ramyeon and Choco Boys. Â
âIâll have you know I used to run.â Something about the way you say it makes him believe you, even though he wants to mock you a little more. Â
âIn gym class doesnât count.â
âI used to run with Natto, you ass!â Okay - so that actually sounded legitimate.
âWhy donât you still then?â
âThere was an incident once.â Youâre sipping on something - likely coffee with oat milk and two pumps of hazelnut syrup. It doesnât matter that itâs dinner time and most people would be winding down for the evening. âBecause of my insomnia, Iâd run at odd hours. One day, some weirdo stopped me while I was running along the river. He didnât hurt me or anythingââ A part of him thinks youâre downplaying it but he says nothing, only waiting for you to continue. ââbut he followed me home. I made the mistake of telling my parents and they freaked out soâŚâÂ
âSo no more running by yourself.âÂ
âYeah, exactly.â
âIâd run with you.â It doesnât mean much, but itâs the thought that counts. Â
âThanks, Jay.â Â
Not for the first time, he wishes he could hear his name - his real name. Just once.
âJUNGKOOOOOOOOOOK.â It eats up every ounce of space of the gym, filling the room with the resounding boom of it. How it manages to be so loud, heâs not sure. He wishes it werenât. Thereâs no way you havenât heard it. Â
Especially not when it comes again, deafening even to his occupied ears.Â
âJUNGKOOOOK-AH!â Namjoon now, right as the double doors fly open.
Jiminâs barreling toward the alarmed maknae as he shouts. âWEâRE DOING A VLIVE!â
Jungkook feels like his insides are melting - his internal temperature spiking with embarrassment and worry and something that chants oh no! over and over in his head. The tops of his ears are burning, as is the column of his throat. A quick glance in the mirror confirms his suspicion that he is, indeed, bright tomato red.
âJay?â You repeat once, twice, when he doesnât immediately answer. âEverything okay?â
He moves with a speed he doesnât expect, weights unceremoniously dropped on either side of him before heâs tearing his AirPods out. âIâve got to go. Sorry!â
He doesnât end the Discord call a moment too soon, Jimin upon him in the next instant. The smaller dancer is draping himself across Jungkookâs shoulders, the widest shit-eating grin on his pretty face.
âWant to join us for a VLive?â Â
âNo. Iâm busy.â Â
âBusy with your girlfriend?â Jiminâs wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. He only stops when Jungkook shifts aggressively, tearing himself out from underneath the other. Â
âNot my girlfriend!â Â
âBut you wish she was!â Â
He canât deny that, so he doesnât bother, instead seizing his discarded weights with an embarrassed scowl permanently etched into the planes of his face. Heâs reracking them - because god, heâs not an animal - when he notices Jimin making his departure, that teasing smile replaced with something soft and edging on concern.
âWhatâre you going to do when weâre on tour?â
Jungkook blanches then. Youâd become such an undeniable part of his everyday life that he hadnât even considered what itâd mean when he was busier than now, unable to spend late nights gaming with you.Â
But Jimnâs already gone, leaving him and his thoughts alone.
JUNGKOOKâS ROOM Friday, 27 March, 2020. 12:05 AM.Â
Itâs close to midnight by the team he logs on. Realistically, he should go to sleep. Heâs clean and worn out and his bed is calling to him like a siren at sea. But youâre sitting alone in the channel, streaming Overwatch for no one to see, and he canât just leave it at that.
He needs to say goodnight, like he always does.Â
âComing for my title as Headshot God?â Â The quipâs off his tongue before you have a chance to acknowledge him, your laughter the first thing he hears once heâs connected.
âIâve been waiting in this queue for seven minutes. Seven!â Â
Itâs really not that bad. The rare times youâd both queue for DPS were nearly double that. Â
âPatience is key,â he teases, slumping into his chair as he watches you click through your Hero Gallery. Youâre cruising seemingly aimlessly, roving through the different skins for your mains (Mercy, Ana, Genji, Ashe). The silence between you is comfortable, interspersed only by the occasional munching he can only assume comes from the carrots you seem to inhale.
For all the junk you ate, you were somehow also weirdly into vegetables. Â
âPatience sucks,â you retort, matter-of-fact.Â
âYou know what else sucks?â Â
Itâs a rhetorical question and he knows you know, but because youâre you, you start listing things off just to get under his skin. âSpiders? Undercooked samgyupsal? Not having coffee? Your jokes?â
If he werenât laughing so hard, he mightâve given you shit for making fun of his comedic genius. He really doesnât understand how you think heâs the unfunny one when all you do is crack puns. Â
âI was actually going to say me,â he finally manages in between those high pitched cackles of his. Â
âWait, why?â Youâre used to him having witty comebacks.
