#the answer is most likely no cause a) i love my job & b) i don’t want to put my client or any of his classmates in danger | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

throwaway-yandere · 2 years ago

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"If you truly loved me, you should be dead." (Yandere Hitman!Dainsleif/Reader)

a/n: shoutout to rin for giving me that wine prompt, general for making me simp more, and ana for indirectly giving me that final push to write abt dain again lol. Maybe I enjoyed this way too much. Sorry for the b&w manga panels lol.

unreliable summary: Dainsleif– a well-known ex-hitman– recently discovered that his deceased spouse might be alive. Whether or not that’s good news is entirely up to his mental state to decide.

Cw: yandere themes, mafia au, religious themes, major character death, violence, UNRELIABLE NARRATORS, mentions of cancer, and grief mixed with suicidal thoughts. Hurt/no comfort. Please PLEASE prioritize your mental health first before consuming dark content. you matter first and foremost.

“Dainsleif, Excommunicated. In effect, 6:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.”

—---

“Get in.”

“B-But what if!–”

“Just get in, Thoma.”

Dainsleif uncapped his hip flask as Thoma trembled at the foreboding skyscraper in front of their smaller and seemingly insignificant stature. He’s not bothered by Thoma’s reaction, besides–

What sane person wouldn’t be intimidated at the sight of a hotel run by criminals?

The Heavenly Principles is a chain of hotels established by the Abyss Order. It is also regarded as a haven for those with blood-stained nails– but never freshly coated hands. The Snezhnayan branch is the cruelest and most frigid one. They won’t bat an eye if you had arrived after a “job”, but it is most certainly a problem if you conducted “business” inside. It’s a neutral territory for the underworld with several ground rules. Rules that, once broken, would result in what is referred to as “ex-communication”… and no one wants the Adjudicator to hunt them down.

As fate would have it, the infamously retired assassin turned "Bough Keeper" aided a corporate bodyguard inside. Thoma spoke about how the Adjudicator was looking for his Lady without ascertaining the reason why. To soothe the "pup"’s nerves, Lord Ayato kindly asked his old friend Dain if he could drag Thoma to Lord Arlecchino. If Dain knew how finicky the lapdog would be, he probably would've turned the favor down.

"Why are you so sure he's not after Ayaka?" Thoma boldly asked.

Dainsleif refrained from sighing.

The only reason Thoma wasn’t afraid of Dainsleif was that the retired hitman made an oath to his spouse that he would never kill again once they were married. Nowadays, Dain’s income relied on mundane “clean-ups” or sometimes disarming bombs. He dismantled himself from his old responsibilities and became the Abyss Order’s errand boy. Currently, his job is the lowest rank yet he remains respected. As the Bough Keeper, his job is to clean up and handle disputes as long as it doesn’t result in the death of any parties.

A bit similar to Thoma’s line of work, but the bodyguard loathes that comparison. In his point of view, Dainsleif’s eyes are terrifyingly empty when compared to his. Thoma fears his eyes. It reminds him of the time he rowed a boat to Inazuma from Mondstadt. Being stuck in the middle of the sea is not what rattles him, it’s when Thoma gazed and saw the difference between the water and skies was heavily blurred, unable to pinpoint where the ocean ends.

That uncertainty makes anyone shake. They’d rather not make an enemy of a man who is one more step to having nothing to lose.

“If Adjudicator Cyno were out to get her, he would’ve surely ended her life by now,” Dainsleif answered, walking without as much letting the bodyguard catch up. “It’s far more likely that he has business with me and not your lady.”

The adjudicator would surely look for him in the next 3 hours.

“But My Lady has–”

“Not caused actions that'll make the Abyss Order turn against her whatsoever.”

Dainsleif stopped by the tinted glass door and Thoma exhaled deeply. They had been walking for hours since the ex-hitman refused to take a taxi. He claimed that a walk would be safer for Thoma. Assassins don’t act kind towards bodyguards, so seeing Dainsleif march beside him (rather, in front of him) is more than enough to secure his safety.

“Rest assured, once you talk to Arlecchino you’d realize that he’s not after the Himegimi.”

“A-And I’m supposed to be more relaxed by the possibility that he’s after her brother instead?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Because the Adjudicator wouldn't thoughtlessly kill the person who runs the Heavenly Principle's Inazuma branch. I'd appreciate it if you think critically.”

Katheryne, the receptionist, opened the hotel's door. She welcomed Dainsleif in, but if her hair was any longer she would’ve slapped her locks against Thoma’s face with how quick she was to turn and disregard his presence.

“Good afternoon, Sir Dainslief, Thoma,” she said in a monotone voice. Her lack of honorifics when addressing the bodyguard was noticeably rude. “Please, do not wait around outside, come on in.”

The hotel looks even more spacious and positively regal inside.

Thoma had anticipated that a place where "lowlives" would find sanctuary would be horribly run-down and neglected, but he cynically understood that money talks—and crime speaks louder. His skin crawls at the idea that the blood money used to construct this infrastructure served as its fundamental foundation, but he lacks the courage to say it.

“So… Do you come here often?” Thoma whispered.

Dainsleif blinked– and Thoma can barely determine the subtle shock on his face.

“... Yes. Yes, I do.”

Dainsleif proceeded to advance toward Katheryne without explaining why he was taken aback by that question.

Thoma normally takes the front line during security disputes in the Kamisato Esate, but this hotel is a very different situation. If the act of clinging onto Dainsleif’s toned arm won’t disparage the Kamisato Clan’s reputation, Thoma would’ve done that in a heartbeat. A few oddballs gave him the side eye, and a ginger-haired man almost charged at Thoma with a makeshift lance before putting it away when he saw Dainsleif.

“Holy shit. It’s the dead Twilight walking!!!” The ginger greeted with empty eyes. “Where’ve you been, comrade?! And what’s with the news we just heard? You gave Skirk an aneurism.”

Dainsleif took a sip of his pocketed Death After Noon with a look in his eyes that screamed “Here we go again.”

“Your concern for me is flattering, Childe,” Dainsleif spoke, bored. “I’m only here for personal matters.”

“Is he a relative of yours?” This “child” squinted his eyes, piercing them against Thoma. “Must say, he looks like a total greenhorn.”

Thoma raised his hand, “I’m–”

“That’s not worthy of your concern, and don't bother him.”

Thoma was grateful for Dainsleif’s nonanswer. The way he phrased it had implications that he might be a VIP and therefore untouchable.

“Alright then, who am I to disrespect a legend’s wishes?” The “child" patted Dainsleif’s shoulder.

“In any case, welcome home for the last time, comrade.”

Dainsleif diverted his gaze.

“Home?”

This place is not his home, he refuses to let it be so. The scent of cocoa truffles, the messy watercolor-ed desk, the bulletin board littered with red threads, and scattered impulsive notes about a character’s dialogue– where is it? Is this stiff hotel Dainsleif’s home when there’s no sign of life– no sign of them? In here, there is no bed to fix, no brushes to dry, no markers to cap–

and no insomniac spouse to forcefully tuck into bed at 2 AM.

A strained laugh exited Dainsleif’s throat, and a burning sensation in his eyes nearly reminded him that he does have emotions he cannot bottle underneath a cool facade. Yet, as that laugh reverberated in the otherwise silent lounging area, the ex-hitman steeled himself. That phantom coil in his chest dissipated and was replaced by something hollow.

Midnight cuddles and drinks with his spouse, watching their eyes crinkle as they ramble about their last horror piece, pulling them closer just to see the stars in their eyes. That scenery? It was his home. It was what street musicians dub like Venti would as happiness. Not the silence after slaughter– not the quiet of the Principle's lounging area.

The Bough Keeper closed his eyes and answered the two oblivious men with a flat voice.

A “home” to get back to...

“I… no longer have a home.”

He's already reached his journey's end. All his bones await now is death himself.

For only death can lead him back home into (Y/n)’s arms again.

Dainsleif sighed.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Childe. Do svidaniya. Extend my greetings to Skirk if you have the chance, and when you try your hand at hunting me down: do your best.”

—-------------

“Found you."

The woman of the hour smirked as she peered over her shoulder. Her luxurious locks of short dark-streaked albino elegantly hair swung as she faced both Dain and Thoma.

“Oh? Well, it’s only because I wanted to be found.”

Dainsleif sat at one of the chairs unperturbed while Thoma tried not to squirm as the Heavenly Principle’s Snezhnayan branch proprietor– Lord Arlecchino– organized her documents. The enormity of Thoma's situation was lost on her. Arlecchino's face was barely wrinkled, a sign that she takes pleasure in her job. Despite carrying out a task that required undivided attention, her piercing stare dug holes in the wall clock. Her lack of focus relieved Thoma, but only for a fleeting moment.

3 hours more, huh?

Arlecchino fished out a paper from her desk pile.

Never been one to beat around the bush, she laid the facts drop-dead on the table with a loud thud.

“(Y/n) is alive, and Her Highness expects that both Dainsleif and Kamisato Ayaka know where they are.”

…

Dainsleif didn’t utter a word.

“E-Excuse me?!” Thoma gasped.

Dain’s spouse died years ago. Much like a cat leaving the house when it knows it will inevitably shake hands with death, (Y/n) vanished when they knew the next month would be their last. Their family on their mother’s side had always been riddled with cancer and similar illnesses. When they muttered sweet phrases about how they wanted his last memories of them to be of them smiling and cheering him on– Dainsleif didn’t question the validity of their death.

So for Arlecchino to say such a thing is a bit…

“There’s no way! Sure, (Y/n) was close friends with the Kamisatos– but My Lady cried during (Y/n)’s funeral. Ayaka had always been honest to a fault– she wouldn’t have been able to lie, act, or keep a secret like this–”

At least, that’s what Thoma assumed. All he has is word-of-mouth from his master and the Darknight Hero’s associates. The Dawn Winery isn’t the most reliable source unless you’re trained at fact-checking rogues and fabulists’ crude testimonies. Thoma may be a streetwise man, but he always exuded naivete when surrounded by men like them.

Dainsleif cut him off immediately.

“Your rambling is as banal as Katheryne asking for “Dinner Reservations” after business. Worse, yours suffer from how unwarranted they are.”

Thoma went silent to both Arlechinno and Dain’s immediate relief. The two understood it as Thoma perceiving a threat, but in reality, the bodyguard just wasn't aware that “dinner reservations” meant cleaning up a crime scene.

“Where is (Y/n)?” The ex-hitman looked at Arlecchino nonchalantly. “If that intel was real, where are they now?”

“Y-You can’t be serious, Dain!” Thoma gawked. “Your spouse died long ago–”

“Where are they now?”

Silence filled the room as the assassin repeated his inquiry with accentuated obstinacy. Dainsleif knows his spouse better than them so Thoma cannot question the widower’s line of thought.

(Y/n) (L/n), may not have been an official criminal in the eyes of the underworld, but they were guilty of multiple accounts of rebellion, sedition, and illegal associations. They penned propaganda in literary mediums and had repeatedly given out tactics on how to dismantle the current system under a 4-lettered pen name, “████”. His spouse was devious by nature and a long-winded conversationalist– which emphasizes a noticeable stark contrast when seated beside their stoic husband.

If they were alive, they must be watching this conversation while suppressing a smirk.

(Y/n) was the type who would laugh at their own funeral. An expiration date made more sense to them than a promise of forever. Fixity made them uneasy. Dainsleif cannot trust others to share a domestic life with them when he is wholly aware that they’ll die from their hereditary illness. (Y/n) sought thrills more than comfort, which is a reason why he can't cross out the possibility that they had grown bored of their marriage and used their health as an excuse to–

No. That’s an awful line of thinking.

(Y/n) loved him.

… Surely, they did?

"Don't lose your composure, Twilight. I'm not saying this so you could drown yourself in grief with fire-waters. I’ve heard word from Pantalone that they’re likely in Sumeru City during the Sabzeruz Festival, but as (Y/n) loved to say–”

“Information always travels faster than people,” Dainsleif closed his eyes, tasting the words as if it was his deceased lover that imparted them themselves. “That leaked intel is as reliable as wet tissue paper.”

(Y/n)’s insight in regards to trends had been prescient– which is a kinder and less pessimistic way to say they likely already knew the adjudicator had been trailing them for some time. Runaways follow oft‐trod paths to free-trade zones– his spouse would be no exception.

That is, of course, if (Y/n) is alive.

But they’re not.

Dainsleif refused to believe it.

If (Y/n) (L/n) truly loved him, they wouldn’t be alive right now.

“Let us temporarily assume that your spouse is alive for the foreseeable future, Dain,” Arlecchino said, noticing Dain’s subtly pained expression. “For the sake of formalities– are you aware of the repercussions you will face if they were?”

“Repercussions…?” Thoma’s eyes widened.

Dainsleif shook his head.

“If it’s as I suspect, then this is a tragic state of affairs.”

“Indeed,” Arlecchino placed a hand on her hip, subtly pushing away her coat to signify her slotted holster. She tilted her chin up menacingly at Thoma.

“Since you can’t catch up, Mister Kamisato Estate Representative, allow me to spell everything out for you– Dainsleif would be formally announced as a “sinner” in the next 3 hours.”

Thoma’s eyes widened, unlike the man who was affected by the news.

“HAAAH?!?”

Dainsleif sipped his flask again, unbothered.

“Sinner” describes individuals who have been banned from all services, resources, and relationships with other members of the criminal underworld. Sinners become a target for any individuals who wish to kill them with a large bounty placed on their heads. And an ex-communication ordained by the Heavenly Principles is a guaranteed high payroll. When it’s the Abyss Order that hands the cash, you’d get more than enough to secure more than a handful of assets. The moment that occurs– Dainsleif would have to run and find connections that would help him plead his case.

They would surely goad everyone with tenfold the normal amount given the Twilight Sword’s intimidating repertoire.

Dain found that amusing.

The nickname “Twilight Sword” he carries is not reserved for anyone else, but mortal arrogation would surely take a jab and see if they can steal the only life he can’t take away.

He’d laugh now if he weren't depressed.

Killing the Twilight Sword, huh? Even he fails to accomplish that.

"That's unreasonable! The sins of a spouse can't be shared–"

"Why don't you keep your mouth shut, blonde?"

Arlecchino snarled.

"Read the room. No one is giving you a turn to speak."

…

Dainsleif cleared his throat, “Back to the matter at hand; Her Highness is under the assumption that my spouse was– or is– conspiring against the Abyss Order. Which, I reassure you, is unlikely given how their last book is an anti-fascist novel with The Crane being alluded to as the protagonist.”

It didn't make sense for (Y/n) to betray the mafia when they were part of the cog that overthrew Osial, Ei, and the rest.

“... The Crane?” Thoma muttered to himself.

Arlecchino sighed gutturally, irritated.

“You might know her as Shenhe. She’s the assassin that overthrew the ex-Capo, Osial,” Arlecchino answered Thoma. “Strange that you don’t know her. I’m certain she had helped with renovating the Kamisato Estate before.”

Thoma answered with a small voice, “I do know Shenhe as my Lady’s friend, but I don’t recall having her help us with our last renovation…”

“But you should’ve remembered that. After all, cranes are the best kind of bird to help you lift planks.”

…

“... None of you got the joke too? Don’t even think about disparaging me. The joke is not mine, it’s the Adjudicator's.”

Thoma frowned, “I’m sorry, I think it’s too advanced–”

“Stop.” Dainsleif whispered urgently, “Don’t let her explain it. We’re wasting time.”

—-------------

“Dainsleif, Excommunicated. In effect: 2 hours and 30 minutes.”

—-------------

“There’s a fourteen million bounty on your head now, Dain,” Arlecchino said. “If I were more heartless, I would’ve easily planned something. Fourteen million is an impressive starting price.”

“Thank you.”

“P-Please don't thank her. She admitted that she wants to kill you," Thoma begged in a hushed whisper.

As if he doesn't want that to happen.

“Although you have been a loyal customer, I can’t provide any services once the timer runs out,” Arlecchino deadpanned. “You’re a brave one. Sauntering into my hotel when assassins are waiting to strike. It’s as if you have a death wish like my former colleagues.”

“I’ll take my leave then.”

Dainsleif stood up and prematurely exited the conversation, leaving two acquaintances behind.

Arlecchino chuckled. Always up on his feet, that one. She looked at the person who left. It’s clear to her that Thoma does not know what he intended to do next. Thoma fiddled with his fingers, staring blankly.

"It's rude to stare. If you have something to say, spit it out."

Thoma cleared his throat.

"Lord Arlecchino, I was hoping to find out more about My Lady's safety…"

Arlecchino rolled her eyes.

