#the lighter side of hell au

[florenceandtheinkmachine]

me white knuckling gripping the bathroom sink staring at my reflection in the mirror: you don’t need to be GOOD at what you do for FUN you don’t need to be GOOD at what you do for FUN you do not need to hold yourself to incredibly high standards and feel guilty about not meeting them when you are doing a HOBBY for something you LIKE and it takes TIME you are not being judged and you don’t need to be GOOD at what you do for FUN

[swordsandholly]

Cherry Bomb - tattoo parlor au

MDNI | poly 141 x fem fat reader | masterlist

Part 8: Nobody’s Son, Nobody’s Daughter

You hate how weak you are, sometimes.

That a text can ruin your whole day.

>> Hey. I hope you’re doing well. I miss hearing from you.

You’re fuming. Absolutely fuming. In under fifteen seconds you’re on your feet, face hot and heart pounding as you stomp across the old wooden floor.

“I’ll be right back.” You grunt to Johnny and Kyle, ignoring their wide, confused eyes and fast walking past them and out the back door.

The sun is up for longer now, only just beginning to set. It’s hot and hard to breathe, which only makes you more pissed off. Your skin prickles and blood rushes in your ears. You hate the way your hands shake. Your boot connects with the dumpster hard. It hurts, but you’re too pissed to really care. You just need it out of your system - the metal sending a ringing, gong-like sound bouncing around the back alley as you repeatedly slam your foot into it.

How dare he?

Miss hearing from you? YOU?

He ignores you for your whole childhood and teenage years - didn’t even try - and he misses hearing from you!? Couldn’t ever remember your age or grade when you did see him and he hopes your doing well!? Blew you off for his other kids for years and he fucking misses you!

How the hell did he even get your new number? Your mom, probably. The traitor. Fuck.

“Think that bin’s ‘ad enough, bird.” Simons voice startles you. He glances down at the dent you somehow managed to make. Your foot throbs when you put it back on the ground, shifting your weight onto the other one. One of your toes is bleeding, you think. You hand feel it soaking into your sock.

You look away, face hot from embarrassment now. “Didn’t know anyone was out here…”

Simon takes you in for a moment. Usually you don’t mind it - his intense silences - but right now it feels like being dissected. Like he’s pulling your skin back to reveal that squirming, tar-like creature aways simmering just a layer beneath. The pathetic little worm you try so hard to cover with a functional facade.

“Smoke?” He tilts the pack toward you. You wrinkle your nose - it’s a shit brand - but at the moment you wouldn’t care if it was made of actual shit as long as it had nicotine.

You pick one out and plop down on the weird curb that lines the opposite side of the alley. Simon sits beside you, raising his lighter toward you cupping his hand around the little flame to light your cigarette. It’s intimate, in a way, and if you had the emotional elasticity for it you might have blushed.

“Wanna talk about it?” He asks after a few drags.

You shrug. “Dads suck.”

Simon hums. “That they do.”

“It’s just like-“ You make an exasperated sound and run your fingers through your hair. “Like if you’re not around for fuckin’ twenty years, you don’t get to act upset when I don’t want to talk ever. Just because now I’m the one that set the boundary. It’s stupid. It’s mean.”

Simon nods along as you ramble, your voice trailing off eventually. You both sit there quietly, for a moment. This is the type of silence that you don’t mind. Enjoy, even. Just existing together. At first you thought he hated you, or just didn’t like much of anybody, but you’ve come to theorize that he’s the same as you. That he gets stuck in his head, too. It’s nice, having someone to sit with without the need to entertain them. To preform.

Your lip quivers even as you attempt to stop it by sinking your teeth in. A killing blow. It doesn’t work. You bury your face in your hands. “I don’t know why I’m crying…”

“Because you’re hurt.” Simon bluntly replies. It’s soft, though. As soft as a voice like his can be.

“He doesn’t deserve it.” You sob, messily wiping at your eyes. Your eyeshadow is probably smudged to hell now but you can’t bring yourself to care. Hopefully the others don’t ask about it.

An arm wraps around you, tucking you close. The surprise of it almost knocks you out of your crying fit entirely. Simon isn’t touchy. With anyone. He doesn’t look at you, just keeps his eyes forward while he takes a long drag, but that arm remains around your shaking shoulders with you pressed to his side.

It’s quiet, as it usually is when you close up with just Simon. The others took off for the night. Johnny said something about a date before dragging Kyle off arm in arm. They must have set up some kind of double date for the evening. John’s last appointment had to reschedule so he knocked off early as well. It’s nice, really, to be alone in the shop with Simon. He lowers the music, helps you with sweeping and the trash. Tells you the newest joke from wherever the hell he gets them. Popsicles, you think, based on his sweet tooth and the quality of pun.

“C’mon. We’re takin’ a field trip.” Simon tilts his head toward the street past the turn to your apartment. He still insists on walking you home, even if the sky is still relatively bright.

You look up, frowning. “Where?”

“You’ll see.”

You follow him down the quiet street. It’s warm and muggy as you go. You keep glancing up at Simon, waiting for some sort of tell. Some hint at where he’s leading you. In the back of your mind, you become innately aware that Simon is probably the only man you’d follow this blindly.

You nearly knock into him when Simon comes to a sudden stop. “Here.”

You look up, squinting at the tacky sign in what you can only describe as “intense manly man” font. Bold, blocky letters in bright orange with faux cracks scattered through the letters.

TANTRUM TANK

A mixture of stunned and curious leaves you quietly following Simon in. You press the spot between your brows to dissipate the confused frown. The lobby is pretty basic with a few decorations that mimic the style of the sign. Cracked facades and black walls. The room is lined with plastic chairs and a couple safety posters reminding patrons not to hit each other with the bats. A large television screen flashes between images of people in hazmat suits smashing various garbage and debris, pausing on a menu of times and prices.

“Simon!” A man appears behind the counter, face bright. “Here for your usual hour?”

Simon steps up to the counter, nodding in your direction. “Actually, I’ve got a plus one.”

The man’s brows raise and he looks you over, giving you ashort, polite greeting. You nod and smile back, pretending like you know why you’re here at all. You just watch as Simon briefly chats with the clerk who obviously knows him well. He’s a regular here, then. He doesn’t give anything away, just makes some brief, perfunctory small talk before taking a key and waving you after him. Why’d he bring you here, of all people?

Your heart skips at the thought of Simon wanting to do something with you, though. He brought you here because he wants to hang out - in his own way. He must do this with the other boys, too. Maybe one of them bailed on him or something. Part of you wonders if he didn’t want to come alone, but that doesn’t sound like him. Plus, you can’t say that its’ at all out of character for him to decide something and just do it with no other communication. You also can’t say you mind much. Not with him.

“You come here with the others a lot?” You ask as you follow him back to the room.

“No.”

You frown. Oh.

The two of you lapse into silence as you put your things away into designated lockers. There’s a sort of interim room before the actual rage room with storage and a few stacks of protective gear in various sizes. Simon’s quick about it. Practiced. He slips on the protective plastic suit quickly while you grunt and struggle with unfolding it. Your hair crinkles with static as you finally get the mass of plastic unfurled and step into it. Of course the one that fits you around is too damn long. At least the gloves fit.

“Simon?” You murmur, finally finding your voice - as weak as it comes out. “Why’d you bring me here?”

He looks you over for a moment with that same steady gaze as before. You’ve never felt seen like you do with Simon. Even with the others… they don’t see to the core of you like he does. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking. Some pathetic little part of you left over from your misunderstood teenage years.

“I ’ad a pretty shite father.” Simon says as he zips up his suit. “Taught me a lot of anger. I didn’t- I don’t want to be like ‘im. Don’t want people t’be scared…”

You stare, wide eyed, frozen in place. As if any movement would disrupt this new found honesty - would frighten the man away from confiding in you. It’s sudden and far more than you’ve gotten out of him in the months you’ve known each other. It’s too special to risk.

“Sometimes you’ve got t’get it out of your system. Better than breaking your foot on a skip.” He snorts, stepping forward and carefully pushing a pair of safety glasses over your eyes. One hand runs over your hair just for the briefest moment; another lightly pats your cheek before he turns on his heel, grabbing one of the bats hanging on the wall and making for the door.

You stare after him, shell shocked by both the admission and uncharacteristic physical touch. You involuntarily reach up to trace your fingertips over the cheek he touched.

Don’t want people to be scared…

A part of you breaks in the back of your mind. The obvious, unsaid ‘of me’ sits heavily on your tongue. Some distant image of what he might have looked like as a child. Small and blonde with those big dark eyes… You gulp down a tight breath and follow after him, just a little too close to crying at the implication.

Simon gestures toward a crooked, half broken office desk. “Ladies first.”

And oh, if that first swing wasn’t the best release you’ve had in a long, long time.

A/N: Sorry for being inactive the past couple weeks, I could literally write a novel with how much as happened irl🙃

Anyhoo next part y’all are getting lots of Price because that homecoming skin has got me fucked up

[teddybeartoji]

彡 HE'S ANNOYING AND BEAUTIFUL AND HE'S GOING TO RUIN YOUR FUCKING DAY

☆. contains: satoru gojo x gn!reader; con-artists au, crack, he's stupid, he also has a massive fucking crush on you (and you're no better btw), reader smokes a cigarette gasp!! oh and reader is wearing a suit wc: 2.2k

+ a few hours later...

the spring sun warms your skin as sit on a little bench on top of the hill that overlooks your destination. a castle – it's fancy, fanciest you've ever seen. it's fucking massive and you can't help but wonder, how it would feel to sprint through the long beautiful hallways of the place...

way too many super cars are lined up in front of it and their various colors are making your eyes hurt. people in stunning dresses and equally stunning suits spill out of the machines and they laugh and roar, smoke blowing from their noses and lips as they flex their expensive pipes and cigarette holders. bald men with terrible mustaches flood your vision and you decide that you've had enough for the moment and let your head fall back. this is your last chance to recharge before the work begins.

digging in your inner suit pocket, you pull out a silver cigarette case with a beautiful engraving on it. memories reside in the little crevices of the art and the thoughts make a sentimental (albeit an annoying one. you'd never do this in front of him.) smile tug at the corners of your lips. the tiny machine was part of a set, a gift for you.

you try not to think about that for too long.

patting the side of your upper thigh, you dig out a lighter. it's just a plastic one; it's old as hell and it has definitely seen better days. but despite its tired look, you still consider it a friend, a partner, a helping hand.

you grab a cig from the box and place it between your lips before pocket the case again. the lighter is warm in your hands as you stare at the design on it. swirls and lines run all across the silver, dancing and merging together. a lot of memories are buried in the cracks of them and a sentimental smile tugs on the corners of your lips.

click! click! click!

perhaps today is the day you'll lay it to rest. there's no fire, no heat, but you're not mad. the cigarette hangs from your lips and you let out a sigh. you lean back onto your hand and close your eyes; if you won't get your final energy boost from nicotine, the sun will have to do it.

a gust of wind brushes over your skin, it cards through your hair and you feel alive. the laughter from down below finds it way up to you and it makes you crack a grin yourself – these rich pricks won't know what hit them. this'll be an easy job, no sweat. in and out, it'll only take a few hours tops if everything goes without a hitc—

click!

time slows.

cracking open an eye, you watch the stick catch fire.

engravings in silver – a perfect match to the ones on the case that's hiding comfortably in your chest pocket. right beside your heart. pale, slender fingers and manicured nails, a perfectly fitted sleeve – it's him. trailing up his arm with your eye, his cologne fills your nostrils and you realize that he's standing way closer than you thought.

it takes a mere two seconds and you craning your neck to meet his eyes. they match the clear sky, the only difference being that while birds twirl and dance in the blue ocean up above your heads, little stars twinkle in his.

satoru gojo.

and his stupid fucking smile.

you hate him.

he snaps the little silver machine shut before placing it back into his pocket with one swift move. his pearly white teeth shine under the blinding sun and the sight of his dimples makes your stomach churn. silly butterflies.

staring up at him, you hollow your cheeks and breathe in the smoke. it travels through your mouth and makes its way deep into your lungs. he's patient. the grey fog fills your organs and you let it simmer before letting out out again. you blow it at him but he doesn't budge; your eyes look so pretty in this light. he watches your lips curl into a pretty little smirk and then he's already being blessed with your saccharine voice. "gojo."

he does a dramatic bow as he stands before you – his one hand behind his back and the other on his heart. "my beloved."

the hum and the eye roll you award him with warm his insides. he straightens his spine and locks both his hands behind him, almost making him look like an innocent, virtuous person. it's that charming smile of his that's able to save him from just about everything. his ability to bare his teeth in the most endearing way pisses you off.

it really fucking does.

he twirls on his heel and the gentle gust of wind ruffles his snowy hair. he eyes the castle below and the little ant-people that buzz in front of it.

"you got an invite?" he asks in a sing-song voice. he seems excited. that's a bad thing for you. he will ruin your plans, you already know it.

"i did not."

you don't need to see his face to know that his smile has stretched even wider. you hate it. he quirps a little "hm" before spinning back around. his hand dips into his inner suit pocket and returns with an ivory envelope. his eyelashes flutter shut as he dramatically fans his face with it.

you hate him.

"that's too bad. they have this cool new system – they give you a keycard. they check it at the door, of course, but after that you can just go wild with it." he paces around in front of you while you just inhale the smoke back into your lungs as a way to alleviate the fact that he's going to ramble about a fucking key card. "there are tiers, you see. the smaller guys just get to use it as the invite while others..."

he turns to you with a big grin. "can actually open some super secret doors."

he flicks the envelope just to show it off some more and you wish you could suffocate him with the cigarette smoke. or maybe you should just push him off this damn hill instead.

"not that you would know anything about it though..." his words trail off as his eyes snake their way up from the ground and to your pretty face.

"and you're one of the big guys then, i presume?"

your remark is like water off a duck's back. it's the exact opposite actually – it only eggs him on. he watches the smoke slip from between your lips as you try to bite him back, he watches your chest fall; you look handsome in your suit. he's never seen you in an outfit like this - sure, he's seen you in some fancy fits before but this... takes the crown for sure.

you almost look like you belong here, though he skeptical on whether you'd think of that as a compliment or not. he doesn't say it, opting for something else.

"you look good– "

"you look good."

damn.

you blink up at him, he blinks down on you. he fiddles with his fingers behind his back and he bites back the comment he wants to make about you complimenting him, about you two speaking at the same time. something about being partners, something-something.

he does look good.

he's also wearing a gorgeous black suit on top of a pearly white shirt and a matching black bowtie adorns his neck, and it looks like he did try to style his hair just a little, but you know him – you know he likes it when the wind messes it up. he always says it makes him look more rugged.

you assume he doesn't know what the word means.

silence falls upon the two of you, engulfing you in this comfortable little bubble. your lips wrap around the cigarette again and he pockets the envelope in his hand.

"y'think so?"

he asks for praise so nonchalantly that you almost give in. "...maybe."

satoru's chest puff up and his eyes light up even more than ever – you regret your decision to tell him that. his lips part but you don't give him a chance to tease you any further.

you shake the cigarette butt before pushing yourself off the bench. satoru observes you, always so excited about everything you do. he can't tear his eyes from you. placing the cig back between your lips, you approach the man in front of you in a confident stride.

without locking eyes with him, you take your place a little bit too close in front of him and casually reach for his tie. satoru's breath hitches at the sudden proximity but he doesn't back away. you tug at the edges of it, your eyebrows furrowing in the process. you look cute, all concentrated and everything. his smile makes its way back onto his lips as he stares at you and his hands twitch at his sides.

smoke dances in the air as you take your time to fix his tie; the sun melts the two of you together as the silence settles around you again. the breeze plays with his hair some more, it grazes the apples of your cheeks and it's refreshing. this feels like the old times.