Edge of enamel worries his bottom lip and Jungkook can taste cherry Chapstick and what would be bashfulness, if it had a flavour. âFor earlier.â
You scoff, your own tinkling laughter tearing him out from inside his own head.
âItâs okay, goofball.â
He appreciates how laidback you are, never holding anything against him. Not even when he hangs up on you or accidentally spams you with memes when youâre trying (and failing) to sleep. âNo. Iâm sorry.â He says it earnestly, with all the meaning he can muster. Â
MATCH FOUND flickers across his and your screen and youâre loading into hero selection. He knows youâll be too distracted once the game starts, so heâs grateful when you laugh again, sweet as summer. Â
âNothing to be sorry about. Just tell me everythingâs okay and weâre even.â Â
Inhale, exhale. Try not to tell her you have the biggest, stupidest crush on her, he tells himself.Â
âEverythingâs okay.â And he means it when he says it, though they arenât the words he wishes he could say. Â
âGood.â Â
Youâve chosen Genji, He smiles to himself when you join voice chat and the rest follow, greetings filtering in from your team members. Â
âGood luck.â You donât need it. He still likes to say it.
âYou have an early day tomorrow, right?â Leave it to you to remember his schedule even when he doesnât. Â
âYeah, pretty early.â Â
âThen go to bed! Iâll still be awake when youâre up.â Â
He lingers on that fact - holds it tightly in his hands so it canât slip away. Youâd be there in the morning, just like you always were. Knowing that stirs those same butterflies in his chest, words stolen by the overzealous beating of their wings.
You read his silence like theyâre your own thoughts, âIâm always here for you, Jay.â Â
âGoodnight.â
"Sleep sweet."
notes. this chapter is set four-ish months following the first, in case thatâs not clear. :)Â
tag list. @teawithbuckyâÂ
#heartsforbts#ficswithluv#goldenclosetnet#magicshopnet#bts#bts au#bts scenarios#bts imagine#bts imagines#bts fanfic#bts smut#bts fic#bts fluff#jungkook smut#jeon jungkook#jungkook#jungkook fanfic#jungkook fic#jungkook fluff#jungkook imagine#jungkook imagines#jungkook au#jungkook x reader#jungkook x you#jungkook x oc#jeon jeongguk#jeon jungkook smut#work.zip#angels.doc#jungkook.doc
446 notes
¡
View notes
Note
hi!! i love your work! can i request a nsfw scenario with chuuya and fem s/o topping or pegging him ? thank you !!!
Genre: NSFW, Little Scenarios
Tags: Pegging, Femdom, Strong language, A bit of degradation
⎠â Hello, anons~ I hope you don't mind that I'll collectively answer your requests. I'm truly not well-versed in the act of pegging and tbh it's not my cup of tea. But I wanted to challenge myself so I hope you'd like this~ (>︿<・) â
It was no secret to anyone who has met you that you certainly are always on top of everything that you do.
You're ambitious, driven and independent. That's what magnetized him towards you in the first place, and he will never try to change that.
He's proud of who you are and to be honest, it kind of inflates his egoâ because behind close doors, he gets to be the one with the most control.
That's how it is usually, anyway. Tonight, however, is anything but usual.
¡âšâąâ ă đłđđŁđđ ⢠đžđđđđ ă ââ°âšÂˇ
âCareful, my darling. You might hurt me with that.â Dazai chuckled nervously.
He spoke as if you're pressing a knife against his throat, but you really can't blame him. After all, you are pressing the lubed up tip of your strap-on dildo on his barely prepared asshole.
âDon't worry. Believe it or not, I've done this before.â
Dazai harshly sucked air through his gritted teeth as you slowly pushed your way inside the tight passage of his anus. Pain and pleasure instantly mixed and coursed within the blood on his veins, foiling his attempt to recollect the bridge of events that led him to be bound, naked and face down on your bed like a sacrificial offering. Which he probably is given the lack of foreplay and regard for his overall well-being, he's sure you're doing this as a punishment more than anything.
