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system-to-the-madness · 1 month ago

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Favourite Scent - Castiel x Reader

Pairing: Castiel x fem!Reader Genre: fluff Word Count: 1 172 Warnings: none Summary: Castiel likes the smell of your shampoo Prompts: favourite scent A/N: first time I’m actually publishing something with Cas, although he’s one of the first characters I ever wrote for (along with Spencer Reid and Sam Winchester)

It was unusual for Castiel to take a room at a motel, and even more unusual for him to take a shower, yet here you were, sitting in his room, listening to the running water behind the closed bathroom door.

Did… did the angel even know how to use shampoo and soap, you wondered. The latest mission had been a bloodbath, and while you had been sitting in a diner where Sam and Dean had dropped you off due to a twisted ankle, Cas had returned looking like he had taken several mud and blood baths, while still fully clothed.

He had snapped his fingers and removed all the dirt off his body and clothes, but you still had insisted he should take a shower, and he had understood it as he should take a shower in your room.

Well, there were worse things.

And as an angel he probably didn’t mind that your shampoo which you had offered to him smelled of grapefruit and not of something manly like… mountain smoke or something.

The TV was running in the background, but you hadn’t been paying any attention to the program, your focus instead on the grey trench coat Castiel had discarded on one of the beds.

Eventually curiosity got the better of you and you got up, limping over, to the coat and lifting it up. It was heavier than it looked, you realised, the fabric smooth under your fingertips and it smelled… of nothing really. Hm, you had always assumed it would smell like Castiel by now, but maybe he didn’t have a proper scent about himself. He was a celestial being after all. But what about his vessel?

Before you could continue wondering any longer, the sound of water getting turned off in the bathroom alarmed you, and you dropped the coat back onto the bed and limped over to your chair.

A moment later, Cas opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out. He was dressed completely in his suit again, making you assume he had put it on with a snap of his fingers. Did the angel even know how to tie a tie? He looked strangely… naked without his coat on. That was when you saw his hair was still dripping wet.

“Did you not dry your hair,” you asked, with furrowed brows as Cas stepped out of the bathroom and begun crossing the room.

“I like the smell,” he said, making you furrow your brows even further.

“Of your wet hair?”

“Your shampoo,” he corrected. “I don’t want it to go away. It’s my favourite scent.”

“It won’t go away from you drying your hair,” you told him, getting up again and limping over to the angel. “Did you even wash out the shampoo?”

“Yes, but I didn’t want to.”

“Because of the scent?”

Castiel nodded only.

“Want me to help you dry your hair,” you offered even though you knew he could probably just snap his fingers and his hair would be perfectly dry and styled.

“Please,” Cas answered to your surprise and sat down on the bed, patiently waiting for you to grab a towel from the bathroom. You knelt on the bed behind him and wrapped it around his head, rubbing over his dark hair.

It felt strange, feeling how alive he was underneath your hands, and it was even stranger considering it was Castiel, who always behaved so coldly and redrawn from normal life.

“So… you like grapefruit,” you asked, trying to break the growing silence by smalltalk.

“Not especially,” Castiel answered, sounding indifferent as always.

“Hm? I thought it was your favourite scent,” you inquired.

“Not grapefruit, your shampoo,” Cas corrected you.

“But it is grapefruit scented.”

“I don’t like it because it’s grapefruit, I like it because it’s what you always smell like,” he explained, making you freeze. What? “I’ve made you feel uncomfortable.”

“No, not… not uncomfortable,” you disagreed, slowly continuing to rub the cheap hotel towel over Castiel’s hair. “Just… surprised.”

“Why would you be surprised,” he asked curiously. “I thought it was rather obvious that I feel attracted to you.”

“Not really, no,” you admitted, trying to think of any time the angel may have expressed attraction towards you.

That time he had beamed you wordlessly back to the motel room you had shared with Sam and Dean after you had been stranded at the side of a road? The time he had woken you up, showed you that he had bought you pie and then had disappeared? Or the countless times he had woken you up from a beginning nightmare? It would be a lie to claim these instances hadn’t raised your interest in him, but it had never occurred to you, that he might have done it out of a special feeling of care towards you.

Castiel sat quietly for a while before asking: “Does it bother you?”

“Does what bother me,” you asked back.

“That I care for you.”

For a moment, you thought his words through. Castiel was an angel, and even though he had lived amongst humans for a while now, he still sometimes struggled with the nuances of human communication.

“You care for Sam and Dean, too,” you eventually answered, still not entirely sure whether his understanding of ‘caring for someone’ had the same romantic meaning as yours. “So no, it doesn’t bother me.”

“It’s different,” Cas disagreed. “Yes, I look after Sam and Dean, I don’t want them to get hurt. But it’s different with you… It seems like you constantly occupy my mind and even the thought of the possibility of you getting hurt- it, it scares me.”

Slowly you let the towel you had used to rub his hair dry sink to his shoulders.

“I feel the same way about you,” you admitted, gently squeezing his shoulder.

Surprised he turned around to you. “You aren’t mad?”

“No,” you chuckled, looking down on him, his beautifully blue eyes widened and a hint of a smile tucking at his lip. “But I also don’t know what to do from here on out.”

“What do people usually do, who care for each other,” Cas asked, honest curiosity in his question.

“They… they start dating, I suppose,” you answered, absentmindedly running your hand through his hair. It was still not completely dry, but soft between your fingers.

“Then let’s do that,” Cas decided, smiling at you encouragingly.

“Do you even know what dating means,” you asked amused. Not the kind of conversation you had expected yourself to have tonight, but also not unwelcome.

Cas hummed thoughtfully, turning his head away from you and leaning back so his back was resting against your front. He was warm, even through his suit, and his hair smelled off your shampoo.

“I have a basic understanding of what dating includes,” he answered, “as for the rest,” he turned his head again, looking up to you sitting behind him, innocence but also a certain mischief displayed on his features, “I’ll just hope you’ll teach me.”

#flufftober2024 #day03 #castiel x reader #castiel x you #castiel x y/n #castiel x yn #cas x reader #cas x you #cas x y/n #cas x yn #supernatural x reader #supernatural x you #supernatural x y/n #supernatural x yn #spn x reader #spn x you #spn x y/n #spn x yn #mad spn

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ravenna-reid · 7 months ago

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Admirer from the past...

TW: blood, mention of dead bodies and stalking/obsessive behaviour

An expert crime fighter. One of the youngest CEOs. A skilled detective. As good as the Bat. Maybe even better than him.

Tim often found himself conversing with police officers and other detectives that were actually qualified unlike him. Discussing the crime scene, the criminal, the victim, and the next course of action. They all respected Tim and were willing to work together.

One night Tim found himself standing amongst the chaos of the press, the solemn faces of detectives and officers and a name written in blood covering the footpath along with other gory things... The crimson letters painting the cement were a confronting display.

It was the works of a new villain, one that had only just started doing such things two weeks ago. He was one of the most psychotic men Tim had ever dealt with. And it seemed he had a nasty obsession with some poor girl, given he was constantly leaving dead bodies and flowers strewn across Gotham City dedicated to her.

Honestly, the situation twisted Tim's stomach, making him all the more adamant on finding this fucked up guy in hopes of sparing his target the fear and trauma.

Tim kept to himself as he tried to analyse the scene, picking up clues and taking his own samples. That was until the screech of tires on the road caught his attention. Turning to look over his shoulder, he saw another well known detective pull up beside the crime scene and hastily get out of his car. And with him a woman. Tim quickly let his eyes glance over you. You wore a fitted suit, golden hoops and your hair thrown up into a french twist. Throwing your trench coat over your shoulders, you hurriedly followed the detective with an unimpressed look on your face.

"If you haven't even caught the assailant yet, why am I here Harry?" You asked before you fell into step with your co-worker and friend. He was almost like an older brother to you.

"Because, I need your input. Your analysis. This guy is a fucking nut and we have no idea how to predict what he's gonna do next."

Intelligence and class seemed to drip off of you, and Tim was immediately smitten interested in you. He even found himself wondering if you were seeing the man you had arrived with.

Surely not, he was old enough to be your father.

You and Harry ducked under the police tape, your hands in your pockets and eyes trained on the gruesome scene. Black roses coated in thick blood decorated the ground around your boots. You instantly grimaced.

Harry made his way over to the group and greeted Tim first.

"Red Robin." He said with a nod.

"Detective." Tim said back, eyes still trained on you.

You turned in a circle to take it all in before nearing the group. "So, do we have anything on this guy?"

"Red Robin managed to hack into one of the shops security systems. The one across the street. With the footage he retrieved, we can see this sick bastard commit the crime, but his face is obscured."

You were watching Red Robin as the officer spoke, a little taken aback to see a vigilante standing in front of you. Let alone one of the bats.

"Can I see the footage?" You asked, eyes gazing back at his.

Tim swallowed hard. Your eye contact was unwavering, and he could feel a blush begin to creep onto his face.

"Miss, are you even a detective or-"

"Of course." Tim cut the officer off, handing you the tablet that sat atop a police car.

"It's fine," Harry said with the wave of his hand, "She's with me. She knows what she's doing."

Tim watched you analyse the footage. The man was wearing a cap, and some sort of odd make-up was smeared across his face. It might have even be blood you thought. You attentively watched the criminals behaviour. His mannerisms. The odd tick in his left shoulder. The limp in his right leg.

"Anything?" Tim asked.

His voice was like wine and you couldn't help but breathe in his cologne. You might come along to see these crime scenes more often.

"There's something." You admit with the furrow of your brows. "The way he moves. I can't put my finger on it though..."

Tim observed the badge clipped to the collar of your shirt. Although he could read what your occupation was, your coat was covering your name.

"Forensic psychologist?"

What a stupid moment to be making small talk. He began to chastise himself and his lack of charisma, but you didn't seem to mind, much to his relief.

"Mhm. Know what that is?" You teased, anticipating the Red Robin's response.

Tim smirked. "No actually, never heard of it."

You gave a light laugh and Tim felt he had to keep the conversation going.

"Are you new at this?" He asked. "I haven't seen you before."

"Not really," you replied with a soft smile. "It's my second year."

"Yeah, and she beats everyone in the game." Harry called out with a chuckle. You tried to hide your blush, but your humility mixed with your attempt to hide your reaction made Tim like you even more.

But the longer you watched the footage it suddenly dawned on you. The puzzles snapped together in your head and left you a little shocked. Tim immediately took note of the change in your demeanour.

"What is it?"

You held onto the tablet tightly. "I think I know who this is. The twitch. The limp. The hunched form and what he's doing..."

"Holy shit..." Harry said as the others all gawked at the writing on the ground.

Tim ignored them, focusing his full attention onto you.

"Back when I was just a psychologist. This guy came to me, I'm sure of it." You looked back up at Tim now, but before either of you could say anything, Harry called your name.

"You better get over here."

You and Red Robin joined the group, and as you looked down at the name on the footpath, your soul immediately dropped down to your feet.

"What's wrong?" Tim asked, looking up at Harry then at you. But now that you had moved, the name on your badge was revealed to Tim.

Everyone suddenly turned to look at you. And all you could do was stare down at the red letters before you.

"That's my name."

Continue to Part Two here

#tim drake imagine #tim drake fanfiction #tim drake robin #tim drake x reader #timothy drake #red robin x reader #red robin #dca fandom #dcu #dc comics #dc universe #angst #tim drake angst

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columboscreens · 11 months ago

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columbo is so gender to me but i dont think i could ever look like him</3

i think it's totally possible for anyone to embody his essence. you can even manage to rock something directly inspired by columbo without looking like you're cosplaying.

hair

if you have columbo's hair type, it's actually pretty easy to emulate his styles. i even know people who show pictures of columbo to hair stylists to get his look. my partner's hair in its natural state is very similar to columbo's--dark, wavy, tending to grow in spite of gravity rather than with it. whenever he gets his hair cut, he shows the stylist photos of late 60s/pilot episode peter falk, whose look is actually pretty on-trend for the current era. it works out pretty well.

your swag may have aged well pilot columbo but you can't beat floof

failing that, getting any haircut that is natural, low-maintenance, and not too attention-grabbing captures the visual language all the same. for reference, natasha lyonne in poker face has her hair in natural-looking, messy waves that to me just exude columbo.

clothing

how you present yourself to the world is up to you, but if you want to invoke columbo, there's a lot more you can do than buy a tan raincoat.

in an era of sharply-cut, wide-lapelled constructions, fat tie tuesdays, and gucci loafers, columbo stands out as classic comfort personified.

his collar, tie, and lapels are slim, proportional, and unassuming; they'd look good in almost any era. his pants fit closely to his leg but not too wide or slim, and sit at or near the natural waist. though his suits, shirts, ties, shoes, socks, and even coats rotate, there is a consistent color palette keeping him "on model". he embraces earth tones: creams, forest greens, light browns, dark browns, stony grays, rusts, and roses. his clothing seems like an afterthought, but it's an extension of his personality--rumpled and unassuming at first, yet sharp and deliberate upon further inspection.

amid the 1970s explosion of synthetic popularity, it says something that every stitch of textile on columbo's person is natural (aside from the raincoat, which is probably nylon or poly--he wears it without a lining and uses it as essentially an oversized windbreaker). his boots are leather with crepe latex soles; his tie is silk. his shirt is cotton, a bit boxy but comfortable and properly fitted. because the construction of his suits is roomy and unstructured, and because they're made of linen, they wrinkle easily.

this is easily confused for appearing slovenly. actually, all things considered, his clothes fit him pretty damn well, it's just hard to avoid wrinkling natural fibers like linen and cotton, especially in hot weather. he's running around los angeles sweating up a storm, the man needs loose, breathable fabric.

point is, columbo dresses very thoughtfully. since these clothes are workwear for him and he works a hell of a lot, it's imperative that he factors in the weather, his comfort, and proper fit when picking clothes. he wants to like and be comfortable in them while looking unassuming. so even though he sometimes ends up looking like an unmade bed, his choices are deliberate.

you could invoke these principles in your own appearance by picking earthy colors/jewel tones and comfortable, natural fabrics that you enjoy wearing, which has the added benefit of being better for you and the environment. consider also taking a few garments in to be altered. it's usually not that expensive, supports your local needlefolk, and makes even cheap clothes fit great.

as a last little aside, i think having a "signature" clothing item akin to columbo's raincoat would be a nice touch. a jacket, a pair of shoes, even a watch or necklace. something you always wear. if you really do want a raincoat like his, just make sure you're not buying a trench coat, because, repeat after me: columbo does not wear a trench coat.