"smoking kills, you know."

his voice is barely above a whisper and you snort at him. "so do cars, dipshit."

"hm, douche."

you send a sharp glare at him and he doesn't even try to hold his ever-growing grin. the stupid fucking butterflies in your stomach are making you sick. he's about to say something ridiculous again, so you rush to give his earlobe a gentle-not-so-gentle tug. you laugh at the way he winces and the way his skin turns a dark shade of pink in a matter of seconds; it manages to bloom all over his ears and the apples of his cheeks before he decides to swat your hand away.

your eyes and the tingling pain in his ear are enough to distract him from your wandering hands. skilled fingers dip under the front of his suit jacket as you lean forward to whisper to him. "it's touché."

his eyes glue themselves onto the cigarette in your mouth, between your pretty lips, giving you more than enough time to swipe the envelope from his chest pocket with ease.

"right..."

dusting off some imaginary dust from his shoulder, you cock your head to the side and take the cigarette from your lips while giving him another good look. how could you not? despite his god-awful personality and his tendency to screw up every single one of your plans in one way or another – he's the most beautiful man you've ever seen. from this angle you could count the freckles that are scattered across his nose and cheeks, hell – you could count his damn eyelashes if you really wanted to.

(you kind of do.)

while he's being bewitched by you and your eyes and your perfume and the damn smoking stick in your hand, you hide the envelope behind your back. you make use of the promiximity between you two, your own body concealing the movement of you tucking the thing under your own suit jacket and into the waistband of your pants. you're here to steal afterall.

satoru rubs his ear and feigns a pout. it's the fakest one you've seen yet, but then a dopey smile makes it's way onto his lips and for a second you think that your plan didn't work, that he felt it, that he saw it—

"you know... if you wanted satoru to just get you an invite, you should've just said so, sweetheart."

...

you stare at him with a blank face and he shines right back at you. he plucks the cigarette from your hand and throws it to the ground, stomping on the thing, he puts out the light with the heel of his foot.

"but... since you didn't ask for it, since you didn't ask for satoru's help... you'll have to find your own way in, yeah?" he's way too smug, too arrongant and the only thing that's making you feel better is the thought of him being shut out from the party because he doesn't have the invite. anymore.

"stop referring to yourself in third person, it makes you look stupid."

"you don't think i look stupid in the first place then?"

.............

you can't wait for this day to be over.

"alright. go now. run along, little prince." you give his shoulder a shove but he refuses to back away, leaning closer a little instead.

"are you gonna be okay out here, hm? all alone? no keycard or nothing?"

even his breath smells good. you want to punch him.

"don't worry about me, gojo. i'm sure i'll figure something out."

"ahh! you always do! and that's why you're the greatest, baby!" wincing at the volume of his tone, you clench your jaw and press your teeth together. satoru loves it when you do that. "don't take too long, okay? i'll miss you."

he offers you another fake pout and turns around on his heel, but not before giving you a wink. he looks over his shoulder for the last time and...

"don't forget to throw away the cig! littering isn't sexy!"

he's so overbearingly annoying and he will so ruin your fucking plans.

[hatsbuckets]

TF 141 Body Swap AU HC

Headcanons

You know that body swap trope? Yeah, I just watched a show with it in it and I'm just thinkin about how it could go down... Warnings: None

Expanded Cast Version!

Soap:

Soap ended up in Ghost’s body, of course. If anyone was going to get stuck in the most inconvenient switch possible, it was him. He realized this about ten seconds after waking up and nearly knocking himself out on the doorframe. Everything was big. His arms? Massive. His legs? Long enough that stairs suddenly felt like a death trap. And don’t even get him started on the shoulders—those things could barely fit through the locker room doorway without scraping the sides.

He wasn't complaining about the other large part of Simon's body though.

The mask was its own kind of torture. It clung to his face, hot and suffocating, like it had fused with his skin. He tugged at it a few times before giving up. “How does he even breathe in this thing?” he muttered, his new, gravelly voice startling him every time. Still, he'd respect it and keep it on.

When he caught his reflection in the mirror, he almost jumped out of his skin. Ghost’s mask stared back at him, hollow eyes and that skeletal grin. It wasn’t just eerie—it was downright unsettling. Soap quickly turned away, feeling every inch of the sore, strong body he inhabited.

Ghost:

Ghost ended up in Gaz’s body, which was… not ideal. Everything felt too light, too fast, too exposed. Gaz was athletic and lean, not a silent wall. He wasn’t used to moving like this, like his feet barely touched the ground. At first, it seemed like a good thing—until he realized how much strength he’d lost. His grip wasn’t as steady, his steps didn’t carry the same weight, and when he tried to grab his knife, it felt wrong in his hand, like it belonged to someone else.

The worst part? No mask. Just Gaz’s face, out in the open, for everyone to see. Ghost avoided mirrors like the plague, but every now and then, he’d catch a glimpse of himself-well, Gaz-in a reflection and feel a wave of discomfort. It wasn’t his face, but it wasn’t not his face either, and that was a weird line to walk.

He hated how exposed it made him feel. No armor, no wall to hide behind—just Gaz’s smaller frame and familiar face, staring back at him like it didn't belong-because it didn't.

Gaz:

Gaz hated being in Price’s body. Everything was heavy—his arms, his legs, his steps. It was like wading through water, slow and deliberate in a way that made him feel like he’d aged twenty years in a day.

His hands were big and rough, and they didn’t feel like his. Even holding a cup of coffee was a struggle.

And then there was the mustache. The mustache, the beard. He could feel it every time he moved his upper lip, like it was mocking him. He kept running a finger over it without realizing, grimacing every time he caught himself doing it.

He went without the hat. A small save and grace. Though it looked weird enough to see Price's head not covered. He opted for a baseball cap instead. It did not look right.

The height was the only saving grace. Not that it changed too much. By the end of the day, Gaz was ready to be back in his own body. This one might’ve been built for battle, but it sure as hell wasn’t built for him.

Price:

Price in Soap’s body was almost funny. He took it better than the rest of them, though. Years of experience meant he adapted quickly, but there was no getting around the fact that Soap’s frame was different. Lighter, more agile. He’d step too far when he didn’t mean to or overshoot a motion that should’ve been precise. It wasn’t bad, just… off.

What really threw him was the height. Price wasn’t exactly short, but Soap’s body was noticeably smaller than his own. He kept having to look up at people he wasn’t used to looking up at.

Every time he ran a hand over his face and felt only stubble, it threw him. The absence of the weighty mustache and beard felt wrong, like forgetting a piece of his uniform. And God, that mohawk. He got his hat, shoving the thing on to Soap's disappointment. Still, he appreciated the lighter frame when climbing stairs. His knees were happier-or he was happy to feel Johnny's knees? -even if the rest of him wasn’t.

[melancholyshadow]

SESH - S. NARA

PAIRING: stoner!shikamaru nara x f!reader

WARNINGS: smut (18+ mndi), afab!reader, friends to lovers, modern-ish au, marijuana use, reader's first time smoking weed, riding, unprotected sex, early20s!shikamaru, reader is a similar age, cursing, intoxicated sex. both parties are high while partaking in sex. so...dubcon? (pls let me know if i missed any!!!!)

SUMMARY: you decide to try smoking weed with your best friend, shikamaru.

WORD COUNT: 3.8k

A/N: i bet y'all didn't see this coming. i know i posted like a three months ago saying i was going to post a kakashi fic, which i AM working on, but i love shikamaru too much. i'm also working on an itachi fic, so let me know which one you guys would like to see first (itachi or kakashi). also if i miss any warnings let me know, because this is my first time writing something a little darker (?) like this. i tried to be as blatant as possible.

DIVIDER: @adornedwithlight (thank u <3)

MASTERLIST

“Wanna try some?” 

His voice caught you off guard. 

You hadn’t even noticed that your eyes strayed from the television screen. They stared at Shikamaru as he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and brought the silver lighter toward the tip of a joint. Fire flickered for a quick moment, as he rolled the stick between his fingers, until the flame engulfed the end. As soon as the fire appeared, it was gone, with the clank of the metal.

You watched as he brought the end to his lips, wrapping around the thin paper.

His eyes fluttered shut and he sucked in a long breath, allowing the cannabis to flood his senses. You eyed him, in awe, as smoke poured out of his mouth and nostrils. The smoke swirled past your face, and dispersed across the room. The living room filled with the familiar scent of weed, mixed with the seasonal scented candle you lit before he arrived. 

“N-No.” You said, once it finally registered that he asked you a question. “I’m alright.” You added, eyes shifting back to the show that was playing on the screen. Shikamaru always offered for you to try and smoke, even though you denied him every time. 

“You sure?” He questioned, turning the joint’s towards you. Shikamaru had never pressured you. Not to drink. Not to smoke, whether that be cigarettes or cannabis. He was simply tested the waters. But from where you sat, curled up on the couch beside him, the stick was only a few inches from your own lips. For the first time, you were intrigued. You eyed it, watching the embers burn.

“I think you want to.” He chuckled, brought the joint back up to his own mouth, and puffed another drag. “I don’t know how to do it.” You admitted, playing with the hem of your skirt, feeling an embarrassed warmth creep over your cheeks. “That’s alright. I can teach you.” He offered, nudging you softly with his shoulder. “But, only if you really want to.” He added, and flicked the ash off into the tray that lived on your coffee table, specifically for him. 

“O-Okay.” You confirmed, sitting up slightly. “Hell yeah.” He smiled, turning, so most of his body faced you now. “Alright, it’s pretty simple.” Shikamaru explains, taking a quick drag.

“Obviously, you don’t put your lips on the burning side-“ You cut him off, “I’m not an idiot.” You huffed, crossing your arms over your chest. “No, I know you’re not, but you’d be surprised at how many times I’ve seen it happen. ” He joked. 

You cocked an eyebrow at him, and he laughed, “Choji. And Ino.” He whispered, which confirmed your hunch. You gave him a small smile as he continued to explain the process to you. It wasn’t as convoluted as you originally thought it would be, it sounded pretty simple. 

“Ready?” He asked, as you eyed the joint one more time, and nodded your head. He handed it to you carefully, and you pinched it between your index finger and thumb. As you brought it closer to your lips, you hesitated, eyes landing on Shikamaru, who gave you an encouraging smile.

Finally, the thin paper made contact with your bottom lip, followed by your top lip down so both wrapped around the filter. “Now, inhale.” Shikamaru instructed quietly, and watched the way your lips hugged the joint tightly. You sucked in a large breath, admittedly too large, “Exhale.” He says, and mimicked it with his own breath. You pulled the stick away and exhaled. 

Immediately, the smoke poured out of your mouth, throat feeling scratchy, which induced a coughing fit. You handed Shikamaru the joint, using your free hand to cover your mouth, as you wheezed. He tried to hold in his laughter, but he couldn’t help it. “You’re so mean!” You exclaimed between coughs. 

“I’m sorry.” He said between chuckles, taking a short hit from the joint. “You did good.” He praised, his free hand landed on your thigh. “How long until I feel something?” You ask, letting out one more weak cough. “For you, probably a couple minutes.” He says, eyes glanced at the time on his phone. “Let’s see how you feel in ten minutes.” He decided. 

He leaned back against the couch, and opened his arms wide, enough for you to be nestled into his side. Both of you turned your attention back to the show, and waited for the effects of the cannabis to kick in. 

If you were being honest, you doubted for a few moments that one hit from a joint would make you feel anything at all. You couldn’t have inhaled that much cannabis in one go, could you? But after ten minutes, you definitely felt something. 

Everything about your body felt a little more relaxed, and you seemed to giggle more frequently at the stupid show Shikamaru had requested to watch. “How’re you feeling?” He asked, his thumb rubbing your shoulder. You couldn’t help the smile that played on your lips when you looked up at him, which in turn made him snicker. 

“I don’t know. I feel a little different.” You shrugged, eyeing his features. His eyelids were low, and the whites of his eyes decorated with strings of red. “Can I try again?” You asked softly, and studied the second joint that rested between his fingers. “Of course.” He smiled, passing the stick off to you. Your lips enclosed around the filter again. You inhaled a sizable breath, and then allowing the smoke to escape your lungs.

“You finish that one.” He said, as he grabbed another joint off the table, and mirrored his process from earlier with the lighter. You puffed on the stick, ashing it when necessary. It only ended up having four more hits in it, before it became just a dud. But for you, that was more than enough. 

Definitely more than enough.

By the end of it, your entire body felt heavy, which included your eyelids. It felt like a fog encroached your mind. You swore you could feel your teeth and hear the heartbeat that thumped inside your chest. 

Looking over at Shikamaru, you discovered he was already looking at you. 

Had he been watching you?  

You couldn't help but smile, your lips upturned on their own accord. “How do you feel now?” He asked, his own lips lifting into a smirk. “Good. Kinda floaty.” You hummed, with a giggle. It felt like your entire body was vibrating as you spoke. “Perfect.” He confirms, and brushed some of your hair out of your face. His free hand cradled the side of your face, and you leaned into him. 

“Here. Have some more.” He said sweetly, you opened your eyes, the ones you hadn't noticed had fallen closed against his touch. The joint is pinched a few centimeters away. Your hand went up out of instinct, pushing the joint away from your face. “C’mon, sweet girl, take one more hit.”

A heat creeped up your entire body.

You shook your head, “N-No. I feel g-good.” You insisted, mouth now feeling like it was full of cotton. “Please? For me?” He implored, his eyes pleaded. Gods, you could never say no to him and he knew that.

You took the joint from him, and hesitantly brought it to your mouth. The puff you took was short, wimpy. But he seemed satisfied with the puff of smoke, so he took the stick from you, and placed it in the ashtray. 

“Now, c’mere.” He murmured it so quietly, you almost didn't hear him, and before you could react to his words or question him, his large hands wrapped around your waist, which allowed him to pull you into his lap. All you could do was yelp in response. 

His touch seared into your skin. 

The shift in movement ended with your knees on either side of his hips. As the cotton material of your panties made contact with the rough fabric of his sweatpants, you bit down on your bottom lip, to stop a strangled moan from slipping past your lips. 

You hadn’t even noticed the sticky feeling between your thighs, you felt everything else about your body so intensely. But now it was very apparent. “S-Shika, what’re you doing?” You asked softly, and tried to sit up on your knees in an attempt to climb off him. However, his large hands were quick to grip you tighter, and pulled you back down. 

“S-Shika…” You stuttered out again. He just hummed back, looking right at you, as his thumbs rubbed soft circles in the exposed skin between the waistline of your skirt and the hem of your shirt. “Just wanna make you feel even better, baby.” He cooed.

Between the nicknames and the weed, you thought your brain melted out of your ears. And neither was helping with that ache between your legs. As a response, all you could do was involuntarily clench your thighs around him. 

“Oh, you like that idea?” He asked, as you looked away in shame. He clicked his tongue in disapproval, one of his hands strayed their grip on your hip, his index finger coming to rest beneath your chin, and turned your head to force eye contact.

All you can do is nod at his question. Which didn’t seem to appease him either. Since, he roughly squished your cheeks together between his fingers, until your lips puckered, your face only centimeters away from his. 