“I’d rather you figure out the truth for yourself. (Y/n) taught us that indoctrination is not education before they ‘passed’, but since I happen to be in a friendly rivalry with Lord Kamisato, I’ll give you your damn reassurance and advice."

Arlecchino grabbed Thoma’s shoulder tightly. Thoma stiffened at her harsh touch, but his determined eyes impressed Arlecchino.

"Ayaka is fine, and Ayaka will be fine."

Arlecchino slid an envelope against his chest. He winced awkwardly at her cold touch and fumbled to receive it.

…

After reading the letter, Thoma sighed in relief.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes. Yes, Lord Arlecchino."

"Good."

No one outside the room knew at that time what the letter contained except for Lord Kamisato. But in 2 hours, the world would know soon enough.

"And lastly, I know you're tempted, but stay away from Dain. He's a dead man and most of all–" Arlecchino breathed between her teeth.

“He's unreliable. His view on his relationship with (Y/n) is tinted with a rosy hue. His memory has all but faded completely regarding what transpired. And sometimes, liars get fooled by their own lies. See for yourself.”

Thoma’s eyebrows knitted in an instant. Arlecchino didn’t give him a turn to speak and opened the door on his way out.

“Focus on your issues, Kamisato Dog. Ad astra abyssosque.”

—------------------------------------

“Dainsleif, Excommunicated. In effect in 4… 3… 2…”

“1…”

“Dainsleif: 14 million. Open contract is now in effect. All services have been suspended.”

—------------------------------------

“Halfdan.”

“Dain.”

“Please let me do this.”

Dainsleif hummed non-committedly.

His new enemy is none other than Halfdan: an old friend back when he served in the military and also the same brother-in-arms he dragged along to become freelance hitmen. Thanks to the fall of multiple governments, Khaenria’hns had to vicariously live through dirty work to survive. To cope, Dainsleif mercifully persuaded Halfdan down this route with a gifted gun for him to take.

And it’s the very same revolver now aimed at Dainsleif’s forehead.

“Capo Pantalone denounced two possibilities from this scenario: one being your spouse had turned traitor and the other would be that they were a double agent this whole time,” Halfdan quietly mused. “And if that were the case, they fear what that makes you."

“And that’s why you’re here?” Dainsleif spoke between labored exhales, clearly worn out from the numerous assassination attempts against his life moments prior.

The world they walk on is liquefied and weightless, never a flat one. Most are content to kill, but not to live– never to dream. Here in the underground, capitalism plays in a greater uneven field. Assassins, elites, common folk– such titles make no difference. Whatever bounty pays moderately might shoot higher the next hour while others might drop lower than the corpse themselves.

Which led Halfdan to make the worst decision of his life.

An ex-hitman who refuses to kill does sound like an easy target on paper.

Dainsleif gritted his teeth.

If Halfdan knew Dain's barrel was empty, he would be dead right now.

Still, not everyone would be bold to make an enemy out of the Bough Keeper.

Especially not when he memorized every hitman’s fighting style, moves, and preferred weapons.

"Evidence suggests that you’re an accomplice. Did you help them?"

“I did not help them– because (Y/n) was not a traitor.”

“Then who else could’ve ratted out all the Abyss' trade routes?” Halfdan said robotically. “It’s a win-win situation for (Y/n) if this whole mess is true. They’d get recognition for their work and potentially have you dead after your ex-communication.”

"Do you know where they are? Where (Y/n) is?"

"You're at the end of my revolver and that's what you're asking?"

"Is that so surprising?"

"Not at all," Halfdan closed his eyes. "Not at all."

"I take it you don't have a clue."

"I know that (Y/n) has been the brains of Archon Kusanali's return to office– possibly her second sage. Whatever that is."

That can’t be right. His spouse hated superordinate roles.

"For someone who was told their dead spouse might be alive, you're surprisingly calm, Dainsleif."

"Forgive me, I try my best to remain composed twenty-four-seven," Dainsleif sardonically replied. "It was a requirement of my previous profession."

“Right… Being a hitman must’ve been tough. Can’t imagine what it’s like,” he chuckled.

Halfdan fired first.

Dainsleif sprinted, hiding behind the alleyway's bricked stores. With his finger hovering above the trigger, he had momentarily forgotten who was after him. As Halfdan carefully scanned the area, Dain tied his blonde hair up loosely, courtesy to how his late spouse nagged him about how it helps keep loose strands out of his eyes during "business hours".

Three warning shots followed.

"Senior, can't you go easy on me? Just this once?" Halfdan mumbled.

Now that the gun was pointed at him, it came to both their minds that they don’t know one another as deeply as they thought. Not in the traditional sense of knowing their names and faces, of course. It dawned that neither talked about themselves as soon as they became hitmen. The Heavenly Principles– whether it’s the Snezhnayan branch or the one Lord Ayato’s running– was like their version of two lost samurais’ dilapidated shelter. They’d talk and bond while it rains– but they’ll never converse outside that haven.

Dain pursed his lips, glaring at the corner of his eyes...

It’d be too easy to kill him.

There’s a crack in the wall that can easily target Halfdan’s temple. Should he pull the trigger, he would be dead without another word. His blood and brain matter would paint the alley’s wall like vague graffiti and there’d be one less person off his case.

But Dainsleif didn’t fire his gun.

“Senior”? Don’t make him laugh.

"I'm not your senior anymore, Halfdan."

Dainsleif jumped out of his spot–

And took his shot too, without any intent to kill.

“NGAH–!”

Halfdan gasped sharply, biting his bottom lip as blood gushed from his left arm. He slid back behind the post immediately, afraid to get close to Dain. Besides, anyone can see a rifle's imprint on Halfdan's cheek.

He's a sniper. Close combat is not his forte.

Unfortunately, Dainsleif used to be a spotter.

“Shit, Dain! What the hell?!” Halfdan tearfully begged. “W-Why are you fighting back? Aren’t you tired of this world?! Aren’t you just waiting to die?!”

Dainsleif’s eyelids lowered.

He doesn’t know the clear answer to that himself.

Until a thought occurred to him.

“I.. Want to carry their memories.”

“... W-What?”

“I wanted to carry on living, for them,” Dainsleif said. “For (Y/n).”

He realized that as long as he was alive, he could keep (Y/n)’s memory alive. He can continue to tell stories about them– to cherish the memories they shared and to honor their legacy. With a newfound sense of purpose, Dainsleif made a silent promise to himself and his deceased spouse.

Hence, Dain would continue to live, not just for himself, but for them. He would carry their memory with him wherever he travels and he refuses to forget their warmth. With that, he gripped his gun, feeling resolute. It’s a long road ahead, but he can carry on, for (Y/n) and for himself. As it turns out, he still had a purpose and a reason to keep going.

His memories of (Y/n) are enough for him to stay alive.

Dainsleif glanced at the crack in the wall.

He reasons that he will be fine if Halfdan dies. Dain had killed many of his former allies before he was wed. Many did oppose his marriage with (Y/n)– worse, many thought they could kill his beloved for it to occur. Killing an old friend tonight wouldn’t be his first.

Dainsleif sighed. He could use his dagger, but he wanted Halfdan's death to be quick.

‘I’m sorry, Halfdan.’

But he did not feel sorry.

Dainsleif loaded his gun.

2 bullets.

That should be more than enough.

‘You’re going to have to be my first kill after 7 years.’

—------------------

As Dainsleif fended off greed-blinded men, Thoma found himself in another nerve-wracking dilemma. He stood inside one of the private rooms in the Heavenly Principles, unflinching. The sharp yet muted shrill of a spoon grated Thoma’s ears, but he remained standing, vigilant yet afraid.

Hard to speak when it was the adjudicator himself that stirred the cup.

The adjudicator, Cyno, is a dreadful shadow to have. Unlike the Bough Keeper, he had deep-set eyes that looked to be calculated at all times. Thoma was most terrified by the adjudicator's reputation for having unwavering determination. His job is to be both feared and respected in equal measure. If Cyno wills it, Thoma and Ayaka would be nothing more than mere bodies between him and his goals.

If it’s true that (Y/n) managed to escape Cyno more than a few times, then he ought to get some tips on how they do it. Cyno cornered Thoma so effortlessly before he could leave earlier.

"Coffee?" Cyno offered. "Don't worry, this isn't the same drink Dain prepared for (Y/n) every morning."

Thoma raised an eyebrow.

What does that mean?

“No thank you sir, but I appreciate the gesture.”

Cyno nodded.

“Let me be clear: I am here to adjudge your master, not you. So if my subordinates found evidence against her, I shall be the one that weighs those scales.”

Thoma already knew that and that threat was never going to provoke him.

If Thoma tells him what the letter contained now, it'll only make the Kamisatos more suspicious.

“I understand, sir. Would that be all?”

“Course not,” Cyno said. “Thoma, I’ve got a question to ask.”

“Go on, sir.”

“Did you ask Dainsleif for help earlier?”

“... Yes, sir.”

“Good,” the Adjudicator nodded. “I value your honesty– and are you sure you don’t want coffee?”

“Yes sir– and I’m sorry for asking for his assistance, I didn’t–”

“Know he was going to get excommunicated, I’m aware,” he muttered. “But that’s an old excuse.”

Cyno sipped his cup, his eyes locked on Thoma's. Thoma tried his best to avoid his gaze but found it impossible. The Adjudicator had a way of making people feel small with just a single look.

"You're brave," he said. "But bravery can’t save the Himegimi. Only the truth can. So where is he?"

Thoma's heart raced as he tried to come up with a response. He knew he had to be careful with his words, or he might end up endangering not just himself, but Dainsleif as well.

"I don't know where he is," Thoma said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't lie to me," Cyno's expression darkened, slamming his cup against the table. It shattered, making Thoma finally flinch at the sound of its impact.

"We know you've been communicating with him. You're part of his and his spouse’s rebellion against the Abyss Order."

“I genuinely don’t know where he is and I'm not part of any rebellion,” Thoma’s voice cracked. “Lord Ayato just ordered me to communicate with Lord Arlecchino and had Mister Dainsleif tag along, please believe me.”

The Adjudicator went silent.

He scoffed.

“Damnit.”

Cyno understood through experience that Thoma wasn’t lying. He ran his fingers through his stressed-white hair, eyes closed.

He unlocked the door.

“Fine, you’re free to leave.”

Thoma blinked, hesitating to do what was commanded.

It’s as easy as that…?

He’s not going to interrogate him further? Wasn’t he supposed to probe into what he knows about Dainsleif or why Lord Ayato sent him to Snezhnaya in the first place? Won’t Cyno give Thoma the chance to tell him that he went all the way here because he feared what he plans to do to Ayaka?

It can't be over just like that.

Wasn't he after Ayaka?

What's going on?

Why did he give up that fast?

All the effort he went through… Just for that?

That’s all the big scary Adjudicator has to say?

Thoma combed his hair up.

Was Lord Ayato right? Was he really just paranoid?

Whatever was on Thoma’s mind– he spoke none of it. He discarded every doubt. Above all else, he was glad that everything seemed to be over.

As Thoma turned to close the door behind him, he heard Cyno mutter something barely a whisper.

“If I am to weigh the souls of others in this world as an Adjudicator, then I must also place my own soul on the scales to be judged in the same manner, but…”

Thoma closed the door before he heard him finish the rest.

“(L/n), despite being a wrongdoer, I wonder if you had a point…” Cyno said.

“... Maybe it’s time we dismantle the current system and rely on the government– Kusanali– once more.”

Cyno didn't drink the coffee he prepared for Thoma. Instead, the adjudicator grabbed his case and left the dubious drink be.

—--------

Thoma thought that was the end of it, but fate had other plans.

He was on his way back when he stumbled upon Dainsleif, soaked in blood. It was a complete coincidence that Thoma had taken this particular route, and he can’t tell whether that was a blessing or a curse. Knowing that Dainsleif possesses incomparable mental fortitude to carry on fighting despite his weakened state, he approached him warily. Thoma was warned already by Arlecchino not to get involved, yet he can’t just leave without a proper thank you. As he got closer, Thoma saw that the man was mumbling incoherently.

"Eli…”

Thoma blinked. Is he calling for Ellin, the rookie hitman?

“Dain…?”

He’s lost in his thoughts.

Dainsleif was morbidly aware that feelings of grief should've surfaced, that he should be mourning the loss of an old friend. Once again, he tried to summon some kind of emotion, any reaction to his Halfdan's corpse. But he felt nothing. No sadness, no anger, no regret. What he felt was frustration only after his failed attempts. Dainsleif was unable to shake off the sense of detachment that had taken hold of him.

Halfdan was just another person who failed to kill the “Twilight Sword”.

“Eli, lama sabachthani…?" Dainsleif muttered.

"Huh?"

Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani: those were the words his spouse said when they were incredibly ill.

It meant "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

As he gazed at the scene of Halfdan's death, Dainsleif heaved a heavy sigh. He was aware that he had to face the facts of his predicament, but he wasn't sure how he should press on. The deafening silence prevailed. Now that he had to deal with isolation and social rejection, his longing for (Y/n) rekindled sevenfold. He knows that it's near impossible to continue living without his spouse.

But finding them?

That should be easier.

"Y-You should take a rest, Dain," Thoma frowned. "I know you haven't killed anyone since today, so maybe you should seek shelter and steel yourself for now."

“I can't, and there is no need for that. No other Black Serpent assassin danced with grief more than I.”

Dainsleif swiftly picked up the knife from the ground, masterfully twirling it until the blood was wiped clean.

“But when I got back to work– I suddenly felt a small amount of relief from this suffering.”

He stabbed the knife back into the corpse’s chest like a toothpick. The blonde carved the knife down the ribs with sheer brute strength. Blood coated his fingers and as he curled it deeper inside Halfdan’s chest, the blade disappeared.

Dainsleif laughed.

The manic blonde’s crooked grin widened.

Thoma didn’t gag at the sight of Halfdan’s corpse– he was used to the sight– but he gulped as he saw Dain’s expression.

His "terrifyingly empty" eyes suddenly had something murky fill the void.

Dainsleif lost it.

“That high didn’t last. Even now, I can feel anguish permeating my entire being. There is no “undoing” their death, such a line of thought inflicts only agony. (Y/n) had become an integral part of me– slowly but surely replacing my sins with a tenderness one cannot attain in the underworld. They did say that grief comes in waves, but how long will I have to stand ashore until a crash large enough would drown me to sea?”

Thoma drowned out his musings. They were bound not to make sense in the first place.

He's not mentally stable, and he doesn't expect him to be. Dain just found out his dead spouse might be alive and killed a friend in under an hour. Thoma would be insensitive if he forced him to compose himself.

Dainsleif let the handle go.

“Can’t you understand why I’m so desperate to find even a sliver of my beloved?” He laughed. “Why I never took assassination requests from the Abyss Order after their death? Why I’m more than willing to kill again? The answer is simple–”

Suddenly, it’s harder to breathe.

The ex-hitman stopped.

His smile weakened as he spoke, “Thoma… (Y-(Y/n)... I want (Y/n) to take me back in their arms as a corpse.”

Dainsleif breathed in shakily, his tears obstructing his speech. He clenched his fists above the table, arching his back as he avoided the bodyguard’s concerned gaze. Thoma could practically see his sobs as Dain’s entire body trembled from a depleting mix of ineffable exhaustion, sadness, and longing. He had bottled these emotions for long enough.

He always had nowhere else to go– no one else to turn to. But nowadays, it felt different. All because he foolishly trusted that maybe this time someone would be able to kill him…

Maybe this time…

The bodyguard rubbed his back, which only served to make the lonesome man conceal his weeping. There's nothing Thoma can do other than provide useless ministrations. To save the last of the ex-hitman's dwindling pride—if he really cared for such—he can only frown and look away.

Dainsleif trembled.

He doesn't know how to cry.

So he cried clumsily.

“I-I’m tired… of taking my own life.”

—----------------

“Dainsleif, open contract. Increase: 20 million.”

—----------------

[Eight Years Ago]

“So, Dain,” they awkwardly voiced with a warm smile. “Do you come here often?”

Does he come here often? Of course, he does. He “worked” here– but no ordinary citizen should know what business goes down in Wanmin restaurant.

And he knew (Y/n) frequented this restaurant too.

Dainsleif laughed.

It’s true, Dainsleif stalks them.

He initially believed they were just an extroverted student who had nothing better to do than to talk to the stranger they kept sitting next to on the bus. He was so exhausted from "work" that his initial impression was of (Y/n) was a loud and brazen scholar. Since the bus they boarded frequently had a TV, they were always open to talk with him about delicate subjects like the daily news about the syndicates without displaying any expressions of disgust. Although they didn't agree with everything he stated, they showed maturity by holding their ground. They praised him for his noteworthy thoughts while criticizing him for his blatantly generic statements. Dainsleif was almost sure they were part of the "industry" he works on–

Until he saw the collage of their friends and professors as their lock screen. Dainsleif realized two things at that time.