#columbo #ask #misc #longpost #excuses for me to sperg about fashion #could say more about columbo's tendency to remain static while subtly following trends via hair and clothing but this post is already 2 Lon

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sabcandoit · 1 year ago

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as you wish was an AMAZING fic!! ! i applaud to you :] for requests, i wass hoping you'd accept one where reader wears a pretty dress for Noir?? it can be either smut or fluff honestly!! or a little bit of both.

hope you have a lovely day!!

Thank you! Here it is!

DESIRE

Spiderman Noir x Fem reader

Summary: The reader "puts on a pretty dress" and they go to a party for a friend of Peter's. As the night progresses, Peter finds himself unable to keep calm around you, overcome with lust, and overall he's just really entranced by your looks <3

Warnings: Fluff! No actual smut this time, but they get close haha. Its a good mix of both of you "taking control" here and there.

A/N: Thanks for all the love on my first fic, "As You Wish"! I love making these and it's great to see so much support! Also I cant help but imagine Gregory Peck as Noir lmao. He's so handsome too. My requests are open too, so don't be shy! Enjoy!

“It's time to leave now darling!” Peter announced from the living room. You were in the bathroom, still trying on earrings and other jewelry. You had no need to get so dressed up to show stop Peter with your looks, it didn't take much effort. He never stopped calling you “Beautiful” or “Lovely” even when you were in the laziest outfit and hadn't put any makeup on or done your hair. Now here you were, stalled in your mirror trying to look as perfect as can be simply for the fun of it. You were going out anyway, to a birthday ball of sorts, and would have others looking at you.

You sported a dark red evening gown with straps and a mid-length v-neck cut, just long enough to show a small amount of cleavage. The back was zippered up and it cinched in perfectly at your waist. The fabric ran smoothly down from there, the skirt long and flowy. You had done your makeup with a fine red lip and a fancy updo, swept up and braided. The shorter pieces of hair that fell out were styled in a wavy, brushed-back look and pinned up. Simple gold earrings and a thin chain gold necklace adorned your body as well as equally delicate gold bracelets. Peter got you this set which surprised you. It was expensive and dainty, not the sort of thing he would especially pick out for you, but it stood out to him as something that would look beautiful on you. You were all ready, you just needed to grab your heels, handbag, and coat.

As you exited the room, you saw Peter, dressed in a black suit and a black bowtie. His hair was slicked back, bits of it undone and curled on his forehead. He was putting on his black trench coat in the foyer when he saw you. His lips parted for a moment as his gaze settled. “Oh…” he said with a sort of delighted inflection. You smiled, looking down as you grabbed your shoes and put them on clumsily, chuckling softly. He smiled at you too, watching. As you returned, you grabbed your red handbag and a long black trench coat that matched Peter's. “Ready to go Spiderboy?” you giggled as his loving stare never dissipated. “Oh yes.” he snapped out of it. He was flustered and you were proud of it, yet you had to act oblivious. He fixed his black gloves on, stretching his long fingers out.

“You look beautiful.” he stepped close to you, putting a hand on your back. “Thank you,” you responded as you both walked out of the doorway, grabbing his hat before leaving. You just grinned up at him lovingly. A gentle hand led you both to the car. He opened the passenger door and stepped back, outstretching a hand, “Sit love”. You nodded your head as you stepped in. He closed the door and walked over to his side and sat down, starting the old black Ford. As he drove to the party, you both listened to the quiet radio playing through the dark night. You could cut the tension with a knife, it was so thick even though the silence between you too was welcomed and comfortable. You both stole little glances and would smile when you caught each other.

Peter finally was the one to speak up, “Have I commented on your dress yet?” he chuckled handsomely. “It’s irresistible on you, doll.” One of his gloved hands reached out and grasped gently on your thigh. You blushed as he caressed it more, saying in a lower voice, “I may not be able to control myself.” You only blushed more. “Peter…” you sighed. “Not now, love” you spoke again. His hand didn't leave your thigh but he did shut up, tensing his other hand on the wheel.

You both now arrived at the party. Peter stepped out of the parked car and approached your door. As he opened it and you stepped out, you smiled at him. He straightened up, slightly flushed as he put his hand on your lower back again. He couldn't help but stare down at you, your body, and the dress. The jewelry! How could he not have noticed? “I see you're wearing the gold I got you,” he whispered enticingly in your ear as you both walked into the extravagant building, red carpet to greet them and all. “Oh yes, you finally noticed!” you teased, wrapping your arm around his, lightly touching his side in the process, making him gasp. Looking down at you, he saw your eyes looking intently back at him. “Handsome,” you mumbled, looking back down as you walked. He looked in front of himself, trying to keep his composure, your compliment almost melting him right there. As the escorts opened the building doors, the party was huge and bright. People were all over drinking and talking. Of course, you were here for one of Peter’s friends. You walked more in and eventually saw some people you recognized. As you dragged Peter to talk with others, he stayed suspiciously quiet. Maybe something was wrong? Was he not feeling well?

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NOIR’S POV:

That dress. Her in it. She’s too gorgeous for her own good. These men around us, are they all looking at her? If only they knew the things I would do to them if they laid a hand on her or said something even slightly inappropriate.

I could care less about the people we are talking to, I just want to be with her, alone. Give her all the compliments I want. Tell her all of the things I want to do to her… I can't keep up with this anymore, yet we still have to wish my friend a happy birthday. But look at her body, the dips and curves, her smile and laughter. It's enough to make a grown man crumble. And that jewelry set I gave her, it makes her look only more ravishing. How I wish I could unclasp that necklace and slip off that bracelet… kiss the places where they once were… make her blush and fluster. Ah, the things I would do for this woman.

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“Oh, well I'm not sure that's how it went!” you chuckled, conversing about memories with an old friend. “It had to be!” your friend laughed back. As you both smiled and talked more, Peter’s hand touched yours. Perhaps it was accidental? It now fully grasped yours and you could feel his intense need. Now this was not accidental. You tried to listen to your friend's stories but couldn't focus, his hand was treading down your arm and playing with your dress.

“Darling,” he leaned down to your ear and whispered, “I'm afraid we must leave.” Your eyes widened as you looked up at him with a sort of offended look. “Peter…” you stammered, looking into his lust-filled eyes. “Peter, we can't leave yet.” “Ah, forget about that.” one of his arms was now wholly wrapped around your waist possessively as he interrupted the conversation around you. “Excuse me, but my lady and I must be going. We have somewhere to go early in the morning and you know how hard it can be when you don't have a full night’s rest.” he chuckled with his free hand in the air.

They all bid you goodnight as Peter led the way out into the parking lot. He walked slightly in front of you, holding your hand. You stopped, saying, “Peter, that wasn't very kind to the hosts. After all, you were the one they wanted to see”. He turned around and put one hand on your hip and the other on your cheek, pulling you in. He kissed slowly and passionately like he had been waiting for this. As you parted, you stood, out of breath. “Well…” your hands now up in front of your chest. He smirked down at you. It took you a moment to let go of his gaze, you needed to show him how he couldn't affect you like that. As you left his hold, a hand of yours lingered on his coat lapel, you walked in front of him to the car.

As you made it to your side, he came quickly behind, opening the door for you. “Oh doll, don't be mad at me.” he playfully begged as you sat in your seat. You just rolled your eyes with a silly smile. As he got into the car he looked over at you, more serious and amorous. You didn't dare look back at him, afraid you would disarm at his loving expression. A strand of hair loosened, coming down in front of your eyes. He of course couldn't leave it hanging in the way of your beautiful face, so he brought a hand up, stroking it behind your ear, making you turn to face him. You locked eyes, his with intent want and yours softening. “My love… absolutely gorgeous.” he smiled gently before departing his gaze and starting the car. As he focused on the road, he spoke out to you, “It was a good idea of yours to wear that dress. You look stunning.”. You blushed, loving the attention. Maybe you could take advantage of this?

“Why thank you. You always look well put together in a suit.” you traveled a hand up to his neck, caressing for a moment before pulling on the bowtie and loosening it. A visible blush was creeping up his cheeks as he glanced over at you. As you completely freed the bowtie from his neck, you tossed it to the side, unbuttoning a few of the buttons on his white dress shirt. “Sweetheart,” he groaned. “What?” you teased, one of the straps holding your dress on your shoulders slipping down. He noticed this, causing him to inhale sharply.

He couldn't continue driving. His self-control was not that strong. As he pulled over and parked, he turned over to you, took off his suit coat, and rolled up his sleeves, the top buttons all loosened. You blushed and backed up in your seat, the skirt part of your dress riding up and the neckline lowering showing more cleavage. He started taking off his gloves, pulling one finger off at a time as he looked over at you periodically, each time with intensified hunger. After he successfully got them off and threw them at the side he moved over in his seat, grabbing onto your face and giving you a fiery kiss. As you both moved your hands around each other’s bodies feverishly, you mumbled into a kiss, “We can't get much done in here, Peter.” giggling. “Nonsense.” he desperately gripped at your hips. “Allow me to demonstrate.” he chuckled attractively before feeling for your dress’ zipper and pulling it down, warm hands grazing along your back.

#spiderman noir #spider noir x reader #spider man noir x reader #spidernoir #atsv #itsv #atsv x reader #itsv x reader #fluff #smut #pet names #hes so flustered #I LOVE HIM

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qaxqxd · 1 year ago

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Colorful Confession

♡Pair: Spider-noir x spider!female!reader

Genre: barely any angst / fluff

Warning: Injuries, fluff

A/n: just enjoy (wrote on phone that's why it's a little weird)

Summary: You're taking a break from being spider-man. Noir decided to visit your dimension, and he seems to have something to confess.

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Being spider-man was your job, your first job. But you picked up a hobby. Painting was something you liked to do in your free time, but it was also somewhat of a job. You weren’t a famous painter, but you still made money from the paintings you’ve done.

You decide to take a break from being spider-man. Not from your dimension, but just the whole spider-multiverse madness. You just wanted the week off painting, watching movies, and etc.

It's not like you hated staying at Spider HQ, it was just sometimes unbearable. With your boss, Miguel O’hara being all pissy.

There is one spider-man who catches your eyes a lot. Spider-Noir. You’ve only been on one to two missions with him, or you would catch him around the hallways. His trench coat and fashionable fedora make him look amazing.

He was also pretty sweet too. Lovely person you could say. A total gentleman. And maybe you had a little crush on him? No it was pretty big, you couldn’t even breathe when he was around you.

You wanted to draw him at every chance you got, but never had time. Now you finally have the time to do it.

You walked into your small studio, placing your canvas down. You needed a sketch of him. You sat on your stool. Trying to recollect what he looked like.

Blank.

You couldn’t draw an image in your head. It's probably because you don’t see him often. You sigh in slight frustration, before an image of him appears in your thoughts. Your face turned slightly red, since it was somewhat unholy.

You sketch out a few references into your spare notebook. Before actually placing the design onto the canvas. You were going to paint it too, so it’d have some color instead of it being plain.

You put the image of him onto the canvas. Starting with a circle and working your way making a spider-man figure. You made sure to sketch his trench coat and his fedora.

By the time you're done it's midnight. You decide to paint him since the image of him was still fresh in your mind. Before you could place down your first stroke of paint. An orange portal opens up.

Spider-noir?

What is he doing here?

"Hello!" He spoke, his voice a little monotone.

"Noir? What are you doing here?" You spoke trying to hide your canvas.

"I— uhm well." His words were stuttering. Both of your watches lit up for an anomaly. "I'm here for an anomaly!" He quickly said.

"Oh, would you like help then?" You asked. You needed more references of Noir's fighting.

"Yes! I mean— absolutely that would be lovely." You couldn't see that he was smiling, but you could tell he was. You let out a chuckle. Which got him a little red.

"Let me get my suit, requick." You rush to your room to put on your suit and rushed out.