“I need words, sweet girl.” He said, but it came out more like a demand. He momentarily softened his grip on your face, which allowed you some room to answer his earlier question, “

Y-Yes.” You admitted, attempting to turn your face away from him again, but to no avail. He chuckled. It was nothing like you had ever heard from him before. It was dark, almost menacing, a shiver ran down your spine. 

“Then you’re gonna have to relax for me.” He whispered, his mouth practically moving against your own. He uncrossed your arms from your chest, and placed them against his torso. You could feel that his muscles as they shifted under your palms, “I’m gonna kiss you now, okay?” He informed you, and you started to nod, but caught yourself, “O-Okay.”

He doesn’t need to lean in very far before your lips are connected, your eyes fluttered shut. His mouth started to work against yours smoothly.

Although, you could sense a hint of experimentation behind his gesture, like he was trying to ease both of you into this foreign experience. 

After all, this was unfamiliar territory for both of you. Over the course of your decade-long friendship, the two of you had been tentatively intimate, hands brushing, lingering hugs, falling asleep in each other's arms, but nothing this extreme. 

You’d be lying if you hadn’t thought about this moment before. 

Dreamed of it, in fact. 

His lips were chapped and dry from a mix of the smoke and cold winter months, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. You were positive that yours weren’t any better, and he didn’t seem to mind either.

As the kisses edged towards being more intense, your mouths and teeth began clashing together, your intoxicated mind barely able to keep up. You could feel his hands leave your wrists, gripping onto your hips once again. 

His tongue pushed past your working lips, exploring the wet cavern of your mouth, and worked harshly against your more tentative one. You gripped his t-shirt in your fist, trying to ground yourself, working against the fogginess in your head.

Your body buzzed, a tingle growing in the pit of your stomach. You were light-headed from the lack of oxygen, but you were reluctant to pull away. Reluctant, for this moment to stop, for the reality of the situation to hit you. When you did pull away, only a string of saliva kept you connected.  

Shikamaru was practically panted underneath you, a slight shade of pink dusted his cheeks. His lips coated in a mixture of both of your spits. You notice that his usual brown eyes were now almost completely engulfed in black, scleras still covered in stringy red lines. You could feel his bulge that strained against his sweatpants, and nudged your clothed cunt.

The whole sight stirred something primal within you.

He pulled you even closer to his chest, so he could attack your jawline with peppered kisses along the bone. You released the grip you had on his t-shirt, and slid them upwards towards his shoulders, resting your forearms there while your fingertips fidgeted with the hairs on the back of his neck. Your brain was so caught up in the feeling of his lips, that you almost didn't notice how his hands began to wander.

You weren’t sure at what point they left your waist, but they slowly pushed up the fabric of your skirt, and bunched the material around your hips. The white material of your panties, one’s decorated with a small bow, displayed to his prying eyes. “These are cute.” Shikamaru chaffed, going as far as to toy with the small ribbon. 

His finger trailed the thin, lacy waistband, from hip bone to hip bone. This touch was feathery-light, goosebumps coated your skin. That same finger wandered further down, until the pad of his thumb made contact with your panty-clad clit, and applied the smallest bit of pressure. 

You couldn’t help the small gasp. “Is that the spot, sweetheart?” Your brain went to mush, all you could muster is a breathless reply, “Y-Yes…” He chuckled again. His thumb pressed harder, even going as far as to rub slow, tight circles into your sensitive bud. Your eyes screwed shut, a mewl shot out of your mouth. 

Between the sound of his soft praise and the movement of his thumb, you could feel another wave of warmth pool in your panties. Your hips bucked forward, body pleaded for more of his touch, as you dragged the soaked material of your underwear across his restrained cock.

That's when his nonchalant demeanor seemed to slip slightly, as a choked out swear gurgled up from his throat. 

You repeated the motion once again, and dragged your entire lower body, slower, over the fabric of his sweats. His hand grasped at the fat of your thighs, as his head fell back against the cushion of the couch. A sense of confidence surged through your body, knowing he craved your touch just as much as you did his. 

Without a second thought, you set a consistent pace with your hips, and rutted them back and forth against his groin. You could see his pants were starting to become discolored, a darker splotch formed over his erection.

Fuck, you’re so wet.” Shikamaru huffed out, that same pink shade that decorated his face before was a deeper shade now. His hips jerked upward and plunged against your cunt. “I-I need to feel you.” His words stumbled out, jumbled together.

Everything after that happened so fast. 

The look on Shikamaru’s face was pure determination, something you didn’t see often. 

He lifted his hips, pulled down the waistband of his sweatpants, just enough for his cock to spring free with a soft thud against his lower abdomen. You can’t help but stare, as beads of precum ran down the length of his shaft. His hands quickly snaked behind your body, using your ass as he leveraged you upwards, until you hovered over him on your knees. He made sure you were stabilized there, and you used his shoulders to steady yourself. 

One of his index fingers hooked the material of your panties and pulled them to the side, and finally revealed your naked core to him. He didn’t even have the willpower to admire you for as long as he would have liked, that haziness in his own mind clouding any rationale. All he knew was that he needed to be inside you, now. 

Using his other hand, he grabbed the base of his cock, dragging the leaking head slowly between your wet folds, tracing your slit’s entire length, until he reached your clit and applied some soft pressure with his cockhead. This press alone was enough to make you clench around nothing, “Shika…” You pleaded, thighs tensed. “I know, baby.” He rasped out. He repeated his movements a few more times, collecting as much of you as he could.

Finally, he glanced down at his glistening tip, both your arousals now mixed together on the head of his cock. He lined himself up with your entrance, the anticipation grew in both of your guts. “Ready?” He asked, his eyes finally lifted up to your face. You nodded vigorously. 

This time, that was good enough for him.

His hands shook slightly as they grabbed at the plush around your hips, and he let out a breath to steady himself. He slowly guided you down the head of his cock, until just his tip was swallowed by your warmth. In sync, the two of you let out a shared wince as your cunt gripped him.

“F-Fuck, you’re—hah—so tight.” He mumbled, more to himself. You watched as his eyes slowly drifted shut as you continued down his cock. You took him in, inch by inch, going at an agonizingly slow pace, allowing you the time to adjust to his size. 

It was a nice gesture, but you wanted more. 

You decided to take the situation into your own hands, and quickly buried the rest of his length into your aching cunt, and ignored the hint of pain that came along with the stretch of your walls. The noise that exited his mouth was unlike anything you’d ever heard, animalistic almost. “Holy sh-shit.” He breathed out, the clutch he had on your body hardened, enough so that it left marks for you to admire later. 

The two of you sit there for a moment.

You, enjoying the snug feeling between your legs, and Shikamaru, relishing in the vice-tight hold your cunt had around his cock. You gave your hips an exploratory roll, in need of some more friction. His entire body tensed beneath you, and his chest stuttered as he took in a quick breath. His forehead falling against your own, eyes transfixed on where the two of you were connected. 

Be used his dense grip to encourage the slow grinding motion, he rocked you back and forth against his lap. You could feel what felt like twinges of fire spread across your entire body, and a familiar tension built up in your gut. 

That’s when you decided to get more creative.

Slowing your hips, you pushed up on your knees again until only the head of his cock was tucked inside you. Shikamaru goes to protest, probably with some sarcastic comment. However, before any words could pass his lips, you sunk down to his hilt again, until you could feel him nudge your core. Yet, before he processed your actions, you did it again.

His mouth fell slightly agape.

He’s speechless.  

His cock twitched inside you, another one of his whimpers echoed through your ears. At the same time, you can't help but let out a similar noise, as his cockhead pierced the gummy spot in your cervix. “F-Fuck.” The feeling, you were addicted, so much so that you hadn’t noticed the ache in your legs. Your pace quickened as you desperately chased the building pleasure in your gut. Your face was hot, cheeks burnt, and your heart continued to race. 

Shikamaru was so entranced by how you maneuvered, that he completely stilled, and left you to do all the work. The only gesture being how his eyes flickered between the apex of your thighs, and your strewn face. 

“Shik–hah–amaru!” You cried, gripped his shoulders, until the tips of your fingernails left indents in his skin, even through his t-shirt. That seemed to pull him out of his trance.

Shikamaru didn’t hesitate to set a brutal pace, as he gripped the back of your thighs to support your ebb and flow. He buried his face in your neck, nose nudging the column of your throat. You could feel his hot breath against your sensitive skin, the occasional grunt passing his lips. 

You felt the building of your climax as it quickly approached, especially at his frenzied hips. You could feel all your muscles, as they slowly tightened, his thighs pistoned against the backs of yours.

The feeling was intoxicating, the air was thick with sex, and your body was still warm. Your body was hit with a thrum of pleasure as his cockhead speared the bundle of nerves in your cervix. And that’s when he spoke, “Come for me, sweetheart.” 

His words acted like a trigger, as your entire body flushed with a white-hot heat, and stars filled your vision. It was unlike anything you had ever felt before. The coil in your gut seemed to snap on his command, waves of ecstasy surged your body. Your pussy pulsed against his cock, along with a new white, creamy ring of your arousal accumulated around his base. You couldn’t stop the long, choked out sob that left your mouth. 

“That’s–ngh–it, I’m close.” He whined against your throat. As your walls continued to flutter around him, you could feel him twitch once, and then again. “Come inside me, p-please.” You begged, head still clouded by the remnants of the marijuana and your fading climax. “Fuck.” He growled under his breath, as he accelerated the snapping of his hips.

The mixture of your whines and the loud plap of your damp skin were the only noises in the room.  It edged Shikamaru on, those same hips slowly lost their rhythm. “Fill me up, Shik-ah-a, please.” You babbled, the sensitivity between your legs had gone to your head, as you practically collapsed against his chest.

“A-Are you sure?” He asked, he was close, very close. “Yes!” You exclaimed. You wanted to roll your eyes at him, annoyed by how he always over-analyzed everything.

Similar to his words, yours seemed to have triggered his climax. Between uncoordinated jolts, and the hoarse cries of release, you could feel his seed flood your pussy. His chest heaved up and down, and his back arched off the couch cushions as you tried to use your weak hips to rock back and forth, and help him ride out his high.

After a few moments, and with his head tipped back against the couch, his familiar hands gripped your hips and stopped your movements all together. You practically melted further into his chest, feeling the remnants of his cum seeping between the cracks of where you were still connected.

That’s when it struck you, and you giggled a little. Shikamaru’s body tensed when he heard it. “Why the hell are you laughing?” He questioned, still partially out of breath. As you unfurled yourself from his chest, you couldn’t help but smile down at him. 

“Do you do this with everyone who gets high with you for the first time?” You interrogated. 

“Or am I just that special?”

A/N: im a wee bit rusty okay? i haven’t written or posted in over a year sooooooooooooo

[cxvii666]

“morning sex”

college au! satoru gojo x reader

cw: bad language, recreational drug use (oops), mentions of drinking, sex, and other overage things

no smut i was just inspired by the song

wc: 1.1k

“i got too many problems i put off still. for the morning, i'm thinking bout your body.”

oh, the sun feels so good on his bare back, the rays of light dancing along like little fairies warming his body from the outside in. soft music playing in the background, the sound of the birds chirping, satoru gojo nestles into his surprisingly soft pillow and takes a deep sigh.

he's so warm. he could stay here forever.

his pale eyelashes flutter as he stirs and groans, not ready to be woken up from his peaceful moment. probably the best night of sleep he's ever had.

as he becomes more lucid, he inhales softly, and his nose crinkles. what the hell is that smell? it’s becoming more pungent the more his eyes open.

“you alright down there, bud?”

satoru’s eyes fly open and he looks down to see that his super soft pillow is your silky soft, creamy, brown thigh.

bare.

the gulp gets caught in his throat as he trails his head up to where your sat against your headboard, mid-yawn, in a mass of blankets, slightly rumpled and widely amused, looking down at where he's laying.

in between your legs.

the mild panic in his eyes makes you roll your own, as you tap out the ash on your joint. “relax, would you. we didn’t do anything last night if that’s what you’re thinking.”

last night...

satoru can feel the oncoming hangover as he tries to recall. last night? what the fuck happened? he can remember, heavy baselines, drunk cigarettes, laughing at shoko falling down the stairs, suguru laughing at him tumbling down the same staircase, umm, maybe a dare to chug a monster shot of straight vodka.

but you?

he’s trying his best to remember you, but the images in his head are all fuzzy. but if he’s here, in what looks to be your bed, then something must’ve happened, right?

one look at his puzzled face and you start snickering. it isn’t mean, actually, the sound is kind of pleasing to his ears, but it doesn’t feel any less like you’re not making fun of him.

“look at your face,” you snort and use your free hand to itch under your bonnet, “you don’t remember me at all, d'you?”

he scoffs. “of course i remember you,” his blue eyes squint in concentration, trying to picture where he’s seen your face before. “you’re, uhh, one of shoko’s friends, no?”

this time you actually laugh, and it really feels like you’re laughing at him. “no.” you stretch and sit up a bit more against your pillows. “nah, i have classes with your boy, suguru geto?”

“my boy?”

you push air out of your nose in an amused huff. the sunlight makes your face glow, “he’s not your boy?”

“he’s—yeah,” satoru clears his throat, so that’s where he remembers you from, you’re one of suguru’s friends, ‘what the fuck is going on?’, “yeah, we’re boys.”

“yeah, exactly.” you look really composed, maybe this is a common thing for you, or maybe satoru’s still out of it. “could you, maybe, stop that thing you’re doing with your hands? it’s kind of tickling me.”

satoru looks down to where his long, pale fingers have been tracing circles on your bare thigh. your skin is really soft. he flexes his fingers then reaches up to brush the sleep knots out of his hair. he thinks he’s being sly, but you notice his gaze crawl up your leg. you are wearing underwear, huh, and he checks himself quickly—he’s still wearing the joggers he had on last night.

“i like your pokémon boxers,” is all he says, he’s teasing, getting a rise out of people is what he does best.

he notes how your eyes crinkle as you half-smirk, then you move your leg to the side so his head goes smack into your mattress.

he takes the L and lies there face down for a minute until he hears you shuffle. when he looks back up at you with his piercing blue gaze, you’ve got a lighter in your hand and are resparking your joint.

he crinkles his nose again. “inside, really?”

you gesture your head to the doorway and satoru’s heart drops for a second because he thinks you’re about to ask him to leave, but then he sees the rolled-up towel jammed in the gap between the door and floor. you then lazily point to the incense stick lit on your bedside and reply with a yawn. “it’s all about technique, really. besides, the window’s open so hopefully, the smell won’t stick.”

you regard him curiously and wave the joint in front of satoru’s face with a playful lilt. “you want a pull?”

“i haven’t brushed my teeth.”

“c’monnnn, it’ll help with your hangover, maybe relax you a bit too.”

“i am perfectly relaxed,” he snarks as he takes the joint from you, purely to prove a point but, he really means it.

he is relaxed. more than he's been in a long time. the haze of your room is so soft and warm. the sunrise streaming in from blinds mixed with the soft music playing on your speakers paints the perfect scene. and damn, he's perfectly content to stay in your bed all day.

he locks eyes with you, like he's challenging you or something, as he takes a long drag. “so, you sure we didn’t do anything?”

your eyebrow raises as you huff, “wow, d'you really not remember?”

he shakes his head, you can smell his embarrassment.

“i’m not surprised. you guys got mad crossfaded, and then geto ditched you to go link up with the hot girl he’s been talking about.”

