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kakujis · 1 year ago

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do you love me?; 4

synopsis: they wake you up and ask if you love them. 1 2 3

ft + wc: mistuya, draken, chifuyu. 3k.

warnings: gn!reader, swearing, miscommunication, workaholic bfs, tipsy chifuyu, slightly spicy in drakens! not proofread! thats it LMAO

a/n: hi. it's been a while! i took a writing break and i'm not sure if this means my writer's block is over, but here's the fourth and probably final part of this series (this is a lie im probs gonna write more when s3 comes out LMFAO) anyways, similar themes for mitsuya and draken, while chifuyu's is extra fluffy. the extra fluff was added in for @fuyuluvr btw.

mitsuya takashi has been busy. more so than ever, you’ll find him buried in his work til the early morning hours. this happens every time he’s hit with inspiration for a new runway collection and you often wind up feeling neglected. but mitsuya will always find a way to sneak time with you in, even if it means playing model for a little bit.

his love comes out through his finger tips, when he’s laying the garment over you, light touches over your skin. it comes out in the way he silently works, looking you over every so often, smiling when he notices the way you furiously blush when he lingers for just too long.

but this time is a little different. his fatigue clear on him when he crashes into the bed, mumbling a sleepy “good night” to your “good morning.” it’s jarring, how separate the two of you feel in the shared space of your home.

mitsuya realizes something is wrong the first night you tell him you don’t want to model for him. “it was a long day… i’m just tired.” you had told him, hesitating before you placed a kiss on his forehead. you left shortly afterwards, leaving mitsuya in his office.

the second night you barely touched your dinner, pushing your food around on the plate absentmindedly. when he asked if something was wrong, you told him that you weren’t hungry with a strained smile on your face. “don’t worry about me.”

the final piece locks into place the night you push him away from you when he tries to sneak a kiss. “not now,” you said, unable to look at him, “my breath smells.” you both know it’s a pitiful attempt at a joke, but when he tries to pry, you ignore him. lavender eyes trail after your form, noting the way you bend into yourself as you walk, closed off.

mitsuya’s always allowed you your space and this time is no different. except for the fact that he can’t focus at all, too distracted by the guilt gnawing on his bones. he has a deadline to meet, yet he can’t seem to care when his partner is upset with him.

he removes his glasses before running his hands over his face. he mulls over the apology in his head, before he’s up and heading toward your bedroom. when he arrives, he kneels at your side of the bed, one hand caressing your cheek to rouse you from sleep. when you blink almost awake you’re met with his pretty face, guilt etched into his features.

“taka..?” your voice barely louder than a whisper, you fight against the heaviness of your eyelids, the inherent need to see him reigning over the lull of sleep. you love him after all.

“morning angel,” he starts, dragging his thumb over the curve of your cheek. “i’m sorry.”

you open your mouth to speak, but mitsuya presses a finger against your lips, shaking his head. his silver locks move in tandem, his eyes peeking underneath them as he focuses on the hardwood floor. it’s hard for him to remember what he wanted to say, being in front of you much different than the scenario rehearsed in his head. at the end of the day though, mitsuya is a man of his word, whether it’s to you or himself, he’ll see it through.

he steels himself, looking you straight-on as you blink at him, one hand placed over his. “i’m really sorry.” he reiterates, “for neglecting you. i’m also sorry for not noticing sooner. i shouldn’t have asked you to model for me when i’ve barely spent any time with you… i’m just.. sorry.”

“can i speak now?” you ask, squeezing his hand and he nods. you push yourself up onto your elbows, before placing your hands on his shoulders. “i’m sorry for being selfish.”

he shakes his head, “you’re not selfish, don’t say that. i mean, i could say the same thing right?”

your expression is somber as you respond, “takashi… it’s your job, hon. it’s always been like this, it’s not like this is your first collection either.”

but mitsuya can read you like a book, remembering that with each disagreement, you’ll hide your feelings in favor of his. he knows when you break eye contact, looking away, that you’re not saying what’s really on your mind.

“do you love me?” he asks, before running his finger under the curve of your jawline. when you nod, he tilts your face back upward, forcing you to look at him, “then be honest with me.”

“o-okay…” you sigh, “i hate your job.”

he grins, “that was brutal.” but he still nods, urging you to continue.

“i hate your stupid deadlines and i hate when you’re super busy, because i want to spend time with you. and also, i miss you all the time and by the way, that stupid runway coordinator called your cell and when i answered they hung up immediately! that’s so unprofessional! like, you should be grateful i even answered the damn phone! right?” you huff once you finish your tirade, your feet kicking up and down in annoyance.

mitsuya can’t help but laugh once you’re done, it’s the most animated he’s seen you these past few days. he likes it.

“don’t laugh!” you pout, puffing your cheeks out and your boyfriend has to bite back another laugh.

“no, no, you’re right, how could they hang up on my partner?” he agrees and your face softens. “but damn, i didn’t think you hated my job that much.”

you gasp, freezing for a moment, “ahh, well it’s not like i hate it-“

“you just despise it?” he quips, one eyebrow raised, interrupting you.

“no!” you exclaim, continuing to pout. but you feel lighter, like a weight’s been lifted off your shoulders.

“you feel better?” he asks, taking your hands into his and pressing a kiss to them.

maybe the two of you didn’t exactly solve the problem, but that’s fine, you can never stay upset with him for long.

“a little bit.” you say, before tugging him upwards. “you know what would really make me feel better?”

“hm?” he tilts his head, eyes soft.

“if you cuddled with me.” you respond, tugging at him just a bit harder.

he smiles as he climbs into bed, “as you command, my dear.”

draken:

sometimes, you think ryuguji ken would be better off moving into his bike shop. you don’t mean to be bratty, really, but you can’t help it. the countless nights of him coming home late have been taking a toll on you. it’s been worse since inui’s taken some time off which means draken and shinichiro need to take over, which means less time with your boyfriend.

you check your phone one more time for the daily goodnight text, but when you see none, you quietly turn your phone off and close your eyes to try to get some sleep.

but it hurts, like the prick of a thorn or the sting from a wasp, but you know when draken’s busy, it’s best not to bother him. still, you can’t help the tears that bubble up, spilling over like the flood of a dam as you hug yourself, burying your face into your pillow. when you finally settle, you hope he won’t notice puffiness of your eyes when he comes home. maybe he’ll keep the light off, you hope, as you drift into a deep sleep.

when he finally gets home, smelling distinctly of motor oil, he tries his best to stay quiet, borderline tiptoeing his way to your shared bedroom. as he changes out of his dirty clothes, his eyes naturally trail to your sleeping form. there’s something off.

if there’s one thing about draken, he can pick up on every subtle shift of your mood. after all, draken knows you best.

he knows he should probably shower as you hate the smell of the oil and grease, but his body moves towards you anyway. he turns the bedroom light on before he climbs onto the bed, grabbing you and shaking gently.

“baby?” he calls, watching as your face scrunches up.

“hm? what is it?” you murmur, a little irritated, but you let him turn you over anyway.

“were you crying?” he asks and you force your sleepy eyes open. concern paints his face as he cups your cheek, “what happened?”

“nothin’,” you lie, staring at his chest rather than his face. “i’m just tired.”

“and your eyes are swollen just because?” he cocks a brow, already onto your little lie.

“yep.” you quip, before pushing his hand away and sinking into your pillow. “it doesn’t matter, kenny.”

“except it does,” he replies, moving down with you, “what happened?” he asks again and part of you feels like maybe it’s time to answer. until you remember the big race mikey has coming up, which makes you decide to keep your mouth shut.

draken sighs, “alright, i won’t pry.” he stays there in his dirty clothes, yawning as he stretches and lays back, eyes closed.

you scrunch your nose. “kenny… aren’t you gonna shower?”

“yep.” he says, in the same tone you gave him earlier.

“… and when are you gonna do that?” you press, silently thinking about the laundry you’re going to have to do later.

“when you tell me what’s wrong.” he answers, head leaning back against the headboard. he peeks an eye down at you, smirking at the incredulous look on your face. “what? i said i wouldn’t pry, not that i wouldn’t wait. take your time.”

“and if I decide I won't tell you anything all night?” you ask, slightly sitting up.

“like i said, take your time.” he shrugs.

“you’re …insane.” you scoff, laying back down. you pull the blanket over you, back to him.

“nah, just patient.” he corrects and the two of you fall into another uncomfortable silence.

for the next few minutes, it’s completely quiet and you think draken may have actually fallen asleep sitting up. but when you turn around, you meet his eyes, soft yet concerned. you know that he cares, it’s the essence of your relationship. so maybe, just this once, you could let him know.

hesitantly, you open your mouth to speak. “if i asked you to spend less time at the shop and more time with me… would that be okay?” your voice is low, quiet, and unsure.

instead of answering, he asks,“do you love me?” and you find yourself confused.

“huh? that doesn’t-”

“just answer the question.” he interrupts.

“yes, of course i do.”

“then why wouldn’t it be okay?” he asks, pulling you into his embrace. “i didn’t have to pick up the extra shifts if you didn’t want me to.”

“and leave shin to die from overworking?” you joke, but in actuality, it is a ton of maintenance work.

“why not?” he smirks and you laugh. “ah! there it is, your pretty smile.”

“you stink.” you grumble, pushing away from him. “i’m mad at you.” but your heart betrays you and the pout you try to display is futile as the corners of your mouth curve into a small smile.

“huh? you talkin’ about me or my personality?” draken quips, but he holds onto you tighter as you continue to try to push off. “don’t go anywhere, angel. you’re comin’ with me.”

“what? where are we- ah!” you squeal as he gets up, taking you with him. you quickly wrap your arms around him, clinging tightly.

he smiles, basically beaming and you realize that made you fall in the first place. draken is kind, selfless, even if he may not seem like it at first. he’s always good at making you feel better, even if you don’t tell him.