"Ready?" He had his hands in his trench coat. His goggles shining in the light. You gave him a nod and he slid your window open. You both hop out the window and swung to where the anomaly was at.

The anomaly sighting was at an art museum. It was a Vulture. A weird looking purple one. It didn't look like your dimension Vulture. It seems rageful. You looked at Noir.

As he gives you a nod and you both lunge at the Vulture. The Vulture shook Noir off and Noir landed somewhere through the wall. You jump off of the Vulture. Swinging your webs to Noir.

"Noir!" You shove the broken parts of the wall off of him. You were kneeling down to him. His suit seems scratched, but not too badly. Just minor scratches.

"Are you alright?" You helped him up.

"I'm fine." He dusted himself off. You got close to him to see a scar on his neck. You placed your hand on his neck. He leans into your touch. You touch around his scar and examine it.

Noir wincing at your touch but not pulling away. It wasn't a great scar.

"Cmon' let's finish this so I can patch you up." You spoke, clearly concerned about his wounds even if they were small. He nodded, holding onto your hand. You thought he wanted you to remove your hand, so you did just that.

You two got back to the Vulture and took care of him. Lunging at him again and pushing him down enough to web his wings. You called Lyla to take care of the situation, and you both headed back to your place.

"Sit" you pointed to the couch in your art studio, taking off your spider-mask. You went to grab your medkit. When you got back to the studio, Noir had his mask off and his glasses on. His fedora in his lap.

He looked.. so very handsome.

You could quite literally look at him all day. You shook the thought out of your head, blushing slightly. You watched Noir remove his trench coat.

You took the cotton balls out of the kit, you applied some liquid on the cotton balls. Before rubbing it onto Noir's scars. You could hear him hiss in pain, but he's trying his best to sit still.

It was time to clean the scar close to his neck.

"Hey Noir, mind if I get closer?" You asked slightly nervously.

"Ah, if you want to. I don't mind." He spoke. His lap was the closest you could get to his neck, so you scooted onto it. He shifted his legs slightly, moving his fedora.

"A— Are you uncomfortable?" You asked, wanting to know if it was okay.

"It's. Fine, don't worry about it, doll." He spoke with his hand on his mouth. He made room for you to sit on his lap. The nickname he gave you made you more red.

You could feel his hot breath on your forehead, as you tried to clean the scar on his neck. You could feel his breath hitch in pain. You would then wrap his wounds up with band-aids.

"Hey, (Y/n)?" He asked.

"Yes?" You looked around him.

"You draw pretty great."

"W-What?"

"I like that drawing. I looked really nice." He pointed to your canvas.

Oh right. You forgot to throw a blanket over that. He wasn't meant to see it, but he liked it. So… he probably didn't think you were creepy and weird for drawing him.

"You don't think it's weird?" You asked him.

"No, I think it's really lovely. You have great talent." He smiled.

He got your face to turn into a deep red. You were still in his lap. You could feel his heat radiant off. As you put everything back in the kit. Getting off his lap.

"Right, one more thing." You lean down to place a kiss on his head. "That's for being a great patient." You walked out the room, blushing like crazy. You couldn't believe you just did that.

You peek into the room to see Noir's reaction. He was also blushing. As you put up the medkit, you come back to the room.

Noir was still sitting there, flustered.

"You could stay a little longer if you like." You sit on your stool to continue painting, as you apply the first stroke of paint. Noir pulled up a stool right next to you.

"Could I— hold you?" He asked, you obviously said yes to it. And he held you by the waist. His head on your shoulder. You two were blushing like crazy. You couldn't even think about painting.

You applied yellow to the canvas next.

"Is that purple?" He asked, which earn him a giggle from you. You forgot he wasn't the best at colors.

"No, it's yellow." You smiled at the flustered man.

"I knew that, doll." He mumble.

"What about that one?"

"Blue?" He was correct. You gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Good job." You said. Before you could get another word out. Noir place his lips onto yours.

You both let go to catch air.

"I love you." He uttered.

"Me too."

W.C 1.4k

#spider noir x reader #spidernoir x you #spidernoir x y/n #spiderman noir x reader #spiderman noir #spidernoir x reader #spider noir

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4littlefishies · 7 months ago

Text

The 36th Floor

Office worker Satoru Gojo finds himself stuck with the task of training his brand new coworker, but he doesn't know what to expect when he sees who he's supposed to be training. He can't fall in love with the man that sits in the cubicle across from him, right?

satoru gojo x suguru geto office au

warnings: nothing for this chapter, smut in later chapters!

wc: 6.6k

note: Hi all! Thought I'd start posting this on here as well. I always upload first on ao3, so if you wan't to keep updated, I'll put a link at the bottom! :) This is a non-curse non-jujutsu au because I enjoy writing fluff and happiness and crack and all the good stuff. <3

Monday Morning

Satoru Gojo opens his eyes as the sound of his alarm blares through his previously silent bedroom. His hands come up to rub the sleep out of his eyes as he sits up in his bed before grabbing at his phone to make the annoying sound of his alarm stop. He takes a couple deep breaths and sits with his eyes closed for a moment before he finally pushes the comforter to the side and shifts his legs off of the side of the bed.

Standing up from the warmth of his bed, Satoru shivers as the cold air hits his skin. He makes his way to the bathroom to start the routine that he does every morning before work: Shower, brush his teeth, skincare, hair; in that order, five days a week, 12 months a year. He loved how the structure of his morning before work and getting to listen to music as he calmly got ready made his whole day feel better.

Afterwards, he would make his bed and head out to the kitchen to eat a quick breakfast, which typically consisted of a sugary cereal or some kind of fruit for on the go if he was in a hurry to leave - which unfortunately happened more often than not. Thankfully, today was one of the days where he had time to sit down at the counter and eat a proper breakfast.

Humming along with the music playing through his phone, he makes his way back into his room and steps into his closet. He pulls out a navy blue suit jacket and pants, along with a white button-up shirt for underneath and a tie to pull it all together. Satoru gets dressed and with his jacket folded over the side of his now neatly-made bed, he picks out a pair of brown oxfords and finally puts on his watch.

The mirror by his bedroom door is the final step in his routine as he checks his reflection one last time before heading towards the front door. The blue of his eyes almost glow back at him as he looks over himself in the mirror, making sure his bright white hair looks decent before flicking off the lights and pulling on his jacket. He picks up his bag from the table next to the front door and grabs his keys out of the bowl, shoving them into his pocket.

“See you when I get home, Shiro.” He whispers to the white cat, looking up at him with wide eyes from the couch. The cat makes a quiet noise that makes Satoru smile as he closes the front door behind him and checks that it’s locked before turning and walking down the hallway towards the elevator.

Today was just another day for Satoru, a typical Monday morning. He would walk to the station not too far from his house and wait for the train along with everyone else also going to their 9-5 jobs in the city. He found joy in the time he got to listen to music on his commute and enjoyed seeing the same people he would see every morning. The man seated across the aisle from him would get off the stop before Satoru, every single morning. The woman a couple rows in front of him would get off the stop after he got on.

Satoru liked to ponder and imagine what these strangers on the train were doing with their days. The scenarios in his head were probably much more exciting that what was actually going on in these people’s lives, but he would rather imagine that the stranger in the same black trench coat every day is actually a member of the Yakuza and not just an accountant or a lawyer or something normal.

Before he knows it, the train is coming up to his stop. He stands up, stabilizing himself with one of the many hand holds as the train finally slows to a stop. The doors open and he steps off, walking in time with his music, his hands in his pockets as he walks out into the crisp morning air. The walk to his office is a short one, but he stops at the coffee shop in the lobby of the building as he does every morning.

“Good morning, Miwa!” He says in a singsong voice as he steps up to the counter. The young woman smiles and grabs a disgustingly sweet drink set to the side of the register that was just made for him. He picks it up and hands her twice as much cash as it actually costs before turning and swiftly walking towards the elevator. “You’re the best, Miwa!” He calls out over his shoulder as he rushes towards the closing elevator doors.

“Have a good day Gojo!” She calls out after him in response. He waves with a smile as he steps into the elevator. Just another part of his routine that makes his day even better. He takes a small sip of his still-too-hot coffee in the half full elevator and presses the button for floor 36. He readjusts his bag on his shoulder and pulls out his key card as the elevator makes stops at a few floors before he reaches his own.

“Have a good day guys.” Satoru says as the elevator opens to his floor, resulting in a few quiet thank you’s and you too’s. Someone else steps off of the elevator at the same time as him and Satoru turns to notice that it’s his coworker, Shoko Ieiri. A surprised look crosses his face as he looks at her. “What the hell? I didn’t even notice you in there!” He says with a cheeky smile on his face as they walk down the hallway towards the glass door of their office. He holds his key card up to the side of the door before the lock clicks and he pulls the large glass door open, allowing Shoko inside first.

“Just say you don’t care about me, idiot.” She says, rolling her eyes with a smile, walking inside as Satoru holds the door open for her. The two of them head straight for the break room, Shoko puts her lunch box in the fridge, and Satoru grabs a strawberry-mango yogurt, along with a spoon.

“Maybe you need to be more noticeable.” Satoru teases back at her. Shoko closes the fridge and glares up at him. The two of them have been friends since high school, which resulted in their sibling-like relationship that consisted of endless teasing and fake bullying.

“I got you hired here, I bet I could get you fired too, you know that right?” She says as they both turn to walk out of the break room to head to their cubicles, which luckily - or unluckily - were right next to each other. Satoru leans on the edge of Shoko’s cubicle as she sets her things down and tries to get adjusted.

“No way, Shoko. Nanami loves me.” He says, talking about their boss. She raises an eyebrow at him as he backs up into his cubicle across the aisle and sets his bag down on his desk. He puts his hands up, as if to say “I can’t help it” and sits down in his chair with a smile and turns to turn on his computer.

The office is quiet with the chatter of everyone arriving for the morning along with the sounds of keyboards typing and mice clicking. Gojo starts with the normal morning things like checking his emails and then his planner to see what he has planned out for the day. “Shit.” He whispers, but still loud enough for Shoko to hear.

“What’s your problem?” Shoko asks, not even turning her head away from her monitor to look at him.

“They’re having me train someone new.” He says, sounding slightly annoyed. “I have so much to do already and they want me to train someone new?” He rubs his forehead and closes his eyes, thinking about how much more this is going to set him back.

“If you need help with anything, just let me know.” She responds, trying to be helpful, all the while knowing that she would have no idea how to even do most of the things that Satoru does on a daily basis.

“I just need to get as much done in this hour that I have before he gets here.” Satoru says, mostly to himself, but loud enough that Shoko hears.

“I have a meeting at 10, but I’ll be back after lunch if you need anything.” She adds, trying to be helpful and make him feel better about the day ahead.

“Thank you, Shoko, I appreciate it.” He says, starting to work on a presentation for when some of the higher ups from corporate were coming later in the month. He pops one headphone in, trying to get focused into his work to get as much done as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Slowly but surely, Satoru’s coffee disappears and the strawberry-mango yogurt cup he had grabbed from the fridge is empty and long gone. His fingers type away quickly at his quiet keyboard as he fills the slides with information that he needs to get across to the corporate visitors. Sales had been great this year, and it was his responsibility to explain to the higher ups what their branch is doing right and things that they think could help other branches to do better.

An hour passes much more quickly than Satoru would have liked, but Shoko is gone to her meeting in one of the conference rooms and suddenly Satoru’s phone rings. He rarely used it to talk to anyone outside of the office, so he was not surprised to see the name Utahime Iori on the screen. He smiles and grabs it before answering sweetly.

“Why good morning Utahime.” He says nicely.

“Gojo, I just finished up paperwork with the new hire, so I’m just giving you a heads up that he’s on his way, okay?” She responds, trying to avoid conversation as much as possible.

“Not even a good morning back?” Satoru responds, sounding hurt, all the while he has a smile on his face.

“Good morning.” She says, shortly. “He’s on his way, his name’s Suguru Geto. Bye.” She hangs up and the line goes blank.

“Hello? Utahime??” Satoru questions at the obviously ended phone call. He chuckles and hangs the phone back up. He hears a quiet set of footsteps walking on the other side of the wall to his back. He turns around and stands up just in time to see the long black haired man come around the corner. He’s wearing a black suit with a red patterned tie and wears his hair half up and half down. Satoru makes eye contact with him and he feels immediately nervous, as well as something he swears he’s never felt before.

“Um. hello, are you-” He starts, but Satoru stands there almost unable to move. Immediately, he feels like he knows this man from somewhere. He seemed so familiar to Satoru - his voice, his face, his eyes, even though he knew that he didn’t know this man. “-Gojo?” He finally finishes, quietly, unsure if he remembered his name correctly. The way he says his name sounds like velvet. He wants to hear him say his name over and over again.

“Yeah! Yeah, Satoru Gojo. But you can call me Satoru, if you want.” He says, breaking out of his thoughts, He sticks out his hand to shake it. Their hands meet in the middle and they both grip the other’s hand firmly. Both of their hands are warm, but Satoru feels like his hands are on fire. He smiles at the man in front of him, and he nods back, seemingly trying to put his name to memory. “What was your name again? Utahime told me but-” He trails off, waiting for the man to tell him his name.

“Suguru Geto.” He says, a soft smile painted on his face.