“no way? he ditched me for tongue-piercing girl?” he mutters, though his tone lacks any bite at his friend’s betrayal. “fucking bastard.”

“yeah, i bet.” you scoff at him and relax into your pillow. “you weren’t complaining yesterday though, all up in my personal space, kept trying to steal my vape. your rizz could use some work.”

“that was not rizz.”

“no, it really wasn’t- ” you say pointedly, he pinches your thigh with his free hand, and you swat him away. “watch it, and don’t get ash on my bed covers.”

he rolls his eyes and holds down his cough, gesturing for you to continue.

“but yeah,” you sniff. “we were both hella drunk, to be fair. made out for a bit, got to about second base, and then you passed out.”

“i passed out?!” he coughs, like violently. you take pity and pass him your water bottle.

“what? oh, not like pass out pass out. you just fell asleep."

“you don't mean-” satoru clears his throat, his eyes dropping to way your thigh curves, and his fingers tingle with the phantom sense of your bare silky skin, “i fell asleep before we could-”

“mhm.”

“oh, damn.”

“mhm...”

“clearly, you weren’t that exciting if I fell asleep in the middle of—ow," you smack the back of his neck, “okay, what the fuck, calm down woman, it was a joke.”

“whatever. you want the last pull?”

satoru lays back down shakes his head no and you, ever so softly, run your free hand through his hair, gently detangling.

he leans into your touch.

as the paper burn down to the roach, he props himself and watches you toss it in the tray.

“that’s cute.” the ceramic ashtray on your nighstand.

“thank you, i made it myself.”

“cool.”

“you hungry?”

“mhmmm.”

“you wanna get brunch?”

“sounds good to me.”

[myuminji]

Just a comic about two people catching up again [Angel AU]

[ID: A Trigun comic of Wolfwood after his death in Trigun Maximum.

Abbreviated ID: Wolfwood is now an angel with wings and a halo tied to his grave. He cannot be seen or heard by others, but Livio visited his grave and mostly filled him in on the finale, and Wolfwood waits for Vash to show up. When he does, Wolfwood is stunned and worried by his black hair, though he deems Vash fine when he pulls out drinks for them both.

Vash pours the drinks and talks. He confesses that he killed someone and calls himself a coward and the worst, apologizing for being selfish and not saving Wolfwood. Wolfwood angrily shouts that everything was his decision, and Vash is an idiot for blaming himself.

He says that Vash has done so much for Wolfwood and for others, and he calls Vash brave. Vash falls asleep with tears in his eyes, but he seems lighter when he wakes up. Vash leaves, promising to return, and Wolfwood says that he'll "watch him from afar... again." The title is "#1 'What happened to your hair?'". Full ID below readmore in 21 paragraphs.

The comic starts with a dark, noise-filter panel of the Punisher being used as Wolfwood's gravestone, with the quote "Nicholas D. Wolfwood has died" written over it.

Below that is Wolfwood, who has wings and a halo. He sits pensively and narrates, "At least, that's what everyone has come to believe, including me. Yet here I am, still roaming on this damn barren planet... But I wouldn't say I'm quite alive anymore. Since I couldn't feel hunger or thirst like I used to." He thinks, "'Ghost,' like those horror stories was it?"

He narrates over sketchy panels of himself frowning while floating next to his grave and yelling at Livio. "There, are other things I found that fits the term, like how I can't bring myself to far too far from my grave, or how others can't see me at all." We see Livio tearing up and saying "Nico-nii..." while Wolfwood furiously waves his arms and shouts, "I am!! Here!!!!"

Livio is shown speaking with a teary smile while Wolfwood leans against Punisher and listens. Wolfwood says, "Livio is the first and only person I've met so far. And luckily, he was quite a storyteller. I was able to get a grasp of the situation, and its aftermath. And what happened to him in the end."

Livio smiles and says, "It's been three months ever since... But even if we couldn't get ahold of him now, I'm sure he'll come back to you someday." Wolfwood narrates, "—And knowing that idiot, he probably would."

A close-up of Vash's coat in the wind as Wolfwood narrates, "So it didn't come as a surprise to me when he visited my grave. I'd even thought up of things to say when we meet again. Everything was thrown out of the window when he appears, of course. I could vividly remember the one question that burns in my head..."

Wolfwood looks shocked as Vash, hair fully black, waves cheerfully, "Yo! It's been a while, hasn't it? Wolfwood." Below the two floats the question: "#1 'What happened to your hair?'"

Wolfwood sweats, "Spikey, your hair. Doesn't it mean... Are you okay???" Vash smiles sheepishly, "Ah, I hope you're not mad I didn't come sooner, don't haunt me please..." Wolfwood shouts, "That's not the problem right now!!" Vash pulls something out and exclaims, "But look what I got for you!! Alcohol!!!" Wolfwood shouts, "What sort of person do you see me as!?"

Vash excitedly pulls out a bottle and two shot glasses. "It's not the only reason why I'm late, but it did took me a month to hunt this down... I recall you said you wanted to try them, right?" Wolfwood buries his face in his hands and says, "Where the hell are your priorities... You know what, yeah. I'm not gonna ask anymore since you look fine."

Vash smiles a bit tiredly and says, "Hmm,, I'm glad this place hasn't turn to ruins yet~ I've still got lots I need to tell you that's happened out there! And I thought it's better to talk about it with drinks on the side…" He clinks two glasses together. "So, cheers! ..."

He and Wolfwood are both awkwardly silent, and Vash sweats and frowns nervously. Then he pours a glass onto the ground, and Wolfwood furiously shouts, "D'ya really expect me to drink off the ground!? Stupid needle noggin!!!!!"

Vash laughs sheepishly, and he speaks via empty speech bubbles while Wolfwood listens, drinking with a small smile. Vash says, "... And when that happened I..." He drops his gaze and says between long pauses, "I..... When that happened......" Wolfwood watches him seriously as he says, "... Say. Wolfwood, is this how you've felt all the time?"

Vash looks down sadly. "You I see, I... killed someone in the end." He laughs, eyebrows drawn in. "I guess you're right. I am bound to choose someday." He takes another sip, then downs it and falls backwards. "Isn't it funny? That I've called you a coward once for killing... But guess who's the coward now~? It's always been me, isn't it?"

Vash lies on his back and laughs. "... Haha. I wonder if you're laughing too. I really am the worst, aren't I?" Wolfwood looks down as Vash continues, "You've done so much for me, but all I've caused you are troubles. I was selfish, always chasing after my own goals... That you couldn't ask for my help. That I couldn't save you. Just what kind of friend am I?"

Vash scrubs his eyes with an arm and says shakily, "Sorry... Wolfwood... I'm so sorry..." A close-up panel of his mouth shows Wolfwood saying, "... Just so you know--" Expression unimpressed, he exclaims, "There's no way in hell I'm accepting that lousy apology! You drunkard!"

He stands up and seems to kick Vash, who's still on the ground and mostly out of sight. Wolfwood demands, "Why are you even sorry for something like that, huh?? I chose my own path. It was all my decision! How many times do I say it to get it stick in that thick head of yours? Stop. Blaming. Yourself. For the things. You've not done. Idiot! Stupid spikey hair!!"

Vash's face is cut off, but a tear in his eye can be seen as he weakly says, "... oof.. wood..." Wolfwood looks tired and sighs, "... Ha... Don't feel bad about me. Until when will you realise just how much you've done for us? You've done more than enough for me, Needle Noggin."

The perspective zooms out to focus on the sky and two moons, including the fifth moon. Wolfwood's wings and the Punisher can just be seen at the bottom. Wolfwood says, "And you're brave, to go against what you've been taught your whole life. You're not a coward. You faced them until the end. So don't sell yourself short like that next time, okay?" We see Vash's face, smiling with tears in his closed eyes. Wolfwood concludes: "I'll get mad."

Wolfwood narrates, "—He passed out right after for the whole night on the cold ground. I realised how little I could help in the situation." He tries to drape his coat over Vash, sweating, and wonders, "Wouldn't it just pass through ...?"

Time passes, and Vash gets up with a sneeze and rubs his eyes. Wolfwood watches him with his eyebrows raised, and Vash laughs quietly and a bit nervously. Wolfwood narrates, "As if he'd heard my voice, a burden seems to be lifted off his shoulder when he woke up. That, or maybe he'd forgotten what happened last night. He was quick to take his leave right after.

"And so, Vash the Stampede went on a journey with a promise." Vash waves goodbye, turning to leave with his bag in hand. "I'll be sure to bring back more stuff next time!! See you later!" Wolfwood concludes, "While I watch him from afar... again." Wolfwood sits below the Punisher and waves back, saying with bemusement, "Has he never heard the phrase 'do not disturb the death?' He really throws me off..." The title is named, and it says "/ END." End ID]

[link to Image ID reblog post!]

[amorchai]

𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐇. ─ e.m

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this is a repost from my old account. original post was 446 notes.

pairing(s): eddie munson x reader

summary: you and eddie leave hawkin’s behind.

word count: 1000

warnings/tags: an au where eddie survives and his name is cleared, established relationship.

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eddie was clear. the town was bare and defeated, a broken mess with a small population of the citizens remaining to build it back together since the ‘earthquake’ had passed and left behind a tragedy. vecna was finally gone and eddie was able to clear his name. after all the fleeing and hiding from not only cops but angry citizens, and finding out about the upside down, you believed eddie would be able to finally sit down, stop running and rest.

but it was eddie munson. and eddie isn’t one to chill out for too long. or at all for that matter.

one moment you’re walking out the police station, hand intertwined with eddie’s while hopper protectively walks by his side after the successful attempts to prove eddie’s innocence true. the next moment you’re helping eddie pack his things.

he was quick and messy, as always, merely shoving clothes he didn’t care to glance at into the case, lighters and cds following before precious details along his trailer room. eddie’s guitar is last to swing over his shoulder before he nods to the door where you both then leave through.

you left him to say goodbye to his uncle privately, giving him a warm smile when he returns to his truck driver seat and presses a chaste kiss to your lips, excited smile. eddie was suddenly driving you to yours, willing you to grab your belongings and say your goodbyes so you both could, ‘get the hell outta here’ as eddie kept expressing.

from leaving the police station, not even an hour later you were on the road, no plan on driving to god-knows-where, just the two of you spontaneously travelling in hopes of a worthwhile fresh start.

eddie has one hand on the wheel and the other sat upon your thigh comfortingly, your eyes fall upon the ‘leaving hawkins’ sign fleeting past eddie’s side of the window and he scoffs, “come again soon, yeah like hell.”

you watch his happy smile, matching it with your own when you laugh softly, hand landing atop his to squeeze it affectionately, in this together. eddie tears his glance from the road and to send you a quick wink, the life-threatening confessions and dreams shared quietly when your lives were on the line of a long-winded battle were coming true and you found it difficult to fully process.

“did you pack your d and d stuff?” you ask him, breaking the comfortable silence as he weaves through an array of winding roads leading out the town, the rock music he had chosen with the sound low had his fingers tapping your leg in a beat.

eddie smirks, “right at the top of the case, honey. expecting those little suckers to visit me for more campaigning.” his tone is still playful and light and you’ve missed not hearing hesitation or worry whenever he speaks, giving you a sense of solace knowing he’s finally more calm.

sure, it will take a while for him to recover, slowly but surely his nightmares and concerns will seize and become controlled but you were more than willing to aid him through it. you both have trauma from the upside down world haunting hawkin’s but fleeing the town to be a team, a couple of young adults excited for a spontaneous life ahead of them, you knew you and eddie will be okay.

your boyfriend’s fingers fumble so his hand is now encasing yours, his metal-clad thumb flicking the back of your hand softly while his hand atop the steering wheel now taps along to the new song, him humming alongside it. you couldn’t tear your arms away from him, a sense of peace filling your senses, in a state to feel safe you thought you’d never be able to find again.

“so,” eddie starts, glancing at you with a smile while squeezing your hand, “what’s on the agenda for these next few hours? besides staring at my face the whole trip, of course.” his grin turns smug, lines curving around his lips as he turns with a glint in his eyes when you shake your head amusingly.

your fingers trace over the tattoos on his forearm as you pretend to think, “hmm, let’s see..” you lean across the console to press a quick but firm kiss to your boyfriend’s cheek which blushes from the contact, “kissing you is second.”

“oh yeah? okay, okay. that sounds great to me.” eddie says, trying to contain his wide grin. his face scrunches when you plant more kisses across his face which collects you both into laughter when you sit back in your seat, hands still intertwined on your lap.

“talking about the future is a third, i believe,” you continue and eddie nods, grin never fading, “always a favourite in my books.”

your eyes dance across his features for a moment more, taking in his peaceful nature and falling into a less playful state when you speak again, “eddie?”. his hand squeezes yours, his grin turning into a fond lip tug as he flicks his blinker on to turn a corner.

“yeah, doll?”

his gaze remains on the road as uses his open palm across the wheel to turn the car with ease and he almost misses how quietly you say, “i’m happy.” you watch as his expression turns, frowning emotionally at your comment and glancing in your direction when the truck is on a steady path. “yeah? you promise?”.

“i am. you make me very happy.” the words hit him hard and eddie brings your joined hands up to press tender kisses upon your skin gratefully while humming appreciatively from baring such feelings. the touches to your skin so soft and kind.

after a few beats of silence, eddie finds it in himself to reply, feeling more than ready and a clear mind of what’s to come.

“i love you, doll. you make me so happy and we will have a good life together. i’ll make sure of it.”

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amorchai masterlist . taglist

amorchai © ─ all rights reserved. no reposting/translating/copying will be tolerated.

[moonstruckme]

Omg yay I love that slightly dirty man!! I was wondering if you’d be willing to do something along the lines of a flower shop au situation, where Carmy is obv still a chef but reader works/owns a place nearby and they end up seeing each other a lot and so on and so forth but also I will devour literally anything about that man so wherever your heart takes you I’m 100% on board <3

He is perfectly dirty! Thanks for requesting babe <3

Carmy Berzatto x fem!reader ♡ 831 words

It’s peak hours, and your shop is completely empty. You’re leaning against the counter by the register, mashing your fingers into your temples and praying to whoever will listen for the noise next door to stop. 

It’s some sort of fire alarm, blaring from the shitshow construction zone you’re lucky enough to neighbor. It’s been going since nine this morning. It’s after noon now. No customers will stay long enough to buy anything, not even your regulars who come in looking for a specific book. At this point, you need to either get out of here or get a lobotomy. You head for the side door. 

It’s a bad idea. The noise is worse outside, but you’re committed now. You walk paces up and down the alley, blowing puffs of air that cloud in the cold and rubbing your arms because you left your coat inside. You’ve already walked the alley twice when you see him, bare-armed as you but smoking a cigarette like this temperature is just right. 

“Hey,” you say, too irritated to be embarrassed, “what the hell is going on in there?”

Carmy shrugs, taking the cig from the corner of his mouth. “The fire alarm won’t stop going off.” Smoke rises into the air as he talks. 

“I know. Are you going to do anything about it?” 

“We’ve got people on it.” 

That’ll mean the Faks, you suppose. You wish this was something you could rage about, but Neil’s a nice guy. He came over to help you board up your window when it broke during a hailstorm last year, and when you brought him a coffee he acted like the beans came from the Garden of Eden. 

You take a breath, trying to chill out. “So, are you guys all losing your shit in there?” 