“to shower,” he answers, starting the trek to the bathroom, “you keep saying i smell.”

“i already showered.” you protest, but you rest your head on his shoulder. “but i guess i do smell like car grease now.”

he stops in his tracks, his mouth pressed into a line. “shit. our bed does too.”

“should we sleep on the couch?” you suggest and he starts moving again.

“or we could crash takemichi’s place.” he says, pushing the bathroom door open with his shoulder.

“and interrupt his precious time with hina?” you muse as he sets you on the counter.

“isn’t that the point?” he asks, turning the water on before coming to slide between your legs, looming over you.

“what about mikey’s?” you ask, your hands naturally coming to help him take off his work jacket.

“fuck no,” he groans, letting you turn him around so you can finish taking it off. “he’s gonna try to cuddle with you again.”

“with us.” you correct and draken rolls his eyes before he shifts out his shirt. he dips down to press a firm kiss to your lips and you smile. “shower time?”

“shower time.”

chifuyu:

chifuyu matsuno curses under his breath as he races up the stairs to your apartment. he’d lost track of time, evening drinking turning into early morning. he hopes you won’t be too upset, hey, maybe he can blame it on baji.

when he gets home, making sure to walk a little quieter, he peeks his head into the bedroom. the light is left on but you’re asleep. his heart thumps a bit more and a blush creeps onto his face when he notices you’ve fallen asleep in his shirt.

his steps are light, springy even, as he makes his way over, plopping into bed beside you. you stir in your sleep as chifuyu watches you, his head leaning into his palm like a schoolboy in love.

“fuyu?” you mumble, as you stretch before turning over to face him. sleepy eyes meet pretty green and chifuyu thinks he’s in a dream... or maybe it’s the alcohol that’s still left in his system.

“hey lover,” he smiles as he scoots closer before pressing a kiss to your cheek. “good morning.”

“what time is it?” you ask, squinting, before adding, “hi to you too.”

“like 3am.” he answers and you hum.

“hm, tonight was that fun?” you yawn, trying your best to fight the drowsiness that's currently over taking your body.

“yeah,” he replies as another peck flits over your cheek. “wish you went with me.” he thinks about how much fun it would have been if you went with him earlier. how he’d love to walk home with you, hand in hand, sneaking kisses under the moonlight.

“‘m sorry, fuyu,” you mumble as your heavy lids close, losing the battle. “i’ll try to go next time..” you trail off as your body lulls you back to sleep.

the blond frowns, as cute as you are asleep, he wants your attention now. “oi, y/n. wake up.” he huffs, using his index finger to poke at your cheek.

when you only make a slight noise, he pokes harder. “wake. up.”

your eyelids flutter under his touch, but they don’t open and chifuyu sighs. “do you love me?” he whines, loudly.

you force your eyelids open at the question, he’s cute when he’s whiny so you indulge him. “yes, chifuyu, i love you a lot.” you mumble, before tipping your lips up into his, giving him a soft kiss.

you realize where the unusual clinginess comes from tonight as he tastes faintly of alcohol. normally, chifuyu would quietly get ready to bed before slipping under the covers to hold you as you slept. he wants you to get your rest and he’s fine with waiting til morning. although, there are some exceptions which almost always include a tipsy, pining boyfriend.

you giggle when he whines as you pull away.

“stay here.” he grumbles, before he’s cupping your cheeks and kissing you again.

“fuyu, i have work in a couple of hours,” you mumble between kisses.

“‘m sobering up,” he responds, “if i don’t do this, i’ll get a hangover.”

“that’s not how it works at all,” you sigh happily, “but okay.”

and so you let him. you let him kiss not only your lips but your cheeks, forehead, and even your neck. you giggle when he ghosts over a particularly ticklish area, but chifuyu is lost in you. lost in your scent, your voice, your everything. until suddenly, he’s not.

“fuyu?” you whisper, your arms laced around him.

there’s no response but the soft snores escaping him as his head is buried in your neck. you can tell he’s asleep by the way his body’s gone limp, the full weight on him bearing down on you. but it’s comfortable like this and you feel sleep beckoning you over.

when morning and inevitably, the time for work comes, you try your best to move out from underneath him without waking up. the soft daylight pours in through the blinds, casting rays on your boyfriend’s sleeping face.

you’re close, almost fully out from underneath him when an arm slings itself across your waist and pulls you back in.

“stay.” he mumbles, voice deep and slightly hoarse from his half asleep state.

“i have work,” you say, gently. “i’ll be back in a few.”

“just call off,” he says, tightening his grip on you.

“chifuyu-“

“please?” he pleads, one eye peeking up at you. the blush on his face this time isn’t from the alcohol.

it tugs at your heartstrings and you give in. “fine. but if i get in trouble you owe me.”

“you know, the pet shop is always hiring if you get fired.” he wiggles his eyebrows, throwing you a cheesy smile.

“ha. ha. very funny.” you retort, rolling your eyes.

but the smile on chifuyu’s face doesn’t disappear, he simply tilts his head to press it against yours.

“i’d take care of you forever, you know.” he says, completely serious and you feel your heart skip a beat.

“i know.” you mumble back, closing your eyes.

“i love you, y/n.” he says and you feel the tip of his nose brush against yours.

“i love you too, chifuyu.” you giggle and he realizes he wants to listen to it for the rest of his life. but he has no ring, he’ll need to remember to get your ring size.

“forever and ever?” he asks, his own heart fluttering to the timbre of your voice.

“forever and ever.”

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers fluff #draken x reader #chifuyu matsuno x reader #mitsuya takashi x reader #ken ryuguji #draken #mitsuya takashi #chifuyu matsuno #pibby writing

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echobx · 4 months ago

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A Surprise Visit - JJ Maybank × fem!reader

summary: JJ goes to visit his long time girlfriend y/n at college in New York, but not all is like he had thought it to be and he makes it his mission to set things right between them. || this plays after s3 with both of them having the Eldorado gold money to keep them afloat

word count: 9.1k

warnings: hurt/comfort, fighting, swearing, jealous!JJ, lies and uncovering them, y/n being bratty established relationship, biker!JJ, smut, JJ POV

smut warnings: p in v (unprotected), dvp (with toy), fem!masturbation with toy, grinding, oral (fem and male receiving), squirting, body worship, switch!JJ (first sub leaning, later dom leaning), creampie, cockwarming (on a technicality), shower sex, back shots, slow sex, overstimulation (fem and male), hair pulling

author's note: originally written as an au to one of my fics I have decided to change this into a y/n fic and hope you like it

When I got to the address that she had texted me a few weeks prior, I was a little surprised. It was a townhouse in Lower Manhattan, and it had taken me quite some time to get there after picking up the rental bike, which was now parked right out front.

Yet I wasn't surprised about the fact that she was living in a townhouse that was probably more expensive than some of the mansions on Figure Eight, or that she had joined a sorority. No, I was more surprised by the fact that there was a rager being thrown inside, and she had told me that she was “solely focusing on her studies.”

My footsteps felt heavy as I stepped up towards the front door and opened it without anyone stopping me-

“This party is invite only. You don't have one. I know everyone who was invited. Now leave,” a girl with spiky black and purple hair was standing in front of me. She was tall and had broad shoulders and a very mean glare in her eyes.

“My girlfriend lives here,” I smiled at her, but she just clucked her tongue.

“The only one here with a boyfriend is Theresa, and he's already inside. So, fuck off to whatever hole you crawled out of.”

“Who's that?” Another girl jumped next to her and placed her head on the shoulder of the first girl. Her fae-like appearance stood in stark contrast to the first girl, especially with the long blonde and blue hair that fell down over her shoulder and arm.

“No one. He was just about to leave,” the first girl sneered.

“I'm not leaving. And I promise you, my girlfriend will be pretty pissed if you don't let me in,” I couldn't help but hiss at her just a little, but the faery girl wasn’t bothered at all by me.

“What's her name? If you can give us a name, we can check back, and then you can come inside,” she smiled politely.

“No he won't-”

I interrupted the first girl as fast as I could. “Y/l/n. Y/n y/l/n,” I told the faery, and she started giggling.

“You? You and Tuna?”

“Tuna?” I was a bit perplexed. Why did they call her after a massive fish that wasn't even pretty?

“I think her boyfriend would know that that's her nickname,” the dark haired girl crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Oh, come on, Lou. Even if he isn't, look at him-” the faery gestured at me; armored pants, zipped open leather jacket with a plain black shirt peeking out and a helmet on my arm. “If Tuna isn't having fun, someone will.”

Lou looked me up and down before raising her eyebrow. “If I go in there and ask her where her boyfriend is, and she's giving me any different answer than-”

“It's a surprise. I didn't tell her because I didn't want her to not focus on her work. I was trying to surprise her, but I guess she wasn't that honest with me either.” I leaned to the side to look inside a bit more, the party was still going strong and- Was that y/n dancing with some guy? “Are you fucking kidding me?” I gasped, the two girls were completely forgotten as I pushed the door open some more and stepped inside and right towards y/n.

I hadn't even made half the way when she picked up her head and looked straight at me. It felt like time had stopped, and we just stood there and stared at each other as if it was the first time I got to lay my eyes on her.

A tight sparkly dress that accentuated every single curve, a pair of high heels that could poke your eyes out, and the red lipstick that I loved so much. She looked perfect. She looked more than perfect. She was ethereal. How had I survived the last few months without being able to actually look at her?

The guy had vanished, and she stepped closer, so I did the same, meeting her in the middle of the room, and before I could say anything she had her legs wrapped around my core and I did my best to hold her up with my left arm while my right one was still occupied with holding onto the helmet.