“Nice to meet you, Suguru.” Satoru says, bravely using his first name. His palms start to feel sweaty as he steps back into his cubicle. He is silently kicking himself as Suguru stands there quietly. “So, you can grab Shoko’s chair from over there, if you want and bring it on over here and we’ll get started. Oh, and you can set your stuff in the cubicle in front of hers, that one is going to be yours.” He says, pointing at the cubicle diagonal from his.

Suguru quickly sets his stuff down and decides to grab his chair instead of Shoko’s and wheels over to Satoru’s desk. “Good call, she might have killed me if she knew I told you to take her chair.” He smiles to himself towards his monitor as Suguru sits behind him, his jacket left behind in his cubicle, showing off his broad chest and shoulders in his grey button up.

“Yeah, definitely. That’s where Shoko sits?” Suguru asks, curiously.

“Yeah, um, do you know her?” Satoru asks, slightly confused as to why it sounds like Suguru knows who he’s talking about. He takes a silent deep breath, feeling his heart rate increase at seeing him without the jacket. Jesus Satoru, calm down he thinks to himself, waiting for Suguru to answer his question.

“Um yeah, she’s actually the one that got me this job.” He responds softly.

“No way! I went to school with her, she got me this job too.” Satoru responds, sounding way too excited.

Suguru chuckles softly at Satoru’s excitement and of course Satoru notices. He doesn’t know why, but he wants to make him do it again. The sound was like music to his ears. He takes a quick deep breath and quickly changes the subject. “So! Should we get started?” He doesn’t know what’s come over him. Normally he’s an incredibly extroverted person and would have no problem talking to new people, but he doesn’t want to say something wrong this time, and he doesn’t know why but he’s nervous.

He tries to calm down and opens up the website on his computer that the company uses for training new employees. This is something he’s done enough that he doesn’t really have to think about it, which is good because he can’t stop thinking about where he could maybe, possibly know this man from. It’s driving him insane, the immediate connection he somehow feels to this person that he’s never met before. He feels the tops of his ears get hot.

“Alright so, you get in here and I’ll sit behind you so you can see the monitor and work on the computer when you need to, and I can sit back here and mostly watch and answer questions if you need me to.” Satoru says, standing up and moving his chair to switch places with Suguru so that he can see the monitor better. Their arms brush up against each other in the tight cubicle space as they switch spots and Satoru feels like he’s going to lose his mind at the feeling.

He starts going through boring training videos and and every day procedures with him, trying to focus on training him for work, rather than just talking to him like normal. All he wants to do is learn about who this beautiful man is. Why would Shoko never tell me about him? Satoru thinks to himself as Suguru watches another video. Satoru sits behind him, organizing his drawer of pens to occupy himself until the video that he’s seen countless times comes to an end.

“So, is it all kinda making sense?” Satoru asks, closing the drawer and looking over at Suguru as he clicks to the next page.

“Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think I’ll just need to do it a couple times and I’ll be good.” He shoots back, confidently.

“Oh yeah, absolutely. You’re a natural.” Satoru says, earning a smile from Suguru, causing him to smile as well. “Okay, you can start the next video, but I’m gonna be right back, okay?” He stands up, putting both of his thumbs up as he creeps out of the cubicle.

“I’ll be here.” Suguru says, putting one hand up as Gojo walks around the corner of his cubicle and out into the hallway that leads towards the bathroom.

He quickly walks into the dark bathroom and the motion activated lights click on. He looks at himself in the mirror and takes a deep breath. “What the hell is your problem?” He whispers to himself in the mirror. He’s never felt this way about anyone except for this complete stranger. He wants to get to know him. He wants to get closer with him. He turns on the water and runs his hand under the cold water before holding it to his forehead and cheeks, trying to calm down. He takes another deep breath and runs his hand through his hair, fixing it, even though it didn’t need fixing.

“Calm down stupid, you’ve known the man for an hour and a half. Keep it together.” He says quietly in the mirror to himself once again before leaving the bathroom and heading back to his cubicle to continue training Suguru. He rounds the corner and Suguru perks up once he sees that Satoru is back.

“Oh good, you’re back! I got stuck on this page and I didn’t want to mess anything up, so I waited for you to get back.” Sugaru says, pointing at the screen. Satoru walks up behind him and grabs hold onto the mouse, clicking around to see what's going on, bent down next to Suguru. He hadn't been this close to him yet, even when they shook hands, he couldn’t smell his cologne. He can now smell the warm scent of cashmere but also pine coming off of him as he leans down next to him.

“Ugh I hate this thing. It signed us out, just a second.” Satoru says, before reaching in front of Suguru and pulling the keyboard to the side so that he could sign back in and they could keep working. Satoru sees Suguru sit back as he watches him get back to the place where they left off. Once he’s back, he slides the keyboard back in front of Suguru and pushes the mouse back to him. “There we go.” He says, slowly sitting back into his chair.

“Thanks.” Suguru says softly before getting back to the training.

The next hour and a half goes by without incident and thankfully without too much awkwardness between the two of them. Satoru is thankful for lunch so that he can get a break. He thinks about inviting Suguru to join him for lunch, but decides against it. He needs an hour to himself to think about why he’s feeling the way that he is, and what he thinks he’s going to do about it, if anything.

“So, we get an hour for lunch, you can stay here, go somewhere, whatever.” Satoru says, explaining to Suguru as they close out the training.

“Okay, thanks!” Suguru says, standing up and rolling his chair back to his cubicle. Satoru looks over as he puts his jacket on and walks out into the hallway. Gojo takes a deep breath and leans back in his chair, stretching his arms before standing up. He grabs his jacket and pulls it on before grabbing his phone and wallet and heading towards the front door. He pops his headphones in as he steps into the empty elevator and heads down to the lobby.

He clicks play on the last song that was playing as the doors open to the busy lobby. Satoru heads straight for the main doors and out onto the street, where he puts on his sunglasses as he steps outside. He takes a right and heads towards his favorite cafe to go for lunch during his work week. The walk is only a couple of blocks, but the air is cold and it turns Satoru’s cheeks and nose a rosy pink with the chill of the wind. I should have invited him. Satoru thinks, shoving his hands into his pockets and picking up the pace in his walk to the cafe. He probably thinks I don’t like him. Why was I acting like such a weirdo? The thoughts cloud his mind the entire duration of his walk.

He reaches out to pull the handle and the normal sound of the bell on the door makes its presence known as Satoru steps into the small cafe, gaining the attention of the young pink haired teenager behind the counter. “Hey Gojo!” He calls out as Satoru approaches the counter. “You want your usual?” He asks, already typing his normal order into the cash register.

“Yes please!” He replies, “and can I also get one of these? Actually- two of those. If I don’t get one for Shoko, she’ll kill me.” He replies, pointing to the delicious looking cupcakes in the display case.

“Alrighty then!.” The pink haired boy says, sliding open the case.

“Just you today, Yuji?” Gojo asks, pulling out his wallet while the total pops up on the screen in front of him on the counter.

“Yeah,” Yuji says with a sigh. “Megumi is off today, so just me!” He says, taking the cash that Satoru hands him. “No receipt, right?” Satoru shakes his head no, and Yuji crumples up the receipt and tosses it into the trash behind the counter. “Have a good rest of your day, Gojo!”

“You as well, Yuji.” He says in response as he grabs his food and heads to a table in the corner where he can sit down and relax for a bit before heading back to the office. He settles on his usual spot - the small table with two chairs in the back corner, and sits in the chair facing the front door so that he could once again people watch. He takes a bite of his sandwich before setting it back down and looking at his phone at a text from Utahime.

‘Geto is training for the rest of the day with Haibara once you’re back from lunch.’

Satoru reads this and feels relieved because now he can get his work done, but also disappointed that he wouldn’t get to be around Suguru for the rest of the day. He reacts to the message with a thumbs up and decides not to bother her anymore for once. He sets his phone down and looks up at the group of people that just came in from the street and he sees him.

Shit shit shit shit. Satoru thinks to himself. Should I go say something? No! He has a quick mental battle with himself. He doesn’t want to bother him outside of work, but he wants so desperately to get to know who Suguru Geto is. He watches from behind his sunglasses as Suguru approaches the counter and interacts with Yuji. Satoru notices his smile is soft as he orders and pays. He looks around and that’s when Satoru picks up his phone and starts looking at it again, trying to avoid possibly making eye contact with him.

Just from what Gojo can see in his periphery, Suguru seems to look around for a moment before he steps towards the front door and leaves the cafe, seemingly taking his food back to the office. Satoru breathes again as he realizes that he was holding his breath waiting to see what would happen. He wasn’t even sure what it was that he wanted to happen. If he would have noticed me, he would have said something, right? He thought to himself, sure that Suguru didn’t spot him over in the corner.

Satoru realizes that his hands are sweaty and wipes them on his pants, hurriedly. It’s fine He thinks again. He tries to finish his sandwich, but ends up getting sick of it after a few bites and wraps it up to take back to the office along with his cupcakes for him and Shoko. He gives Yuji a wave as he steps out onto the street to start his walk back to the office, an upbeat song once again playing in his ears.

He walks through the large front doors and heads towards the elevator, taking off his sunglasses and tucking them into his jacket pocket. He steps into the elevator and immediately notices Shoko this time and calls out her name.

“Oh, so you noticed me this time huh?” She teases as the doors close and they are the only two inside. He wants to ask her about Suguru, but he decides that it’s better that he doesn't - at least for now.

“How was your meeting?” He responds, choosing to ignore her statement. He takes her deep sigh as her answer. “That bad, huh?” He asks, the elevator starting to quickly climb.

“It was just a bunch of old creepy men and I just kept getting talked over the whole time.” She says, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms, obviously annoyed. Satoru shakes his head, knowing that she’s not exaggerating. He’s been in those meetings and they just don’t care to hear what she has to say. It’s extremely frustrating and he tries his best to help when he’s there.

“Well… It’s not that much, but I got you a little treat.” He says, handing the cupcake box to her as the elevator reaches the 36th floor and comes to a stop. Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open in a smile as she reaches out and grabs the small box.

The elevator doors open and they step out, walking down the hallway together. Satoru uses his key card and opens the door once again, following Shoko inside. Satoru heads straight back to his cubicle to see if Suguru is at his desk. To his disappointment, he isn’t. Satoru sits down at his desk and unlocks his computer to get working on his presentation for later in the month. He checks his email and sees that thankfully, the marketing department sent him all of their reports that he needed for his presentation. He hears Shoko sit back down into her chair as he’s working diligently.

“Where’s your trainee?” He hears Shoko say over the sound of the music in his ear. He takes out his headphone and turns his head.

“He’s with Yu for the rest of the day. Guess they want him to learn different positions.” He says, and it comes out more disappointed sounding than he meant it to. “I’m just happy they’re giving me time to focus on my own work. I’m more behind now, but I think I can catch up by the end of the day if I just focus.” He says, turning his head back to the monitor in front of him.

He doesn’t see Shoko raise her eyebrows at his change in attitude all of a sudden. She grabs a pen and a sticky note and writes “Do Not Disturb! Satoru Gojo hard at work! >:(” and rolls across the aisle, sticking it to the outside of his cubicle with a smile on her face that goes completely unnoticed by Satoru.

The final hours of the day slip by faster than Satoru would have liked, but he feels good with where he’s left off on his work. He leans back in his chair and stretches his arms out before glancing over at Suguru’s cubicle once more, only to see it still empty. Hmph. He lets out quietly, hoping that he would be able to say goodbye at least before heading home for the day. He looks over to see Shoko is long gone, her computer already off and monitor black. He smiles to himself as he stands up, grabbing his jacket off of the back of his chair and throwing it on before grabbing his bag from underneath his desk and slinging it over his shoulder. He grabs his empty coffee cup from the morning and finally tosses it into the garbage on his way out the door.

Satoru takes one last look around to see if he notices Suguru anywhere, but he’s nowhere to be seen. He’s probably gone home idiot. He thinks to himself, looking down at his watch. The day was technically over 15 minutes ago. He walks out the front door, saying goodbye to lingering coworkers on his way out. He makes sure to grab his sandwich from the fridge and shoves it into his bag, making sure to grab his cupcake as well.

For the last time of the day, he steps into the elevator, alone this time, and pops his headphones in, ready for the commute home. The elevator makes a couple stops to pick up people from other floors also on their way down, but the ride isn’t too long to the lobby. Satoru steps out of the elevator and makes his way towards the front doors. He begins his short walk back to the train station, once again walking to the beat of the music playing in his ears.

He sees the train is already at the station as he’s walking up, and he begins to take a bit longer strides as he tries not to miss the train, but eventually, just misses it.

“Shit.” He hisses as he looks around for an open bench to wait on. A woman and her son sit on the bench directly behind him, so he finds an empty one slightly further down the station and sits down. He decides to text Utahime, who is probably still at the office.

‘Hiii Utahime, Just wondering if I was going to be training him again tomorrow morning :)’

He clicks send and almost immediately the three bubbles pop up to indicate that she’s typing.

‘Yeah, he said that he liked training with you, which surprised me. Now leave me alone and go home.’