Carmy shrugs again. He never really looks at you, you’ve noticed, just sort of near you as if that’s as close as his eyes can get. “Some more than others,” he says. “I don’t mind it.” 

“You don’t mind?” you laugh, incredulous. “You must be insane.” 

He turns his head to the side, something unidentifiable passing over his expression as he takes a drag. “I know.” 

You get the feeling you’ve taken a misstep. You need to say something nice, remind him you’re on the same team. You kick the overflowing dumpster next to you lamely. “Can you believe this shit? They’ve skipped us for two weeks straight now.” 

Carmy nods, relaxing somewhat. “It’s bullshit.”

“If they miss us again, I’m gonna have to start bringing our trash to other dumpsters or something. I don’t even know.” 

“They won’t miss us again. I’ve got someone making a call.” 

You grin. “What are you, part of the mob or something?” 

Carmy looks almost like he might be thinking about smiling. You have the urge to take a picture. “My family is Italian,” he says. 

“Oh, I know. Richie’s definitely brought it up.” 

Carmy blows smoke out, shaking his head in a way you suspect might be fond. “Richie’s not even Italian.” 

“Seriously?” A laugh stutters out of you. The wailing siren has faded into the background. You feel lighter than you have all day. “He’s the most Italian guy I’ve ever met.” 

“Yeah, he definitely thinks he is.” 

You look at Carmy for a moment. There’s always this tautness about him, like he’s perpetually ready to run or punch someone. Right now he’s as close to casual as he ever gets, hunched against the alley wall, but however he’s acting you can see the raised hairs of goosebumps on his biceps. His tattooed, very large biceps. You look away before you can get swept away by that line of thinking. 

“Well, even though the noise doesn’t bother you, do you wanna get away from it for a sec?” you ask casually. “It’s not so loud in here. You can barely hear it in the back room.” 

“Seriously?” Carmy’s looking at you as though this may be some sort of trap. He’s looking at you, and without explanation the world seems to sharpen into startling clarity. You’re suddenly conscious of your heartbeat. “Uh, yeah.” He glances behind him, seemingly wary of one of his coworkers coming out to stop him. “That’d be cool.” 

“Okay.” You open the door, nodding to his cigarette. “You can’t bring that in here, though. I don’t need it smelling up my books.” 

“Right, yeah.” He snuffs it half-smoked on the alley wall. There’s a slightly awkward moment where it seems like he’s trying to grab the door for you even though you’re already holding it open, but after a second he ducks inside, something that might be embarrassment stiffening his shoulders. “Thanks.” 

“Don’t sweat it.” You let the door swing shut behind you, leading him towards one of the plush couches in the back room. “We’ve got to do what we can to keep each other sane around here, right? A crazy neighbor would be bad for business.”

[florenceandtheinkmachine]

thanks for liking my silly content guys ily 🤟 🙏🙏

[thewriterg]

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧’ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 chp.1

pairing(s); simon ‘ghost’ riley x fem!reader, johnny ‘soap’ mactavish x fem!reader, kyle ‘gaz’ garrick x fem!reader, john ‘bravo six’ price, werewolf!soap, harp crow hybrid!gaz, dragon hybrid!price, wraith!hybrid (?) ghost, phoenix!hybrid (?) reader

summary; new recruits, questions, and a bag of tricks

warning(s); monster au, dark twisted themes, normal cod violence, firearms, knives, combat, pinning (?), poly themes, death, r call sign is flatline, blood consumption, eventual smut, kissin, and language

A/n; my toxic trait is starting a new series before finishing my other ones 😊 | chasin chaos masterlist

“Sergeant Mactavish, Werewolf.” The brunette held his hand out clawed fingers reaching about for the lieutenant who barely spared it a glance before looking back towards his sergeant and captain who smirked or started back at him smugly your presence lacking completely which was uncommon even if you weren’t meeting the eye he could feel your presence today it was gone but he temporarily stopped himself from dawning on it while words spewed from his lips

“Where’d you find this guy?” The gruff voice drizzled over the sassy reply made Gaz bight back a chuckle

“At the end of a rainbow” The harpy replied smartly his arms crossed over his chest feathers lying delicately over the surface of his forearms slightly lighter than the ones on his back where his wings sat it’s trail coming curtly to an end when it reached his the front of his wrist that damned fitted cap resting around his head in its common home ground talons tapping one of the many quills the sound almost sounding if he were thunking a table having his feathers harden on command just for the sake of it a quirk you could say

“Worth his weight in gold mind you” Price offered eyes not looking up from some type of notes he were reading over thick pear and moss mixed green colored horns sitting adorned on his well kept hair curling slightly forward and up Ghost could tell he was wearing an older shirt since there were two holes cut out instead of one for his stray wing that still sat strong spar bones matching the color of his horns and furless tail while the mainsail resembled a more dirty rag cream color

“They said it not me” Soap grinned mock waving off the compliment quirking the damned thick bushy brow of his the only one with a slit slicing right through the point of the arch while the hulking man sighed heavily dragging a hand over his covered face balaclava with a simple print of his actual hard mask a skull

“Fuckin’ hell… you follow orders?” The muffled voice was not a mere obstacle for the hybrid to hear the slight pointed ears on the side of his face doing their job well to listen

“I well trained if that’s what you’re asking. Sit, stay, paw, jump, roll over, I know ‘em all.” The brunette looked off mocking a ponderous expression counting off on his fingers the canines in his mouth slightly showing even though they were retracted

“Real bag of tricks, aren’t you?” The instinct in the sergeant perked up as you suddenly trailed beside ghost surprised that he hadn’t been able to pick up your presence or at least your scent quicker like he had with Ghost especially since they were so… different not having a face to match with your cooled voice since it seemed you also favored a balaclava yours simply plain black yet he didn’t mind just gave him two sheets to play at once…

Raking eyes over your figure the man determined you were a looker for sure yet he didn’t miss how the other silently agreed

“My apologies miss, I dinae get your name” Soap stated a now gentle smile resting on his face that you seemingly ignored accent seeping through a little more and as more time went on the more he could smell the authority coming from you and Ghost it was a little less than Price yet more than Gaz and the other recruits around base

“Depends who you ask. What’s the role you’ve had in your pack?” You questioned eyes low that he could see through the gap in your mask where your sight shone through staring him down almost as if you could see right through his soul yet he kept his quirky grin Mohawk stopping just below the base of his neck a small piece of stray hair lying against his forehead thick fluffy tail perking up slightly swaying against the back of his thighs cargo pants dipping in the back just below his tail

“I’ve been in a few packs could be an alpha, beta, omega if you wanted me to… but I seen you have your roles sorted. I’ve got no problem bein’ ah pup miss” You roll your eyes at that while the brunette winks you swiftly trail away dragging Ghost away with you picking up Price on the way while both men let you drag them along their hulking figure’s towering over your back boots slightly thumping against the floor before your figures disappear within the halls he turns to the crow who’s fiddling with the screen of his phone

“You ever feel left out of somethin’?” Soap questions and Gaz suddenly stands a small smirk on his face as he rakes his eyes over the wolf before shaking his head

“There’s enough for everyone to get their fill, you’ll be next soon enough” Without an explanation the sergeant was already trailing away opposite of where you had gone leaving him alone

But never for too long

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“It’s rude to stare sergeant” Ghost grunted gruffly after jamming his janky locker shut barely giving Soap enough time to look at his shadows slipping from under his glove some looking like it was traveling farther up almost resembling veins while the rest began to make a small cloud on his wrist until he shoved his sleeve over the sight unapologetic about the whole thing barely looking over his shoulder to acknowledge the wolf as he stood behind him

“Just tryin’ ta figure you out, Lt.” He grins tail becoming livelier as it perks up behind his back before it reluctantly lowers still up and lively

“I’m well traveled, seen a lot of things, met a lot of people. Never smelt anythin’ like you… or Flatline for that matter” A slightly clawed finger rests curled on his chin tail gently flapping up and down it had been a little over a week since he was recruited it didn’t take long for him to find out your name or call sign that might have well been your name since no one seemed to know it just by the brief description of eerie, bold eyes, and a mask to cover you face, he got the answer of either Ghost or Flatline

“Hell of a compliment soldier” The blonde resorts almost sarcastically finally looking over his broad shoulder to lock eyes with the brunette and he waves him off finally stepping closer to the skull mask wearing man deciding by his side was the best place to stand and if he noted the smoke trying to spill from his pockets where he had his hands shoved deeply he didn’t say anything about it

“Och, you know I dinnae mean it that way. Can’t blame me for bein’ interested, I never packed with a wraith hybrid before… or a phoenix thought they were bedtime stor-”

“Not hybrids” Ghost cuts off the scott before he can dig any deeper and he furrowed his eyebrows questioning if he had heard right if his ears were failing him or not with a small ‘what’ spilled from his lips

“We’re not hybrids.”

“No shit? What the hell is tha’ like?” Swiftly Simon was in front of him eyes bold yet precise slicing right through him while Johnny’s gaze slightly widened at the quick movement his boots not even so much a squeaking against the ground a bit of the air currents flowing against Soaps slight shorter form

“You ever shut up Mactavish?” He somewhat seethed and the wolf was back to sly grin in less than minute, the grin that showed his canines in the full well kept facial hair adorning his structure even more, the grin the wraith wanted to wipe of his fucking face to be exact.

“Only when people make me.” Soap implied looking up slightly to address his superior with a voice that would make other feverish or peely in his terms that damned drunken grin still on his lips while Ghost practically stared him down eyes slightly squinted thoughts brewing behind those sharp, precise eyes of his that the Scott couldn’t wait to hear of tail swaying behind him with a bit more speed than before but of course his Lt. was a tease and put all his weight on one foot to turn walking out of the locker room without so much a grunt but he liked the chase

And so did superiors

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“It’s an in and out mission that I’m sure you could do on your own, however I don’t need higher ups on my ass about favoritism. You’ll grab a few normals and head Midwest in the states to Chicago. One out of three missiles resigns with one of the biggest weapons busts in America that’s supposedly on its way over to Russia package delivery for a friend of ours… Makarov.” The air in the room shifted at the name drop of a once friend fallen foe even though You and Prices shoulders were up at the mere mention of Russia itsself you had a love hate relationship with meeting room as you got passed a file over things you truly didn’t need to go over things that a rookie could even fill in the blanks for

“This will either be the easiest sail of your life or your standing on the line of death, you all know your first priority even though I know you don’t want to hear it. Push come to shove the normals go first.” The older short cut haired woman looked at You, Price, and Ghost especially Soap noticed it confused him at first the wraith and phoenix at least, two lieutenants in such a small base or at least a small base that wasn’t Air Force but it made sense to him shortly after when he peeked in on occasional training sessions thought out a week You and Ghost switched groups between normals and weaker hybrids both favoring one group more than the other deep down and then at the end of the week bring them together to spar

“Wheels up at 04:00 tomorrow I’m sure you’ll have your picks by then.” Laswell sighed looking around the table for any objections your sitting between Soap and Gaz while Price and Ghost are sitting on the opposite side of the rounded table one of your legs are crossed under your form while the other is propped up you have your arms wrapped around it and your covered chin is lying on your knee and without another word she grabbed her laptop and exited room something about a ball and chain to her desk

The wolf and harpy are first to get up from their seats and the winged hybrid doesn’t go before gently brushing his fingers against your arm migrating towards the exit even though he’s stopped shortly by a shit eating grin and swaying tail conversation quickly taking place between the two

“So, what do you think?” Price hums both him and Simon approaching your seat as you began to stand rolling your shoulders eyes low beneath your mask it was still early in the day only 13:27 you had a training group normals at 14:15 sharp anyone who was a minute late got to run laps around base even if they weren’t hybrids or the ‘superior’ race in the field you couldn’t determine if you were fighting a hybrid or a normal and if you babied them because they were weaker than a super they wouldn’t have a fighting chance against one.

“He asks a lot of questions” Ghost responds curtly while the older man takes no offense to it producing a chuckle from the back of his throat taking out a cigar from his breast pocket in his vest holding out the thick brown lump filled with nicotine out to the blonde who responded by taking out a silver lighter snapping the cover back quickly as it produced a flame its front covered by an ace card with its main attraction being a skull the drug lights aflame a small hissing sound coming from it when the salt and pepper haired hybrid took a drag

“Comes with the package. Wolves don’t like uncertainty in the pack dynamic.”

“He knew you and Gaz before he transferred, didn’t he?” You spoke up squinting your eyes at your captain eyelashes mere meters away from kissing your cheek standing the only way he could get a read on you and Simon he usually says ‘those eyes can tell you everything and nothing all at once, just gotta watch em.’

“Yes, but you’re both hell of a new variable” Price admits before smugly nudging your shoulders with his strong single wing while Ghost crossed his arms over his chest you roll your eyes stepping away from the pair

“Save your verdicts until you see him in action, he’s a vision in the field.”

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⋆.ೃ࿔*:･⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Hey… how yall doing 😅

I haven’t posted since October I missed you writers!

Ermm I’m a year older —Nov 8th— happy belated birthday to me

And that’s about it 😭

[thequeenofcurses]

Where You Left Me (Part 1) Part 2 ->

summary: based off this post by @yeagersss | Zombie AU. Sukuna x f!Reader Sukuna has always been a survivor—brutal, unyielding, and untouchable in a world overrun by the undead. He survives by relying on his cunning and brute strength. But when he finds himself tethered to you, someone who makes him question the emptiness of his existence, survival takes on a new meaning. As the walkers close in Sukuna must confront the question: How far would he go to protect the one thing he can’t afford to lose?

wk: 850 tw: uh zombie stuff and people dying/violence ig. smut later maybe? sry i'm not good a tws

Sukuna’s heavy black boots hit the ground with a crunch, as he stomped on a skin bag. It’s brains sticking to his heel. The smell of the flesh rotting filled his nose. He wiped his feet and searched the corpse for anything useful. Nothing. Damn it. 

The air was thick with decay, and flies buzzed around the corpses littering the ground. The faint rustle of leaves in the wind kept him on edge—it could be nothing or something far worse

CLICK! CLACK!

Another zombie appeared behind him. And then another. And another. “Tch,” he shook his head. Where the hell do these things keep coming from? His group cleared this area days ago. “Let’s dance dead fucker,” he said with a cocky smile. 

He pulls out his machete from his side pocket, turns, and immediately lobotomizes the closest zombie. The next two take an off angle, walking at him from both his front and back. Making a quick decision, Sukuna kicks the front walker with powerful force, causing it to fall backward.

He raised his machete just in time as a shadow darted to his left. A decayed hand shot out, fingers clawing at his boot. With a growl, he stomped hard, the sickening crunch of bone echoing through the air.

Now, a one v one, Sukuna takes on the zombie at his back. The rotten skin bag throws its arms forward, desperately trying to get a grip to bite him. Effortlessly dodging, Sukuna ducks, left, right, then uppercuts the zombie with his machete. One left. It was still on the ground, barely managing to crawl forward at him. Its decaying teeth rattled as they chomped and clicked up and down, wanting a bite of his flesh. “Die you ugly thing,” Sukuna commanded as he stepped on its neck. Just to be safe, he sliced at its head, destroying its brain.

"Y/n," he growled under his breath, scanning the area. His chest tightened as he glanced over his shoulder, his grip on the machete tightening. Where the hell are you?

You were supposed to be watching his exit, yet somehow three lamebrains managed to get in behind him.

Sukuna lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when he sees you.