Her lips were as soft as ever, and she tasted sweet and a little drunk, but not too much to be concerning. Her hands raked through my hair and I moaned into her while my tongue kept exploring her mouth just like the first time.

“Upstairs, now,” she whispered before letting go of me and I placed her down on the floor just for her to drag me towards the stairs. It didn't escape me that a few more heads had turned to watch us, but I didn't mind at all. Especially not the single holler that sounded like it came from the fae-like girl while y/n kept dragging me upstairs until they couldn't see us anymore.

We stopped in front of a room on the third floor and I watched y/n fish a key from her bra and unlock her door.

“I don't want anyone thinking it's okay to have sex in my room, you know,” she mumbled after turning the key and opening the door. It wasn't a big room, but it was enough. A decent sized bed that could comfortably hold two people, a small closet, a desk that stood in front of the window and a bookcase on the wall opposite the bed.

“Understandable,” I grinned at her and fully stepped inside, just for her to close the door and lock it again. I put the helmet down on the desk and turned around to look at her again. The dim light that came into the room from the moon shining outside was reflected in all the glitter on her dress.

“You look stunning, y/n/n,” I rasped and stepped closer, my hand finding her cheek and holding onto it. With the heels on, she was only two inches shorter than me, which was something I would never grow accustomed to.

“You too, dumbass,” she whispered and put her hands in the back of my neck, pulling me into a kiss that would've lasted longer if I had managed to take off my jacket without standing up straight.

“Fuck it,” I muttered and ripped the jacket off as fast as I could, and immediately rid myself of my shoes too, just for her to pull me back in.

“Let's not leave this room until tomorrow morning, okay?” she smirked and bit her lip, connecting her lips to mine as soon as I had nodded a yes.

She started fumbling with my belt and I took her hands and placed them on my shoulders instead so I had more space to take off my pants. And as soon as they laid on the floor, she pushed me onto the bed and straddled my seat, kissing me still and not planning on stopping anytime soon.

“Feels like you missed me a lot,” she moaned into me and rutted against my erection. If she kept going, I wouldn't last long, but I also didn't want her to ever stop. I was so hard that it was hurting, but I needed to appreciate every single little moment of it because I dreaded the moment I would have to drive back home while she would be staying here to finish her degree like we had planned it.

“Y/n/n,” I whimpered as she dragged her cunt over my dick another time. “I need you so fucking bad, baby.”

“Need you too, J,” she hushed against my lips and kissed me again, while pulling up my shirt and only letting go for the second it took to pull it over my head and throw it somewhere else in the room.

“God, how I missed this,” she mumbled while kissing herself down my body, hooking her fingers under the hem of my boxer briefs and pulling them down as soon as I had lifted my hips.

“Maybe we should wait and-” but my words were cut short as she spat on my dick and started pumping it. And with a last delicious grin, she dove down and started sucking me off like I had never felt before. I only managed to fist her hair so it wouldn't be in her way, but other than that I was a mess of curses and moans, and it would've been embarrassing if I didn't know how much she loved to hear me like that.

Her tongue was swirling around my tip, head bobbing up and down so far that she let me hit the back of her throat every single time. Her saliva was dripping down my balls and onto the sheets.

I wanted to hold on for some more, to not seem too desperate, but I couldn't and with a single thrust upwards into her hollowed cheeks, I spilled my cum down her throat. Panting, I let my head fall back completely while she kept pumping me and licking the last of my cum off my cock.

“That was-” I panted, and she pulled me up to kiss me again. Tasting myself on her lips and tongue was another thing I would never get used to, no matter how much we did it.

“I missed you a lot,” she giggled and hugged me tightly.

“Fuck- Missed you more- Holy shit,” I was still rambling as I tried to come down from my high.

Yet it didn't take me any more than a few seconds to be rock hard again as I watched her get up and take her dress off to reveal a black lingerie set that I had never seen before.

“This is new,” I noted and held my hand out for her, and she took it, stepping in between my legs and nodding somewhat shyly.

“Bought it last week. Want me to take it off?” she asked softly, and I shook my head.

“If anyone is going to take that off you, it's gonna be me, princess.” And with that I picked her up and threw her on the bed.

My lips connected to her soft, warm and sweet skin as I took my time to explore every single inch of her, just like I always did. I knew she was waiting for more. I knew she hated being edged on like that. And yet, I couldn't help myself. She was too perfect for me to not worship her the way she should always have been, from the day she was born until the day she died.

“You smell like heaven,” I simpered and nuzzled into her lower abdomen, moving to her hips and softly nibbling on the flesh, making her gasp with it.

“J, please,” she begged, and I smirked, crawling up to have my head level to hers and planting a kiss on her lips.

“Will you let me do this my way, princess?” I rasped and she nodded quickly. “Good girl.” As a thank you I squeezed her nipple and she bit down on her bottom lip to not scream.

I kissed her a bit harder, enough for her back to arch up and let me unhook her bra, but not yet taking it off. I rolled down the lace and cupped her tits while kneeling in between her legs. Y/n had gotten a new tattoo on her rib cage, right under her right tit. It was a small, very fine line of a stylized wave, but from a certain angle it looked like a J, and I let my thumb run over it.

“For you,” y/n breathed heavily. “I got that one for you.”

“I figured, my love,” I chuckled and started kissing up the valley of her breasts before turning to each separately. Squeezing them and then taking her bra off. My lips and teeth closed around her nipple, and she moaned loudly as I flicked and tugged and basically tortured the small bud. Screaming even louder when I turned my full attention to the other side. My hips moved on their own account, and her hands gripped the sheets harder as my dick kept poking at her entrance.

“Please,” she begged another time, and I stopped to move down and pull her slip off.

“Fucking gorgeous. Look at you. All of that just for me,” I rambled and ran my fingers over her wet folds, dipping in between just a tiny bit, just enough to make her gasp. “You are dripping already, baby,” I praised her, and she mewled.

She was right, though, and I couldn't deny it anymore. With a loving smile on my lips, I pressed my face into her seeping cunt.

My tongue leapt at her folds, and I couldn't stop myself from moaning at how good she tasted.

It didn't take long for her to spill out onto my tongue and scream my name while doing so, but I didn't even think of stopping anytime soon.

My lips closed around her clit, sucking and tormenting it relentlessly, while my fingers curled up inside her and my own hips kept rutting against the mattress trying to find the tiniest of release for my aching hard dick that felt like it was about to explode just by the way she was squeezing my fingers.

“J- J, is’ too much,” y/n moaned, but I knew her body, every little notion it gave me had been ingrained in my memory upon seeing it for the very first time.

“Gimme one more, darling,” I groaned. “Cum for me, baby.”

Her back arched up, and she screamed curses and musings all the same while coating my fingers with her delicious cum.

“Good girl,” I praised her and licked off my fingers just for her to pull on my hand and do it for me.

“You're here,” she panted and pulled me closer, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.

“Yeah, of course I'm here. I was starting to wonder if you were still real,” I joked, but the thought had haunted my mind once or twice before, especially at night. The nightmares had been the worst, and without my friends and the constant late night calls to y/n I wouldn't have made it out without going crazy.

“I missed you, I missed this,” she whispered and kissed me longingly. “Touching you. Feeling you. Watching you closely.”

“Fucking love you so much, y/n/n,” I hushed and kissed her again, rolling herself onto me and rutting her hips over my hard-on.

“Need you so bad, J. Please let me fuck you,” she begged as I reached my hand out to stroke over her tit.

“What if I wanna do other things first?” I smirked, and she whined almost instantly, rubbing herself over me with more purpose. “Shit, I'm gonna cum,” I panted as I felt my balls tighten, and she moved faster, pressing her thumb to my tip and drawing soft circles on it as I moaned under her.

“Look at you being such a good boy for me,” y/n mused and kept gently squeezing my cock just enough to get all of my release from it.

“Your toy- where-” I broke out in between pants, and she returned my question with a pout.

“Why?”

“Fuck- Promise will be good- One more- Please,” I breathed heavily as she had her hand around my neck.

“Maybe,” she whispered and pushed her fingers into my mouth, making me suck on them, and I did it without thinking twice about it. “Will you behave and finally fuck me if I let you do this one last thing?”

I nodded diligently, and she pulled her fingers from my throat with a pop escaping my lips around them.

Then she got up and opened the drawer of her nightstand, revealing not just one vibrator like I had imagined but a multitude of different toys in different shapes and sizes and colors.

“That's a lot,” I grinned at her, and she pulled out a bunny vibrator, it was about the same length as my dick, just slimmer.

“This one's my favorite,” she smiled and handed it to me. “It's waterproof too, so I can take a bath sometimes.”

“What about the rest?” I asked and leaned over to look at the different variations, but she closed the drawer before I could reach inside.

“I don't use the rest much, they were more trial and error devices I guess,” y/n shrugged and sat down next to me.

“Maybe we can still find some use for them,” I whispered and held the soft silicone device to her nipple before pushing the button to turn the toy on.

“God!” she yelped and jumped a little, but I held her in place, making her squirm under the pleasure the vibrations caused on her sensitive bud.

“I want you to fuck yourself with this. I wanna know what you do to yourself when you think of me late at night,” I rasped into her ear before kissing her neck and holding onto the other side of it so she couldn't move away from me.

“Lonely mornings and bored afternoons and so very horny nights with no one here to take care of me,” she moaned quietly as I set the intensity to the second level.

“How many times do you make yourself cum, baby, tell me,” I rasped again, and she sighed, her hand coming up to grasp into my hair.

“I lost count,” she answered, and I nipped at her neck. “Until the sheets are soaked. I only stop to clean up.”

“You won't have to clean up this time, princess,” I whispered and pulled her earlobe between my teeth.