âI'm not stupid, Dazai,â you declared as you push the last inch of the dildo inside him. âI know that you keep flirting with other women in front of me to make me jealous, even if I've warned you multiple times.â
You don't have to be a detective to notice the side glances he would give you while running a finger on some other girl's jaw or how he would deliberately comment on someone else's beauty even if you're right beside him. He's been acting up like a spoiled brat ever since you got a big project that you've been working on most of the time and barely paid him any attention. You supposed that you underestimated how needy your boyfriend can be but you really wouldn't tolerate such bratty attitude from anyone. It's time for you to put him in his proper place.
Dazai scoffed arrogantly, preparing to give you a snappy comeback. But with just one hard thrust, his words dissipated into nothing but a pained groaned. You didn't really want to give your boyfriend a chance to sweet talk his way out of this, so you followed up with your actions. Blow after blow, thrust after thrustâ Dazai was trying his hardest to keep himself stable while you recklessly plow him.
His cock was flushed against the mattress but it still manages to achingly twitch every time you hit that special spot deep within him. The small friction his erection is getting from your movement is enough to make him cream, and he's very conscious about the possibility that he has already stained your sheets with the pre-cum he failed to prevent leaking out.
âI hope by now you've understood that you belong to me as much as I belong to you,â you stated. âI can fuck you as hard as you fuck me.â
Dazai sneered, âThat's for sure.â
Despite the beads of sweat rolling down his face and the awkward way his usual smirk is quirked up on his lips, it gave you much delight to know that your seemingly confident boyfriend enjoys being dominated over like this as much as you do. You smirked and gave one of his ass cheeks a stinging smack before re-adjusting your position and burying your dildo deeper inside him.
Dazai cried out, choking in between chanting your name and vocalizing his moans that won't stop escaping his throat.
âSo good,â he said in a low whisper but somehow still made its way on your ears.
His moans began to be more relaxed now, he's definitely feeling more of the pleasure than the initial sting of being pegged. You pinned yourself in position by grabbing on Dazai's hips and began to pound him even harder than you already have.
Each one of your violent pushes knocked the wind out of Dazai's lungs, but he couldn't care less because, as your dildo reach the deepest parts of his hole, it sends him flying in to the sky. You're hitting the places he himself never knew existed; spots that makes his eyes roll so far back in his head and make his whole body numb from the overwhelming pleasure.
Dazai clenched his jaw hard as you hit a specific bundle of nerves over and over again, taking him higher and higher, further and further to the edge, and before he knew itâ his defenses crashed down on him.
With your dildo still planted deep inside him, Dazai screaming out your name was your only warning before he tightly pressed his lips together and let his cum unload, spurting wildly out of his cock. Visible white lines are made after another, painting a some sort of pattern of strokes on your sheets that could be considered artistic if it was made by a different material.
You smiled proudly with what you've done, keeping your thrusts deep and controlled as you let your boyfriend finish his release. While Dazai is still dazed and high from such an explosive ejaculation, you took the chance to lean in to his ear. With the sweetest voice you could do, you gave him another threat if he ever decided to pull such an act on you again.
âMaybe next time, I'll have you wear a butt plug when you go to work and make you play with it while your co-workers are around.â
In which, your mischievous boyfriend replied with an amused chuckle.
¡âšâąâ ă đ˛đđđđ˘đ ⢠đ˝đđđđđđđ ă ââ°âšÂˇ
âShit,â he exhaled, tears collecting at the edges of his eyes. âSlow down, babe.â
Chuuya's soft plea was tantalizing but given the way he looks beneath you, slowing down isn't really something you'd want to do. Both of his hands are handcuffed on either side of the bed frame, trembling legs splayed wide open for you and his cock visibly twitching with every brutal thrust you gave him.
You smirked at him, eyes darkened with lust as you ignored his contorted face to go in an even faster pace. Chuuya growled and cursed, eyes shut tightly and fists clenched as he tries to get accustomed to being the one taking all the blows.
âWhat's wrong? Isn't this what you wanted? A little excitement?â Your tone was sharp like daggers and along with the burning sting on his ass hole, he felt a prick on his chest.
It's true that lately he had been neglecting you, he even thought about breaking up. He didn't think it was fair to keep all of this from you though, so he decided to tell you about it. The spark between the two of you is starting to die, he says. He needs a bit more excitement in his life, he says. Well maybe he just need a reminder as to who he's exactly talking to.
With every sputtering curses, shaky whimper and throaty groaned that Chuuya let's out, your pride swells up. Your attention dropped from his flustered face and down to his needy cock, its pre-cum already threatening to trickle down his shaft.