1) They like to write.

2) Their favorite mentor was Professor Aether. The “Traveler” who would inherit the Abyss Order if the Abyss Princess dies.

So it’s no wonder they knew a lot about human trafficking.

Something about their easygoing attitude and quick wit struck a chord with him. He found himself laughing along with them, feeling a sense of rare ease and comfort. And whenever they said their goodbyes when boarding off the bus, Dainsleif felt a sense of anticipation, a feeling that this was something special.

And now he "knows all that he needs to know" about (Y/n) (L/n).

Upon realizing that he was staring (they were waving a hand near their face), Dainsleif cleared his throat.

“I enjoy the wine here.”

“Thought the light was about to take you to the other side,” (Y/n) teased. “Anyways, yeah, you know my friends Stella, Jude, and Shiro? They like it too. Can’t catch me drinking though– I just order the sardines pasta here while they get red-faced drunk.”

He sneakily glanced at the menu and silently noted how that order appears to be the cheapest meal. If Dain pitied his date, he made no mention of it. Uyuu restaurant is for the rich and the shady and based on their humble hand-me-down shoes, both descriptions eluded them.

“Well-off friends?”

Dainsleif already knows the answer.

"Eh. We all know both rich and getting-by folks, don't we? As long as we can pay our bills, it doesn't matter," they shrugged. “Still… I’m REALLY sorry that you dressed up for me, Dain.”

They pinched their forehead.

“Look– I don’t know what on earth Rin told you, but I’m not worth this effort. You look incredibly dashing in that suit and tie by the way– but your date is wearing their sister’s Converse right now. If you want me to leave and enjoy your meal alone, just say so– you can even tell everyone that I’m just some charity case college student you fed or something. Fine by me, no problem.”

Dainsleif snorted slightly. While there’s no doubt in his mind that his salary can afford someone’s student loans, the last thing hitmen would do with their monthly pay is invest in multiple scholars.

“Would you feel better if I said I just arrived from work and had no time to change so I 'didn’t' put in any effort…?”

“Kinda,” they croaked pathetically and bowed their head. “But now that you phrased it like that, I can't tell if you're lying for the sake of my feelings, huhu...”

But that uncontrollable sunny smile on their face doesn't show any hint of genuine remorse. Dainsleif reciprocated their smile. (Y/n) is getting more comfortable being in Dainsleif’s presence than before, and Dainsleif seems more open to sharing things about himself– albeit not enough to spill about his true occupation.

His occupation…

Dain tried not to think about it whenever they're on a date, but he can't help it sometimes.

When, he wonders.

When will he find someone that is close enough to actually kill him?

This job was starting to get stale…

If it weren't for (Y/n), he sees no reason to even get out of bed anymore.

(Y/n)... Right, (Y/n). Of course.

Dainsleif stopped himself from grinning widely.

He's on a date– he should be more attentive.

Dain looked at them again, finding himself naturally concentrated on their mannerisms.

“... Why are your hands in your pockets?”

“Oh– I learned from one of my professors that people look more confident when they have their hands in their pockets, if and only if they have a thumb out, apparently.”

“And this prolonged eye contact we’re having?”

“My poor attempt at applying what I’ve learned, yes.”

Dainsleif laughed.

“You’re very easy to listen to.”

They frowned.

“Sorry… I tend to overshare sometimes.”

“Why are you apologizing? I appreciate that you’re being yourself,” Dainsleif said. “Better than honeypotting someone in a relationship.”

“You’re right, sor– I mean, yeah, you’re right.”

A waiter passed by.

“One– Two Death After Noon please, boss,” Dainsleif said.

(Y/n) chuckled humorously, "I suppose I'd also drink a lot if I ended up going on a date with someone like me."

"Glad to hear it. Let's have a drink together."

"Aight– wait, what?"

Dainsleif attempted to pass the glass to (Y/n), but the moment their hand reached the stem–

Splash.

"Oh sh–! I'm so sorry!!!"

Dainsleif blinked.

"Oh my Goodn– I'm so sorry, my bad. I'm–"

"It's alright. Hand me some tissues."

"Sorry…" they cringed. "I'm– I'm a little out of it, lately. I didn't mean to spill that all over– ugh. I'm such a disaster today, what the heck?"

Dainsleif chuckled, almost inaudibly. He didn't move from his position, letting the wine soak his jeans.

"You don't need to worry, I'm used to this."

They tried not to visibly react to that statement.

Use to what, exactly? Having drinks spilled on him?

What kind of life is Dainsleif living for that to happen often enough times for him to get "used to this"? Are people constantly spilling things on him?

"...Workplace harassment?" (Y/n) muttered, not realizing Dainsleif heard it.

His heart leaped as he quickly glanced at himself to check for visible wounds or scars, but snapped out of it when he felt something light against his clothes. No matter how wrong it could appear in public, it seems that (Y/n) awkwardly grabbed the closest tissue box to dab it out (and this action was motivated by how dry cleaning was expensive that year).

"(Y/n)–" he cringed as they continued.

"Please wait."

"You should be more focused on yourself," Dainsleif cleared his throat, with his ears and cheeks slightly red. "Y-You're wearing white."

"Oh…"

They pulled the hem of their clothing. The wine soaked them as well but they were too engrossed to notice it. (Y/n) scowled.

"I'm– yikes, I'm irredeemable at this point. Whoops," they laughed somewhat nervously. “You’ve done it, Mx. (L/n). This is our last date, I guess.”

Dainsleif didn't say a word.

He just stared, looking directly at their splattered clothes. Unlike (Y/n), he didn't jump to helping his date clean up. Dainsleif covered his mouth and breathed in shakily. It was strange. Instead of feeling annoyed or frustrated, he found himself staring fondly at (Y/n) and their almost equally stained clothes.

This stain… It looked like…

They expect him to laugh at their clumsiness or berate them at worst, but when they gazed up, those slapdash daydreams evaporated. Dainsleif looked dazed.

… Blood.

“Dain?”

They looked up at him, doe-eyed and confused. Without hesitation, they cupped his cheek, checking his features.

“Dain? Are you feeling alright? You’re spacing out a lot today.”

Dainsleif couldn’t stop staring.

This scenery was almost perfect. Almost. It just needed one small tweak:

It shouldn't have been wine. (Y/n) would look breathtaking if they were covered in the blood of the men he killed to get a chance to date them.

He looked at his stained clothes and smiled.

Maybe, just maybe,

(Y/n) (L/n) will be the one who can kill him.

—-----------------------------

[PRESENT]

Dain stumbled towards a house with a small inteyvat garden, his body aching and his clothes still stained with blood. He lifted a weak hand and knocked on the door, leaning heavily against the doorframe for support. He shook his hip flask, disappointed that the alcohol was already empty. Not that he needed it to ease his wounds. Thoma already helped Dainsleif patch up a bit, but left in a hurry knowing that the Adjudicator might see his act of “treason.”

After a few moments, the door creaked open and a blonde man peered out.

It was Professor Aether, a kind yet unassuming man who taught at multiple universities– including (Y/n)’s. Despite being the Abyss Princess's kin, he lived a relatively lowkey life in the suburbs after he stopped traveling. Aether looked Dainsleif up and down, his expression unreadable.

"You look injured," he said flatly, without a hint of concern in his voice.

Dain struggled to keep himself standing.

"I am," he said. "Traveler, I’ve been wrongfully excommunicated and I need your help."

Aether nodded as if he had expected that news. Still, he refused Dain entry to his house. “You didn’t honestly think I’d help you without a second thought, right?”

Dainsleif took a deep breath, “I have served and will be of service.”

The sinner then pulled out an object from his pocket and shoved it down Aether’s palm.

Aether raised an eyebrow, concerned.

Visions is a round metallic insignia formally recognized by the Abyss Order that signifies a blood oath. The debtor has their bloodied fingerprint pressed inside the shell. This vision had Aether's fingerprint, and he owes Dainsleif.

“A vision? Do you believe a blood debt will make me help you?” Unlike before, his voice was warm but distant.

“I helped you find your sister– you can help me find my spouse in return,” Dain glared. “Sinner or not, you owe me. I’m certain (Y/n) is alive– and I’m sure you know where they are. You shaped them into the tactician they are now. If there’s anyone who can figure out where they are, it’s you. So take me there.”

Aether closed his eyes.

There's no way he can reason with him.

This is no longer Dainsleif he's talking to– but a husk of a man.

“Fine.”

The professor also pulled something out of his pocket. A blue syringe, none other than one of Dottore’s concoctions, Dain believes. He did not question why he had that in his possession. Foolishly, he did not question if it was an anesthetic or a lethal injection either. What mattered more was (Y/n)’s location. Nothing else.

“But you’ll have to be asleep for it to happen,” the professor commanded exasperatedly. “Do you understand?”

“Why?”

“Because they wouldn’t believe I didn’t help you out otherwise,” Aether scoffed. “So just knock yourself so I can tie you up.”

Dainsleif rolled up his sleeve.

“Do what needs to be done.”

Aether administered the drug.

—-----------

Dainsleif slowly opened his eyes, his head throbbing just as Aether warned him. The room spun slightly as his eyes adjusted to his surroundings. His vision was blurry, but he could make out the distinct Inazuman patterns that covered the walls. The intricate designs were a mix of cloud shapes and leaf motifs, all in shades of blue and white.

This must be the basement of Uyuu restaurant. Dain didn’t expect he’ll be able to (Y/n) here– and if this was one of their base locations, that must mean Ayato is on their side. That’s another surprise he didn’t see coming. These all must’ve been Archon Kusanali’s idea– or maybe it was that government official, Al Haitham?

Whatever, it didn't matter. At least Dain was expecting to be tied down and he was right, he reminded himself. Dainsleif took a deep breath and calmed himself. The ropes dug painfully into his wrists as he struggled against them, squirming to find weak knots that bound him to the chair. No luck.

“Evening, Twilight Sword… Do you come here often?”

Dainsleif stopped struggling.

He looked up, dazed.

Perhaps “enchanted” might be the right term.

Although Dainsleif could barely discern their face from this lighting, he can just about make it out from the shape of their silhouette.

“To this day, you’ve faithfully done your duty as a loving husband– how can a person ever find a man better than you?” The shadow smiled cheaply. "Is that what you wanted me to say?"

The shadow tilted their head up, and a red glint refracted from a familiar pair of tinted glasses. They pulled out a chair and sat in front of him, chuckling angrily as they did so.

“I’d rather not. I’d rather ask how much can I pay you to die.”

Dainsleif coughed.

“... (Y/n)? My beloved, is that you?”

The abyss smiled back.

“I importune you to perish, and you call me 'beloved'?” They laughed sardonically. “Isn’t taking bounties your entire shtick? Why ignore me? Don’t tell me you had a sudden aversion for death.”

They rolled their eyes.

“You’ve encased me in your penthouse, locked me up, stolen my brushes and pens away– and lied to the rest of the world that I had cancer like my relatives when I didn’t and still don’t. So don’t call me beloved. You don’t have the right.”

Their voice was buttery smooth as if seducing him– yet it would be foolish of him not to notice the sharpness of their words– the bitterness it latched onto. It sounded like the truth, but Dainsleif believes they were nothing but lies.

Dainsleif cringed.

“But you do have canc–”

“Fucking bullshit!” The person slammed the table, but years of experience didn’t make the retired hitman flinch. “I was NEVER sick!!! You desperately wanted me to be– because– because YOU didn’t want ME to LEAVE!”

“You always talk about how I’m fucking corrupted– how I can’t be cured– how I’m terminally ill when you’re the one slipping poison in my coffee every fucking day!” They ranted. “You didn’t want me to live, Dainsleif. You wanted me to be sad and– and miserable like you are."

He heard nothing.

That’s not true. None of their words add up.

They loved him– (Y/n) loved him.

Didn’t they?

… Then again, didn't Dainsleif have awful memory?

“Every night, I prayed you’d be dead,” the shadow said, calmly. “And every morning I woke up, I was disappointed. It doesn’t help how your expressionless face is always the first to greet me.”

Dainsleif knew (Y/n) liked challenges– there's no way they want him dead. That's what the promise was for, right? The reason why they made him swear to never kill again once they're married was to make life a bit more exciting. That's what it was, right?

They're not trying to get rid of him from the very beginning, right…?

They clapped.

Dainsleif instinctively closed his eyes as the rest of the lights fiercely illuminated the entire room. Slowly, his burned eyes fluttered open, and his heart beat again after seeing the shadow’s face.

It was (Y/n)'s.

It was his beloved’s.

The same face who wrote the letter Thoma read earlier– the same bastard who schemed to prove the Kamisatos are "not involved" with the anti-mafia stunts they've pulled but not their supposed “spouse”.

"I know what you're thinking, and I know I can't kill you," they scoffed. "So I had to resort to some underhanded tactics. Getting you excommunicated was the best one. If I can't do the job, I'll give others a damn good reason to do it for me instead."

Dainsleif chuckled softly.

Adorable. What a kind gesture.

"You underestimate yourself. You can kill me if you just try."

They snorted.

"Best joke I've ever heard from you, Dain. Dry humor suits you."

"I wasn't joking."

"I know you weren’t," (Y/n) clicked their tongue. “I know one of the reasons you kidnapped me was to make me competent enough to maybe kill you someday. Hah. At least I can say that I tried.”

They scowled. Patronizingly, they tore their gaze away from him and instead looked at what was inside the room. Dainsleif was not the same. He couldn’t tear his gaze away to notice how he was trapped inside the Uyuu restaurant’s weapon room.

For the first time in years, Dainsleif smiled like a child.

Dogs like Thoma would never be able to understand what it’s like to have such a strong connection with someone that isn’t your master.

He could no longer care if they (Y/n) was the one that shoots him right there.

In fact, he wouldn't mind if (Y/n) died too.

Haha… Hahahaha….

They had always been dead to him for years now.

Dainsleif finally remembers everything clearly.

(Y/n) had never been "dead", he was just angry that they escaped successfully.

Angry to the point they were actually dead in his eyes.

“I don’t know why the Professor brought you here all tied up– but I’m growing impatient at just the sight of you.”

So is he.

Dainsleif chuckled. One other thing he expected was that Aether will send him here with the intent of killing him. Shame, however, that Dainsleif saw that coming from miles away.

(Y/n) stepped closer and Dainsleif frantically pulled at the ropes, feeling them loosen. Dain had to keep going. He needed to break free.

“Farewell.”

As (Y/n) reached out to grab their gun off the table, Dainsleif surged forward, throwing his weight against the ropes and snapping them. He stumbled to his feet, the chair clattering to the ground as he grabbed at the gun faster than they could. The patrons of Uyuu restaurant are completely unaware of the drama that had taken place below their feet, chatting and dining as usual.

“Tch!”

With years of experience behind his back, Dainsleif knocked the gun out of (Y/n)’s hand, sending it skittering across the floor. (Y/n) lunged for it, but he tackled them, driving them both to the ground.

(Y/n)’s eye twitched and they can tell Dainsleif was equally pissed. But even when he had them pinned on the floor, Dainsleif remained careful on how he should hold them down. That unspoken act of “love” makes them want to vomit, but there was no time for that.

Even so, something about his stare seemed off.

It's as if he wanted to drag them down.

It's as if he wants them to be as dead as him.

(Y/n) jolted upon seeing his eyes.

In an unexpected string of luck, (Y/n) kicked him off and wrenched the gun away from Dainsleif.

They pointed it at him.

Dainsleif did not take a step back or forward.

As (Y/n) preps the gun, like souls intertwined by fate and time, they both had one thought in mind:

“If you truly loved me, you should be dead.”

(Y/n) fired.

BANG!!!

…

They shot him.

They shot Dainsleif.

And they know they shot him because they felt his blood pressed against their body.

But they blinked.

Lord– all (Y/n) did was blink.

"Y-You finally know how to fire a gun."

Dainsleif has nothing to be proud of in his own life, but he can still be proud of them.

There's no way for (Y/n) to miss the wetness of his gunshot wound. Not when he's holding them into a tight hug. Despite bleeding out, his firm hand cradled the nape of their neck, humming contently. Dainsleif thought to himself that a shot from (Y/n) did not feel painful in the slightest. It almost seemed like an injection.

No… Something isn't right, why is he so close…?

Their stomach burned.

And they can almost hear his smile.