“I won't stop until you tell me to?” she asked, a bit raspy, and I nodded, my nose brushing over her ear.

“No stopping until I say so,” I repeated, and she took the vibrator from my hand.

“There's lube on the bedside table,” she said, and I grasped for it, watching her put a miniscule amount of it on the tip of the toy before moving it down to her entrance and swiping over it once or twice to spread the product.

She turned her head to look at me, batting her eyes and biting her lip, a small gasp leaving her as she thrusted the device into herself for the first time.

My thumb got caught on her bottom lip as I gazed into her glossy eyes, pulling it down before leaning in to kiss her, swallowing her moans as I did.

“Now pretend like I'm not here, like I'm just in your head, darling,” I whispered and moved away to sit at the foot end of the bed.

It was a show for a lifetime to see her make herself cum over and over again, moaning and squirming, throwing her legs up high one moment, and closing them harshly around her own wrist as she kept fucking herself, in the other. She was squirting so much that I feared we would need to buy a whole new mattress once I was done with her.

And there she was, her legs propped up and the toy slipping from her fingers, drenched in her juices, and it was impossible to hold out any longer.

With a quick move, I pushed myself between her legs, holding her hand fast on the toy that still remained inside her pussy.

“You think you'll manage two?” I asked with a smirk, grabbing for the lube that was still lying next to her.

Tears had started to stream out of her eyes at the overwhelming pleasure she had already brought herself, but her eyes were filled with an intriguing confusion. “What?”

“I'm gonna fuck you while this pretty thing stays inside you,” I hushed and covered my dick in lube. It was a stupid idea, but I had always wanted to try it, and I certainly wouldn't share her with anyone else. No chance.

“What if-”

“That's what save words are for, cupcake,” I hushed against her lips before kissing her. “Just relax, baby. It's all gonna be fine,” I tried to calm her down as I lined myself up, the tiny vibrations of the toy against my tip were already overwhelming me a little, so I decided to turn it off until I had managed to fill her out.

“Ready?” I asked, and y/n gave me a nod and a hushed yes, making me smile proudly.

She started gasping and cursing me out the farther I pushed in, but she never once mentioned the safe word, so I kept going, slowly and carefully to not hurt her too much.

“You're doing so great, baby,” I praised her, and she swatted at me in response.

“You have- Fucking hell, JJ! Such a stupid- God! Very stupid idea,” she cursed me out while moaning.

"Want me to stop?” I lifted my eyebrow at her and gave her a lopsided grin.

“Don't you fucking dare stop,” she gasped, and I pushed in a bit farther.

“Just a few more, princess. Fuck, you're so tight, baby,” I moaned. Maybe it was a bad idea to try this before actually fucking her like I had planned to, but my plans never worked out like I wished them. I hadn't been inside her since she had left for college a few months ago, and this was worse than anything I had ever imagined.

“J, ‘s too much, please,” she begged, black mascara filled tears staining her cheeks.

“Nearly there,” I mumbled, right before groaning louder than I thought possible while bottoming out. “Shit, this is tight. God, I love you.”

“What now?” she whispered, and I leaned in to kiss her, the slight shift made her moan instantly.

“Now, I'll turn this pretty thing back on, and then I'm going to fuck you like never before,” I rasped, and she kissed me with even more passion than before, pulling on my hair and forcing her tongue into my mouth.

As soon as the vibrations started, I felt like I was about to explode. The tip of the toy was nudging against my own and I lost all control over my body. I came with a loud groan and y/n took the advantage of my ineptitude and started to slowly pull the device out, just a little before forcefully ramming it back inside, making both of us scream.

“Wanna kill me?” I asked jokingly, and she smirked through tired, glassy eyes.

“You started this, I'm ending it,” she hushed and kept thrusting the device in between us. I could barely manage to hold myself up over her and not cum every time the toy pushed against my cock, which was made worse because she kept intensifying the vibrations until I came again, biting down on her shoulder, so I didn't wake all of New York by screaming her name.

“Kiwi,” I breathed heavily, and she immediately turned off the vibrator and slowly pulled it out, laying it onto the mattress right next to our hips.

“I won,” she whispered in my ear with a light giggle.

“Next time, I'll be more prepared for it,” I breathed heavily, and she pulled my face towards hers, brushing some of my sweaty strands from my face.

“Next time we'll use a better toy for it,” she whispered against my lips before kissing me harshly, and clenching around my semi-hard that was still nestled inside her.

“Not done yet?” I asked with a smile, and she shook her head while biting her lip.

“You promised.” Her hand traveled down between us until she reached my balls, gently rolling them in between her pretty fingers while I became an even worse babbling mess than just five minutes earlier. “Please, JJ,” she begged, and there was no way of denying her.

I fucked her slow, never letting my eyes leave her own, sharing whispered musings and loving confessions. If there had ever been a place I called home, it could always be found in her; in the way she looked at me, or how she smiled, or the way she never questioned the importance of my interests and actions, but most of all it could be found in the way she had made me love slow, sensual sex more than anything else we ever tried. In the end, we would always go back to it because it was such a clear contrast to our daily life, and it was so much more than just calming and fulfilling; it was pure love like I had never experienced it before she came along.

“I love you so fucking much,” I whispered and let my forehead fall back to hers after brushing through her hair.

“I love fucking you so much, too,” she giggled, and I thrusted a bit harsher at her words. “Oh God!” she gasped and dug her fingernails into my shoulders. “Make me cum, JJ, please.”

So, I fucked her harsher, still painfully slow but with more purpose, nudging at her cervix until she was screaming again, and then I watched her lose herself, and she drifted away a bit, her eyes went blank for just a moment until I connected my lips to hers, and she came back to me just as I filled her up and pushed my cum deeper into her for what felt like the millionth time that my night.

“Thank you,” she panted and slung her arms around me a bit tighter before drifting off to sleep, and I didn't complain about it as I was rather tired myself.

We would get cleaned up the next morning, it wasn't that big of a deal and I really didn't like the idea of having to leave her as she was still fully wrapped around me.

I woke up from the early morning sun shining through the half opened blinds, illuminating her perfect body that was curled up next to me. I sat up, planting my feet into the mattress and leaning my head on my knees as I watched her. Steady breaths that lifted her chest and belly, the glistening skin and smudged make-up from the night before, hair messy and lips slightly parted as small inaudible mumbles left her throat.

I wanted to touch her, to kiss her and feel her body against mine just like I had all night long, but I refrained from it. She needed her sleep, and I wasn't going to steal more of it than I already had.

On soft soles, I got up, pulled a fresh pair of boxers out of my backpack and made my way to the bathroom. It was 7am on a Saturday after a night of partying. I was the only one awake.

After a quick shower, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. Luckily the house wasn't as much of a mess as I had expected, so I started to clean up a little, just enough to make a good impression.

When the trash was dealt with, I got to cleaning some of the dishes, because I needed something to eat out of, not because I was prone to doing the dishes.

With a bowl of cereal in my hand, I leaned back against the counter, eating and wondering who these people were that y/n had chosen to live with.

“Food only for residents,” someone yawned close by, and I looked up to see the dark haired girl from last night, Lou, in a crop top and boxer short sleep combo.

“Good morning to you too,” I rolled my eyes and went back to eating in peace.

“It's not. I couldn't sleep. You were loud,” she complained, and I huffed, but I didn't reply anything.

“Isn't this a beautiful morning?” A girl I hadn't yet seen came in from the back door. She was wearing a full set of sports clothes and her light brown hair was fixed in a strong ponytail. “Oh, who's that?” she asked Lou.

“Tess, asshole. Asshole, Theresa,” Lou replied in a monotonously annoyed voice.

“JJ,” I said, and suddenly both their heads perked up. “What?”

“Nothing,” Theresa squeaked and blushed.

“I don't know why the fuck she even lives with you guys,” I mumbled to myself, but I wanted them to hear it and get annoyed. I didn't like not knowing what they knew about me, what y/n had told them, and I especially didn't like that they knew my name but hadn't known that I was her boyfriend.

Half an hour later, the kitchen was filled by five girls and me. They had each introduced themselves politely, and each one had made a similarly high-pitched sound when I introduced myself. The eerie feeling in my gut wouldn't go away until someone might finally decide to fess up.

The elvish girl from the night before was called Bella, and Louisa, aka Lou, was her girlfriend. And that was more shocking to me than the fact that they all looked at me like I was a ghost.

Rebekah was just as tall as Louisa, but slimmer and with more hair, dyed red in her case. And Cara was British, and two whole heads smaller than me, which made talking to her a bit uncomfortable for the both of us, but we managed.

None of them seemed to mind much that I had nothing but underwear on, but it became apparent that all of them had bore witness to how y/n, and I had spent the night. Even more so when she came into the kitchen, dragging her feet and heading straight for my chest.

“Good morning, princess,” I smiled at her as her arms closed around me, and she planted a few kisses on my chest before laying her head against my shoulder.

“Morning, dumbass,” she mumbled, and I held onto her, not planning on letting go anytime soon.

“You look like shit,” Lou said, but there was a small laugh hanging in the air after the words had left her, and as soon as y/n had flipped her off, the laughter tumbled out quickly and quietly.

“Tired,” y/n muttered, and I let my hand run over her back. The black shirt of mine was loose on her body and I couldn't wait to wear it again just to bathe in her scent.

“This was what the best sex of your life sounds like?” Rebekah asked, and y/n tensed around me.

I took her chin in my hand and lifted her head to look at me. “The best one? Really?”

“Who else would it be?” she whispered, and I leaned down to kiss her as softly as I could to not hurt her swollen lips anymore. She hadn't even thought about getting cleaned up at all. She looked just like she had when I had awoken two hours ago.