Satoru feels his face get red. He what? He thinks, a smile creeping onto his face. Don’t be crazy. With a stupidly excited grin, he rubs along his jaw, bringing his bottom lip in between hit teeth to try to bite back his smile. He can’t help but read the text over and over again to make sure that he understood correctly, and no matter how many times he reads it, it’s always the same message. He liked training with me? A voice comes over the speaker announcing that the train will soon be arriving in the station. Satoru stands up, straightening out his jacket while trying to suppress the goofy smile on his face.

He steps onto the train and picks a seat close to the door. His short train ride was of course filled with people watching and imagining what their days are like. Finally, his stop arrives and he steps back out into the cool air and begins his walk back to his apartment. He can’t stop smiling to himself on the way home, just excited to go back and see him the next day.

I have to invite him to lunch. He thinks to himself. They went to the same cafe, it was only polite to, right? Satoru opens the front door of his building and heads towards the elevator. He clicks the up arrow and waits for the ding and the doors slowly open. He steps inside the empty elevator and clicks the button for the 36th floor - same as the office, funnily enough. It makes it really easy to remember where you live and work when it’s the same number. He enjoyed being up so high, able to see all the beautiful lights of the city of Tokyo from his home.

Satoru grabs his keys out of his pocket as he approaches his door, and easily unlocks the door without any trouble. He steps inside and calls out. “Shiro, I’m home!” He hears a small meow followed by a thud and the patter of paws padding out to greet him. “There’s my girl! Are you hungry?” She responds with a meow as Satoru sets his bag down and kicks off his shoes before stepping towards the kitchen and pulling out a can of wet food for the cat. A constant stream of meows fill the room until Satoru finally sets down the food for her. “Yeah yeah! I’m getting there!” He calls out to her as she yowls up at him from his feet. He sets down the bowl in its normal spot and Shiro digs in. “You act like you’ve never eaten before.” He says as he picks up his bag and shoes and heads into his bedroom. He sets his shoes back in their spot and hangs his bag on the hook on the back of his door.

Satoru starts by taking off his jacket and hanging it up, followed by shedding the rest of his suit and clothing down to nothing but his underwear. He walks out of the closet, taking a quick look in the mirror with a smile on his way by to the bathroom. He turns on the shower and stands there while it heats up, thinking about his day, about how good this shower was going to feel, about Suguru. He takes a deep breath before shedding his final layer and stepping into the steamy shower. He lets the hot water run down over his hair and face before he rubs his face with his hands, still smiling over the day.

“You need to chill out.” He says out loud to himself in the shower. He runs his fingers through his hair and goes through the normal order of things in his after-work shower. He takes a deep breath and tries to relax his muscles as the hot water runs over his shoulders and down his back. The pressure of the water feeling good on his back, which is sore from sitting in his chair hunched over all day. He closes his eyes and lets the water run over his tired muscles for a minute before finally turning around and turning the water off. He shakes his hands through his hair, trying to get as much water out as possible.

Satoru grabs his towel from the hook on the wall and uses it to dry off before wrapping it low around his waist. He opens the bathroom door and makes his way over to his dresser to pull out some sweat pants and a black tshirt.

After putting on his moisturizer and getting redressed after his shower, Satoru makes his way back out into the kitchen. “What should I have for dinner, Shi?” He asks the fluffy cat, but mostly to himself as he opens the fridge to check what he has. After checking the pantry, he decides that he has the correct ingredients to make some lemon pepper salmon with rice, so he starts pulling out ingredients and in less than an hour later, he’s plating up and setting it on his dining room table. He takes a quick picture, satisfied with his work before he sits down and starts eating.

“This is delicious!” He says into the empty apartment to himself. He smiles to himself as he finishes up his dinner and decides to wind down by watching something in the living room. He turns the tv on and picks up his phone before queuing anything up and sees a text from Shoko.

‘You didn’t tell me that you were training Geto!!!’

He reads the text and his heart rate immediately picks up again. Is he talking about me to Shoko? Races through his mind and he begins typing a response.

‘You never asked ¯\_(ツ)_/¯’ He clicks send and immediately sees Shoko typing. He didn’t think to mention that he had in fact mentioned that he knew her. Not only that, but that she got him the job, similarly to how she had also gotten him the job.

‘Dude!!!’

Satoru is confused as to what she’s getting at.

‘???’ He sends back.

‘Why didn’t you tell me??’

‘Idk, didn’t really realize that I needed to.’

‘Okay, I’ll talk to you tomorrow!’ She finishes with.

“Weirdo.” Satoru says out loud to himself before setting his phone to the side and picking a random movie from his collection and pressing play, just to have something playing. He props his feet up on the coffee table and interlocks his fingers behind his head as he sits back, thinking about Suguru once again. He stares up at the ceiling, remembering how nice he smelled, how nice he looked. He feels a soft movement from the other side of the couch as Shiro makes her way over to plop herself down right on Satoru’s lap.

“What the hell am I gonna do, Shi?” He asks, still looking up at the ceiling before bringing down one of his hands to pet the cat, who was happily leaning into the pets that she was getting. He smiles down at the fluffy white cat in his lap and paints his attention back up to the tv where his movie continued to play. Satoru spends his Monday evening watching movies and eating the cupcake from his favorite cafe, all while being unable to stop thinking about Suguru Geto.

About three movies and enough sugar to send a child into a sugar rush, Satoru looks at this phone once again. Empty of notifications and the time reads 10:31. “Guess I should get ready for bed, huh baby?” He says as the cat follows him into his bedroom. He flicks off the lamps as he walks by, leaving his living room lit up by nothing but the moon and the lights of downtown Tokyo down below. He turns on the lamp on his nightstand before stepping into the bathroom for one last time to brush his teeth.

He walks out of the bathroom over to his windows. He sits down for a moment in the arm chair in the corner of his room and looks out the window. He enjoyed doing this before bed, just to relax a little bit. He liked to think about all the lives of everyone he could see from his window. Every person he can see has their own life that he will never know about. Satoru takes one last look at the busy street below and stands up and walks slowly over to his bed, yawning as he does so.

Pulling back the comforter, he climbs into his bed. Shiro jumps onto the bed and lays down close to his feet. Satoru throws the comforter over himself and grabs his phone from the nightstand, turning off the lamp as well. He opens up his text message with Utahime one more time just to smile and read that Suguru enjoyed being with him today. He thinks once more about how he also had mentioned him to Shoko. Satoru makes sure his alarms are set for the morning before turning on some brown noise to help him sleep.

Last, Satoru sets his phone on the night stand and can’t help but smile excitedly into his pillow. He was excited for the day ahead of him for tomorrow. Finally, something to look forward to outside of the monotony of a typically boring office job.

chapter 2

#satosugu #stsg #gojo satoru #satoru gojo #geto suguru #suguru geto #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #office au #4littlefishies #the 36th floor

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brucebocchi · 11 months ago

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Ranking every new anime I watched in 2023, Pt. 3: #10-6

hey, i just started a ko-fi for my writing and possible other creative outlets. this post will also be available there, so please check it out and consider tipping/donating as i'm currently between jobs. the tumblr version of part 1 can be found here and part 2 here.

I didn't mean to drag this out quite so much, but I ended up writing a TON for the top 10, so for the sake of everyone's attention spans (and so I can buy some time to finish my top two) I broke it up into two more posts.

ALSO! I've embedded a link to each show's OP in the title of each entry. I wanted to give more of a visual element to each show outside of the header images, plus there have been some incredible OPs this year. I've gone back and edited them into the prior posts as well.

10. Trigun Stampede

It’s funny, I had fond memories of watching Trigun on Adult Swim in my adolescence, to the point where I used to count it among my all-time favorite anime for a while, but I didn't realize until this year that I hadn't actually sat down and watched it from beginning to end. It’s honestly a very uneven watch, and it’s clearly split into two parts: The first, a dieselpunk western revolving around a mysterious goofball with a big-ass gun and a bounty on his head, and the second a slightly more somber revenge quest as he is forced to survive his way past a rogues gallery while vowing not to take any lives. Still, it was a hit among western anime fans for a reason, and it was formative to me even back when I thought anime was kinda cringe.

Trigun Stampede is far from a faithful reinterpretation of Yasuhiro Nightow’s manga nor of the original Madhouse production. Meryl Stryfe is no longer a jaded veteran insurance adjuster but a much younger muckraking journalist. She’s no longer tailed by the gentle giantess Milly Thompson, but rather following her senpai, the gruff, bleary-eyed Roberto De Niro (the names in Trigun have always rocked). Nicholas D. Wolfwood isn’t an affable priest with a dark past; he’s all dark past now. And Vash the Stampede, now rocking a fuckboy undercut, is less of a mercurial wisecracker with a soft side and more of a reluctant gunman freaking it in a sensitive style.

Stampede wastes no time differentiating itself from any previous version of Trigun. Vash’s history is no longer a mystery waiting to be uncovered; it’s a driving factor of the plot as his brother Knives seeks revenge on humankind for their use and exploitation of “plants,” an alien race to which the two seem to be connected, as an energy source. This was always an element of the original anime that I felt went unexplored, so it was fascinating to see Stampede dive right in. It’s a great introduction to the story for people who haven’t seen the original, and full of unexpected turns for existing fans. It’s still built on the bones of Trigun as we know it, but it is very much its own thing.

People made a lot of hay about Vash’s new appearance, but I think it works. The huge pleather trench coat, spiky flat-top, and tiny glasses remain an iconic 90s design, but I believe the 90s is where it belongs. This take on Vash is just as capable but much more self-effacing, tortured, and averse to violence. This is a younger Vash, and it’s clear that his history with Knives is a much fresher wound, rather than the dull, nagging ache in the original. This is a gentler (but no less talented) Vash, so I think the softboy look suits him this time around.

I also spent most of the season quietly insisting to myself that the original version of Meryl is much better (and cuter) than the Stampede variant, and I still stand by that, but the updated version definitely grew on me. I mean, just look at that hat. But it’s clear from the jump that Stampede’s first season is very early in this version of the Trigun story (you may notice that the bounty on Vash’s head is much, much less than the famous 60 billion double-dollars), and Meryl has some growing to do (and presumably a whole lot of professional frustration) before she becomes something like the one we knew and loved around the turn of the 21st Century.

I’m still yet to watch Beastars, but it’s immediately apparent why Studio Orange was entrusted with the Trigun IP. This show looks incredible. This is some of the best CG animation I’ve ever seen outside of a Pixar or Spider-Verse movie. Characters are amazingly expressive and oscillate between naturalistic, weighty movement and cartoony flailing. Action scenes are inventive and dynamic and stand up to even the wildest sakuga. And yet, it still looks like an anime. It still retains the classic 24fps look and even occasionally trades in the CGI for hand-drawn animation for effect. We are long past the botched Berserk revival: This is what CGI anime should look like.

It’s plainly obvious that Trigun has always carried influences from landmark western media like Mad Max and Dune (not to mention Fist of the North Star, but that one always wore its Mad Max influence on its sleeve), so it’s been an unexpected delight to see those influences take a new shape now that both franchises have seen major updates since the last iteration of Trigun went off the air. For all of the alien technology and technicolor glowing lights, Trigun takes place entirely in a desert setting, and it’s impossible to see these chase scenes and not immediately think of Fury Road, or halfway expect to see Villanueve’s take on the Fremen popping out of the dust clouds.

Stampede is a very welcome entry to a franchise long believed to be well and truly over, and the more eyeballs on Trigun, the better. It’s evident by the end of this season that this take on the story is only just beginning, and it has already taken unexpected departures from the story as we already knew it. I can’t wait to see where it goes from here, but that’s mostly because we have confirmation that Milly will be in the next season. It can’t get here quickly enough.

9. Insomniacs After School

I watched and read a frankly absurd amount of romance-centric anime and manga this year, especially of the slice-of-life variety, to the point where even by the early summer I thought I'd had my fill. I'm overjoyed to say that Insomniacs After School proved me dead wrong.

What a treat this was. It's a simple enough premise: A boy with insomnia is sent on an errand to his high school’s abandoned observatory, where he finds a classmate sleeping because she suffers from insomnia as well. They quickly find out that the observatory is a perfectly quiet environment for the both of them, and that they actually get restful sleep around one another. In order to get away with making use of the area, they resurrect the school’s astronomy club and find a genuine love for astrophotography and, you guessed it, one another.

You couldn’t have picked a more apt studio to adapt this work than Liden Films. Call of the Night made a splash last year for its saturated, vibey nightscapes, and Insomniacs’ gorgeous astral visuals carry that mantle. The nighttime backdrops of the quiet suburbs, wide-open beaches, and lush countryside are nothing short of stunning, and Isaki’s adolescent wonder at the world’s hidden beauties reminded me, and I do not say this lightly, of something Miyazaki would’ve animated.

On a couple of occasions this year, I’ve been able to step back from an anime, take a breath, and simply say “That was beautiful.” Insomniacs gave me one such occasion. Even putting the visuals aside, the story itself is lovely and would have made this the feel-good anime of the year, if not for the next entry on this ranking. I would have more to say, but Insomniacs After School speaks for itself. Give it a shot.