"Thank you, my beloved. I was tired of taking my own life…"

If he can't have them alive, well…

Dainsleif pulled out the dagger behind their back.

No one should be able to have (Y/n)'s corpse too.

Dain kissed them.

He traced his wet thumb against their cheek, painting their face red with his fingerprints.

Dainsleif grinned.

"I love you."

They choked out blood out of pure disgust. Their strength was ebbing away.

Haha… It’s almost like… They actually have stomach cancer…

Their vision began to swim and they felt their consciousness slipping. (Y/n) saw blood seeping through their clothes, staining them dark red. Tears streamed down their face as they realized what had happened. Dainsleif stabbed them. They tried to cry out loud, but their voice was weak and hoarse.

The blood on their clothes… It almost reminded them of their seventh date. The wine, his dazed look…

(Y/n) would laugh humorlessly if they could.

In their last moments, (Y/n) learned that it took strength to cry… to scream out the pain buried within their stomach. But they had no strength left and they dropped their gun.

Their only option was to wither away.

Dainsleif kissed their neck sloppily– (Y/n) couldn't tell if it was saliva or blood. The taste and scent of blood filled his senses. Surely from both of them. Maybe this is what Dainsleif meant when he spread rumors about his spouse constantly going through hemoptysis. Bleeding from the mouth does count as a sign of a terminal illness, doesn't it?

His thoughts are curt. His breathing is short. Yet, his unhinged eyes were near immortal.

Dainsleif no longer cared about his own life– not when the person he lives for wanted him dead.

The weight of their "atonement" falls on (Y/n)'s shoulders as Dainsleif weakly knelt along with them. As their vision dies out, he tightens his hug, hungrily leaning into their dwindling body heat.

Dainsleif was right.

They do look beautiful soaked in the blood of their enemy.

"I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you."

Even in death, he will not leave them be.

They sobbed.

No…

But they were so close…

In their final moments, (Y/n) could only look up at the ceiling and cry.

They clutched their feeble freedom and life, staring into the abyss as though it can provide them solace to answer the question:

"E-Eli… eli, lama sabachthani?"

#ansy-writes #yandere dainsleif #yandere dainsleif x reader #yandere #male yandere #yandere x reader #yandere genshin x you #yandere genshin impact x reader #yandere genshin #yandere genshin x reader #dainsleif #dainsleif x reader #x reader #tw: yandere #tw: suicidal thoughts #yandere male #tag: hitman dain

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wroteclassicaly · 2 years ago

Note

i’m here dw <3 i’ve been thinking of the idea of him fucking you and interrogating you hehe. “you wanna cum? you better answer my fuckin’ questions first.” taking total and complete control over you when you’re being difficult is sooooo 💫🫶🏻 He -han

Mr. Tillman loves him some bondage. 🥵

Also… I’m sorry that this took on a mind of its own, and I gave some Headcanons/backstory, that we don’t have yet. I do know Roy is most likely Gator’s dad, because his name is listed as Roy Tillman, so I’m assuming? 😭

Warnings: Language, bondage, edging, possessive Gator, vaginal sex, and use of a sex toy!

~*~

If you told yourself that you never thought about what Gator would, or could do to you with the plethora of binds he kept on him (or in that rust bucket he called a pick-up) — you’d be the biggest liar in the whole entire Midwest. Asking didn’t seem like an option to you, and you weren’t sure if Gator would a) use those specific things on you, or b) think you could handle them. You weren’t the type of girl that he usually took home to bed and be rid of. When you started sleeping together it surprised everyone in town, because let’s face it, word travels when a Tillman is involved in even a spill on aisle twelve. The whispers were more aimed at you, the quiet little mouse that ran the town’s one and only library, and resided on the edge of poverty.

Your grandparent’s lived and died in a trailer, and your dad left with his high-school sweetheart. Your mom had scurried out of town and went further into the country, residing on a farm with her flavor of the last few years. You’d known the Tillman’s since you were born, school mates with Gator, your grandfather working for the city with Roy’s father. It was a weird cycle, things often happening that you didn’t want involved in. So you opted to stay in town in your upstairs studio — charmed by it’s exposed pipes and original hardwood floors — rough, but yours.

Your work was a flight of stairs and down the street — away. You’d pass your favorite diner and the station, both of which Gator always routined in the morning, similar to your own schedule. More often than not, you’d see him clambering from his merlot colored 1948 Ford pickup. He never shut up about restoring the thing, much to Roy’s constant dismay.

“Buy a new one, boy. Waste of time.”

Gator added that to his many blissful defiances towards his father. Ones that could be overlooked. He knew better than to tow the line on the bigger things, even if he was ‘Sheriff’. Still, Gator Tillman did whatever job he was presented with, and he did it well. It followed on the spurs of a roughened elegance, like a soft spicy cologne, the leather of his combat boots, that thick gel he laid his chestnut tresses back with, or the beard burns he decorated along your thighs.

The morning that started it all, is when you’d had some continuous issues with idiot kids breaking into the return box and busting it into dents. Was it a big deal? Not really. But you weren’t about to lose your shitty minimum wage job for childish theatrics, all because your manager was a tight wad, and the town hall was in Roy’s back pocket, unwilling to let funds go for things that weren’t firearms. You hadn’t unlocked the box for returns, and you heard the kids throwing rocks, ramming it with the tires of their bikes —sheer boredom on a summer morning.

Gator was already out there, leaned over the top of a neon green set of handlebars, palm clasped on the pre-teen’s shoulder, shaking his head. The kid was pale, holding up his hands in apology, and turning towards you with glossy eyes. A quiet ‘M’ sorry, M’am.” Had tumbled off his lips. If they hadn’t continuously caused so much damage, you would’ve felt bad for him.

As he rode off into that crisp morning air, you’d turned, only to find the sun illuminating Gator’s enriching chocolate eyes, irises scattered with shards of mossy green and embers of golden flecks, his caramel colored hair slicked back until it looked darker than its natural shade — shining, freckles splattered all over his face and neck, a glimpse of his gold chain peeking out from his navy blue t-shirt, his vest tossed over his loose jean jacket, with his look completed by his thigh holster and weapon — strapped to his gray and black camouflage cargo pants. He drank in your reaction like a man dying of thirst. And the rest became one for the small town history books.

~*~

“Gator, just… fucking… PLEASE —“

A hand that is tainted with the musk of your own arousal, it lays flat over your mouth, his chain dipping between the valley of your perspired-drenched breasts, a brutal thrust delivered. His stubble formed beard, it scratches at your earlobe, his lips whispering out in a tone of mocking. “Didn’t I tell you not to talk unless you have answers for me?”

You mumble against his hand and he reaches back over with a free set of digits, snatching your wand off the table and pressing it back onto your clit. “What’s that, sweetheart? Was that a confession or another mouthy mistake?”

Tears soak your lash line, your cunt dousing him with new waves of cream each time he gives another push. He smirks, eyes blown and receptive, features a lit with mirth. He loves you not giving it up as much as he’s giving it to you. This… interrogation became more than his jealousy. A fun little game that he knew would also test his sanity not to claim you outwardly.

His spit-slick hand leaves your mouth, the vibrator being pulled off as you start to buck into his pelvis. You whine loudly, panting, his hand slapping above up into your bed frame, caging you in beside your cuffed wrists. You’re dripping down his balls and your ass, out of your fucking mind with raw need. You’ll say anything he wants, at this point. His calloused thumb-pad hovers over your clit, lips puffing out another questioning demand. “I asked you who he was and why he thought it was okay to act like your little hero, huh? He sniffin’ around you, wanting to hike up his leg for a piece of territory?”

“I need you, Gator! I want —“

His thumb grazes your clit and presses down… hard, leaving a painful ache snapping inside of your belly, but not enough to give you what you need, simply just encourage its flames. You tighten around him and he pulls out some, shaking his head. “Don’t care what you want. He’s playin’ on my turf, with my bitch. And she’s already been claimed.”

You attempt to twist your hips, but he rises onto his knees, hairy thighs pressed into the underside of your own. He’s in your face again, clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth. “You wanna cum? You better answer my fuckin’ questions first!”

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klbwriting · 11 months ago

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Who Am I Really?

Chapter 4

Fandom: Aquaman

Pairing: Ormxfemale!Reader

Warnings: some child abuse

Summary: Orm and YN settle in with each other more and Orm remembers something from his past

Notes: comments/critiques appreciated!

Orm and YN spent the next few weeks getting to know each other, getting used to each other. Orm noticed that YN was not the type to let a message sit there, she had to answer it right away, but she could let a mess wait if it wasn’t going to cause damage. She had a routine, shelter until almost dark, come back to the house, eat, and let the dishes sit in the sink for awhile before they did them together. Orm started to try and figure out ways to help around the house. Some mornings when she went to the shelter he would stay back and tidy up, wanting to earn his keep there since he felt useless most of the time. Or maybe if there weren’t a lot of volunteers that day, he would pick up the dog walking slack so that YN could do paperwork. YN noticed what he was doing and appreciated it.

“You know you don’t have to do so much Orm,” she said one day as he started cooking dinner. He had become interested in cooking on their first evening in and now he was practicing the basics of pasta. Salt the water, boil it, pasta in, heat the sauce, save some pasta water, drain it, put it and water in sauce, mix, it was soothing to think about and do the steps in order. Then, after it was all done, you had something that not only tasted good but sustained life. What honestly could be better than that? Orm didn’t know why he felt like he needed to redeem himself for something, prove that he could be a good person, but he did. So here he was, helping this one person to clean, take care of the animals, learning to keep her alive, it felt like he was atoning for something, just a little. And he liked it.

“I know, but you do so much, I want to make sure that I earn my place,” he said. That was another thing that was creeping in more as the time went by. His need to earn something. He, again, didn’t know what, but he had to earn it. Earn the bed she let him sleep in, the food she let him eat, the clothes she bought him, her friendship, her love… He stopped there and looked at her as he heard the timer go off. YN smiled as she got up and went to the wall oven. She pulled out two loaves of fresh baked bread and set them to cool. She had made another two loaves already, saying she liked to prep and have homemade bread all week.

“Orm,” she said, coming over to him and turning him to face her. He looked down at her, trying to place the look in her eyes when she spoke to him. God, he wished he remembered what things meant, remembered himself, remembered how to tell what a person was feeling and thinking. He knew that once; he was sure of it. He couldn’t have been this clueless all the time. “Listen to me, are you listening?”

“Yes, I am listening,” he said with a smile. She smiled back and his heart jumped.

“You don’t have to earn your place on this planet. You exist, and your existence is wonderful, its miraculous, you are pure stardust in a human form,” she said. “And so am I, we are all on the planet to bring life to it, not to do a specific job or to have some grand purpose. Just living is purpose enough.” Orm stared at her, and she stared back. She was telling the truth; this time he could tell. “Thank you,” he whispered. She smiled and touched his cheek, he leaned into the feeling of her hand.

“You might want to check that sauce though,” she teased. He looked and saw it was starting to bubble too much so he turned down the heat and put some on a wooden spoon. He held it out to her, and she blew on it, taking just a bit. She nodded, ‘mmm’ coming from her mouth. He tasted it himself and nodded. It was amazing. Maybe he cooked before the attack, maybe that’s why they came after him. He was some kind of chef that had stolen a secret recipe. Ok, that was ridiculous, but fun to think about. YN patted his arm and went to check on her bread and get the table ready.

Orm was running. He was a child, scared of something. Someone was chasing him. He saw someone in front of him. A woman, pale, with blonde hair like his. She looked sad, devastated. She held her arms out to him but then she was pushed off a cliff, weighed down by some kind of rock that pulled deep into a drench in the ocean. Orm was screaming, someone grabbed him, and he was hauled, kicking and screaming into a room where a man waited. This man had Orm’s eyes, but they were angry, murderous even.

“You are my son, and no son of mine is going to embarrass me by crying over that surface whore,” the man, his father said. His voice was vicious, but he wasn’t yelling, barely even whispering, but Orm knew that this was bad, very bad. His father rose from the chair he had been in, producing what looked like seaweed at his side. In his subconscious mind Orm finally realized he was in water, and not just a lake, or swimming, but deep in the ocean, where no human could live. He was snapped back to what was happening though when he felt the crack across his face. Whatever plant that was it was thick and felt like a whip. Orm touched his face and saw blood floating off, carried away. The man looked down at him and Orm screamed.

YN heard Orm from her room, crying out in his sleep. She got out of bed and ran into the other room. He was twisting in the sheets, sweat gleaming off him as he begged someone to stop. She moved to him, shaking him gently, trying to wake him. He shuddered and sat up finally, nearly knocking her over. His eyes were wide and looked around, searching for whatever had been scaring him.

“Orm,” she said, and she could see her voice reach him. He turned to look at her, his heaving chest slowing as they stared at each other. “I’m here, you’re safe.” She ran a hand through his hair, watching as his breathing evened out and he calmed down. “Nightmare?”

“I think I remembered something. Something that seems impossible,” he said. She nodded and moved to sit next to him in bed. He held up some covers and she slid under them. They laid down next to each other and without prompting she moved so he could lay against her, feel her close to him, fingers still running through his hair to soothe him. “I’m not a metahuman. I’m from the ocean.”

“Atlantean?” she asked. He looked at her confused. “The Aquaman, he and a group of people who have lived under the ocean just revealed themselves, joined the surface world. You must be one of their people.” He muddled the thought in his head and nodded.

“Perhaps I am,” he said. “Anyway, I think they killed my mother and my father…he was a monster.” YN leaned to his head, cheek pressing against his forehead, and she kissed it softly.

“Well, you’re here now, safe with me. No monster is going to come for you, not while I’m here,” she said. Orm looked up at her and stared. She looked tired, but she was smiling at him, and finally he thought he saw something in her eyes. He took a risk, leaning up slightly, pressing his lips to hers softly, just for a moment before pulling back. She looked at him surprised and for a moment he thought he had really screwed up, but then she was kissing him, and he never wanted it to end.

#orm marius #king orm #ormmarius #orm marius x reader #king orm x reader #kingorm #ormmariusxreader #kingormxreader #ormseries4

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cvsmixnaya · 2 years ago

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love story

pairings: swiftie!armin arlert x fem!swiftie!reader

summary: armin takes y/n for taylor swift’s eras tour and armin uses that as an opportunity to propose to her during love story.

cw: none just lots of fluff🤭

a/n: this is completely based on this reel and it was just so cute🥹 and i headcanon armin also likes taylor swift. change my mf mind. also idk how the order works since i’ve never been to the eras tour so i’m just gonna go with whatever comes to my mind. ok cool

Armin is literally the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet. just a few weeks ago, he managed to buy two tickets for Taylor Swift’s eras tour.

Y/n was more than happy. She was excited even. Her dream was to go for the eras tour had to get her outfit ready.

She knew exactly what to wear and finally got her dress ready.

Armin was also excited cause he’s a proud swiftie himself. But he had something special planned for this night.

He was gonna propose to Y/n.

Those two tickets being available was a sign. A sign for Armin to ask her to spend the rest of their lives together.

And he followed that sign.

It was finally the night. The night of the concert. The couple was so excited cause they get to see their favourite singer on stage.

IN PERSON.

“So, you excited?” Armin asks Y/n and she nods eagerly.

“Of course I am Armin! I mean how could I not be?! We get to see the Taylor Swift in person and oh my god I’m freaking out!”

He chuckles lightly looking at her with such a sweet smile that only Armin can pull off.

They reached the venue and both of them were freaking out so badly. Everyone who was going was to be fair.

They head inside and go to their seats which was pretty close to the stage. Armin wanted to make this night as special as possible for Y/n.

The concert started and there were loud cheers coming from the crowd including the couple.

After sometime, it was time for the fearless album and Armin was freaking out from the inside cause the time was almost here.

He had the ring ready in his pocket but he needed someone to record this moment so they can look back at it years later.

He had a paper and pen and wrote a message saying “please record me in love story im gonna propose”

Tapping the stranger’s shoulder making sure his girlfriend doesn’t see. The stranger was a woman who was probably their age turned to look at him and he handed the note.

The woman smiled and gave him a thumbs up letting him know the job will get done.

He mouthed a thank you smiling back and continued with the show.

Y/n wasn’t even paying attention to her surroundings cause of how much fun she was having.

Finally the song was here.

Y/n turned to Armin with a smile on her face and held out her hand.

He of course took it and pulled her closer. Dancing to the beat together like the rest of the world didn’t exist to them.

It was just the two of them and the music.

Romeo save me I’ll been feeling alone

I keep waiting for you, but you never come

Is this in my head I don’t know what to think

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring a said

Armin knelt to the ground according to the lyrics and pulled out the most beautiful ring in the world.