“Tuna and the secrets. Could be a quiz show,” Bella giggled and brought us both back to reality.

“Yeah, Tuna?” I looked at y/n and she rolled her eyes.

“I just left out some minor details. It's not that bad,” she argued.

“Minor details being that you do have a boyfriend, and he didn't know you didn't tell us, and he's also very pissy,” Louisa countered.

“I'm not pissy,” I complained, and y/n raised her eyebrow at me. “All right, I am, but you can't fucking blame me. You were the one to not tell them about us, and the only reason I got inside was because I had to force myself in after watching you grind up to some asshole.”

She let go of me and stepped back, her angry eyes locked down on me, but I didn't really care. If a fight was what it took, then I would have to take it.

“I was not grinding up to anyone,” she hissed.

“That's the part you are focusing on?” I huffed. “I saw you do it, don't fucking start and tell me I'm wrong when I know what I saw!”

“That's exactly it. You're so fucking jealous all the time. Oh, the cashier smiled at me? The guy in the diner looked at me for two seconds too long? Get a grip, JJ!” she yelled at me.

“That one didn't just smile, he wrote his number on the receipt while I was standing right next to you! And you don't even wanna know what the other one was doing, all right,” I snapped back and she laughed hysterically.

“Why did you even come here if all you wanted to do was get your dick wet and yell at me?” she screamed, and a few tears fell down her cheeks, and I knew I had gone too far. I didn't know where or how, but it needed to stop.

“Y/n/n,” I whispered and took a step over to her, but she backed away.

“No,” she shook her head, but I took another step.

“Papaya,” I whispered, and she stopped moving and let me hug her. Dumbest safe word ever, but it did the trick.

“I love you, princess, and I missed you,” I whispered, and she looped her arms around me.

“I love you too, pretty boy,” she replied just as quietly but pulled away a moment later.

“That's not the only reason you came here, though. It's mid-season, on a good weekend, no storms coming in- Why are you here and not home?” she bludgeoned me.

“Can I not keep a little secret to myself? I mean, you got some too,” I tried to get her to smile, but she didn't want to.

“Low blow, dude,” Lou said from behind us, and I was reminded that all of this had been visible to them. All of it.

“Don't comment on shit you got no clue about,” I turned a little to glare at her.

“Don't talk to her like that, that's my best friend,” y/n snapped at me, and I had to laugh.

“Oh, you gotta be kidding me. Is this it? The version of yourself you ‘hate’ so much?” I drew the quotation marks with a bit more gusto to underline how stupid she was acting.

“There's no ‘versions’, there's just me,” my girlfriend countered and threw her hair to the side, and at that moment she reminded me of all the Kook chicks that I hated, the same ones she had hated with me.

“Money changes people,” I said, and took for the stairs. I needed to leave. Coming here had been a mistake and a huge one at that because all I could feel was my chest getting tighter and tighter, something that hadn't happened in a long time when it came to y/n.

“JJ, wait!” she yelled after me, her steps sounded heavy on the stairs, but I didn't turn around to look at her. I couldn't cave and forget all that I had just found out about her new little life in the city.

“I'm leaving, I'll just stay in a hotel until I can go home.” I huffed and picked up the dirty clothes of mine that were scattered on her floor.

“JJ, let me explain,” she begged while standing in the opened door.

“No. You had months in which you could've explained it to me or to them. But you didn't. Instead, you lied. You lied about me, about the Pogues, and most of all about yourself,” I spat out and she winced.

“Papaya,” she mumbled, but I shook my head.

“No, not this time. The only way this is ending is if you let me leave right the fuck now, or if you finally tell me the truth.” I was almost begging her to tell me why she had done it, but she was stubborn, even more stubborn than me.

“You got what you wanted then? A good fuck that'll last another few months? Is that it?” she sneered, and I scoffed and shrugged.

“Yeah, exactly, that's all I wanted. That's why I drove up here for hours on my own, because I needed to get my dick sucked by some bratty little-” I stopped her hand before it could land in my face, and she stared at me in shock. Verbal fighting was our thing, but we had never purposefully tried to physically hurt each other, so this was a first for both of us.

“I'm sorry. I don't know what- why- I-” she started babbling and then crying and sobbing.

“I just wanna know why you put up this fake whatever the fuck it is, because I really hate it. I know it's not you,” I whispered after pulling her into a hug.

“I love you, I do,” she mumbled into me, but I couldn't say it back, not unless I knew what else she had lied about.

“We should sit down,” I noted and pulled her towards the bed and made her sit down.

“What happened?” I whispered and brushed over her cheek so she would look at me. Her beautiful y/e/c eyes were filled with tears, and the day-old makeup was running down her cheeks. My eyes searched the room and landed on a pack of makeup wipes on her nightstand. With the wipes in my hand, I sat back down and started gently cleaning her up while she collected herself enough to be able to speak without breaking out into tears again.

“I don't know. I wanted to be honest, but then- It's complicated,” she muttered.

“I think I'll be able to follow, I'm smart, remember?” I whispered and she smiled a little.

She spent the next half hour explaining to me how she had first lived with Louisa in a dorm and how they had both applied for the sorority and had managed to get in without many issues. How she was quick at making friends with the other four, and how good it felt to have real girl-friends that didn't judge her all the time because they didn't know every little dark secret. But that was where it ended with the truth. She had switched up quite a lot when it came to her backstory.

For example, she had told them her mom was dead, not her dad, but that he was always on business trips and never home. And that I was her summer love, not her boyfriend of nearly three years. They knew about Kie, but not about the rest of the Crew. But they did know of her ex-girlfriend, all about her actually, more than I knew.

“So, they don't know anything about what we went through? Nothing?” I asked for probably the millionth time, and she shook her head.

“If I tell them that I lied, they'll hate me, J,” she whispered and started crying again.

“Guess we have to take that risk, ‘cause I'm not going down there and pretend like I'm just your summer love, cupcake,” I smiled at her.

“What about the rest?” she whispered.

“Maybe you should mention your mom, in case she plans a surprise visit too, but other than that, I can hold up a lie,” I winked at her, and she threw herself into my arms.

“Thank you,” she squealed and started kissing me all over.

“Princess, I have something else to say,” I managed to press out, and she lifted herself off me after having pushed me into the mattress.

Her wide doe eyes would’ve made me cave, instantly, always, but this time I had already planned to tell her, so it didn't do much but make my dick twitch.

“I’m not just here because I missed you. I'm also here because I'm picking up a bike, a new one,” I said and she bit her lip.

“A pretty one?”

“And fast too,” I smirked, and she leaned down to kiss me again. “I have the rental out front if you wanna go for a ride.”

“I'm not even cleaned up yet, and I didn't have breakfast,” she mumbled and tipped her index finger against her cheek while pretending to think hard about the decision. “I think I have time.”

“Oh, you think?” I gasped and turned us around and started tickling her a little until she screamed and squealed and laughed so much that I heard someone run up the stairs to see what was going on.

“And here I thought he killed you,” Cara was standing in the doorway, leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

“Yeah, as if I could ever lose you,” I mumbled and kissed y/n as passionately as I could. My hand that had been holding onto her cheek, slipped down to hold her neck, squeezing just enough for her to gasp a little.

“I'm still here,” Cara reminded me of her existence, and I pulled out of the kiss while leaving a few dozen more pecks on y/n's soft lips.

“J, please,” she whispered, and I let off completely, standing up and running my hand through my hair. I hadn't felt this all over the place ever since we had decided to settle down together. Ever since the treasure hunt had been finished. And I was sure she knew exactly what she was doing to me.

“Cara, can you ask the others to meet me in the garden in an hour? I think I have some explaining to do,” y/n spoke softly, and Cara nodded before giving me another narrow eyed glare and then leaving just as fast as she had appeared.

“Okay, now I should really get ready,” y/n sighed, and I pulled her up and into my arms.

“We had a fight,” I whispered with a smirk on my lips.

“We did.”

Perhaps my implication wasn't strong enough, so I cupped her cheeks and whispered, “maybe a part of me did come here solely to get my dick wet, but you're so good at that. The best, actually. Who could ever blame me, darling.”

“Not me, not even a little. Just be upfront about it next time,” she stuck her tongue out at me and slipped away from me and towards the bathroom.

The door wasn't locked. She was basically inviting me in. And as soon as I stepped inside and locked the door, I heard her groan. Deep and raspy, and it sent a jolt of desire through my body.

“If you don't get in here- Oh god- I'll be done before you can start-” Her words were cut off by gasps and moans, and I had no other choice but to step into the huge shower. Maybe it was too much to ask of her to not play with me like she did- As if I actually ever would've said no to her, but I should at least keep up the facade.

I watched as she played with herself, the strong water stream pointing straight at her clit, while her other hand was occupied with thrusting her pretty fingers into her perfect cunt. Her head was thrown back against the tile, mouth agape as she moaned through a smile and her eyes fixed on me.

“So close,” she panted, and I stepped closer, taking the shower head from her hand and putting it away. The whimper that left her upon the sudden change and her glossy eyes made my dick even harder, if that was even possible by now.

“You’ve been a real brat this morning, baby,” I rasped and pulled her hand from her pussy, sucking every single finger off individually until there was nothing of her arousal left on them.

“You should put me in my place,” she whispered and looked at me with hopeful eyes.

I twirled a wet curl of hers in between my fingers before tucking it behind her ear with a smile. “Oh, I plan on doing exactly that.”

“Ahh!” she gasped loudly as I thrusted my middle and ring finger into her core, curling them just like she loved it.

“That's it. I'm the only one who gets you to make all those pretty noises. Isn't that right, cupcake?” I asked as she dug her fingernails into my shoulder and biceps, trying to hold onto literally anything while I brought her to her orgasm.