He didn’t understand why his chest felt lighter when he saw you running toward him, dirt and blood covering your hands. Relief wasn’t something he allowed himself to often feel, but here it was, twisting inside him. It infuriated him how easily you could be taken from him, how little control he had in this godforsaken world.

“Sorry,” you panted heavily, running up to his side. Your hands were covered in dirt and dry blood. “I was dealing with some walkers outside and a few managed to get by me. I’m sorry.”

He nods and shrugs off your apology. “I’m fine,” he affirms. He wipes off the blood on the walker's clothes and holsters his machete back at his side. “You alright?” You don’t notice it, but Sukuna’s eyes scan your whole body, checking for injuries.

“Yeah,” you murmur. “I didn’t think there’d be so many stragglers here so soon.”

“Where’s Sora?” he questioned. It was his damn idea for us to come out here again. “I don’t know how much longer we should—”

“Foun' 'em!” Sora chirped, his accent grating on Sukuna’s nerves. “Cheers for havin’ me back!” He stuffed the books into his bag, and Sukuna’s eyes narrowed. Too quick, too suspicious. “With these books, we'll surely boost our farm at the camp, so we might even whip up a bit o' medicine!” 

Sukuna rolled his eyes, but nodded all the same. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he waved him off. “I still want those extra food rations for this.”

“Got it, lad,” Sora confirmed. “Ye two 'ave been a grand help in our group, so ye have.” With that, Sora finished gathering all his items and zipped up his bag. “Let’s head on back?” Taking point, Sora leads the long walk back to camp, with you and Sukuna following a few feet behind together. 

In actuality, Sukuna walked a half-step behind you, scanning the trees for movement. His machete stayed within reach, even though the area seemed quiet. Just in case.

You walk side by side with the tall tattooed man who once intimidated you. Now, you can’t imagine ever leaving his side.  “What were you trying to tell me earlier?” You remember his early statement which got cut off. 

“Tell ya later,” he gruffly responds. You see his eyes staring at Sora’s back.

“Okay,” you acknowledged. We don’t have secrets, he pondered. She’ll get the hint. The rest of the walk back, Sukuna made sure you stayed hydrated. It was only a two-hour-and-a-half journey, but anything can happen or go to shit immediately in this cursed world.

You were the only thing he had left in his life, and he’ll be damned if he lets you get taken from him. As annoying as Sora’s accent was, he preferred hearing him yap over the new quietude. 

The quiet unsettled him. In this world, silence was never a gift; it was a warning.

Part 2 ->

masterlist | jjk masterlist

[whosscruffylooking]

The Purest Things: Envy (Lo-Fi) Part 1

Aaron Hotchner x Fem! Reader Word Count: 5.2k Warnings: Mentions of guns, shootings, bombings, and other canon typical violence. Brief use of alcohol. The Purest Things Masterlist

au! may 2008

Bookend: "Success is not built on success. It's built on failure. It's built on frustration. Sometimes it's built on catastrophe." - Sumner Redstone

The jet hums steadily as you settle into your seat, the team taking their places around you. The weight of the case looms large, even before you’ve touched down in New York. A shadowy figure roamed Manhattan, shooting people in broad daylight. You can already feel the tension building.

Rossi leans forward, his voice cutting through the low hum of the jet. “The victims?”

“Each shot in a completely different neighborhood,” Hotch responds. “Hell’s Kitchen, Murray Hill, Lower East Side, Chinatown, East Harlem.”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” you mutter, still trying to wrap your mind around it.

“The killings are happening roughly every two days,” Hotch continues, his voice steady. “The press is having a field day, and it sounds like the mood on the street’s getting pretty tense.”

Rossi, always focused, presses on. “It’s a joint FBI-NYPD task force?”

Hotch gives a short nod. “Kate Joyner heads up the New York field office. She’s running point on the case and called me directly.”

Your ears perk up at the mention of her name. She called him directly. That little detail catches your attention, even though you try not to show it.

“Oh?” You ask, trying to keep your voice casual.

“Kate’s starting to butt heads with the lead detectives and wanted a fresh set of eyes,” Hotch explains, his tone businesslike.

“Joyner, I know her. She’s a Brit,” Morgan chimes in, clearly familiar with her.

“Dual citizenship,” Hotch corrects. “Her father’s British, her mother’s American. She was a big deal at Scotland Yard before coming to the Bureau.”

His quick correction catches you off guard. There’s something about the way he highlights her credentials that leaves a strange knot in your stomach.

“I heard she can be a pain in the ass,” Morgan adds with a grin.

“I don’t think so,” Hotch replies without hesitation.

You can’t help but blink, surprised at the way Hotch speaks about her so easily. It’s not just the words, but the way he says them—like he’s familiar with her in a way you hadn’t realized.

“You know her?” you ask, the words slipping out before you can stop yourself. The question hangs in the air, and you feel a strange hint of something—curiosity, maybe, or something else you’re not ready to name.

Hotch nods, his tone neutral. “We liaised when she was still at Scotland Yard.”

Liaised. You repeat the word in your head, trying not to overthink it, but it sounds so formal. So… familiar.

“You liaised,” you echo with a soft chuckle, keeping your tone light. You’re not sure why it even matters or why you’re suddenly more interested in this Kate Joyner than the case itself.

Hotch’s expression remains indistinct, but there’s a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth, almost like he caught the edge in your voice. “She’s a competent agent,” he says, turning his attention back to the discussion as if that settles everything.

“She must be good,” Prentiss reacts, and you’re almost dreading Hotch’s response. Of course, he replies without delay.

“I think we’re lucky to have her,” he says, a softness creeping into his voice as he speaks her name.

Hearing Hotch speak about her with such ease—admiration, respect—tugs at something inside you, leaving you momentarily off balance. You tell yourself it’s nothing, just the suspense of the case, and force your focus back where it belongs.

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.

You walk into the field office, curiosity rising inside you—though you’d never admit it. Hotch seems almost… lighter as he steps through the door, and it’s throwing you off. This entire situation feels strange like you’ve wandered into some alternate reality where you’re just an observer in Hotch’s orbit.

And then you see her. Kate Joyner. Blonde, blue-eyed, perfectly put together, down to the last strand of hair. The kind of woman who looks effortlessly in control. You think to yourself, who does she remind me of?

JJ leans in, her voice low and laced with humor as she glances toward you and Penelope. “Is it me, or does she look exactly like Haley?”

Bingo. Your eyes widen as realization clicks into place. “This feels like we are in an episode of The Twilight Zone,” you whisper back, half-joking, half-serious.

And then it happens. “Aaron!” Kate calls out warmly, her British accent smoothing out every syllable.

You blink. His first name? Out in the open like that? You’re pretty sure he only recently gave you that privilege, and now it feels… less exclusive.

Hotch doesn’t miss a beat. “Kate Joyner, this is David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jareau, Penelope Garcia, Derek Morgan, and Spencer Reid.”

And then nothing. No mention of you. Just like that, you’re invisible.

“And I’m Y/N,” you say, a little too quickly. You try to sound casual, but there’s a harshness to it that betrays your irritation.

Hotch’s eyes flick to you—briefly. If there’s an apology in that glance, it’s buried deep, because he turns his attention back to Kate without missing a beat.

“Thanks for being here,” Kate says, her smile effortless and her tone gracious. “Anything you need, just let me know. No need to stand on protocol.” Of course, she has a perfect accent too. Naturally.

You’re still trying to figure out why this whole exchange has unsettled you when Emily leans closer, smirking just enough to be dangerous. “They liaised at Scotland Yard,” she whispers, drawing out the word.

You shoot her a look, but she just raises an eyebrow knowingly. JJ suppresses a snicker beside you.

Okay, maybe this isn’t jealousy. Maybe it’s just… mild confusion. Mixed with a tiny sprinkle of irritation. You linger near JJ, pretending to review files as you process whatever it is you’re feeling.

Whatever it is, you’re pretty sure you don’t like it.

You find Hotch engrossed in a quiet conversation with Rossi. His focus is razor-sharp, as always, but you can’t shake the nagging irritation from earlier. The question has been bouncing around in your head ever since you introduced yourself to Kate, and you know it’s not going to leave you alone until you address it.

Taking a steadying breath, you make your way over. Rossi catches your approach and gives you a brief nod before excusing himself, leaving you and Hotch alone.

“Aaron,” you say, keeping your voice calm, and casual.

He turns to you, brow furrowing slightly. “Everything all right?”

“Fine,” you reply, though the word feels tight on your tongue. You cross your arms, looking him straight in the eye. “I just wanted to ask—was there a reason you didn’t introduce me earlier? To Kate?”

For a split second, his expression tenses, as though he’s surprised by the question. Then his features settle back into that familiar neutrality. “It wasn’t intentional,” he says curtly.

You raise an eyebrow. “Didn’t feel that way.”

He exhales, glancing toward Kate’s office as if to gauge whether you’ll be overheard. “I was focused on the case, on briefing her about the team. It wasn’t a deliberate omission.”

You tilt your head, studying him. His explanation makes sense—you’ve seen how single-minded he can get when it comes to work. But still, something about being overlooked like that doesn’t sit right.

“Okay,” you say after a moment, your tone lighter now. “But for the record, being left out isn’t exactly a great feeling. Especially when everyone else got the full introduction.”

Hotch’s gaze meets yours, steady and sincere. “You’re right,” he says, and there’s no defensiveness in his voice—just a quiet acknowledgment. “It won’t happen again.”

You nod, satisfied—for now. But just as you’re about to say something else, Kate’s voice cuts through the air, pulling both of your attention toward her office.

“Aaron?” she calls, standing in the doorway, her tone brisk and professional. “Could I borrow you for a moment?”

Hotch glances at her, then back at you. There’s a flicker of hesitation like he’s not quite ready to end the conversation.

“We’ll finish this later,” he says quietly, almost as though it’s a promise.

“Sure,” you reply, forcing a small smile as he heads toward Kate’s office.

You try to focus on the file in your hands, but your gaze keeps drifting toward Kate’s office, where Hotch is standing. The blinds are partially open, giving you an unobstructed view as they talk. It’s nothing inappropriate—just two professionals discussing a case—but something about the way he stands so close to her, his posture relaxed but attentive, gnaws at you.

She says something, and he nods, his expression calm and composed. You can’t hear them, but the way Kate gestures, assured and poised, makes it clear she’s the one leading the conversation. It shouldn’t bother you. It’s work. It’s Hotch being Hotch—focused, professional, unreadable.

Still, you can’t seem to stop watching.

“Tell me it’s not just me,” Derek’s voice pulls you from your thoughts. He’s leaning against a desk nearby, arms crossed as he follows your line of sight.

You blink, trying to shake off the weight in your chest. “What do you mean?”

He tilts his head toward the office. “Her. Joyner.” His mouth pulls into a slight frown. “Something about her makes me feel uneasy. Can’t quite put my finger on it yet, but…”

You glance at him, surprised. For a moment, you consider agreeing outright, but your reasons feel different—murkier—than his.

“I don’t know,” you say carefully, tearing your gaze away from the office window. “Maybe it’s just her style. She’s confident and assertive. Maybe that throws people off.”

Derek gives you a look, one that says he knows you’re deflecting. “Nah. It’s more than that. She’s got this energy. It's ikeshe’s not afraid to step on toes. It puts me on edge.”

You hum in response, keeping your eyes on the case file now instead of the window. “Or maybe it’s just because she’s new and already running point.”

It’s a plausible enough answer, but you can’t help the tug of discomfort in your chest, the one that’s been sitting there since Hotch introduced her—since she called him Aaron.

Derek doesn’t let it go so easily this time. He pushes off the desk and strolls over, dropping a heavy hand onto your shoulder with a grin. “She’s not my Y/N. You’ll be bossing us all around soon, even Hotch.”

You snort at that, shaking your head as his words pull a reluctant smile from you. “Oh, please.”

“I’m serious.” He pulls you into a brief, reassuring hug, his voice low and genuine. “Give it time, hot stuff. Nobody’s got what you’ve got, and don’t you forget it.”

His words settle something in you, even if only a little. When you glance back toward Kate’s office again, you don’t linger. You still feel that tug—something strange—but maybe Derek’s right.

Maybe it’s not about her at all. Maybe it’s about you and where you’re headed.

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.

For the first time in months, Hotch has assigned you to work separately from him. It’s odd—like a piece of your routine has shifted without warning. Adjusting isn’t easy, but you remind yourself that versatility is part of the job. Still, you can’t shake the feeling that his decision wasn’t entirely random.

At the field office, you’re working with Emily and Spencer, pouring over files and maps. The case feels impossible—five neighborhoods, five victims, no clear connection. Every lead seems to dissolve as quickly as it appears.

“Okay,” you sigh, leaning back in your chair. “Five victims, five locations, zero correlation. It’s maddening.”

Emily nods, tapping her pen against the table. “Tell me about it. Could this really be random?”

Spencer shakes his head. “No such thing as true randomness, not in cases like this. The Unsub is making deliberate choices. We’re just not seeing the pattern yet.”

You glance at the map, your frustration brewing. “What if the victims aren’t the point? What if this isn’t about who they are but what they represent? This could be a test—a way for the Unsub to refine their methods before escalating.”

Spencer pauses, considering your theory. “That would explain the lack of a clear victimology. If this is a precursor to something bigger, they don’t need specific targets yet.”

Emily raises an eyebrow. “So we’re dealing with someone in training. That’s comforting.”

You gesture to the map. “Think about it. Hell’s Kitchen, Murray Hill, Chinatown, East Harlem. These aren’t personal locations for the victims, but they’re all high-traffic areas. If this is a test, the Unsub is challenging themselves—choosing chaotic places where they can prove they’re in control.”

Spencer nods slowly. “It fits. The precision of the killings—broad daylight, crowded areas, no witnesses who can pin them at the scene. They’re perfecting their process.”

Emily sighs, crossing her arms. “And when they decide they’re ready? What then?”

“They’ll escalate,” you say grimly. “Target specific victims, make bigger statements, maybe both.”

Spencer taps his pen against the desk. “If this is a test, we’re looking for patterns that have nothing to do with the victims. Timing, locations, routes in and out of the crime scenes.”

Emily leans back. “So we’re chasing ghosts. Great.”

You glance at the files again, determination hardening in your chest. “Maybe we’re thinking too much like investigators. If we want to stop this, we need to think like the Unsub. What are they getting out of this?”

Spencer’s eyes light up as he nods. “If we figure that out, we can predict their next move.”

Emily sighs, brushing a hand through her hair. “Looks like another long night staring at maps. Lucky us.”

You smirk faintly, trying to lighten the mood. “Glamorous life of the BAU.”

Spencer smiles briefly, but you can see the wheels turning in his mind. You glance back at the map, if this Unsub wants to play a game, you’re going to make sure they lose.

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.

Another killing. Another killing, and somehow, Hotch remembered to inform everyone but you. You arrive at the scene, scanning the cluster of agents and officers until your eyes land on Hotch. He’s standing next to Kate, speaking quietly, while the rest of the team is scattered nearby. You linger on the edge of the scene, unsure whether to join them or not.

Derek notices you first and heads your way, his brow furrowed. “Where were you, hot stuff?”

You let out a scoff. “Funny, I was wondering the same about all of you.”

He tilts his head, confused. “What do you mean?”

“No one told me there was another killing,” you say, your tone sharper than you intended. “I was sent to look into some security footage—missing timestamps from the last murder—and when I got back, everyone was gone. No message, no call, nothing.” You shift from one leg to the other, the frustration bubbling to the surface.