Y/n was in shock. Her jaw was dropped to the ground with her hand covering her mouth.

Marry me Juliet you never have to be alone

I love you and that’s all I really know

I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress

It’s a love story, baby just says yes

Armin sang along basically asking the love of his life to spend the rest of their lives together.

Everyone who was around them was cheering loudly and Y/n was crying while nodding her head yes.

Armin had the biggest and prettiest smile ever.

He got up and put the ring on the empty ring finger and they gave each other a tight hug before giving a long kiss.

That kiss right there sealed the deal. It was filled with love, happiness and excitement

The question was popped and the answer was yes.

They pulled away and Y/n had never been so happy in her life. She couldn’t stop smiling at all and wanted to savour this moment forever.

“I love you” She said but since it was loud, Armin couldn’t hear her but knew exactly what she said.

“I love you too” He mouthed back and enjoyed the rest of the concert in happiness.

The lovely stranger tapped Armin and she showed the video to him. He felt even happier knowing he will be able to look back at this beautiful moment.

He asked her to send it through airdrop and she did exactly that.

“Thank you so much for doing this” He thanked the woman. A total stranger who didn’t even know each other’s name.

“Your welcome! Don’t worry about it.” She said in return and they went back to enjoying the show.

It’s been a few hours and the concert ended. The newly engaged couple headed to the car to head back home.

They were indeed exhausted. Their wrists were full of bracelets from You’re on your own kid and confetti.

The drove home in peace with some calm music playing.

They got home and the moment they were inside, Y/n gave her now fiancé a long and loving kiss.

“Thank you so much for making this night special Armin. You have no idea how happy you made me and how much I’ll treasure this moment.”

He couldn’t stop smiling. How couldn’t he?

“Of course my love. I would do anything to make you happy. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life you. I love you so much.”

They wash themselves and changed into their night clothes and laid on the bed.

“Hey, I actually got someone to record the proposal.” Armin said and opened his phone to show the video.

Y/n got up in anticipation. “Really? Lemme see it”

He shows the video to her and she was so happy. He explained how he asked a stranger to record this moment and thanked her so many times.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe a total stranger did this for us. That’s so sweet of her” She sighed in adoration.

“I know right. This just shows that there are good people in this world. They’re just sometimes hard to find.”

They decided to call it a night and head to sleep. He give her a quick peck on the forehead before turning off the light.

He held her gently but firmly. Yup, he cannot wait to do this everyday forever.

He secretly thanks Taylor in his mind cause she’s the whole reason for this.

THIS IS FOR @arlertlvr AKA MY FAVOURITE SWIFTIE AND MOOT. MWAH LOVE YOU

#aot #aot imagines #aot x reader #snk x reader #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #armin arlet x reader #armin x you #armin arlert #armin aot #taylor swift #eras tour #armin is a swiftie hehe #Spotify

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stardustinmyhands · 4 months ago

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8/19/24

I talk to my psychiatrist today in less than 2 hours. I’m nervous I don’t know why. I trust him (I trust 3 of my doctors very much). Maybe cause I have to admit I’m not doing well, when I’ve been doing well for so long. Now this.

Today I’m cleaning in my house. My apartment complex is spraying for bugs in our kitchen and bathroom, so we have to clear out all our drawers and cabinets. Thats my job today. I made a list of things I have to do.

I only have 4 things left. One is my appointment with Dr. B at 2.

My normal dose of adderall a day is 50 mg through out the day. (20 mg, and two 15 mg). Today I’m taking three 20 mg cause of all I have to do. I’m not telling my dr of course. It will be our little secret. (Haha). I’m also pretty uncomfortable today (pain wise). Adderall also helps me forget that, or not feel it.

I guess I’m also nervous cause I don’t know what my doctor will say, or if he will change my meds or just increase them. I take 600 mg of trileptal twice a day and abilify 15 mg at night time (among many other things, but those are my behavioral medicines). I also can’t take antidepressants, because they make me suicidal. So they are basically “black listed” in my chart.

I also will have to be honest I’m having intrusive thoughts of cutting, but I’m not acting on them. I’m not anywhere near suicidal.

I also haven’t talked to my friends (except one I met at work, I talk to her daily. But I feel she understands me and won’t judge me) in like almost 2 months.

My friend is throwing a birthday party later this month for herself. I don’t wanna go, but it will be important if I do go. So I’m trying my best to go. Her divorce was finalized a few months ago, it was a toxic marriage. And she’s going to school to become a nurse. She’s also doing a lot other good things to improve herself. I’m proud of her. I do feel bad about not talking to my friends, but I just can’t do it.

I’m also gaining weight.

I’ve lost a lot of interest in stuff to the point my wife is telling me I need to go back to art therapy. All I do is word searches, write in my journal, and watch tv. And over eat.

This was triggered by a break up with my boyfriend. It was made worse when I stopped texting him (we were friends, at least I thought we were) and he hasn’t texted me in a week. It bothers me I can’t even get a minute of his time. And if I confronted him, he probably wouldn’t answer me. And that would bother me more. I loved him very much, and trusted him to not hurt me.

Today for the most part, I feel ok. As usual it changes by the hour. Like it has for the past three weeks.

I will update after my psychiatrist visit.

#depression #behavioral health #heartbreak #actual adhd #autism #adult autism

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sublimepenguinpeach-blog · 8 months ago

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I'm Kathryn Orozco, the "pogue princess." I've known John B, JJ, and Pope much longer than Kie. I met John B at age five while biking home from school when a sudden car forced me to swerve and fall off.

I scratched my upper knee on the concrete, causing bleeding. I cried and used my shirt to try and stop the bleeding. Six-year-old John B noticed the commotion, came over, and asked if I was okay. He then held onto me and walked me safely back to my house.

Since then, we've become best friends, bonding over our complicated relationships with our fathers. John B's dad was frequently absent, consumed by the search for the valuable royal merchant shipwreck in the Outer Banks. As for my father, our clash of personalities and his prolonged work absences strained our relationship. He would leave for weeks or even months, only to return and criticize everything I did. Despite my accomplishments, he never saw them as good enough. This behavior extended beyond me, affecting my mom and grandma as well.

My father is obsessed with money, despite never experiencing poverty. He criticizes any spending and resorts to dishonesty to hold onto money. I cherish my mother, who homeschooled me for several years due to my struggles with academics and social skills as a result of my autism. She made the challenging decision to temporarily leave her job to ensure my success in school and life. Now, she works as a psychologist at Children's Hospital and has faced recent challenges with her employers.

I'm not exactly a "pogue" since my parents have been well-off, though we may have been considered middle class in the past. My mom was a pogue for most of her life, while my dad, originally from Colombia, isn't a pogue or a kook. Despite my Hispanic heritage, I have a pale complexion unlike my dad's family. I relate more to John B and JJ than Pope, and I am the only sibling in my family, as is John B. JJ, John B, and I share family issues, unlike Pope who has a loving and supportive father. We understand loneliness, the need for love, and sadness. When we seek comfort or someone to talk to, we rely on each other. I wish we had better fathers—mine being verbally abusive and John B's dad being absent. Anyway, it's no surprise that I know JJ well. He's a great guy who always knows how to uplift my spirits after one of my frequent fights with my dad. I suppose we're all somewhat bonded through shared trauma.

Cheers to shitty fathers. JJ's situation with his abusive and mean drunk father is heartbreaking. I've always despised JJ's dad for the way he treats him. I once went to JJ's house to bring him some sweets, but instead, his father answered the door and verbally attacked me, even resorting to physical violence by slapping me. I had to hide the bruise with makeup, and his hurtful comment about my weight still affects my self-esteem. I've never told JJ about that incident because I know he would retaliate against his father, and I don't want him to get hurt in the process. Pope joined our group later on, and Kie became a part of the Pogues just a year ago. I have mixed feelings about her because her presence has caused tension among my friends. I see how she looks at JJ while flirting with Pope, who has been in love with Kiara from the beginning. I don't want Pope to get his heart broken, and I won't let her be the reason for our friendship to fall apart.

JJ, Pope, John B and I go to different schools sadly as of the last 8 years. I go to where the “kooks” go to school which is called Kildare Academy. I would say I have friends there which is why I can’t “choose a side” much to JJ’s dismay. I don’t like the guys here there thats for sure especially Rafe Cameron who is the biggest kook of all aka The Kook King. More like the asshole King of all assholes of figure eight. It goes without saying that I am not a fan of Rafe Cameron. Not only because as a kid, he would pull my hair and glare at me but also because he physically hurts my best friends for no reason other than their “pogues, the scum of the earth in his opinion obviously.” The only time a pogue isn’t scum of the earth to him is if they are selling drugs to him aka Barry. He thinks it’s a secret that he’s a coke head but it’s common knowledge that he’s a coke addict that lives off his father’s money.

This is a prologue to my story “Falling for the Kook”

Tell me if you want a part 2

#rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x chubby reader #curvy reader #rafe cameron x oc #rafe cameron x curvy reader

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redeemed-wren · 5 months ago

Note

https://www.tumblr.com/yesornopolls/757464823516774400/ive-noticed-the-pro-life-vs-pro-choice

thoughts on this? even here, the yeses are overwhelming. I’m personally pro-choice politically cause I don’t think the government should force women to have children, but like… idk man. I really can’t get behind the extremely pro-abortion view. also, where are y’all? You guys were extremely vocal on the, “Do you know any pro-life people?” poll

Well, for one, I think that today's Western culture is overwhelming pro-choice, focusing on the comfort and choice of the mother (not a bad thing in and of itself) over the baby. For another, just because popular culture says one thing doesn't mean its right or correct.

I honestly don't know what the right lawful stance is, and that's why I encourage discussion. But I do think the more a culture okays killing children, the more we slip down into a culture that doesn't value life.

And when you say you don't think the government should force women to have children, you forget that the vast majority of women who have abortions also chose to have sex. The biological function literally designed to make children. If laws ban abortions, its not the government forcing them to have children--its the government forbidding them from avoiding the consequences of their actions by taking an innocent life.

And there are exceptions, of course. But most of the time, these exceptions are a) horrible things that need to be approached with compassion and care and b) very rare. The exceptions are why I'm a bit on the fence about the law side of things, though I am convinced of the morality.

However I think both mother and baby deserve better. We should be working towards a society that embraces mothers so they don't feel they have to have an abortion. We should support single mothers, love young mothers, stop demonising pregnancy, work towards a culture that embraces pregnant women and mothers, instead of shoving the problems under a rug of 'get an abortion and you don't have to worry anymore.'

(Is it progressive for jobs to pay for women to get an abortion instead of giving them parental leave? Is it progressive for a sex trafficker to force a girl to get an abortion so no one knows she's being abused? Is it progressive to tell women they have to be exactly like men and reject their unique biological ability to create life just so they can succeed instead of embracing our differences?)

A culture that proposes abortion as a solution is a culture that doesn't care about women because its a bandaid on a much deeper wound.

And as for where the prolife crowd is on that post? I dunno man I just reblog what's on my dash and I'm not following that blog.

To sum up my answer to your question: banning abortion won't fix things unless the attitude of culture changes. But banning abortion could be a step towards changing that culture

#wren rambles #anon #asks #pro life #i dunno if that answered your question i went on a tanget lol

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matt-lifesage · 2 years ago

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Matt’s 2022 Visual Novel Tier List

We're counting down/ranking all the visual novel's I read in 2022!

C-Tier:

Melty Blood

TATARI is a fantastic concept, and Sion’s a really fun new character to throw in with the Tsukihime cast, but the actual storytelling was more often than not really really boring. The comedy route was nice, but most of the game’s a slog to get through since all the different paths are very samey.

It didn’t help that I knew the gist of the story from reading the manga adaptation several years back. After rereading the manga again after going through the game, it’s a very solid adaptation and my preferred version of the story (though, I don’t think Act 2’s adaptation of the comedy route works nearly as well).

B-Tier:

Kagetsu Tohya

I ended up enjoying this more than I expected, though I'll admit that I don’t remember too much of the main story outside of the major beats with Len, who’s great. Type-Moon would execute this premise much stronger with Hollow Ataraxia a couple years later, but I don’t think you can write this game off because of that.

The Ten Nights of Dreams stories were the highlight for me. With two or so exceptions, they’re fantastic side stories, easily my favorite part of the experience.

First Snow

A nice little lesbian college romance. It’s free so it’s easy to recommend. Short, not very complicated, and as a standalone prequel/demo for the devs' upcoming game, it does a good job. I’m looking forward to Twofold.

A-Tier:

Tsukihime [reread]

I reread the Near Side routes back in 2021 before Remake dropped, then early this year I finished the Far Side. I really fell in love with it going through the second time, especially Kohaku’s route.

(now please localize the remake, Aniplex. In a perfect world you’d translate that AND the original, but give me the new one at least it looks so so so good i really wanna read it)

Higurashi Question Arcs

Fantastic horror, I can’t recommend it enough. Chapter 1 is free so go download it. It’s so worth getting into this eight-game series disguised as one or two games depending on who you ask (just save yourself some time, skip the character arc, and just switch to the original sprites right away).

It might have landed itself higher on the list if my experience reading the first two chapters hadn’t been plagued by half-remembered spoilers from watching the anime over a decade ago. It proved that barely-remembered spoilers can be worse than well-remembered spoilers because a whole backburner of my brain was stuck trying to figure out how that corrupted data fit into what I was reading instead of appreciating the storytelling. Kinda frustrating, but not the game’s fault. Thankfully it wasn’t an issue Chapter 3 onward (what a great chapter omg).

Queen Beast

Queen Beast! Queen Beast! Please read it! It’s so fun and charming and good. It’s under five hours, you can easily read it in one or two sittings. And It’s impossibly free-to-play. Just a delightful fantasy adventure about a young man rescuing his sister from a mysterious knight riding a dragon known for abducting women with big boobies. Some of the most fun I had with a VN all year. I’m probably going to reread it soon, honestly.

I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for anything Envelope does in the future.

Did I mention it’s free and I'm very annoyed I can’t find any way to give the folks who made it some money? Very rude of them to not let me praise their incredible work with cash. But whatevs, maybe next time.

S-Tier:

So I read too many great VN’s this year, so the top tier is PACKED. The ranking for everything (with the exception of first place) shifts based on my mood, so this is ordered by my current feeling/the order I felt like talking about them. Consider it a four-way tie for second place.

Higurashi Answer Arcs

You wanna cry? You wanna cry a whole lot? Do I have the visual novel for you! Again! 'cause the second half is even better.

If Higurashi’s first half is a fantastic horror series, its Answer Arcs continues that while becoming an undisputed masterpiece. The way the story explodes from a small town potentially supernatural horror story to a (spoilers!) complex 1980’s political conspiracy thriller without ever losing its focus on the characters or its heart is applause-worthy.

Please Be Happy

And the award for biggest surprise of the year goes to PBH! It was a solid B-tier, maybe even A, until one of the routes it splits off into caught me in an emotional headlock it still refuses to release me from. A very solid slice-of-life comfy urban fantasy romance that ended up meaning a whole lot more to me than I could have expected.

Full Metal Daemon Muramasa

Motherfuckinggoddamnfuckyeah Full Metal Daemon Muramasa fuck yeah let’s fucking go hell yeah fuck yeah.

Welp, if that wasn't one of the best things I’ve had the honor of reading, I don’t know what is. Fuuuuck!

I went into this one blind. I didn’t even know the premise. I wanted to read some grimdark outside of my at the time comfort zone and it paid off. I’m so glad I gave this one a chance.

Witch on the Holy Night

I genuinely cannot believe this was as good as I’d hyped myself for six years into hoping it was. Easily my personal go-to recommendation for anyone wanting to get into Type-Moon. Some of the most impressive spectacle and presentation I’ve ever seen in a visual novel (and that says a lot considering it's the same year I read FMDM). Arguably some of Nasu’s best character work, the relationship between the three main characters and the supporting cast is masterful. It even has a surprising amount of optional bonus content that stands very well alongside the phenomenal main story. Hopefully, it starts a trend of Type-Moon’s backlog being released in English.

And the uncontested best visual novel I read in 2022 is…

Umineko Answer Arcs

I read this back in April, and I knew as soon as I finished that it would be the best thing I read all year. No contest. And that opinion wasn’t shaken once.

An incredible loving dissection of the mystery genre. The word that kept coming to mind while I was reading it was “confidence.” I can’t think of another story so brazen. I can only begin to imagine how nerve-wracking it was writing a mystery this large a scale, one that gleefully points out the rules and means to criticize itself, commenting on the genre, challenging the characters and audience to find fault with it, the balance between setting up the reveals while hiding them in plain sight... Reading Umineko is watching a writer full-speed sprint across a tightrope, and Ryukishi07 pulls it off with absurd grace.