I slowed my movements after she still hadn't answered, and she whimpered in response.

“Please, JJ, so close,” she begged, but I shook my head, just to have her whine some more.

“Gotta answer my question first, princess. Who's the only one for you? The best you ever had? Tell me!” I demanded, and she cried out my name as I thrusted my fingers harder into her seeping cunt. My thumb was caught on her clit, drawing harsh circles and making her twitch with it.

She kept clenching around my fingers, refusing to let go. My lips connected to her neck and her hand went to my head almost instantly. Tugging on my hair as I kept kissing and licking her soft skin.

“Don't you wanna cum for me? Make me proud, baby?” I whispered with a light growl swinging in my voice, and she moaned a little louder at it.

Moving my fingers became increasingly more difficult with the hold she had on me while cumming, but I still pushed her through it until my whole hand was covered in her juices.

Usually I would've helped her stay up and recollect herself, but I was too eager and it was still a punishment.

“Kneel,” I ordered, and she followed on wobbly knees, holding onto my thighs as her head became level with my hard dick.

I spread her cum over my cock with a few purposeful strokes, trying my best to not moan over what was to follow.

“Open up and stick your tongue out,” I told her as she kept looking up at me with her doe eyes. And once her tongue lay flat, I placed my dick onto it, spraying my precum in her mouth and pulling away again to see her swallow it like it was the most normal thing to do.

“I'm gonna fuck your throat now, princess, and I won't stop unless you use the safe word,” I told her, and she gave me a cocky smile.

“Don't you mean safe slap?”

“That just granted you another round of not being allowed to do anything but follow orders. You really into that shit, aren't you?” I huffed, but she didn't reply and simply opened her mouth for me.

I started gentle, testing the waters because we hadn't done this in a long time and I needed to be sure that she was okay, but she kept on massaging my butt and swirling her tongue for me to indicate that she was more than okay with what was happening. Slow thrusts became harsher as I grew closer to my orgasm.

My eyes were fixed on her while my arm was propped up against the tile to make me not lose my stance in the process. And there was something to it. To seeing her completely at my mercy, tears staining her cheeks and saliva trickling down her chin, while her eyes were wide as she looked up at me. I was being rough, maybe a little too rough considering that she wanted to be able to talk later, but it was a punishment after all. Her mouth was warm and wet, and she looked like a goddess, moaning around my cock and trying not to gag too much as I kept pushing farther. Her tongue lapped at my tip, pressing against it every time I pulled back and then instantly giving me space again to thrust into her throat another time. Y/n’s lips were past swollen. They were red and strained, and I couldn't wait to kiss her and hear her tiny whine after. I thought about how I had to wash off the lipstick stain she had put on my cock the night before, and it made me jolt a little. Her nails dug into my ass, and it made me even more feral for her, nearly cumming already, but I restrained myself.

“Want me to stop? Had enough?” I asked, and she moved her eyes from left to right, signaling a no. I knew she was as much into this as I was. Maybe it was even worse like this because she wasn't even the one receiving anything from it, not that I considered it an unfair deal, but at least when I got to eat her out I could do much more to her than she initially asked for, and she wasn't always capable of saying no to me.

“You're so perfect. Fuck, princess-” Y/n managed to hollow her cheeks some more, putting so much pressure onto my cock that I had an even harder time pulling out, but the thrust in was like heaven and hell combined. She moaned around me, and I threw my head back, pushing my dick so far into her that I was scared she wouldn't be able to breathe. But before I could check on her well-being she started moving her head, taking me even faster than I had managed, and with a few more pumps I was shooting my cum into her, and she swallowed it all while gazing up at me.

“Did I do good?” y/n whispered and gave me the most innocent look she had in herself while her hand held onto my cock, softly stroking it and hitting her lips with it.

“Fucking gorgeous,” I panted and pulled her up to kiss her. “My perfect little cock slut,” I hushed against her lips, and she squirmed instantly. She was mewling, tiny delicious noises leaving her throat as I held onto it and forced my tongue into her mouth.

“Punish me, J,” she gasped, and I smirked before spinning her around, my hand still fast around her throat while the other slid down between her legs and toyed with her pulsating clit. She always got so riled up while sucking my dick that it was hard to not want to eat her out in return every single time.

I took a step back and pulled her with me, her ass pressing harshly against my semi-hard dick. She seemed to notice it and started pushing against me even more.

“Don’t,” I hissed, and she whimpered in response to my fingers closing a bit harsher around her throat. “For that, I won't let you cum,” I growled before letting go of her throat and pushing her down, so her head could lean against the tile.

“‘m so sorry, J, won't do it again,” y/n cried softly and reached for my hand that was still between her legs.

My eyes fell to her back for the first time since I had arrived, and I was surprised to see a tattoo adorning her spine. The fine lavender flower bloomed on her lower back, right in the center of it.

“When did you get this, princess?” I asked while my index finger traced over the ink.

“The first week I got here, Lou came with me, that's why I lied because I didn't know how to-” She started rambling, and I put my hand over her mouth.

“Doesn't matter. All good now,” I whispered and leaned down to kiss her back right below where the stem of the flower started.

“Do you like it?” y/n asked as if it wasn't already clear to her that I loved it, and had always loved the mere idea of it.

“Fucking perfect, and the small bumblebee,” I kissed the small insect that was placed right next to a few leaves. “Love you so fucking much,” I murmured against her skin. Then I pulled my head back up and pumped my dick a few times before lining myself up and slowly pushing into her, with a groan leaving both of us.

“I get to take you like this every time you act like a bitch towards me, but maybe that's just what you want,” I breathed heavily while she moaned and gasped in response to my heavy and fast thrusts. I hoped the running water was and had been enough to dampen all the pretty sounds she gave me, but I also didn't really care about it. If they had heard us last night, they might as well hear us now, was all I could actually think of.

“So deep,” she moaned and pressed her cheek against the cold tile.

“You feel so good, baby,” I grunted, slamming into her, causing her to yelp. The sounds she gave me filled the room just as much as my skin slapping against hers. It was hot and heavy, and I was so close, but I knew I couldn't hold up my promise. I knew I wouldn't be able to go on with the day if I didn't let her cum.

My hand found her neck again, and I pulled her up, flush against my chest. I started nibbling on her earlobe while my other hand was putting some more pressure on her clit until she screamed and begged.

“It's okay,” I whispered into her ear. “You can let go now, my love. I want you to soak me, baby.”

And her orgasm hit me like a ton of bricks. It felt like she was trying to rip my dick off, that's how hard she came, and I couldn't move anymore, not until she was done.

“Y/n/n- Fuck- Relax, princess,” I cursed, and she slumped in my arms, her cunt lost the grip it had on me and I managed to keep on fucking into her until I finished. But I didn't grant her the satisfaction of feeling me cum inside her, instead I pulled out just in the right moment to spray my seed all over her back, especially on the new tattoo.

“That's how it's supposed to look like,” I grinned and let my hands run over her perfect perky tits, and she just nodded, completely exhausted by all of it.

“Can I turn around?” y/n mumbled, and I spun her around and wrapped my arms around her back.

“You good?”

“That was a whole lot for how long you've been here,” she giggled lightly, and I let my forehead fall to hers, smiling at her.

“Have to hold up the good reputation,” I hushed, and her lips got caught on my own, chasing them in a hot and mind-boggling kiss.

please don't copy and/or post my work onto other platforms! ~e©ho

taglist: @redhead1180 @spideysimpossiblegirl @drwstarkeyy @princessmaybank @ijustwantttoread @kys4-20 @immyowndefender @julczimozart @m2m2m2 @mochimms

#jj maybank #obx #my writing #jj maybank fanfic #jj maybank x you #jj maybank pov #jj maybank x y/n #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank smut #jj maybank imagine #jj maybank fanfiction #jj maybank fic #obx smut #~fanfiction #obx fanfiction #outer banks

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formyloveoflove · 4 months ago

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The Bear S3 and the Choices We Make

Ok. After a second watch of S3, I'm feeling a little bit more optimistic about the future. Trust - it's a sad ending. It's my worst nightmare for Sydney. But there's still hope, and that all lies in what Carmen and Syd decide to do next. Season 3 Spoilers - read at your own risk :)

In S3 E10 Forever, we see our two mains go through a breakthrough. Starting with Carmen, he finally confronts his former boss (who has a name, i think, but fuck him, I ain't using it). It's the first (and only time) that we see Carmen proactively voice his resentment. He avoids his mom (rightfully so imo). He never got the chance with Mikey. But he approaches him, expects the man to have repent (maybe), or at the very least, have a little remorse.

He doesn't. He regrets nothing. In fact, he takes credit for Carmen's success: his hard work, his skills, and his talent. He tells Carmen that he should be thanking him, and that's not even the worst of it. No, for me, it is when he says

Carmen: My life stopped. Chef: That's the point, right? [...] You wanted to be great. You wanted to be excellent. So you got rid of all the bullshit, and you concentrated, and you got focused, and you got great. You got excellent. It worked. You're here. Look at all this

Sound familiar? It should. It's the same sentiment that Carmen said in the Season 2 finale. Remember, he said,

I wasn't here. Right? What the fuck was I thinking? Like I was going to be in a relationship? I'm a fuckin' pyscho. That's why I'm good at what I do. That's how I operate. I am the best because I didn't have any of this fuckin' bullshit, right? I could focus, and I could concentrate.

Carmen's thoughts about himself aren't even his own. They were drilled into him by a man who wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire. He was emulating the abusive behaviors and patterns that crushed him, that gave him "uclers, panic attacks, and nightmares" on the people that he cares about. On his sister, on Richie, on Tina and Marcus. and especially on Sydney, who is the only one who knows exactly how bad it can get. He's hurt those closest to him. He hurts them daily. And for what? And for why? For his own ego.