8. Skip and Loafer

There are so many standalone adjectives I could use to describe this one, and most of them are ones that would normally make me want to impulsively run the other way like “comfy,” “feel-good,” “wholesome,” what have you, but I think the most comprehensively I can boil it down to a single word is “lovely.” Everything about it just gives you the warm fuzzies, and almost makes me think that the “I want more stories with no conflict” dorks might actually be onto something.

It’s a simple one: Mitsumi, a dorky teenage go-getter with her entire life planned out, moves to Tokyo from her no-horse beach town to attend one of the country’s best prep schools, but much like everyone who played the first two hours of Persona 5, she quickly gets lost in Shibuya’s subway station on the first day of school. She runs into Sousuke Shima, a laid-back boy from the same school who’s also running late, because that’s, like, what he does, and manages to wrangle him into running to school with her.

Mitsumi quickly draws attention from her classmates, not only from delivering a speech as the incoming class representative (and subsequently barfing all over her teacher), but because she inadvertently made fast friends with the hottest, most popular first-year in the school. This attracts the attention of social climbers and jealous hangers-on, but Mitsumi hardly notices. She’s used to knowing everyone in her school back home, so she wastes no time reaching out and seeing what’s up with anyone who’ll give her the time of day.

A lot of Skip and Loafer revolves around the roles for which we think we’re destined in a controlled social environment like high school, and how easily the preconceptions you have of other people can be shattered if you just get to, like, talk to them for 20 seconds. Mitsumi’s friend group quickly fills itself out with people who wouldn’t give each other so much as a passing glance at first, but come together so naturally that you almost can’t believe they weren’t friends already.

Shima, for his part, also struggles with those preconceptions; for as laid-back as he seems on the surface, he’s a habitual people pleaser and is constantly playing a role. He’s so caught up in the performance that he doesn’t quite know what’s going on half the time or how he really feels about most things. Mitsumi is so naturally magnetic, though, that he does seem to genuinely enjoy his time with her, and vice versa. You can see where this is headed, if the gorgeously-animated dances they do together in the OP weren’t enough of a tell.

Everything about Skip and Loafer is just downright pleasant. Character models are simple and sketchy, the color palette is awash in pastels and neutral tones, and the soundtrack is peppy and whimsical. It’s a warm hug of a series, and at no point does it feel cloying or manipulative. High school slice-of-life is pretty bloated as a genre, and I watched a ton of those this year, but there’s just something so charming and magnetic about Skip and Loafer that instills in me a sort of false nostalgia for the ideal high school experience I never had.

Also: Nao-chan. Exceptional trans representation. We do not get enough of that in anime and she is a breath of fresh fucking air. I would die for her.

7. The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You

And now for something much less wholesome.

I really don’t seek out harem anime. Tenchi Muyo was formative to me as a tween, and a rewatch last year ended up being a major catalyst in getting me back into anime, but despite it being widely considered the second-ever harem anime, it hasn’t left much of a legacy in the ones that followed. Harem anime from the 00s onward has largely been formulaic wish-fulfillment slop that runs itself in circles as a perpetual money-making machine rather than developing any sort of plot (see: Hina, Love and Girlfriend, Rent-a-). I know I covered Girlfriend Girlfriend earlier, and while that’s nothing like Tenchi either, it does scratch an ever-present itch for stupid, madcap, relentless anime bullshit.

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, [...] Really Love You, meanwhile, sees that itch and takes a fucking chainsaw to it. To say everything about it is over-the-top would be an understatement: The top is Hyakkano’s floor. This show gives you everything you could ever want in a harem comedy, but to the extreme: It is your dad making you smoke the whole carton. It is Hell’s donut machine, and you are Homer Simpson. Satire is often at its best when it pushes the boundaries of absurdity, and 100 Girlfriends revels in that push like a horny bulldozer. This is not genre subversion, it’s genre explosion.

The headcount isn’t the only wildly outsized element of this series; every single member of the titular harem, each a tick on the checklist of every -dere archetype you can imagine, pushes the slider of each of their character tropes so far to the right it’s breaking the track. The deredere is a ball of deranged horniness, the tsundere betrays her intentions so compulsively that she’s functionally incapable of lying, and the kuudere is so robotically devoted to pure efficiency that it’s salient to mention that her name is literally pronounced “Nano A.I.” If you can think of an anime girl archetype, she is in this (or will be in future seasons), and she is the apotheosis.

And yet, this show still bothers to make each one of them an actual character. Harem anime has such a low bar to clear on that front, yet most entries in the genre still bang their dicks against it. Hyakkano's titular girlfriends, at least the ones introduced in the first season, are actual characters with actual backgrounds, actual motivations, actual growth, and actual reasons to like the protagonist beside the premise. They’re all founded on stock anime tropes, to be sure, but the original manga’s author actually put in the work to give them, you know, personalities. And above almost all else, they actually like each other too! This isn’t exactly a full-on polycule (though two of the girls are prone to making out with each other on occasion), but for as deeply weird as this family unit is on paper, they actually come across as a group of people who love and care for each other rather than everyone cattily jockeying for the same position.

And not for nothing, but Rentaro is easily one of the best harem protagonists I’ve ever seen, and again, this is coming from a Tenchi Muyo fan. I do enjoy Naoya’s over-the-top earnestness in Girlfriend Girlfriend, but Rentaro is the gigachad version. He is exceedingly patient, kind, and understanding of each of these girls’ unique quirks and qualities and quickly grows to learn to manage them in conflict and help them work through their insecurities, and he loves them back in kind and puts in the work to make equal time for each of them. He doesn’t want to “fix” these girls; he sees them for who they are and proactively does everything in his power to accommodate them. He's like if Tadano from Komi Can’t Communicate actually got the harem he deserved. Putting aside the fact that he’s, y’know, 100-timing his girlfriends, he comes across as just a really good partner.

I also want to be clear: For its rampant, fanservice-laden anime bullshit, this show is genuinely hilarious. It’s not some kind of “how did this shit even get made” trainwreck; it is a comedy first and foremost, and the comedy hits exactly as intended. The comic pacing is buckwild, the visual gags are so rampant that they’re almost difficult to keep up with, and the translators, at least in the version I watched, did an outstanding job of localizing the constant wordplay. It’s also so unapologetic in its horniness that you can’t help but admire it a bit; 100 Girlfriends knows exactly what it’s about, and it dares you to say something.

There’s a very good chance this won’t be for you. 100 Girlfriends is constantly pushing the boundaries of good taste, but never in an offensive way and never truly at its characters’ expense. Geoff Thew calls it the “most 'harem' harem anime,” but I'd argue that it’s the most "anime" anime: It is every trope you’ve ever seen in romcom anime cranked up to a thousand and smushed up against your nose. This shit hits like Panera lemonade. It is peak trash. If you have a tolerance for anime bullshit, this show may very well test that, but I still cannot recommend it enough.

6. Heavenly Delusion

Didn’t think I’d be getting into more than one post-apocalyptic anime this year, but I’d seen this one recommended so many times that I felt this list would be incomplete if I didn’t watch it. Don’t ask me about Pluto.

Heavenly Delusion (Hulu lists it under its Japanese title, Tengoku Daimakyo, for some reason) splits its runtime between two different stories: The first, a pair of young travelers making their way across a ruined Japan in search of nebulous goals neither is sure even exist; the second surrounding a group of adolescents in an unnervingly idyllic walled garden in some sort of school setting. The narrative flips between these two sporadically, rarely ever showing its hand in how they are even remotely connected.

On the post-apocalypse side, we follow Maru and his bodyguard-for-hire, Kiruko, as they trek across the country to deliver Maru to someplace called “Heaven,” while at the same time, Kiruko is in search of a pair of men from their youth. They are often beset by bandits, cults, and most crucially, horrifying monsters called “Man-Eaters,” which Maru has the unique ability to kill. On the school side, we see a group of gender-ambiguous kids in an enclosed space, constantly monitored and kept in a very controlled environment. Everything feels… wrong. Nobody seems entirely human. There is a lingering and seemingly taboo curiosity about what lies outside the walls. I hesitate to say any more.

There is phenomenal human drama in here, and sparks so many conversations about transhumanism and human nature, gender, trauma, community, all things I’m not smart enough to really dive into. But to even address these topics here is to give the game away, and Heavenly Delusion is a story better left unspoiled, even if, a full season in, I’m still not 100% sure what’s going on.

This show is gorgeous in ways I’m still struggling to articulate. The character designs, animation, lighting, and cinematography are so immaculate that I repeatedly had to remind myself that I wasn't watching a movie. Heavenly Delusion looks like a grungy Shinkai film: Character models are immaculately realized and fluidly animated, the light and shadow effects are some of the best I’ve ever seen in TV animation, and action sequences are visceral and unpredictable. Maybe all I needed to say is that it was made by much of the same Production IG staff in charge of Psycho-Pass.

I want to say as little about what happens as possible, because the mystery is the main draw of Heavenly Delusion, but I feel the need to warn that there is a very dark and sour turn near the end of the season in the form of some strongly implied sexual violence. It was thematically unnecessary, and once that side of things is resolved, everyone just kinda… moves past it. It doesn’t ruin the show, I still recommend it heartily, but be forewarned. I found it upsetting, but more in the “did this REALLY need to be in there?” sense. The mounting tension and slowly-unfolding existential horror in this series are otherwise expertly woven into the narrative, and this part landed with a wet thud.

This is a much longer story than most of the season would have you believe, and it ends with far more questions than answers. One side of the story leaves off with an open end, and the other with a massive cliffhanger, which left me a little cold but with interest piqued for the next season. For what it is right now, though, Heavenly Delusion is a nearly perfect, endlessly thought-provoking mystery and one of the most gorgeously ugly things I’ve seen this year.

#anime reviews

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lifetimeoftired · 3 months ago

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Now I rarely do character design, or draw for that matter, but when it came to Anthem of Our Dying Day, I felt a little inspired. Sam and Dani (called Elli in-story) haven't shown up yet, and won't for a few more chapters still, but they and Danny got the most changes to their overall designs. Yes because it's been 7 years since the events of the show, but the changes are for reasons that will eventually be explained in-story. I have more designs in mind of course, but I gave my poor hand a cramp doing just these three. So I'll have to come back with Jason's ghost form and Danny's eldritch form (possibly an update to Valerie's look, but honestly her outfit in the later episodes was incredible I don't think I can improve on that in any way shape or form) at a later date.

Anyway, thoughts behind why I gave them the designs that I did are A Lot so I figured I'd ramble in a tumblr post instead of in the AN's.

Danny:

Listen to me. Listen. This man was raised on the vibes of the 90s and early 2000s. Long trench coats were PEAK fashion back then. We all saw the Matrix. Danny also was dragged to the Underworld movies multiple times while dating Sam (who's opinions on those movies are radioactive because they are cult classics and I'll die on this hill). So Danny absolutely thinks trench coasts are cool as shit and make him look cooler. And listen to me very carefully; They're still peak fashion. Slapping a leather trench coat on a mildly gothic character and you have cinema. Also he has a hood because hey! Hoods are so cool and perfect for us 90s kids.

As for the color choices, I didn't want to change too much from the classic black and white hazmat suit but honestly? He really makes it work. I also added the green because the color pop looked cool as shit but also because I felt like, as Danny gets older, he starts to produce his own ectoplasm in ghost form and, similar to how some ghosts have 'flaming hair' to show off their power levels, Danny's over production of ecto culminates within his outfit. This is in part due to him becoming the prince of the Infinite Realms, but also he's just a strong mfer.

Why's the coat torn? Spoiler reasons.

Sam:

I'm actually really pleased by hers turned out because she was the one I was the least set on. The main vibes I wanted from Sam (who's hero name is 'Nightshade' btw) was 'Mad Nature Scientist'.

It's not easy to see, but the mask is actually meant to be flower petals like her skirt. The buttons on her lab coat are also leaves. This is in reference to her time as Undergrowth's chosen and of course her love of the environment, but she's also liminal enough to have a special way with plants. Not to the extreme Poison Ivy does (much to her dismay), but they're important to her and she wouldn't have a hero suit without them I believe.

As for the science bits, in story she's working with the Fentons to study ghosts. Also helps test their weapons (all non-lethal and exist to help her keep up with stronger ghosts), as well as picking up a lot of science-related skills thanks to her years of studying various biology in college and working with Jack and Maddie for several years. While Danny tends to handle the big fights while she runs support, but she's also acting as the brains when it comes to ecto poisoning, making more ecto-dejecto and understanding how ectoplasm reacts with living beings.

The corset is, of course, because she's goth. Why cover her up so much aside from the tiny tit window? That's story-related reasons and we'll get there when we get there.

Dani:

My favorite outfit of the bunch tbh.

In-story Ellie (so I the writer don't get confused by two Dan-es) did eventually return to Amity Park and settled in to be adopted by the Fentons and go to school for realsies and in general get to live something of a normal life. But I maintain that Sam (Valerie too, but Sam was dating Danny and around quite a lot) was a big influence on Ellie once she settled in. She's more 'punk' than 'goth', but finding herself through changing up her fashion was heavily encouraged by Sam. And, of course, Danny's protective older brother dismay. Which is honestly a huge bonus to her.