Do yourself a favor, love yourself, and get into When They Cry.

#matt reads visual novels #visual novels

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carinalastimosa · 6 months ago

Text

Let's begin blogging...

Hi, my name is Carina Lastimosa.

By some miracle, and by miracle, I mean your sheer boredom looking for new content on the interwebs, you’ve found my hasty attempt at starting a blog. I say hasty because (A) I’m not a writer (B) I’m poor at time management (C) I’m not fully sure how I want to use this thing.

A. I’m not a writer

I’m an actor. Or at least, I am, sometimes. Proof that I’m an actor, this acting reel I made on my own cause no one will higher me for a proper on-camera gig. But even the most prolific actors aren’t always actors. They’re unemployed actors or a person known as an actor but currently have endorsement deals to pay their bills.The first time I truly felt like an actor was just this year, filing taxes of all things. I confirmed that my job/pay hasn’t changed from last year and then proceeded to add in my additional earnings. Already, I was on a high entering my additional earnings because it’s the most I’ve ever made through my agent. The tax system asked if I started a new job due to these increased earnings and I answered, ‘yes’, which prompted me to answer what my new vocation was. I got to enter in ‘Entertainer.’ Whatever “making it” means, this it what it meant to me. I’ve always wondered what us regular actors do to actually pay their bills so I’ll share with you here what my answer is. I have a WFH job for a software company. If you’re an actor, I’d love to know what you do, cause how do we do this, really?! For the most part, it has offered some decent flexibility to the demands on being on call for an acting gig that comes at very short notice. Any stress I’ve felt when my jobby-job and acting are in conflict, is on me. The jobby-job pays my bills so I want to make sure that I do my work at a 100%, but that means it can take up a lot of time and focus that I then do not know how to make time for when it comes to being an actor.

B. I’m poor at time management

That saying, “your eyes are bigger than your stomach”, can apply to my overeagerness to do everything. I want to do it all. I want to be that girl. Aside from being an actor, I’m also a baker, I’m trying to learn guitar, I’m trying to learn Tagalog, I’m trying to learn how to juggle, I’m trying to learn how to whistle and I’m starting to blog even though I find writing a challenge. I also like to lead a balanced life. I’m not type of person who believes their job is their entire life, no matter how much I love acting. I’m the eldest sister (you can call me Ate), wife and pug owner. I value my alone time, make time for vacation and go to therapy. And I want to do and be all of these things at the time same to prove that I’m living life to the fullest and attempt to be an exceptional human being. But you can’t do it all, and I realize that every day as I attempt to check off all my wants and desires, disappointed that I haven’t been able to maximize the same 24 hours that every other human has. Even for my jobby-job it can take me half an hour to write a simple 3 sentence response, a text message to a friend takes an hour for me to figure out what to say, a new social media platform asking for a bio will take me the whole freaking day! Writing has never come naturally to me. I don’t know all the rules to writing and the English language. Not that I have to tell you if you’re reading this thing. My lack of knowledge on language has recently been amplified as I try to learn Tagalog. Sure, I can memorize words, but once you start to explain sentence structure to me… IT. IS. OVER. Just thinking about what a predicate is as I type this sentence, sends me into a cold sweat. But writing isn’t completely foreign to me. As an actor, an actor of color, I love working on new plays. Even better, when the playwright is in the room to hear their words aloud, talk about intention and do rewrites. I’ve had the privilege of workshopping various staged readings and acting in several world premiere productions. New plays is where it is at for an actor of color simply because it offers more opportunity than what the classic canon can offer due to strict casting needs or what casting thinks is the default casting type, the white actor. Working in the theatre as an actor for more than a decade lead me to write my own short play. It was COVID-19 lockdown and I was still experiencing frustrations with the theatre community so I wrote about it. The result, The White Room, was a virtual play that showed what auditioning looked like in the time of lockdown in post-George Floyd era. Written in a fever rage, at times indulgent, is a piece of writing I’m still incredibly proud of and I hope to create a full length in-person version of it some day.

C. I’m not fully sure how I want to use this thing

So, here we are. We’ve established that I am an actor that has a real hard time writing yet I’ve starting this blog to do what, exactly? This is what I’ll explore. I’m not sure if I can bang out content every day, once a week, once a month, or ever. I just know that I’ve been looking to express my thoughts on pop culture and figure out if I have a place in the entertainment industry. I’ve always felt that I’ve had something to give as a Filipino-American female artist and if it may not be through acting, maybe it’s through another creative avenue.They say write what you know, and I’m hoping that will make this easier for me to write. All I know is pop culture. Growing up in the 90’s as a 2nd generation Filipino, I wasn’t one of those kids that got the straight A’s, learning piano and taking AP classes. Instead, I was one of those kids that had the TV on all the time because we could. My parents came to America because they wanted their children to have the American life, whatever that means. For me, it meant watching it on screen. Watching award shows thinking that I wasn’t beautiful enough to be on screen. Experiencing the rare thrill of my parents asking, “Filipino?” when seeing Paolo Montalban as Prince Charming in the Whitney Houston produced TV movie, Cinderella. Watching Friends in syndication and not question how white the show was.The goal of this blog, for now, is to have an outlet for my thoughts on pop culture with a focus on highlighting Asian/Asian-American stories. I’m in constant search for who I am and where I fit in and by starting this blog, it will hopefully not only help me, but others who are looking for their place. I’m not the best writer, or at least, that’s what my inner saboteur is telling me, but I’m passionate about elevating the Asian-American perspective. Our voices matter and I want to have a dialogue about it.

#actor #pop culture #intro post #get to know me #intro blog #first time

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strangermask · 6 months ago

Note

so does the human that sai married have any lore?

Yes, while mostly simple and still development, yes

Jiang Fangrun lives in a small quaint village with her father, mother, and two brothers. Her father and brothers run the family’s blacksmith while she and her mother make clothes. Fangrun, though, doesn’t like making clothes and wishes to be a blacksmith. However, due to being a girl and the time period she’s in, she can’t. At least at first. She was able to find some leeway through an agreement.

She can join the blacksmith business on two conditions: cover her face whenever she’s working and find a man to marry. Covering her face while doing blacksmith stuff? That’s doable. Finding a man to marry? Ehhhhh, a lil harder. But she’ll try her best. (Why is it harder you may ask? Well, due to beauty standards at the time. She got freckles)

Then comes the day when the shop gets visited by the First Elemental Masters. Genjistu, First Elemental Master of Reality, advised recruiting a blacksmith for the journey in the serpentine lands. Currently, only Fangrun and her parents are home. Her brothers were out to sell their weapons in different towns. The father was sick and unable to travel, but the only option is… Fangrun. Her parents are against this because: A. They don’t want their daughter out in dangerous territory and B. This could compromise their business.

When found out why it could compromise their business, Sai (being raised were men and women are equal in strength and jobs) sees no problem and promises protection. It took Yoshimochi rewarding them handsomely for Fangrun’s participation that she finally gets permission to go. So they head off to the serpentine lands together.

Here comes how Sai knew he was in love. Fangrun notices the golden weapons and ask if she could see them. When questioned why, she speculates that something seems off about them. Sai, trusting the words of a blacksmith, hands her his sword. And she immediately starts swinging it around, causing immense panic throughout the group. After that, she then goes on about how poorly crafted the sword was made. When she asks who made it, she gets embarrassed upon finding out she was insulting the First Spinjitzu Master.

Now Sai, when he first saw Fangrun, felt a crush. He thought it was nothing and just a flicker of his heart. But when he saw Fangrun do this, he went: “Yep, I’m in love with this girl.”

We follow along the FangBlade arc. Fangrun (+Sai) is the first to make magical weapons, creating the Fang Blades and the Twin Venom Swords. The two bond and talk about feeling like the black sheep. (Wanna say now this arc is still in development, so I’m gonna do my best to make this less love focus and more adventure focus for Fangrun. I don’t wanna leave her as just “the love interest”, I wanna make her a character ppl can enjoy and love.)

When the journey is over, Fangrun returns home with the First Masters. Her brothers have returned, and her whole family hugs her. Yoshimochi rewards the money and Sai leaves her with a gift before they leave. The Fang Blades were left in the serpentine lands, but he gives the Twin Venom Swords to Fangrun. When she asks why, he answers with: “it would be a sin to take away a blacksmith’s most greatest creations. And I have trust in you to take great care of these.”

And after that, the two keep contact.

Again, still developing the characters and story, so this is everything lore wise for her so far. Thank you for the question!

#ninjago #first elemental masters #first elemental master #ask #mask talks #Jiang Fangrun #fangrun #ninjago oc #oc

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alba8688 · 1 year ago

Text

First date

Chapter 9

Word count:3735

Warnings just a bunch of fluff

Play song when you see 🖤❤️🖤

Eddies pov:

Ok breathe she is not gonna say no I hope she doesn't .I was telling myself that while I walked to Dani's classroom .I had something prepared for her. We had been dating for almost a month and I wanted to do something for her before thanksgiving.

Most of the time we were at her apartment watching movies or enjoying each other's company I really wish we could go out in public take her out to eat at Enzo's she deserves all of that but right now I'm ok with her apartment and her bed where we spend most of our time I can't complain about that .

Today I saw that there was going to be a red moon and I wanted to take her to my favorite place in Hawkins , where I knew we could see the moon clearly .

Before walking into her classroom I took a deep breath in and out to try and act normal because every-time I was around her it was hard to act like she was my teacher .

I walked in her classroom. She was sitting down at her desk grading some papers and listening to music. It was already after school and mostly everyone was gone so it gave me a Chance to talk to her .

I approached slowly towards her; she still hadn't noticed I was there .

"Hello sweetheart." I say sitting down on her desk

"Hello Edward ." She said with a smile

I raise my brow "Edward?" I ask

"Here ." She says handing me my exam

"B-." I said happily looking down at my test

"Yes, I'm really proud of you ." She says happily

"Well I have a great tutor who gives me great rewards every time I get the answer correct." I lean in close to her. I could feel her breathing getting heavier. I know how nervous I make her and I love it and I love to tease her every-time I get a chance .

"Eddie ."she whisper

"Dani ." I reply my face was inches from Hers

She look down at my lips and bit her bottom

Lip and close her eyes

"You don't know how bad I want to kiss you right now ." She says almost as a whisper

"Me too ." I said in a low voice and I got up from her desk walking away from Her to calm myself down cause if we weren't at school I would have kissed her soft plump lips already and made love to her on top of that desk.That desk that lives in my dreams rent free.

"I have a surprise for you tonight ." I said excitedly trying to get all those dirty thoughts out of my head.

She stops what she is doing and looks at me

"I'm taking you somewhere."

She gives me a weak smile. I know what she is going to say already but it is not what she thinks .

"Eddie, you know we can't go anywhere in public ."She says softly

"Is not trust me ." How i hated that I wasn't able to take her on a proper date but in a few months we were gonna be able to be together after I graduate.But for now we needed to keep it a secret for the sake of her job and I wouldn't want to hurt Dani in any way because I cared too much about her .

But I had something special planned for her. I really hope she likes it .

I stayed with her until she finished grading the test and decided to do my homework while she finished .

Yes you heard right I was doing my homework because I wanted to graduate.I Wanted to be with her. She was my motivation and the reason I hadn't missed a day in school, only the day that I ran off when I saw Liam touching Dani .

I try not to think of that because it makes me so fucking mad plus he was really good looking I had to admit it and I couldn't compare to him.

I was still in high school broke as fuck i sold drugs for a leaving for Gods sake that guy look like he had his life made up already .

I try to not think about "LIAM!!" When he kept calling every single day every minute of the day to talk about what I don't what .

She is with me, not him. She is with me. I always told myself .But why would she go to the balcony to talk to him everytime he called?I wanted to trust her. I trust her but I don’t trust him.

“Eddie, can I ask you a question?”

“Yeah what’s up?”

“Why did you repeat 12 so many times 3 to be exact?” She asked “you’re really smart I-I don’t understand ,y-you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to .” She tells me

I look at her then look down at my math paper in front of me “Because I’m a Munson.” I respond”Munsons don’t graduate from school and go to college Munsons end up in jail or dead in a ditch we are good for nothing we are the towns pariah Higgins even told me himself .” I said the last part almost as a whispered

“Eddie, you're not good for nothing, you have a future ahead of you .”

I scoffed and shook my head .What kind of future do I have when I’m still in high school and jobless.

“Dani, I'm a super senior. What future do I have? “I pause “I’m a drug dealer .” I chuckled “I sell weed to high school students !!what kind of future is that?i'm meant to be nothing or end up in jail like my father .” I look down at my desk not wanting to look at night. I felt embarrassed of myself. I couldn't even look at Dani right now.I hear Stand up then the sound of her heels click clack click clack then she stops next to me and kneels down .

“Eddie baby .”she whispered “you can break that chain and be something in life I know you can .” Suddenly she gets up when we hear footsteps outside the hallway ,a few students passing by .I stay quiet looking at the door and into the hallway.

Break the chain?

How do I break the chain?

"So where are you taking me ?" She asked me to getting out of my thoughts.

"It's a surprise.”

“I love surprises .” She smiles ,I look down at my watch and realize it’s getting late. “I'll pick you up around 7:30 ok." I tell her excitedly

“Ok I’ll see you then .”

I told her that I had to go do some things and headed out to my trailer it was the first time I was there in days I wonder what my uncle would say plus I needed to grab some clothes because Dani wanted me to spend the night every day with her .something about me being there didn’t make her cry.I asked her why she cried and she would Just tell me that she would tell me when the time was right .

I parked in front of the trailer, my uncle's truck here. I wondered if he wasn’t working today ?

I got down from The van and made a beeline to the front porch, opening the door to the trailer. Uncle Wayne was sitting down on his recliner watching TV .

"Do my eyes deceive me or is that my nephew ?" He said sarcastically

"Yeah, I came to shower and grab some clothes ." I said walking to my room but my uncle stopped me and told me to sit down .

"Ok Where have you been ?" Yeah I was expecting this but I didn't know what to answer. Maybe I just didn't lie and told him I have a girlfriend.

"With my girlfriend." I said softly

My uncle's eyes widened in surprise because he knows me and I don't do relationships.

"Girlfriend? Who's the lucky girl ?Thats got you so whipped ?"he asks

Shit what am I gonna say to him

I don’t lie to my uncle, I usually tell everything to him.

"Her name is Dani ."I said softly again. I was getting nervous. I didn't know if he would approve of my relationship with Dani. I know he wouldn't judge me but I was still afraid of his answer .

"When am I gonna meet her ?"

"I don't know ." I responded

"And why is that ?" Wayne ask

"I'm afraid you won't approve of our relationship." I said a bit louder

"Son why wouldn't approve of her if she

makes you happy ." He stood up from his recliner and sat down next to me on the sofa .

"She is older than me " I said almost as a whisper

"How much older ?" He ask

"She is two years older than me before you tell me anything she is the most amazing girl I have ever met she makes me so fucking happy Wayne she doesn’t judge me or bully or just use me to know what is like to be with the freak ." I turn to look at him and he has a big smile on his face

"Son, I don't care if she is older than you as long as you're happy. I'm happy son and stop calling yourself a freak."

"AndsbeismyHistoryteacher." I said it so fast that I didn't even know if it sounded like a sentence I don’t even know if he understood what I said .

"Hold on a minute there, what was that ?" Uncle Wayne ask

I tilt my head to the side to look at him I started scratching my head in

Frustration probably messing up my curls in the process

Before I could talk again my phone rang and I look at the screen it was Dani it brought a big smile to my face .I excuse myself to take the call

"Hello." I answer

"Hey baby I'm heading home already just wanted to let you know ."

"Ok sweetheart I'll head over there in a bit I came to grab some clothes at my house ."

"Ok ,so where are you taking me ?" She ask again

"It's a surprise just wait 'kay." I responded

"Fine ." I already know she was pouting she was such a spoiled brat

"Sweetheart are you mad ?" I asked her softly so Wayne wouldn't hear his nephew turning soft for a girl

"No." She responded dryly

"Are you sure?" I said sweetly

"Maybe a little ."

"I'll be there to pick you up a bit , ok wear something comfortable 'kay ,no heels or those really big boots you wear ,we don't want another accident ." I said sternly the last part I mean i don't mind her wearing those big heels and boots but she is so clumsy im afraid she is gonna fall ,

She is so clumsy that she could just be standing up and she trips .

I mean how does that happen ?