And this realization leads us to Carmen's first cry.

For three whole seasons, we see this man lose his idolized brother to suicide, witness his alcoholic mother physically, emotionally, and mentally abuse him, and experience mental degradation to the point where it affects his physical health. Not once did he shed a tear. This is the first time Carmen Berzatto lets himself cry. And I think this is the best thing for him. If he chooses to acknowledge the err of his ways, turn back course, and begin again, I think The Bear could be what he wanted it to be. He needs to decide to stop running, stop fighting himself and everybody around him. He needs to let go. Let it rip, right?

However, if this is what he decides to do, the cards ultimately fall into Sydney's hands.

If anybody's been through hell and back, it's Ms. Sydney Adamu. All season she's been forced to work in a volatile environment, putting herself between Carmen and whoever's the victim of his anger. She has her ideas shut down, her skills demeaned, and her credit is outright non-existent. Staff keeps quitting; they're not making any money; and Cicero and Co. is doing some shady background shit.

She's trapped, but not really. Not until she signs that Partnership Agreement. But like she told her dad in S2 E9 Omelette, she doesn't think she has another one in her. She can't have The Bear fail like Sheridan Road. She doesn't want to make the same mistakes she did last time. She wants to grow and learn and make her mark on the industry - prove she's not a failure.

She's waiting for Carmen to make good on his promises from The Table Scene, but he's not.

"You deserve my full focus." But his focus is not on her. Remember the Carmen that noticed when something was off with her? Remember the "say more?" or the "what's up with you?" Remember when they worked together, when the menu was truly theirs? Where was Sydney's "margin" moment? What did Carmen do this scene that signaled to Sydney that he was there and present.

"I couldn't do this without you." He does everything without her. Don't even get me started. From the menu to the list of nonnegotiables. Syd gets to make no decisions after being forced to make ALL the decisions. What is she there for? To be Carm's wrangler, his doormat? What has he does to convince her that she is invaluable?

He's egotistical. He's verbally abusive. He's the exact person that she warned him not to be. That he assured her that he wouldn't be in S1 E3 Brigade. She said,

You know I think this place could be so different from all the other places we've been at. But, in order for that to be true, we need to run things different. [...] But you just didn't really listen, and if this is going to work the way I think we both want it to work, I think we should probably try to listen to each other. The reason why I'm here, and not somewhere else or for someone else, is because I think I can stand out here. I can make a difference here. We could share ideas. I could implement things that make this place better. And I don’t wanna be wasting my time, working on another line or tweezing herbs on a dish that I don’t care about.

He didn't follow through the first time, so she left. But now, it's different. She's put her blood, sweat, and tears into this place. She's made a place (a home even) at The Bear. Leaving is not as simple anymore.

S1 Syd would've taken that CDC offer in a heartbeat. But building something and it failing (like The Bear. like Sheridan Road.) is terrifying. Slowly but surely, Carmen has been chipping away at her confidence and her fire. So much so that good things, like The Offer or the review of her risotto from The Beef, don't feel like good things.

Sydney's Panic Attack is HUGE for her character. We see Sydney at her lowest: her most frightening and vulnerable. She's uncertain. She's in a constant state of panic. And the person that she trusted with her fears and insecurities facilitated this, drove her to this point. It's heartbreaking. I cried when I saw it. No one would blame her for jumping ship. At this point, I encourage it (but she has to talk about it, acknowledge it. no running).

Now, if Carmen decides to change his ways, he'd have apologized to Sydney twice without changed actions. She'd have to believe him after many, many broken promises. At this time, she doesn't trust him, can't rely on him. But when having to decide between staying or going, will she try to trust him again?

Will she? Should she?

That's where I'm at so far. I have more thoughts, but I'll write those out when I get back from my weekend trip.

#the bear #the bear fx #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto #the bear season 3 #the bear gifs #the bear spoilers #the bear meta #sydcarmy

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zeroslashsix · 5 months ago

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Following my Gambit post, I love love love the way Rogue's powers are handled in X-Men Evolution. Like Gambit, Rogue tends to have a certain set of 'roles' when she's in a show/movie: she's focused on inner torment about her powers, on being a Spicy Southern Belle, or her romantic connections. Which is to say, her stories are usually about emotions and relationships, which is fine, I love those parts of her as much the rest. But if she's not fighting, her powers are only really viewed through a lens of how she feels about them, and how they impact her ability to connect with others.

And here's X-Men Evolution, fully leaning into the fact that Rogue’s power is one of the most dangerous in the entire show. I love the s3 ep "Self-Possessed" so much because it takes the brakes off her, and really commits to the idea that stacking powers is catastrophic when you consider she can wield multiple omega-level powersets at the same time. Her main limitation is that she doesn't want other personalities in her head, she limits her power usage because she just doesn't like it, and yeah, totally fair, but Rogue could absolutely wake up one day, go through the mansion and decide to be an omega squared. X-Men Evolution is about teenagers who are still figuring out their abilities, even at the end of the series when they're a year (two years?) older. By the finale, they have more control and training, but they are absolutely still growing into adulthood and have not reached full potential.

Which is why I think "Self-Possessed" is such a fascinating look at Rogue's powers. Every iteration of Rogue imposes a time limit on her absorption, meaning that any powers she absorbs will only stay with her for a short time. But in that episode, when she's succumbing to all those personalities in her head, her time limit stops existing. She can access powers for months, maybe even years after the initial absorption. Mystique's powers couldn't have given Rogue that ability; the only way Rogue could do such a thing is if that potential already exists inside of her. This implies that when she absorbs a power, that power stays inside her as long as the personality does, and her "time limit" is just a matter of control, or lack thereof.

This seems to be backed up by the s3 finale, where Mesmero and Mystique mind control Rogue to gather powers, and Rogue proceeds to SWEEP the X-Men, Brotherhood, Acolytes, and Magneto in less than 24 hours. By the end of it, she seems fully capable of using any and all their powers at will, ignoring any sort of time limit. Mesmero can mind control others, but he can't enhance them. He cannot give someone powers they don't already possess. The only reason Rogue could do all that is because she was already capable of it, and the fact Mesmero could mind control this out of her seems to imply that Rogue's limitations are entirely self-imposed, mostly mental/emotional, or maybe a lack of experience. (Similar to the season four finale where Rogue seems to use Leech’s power better than he does, probably just because he’s a little kid and she’s an adolescent so has a better grasp on powers in general)

Like, no wonder Mystique and Destiny wanted her powers. No wonder Magneto was so thrilled to have her in the ranks in the first season. No wonder so many people in the world want to use her; she is the all-mutant, the living multi tool that can gather multitudes of power in one place and then combine them. The only reason she isn't considered omega-level is pure technicality; in terms of destruction she could actually lay down, Rogue is absolutely as dangerous as plenty of omegas. The requirements for an omega are 1) infinite power, and 2) limitless power. Rogue has the first one; she can stack an infinite number of powers. But she lacks the second; all her powers must come from the outside, and she cannot generate them herself. But if she has access to multiple omega powersets like she does in Self-Possessed, that technicality kind of stops mattering once the punches actually start flying.

Which all leads into Rogue's main emotional journey through X-Men Evolution, which is perhaps my favorite she's ever had: being used. That's why she was adopted. That's why she was raised being unable to touch, being lied to by both her moms. That's why she was taken into the Brotherhood, and it's why Mystique will never leave her alone. Extra fascinating because after the reveal in season one that Mystique is Kurt's mother, Mystique leaves Kurt completely alone for the rest of the series, while simultaneously stalking and manipulating Rogue. Why the difference? Because Kurt is not a useful tool. Not compared to Rogue. And I think Rogue sees that difference, which makes for such a juicy dynamic when Kurt is so interested in actually loving Mystique, for insisting that Rogue should forgive their mother and 'let hatred go,' because he genuinely thinks that anyone can be saved with enough love. Whereas Rogue, who has seen Mystique's 'love' up close for her whole life, is desperately trying to get away from that, with good reason.

One of the reasons I wish we’d had more seasons, or at least more episodes in the last season, is how seamlessly Rogue’s feelings about her powers flowed into her feelings around being used, her feelings around family, and being dehumanized to the point of mind-wipe by her own mother. Yes she’s sad about the no-touching thing, but that’s nothing compared to being seen as a literal object in the eyes of others, because her powers are utterly perfect—for someone else to use. Which flows into questions of bodily autonomy, of who her powers ��belong to” vs. who they “should belong to.” Especially considering that Rogue is only at full power when she loses control/is under someone else’s control, which could lead someone to conclude, “Well of course Rogue should be under someone’s control, preferably mine. She’s so powerful when someone else is controlling her, and so weak when she controls herself. It’s honestly such a waste for Rogue to be her own person when she could be so much more. She needs to be used to reach her full potential.”

In a perfect world, we’d have way more X-Men Evo than we got. More seasons, more episodes, more time to explore whatever the hell Rogue had going on. And if I was allowed to pick, I would have loved to see Rogue with a character arc of self-ownership. In particular, it would be so cool to see her powers develop to the point she can have a “Self-Possessed” crisis and control it, fully aware of herself and all the powers she holds. I’d love to see her use those powers for her own benefit, on purpose, independent of both her mother and the X-Men. I’d love to see a self-serving Rogue in the XMenEvo. Not necessarily evil (though it would be a fascinating villain arc) but a Rogue who chooses selfishness as an act of rebellion. Who can use all those powers simultaneously, consciously, and disobediently. Vengeance, maybe? Or something that heightens humans’ fear of mutants? I’d love to see Rogue become inconvenient to the X-Men, at the very least, either physically or philosophically. Certainly nothing so dire as the Phoenix saga, but something that uses her powers to their fullest extent. (Damn could you imagine Rogue as the Horseman of Death if this went in the opposite direction. How fucking overpowered would Death!Rogue be, how the hell would the X-Men deal with that)

Anyways. Fanfiction is the folklore of the now or whatever. And XMenEvo was already a crazy high school AU anyway.