Like Danny, she produces a lot of her own ectoplasm, but less than he does. And her's is a lot less pure so hers is a different green- She's not too broken up about it because it shows that she is different than her 'template', but also because it matches Sam's green better. (Sam and Danny might not be dating anymore, but Ellie still considers her to be an older sister figure and being more like Sam delights her). She does have 'fire' flicks on her clothes and tbh I actually messed up coloring those. I meant to stop coloring partway up to give a bit of a fade to white effect and make the flames white the same as her shirt, but, alas. I don't think the all black boots and gloves look bad at all.

As for the hair, Ellie's core has an element same as Danny's, but hers is Air. And being that her hero name in Wraith, I really wanted to go for, kind of a ghostly floating/flickering fire long streak. More like Starfire's big curly hair from the comics the shows are cowards give her the poofy hair back!. Also the 'non ghost' hair cut uuuh, I'm not an artits but it was supposed to be that side braid with bangs that fall over? But yeah that's her hair when she's in human form.

That's about everything for now! I'll definitely be coming back to this with more designs once I've jotted them down. Hope to get chapter 3 out soon but that fucker is fighting dirty :(

#dc x dp #danny phantom #danny fenton #sam manson #dani phantom #aged up characters #character design #my fics #my art

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seeingteacupsindragons · 1 year ago

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I keep thinking about this photo and the way Miyoshi characterized them with their new, modern outfits so well.

Miyoshi has talked actually quite a bit about the character designs for the characters in this series, and it's very obvious how much thought and care was put into each of them--to the point of having Billy designed before chapter one.

And I think that's really reflective here, even in these normally impossible outfit choices.

Let's start with Louis: He's the only brother wearing color (blue jacket, orangey-brown boots), as William and Albert are both in head-to-toe neutrals. Louis has a lot of that, too, but Louis has this thing going on where...none...of his clothes...quite...go...together.

He's wearing what looks to be joggers??? With a very nice ribbed turtleneck sweater. Just wildly clashing formality levels here. And a nice hooded duffle jacket, which falls in a weird formality level between those two extremes and doesn't quite work with the turtleneck. A hooded jacket and turtleneck is, ah, not what one would consider a particularly "fashionable" choice. And then's he wearing what looks like hiking work boots. Those are not fashion boots, either, and they're not sneakers.

My point is, what even is this combo? He looks like he got dressed in the first things his hands grabbed out of the closet and then shoved the only pair of shoes by the door on his feet on his way out of the door--his pants are tucked into them, but lazily. The shoes have fake elastic laces, which look childish and are also lazy. He does not care.

And Louis has never been one for looks over practicality: he scarred his own face because it was expedient and useful. And yet there's a pop of color and life to him that his brothers and their mental issues don't quite have. A childishness to the rushed mismatch of things and the most casual clothes any of the brothers have.

William will be quicker, mostly because I already talked about the fact that's he's dressed like a beatnik, a subculture known for its focus on art, anti-commercialism, and equality. So. Yeah.

But William also looks a little like Louis in that he probably doesn't care much about his appearance: he probably has a closet just full of all black clothing he can always match and a neutral, plain trench with no adornment.

He's also dressed to attract as little attention as possible. He's attractive, of course, and his clothes look nice and fit well. But they're incredibly unremarkable, with no accessories or styling to them. No sparks of bright colors. Just there, fitting in, going unnoticed, much like his regular ol' suit in the main canon. If he dressed like Louis, it would attract attention by being different so he puts a little more effort in.

And last, Albert. Albert is the only one of his brothers wearing accessories: that scarf is a fashion scarf, not a functional one (for all that it seems a little chilly, as they're all wearing coats over what appear to be sweaters). He has gloves. I think I've seen those fashion booties in the Women's department. His collar is popped and his pants are cuffed.

But none of those are flashy, expensive accessories. He's not got a 2k dollar watch or cufflinks or furs or even any color. He's in neutrals just like William, and his clothes are rather plain. But the focus with him is on the way he wears them: he's put effort into the scarf and gloves and making sure those very closely fitting pants go OVER the boots and then cuffed them to show off the boots even though they don't appear long enough to need the cuffing for height (and he's mfing tall, like, finding pants for those legs must be hard enough). He looks nice, he looks fashionable and neat and well-cared for...but he doesn't look like a dandy. He's not trying to peacock around. It's a very subtle, classy way to look well-dressed without feeling like a misuse of funds or rubbing it in anyone's face.

None of Louis's items of clothing go together, but it's all very practical and it functions, and that's what matters, right?

All of William's clothing goes together because he bought the blandest items possible because he doesn't want to think about himself or have other people think about him. He's busy thinking about Math and Sherlock.

Albert wants to be classy and subtly fashionable without being an ostentatious asshole.

And it all just works really for their personalities, and I just love the attention and care put into things like that to make sure you can really feel and recognize the characters from a glance (like when Miyoshi was discussing the importance of giving William and Sherlock such distinct silhouettes despite being the same size and width).

It's a lot of work, and work well done, so I want to appreciate it all with you.

#Moriarty the Patriot #Yuukoku no Moriarty #William James Moriarty #Albert James Moriarty #Louis James Moriarty #character design

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wayfayrr · 1 year ago

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aaaaaaahhh all i can think of is like- most isekai fics I've seen for some reason [i mean understandably] the reader is wearing their pajamas, but after visiting the modern world they can finally show the chain what they actually like wearing, [i can see this going in so many ways, depending on who is reacting, and especially depending on what aesthetic the reader likes to dress in. for the sake of the request ill keep it as dark academia, cause i love it so muchhhh [not so much in the summer, but i make it work lol] with time? [just imagining reader with a tie and just wearing business casual w a trenchcoat frrrrrrrr- might draw this kind of thing and send it to you lol]

Anon I hope you know this ask had me in an absolute chokehold. OUJDFNBJNF ✨I LIVE FOR DARK ACADEMIA AESTHETICS!!!✨ My trenchcoat is one of my favourite things I own. So I get your pain in summer as well 🥹

“Hey Time, have you seen Wild anywhere? He borrowed my laptop and I really need it back.”

“I haven’t sorry [nam]-... Is that what you wear normally? You look incredible.”

“Pretty much, yeah? Why, is there an issue with it?”

Time’s blushing. Is what I’m wearing really that impressive because I know he’s not blushing over what I’m wearing being revealing. A trenchcoat that goes down to my calves with the rest of my clothes? Does he just think I’m attractive or something?

“No, no issue. You look good in it, it’s just very different to what you arrived in Hyrule wearing.”

“I know, like I said then those were my pyjamas. These are my casual clothes.”

Well, his blush has only gotten worse from that, so he is clearly struggling with how my clothes look on me. Dark academia doesn’t exist in Hyrule I know that, but really he’s struggling far more than anyone else has with my fashion sense.

“Do you think you could help me choose some clothes like that? I’d like to match wit.. I think that style would suit me.”

“If you’d like, we can go shopping for you later. After I get my laptop back and finish off this report I have due.”

Laughing at how he's stumbling over himself to ask me these questions simply isn't an option, no matter how hard it is to hold myself back. He's asking so genuinely and so sweetly and who knows maybe getting some new clothes could help him adjust to this world more easily, I mean it certainly helped me when I was in Hyrule. How different could it be for time?

It didn't take too long to find wild after talking to time, and even less to finish off the work I had to do, now it’s just down to taking time shopping.

“So you want to look like you belong with a shot of espresso in an artisanal coffee shop while writing a research paper?”

“I only know what half of those words mean [name.], even less with how you’re using them.”

��Right, sorry. I’m still getting used to all of the differences in our cultures. Hopefully, you’ll get more used to the terms we use here sooner rather than later. Ready to go out though?”

“I am, it’ll be nice to get some new clothes. Not that I’m complaining about the excuse to wear yours.”

The nearest place that sells things like these isn’t exactly the closest to where I live, making it the perfect opportunity to adjust Time to my world’s transport. Well, more than he’s already seen anyway. Actually, now that I’m thinking about this, what size clothing even is he? Not that it’s an issue but not knowing a vague size is gonna mean he’s going to have to try on a lot of different fits. Then finding the right colours for him is a whole different challenge… And we’re already here… Time to find out the answers to those questions of mine.

“Where would you like to start?”

“A coat exactly like yours perhaps?”

“I don’t see why not. Any colour in mind or just the same style?”

A shrug was NOT what I wanted as an answer, but he does know what he wants which means that I’ve got somewhere to start. Trench Coats are somewhat pricey but with how some of the others are chipping in towards living costs now there’s no issue with spending out occasionally. He seems to be gravitating more towards things that are similar to mine, isn’t that charming? He sees something he likes on me then decides that’s what he wants for himself hopefully, he just stays away from the expensive ones.

“You ready to try those on then, old man?”

“Just a moment more love, I can’t find quite the right colour yet.”

He just… How red is my face right now? It has to be crimson, doesn’t it? That’s the first time Time’s ever called me something like that naturally it’s when he’s looking at clothes like my own, is he trying to kill me with his charms?

#starting uni soon and you can guess what my aesthetic will be #It doesn't help the place I'm likely going fits it so well #links✦react #linked universe x reader #yandere linked universe x reader #yandere linked universe #link x reader #moss✦answers #lu time

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noxemma · 3 months ago

Text

Chapter two for my Hot Summer Art fic is up!

I might actually get to posting all of these before the end of the month if I can keep up this pace 😂

Tags, Rating, Word Count, AO3 link, etc. at the bottom

Beside Your Side

Fic Summary: Dean convinces Sam to look into a potential case where people are going missing from a New Jersey beach town. Of course, they have to bring Cas and Eileen along, just in case it's not a monster. Dean is excited to get the case over quickly and enjoy a well-earned vacation with the people he loves the most. Nothing ever seems to go the way Dean plans it though, and this case is no exception.

Chapter 2: Nothing Wrong with Floral

Dean

Dean starts to relax and enjoy himself as Baby cruises through the downtown area. The windows are down, his rock mix is blasting, and Cas in his old AC/DC shirt leaning toward the open window with the sun on his face looking gorgeous.

I guess I should have expected he wouldn’t have much in the way of casual clothes. It’s not like we’ve ever taken a vacation before, and his standard suit and trench coat usually suffice for any government position we impersonate.

Dean glances over at Cas again and tries to ignore the way his heart feels like it’s been replaced with warm goo. Cas is resplendent in the early evening glow, the light emphasizing his high cheekbones and contrasting against the scruff that’s grown over the last few days. Sunbeams and wind play through his hair and Dean can see the glint of grey that’s started to sprout ever since he’s become nearly human.

God, it only makes him more attractive though, Dean thinks, running a hand through his own hair self-consciously. Don’t know if I quite pull it off the way that he does.

“Dean?”

Dean suddenly finds blue eyes staring back at him quizzically. One brow arches and Dean gulps at the way his stomach tries to take up residence in his throat.

“Wha-what?”

“I believe a green light indicates that it is your turn to go, correct?” Cas snarks and Dean is so tempted to lean in and kiss the smile off his face.

Thankfully a car horn saves him from himself, prompting him to hit the gas and speed through the intersection. Cas goes back to enjoying the sun and Dean resolutely focuses on finding a parking space near the address Sam gave him. He ends up getting lucky with a spot in the shade and they don’t even have to walk that far to the pretty townhouse belonging to Bradley's sister. Cas stops Dean just before he knocks on the door.

“Dean, are you sure I shouldn’t just wait in the car? I was pretty useless at this the last time I tried to help, and I can’t imagine I’ve gotten much better. I don't have 'people skills' like you and Sam." Cas actually uses air quotes, but the insecurity in his voice sucks all the humor out of the idiosyncrasy.

“You weren’t useless, you were just … awkward. You were trying to be too much like me and Sam; do it exactly how we do it. Just be yourself and I’m sure you’ll be alright.” Dean winks at him, immediately regrets the action when Cas’ brows pinch together, and spins around to knock on the door before he can stick his foot further into his mouth.

The door swings inward to reveal an attractive woman in her mid-twenties.

“Um, can I help you?” The woman crosses her arms and stares defiantly as if she can’t think of any greater inconvenience than two strangers showing up on her doorstep. “Hello, I'm Dean and this is Castiel,” Dean introduces them, completely unfazed by her attitude and laying on the charm thick. “We’re podcasters and we were hoping to interview you for an episode on-"

“You two, podcasters? Yeah, sure and I’m a mermaid on the full moon. Get off my porch before I call the cops,” she rolls her eyes and retreats into the house.

“Wait, please,” Cas calls out before she can fully slam the door. When she opens the door a few inches, he steps in front of Dean to address her. “I apologize for him. He doesn’t think people will talk to us if we tell them the truth. You see, we’re both actually really into true crime and missing people. It all started when his father went missing, and it’s become somewhat of a hobby and an obsession since then. Helping others find their loved ones gives him a bit of the closure he never got.”

Dean’s pretty sure his jaw is on the floor, and it stays there as the woman eyes them up and down before sighing and opening the door fully.

“Ugh, fine. Come in. You get three minutes.”

“Thank you,” Cas responds graciously, leaving Dean standing dumbstruck on the porch.

“God, I’m such a sucker for sad blue eyes,” the woman says to Cas’ retreating form. She turns a calculating gaze onto Dean, eyeing him up and down before carefully saying, “Your boyfriend gets you to do whatever he wants with those things, doesn’t he?”