Derek places his hands on your shoulders, his voice steady. “Talk to me.”

You glance over at Hotch, then back at Derek, hesitating. “I just don’t get it,” you admit, your voice quieter now. “On every other case, Hotch makes a point of keeping me in the loop. He’s always made sure I feel like part of the team. But the second we land here, it’s like I don’t even exist. He forgets to introduce me, doesn’t give me a clear assignment, and now I’m out of the loop on major developments. It’s bull crap.”

Derek’s eyes soften. “You need to talk to him.”

You shake your head. “Why should I? He won’t talk to me. So what’s the point?”

“Because you’re stronger than this,” Derek says firmly, pulling you into a quick side hug. “And because letting it stew won’t do you any good. You’re a badass, hot stuff. He knows it, I know it, and soon enough, the whole damn field office will know it too.”

Despite your frustration, his words draw a reluctant smile from you. “You think?”

He grins. “I know.”

For the rest of the day, Derek stays close, making sure you’re involved in conversations and helping you stay engaged with the case. His steady presence eases the frustration building up inside you, but every time you glance at Hotch and Kate, the knot in your chest tightens again.

What you don’t notice is how often Hotch’s gaze shifts toward you—always quick, always subtle—but Derek sees it. He catches it the third time and leans in with a grin. “He’s watching you, you know.”

You look up at him, confused. “What?”

Derek smirks. “Hotch. He’s been glancing your way all day. Maybe he’s finally realizing he’s been neglecting you.”

You sneer, brushing it off. “He’s just focused on the case.”

Derek raises an eyebrow, not convinced. “I don’t think that’s all of it.”

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.

As the team regroups back at the field office, Emily signals that there’s new surveillance footage to review. She pulls up the most recent shooting first, then switches to the footage from the previous murder.

“This is the latest shooting,” Emily says, then switches the footage. “And this is from the previous one. Anything stand out?”

Derek squints at the screen, leaning forward. “He sprints off in one, and walks calmly in the other.”

You nod, your mind racing. “It’s two entirely different demeanors.”

As Garcia shows you her analyzed footage, a thought starts to form. You look at the images more closely and it hits you.

“We’ve got more than one unsub,” you say at the same time as Hotch, your words overlapping.

You both glance at each other briefly before quickly looking away.

“This fits perfectly with what Y/N profiled earlier,” Emily says, looking between you and Hotch.

Hotch turns toward you, his gaze steady. “Care to share?”

You feel a flash of frustration at his sudden interest—finally giving you a chance to speak. You bite back the urge to snap and instead take a deep breath. You’ve been holding this theory all day, and now it feels like you’re finally being heard, but not without the irritation of waiting so long.

“The victims aren’t being targeted. They’re just part of something bigger. I think these killings are a test," You take a deep breath, " after the last killing, I think they’re testing something. It’s not about the victims, they're collateral to them—it’s about the timing, the reactions. I think this is all just a distraction from their end goal.”

The room falls silent, the weight of your words settling over the team.

Kate nods thoughtfully. “Do you think we have enough for a working profile?”

You glance at Hotch, hoping for some acknowledgment.

He meets your eyes briefly before turning back to the team. “I think we need to go in a different direction with the profile. Let’s focus on refining the behavior patterns we’ve seen so far.”

Your stomach tightens as he brushes past your theory without a second glance. You stay silent, the words you want to say sticking in your throat. You had worked hard on that profile, and now it feels as if it’s been dismissed without much thought.

As the team begins to disperse, you try to shake off the aggravation that rises in your chest.

Derek steps into your personal space, his voice lowered so only you can hear. “You need to talk to him, Y/N. Don’t let this simmer.”

You hesitate, biting your lip, unsure. “I don’t know if it’ll even matter.”

Derek places a hand on your shoulder, his gaze steady as he looks you in the eye. “Trust me. It will. Talk to him.”

Your heart races at the thought of confronting Hotch, but Derek gives you one last reassuring smile before shifting his focus back to the case.

You find Hotch standing near the whiteboard, looking over the latest updates. The sight of him, the way he stands so tall and composed, only makes the knot in your stomach tighten. You’ve been avoiding this moment for too long, but Derek’s words keep echoing in your mind. You can’t let it go on any longer.

You take a deep breath, making your way toward him. The sound of your footsteps seems to get louder the closer you get, and for a moment, you hesitate. But you push through, walking up to him with purpose.

“Hotch,” you say, your voice stable, though there’s a trace of annoyance that you can’t quite mask.

He turns to face you, his expression neutral but his eyes betraying a touch of surprise. “Y/N,” he responds, his voice tranquil, as always.

“I need to talk to you,” you begin, your tone a bit blunter than intended.

His brow furrows slightly, but he nods, gesturing toward the office. “Let’s go.”

Once inside, you close the door behind you, feeling the weight of the space between the two of you.

“What’s going on?” he asks, his voice low and controlled.

You take a breath before speaking, the words tumbling out before you can second-guess them. “Why haven’t you been including me? I’ve been sidelined, Hotch. You completely disregarded introducing me as a member of the team, didn’t give me a proper assignment, and even kept me in the dark about updates. Now, you don't even consider my profile. I don’t get it.”

Hotch’s eyes darken slightly, and he exhales slowly like he’s been expecting this. “It’s not about you, Y/N. It’s about Kate.”

You blink, caught off guard by his response. “Kate?” you repeat, your voice rising in disbelief. “What the hell does Kate have to do with this?”

Hotch shifts, clearly uncomfortable. “She’s been under a lot of pressure from higher-ups. Her job’s on the line, and the two top contenders for her role are you and Derek. She sees you as the biggest threat. You're new blood and rising fast in rank among the top FBI prospects.”

Anger flares in your chest. “So you’re just going to let her undermine me because you don’t want to hurt her feelings? You’re sacrificing me and the team for her job security? What about the safety of innocent people if my profile is right? Because I know it is.”

His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t interrupt, so you continue, your voice shaking with bitterness. “I’ve worked my ass off to prove myself, Hotch. I’m not some fragile rookie, I’m part of this team. I don’t even want the damn job, but for you to throw me under the bus to spare her feelings? That’s not just wrong—it’s disrespectful.”

You can see the conflict on his face, but it only makes you more upset. “And you want to know the worst part? For someone who’s supposed to be one of the best profilers out there, you have zero concept of how to be a good friend. You’re so focused on making sure everyone else is okay that you’re neglecting the people who actually have your back.”

The words hang between you, sharp and raw. Hotch doesn’t respond immediately, his gaze intense as if he’s trying to process everything you just said. It feels like an eternity before he speaks.

“I’m not trying to make you feel insignificant, Y/N,” he says, his voice more delicate now, tinged with regret. “I didn’t want to add more pressure to Kate. I didn’t want her to lose focus. I wanted to protect the team.”

“I get that you’re trying to protect her,” you cut in, your frustration still simmering. “But Hotch, please remember that I had other job offers before joining the BAU—offers I worked years to even be considered for. I chose the BAU because I wanted to, not because I had to. I’d like to pull my weight here. You said it yourself—I have nothing to prove.”

Hotch stands up, closing the distance between you. His eyes searching yours for any sign of understanding. “I’m sorry. I should’ve handled it differently.”

“You should’ve been honest with me,” you say, the offense still lacing your words, though it’s starting to fade. “Don’t sacrifice me, Hotch. I’m not asking for special treatment, I’m asking for respect.”

With that, you turn to leave, the door clicking softly behind you. But before you step out, you pause, glancing back at him one last time. 

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.

You and the team arrive back at the hotel, and you find yourself lazing in the lobby, doing your best to avoid Hotch. Then you spot Will LaMontagne, JJ’s boyfriend, sitting off to the side.

“JJ?” you ask, gesturing over to him.

“Will!” she says, but her voice doesn’t quite match her usual tone of surprise. It’s more apprehensive.

“I’m sorry for showing up like this,” Will says, clearly uncomfortable. “I know you’re working, but… I can’t stand you being on this case and me not being there.”

Hotch steps forward, ever the professional. “Is something the matter?”

JJ takes a deep breath before turning to you all. “Uh… I’m pregnant.”

You and Emily gasp in unison and rush over to her, enveloping her in a tight hug. “Congratulations!” you both exclaim, genuinely excited for her.

Will then drops a quiet bombshell, revealing that he’s also asked JJ to marry him.

“Well, uh, we’ll give you both some privacy,” Hotch says his demeanor different. Something’s weighing on him since your conversation back at the office. He quickly excuses himself, and JJ follows after him.

You make your way to the bar, where Derek is already seated. You take a seat next to him, your thoughts still tangled in the events of the day.

“Did you know?” you ask, looking at him.

Derek tilts his head, confused. “Did I know what?”

“When you told me to talk to Hotch, did you know why he sidelined me?” you question.

He shakes his head, leaning back in his chair. “No, I didn’t. I just hate seeing him treat the one person who really gets through to him like this.”

“Well,” you chuckle softly, “after I finished with him, I don’t think anything’s changed. You gonna take the job?” 

“That’s why I’m here,” he replies. “Rossi asked to talk with me about it.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Well, it’s yours. They’d never choose me now, anyway. That’s what I don’t get about her jealousy. I’m too young, too new. Now, replacing you? That’s a different story. I’m coming for your spot in a couple of years.”

He laughs, handing you his drink. “You never fail to make me smile, hot stuff.” He pauses for a moment before leaning in a little, his voice lowering. “Now tell me, what did you say to Hotch in there?”

You groan, regretting the onslaught of words. “I told him that for one of the greatest profilers in the world, he has no clue how to be a good friend.”

“Damn,” Morgan smiles, his eyes wide with admiration. “Respect.”

You can’t help but smirk. “Even if I did have a shot at that job, he definitely won’t be recommending me now.”

Derek grabs his drink back and takes a slow sip of his drink, swirling it in his glass before answering. “Something tells me he wouldn’t have, anyway. I don’t think he wants you leaving his team.”

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.

The next day, another shooting occurs. Even worse, the detective Emily was paired with was shot during the pursuit of the unsub. Thankfully, Emily managed to take him down.

At the scene, you and Derek approach Emily, eager to hear her side of the story.

“I shouldn’t have had to shoot him,” she says, her voice tinged with disturbance. “He was ahead of us. He would have gotten away, but he stopped and waited.”

You scramble to connect the dots to your profile, trusting your instincts that you’re still on the right track.

Emily continues, “His hands were steady. His eyes were dead calm. These guys have been hyper-vigilant, organized. They do pre-surveillance. What are the odds they’d shoot someone two blocks from where Cooper and I were standing?”

“It was deliberate,” you say, the pieces finally falling into place. “He knew you were there.”

“It’s almost like suicide by cop,” she concludes, her tone heavy.

You rush to find Hotch and Rossi, finally catching sight of them. “Hotch, my profile…”

Rossi cuts you off. “She’s on the right track. We have multiple unsubs. They’re disciplined, using counter-surveillance. They know the FBI’s movements. There’s a hierarchy. What does that usually mean?”

Hotch turns to you, his expression grave. “Terrorism.”

•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:••:•.•:•.

Back in the office, the team gathers to present the profile, though it’s clear they’re pulling heavily from the theory you provided earlier. Emily steps forward to address the group.

“The murderers simulate a bombing,” she begins. “They station someone to watch and gauge police response times. Once they have the timing down, they know when the perfect time would be to deploy a second bomb to target first responders and civilians alike.”

Derek nods thoughtfully. “It’s organized, calculated. Just like Y/N said, it’s all a practice run.”

Spencer adds, “The precision makes sense. They’re testing variables: response times, panic levels, and procedural weaknesses. It’s not just random—it’s tactical.”

Kate folds her arms. “It’s lo-fi but brilliant. A perfect way to plan for a larger terrorist event. Good work.”

You remain silent at the back of the room, arms crossed as you listen. The profile is solid—but something feels off, a subtle gap they’re missing. The foundation is yours, but the execution isn’t quite there. The unsub’s true intent still eludes them, and you can feel it, grinding at the edges of your mind.

Hotch steps in. “Keep in mind, this is just a working theory. We’ll adjust as more evidence comes in.”

Your jaw tightens at his words. That’s it—no acknowledgment of your initial input, no recognition for the groundwork you laid. Just the same dismissive tone, the same lack of validation. Your irritation builds beneath the surface as the team begins to disperse.

Derek claps you on the shoulder as he passes. “Good work, hot stuff. Don’t let it get to you. We couldn't have done this without you.”

Spencer offers a small nod, his quiet approval something you’ve come to appreciate. Emily flashes you a brief, supportive smile, while Kate exits with her usual morale, already discussing next steps with Rossi.

You linger, watching as Hotch strides toward the hallway, Kate falling into step beside him. Their voices are low, and professional, but seeing him leave without so much as a glance in your direction feels like a punch to the gut.

The room empties, leaving you alone with your thoughts. They’re close—but not close enough. The missing pieces feel just out of reach, and the weight of being unheard settles heavily over you.

Nothing has changed.

Hours pass, and the office quiets. You’re alone with your thoughts, replaying everything in your head, when suddenly you hear the sound of hurried footsteps. You glance up and see an officer rush to the television, changing the channel.

“Explosion in Manhattan—” the newscaster begins, but before he can continue, you’re already on your feet, adrenaline surging.

You reach for your phone, dialing Garcia’s number, but before it rings, the officer shouts, “Federal Plaza. FBI field office 26.”

Your stomach drops.

You can’t breathe.

Garcia picks up on the second ring. “Y/N, I—”

“Tell me who was there,” you demand, your voice tight with panic.

“I don’t know,” she answers, a shakiness in her voice. “But we’re trying to get the footage. Just… just hold on.”

You don’t wait. You’re already running for the door, heart pounding in your chest.

The cold reality of the situation crashes over you, but you can’t stop now.

As you rush to your car, Garcia’s voice crackles through the phone: “Y/N, I—wait, I have it. It’s… Hotch. And Kate.”

[milkiedimitrescu]

Sooo i made a kinda creepy thing

(so I might've accidentally made a whole introductory to a whole new fic idea) GUYS I KNOW I HAD AN AU ART I STILL NEEDED TO MAKE HOLD ON LET ME COOK

ok

So like

yeah just press the "keep reading" and see for yourself bro

You are aimlessly are wandering around the corridors of the Dungeon of Castle Dimitrescu, Previously you had come to visit after it had seemingly became abandoned after its inhabitants died, and there was nothing left.

This was shortly after the big explosion that destroyed every aspect of the village. (You know why, fellow reader. :)) You were exploring room from room, and Hall by Hall, gathering information on what might've happened to the past owners of this Castle.

And that's when you discover the current place your in. The dungeon corridors deep underground. You have heard this is where the Lady Dimitrescu chased Ethan winters, and supposedly he had escaped. Gathering enough information, you have come to the conclusion, Ethan had killed the Dimitrescu family for his daughter, How protective of him. You mused. But you needed more answers, on your mission.

You continue exploring, taking in the environment. It was decaying and there were some walls that were destroyed, seemingly. You found where the dagger that killed Lady Dimitrescu just outside the castle before you got there and kept it safely in your item carrier.

Until, suddenly, you hear a woman, whisper in your ear. She sounded like she would have a deep, rich, velvety, sultry, voice. Soft, yet a bit commanding.

"I'm still here. Turn around." She whispered, in your left ear.