You grabbed it with vigor, instantly pumping it as mercilessly as your thrusts. Your reward came from your boyfriend's little cries and begs for a little break.
â(Y/N)... Please... Iââ he choked out.
âWhat? Are you going to come? I guess you really liked being fucked hard, don't you?â You asked but Chuuya can't give you a coherent answer even if he wanted to. All he can muster is a string of broken curses and pleads.
Still feeling unsatisfied, you ordered him.
âSay it. I want you to beg me to let you come.â
You saw his frown deepened but nothing left his lips but drawn out moans. You gave him a particularly rough thrust before stopping everything at once. His eyes shot open, and looked at you with some degree of horror.
âAlright, alright. Fine,â Chuuya blurted out, taking a deep breath and then sighing.
âIââ another deep breath. He clenched his jaw on the thought of throwing every ounce of his pride as a man out of the window but his ache for a release prevails over his logic. âIâ I want to come, okay? Wait, no. Please let me come.â
It made you scoff with how pathetic he sounded like, but you still didn't have him exactly where you want him to. So, you rub your thumbs along the swollen tip of his cock and demanded: âAgain.â
Chuuya's face once again contorted in agony. Any residue of what once was his dignity is now wiped off as he let himself completely surrender to you.
âJust fuck me and let me come, goddammit!â He exclaimed. âPlease just let me come.â
âSee? That wasn't so hard.â You smirked at him, and he just clicked his tongue in annoyance. âNow, you get a reward.â
Once your hips started to move, Chuuya's head planted once more on the pillow underneath him. His abs constantly clenching and unclenching as his breathing gets more uneven with every one of your swings and strokes.
You remained silent as you picked up on your pace, letting your boyfriend's screams and moans occupy your ears. You let the hunger for lust and power blaze a fire in your core and consume you as you watch Chuuya's features tighten. His cock started to twitch wildly on your palm, his cried got louder and more desperate and as you gave another one hard push inside the walls of his abused anus, Chuuya came unraveling in front of you.
His voice rang throughout the four walls of the bedroom as ribbons upon ribbons of his white, warm cum squirted out his cock and decorated his own toned body.
The rest of his ejaculation was squeezed out of him by the shallow pulses of your dildo deep inside his ass, and he let out an almost animalistic growl as he spills every last drop that he have.
When he was done, he cursed you in the most loving way as he tried to stabilize his own breathing.
You pulled out unannounced, making him hiss for the last time. Without saying a word, you left him there to think about what he told you about his feelings. Maybe he'll change his mind whilst he soaks on his own cum.
#bungou stray dogs#bungo stray dogs#bsd imagines#bsd scenarios#bungou stray dogs imagines#bungou stray dogs scenarios#bsd hcs#bsd fanfic#bsd chuuya#bsd dazai#bsd anime#bsd#chuuya nakahara x reader#nakahara chuuya x reader#bungou stray dogs chuuya#chuuya nakahara#nakahara chuuya#osamu dazai x reader#bungou stray dogs dazai#dazai x reader#dazai osamu x reader#osamu dazai#dazai osamu#bsd soukoku#soukoku
137 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Itâs You pt. 1
Pairing: Duff McKagan x (fem) reader
Words: 2,002k.
Summary: You and Duff are best friends and you help him to impress a girl. You should be happy for him, but then why do you feel sad? You couldnât like him, could you? (fluff + angst)Â
A/N: 1- So, it got bigger than I expected, so I'll post the second part in the future.
       2- I didn't want to use a name for the girl, just in case it was someone's name, because it would be weird lol. Therefore, we are always calling her "She".
Tag list: @roger-taylors-carâ @ladieswttdaâ add yourself to my tag list :)
Part 2
It was the year of 1983, Y/N was at The Rainbow with her friends, drinking and laughing about something, when he entered the place. He had blue hair and almost didnât pass through the door due to his height.Â
He looked so lost, checking booth after booth, trying to find something. He moved towards the bar, where he sat and asked for a beer.Â
Y/N didnât know why, but she couldnât take her eyes off of him. So she decided to go and start a conversation. Draining the rest of her beer she stood up and moved towards the open seat beside him.
 âIâve never seen you here.â He looked to the side and saw a tall girl with a kind smile on her face. âIâm Y/N, by the way!â. She extended her hand for him to shake.Â
âIâm Duff.â He gave her a small smile and shook her hand, wishing he had put on a nicer jacket. âFunny name.â She said while asking for another beer.Â
âSo, where are you from?â She drank from the bottle and his eyes moved to her lips. He looked to her eyes and realized she was staring at him, waiting for his answer.