What? He’s not actually-,” Dean stops himself because it feels like a trap. Plus, he doesn’t want this woman to know that Cas isn’t actually dating him. Not when she’s staring at his backside appreciatively. “Uh, yeah, but don’t tell him that. I don’t think he’s figured out what a sucker I am yet.”

Like what you read? You can find the rest of the chapter here on AO3

Rating: Explicit

Chapters: 2/? (hopefully 9 😂)

Chapter Word Count: ~8,400

Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Case Fic, Established Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester, Beach Case, Cannon when convenient, Mutual Pining, Idiots in Love, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con (Dean and background characters), Non-Consensual Touching (Not between Dean and Cas), Hurt/Comfort, I promise it's not as dark as it sounds, Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, clueless Sam Winchester, Chick-Flick Moments, Cannon typical misunderstandings, Angst?, One day I'll learn how to tag, WIP, JackieDeeArt's Hot Summer Art 2024 (Supernatural), Hot Summer Art, Greek Mythology if you Squint, No Beta, Everyone is bad with words, Except Eileen who is the only emotionally stable person for miles, Dean Winchester Loves Castiel, Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Angel Grace Dysfunction

#hotsummerart #destiel fic #spn #sassy Cas #jealous Dean #dressing room shenanigans #fluff #pining #destiel #mutual pining #beach fic #case fic #supernatural #deancas #dean winchester #fanfiction #castiel

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kitthepurplepotato · 1 year ago

Text

Chapter 2 - It’s not a date! … or is it?!

Summary: Aizawa-sensei makes it really hard to not think about this outing as a date; he looks gorgeous, the conversation flows so easily and you both spill all your secrets to each other like it’s the most normal thing between two almost-strangers. You really start to wonder if this is all just you being way too invested in this fake date or there is really something in the air.

Warnings: Swear words, mentions of Eri’s past, mentions of child-neglect. 16+

First chapter Master List

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

“What am I supposed to wear?!” You yell into your phone.

It’s 8AM. You are meeting up with your niece’s teacher in two hours and all you’ve managed to do since you wake up was to put on a bra, an underwear and freak the shit out in the middle of doing so, ending up sprinting between your dresser and your full body mirror, almost naked.

You are a fucking adult who’s about to turn 30. By the way. An adult who has a child to take care of… you can only hope no one hears your inner thoughts and calls child protection on you, thinking you are incapable of raising a teenager. Honestly, you have no idea how you had made it to this point in your life. You are a fucking mess.

“You called me in the middle of my class stating ‘it’s an emergency… for this?!” Megumi laughs, clearly not believing your shenanigans.

“Shut up brat, this is all your fault! You forced me to do this so suffer with me!”

“He likes the color black. I hope that helps.” She murmurs, happily.

“You want me to meet your teacher while looking like I’m about to go to someone’s funeral?!”

“Have you seen the guy you are about to meet?” Megumi retorts and fuck, she is right.

“Funeral wear it is, then.” You can hear Megumi’s distant giggle as you end the phone call and decide to wear the black dress Megumi bought for you; it suits her more than it suits you but to be absolutely honest you’ve always been envious of your niece’s badass style because you’ve just never had the balls to leave your house in a rebellious attire. Well, ladies and gents and everyone in between, today is the day when you wear the Dr. Martens boots you’ve never used and make an absolute fool of yourself in front of your child’s teacher. Honestly, why not. It isn’t an actual date anyway, if it all goes wrong at least you have a great story to tell.

You take a quick selfie and send it to Megumi who sends you a bunch of emojis you can’t understand, but overall, it looks like an approval so you finish the set with a bit of eyeliner and mascara, just as heavy as your attire.

You really hope Aizawa sensei wants to have his coffee at My Chemical Romance concert, otherwise this will be really awkward.

Oh well, you are out of time to change your mind about your attire now.

You take a deep breath as you head towards UA, hoping that 3 tough plasters and a special sock will be enough to keep your feet safe from the evil boots on your feet.

~•🩶•~

You’re 15 minutes early. The area around UA is silent; it’s too early for the media presence and the students are all in class together with their teachers. You are just about to sit down on a nearby bench and make yourself comfortable for the next fifteen minutes when someone clears his throat behind you; Aizawa-sensei looks at you questioningly, with a hint of a smile quirking up his lips.

“Did Megumi-Chan force you to wear this today?” He asks, amused.

He looks absolutely stunning; his usually unruly hair is pulled into a pony tail, his bangs loose at the front which makes him look so much softer; he wears black jeans with a plain black shirt and a trench coat, his signature scarf and his usual eyepatch.

“Half Megumi and half midlife crisis.” You deadpan, already hating all your life decisions. And also, this joke. It really wasn’t that funny.

Apparently, Aizawa sensei has a fucked up sense of humor because he snorts and makes his way towards the other side of road.

“Let’s talk about your midlife crisis over a cup of coffee. I hope you don’t mind if I give you a ride.” He tries his best to smile but it looks so forced you can’t help but laugh. “What?”

“You really need to love your class to do this for a student. I’m glad my girl has such a great homeroom teacher.” You smile fondly at the grumpy man.

“I’m just doing my job.” He mumbles with a straight face and opens the door for you; he tries to fake nonchalance but you can’t miss the hint of dusty pink appearing on his cheeks. This man loves a good praise. Good to know.

The car ride is awkward and silent, none of you really know what to say. If this would be an actual date you would probably start freaking out but you know he’s only doing this for the sake of your niece, so you decide to leave it as it is. He stops at a medium sized coffee place; their logo is really cute, it’s full of tiny drawings of kittens, tiny paws splattered all over the background and the inside looks warm and cosy, cats wondering between the legs of the customers, begging for food.

Wait.

Cats?!

“Aizawa-sensei… is this a fucking cat coffee?!” You laugh out loud before entering place.

“Language.” He sighs. “It was my son’s idea. I have no idea how to do this dating thing.”

You are not sure which part do you wanna question first; the one about his son or the fact that he called this an actual date. You decide to start with the former.

“You have a son?!”

“… Let’s sit down first. I should have asked if you are allergic to cats shouldn’t I?” The man radiates an anxious energy which surprises you; if this is just a fake date why is he so worried?

“I love cats.” You smile as you sit down on the corner sofa; thankfully, the place is almost empty so you will be able to have a personal conversation without being disturbed or have the need to yell over a group of random people. Date or not, you do want to know more about Megumi’s teacher and you genuinely like him, so no one can judge you for trying, right?

The two of you sit down next to each other and order right away; Aizawa-sensei gets a cold brew without any milk or sugar while you order their signature coffee latte which apparently comes with a handmade latte art. Aizawa must have a second secret quirk as all the cats gang up on him right away; there are two fluffy Maine coons staring at him from the floor, waiting to be pet. Aizawa wears a tiny smile as he takes one of them in his hands and puts the ball of fur down on his lap to slowly stroke their fur to calm himself. The cat looks really happy in his new place, purring contently with every caress.

“So you have a son.” You go back to your last topic without hesitation.

“You are just as nosy as your niece.” He sighs again. “I have a son and a daughter. Their name is Hitoshi and Eri. They aren’t mine biologically, I adopted them two years ago. Hitoshi was a student of mine who’s been neglected by his parents and ended up in an orphanage. Eri… Eri went through hell. My students found her during a mission. She’s only eight.” There is so much pain on his face you physically need to grab your own hand to stop yourself from reaching out.

“She’s so young…”

“That little girl went through things no one ever should. But she’s safe now. She’s struggling with a lot of trauma, but Hitoshi and I do our best to put her at ease.”

“You are amazing, you know that, right?” You smile sadly, your eyes shining with unshed tears. “You really are a hero. Taking two kids in as a single parent just to grant them the happiness they couldn’t ever have…”

“So are you.” Aizawa jumps in. “You’ve done the same for Megumi haven’t you?” He smiles; it’s barely there but it makes your heart rate quicken; he might be a broken man but there is just something about him; you thought it’s his mysteriousness that makes you so invested in him but looking at him right now after hearing his story makes you wonder if this is what people call “fate”; your heart makes another somersault at the thought. This isn’t a date - you remind yourself. “Want to tell me about it, Y/N?”

You end up telling him everything; from your shitty childhood to how you ended up taking care of Megumi and he thanks you by telling you his own story; you laugh, you cry and the conversation just flows naturally; the coffee gets cold by the time you manage to even realize it’s been delivered but you both drink it anyway and order a new one to prolong the date as much as possible. You really don’t want today to end.

Aizawa somehow manages to lure all the cats to his side of the sofa, all waiting patiently for their turn to be petted. You look at the hero with a fake pout, trying to look offended but probably failing miserably because you can’t hide the tiny smile as you look at Aizawa’s face; he looks proud and happy to be surrounded by all these fluffy animals, his face is so smooth and content you can only wonder if there was ever a person who could manage to soften him the same way these fluffy cats do; the answer is probably no. You really want to change that. Fuck’s sake you are way too invested in this date.

“I can’t believe you hog all the cats for yourself by the way, I’m offended.” You giggle while you look at the purring cats with pure jealousy; you try your best win them over by making sounds and letting them smell your hand in an offer of friendship but they don’t even bother to look your way.

“I don’t mind sharing.” Aizawa murmurs, scooting closer to the corner of the sofa while urging you to do the same; you meet in the middle, your knee touching his as he moves one of his fluffy companions to your lap but you can barely concentrate on the warm little body when you realize how cold and rigid Aizawa’s leg feels like around his shin ; that’s when you realize you are touching a piece of metal instead of a human leg. You try your best not to think about too much but it makes you remember the way he lost it; the story was all over the news and you remember crying, surrounded by other civilians within the safety of four massive walls and an unbreakable defense system, while this teacher crippled himself to save his student’s life. You shake your head once and start stroking the purring little creature who’s splayed over both of your legs now. There is a fluttering feeling in your heart but you are not sure if it’s thanks to the cute cat or the beautiful, highly respected man next to you. Probably both.

“Do you not have any questions about my prosthetic? It’s usually the first thing people ask about.” He mumbles while munching on a cat shaped pastry.

“You chopped your own fucking shin off to save the country.” You deadpan. “It’s common knowledge. And you are clearly more than capable to live without it, so I really don’t care about that and no one should. Are you self-conscious about it?”

“I only chopped the half of it off, don’t exaggerate.” Aizawa ‘jokes’. “I wouldn’t really say I am… but it did cross my mind today.” Aizawa admits. “My friend Hizashi was really excited about me leaving the school grounds and gave me all kind of silly tips and tricks to look nicer and I realized there’s no point in my case; I can’t hide my missing eye and I can only hide my prosthetic legs until things get serious. I’ve never really cared about my looks, but… it really bothered me today. For some reason.”

You can’t believe this man.

“I will say something really inappropriate right now, but I’m doing it for your own good.” You mumble with a red face. “I… kinda find your disheveled, battle-scarred look… attractive. And I also respect the shit out of you for what you’ve done for our country and for the kids… so if you wouldn’t be my kid’s teacher…” You are incapable of making an eye contact right now so you just stare at the 5 cats roaming around Aizawa.

“Please, do not finish that sentence.” Aizawa hides his face in embarrassment. You can’t help but laugh at that.

“Aizawa-sensei, you are really handsome. And kind. And really attractive. Deal with it.”

“Such a smooth talker you are.” He grumbles under his nose. “My name is Shouta by the way.”

The time freezes as he says his name; being on a first name basis is a really meaningful thing in Japan and it’s definitely not something you let others do after one not-a-date.

“Shouta.” You look up at the hero, your cheeks dusted with pinks and reds. He looks confused and surprised, like the words are just coming out of his mouth without his knowledge and he can’t make it stop.

The moment gets ruined when Shouta’s phone starts to ring; he looks at the evil machine with a frown.

“Well, somehow we ended up talking until the afternoon and I need to get Eri from school now.” He sighs. You don’t want this to end. Fuck, you know you are getting way to invested in this and you know he’s not feeling the same about you, but… “Do you want to meet her?” … or he is. Oh god, your heart can barely keep up with the mess of emotions inside you. “I can make us proper lunch after. I’m quite sure Megumi-chan won’t mind you staying out late for one day.” Aizawa doesn’t look into your eyes and it’s so endearing; he makes it sound like it’s not a big deal but you’ve been talking each other’s ears off for hours now yet he doesn’t want you to leave. Your heart stutters and the butterflies are having a blast in your stomach as you shyly nod while biting your lips to ground yourself.

“I would love to.”

… Next Chapter!

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Potato ramble:

- So. People with prosthetic legs can drive a car but people advice them to get an automatic one for obvious reasons. They can also continue driving with one eye if they have a good enough vision in the other eye to meet the legal standards and are adapted to their new condition. Thank you for listening to all this random information you’ll hopefully never need in your life. 😂

- People can’t pick up cats in cat cafe’s though, so please don’t do that. 🐈

- I really need to stop overthinking this fanfiction.

Likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated! 🩶🐈

Taglist: (just send a comment if you would like to be added!) @cheesenmax

#bnha x reader #mha x reader #Aizawa x reader #Aizawa x you #aizawa x y/n #eraserhead x reader #aizawa shouta x reader #shouta aizawa x reader

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