But it shook you to the core. You flinched at the sudden voice. And you quickly turned around to see the source of the noise and only found that nothing was there. You were alone. Well, you were supposed to be alone, but now you feel paranoid, on the edge that someone or something else is down here with you. It's quite dark in this dungeon so you reached into your item carrier that you carried around like a backpack, and grabbed a candle holder you collected from Lady Dimitrescu's private chambers. You inhaled, and exhaled and grabbed your lighter, lit it up, and lit each candle on the candle holder, before safely putting the lighter back in the bag.

It's way too quiet down here. You feel like you are being watched, like a predator, spying on their prey. You thought in the corner of your eye, you saw a long tall shadow staring at you from the distance before quickly disappearing but you quickly dismissed it as something your mind was making up, due to the fact you were alone in empty halls. Until,

"I'm behind you."

The voice again! You stopped dead in your tracks, heart pounding profusely. You were practically frozen in utter terror. You think you are being haunted by a spirit, from the castle. Your scared to turn aroun-

"Turn. Around." The voice of this... Woman, was captivating, much more commanding than last time. She seemed to really want you to see her.... You shakily breathed in and out, and did it. Finally, with courage, and bravery to face whoever else was down you in the dungeon,

...

...

Who the living hell is that...? You thought out loud quietly, to yourself. There was a tall, shadow figure. Standing before you in a softly candle lit hallway where seemed to be a lever. Her eyes... So piercing into your soul. They were glowing red and seemed almost dead. She tilted her head at you, endeared by your paranoia. Her aura, she had shadowy particles coming from each part of her body. It looked like she was wearing a dress and a hat. Could this be..?

"Fear not, child. I won't hurt you."

She took a step forward towards you. Her shadowy aura trailing behind her.

"This is only a dream, I'm afraid. But, in real-time. I want you to come to Castle Dimitrescu. Find a way to bring me and my family back to life. We oh, so crave it dear. That man..." She scoffed looking to the side, gazing to that single barrel that was leaning on the side of the wall just somewhere near her, seemingly deep in thought. "That man killed my daughters... For the sake of his own daughter. Then... Killed me." She looked back at you.

"Find my crystal, and my daughters ones aswell. We need to be brought back in order to live in peace again. The castle, is now the only place we haunt, yet an echo, of are unfortunate fates."

She took another few steps closer to you till you were now both in front of each other. Couching down, she whispered, Her red eyes glowing in hope,

"I believe you are the chosen one, dear. To free us, from this misery. You hold more power than you believe,"

"Wake up." She whispered harshly. Her shadowy aura consuming you whole, leaving you in nothing but a void and a pair of red orbs staring back at you.

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

Gasping, you sat up from your hotel bed breathing fast, and checked the time on your watch, and saw it was 9 AM. Just the time you were going to get ready to leave to go to the village, to find out more about what happened in there. But... You already knew... That dream you had, everything was clear to you. It felt real, like Lady Dimitrescu actually spoke to you, telling you about bringing her and her family back.

But you heard of the atrocities she committed... you heard of the terror she had caused when she was alive, and still living in that Castle along with her daughters.

Loudly Sighing, you leaned back to lay back down,

"What the hell, man."

[carolperkinsexgirlfriend]

Steddie Upside-down AU Part 5

Part 1 Part 4

Eddie’s filled a shitty back-to-school backpack with anything useful he can find. There’s more wet wipes, and gauze, antiseptic, and a hammer. He’s got a lighter, a few newspapers, and a few shitty plastic cups. In a fit of whimsy, he stuffs a pack of playing cards in there as well. 

They go.

Hawkins is bigger than he remembers. Eddie’s not sure if it’s just the fatigue, the general atmosphere of this place, or it’s just another fucked-up thing that’s just a little off about this place. Hawkins, but not.

And god, he didn’t ever think he’d be homesick for Hawkins. His trailer, sure. Wayne, of course. But Hawkins? No way.

But he’s pretty sure he’d give his left kidney to be walking down 2nd street with all its residences clutching their pearls and crossing the street to avoid him. 

The street stretches out before him unnaturally. It’s quiet. There’s ash in Harrington’s hair where he walks by his side. Eddie’s never felt more out of place in his life.

“Do you think we’ll make it back?” he whispers. It’s so quiet, it feels like his words bounce across the town, anyway.

Harrington’s gait stutters. It could be from his fucked up feet. Eddie doesn’t think so. His brows pinched, lips pursed, skin golden under its ashen sheen.

“Someone will have noticed us missing by now, right?” He doesn’t sound sure. Eddie can’t fathom why.

“It’s…Sunday, Right?” Eddie asks, not waiting for an answer before continuing, “I’m supposed to be at band practice. The guys will notice.”

Harrington nods, starts walking again. 

“What about you?” Eddie asks.

Harrington’s eyes are shifting back and forth like he’s watching the ghosts of the real world in this fucked up mirror dimension. Hell, maybe he can. 

“Nancy noticed,” he says, quiet enough that Eddie barely picks up on it. He’s looking down at his feet and he looks small. Unsure. Before he looks up at Eddie from the corner of his eye. “Right?”

Eddie looks at this guy he’s hated for years, this guys who Eddie’s sure didn’t even notice him enough to hate him back, and says the only thing he can, “Right.”

“She’s smart.”

“Wheeler seems like a baddess,” Eddie says, even though she doesn’t. It makes Harrington smile down at his borrowed shoes. 

Eddie reaches out, squeezing lightly at Harrington’s elbow in comfort before skipping a few steps ahead, feeling his ears burn red. Harrington jogs to catch back up. They walk in silence after that.

The walk down the winding path surrounding the quarry is harrowing. It’s long, sure, but the way the red sky is reflecting back off the water’s surface has his gut sinking into his boots and weighing his feet down. It doesn’t look promising.

It looks even less promising up close. But beggars can’t be choosers, and Eddie feels one second away from falling to his knees and begging to a deity he doesn’t believe in.

He pulls out one of the stupid plastic cups, toes of his boots dipping into the red water as he bends over the reservoir and fills the cup, handing it to Harrington. Might as well take advantage of his tagalong jock test dummy,, and all that. 

Harrington grabs it from him, staring down at it dubiously. He tips it sideways, eyeing the liquid speculatively as it pours out of the cup and onto the concrete at his feet. 

It’s hard to tell if it’s actually red, even watching it drip onto the ground. The light’s too fucked, but it’s at least transulscent. It’s not blood, or at least not only blood. Eddie’s more concerned about the ash mixed in, to be honest.

Harrington’s still staring down at the remains of his cup like he’s not sure what to do with it. 

“Don’t drink that,” Eddie says.

Harrington doesn’t reply, but he can feel him watching as Eddie digs through his bag, pulling out a drugstore T-shirt and the second cup. He snatches Harringtons cup from his fingers, puts the T-shirt overtop, and then puts the other cup on top of that, before flipping the cups quickly.

Some of the liquid splashes out as it pours into the second cup, but most of it makes it to its rightful destination. Eddie pulls the T-shirt away and eyes the cup. He pours it out again, humming in pleasure and there’s no ash floating in the puddle at his feet.

A glance in the original cup makes him gag. Harrington siddles up to peer over his shoulder at the congealed black sludge left at the bottom, smeared with ash and dirt.

“I’m glad I didn’t drink that,” Harrington says.

Eddie laughs, handing the remnants of the second cup back over to Harrington. The look in the other boy’s eyes tells Eddie he knows he’s the guinea pig in this arrangement, but he gamely takes a sip. Eddie holds his breath when Harrington makes a disgusted face, but when he doesn’t keel over and die, he takes another sip. 

“Tastes like shit,” Harrington says, downing the rest. 

When Eddie filters the next cup, he can’t help but agree. It tastes like too-strong coffee mixed with blood, and Eddie’s never liked coffee. 

“How’d you learn to do this?” Harrington asks as the squat next to each other, Eddie filtering water, and Harrington filling the water bottles they’d collected from Melvald’s.

“I didn’t,” Eddie says, wringing the T-shirt out. When Harrington scoffs, he continues. “I just read about it in a book one time, and thought maybe it’d work.”

Harrington snorts. It sounds like a pig. Eddie hates himself for finding it endearing.

“You’re such a nerd,” he says, nudging his shoulder into Eddie’s. From his crouched position, Eddie almost goes tumbling into the water, but Harrington snags his shoulder and yanks him abc, laughing all the while.

“Fuck off, man,” he says, but it lacks its usual heat. 

It’s hard to completely hate a guy who dragged you bodily out of a window and away from your untimely demise. It’s hard, but damn if Eddie’s not going to try.

They fill the water bottles. It takes longer than it should, as Eddie tries to find clean enough spot on the T-shirt to make filtering the water any more even possible, but they manage.

Eddie doesn’t put the soiled garment in his backpack before slinging it onto his shoulders. It’s heavier now, but something in him eases with the time they’ve gained with the water. Days of survival has now stretched out to weeks.

He thinks of that Thing again and wonders if that’s a good thing at all. With the way Harrington is grimacing as he slings his own pack onto his shoulders, he’s having similarly grim thoughts.

They both stare up at the steep path they’d come down, hours before.

“What now?” Eddie asks.

Steve sighs, and starts trekking back up the hill. Without any better ideas, Eddie follows.

Part 6

[gremoria411]

How to get into Gundam

Because fuck it, I was gonna do one of these sooner or later anyway.

So you want to know what this Gundam thing’s about, maybe you like the mecha design, maybe you caught part of an episode one time and want to catch up, or maybe you saw a nice piece of Chamuro fanart and want to go to the source.

But there’s so many shows and timelines that it can be quite daunting on first look, so this guide is intended to give a rough overview.

I would however like to stress two four things beforehand however:

This guide is not intended as “The One True Way” or anything. There’s no harm it coming into it a different way, and these are only my own opinions.

There’s nothing stopping you from just watching one show and leaving it there. You don’t have to watch every single show going, even I’ve only seen most of these, not all. Gundam typically has variations on similar themes - it’s very nice watching multiple shows because they complement one another, but it’s not necessarily required.

I am very much an insider looking out here, so let me know if there’s any details I’ve missed.

I’m not gonna recommend these on a “if you like X, then watch Y basis”, mostly because I don’t personally find genre recommendations helpful, so I’d recommend picking based on promotional material (vibes, if you will).

I’ll be using this chart, supplied by the excellent@l-crimson-l, to illustrate everything.

Gundam as a whole can principally be divided into three sections: Universal Century (or UC), the Alternate Universes (AU’s) and the Build Series.

The AU’s are below the light blue line, near the bottom of the Chart, the Build Series is within the bright green line at the top-right corner of the chart and UC is the big line in the middle. We’ll talk about each of them individually.

The AU’s

The Alternate Universes were conceived as a way to get away from the continuity-heavy nature of Universal Century and provide an easy jumping-on point for new fans. The AU’s are standalone and require no prior knowledge, and are thus an excellent place to start. Honestly, I’d recommend quickly searching some promotional materials (like posters) and just going with the one you find most appealing based on that. They are (in production order):

Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994)

New Mobile Report Gundam Wing (1995)

After War Gundam X (1996)

Turn A Gundam (1999)

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (2002)

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007)

Mobile Suit Gundam AGE (2011)

Gundam: Reconguista in G (2014)

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans (2015)

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury (2022)

There’s side series and movies and other things besides, but these are the mainline shows, if you will. I have specific notes on a few of them:

Witch From Mercury - It’s of a shorter length than is usual for mainline shows, so consequently it’s a much smaller time investment than the others.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam - While undeniably rad as hell, I would recommend watching another AU first. G Gundam differs from its stablemates in a few key areas, and I find it helps to have a contrast to fully appreciate those differences.

Gundam AGE - is probably the only one I wouldn’t recommend. I didn’t like the art style and the technical explanations just got on my nerves, so I stopped watching.

Turn A and G-Reconguista are technically part of UC as well, but it’s not really crucial information so don’t feel like you have to watch UC first (I’m only including this detail for completionism).

I’ve found all the AU’s I’ve seen to be pretty good, so I’d say that which one you start with really just comes down to personal taste.

The Build Series

Is just kind of doing its own thing. The Build series is basically Buy Our Toys: the series. It’s got a far lighter tone, and I’ve had cause to compare it to pokemon prior. It’s also chock full of references and in-jokes to the other series.

Build Fighters and Build Fighters Try are the ones I’d recommend - they’ve got actual stakes and the fight scenes are really good.

Build Divers and Build Divers Re:rise I can’t recommend - I just find Build Divers aggressively boring. Build Divers Re:Rise is just okay - neither standout good or particularly bad. Its main flaw is that it’s a sequel to Build Divers.

The OVA’s are pretty much bad across the board - I’d particularly recommend avoiding Gundam Build Metaverse.

Universal Century

Universal Century is the big main timeline of Gundam, and is the timeline the original Mobile Suit Gundam from 1979 takes place in. There’s a tendency among certain fans to place UC as the one-above-all of Gundam, but I wouldn’t really go that far. It’s all pretty good, but I wouldnt really say one timeline is better than another (save personal preference, anyway).

Because UC is so big, it can be subdivided a couple times. The primary division is “Mainline” UC versus everything else. Basically there’s four-five shows in Universal Century from which everything else flows. As long as you know roughly what happens in these shows, then you can watch basically anything else in UC and have a good idea of what’s going on. These are (in order):

Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) - sometimes called Mobile Suit Gundam 0079.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985)

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986)

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack (1988)

With Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (2010) as a nominal fifth (honestly I feel like you could argue either way).

The rest of the shows are:

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989 Three-Episode OVA)

Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991 Movie)

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (1991 Thirteen-episode OVA)

Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (1993)

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (1999 Twelve-episode OVA)

G-Saviour (2000 Live Action Movie) - nobody ever talks about or acknowledges this one, it’s just here for completionism.

Mobile Suit Gundam MS Igloo (2004-2009 Three OVA’s with three Episodes each)

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin (2015 Six-Episode OVA, adapted from the Manga of the same name)

Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt (2015 Eight-Episode Series, adapted from the Manga of the same name)

Mobile Suit Gundam: Twilight Axis (2017 episode, adapted from a light novel of the same name. Later rereleased as Gundam Twilight Axis Red Trace, with additional footage)

Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative (2018 sequel movie to Gundam Unicorn)

Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway (2021 ongoing movie series, very much adapted from the novel Hathaway’s Flash)

Most of the other series relate to events in the aforementioned “mainline” shows in some way, but a lot of the sidestories set during the One Year War require very little introduction (Thunderbolt, 0080 and 08th MS Team). Similarly, works set in “Late UC” (F91 and Victory Gundam) carry on from the other series thematically but don’t have any plot connections, so they can all be watched without any background knowledge of the rest of the Universal Century.

Compilation Movies

Just a quick note here - many of the Gundam series have compilation movies, where either a whole series or part of one are compressed down into a movie. While each movie compares differently, they usually boil down to this: Compilation Movies usually have worse pacing, but really nice animation.

One of the great things about Gundam is that different shows offer variations on themes, so seeing how different characters react to similar situations, or how different settings change their approaches can make it incredibly rewarding.

I haven’t seen enough of SD Gundam to make any sort of recommendations there, and Manga is something I might touch on another day.

EDIT: Oh hey also: You can watch a good chunk of these on YouTube, for free, officially. The Official Gundam.Info YouTube channel rotates the series shown on its channel periodically. I think it’s got F91 and SEED on there currently? But it’s had Wing, 00 and Witch From Mercury before. Also all of the Build Fighters series are there.

So yeah, that’s a thing.