"Ok see you later bye I lo...shit!!" She suddenly hung up ,leaving me with the phone on my ear was she gonna say what I think she was gonna say ,no I'm probably just imagining things .I hung up the phone and look down at my screen.The wallpaper I had was a picture of Dani and me it was a mirror pic it was blurry I was standing on back of her ,my arms around her waist kissing her cheek.

"Ed, come here son ." Wayne called from the living room .

Shit !! I had forgotten about our conversation ,hopefully he didn't hear what I said about her being my history teacher .

"Yes ."I walk back to where Wayne was sitting down and sat next to him on the sofa

"She is your history teacher ?" He ask

Shit !!!! yeah he heard what I said im

In big trouble I'm fucked im never gonna see Dani again .No,no I'm not gonna let knowone separate me from Dani we will run away together start a life somewhere else far away .Move Canada 🍁 Ok I need to calm down.

I'm already making assumptions

"Before you say anything there's only a two year difference and I know it is wrong and I know I'm risking for her to lose her job but Wayne I really like her ." He pats my back gently

"Son it is wrong, really wrong. I know there's not much age difference but she is still your teacher if people find out she could Go to jail ." My eyes widened by the realization I never thought of that ,it never crossed my mind. I wouldn't want that for her.

"NO SHE IS NOT !!!" I didn't mean to shout but just the fact of thinking of Dani being in jail because of my selfish ass made me mad.

"Son I know she makes you happy and I respect whatever decision you both make but be careful please ." Wayne said standing and giving my shoulder a slight squeeze

I just nod my head and slouch back on the sofa covering my face with a pillow screaming into it .

I wish things were easier for Dani and me .

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

"Sweetheart, I told you to wear comfortable shoes ." I can't believe she wore some platform tennis shoes and now I'm afraid she might fall.

"Baby this is comfortable ." She pouts and looks at me with those dark brown eyes that she knows I can't resist. I always fall for those beautiful eyes. Sometimes when I'm in class I can't even concentrate . Who would have thought history was going to become my favorite class .

Dani's pov

We drove for a while until the town lights turn into trees .Eddie wouldn't tell me where he was taking me. He said it was a surprise .

"It's gonna be a bumpy ride so hold on tight sweetheart ." He says smirking

And indeed it was a bumpy ride .

The road turn into dirt road until we made a

Stop and Eddie got down from

The van and came to my side to

Open the door for me .

"M'lady." He says extending his arm for me

To take it .

"So, are you gonna kill me ?" I ask teasingly

because everything around us was just trees.

He chuckles and shakes his head

"No sweetheart ."

"So where are you taking me ?" I asked impatiently. I wanted to know exactly where he was taking me. I hate surprises, especially when he knows that we can't go out in public.

"Do you trust me ?" He leans in close to my ear, his voice sending vibrations to the side of my neck, making me get goosebumps .I don't know what this man does to me, he made me weak on the knees. I literally melted by his touch .

"Yes ." I said almost as a whisper

Eddie jogged to the back of the van to grab some

Blankets and a basket 🧺 "Are we having a picnic?" I ask him

He smiles and nods yes .

Eddie was full of surprises: a picnic in the middle of the woods, maybe he was planning on killing me .

"Before I forget I ask Dustin to borrow his telescope."

He handed me the blankets and went back to the van to grab it.

"Really he did ?" That little shrimp never lets me borrow it, but he lets Eddie borrow it how dare he im his sister .

I'm offended now .

"Yeah he did ?" Eddie seemed confused as to why I was asking, if he only knew Dustin wasn't the sweet innocent boy he knows.

"Because I always want to borrow it and he tells me no because I won't take care of it ." I pouted and crossed my arms over my chest. I couldn't believe that my brother didn't trust me with his telescope but he trusted Eddie with it .

Eddie chuckles and grabs me by my hips pulling me Close to him kissing my lips.

"You're so beautiful ." He says softly, making my body tingle and my heart beat fast.

"You're my pretty boy." I placed a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Come on let's go ."He says taking my hand

And leading me to wherever he was taking me .

When we finally arrived at the spot. I was speechless. It was an empty field without trees, just grass. You could see all the stars above us. It was like a dream. It was beautiful and breathtaking.

Eddie places the blanket on the floor fixing the pillows and the basket taking out containers of food and some drinks .

I can't keep my eyes off of him as everything he does makes me fall more for him and it would really suck if he didn't feel The same way I did .

"This is beautiful Eddie ." I say softly.

"I come here when I want to be alone ,plus it has the perfect view of the stars ."

He signals me to go sit down next to him in the blanket he had placed .

I sat down still not taking my eyes off the sky. It was mesmerizing .

"Sweetheart, are you hungry ?" He ask

"Yes, I'm starving, what did you make ?"

"Actually I cheated and bought the food ." He says passing me a container .

I took the container and opened and smelled my favorite food .

"Oh my God WINGS!!!" I said excitedly

"Yes,I remember you telling me how you love lemon pepper wings so I bought some for my princess ."

"Thank you ."

I lean in to kiss his lips.

That's a way to win my heart.

"Bon appetit, I think that's how you say it." He says chuckling

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

After we were done with our food Eddie set up the telescope, I was still upset about the fact that Dustin let him borrow it .

My brother was a traitor after everything I did for him .After I lied to my mother so he could go out with Mike and Will to the movies at night .

Or the fact that I buy them rated r movie tickets .

Traitor .

Eddie takes my hand and leads me towards the telescope 🔭

"Take a look ." He tells me signaling to the telescope

I hadn't realized that the moon was red today. It looked so beautiful and with the telescope it made it look even better .

"It's beautiful ."

Indeed it did look beautiful

"You want to see ?" I ask Eddie

But Eddie was just staring at me dumbfounded like he wanted to tell me something. He takes a look in the telescope then looks at me .

🖤❤️🖤

"It is beautiful but not as beautiful as you Dani ."

He takes both of my hands in his and looks down at them then back to my eyes .

Those beautiful doe eyes melt me every-time I see them. If he wasn't holding my hands I think I would have melted into a puddle right here .

My heart started beating faster than it was before, I felt my hands getting clammy and I think it was getting hot or maybe it was just me because I felt my face burning .

"It's called the blood moon ." I try to make conversation because him looking at me like that was making me say the 3 words I was afraid to say

"A "blood moon" happens when Earth's moon is in a total lunar eclipse. While it has no special astronomical significance, the view in the sky is striking as the usually whitish moon becomes red or ruddy brown.." what the fuck was i saying did I just activate teacher mode?

Eddie chuckles and I know he notices im

Nervous.

"Teacher mode activated ?" Eddie says softly he lets go of my hands and grabs me by my hips pulling me closer to him feeling every inch of his body on mine .

Eddie pulled me in for a kiss, our lips moving in sync. I could feel him smiling against my lips .

"Why are you smiling?" I ask my lips still on his

He pulls away from my lips but still close enough for our lips to brush when we talk

"Have I told you how beautiful you are ?" He says

"Yes, like a million times ." I smile and peck his lips. He closes his eyes then opens them again and stares at me with his doe eyes .

"Dani ."

"Yes Ed's"

"I-I ." He stutter

"You what Ed's ?." I said softly, our lips brushing while we talked, his forehead resting against mine .It takes him a while to say anything he just stares at me and smiles then opens his mouth and closes he stutters saying random words .

He seemed nervous and I kind of had a feeling of what he was going to say. Well I hope he was going to say what I think he was going to say because then I was gonna look dumb if I said and he didn’t .

Jesus Christ I’m making myself so nervous .

"I love you Dani, there I said it ." He says pulling away taking my hands in his

My eyes widened by his confession Eddie Munson Loves me !!!

Yes that’s what I wanted to hear but now that he said it I froze in place .Mostly because it was Ralph and I was scared to get my heart broken again.

"Sweetheart there's no pressure, you don't have to say it back ." He said nervously he started pacing around saying things under his breath .

It took me a few minutes to get my brain to work again because I think it went in override.

"I love you too ." I said softly,finally being able to speak.

Eddie stopped his pacing and turned to look at me frozen in place and stared at me in shock .

"Y-you love me?" His voice sounding high

I chuckled softly and wrapped my hands around his neck.

"Yes dummy I love you isn't it obvious ?" I ask tilting my head to the side

His smile grew wide "you love me? " He stated

"I actually do ." I sighted putting my hand on his cheek

"I fucking love you Dani ." He places his forehead against mine, giving me a big smile.

"I fucking love you too Eddie ." We stayed like this for a moment embracing each other's presence . I still couldn't believe what happened tonight Eddie loved me and I love him. It felt good saying it out loud.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Next chapter

#eddie munson #stranger things #teacher crush #hawkins high #love #lovers #student #hawkins

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mistralxsoul · 3 months ago

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Oh, it was definitely Yuri, alright. A small tinge of excitement strikes at Flynn’s heart, much akin to a dog getting excited to see someone. He hasn’t even seen Yuri yet but already he can feel the smile threaten to stretch across his face. What a lovely little coincidence… Perhaps they really were drawn together without realizing it. That thought alone made Flynn rather overjoyed.

Ah, but he had to act professional. Apparently Ludger had been trying to get to know Yuri but had seemed to have gotten nowhere. This wasn’t too surprising for Flynn to hear. Yuri was a closed book more times than none until you really got to know him. And even then, Flynn had to really dig deep to get Yuri’s true feelings out for the both of them to see. He couldn’t stop the fond laugh from escaping as he gave a tiny smile to Ludger.

“If it’s Yuri, I wouldn’t really mark him down as a suspect.” First things first, he had to at least calm any lingering doubts in Ludger’s head, if he had any to begin with. They could at least trust Yuri, going forward. Though Flynn wasn’t exactly intending on asking for Yuri’s help with this case since he had his own job to worry about. But maybe it would do the both of them a lot of good to see each other? “And don’t worry about not knowing much about Yuri. He has a tendency of keeping stuff close to him. For what it’s worth, I’m not even sure what job he’s currently doing at the moment. Our lines of employment cause us to keep that info from one another.”

There is a fond expression on Flynn’s face as he glances down to his own hand. “To answer your question, I’ve known Yuri for most of my life. Since we were seven, to be exact. We grew up together and there’s not a single human being on this entire planet that I trust more than I trust Yuri.” And that was putting it lightly. What they had went well beyond just Trust. Unfortunately, he had a hard time conveying that with words.

There is a tiny moment of hesitation, his eyes darting up to meet Ludger's. Truthfully, he and Yuri were much closer than just friends now, especially due to recent events in their life. But he wondered if that was considered oversharing? But he also didn’t want to seem like he was hiding their relationship. Plus, it wasn’t like sharing this information could be used against them… Flynn liked to be honest about stuff like this.

He debated for a few more seconds before quietly running a hand over his ring finger that was hidden underneath his armored glove. His cheeks flush once more as his eyes avert down to his feet. “He’s also… We’re both… Um… We’re engaged to be wed. No set date yet because things have been so busy but… that’s the extent of it all. So… if Yuri is going to be there tonight, I’d like to stop by and see how he’s doing at the very least but–”

Flynn blinks, suddenly dragging himself back to the matter at hand. “B-But I assure you that I won’t let this distract me from protecting you from the threat, I assure you! Please don’t worry about that, if–If you were starting to worry that is…” Oh jeez, he was likely making a fool out of himself, wasn’t he? He runs a hand down his face with a groan. “...My apologies, sir.”

From the way he can see Flynn's gears turning, Ludger adds a small addendum, "Ah-- I should preface this isn't abnormal for Victor. He's a bit of a recluse who prefers to say what he wants then walk away. Although he wouldn't even do that if his daughter didn't make him be part of the family."

He's sure to get an angry text from Victor for esoterically calling him a NEET. Doesn't mean it's untrue; Victor's been content hiding in his lake house all day since moving to this dimension. What he does in there... who knows? Victor won't answer the door if it's not both Elles, Milla, or Zig knocking.

"I did, yes. He's not a suspect thus far, but feel free to assess if we should change that after meeting him--" Or that wouldn't be necessary; Flynn already knew his name, looks, and attitude. The world can be so big and yet so small sometimes! "Oh, you're friends with him as well I take it? Sounds like we'll both see someone special if he shows up tonight then! Just know it's not a guarantee; his current job keeps him pretty busy."

Ludger could request Yuri's GHS number from the Technology Department and request his presence if Flynn really wanted to see him. Of course that'd mean violating Yuri's privacy and abusing his authority as CEO, two things he doesn't want to make habits of. But every now and then wouldn't kill him if it's relatively harmless.

"If I might pry, have you know Yuri for a long time? Maybe you could a few stories you don't mind sharing?" Flynn's his only chance to learn anything about his mysterious drinking buddy. Yuri almost never brought up his personal life besides his troublesome job. Ludger doesn't blame him--he IS a public figure sporting a rather complicated history. But Julius' nosiness rubbed off on him since he rebuilt himself.

"O-Oh, um, that isn't an order; I'm curious as his friend is all. Usually we talk about my life or whatever else crosses our minds, so I don't know much about Yuri's life. Makes me sound like a terrible friend when I say it out loud..."

#ofstarsandskies #[crossover verse]#//Flynn attempt to be normal about Yuri challenge #//difficulty: impossible

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mytheoristavenue · 3 years ago

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MHA Pro Hero!Tamaki Amajiki x Civilian!Reader 🍋 - Takoyaki

Summary: You and Tamaki make up after a fight following a dangerous mission that had you worried to death!

Warnings: Smut, fighting, conflict, depression, shower sex, oral (female recieving)

You sat in horror in the small apartment that you shared with your boyfriend, Tamaki, eyes bloodshot, watching the disaster that had just unfolded on the television. "This just in, our sources say that, while none of the heroes involved in the explosion where critically injured, ever popular, SunEater was incapacitated for most of the battle." and anchor man spoke with a serious tone. "Oh, here he comes now!"

The slick man with the microphone stiffly jogged to the side of a gurney where your boyfriend lay, obviously in immense pain. "SunEater! Do you have any comments about what happened tonight?" the anchorman asked, shoving his oversized prop into Tamaki's face.

"I-I..." the hero failed to come up with words to satisfy the reported, yet, much to his relief, the intrusive man was quickly shooed away by a large yellow matryoshka.

"C'mon guys! Enough with the press! Give the kid some room to breath!" FatGum quickly backed the crowd away, and made sure Tamaki made it into the ambulance uninterrupted. Moments after watching your love being hauled away, your cellphone rang. It was the BMI hero himself. You swiftly slid the green tile across the screen and answered the call.

"Hello? (Y/N)? Are you there?"

"Yes! I'm here. Is Amajiki alright?"

"Yeah, he'll be okay, just a bit sore in the morning, you know how it is."

"You know I don't..."

"Right, sorry. Anyways, (Y/N), Tamaki will be home safe in a few hours. This villain had an immobilizing quirk, and hit him with it pretty early on in the fight. He just has to wait in the hospital until it wears off, and let the doctor check him out. No biggie, just protocol."

"Should I come get him again?"

"Nah, don't worry about it this time, I'll bring him home to you. We have no idea how long the effect will last, so you shouldn't wait up."

"I-I understand..."

"Alright, (Y/N), I've got to go meet Tamaki at the hospital. I'll call you if anything else develops."

"Fat, wait!"

"Yeah, what is it, (Y/N)?"

"Can you please...tell Amajiki that I love him?"

"Of course, Kiddo."

"Thank you..."

"Anytime. Goodnight, (Y/N)."

"Goodnight, Fat."

You ended the call with a sigh. You were constantly worried for Tamaki's well being. Why did he have to be a hero? He ended up hurt so often. You hated it. You hated that you were just a regular old person, and he was a hero, risking his lives to save others that would never do the save for him. Deciding to take FatGum's advice, you laid down on the couch, pulling a blanket over you. After what seemed like years, you finally wandered into a dreamless sleep.

You awoke to the starling sound of the front door shutting and shot your head up. "Amajiki! Is that you?"

You boyfriend appeared, still in his tattered costume, looking at the floor sheepishly. "H-Hey, bunny..." You jumped up, and ran to him, embracing him. He winced under your touch, causing you to pull yourself away. "I-It's okay, bunny. Just a few b-bruises here and there...I'm fine..."

You felt tears begin to well up into your eyes. "Amajiki..." you clung to him, selfishly not caring about his injuries. "Please stop this...you can find a regular job...just please stop..."

He pushed you away, shocked, his eyes welling up with the revelation that you no longer supported his life’s dream. "W-What are you saying?"

You hesitated, looking away in shame. "Please stop doing hero work...My heart can't take it Amajiki." you looked into his eyes with a pitiful beg.