He cleared his throat. âSeattleâÂ
âCool, Iâm from Sitka.â He looked at her as if he was trying to think where the hell that city was. âItâs in Alaska.â She stated and saw his eyes light up a little with realization.
âSo⌠What brings a Seattle boy to California?â He looked into her eyes and said firmly âIâm going to be in a band!â From hearing that Y/N had no doubt, he would be. The way he said it as if it was the only thing he was sure in his life, made her even more curious about him.
âWhat about you? California doesn't seem like something Alaskan people are into.â She laughed slightly and he thought that was a heavenly sound. âI got tired of nothing happening in my life. Wanted some change. So one day I decided I would come here.âÂ
âWhat do you do here?â He asked after he drank from his beer. âI'm a photographer!â He raised his brows. âMaybe when you find a band I can take the pictures for you!âÂ
He smiled at her. She was the first person to be nice to him in that town. Ever since he arrived the only human contacts he had were with the grumpy lady from the hotel he was staying at, and a man who he bumped into, on his way to the bar.Â
âWhen did you get here? You still look kinda lost.â Duff looked at her and asked for another beer before answering. âYesterday. Iâm staying in a hotel down the street until I find somewhere to stay.âÂ
âIf I were you, I wouldnât stay there. A friend of mine stayed and got one of his bags stolen. Nobody really checks to see if the rooms are safe and shit.âÂ
This made Duff worried. He had all his guitars there. âWhere do you think I could stay?âÂ
âThere is a nice place near the beach, but itâs kind of expensive.â He frowned worriedly.Â
âI havenât got a job yet, canât stay in somewhere that costs too much.âÂ
She finished her beer and thought for a while. âYou know what? Fuck it. You can stay at my place for a while.â
âRe-really?â She got him surprised, thatâs for sure. She nodded her head and giggled at his expression. âBut you donât even know me.â He said.
âYeah, but I know how it is to be new in somewhere you donât know anyone.â She paused for a while. âPlus, youâre a nice guy. I can see it in your eyes.âÂ
âAre you sure?â
âFuck yeah, Duff!â He laughed at her exasperation.Â
She stood up and took a ten-dollar bill out of her jeans pocket putting it on the counter. âCome on, letâs take your stuff from that place before itâs too late.âÂ
-------
Now it was 1986. They became best friends after that night. Duff stayed at Y/Nâs place for about two weeks until he found someone to share an apartment with. She helped him find a job and went with him on his first rehearsal with Road Crew.
She saw Road Crew slowly fade as Duff was invited to this new band Guns n Roses. She saw how in doubt he was about leaving a punk band to be in a rock one. She also saw how happy he was after his first gig with them and from that day on, she knew they would make it big.
She was always there, helping them with everything and being their number one fan.Â
It was a strangely cold night in March, she was at the hell house with the boys, watching a horror movie and eating pizza. Thatâs when Duff entered the house. He slammed the front door shut and went straight to his room. Something had happened.
Taking a deep breath, Y/N followed him, closing his door behind her. He was walking from one wall to another while mumbling something. âWhatâs going on Duff?âÂ
He looked at her for a while before he started to speak. âShe said Iâm nobody!â Y/N frowned. âSaid my band is nothing.â He was so exasperated. âSaid that I can call her when we are famousâ He ran his hands through his hair.
Y/N knew who he was talking about. She was a secretary Duff met a couple of weeks ago at The Rainbow. He was head over hills for her since day one. Always trying to impress her, but she always dismissed him.
âFucking bitch.â Y/N said. âFuck her, you deserve better than someone who cares for this crap.âÂ
He rolled his eyes. He didnât like it when Y/N talked like that about her. He knew she never really liked her, always saying that she wasnât nice or that she didnât like her personality, but still, he liked her.
It was true, Y/N didnât like her at all. But it was because she was a bitch. Y/N didnât like calling someone that, but it was true. Every time Duff was around, she would ask him if she was beautiful, touch his arm suggestively or call him âDuffyâ and then, when he tried to start some sort of conversation, she would completely ignore him or answer in the rudest way. Y/N hated that because she knew how bad Duff got every time it happened.