"I-I cant believe you'd say that! Y-You know this is my passion!" he could feel anger begin to bubble in his system. How could you be so selfish? How could you expect him to just give up everything he’d worked so hard for?

"But baby-" he cut you off.

"N-No! How could you say that, (Y/N)?" you began to feel overwhelmed, tears spilling form your eyes, showing no signs of slowing.

"Jiki, I just-"

"No. I don't wanna to hear it." he turned away from you coldly. "I'm going to take a shower." And with that, he stormed off, toward the bathroom, to shed his tattered uniform, before slamming the door behind him.

"What have I done...?" you whispered to yourself. "I just ruined our relationship over being worried... I have to make things right." you decided. After giving Tamaki a bit of time to cool off, you softly knocked on the bathroom door.

"Amajiki? May I come in?" you asked, a bit of tremble still evident in your voice. He gave no answer. Slowly, you pried the door open, slipping into the steamy room, before sitting yourself on the lidded toilet. "I...I brought you a warm towel...and some fresh clothes." you attempted a peace offering, only to be met by silence. "Jiki...please talk to me..." you pleaded. "I'm so sorry for what I said..."

"Y-You really hurt my feelings, (Y/N)." his trembling voice echoed against the tile.

"I-I know...and I understand if you can't forgive me..." you felt a tear slip down your cheek. "But...can we at least talk about it?"

"I-I guess..."

"May I come into the shower with you...?" you asked, hope in your voice.

"You can..."

This was how most of your fights with Tamaki were resolved, in the shower. Oddly, you both enjoyed knowing that there was nothing you could hide in the shower. It was just the two of you, close together, with no room for secrets. It was your safe place.

You shyly shed you clothes, and drew the curtain back slightly, stepping into the warm water. Tamaki faced the shower head, letting the therapeutic beads numb the bruises on his face. You silently snaked your arms around his torso, hugging him gently.

"I'm sorry, Amajiki...I really am." you whispered. "I just worry so much..." He turned to face you, still in your embrace. Now you had a clear view of how much damage he'd taken tonight. His abs were decorated with fresh cuts, and blossoming bruises sprinkled his torso.

"I-I understand that you're worried, bunny, but being a hero is part of who I am...and I need you to respect that." he winced, wrapping his arms around your neck.

"I know...I promise to respect your wishes from now on." you looked away, defeated. Tamaki caught your chin and turned your attention back to him.

"Thank you, bunny." he kissed your forehead, and embraced your small frame.

"I love you..." you whispered into his collarbone.

"I-I love you too, bunny." he said, as you gently pressed a kiss into his lips, which he returned. You allowed your lips to move in sync with his, not becoming startled until you felt his lips part, followed by a slimy muscle dragging it's way across your bottom lip. Thinking it was simply Tamaki's tongue, you parted your lips, to allow him entry.

Suddenly, you pushed him away, feeling a muscle, much, much larger than his tongue push past your lips. Tamaki stood before you, with a sheepish grin and a lustful look in his eyes.

"S-Sorry, bunny...I had some Takoyaki at the hospital, and thought you might like to try some..." he blushed, parting his lips to allow a thick, purple tentacle to slither out.

You were shocked, never once, had Tamaki used his quirk on you, even after you'd asked him to, so for him to use it now, without being asked, and especially after an argument, was uncharacteristic of him.

"A-Amajiki, I..." you were at a loss for words, and this, put Tamaki at a loss of confidence.

"O-Oh, I'm so sorry, bunny, I didn't mean to make you u-uncomfortable..." he said, hiding the tentacle behind his lips and looking away.

"No, no, baby," you panicked, pulling yourself close to him. "I'd love to try some..."

Tamaki blushed, pulling you closer, as your lips parted. Shyly, he allowed his tentacle tongue to slither it's way into your mouth, caressing the sides of your cheeks. You let out a satisfied sigh, loving the feeling of the muscle wiggling against your tongue. Trying to fight for dominance, you swirled your pink muscle against the tentacle, obviously losing. Submissively, you let him push you up against the cold tile wall as you tangled your fingers in his dark hair.

"Oh,Amajiki...." you moaned, feeling the heat between your legs beginning to grow. "What else can you do with that thing?" Tamaki blushed deeply, understanding what you wanted, as he lowered himself to his knees.

"Y-You want octopus kisses here?" he asked, darting his eyes from yours to your heat. You nodded shyly. "Anything for my bunny..." you gripped his hair tightly upon feeling his special tongue licking a thick stripe over your womanhood before the very tip began flicking your swollen clit.

"Oh, god, Amajiki..." your moans echoed off of the tiles and filled his ears with confidence. You let out a squeak as Tamaki lifted one of your legs, and rested it on his shoulder without warning, allowing him deeper access to your entrance. Pleasured screams soon filled the bathroom as the tentacle shoved it's way inside you, tickling your g-spot.

"Oh, fuck baby..." you moaned, gripping his hair for dear life. "If you don't stop, I'm gonna..." you couldn't finish your sentence, embarrassment and pleasure taking over all of your thoughts. Tamaki looked up into your eyes, without showing any signs of stopping, and watched, stroking himself to the sight of your face as it contorted in pleasure. A low groan escaped his throat. "Fuck, Tamaki, I'm gonna cum!" you gave a shrill warning, feeling the knot in your stomach threaten to come undone.

"Cum all over my face, bunny." Tamaki managed to say, although his words were distorted by his position. You did as you were told, releasing your warm cream onto his tongue, seeing him stroking his cock, getting off at the sight of you had thrown your over the edge. Slowly, he slid his tentacle out, which returned to its original state before slithering back behind his teeth. You slid down the shower wall, laying in his arms as he continued to jerk himself off.

"B-Bunny, you taste amazing..." he gushed, licking his lips. "Please, kiss me..." you leaned into him, granting his wish, connecting in a sweet, meaningful kiss, just as he reached orgasm, his seed easily sliding down the drain. You stayed in each other's embrace for a bit a comfortable silence washing over you.

"I love you so much, Amajiki..."

"I love you too, (Y/N). More than you'll ever know."

(Ya’ll behave yourselves with this one! 🙃)

#mha #tamaki amakiji #mha tamaki #mha suneater #suneater x reader #suneater smut #bnha suneater #bnha tamaki #tamaki amajiki x you #tamaki amajiki x reader #lemon #mha lemon #my hero academia smut #mha smut

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paradisetemporarilymisplaced · 4 years ago

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So I was being a basic bitch the other day and listening to my true crime podcasts when it occurred to me just how suspicious Nile’s “death” would look to everyone not in the Guard, leading me to a train of thought that, 2200 words later, absolutely got away from me but I can’t let go so I’m inflicting it on all of you!

To set the stage, we know the movie takes place over approximately a week. Here’s what happens to Nile from the military’s point of view:

She dies is very seriously injured

She heals without a scratch

Just before she’s supposed to be shipped out to Germany, she vanishes, leaving two men concussed (and presumably reporting being knocked out by a woman with short hair wearing civilian clothes)

She goes AWOL for several days

They get word from the CIA that she is to be reported killed in action (details unclear)

So, at the beginning of this very weird week, the USMC has to tell Nile’s family of her death critical injury. What her family was told depends on how long she was dead – a Google search tells me that family will be notified in person within 8 hours of a soldier’s death, but we don’t know how long her first death lasted. For an injury, however, they’d get a phone call to notify them and the unit would arrange for them to visit as soon as the soldier is transferred out of a combat zone. Like I remember when I was in high school, a guy from my church who was a Marine was really seriously injured in a helicopter crash in Iraq and from what I could tell, his parents were told immediately and were flown out to Germany to see him, so it stands to reason that Nile’s family would have been informed relatively quickly after her throat was slashed, one way or another.

And then, she goes AWOL. Her family would be notified while the USMC tried to figure out where she went, not least because the military would want to know if she’s contacted them. (And it’s possible that her family may have been on the way to Germany to see her since we know that’s where she was supposed to go!) So for several days:

Nile’s mom and brother have no idea where she is

They know she was seriously injured and most certainly should not have been moving around on her own

They can’t get a hold of her

The military can’t tell them anything

And the next thing they know for sure is that she was “killed in action.” After being injured and vanishing into thin air. And they presumably cannot produce her body or any concrete evidence of her death. In any case, something sketchy is going on, so they’re like. SMELLS LIKE A MILITARY COVERUP.

In a surprise to probably no one, there is a well-documented legacy of mysterious US military deaths, particularly of women of color (TW for sexual assault in these links). The cases of LaVena Johnson and Vanessa Guillenin particular have made national news because of their families’ persistence in seeking justice. Likewise, Nile is a Black woman, and her mom and brother are most certainly hypercognizant of (a) state violence against Black people and (b) these high-profile cases of suspicious military deaths. So her family are seriously side-eyeing the situation, knowing that (a) the military has a serious incentive (and a documented history) of covering up things that make them look bad and (b) nothing about Nile’s disappearance and supposed death are adding up.

And Andy’s right. Nile does come from warriors. And you know who else does? Her brother.

Don’t get me wrong. Nile’s mom would absolutely not back down. She’d know something was up and want to get to the bottom of it. But based on what I know about Gen X parents (mine), they’re not the most technologically savvy. Like they can use the internet, but they didn’t grow up with it the way we young millennials and Gen Z did. So Nile’s brother takes the lead. And what do zillennials do best?

Social media.

Nile’s brother starts going hard on any site he can, trying to get the word out to see if anyone knows what happened to his sister. He starts a Reddit thread. He starts a Facebook group. He reaches out to the media and true crime bloggers and podcasters à la Sarah Turney, getting loud and being a general nuisance in hopes of getting some answers. He gets his friends and Nile’s friends involved. Maybe eventually Dizzy, Jay, and others from Nile’s unit hear about it and reach out, telling him what they saw and how weird it all was. He’s drumming up interest, and soon “Nile Freeman” becomes a household name (at least among the true crime fans).

Copley is, of course, trying his best, but at this point there is just so much that it’s impossible for him to scrub everything. Sure, he can erase new footage of Nile and the Guard, but what can he do about Reddit threads and podcast episodes that are speculating something weird has happened? Maybe he could hack the sites and shut those things down, but honestly, that’s the last thing he’d want to do, because that only adds weight to the theory that Nile’s disappearance is a military coverup. So eventually he has to tell Andy what’s going on.

Andy, obviously, does not take the news well. However, she is also completely computer illiterate, because that’s Booker’s job and he’s the only one who ever bothered to learn what the internet is in any meaningful way. (She probably calls Booker for advice, and for the record, I think Booker would have no qualms about shutting down conspiracy threads, tinhats be damned, but Copley is too concerned about the consequences. He’s ex-CIA for crying out loud, he knows how it’ll look if they scrub every mention of Nile’s name from the internet.) Maybe she confers with Joe and Nicky but, let’s be honest, they’d be equally unhelpful. So at this point, she knows they have to bring in Nile.

But the thing about Nile is that she, too, knows how to use the internet (duh). Aside from her being a young millennial/digital native, we know from the cave scene where she’s giving Booker suggestions on how to track Copley that she clearly is even more computer savvy than the average person. And for that reason she almost definitely took over the day-to-day tech stuff after Booker’s exile. So I think it would be foolish to expect her to be unaware of what’s happening. She’s not contacting her family or posting on the message boards or anything, but she knows what’s up. So Copley and the team probably sit her down to “break the news,” but we know the girl does not have a poker face (see: literally shooting herself in the foot and not being able to play it cool whatsoever) and cracks immediately, telling them she’s seen everything about her case – she’s not interacting with any of it, she certainly didn’t instigate anything, but she knows. (And she is so goddamn proud of her brother.)

At this point, I’d like to pause and consider Nile’s role in the overall narrative of this movie. She’s set up as a foil to Andy, obviously, but she’s also a foil to Booker. Booker, who, like Andy, is a serious pessimist, but who, unlike Andy, still has very fresh memories and trauma associated with being the new kid, which have destroyed him. In his mind (and Andy’s), if Nile communicates with her family, she’ll become just like him in a century or two – bitter, alone, and stuck with her grief and memories of watching her family die and knowing they died resenting her. It’s a small sample size, but this is the only experience they have to go off of.

But it doesn’t have to be like that.

There’s been a lot of discussion of TOG being a fundamentally queer movie – a group of people brought together because of something inherent about themselves that is different, that must be hidden, that causes others to hate, fear, and reject them. Booker’s backstory is the archetypal traumatic “coming out” story – his family learns who he is, hate him for it, and attempt to cast him out of their lives. He’s stuck with his trauma, his pain, his loss, and it consumes him.

But what if Nile’s family would be the opposite? What if her “coming out” to them as immortal is met with acceptance, love, celebration? What if her family is just overjoyed to have her back, and they don’t care what the circumstances are? I'm reminded of this incredible post from @shitty-old-guard-deaths a while back, where Nile’s mother hits Booker with a frying pan because “my baby let me believe she was dead for FIVE YEARS based on your bad advice???” (which may or may not have inspired this whole tangent). Nile takes the advice of someone who did the same thing she wants to do because she doesn’t want to risk her family’s rejection. She wants the good memories with her family and is afraid that showing them her true self will bring her unbearable pain, forever replacing those memories. But, with high risk comes high reward.

Anyway. Nile and the team are trying to come up with a plan for how to handle this whole thing, but she’s not really participating because she’s too afraid to hope. Until finally, quickly, so she doesn’t lose her nerve, she suggests she reach out to them, knowing that, realistically, that’s the only solution before things snowball even further out of control. The team is shocked, but realize that she has a point. They decide that Copley should actually be the first point of contact, posing as a US government official to talk with them and test the waters.

So Copley goes to Nile’s family’s house to talk with her mom and brother. They’re probably distrustful and apprehensive, but nonetheless secretly ecstatic that their work has paid off. They talk and review all of the information that they’ve collected, including testimonials from the people on Nile’s base and recent sightings (along with photos) of Nile (with the same three people) over the last few years that people have sent them but they haven’t posted publicly. At this point, Copley’s like, yeah this is about to blow up, we gotta put our cards on the table. He convinces them to come with him to some safe house/black site/whatever he can get that is technologically impenetrable (I’m picturing them in like, an interrogation room at a police station kind of deal), takes their phones, locks the doors, and brings in Nile.

What follows is the most delightful reunion scene of all time, bringing Joe, Nicky, and even Andy to tears as they watch and listen from outside the room. With Copley’s help, Nile tells her mom and brother about her immortality and what’s been going on since she died (within reason, of course), and they are thrilled. They don’t understand why (because no one does) but they don’t question it and they see it as a gift from God – she’s been resurrected, she will live, and she has a purpose. Her mother and brother are so happy to see her again and are willing to agree with pretty much anything to stay in her life as long as they can.

So. They set up some complicated agreement (they bring in the other three for support/intimidation as needed) setting the terms of their relationship. They swear Nile’s family to secrecy, maybe bringing up the lab to show how high the stakes are, and they readily agree. They come up with some cover story for Nile’s brother to share on the message boards (maybe that the government has opened an investigation but because it’s an open case he has to shut it all down? Tells people to direct their tips somewhere else? Something to that effect). There’s still speculation, of course, but without Nile’s brother at the helm providing the energy, the hype dies down as news stories are wont to do without any movement. And Nile’s family goes to work for the team. The experience has taught them that Copley can’t possibly do everything himself, especially when it comes to social media, so Nile’s brother takes the lead on the day-to-day tracking/social media while Copley and her mom focus on finding jobs and scrubbing their traces afterward.

So there you have it: Nile gets to integrate her biological family into her found family and spend the rest of their lives with them as it should be, Copley gets some badly needed help managing the reality of social media, the team finally has a positive narrative surrounding outsiders Knowing About Them AND about interacting with people from their previous life, and the audience gets the happy ending to this very lovely and very queer story to counteract the pain associated with Booker’s family.

Plus, you know, I’m a sucker for both a good government conspiracy theory and for Nile getting every good thing she deserves.

#the old guard #tog #tog fanfiction #tog meta #immortal family #nile freeman #mine #damn look at me contributing to a fandom! that’s new #pls reblog if you like this my self esteem could really use it #I just love nile so much and I’m being the nile-centric content I want to see in the world #it is just genuinely nuts to think abt how this situation would be perceived by anyone outside the narrative #she just mysteriously heals from a fatal injury and then VANISHES!!! this should be national fuckin news #also I do think there’s a major hole in the story when you think abt social media #like the only time it’s even hinted at is right at the very beginning when Andy erases that girl’s selfie #and the concept of fuckin Reddit is not even brought up despite Copley’s stalker board being analog Reddit #there’s just a lot of places one could go with this which is very much what we got here #1k

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