âIâll make it big Y/N! Iâll prove to her that I am somebody. And then we will finally be together!â Y/N rolled her eyes. âYou never listen to me do you?â She said, exiting the bedroom and closing the door once again.Â
Two weeks passed after that, and on March 26, Guns signed with Geffen Records. That was it. That contract said they were serious and said they were starting to make it big.Â
She went out with the boys that night to celebrate, drinking until late. Around 3 am she helped Izzy and Axl drag the other three back to their house. She was so wasted that she ended up passing out on the couch.Â
The next morning she woke up to someone talking excitedly. She looked to her side and saw Duff on the phone. âProbably telling his mom.â she thought to herself. Closing her eyes she decided to sleep a bit more.Â
Before she could sleep again, she felt someone shaking her. âY/N! Wake up!â It was Duff.Â
âWhat?â She said. Her voice raspy due to her sleepiness. âI called Jane andâŚâ Before he could finish she interjected. âWho the fuck is Jane?âÂ
âHer friend, the one with black hair.â Y/N thought for a while. âThe nice one?â
âYeah Y/N, the nice one. Continuing⌠I told her we got the label and said I wanted to make her a surprise, and Jane said they are going to the amusement park tomorrow, so I guess Iâm going too.â He laughed a little.Â
Y/N didnât say anything, because she had nothing nice to say. She just wanted to roll her eyes and say that he was being stupid, but decided to remain silent.Â
âCan you paint my hair today? I want to look nice.â He was smiling like a child. âFine, but only if you let me sleep.â He nodded fastly and left the living room.
She didnât know why, but she felt a tightness in her heart. She thought about Duff and her together and she started to feel a certain sadness fill her chest. She sighed and covered her head with a pillow, hoping that she could sleep soon, so she wouldnât have to think about that anymore.Â
The afternoon arrived and she was awakened by Slash, who slightly touched her shoulder, telling her they had made lunch. She got up stretching her body and moving towards the kitchen.Â
After lunch, she went to the drug store with Duff. They bought all the necessary products to bleach his hair and she had to hear him talking about her the whole way. She wanted so bad to throw the plastic bag with the products on his head and tell him to shut up, but decided against it.Â
Back at the house, duff grabbed a chair and sat in front of the bathroom mirror with a bag of Doritos in his lap, while Y/N worked on his hair.Â
All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix started playing on the small radio they took along. Y/N lightened a cigarette taking a drag from it while dancing. She loved Hendrix.Â
She moved with every guitar note she listened, and Duff could do nothing but to watch her from the mirror, almost as if she had hypnotized him. She was the coolest girl he knew, with so much attitude and sweetness at the same time, he didnât even know why, but she fascinated him in every single way.
He laughed as she stopped moving and started to pretend she was playing guitar. She was horrible at playing, Slash, Izzy and even him had tried teaching her, but she always got frustrated after a few minutes and damned that to hell. The music came to an end, and she started to focus on Duffâs hair again.
After a good 1 hour, Duff's hair was done. He smiled at his reflection in the mirror and high fived Y/N, thanking her. They exited the bathroom and went to the backyard, where the boys were.Â
Duff grabbed a beer and sat beside Axl and Izzy on the bench while Y/N moved to the grass area and started playing with Izzyâs dog.Â
âFeeling ready to impress her now?â Axl asked. âFuck yeah!â
âI still think youâre making a mistake by going after her.â Axl said and Duff frowned. âIf she didnât want to be with you while you were growing, she doesnât deserve to be with you now.âÂ
âCut it, man, you donât know herâ He replied while drinking from his beer. âAnd do you?â It was Izzy. Duff rolled his eyes and watched Y/N. She giggled while playing with the dogâs ears.Â
"You know⌠I always thought you and Y/N would end up together" Axl said.
"Why?"
"I don't know man, but there is a strong connection between the two of you." Hearing that Duff looked back to Y/N, he saw she was now fake fighting with Slash and a small smile appeared on his lips.
"Plus, friends don't look at each other like that!"
"What do you mean?" Duff frowned.
"Like, the way you look at each other, is as if you loved each other."Â
"Just like you were looking at her now." Izzy added.
Duff didn't say anything, he drank from his beer and started to think. Could he love Y/N in a way that friends shouldn't love each other?
#duff mckagan#duff mckagan fanfic#duff mckagan imagine#duff mckagan x reader#duff mckagan fic#guns n roses#guns n roses fanfic#guns n roses x reader#guns n roses imagine#guns n roses fic#classic rock imagine#harley writes
116 notes
¡
View notes