#x-men evolution #rogue #anna marie darkholme #fanfic #mystique #nightcrawler #kurt wagner

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quitealotofsodapop · 5 months ago

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The fact that some of Macaque's "clones" are so weirdly affectionate of Wukong and MK only serves to confuse them more. Like, it gets to the point that every time Macaque appears in S1-S3, the two little shadows can and will tackle either Wukong or MK for cuddles. In the scene where Macaque attacks them while in Sandy's airship and is focusing entirely on MK because he now knows Wukong is pregnant, the cubs have the job of keeping Wukong occupied and they do so by, what else, pinning himnto the ground like Baba-Macaque wants and full on nuzzling and purring as they don't get to see 'Wukong-Mama" a lot because Baba is so mad/sad whenever Wukong comes into conversation altho it doesn't stop him and them from spying on Wukong-Mama from a the shadows. MK and Mei are fighting for their lives in the episode where they get separated, and Rumble and Savage are hanging around Pigsy, Tang, and Wukong and enjoying seeing him acting so silly with Amnesia. It's only during the Lantern City Talent Show that Wukogn realizes they aren't just weirdly affectionate clones.

Prev post.

these clones do seem to pin/tackle Wukong a lot.

I imagine in the SlowBoiled au - the tackling is a little more gentle given what Macaque knows by then. Wukong def notices that the two clones are still very affectionate to him and MK - and has his suspicions all the way back during S1.

In S3 when the gang gets separated; Macaque instructs the "clones" (even he's figured out that not true) to stay with Wukong while he chases MK. The Twins are delighted! Papa is giving them time to spend with Wukong-Mama! Clearly, their plans to repair the troop is working.

Pigsy, Tang, and Mo quickly notice the two stowaways and at first react with fear/anger at their presence - only for the two Macaque-shaped shadows to cock their heads with confusion, chirping like baby monkeys as they shrink to the size of cats. Wukong had already been in astral meditation at this point, so he's not able to recognise the twins' presence, even as they curl on his crossed legs and pick through his fur. The twins hoot sadly, thinking that their new "Mama" is ignoring them.

As Pigsy and Tang try to wrap their heads around the situation, the twins accidentally wake Wukong from his meditation, trying to get his attention. Tang is ofc kidnapped by Scorpion Queen in the confusion. Wukong awakens, memory fractured, and sees what he thinks is part of his Pilgrim troop, and a pair of unfamiliar baby monkeys.

Amnesiac!Wukong: "Oh! When did you two get here? You smell awfully familiar." (*sniff sniff*) "Macaque! You smell like him! Did he send you ahead to make peace?" Rumble & Savage: (*delighted chattering!*) Amnesiac!Wukong, with a wistful/worried tone: "Oh plums... do you... have a mama? Or another parent?" Rumble & Savage: (*look between each other, confused. Both shake their heads and leap into Wukong's arms, chattering a short explanation*) Amnesiac!Wukong, shocked: "Ehh?! He brought you into this world himself?! Then he managed what I've been trying to do! No wonder he sent you to find me! Oh I'm so happy!" Rumble & Savage: (*chirp a cautious question*) Amnesiac!Wukong, smiling: "Of course! I'd be delighted to be your Mama! I can't wait for Macaque to arrive so we can all be together as a family! The Stalwarts will be so glad!" (*Wukong cuddles the twins tight, all three monkeys purring*) Pigsy: "Err... Monkey? "Master" is still missing." Wukong, sighs: "Okay... c'mon cubs, I need to save Master Tripitaka. He's like the head of our troop. I can introduce you to everyone properly once we get him back." Rumble & Savage: (*cling to Wukong's front and back, chirping with excitement!*)

The rest of the Amnesia Rules episode becomes more focused on Wukong's interactions with the Pilgrims, and how he's at his core a gentle, motherly monkey. Pigsy sees a side of Wukong he never knew existed.

Once Wukong's memory returns, he is very confused by the baby shadow monkeys clinging to him, calling him "Mama". He sniffs and looks them over in Gold-Vision (the twins giggling the whole time), and with a shocked expression declares;

Wukong: "Macaque brought these two back from Diyu!" Tang: "What?! Is that even possible?!" Wukong, thinking hard: "It shouldn't be. Unless... they were hanging around the Underworld, unable to reincarnate because..." (*suddenly gets really sad/guilty look on his face*) Pigsy: "Because how?" Wukong: "If they weren't registered in the Book of the Dead... or if someone accidentally erased their names as he was going through the list of monkey demons..." Tang: (*covers gasp as he realises*) Rumble & Savage: (*confused chirps?*) Wukong: "I'm so sorry babies. I don't know why Macaque brought you back with him, but I'm glad he did. He's always had a soft spot for cubs. I hope in a... weird way, that this is a sign that he wants to repair things." Rumble & Savage: (*delighted chirping & hugging Wukong as they chatter about their "Papa"*) Wukong, chuckling smugly: "Oh really? He's been saying that about me? I just knew he couldn't get me out of his head." Rumble & Savage, both mimicking Mac's voice: "Peaches!" Wukong, slight blush forming: "He still calls me that?" Pigsy, Tang, & Mo: (*shared looks of confusion*)

Once the gang reunites after catching up with the Demon Bull family, MK sees the twins and splutters out;

MK: "Monkey King! They're-!" Wukong, twins clinging to him: "It's ok MK. They're just little demon monkeys. Macaque picked himself up some strays while he was in the Underworld. And super cute ones, might I add!" (*blows raspberries on the twins' faces*) Rumble & Savage: (*delighted giggling/shrieking*) MK, Mei, & Sandy: (*look to the others for an explanation*) Pigsy, shrugs: "He's good with kids."

Pigsy ofc starts to recognise some similarities to how the twin monkeys act, and how MK was when he was little. But that can of worms can be opened later. Now they've got Rings to gather and a bone demon to defeat.

Lantern City doesn't go as smooth as planned for Macaque. LBD has figured out that his two "persistent clones" aren't actual clones, and threatens them as collateral to get Macaque to comply.

The twin baby monkeys shriek when they glimpse at the Samadhi Fire. Almost as if they've seen it before...

#slow boiled stone egg au #lmk penumbra au #sun wukong #six eared macaque #liu er mihou #shadowpeach #lmk rumble & savage #lmk eclipse twins #lmk mk #qi xiaotian #lmk pigsy #lmk tang #lmk aus #lmk #lego monkie kid #wrote the dialogue a little ambiguously so it could apply to SlowBoiled or a basic canon divergence like Penumbra

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menaceoffandoms · 3 months ago

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LMK analysis rant: Mei

I said I was gonna do this and I'm keeping to my word! The only thing that may stop me is my procrastinating... and the fic I'm slowly writing but uhhhhh-

ANYWAY- We're here to talk about Mei, our favourite white horse dragon pepper girl!

Mei stands out as the most different from her inspiration, something the writers perfectly portray in the yellow-robed demon episode of s4, which is likely to do with how little they had to go off of. Despite being one of the pilgrims in jttw, Ao Lie dose very little in the novel. His most notable chapters being when he's introduced and when the group faces the yellow-robed demon, which is why we met him in that memory in the scroll. Combined with my belief that Mei isn't a reincarnation of Ao Lie -- just his descendent -- means that Mei is one of the most unique characters in the entire show.

There's just less source material for her to draw from, it let's the writers have more fun and do more things. It's not that they don't make the others characters unique -- they like to play very fast and loose with things over all -- but Mei feel like her own complete and original character. She's inspired by Ao Lie in the same way Mk is inspired by Monkie King basically and she all the better for it.

Being the female lead (isn't it interesting how most of the female characters in this show are villans?), Mei is a refreshingly strong, confident girl who begins the show as the most powerful cast member. Being a descendent of the great dragon gives her amazing powers that no other cast members have, a birth right that leads to her being the most protective of her friends and the first to help out in any fight.

What she has in power, however, she lacks in experience. Mei has no mentor -- other than her parents, but I believe its safe to assume they weren't very focused on teaching her combat -- which leads her to trust her gut more, rush into things and learn through observation, like when she mimics what her great x1000 uncle did in s3.

Overall Mei is an excitable, energetic and loving person with a "You only live once" kinda attitude, for lack of a better explanation. Even still, she has her own insecurities and flaws which make her all the more interesting. Due to the shows run time, Mei and many of the other main characters don't really get explored as much as Mk, however what we do see of these struggles and fears is incredibly interesting even on a surface level.

Her tendency to rush head first into danger without first examining the situation or creating a plan, truthfully, tends to work out for her, but it can't always. It's something shown perfectly in s4, when Mei is the only member of the group to not get a star from Master Subohdi, however what a lot of people seem to miss is how Mei actually did earn that star eventually.

When they leave the temple and head to the celestial realm to try and stop Azure, Mei leads them there with no plan at all. As such, they fail and need to be saved by Mk. Faced with proof of Subohdi's criticism, Mei makes the more important amendment to Mk's plan in the s4 special. I don't think we've even seen Mei make a serious plan until this point, which feeds back in to another one of her flaws: being unable to take things seriously.

This isn't something I see said about Mei often, but when watching her character I think it's externally obvious. Don't get me wrong, Mei can be serious, but usually only in moments of vulnerability or high stress. For example: when talking with her pearents, after she gained the Samahdi fire and whilst imprisoned by the Yellow-robed demon.

I think this flaw is Mei's own version of Mk playing dumb. They both behave this way to lessen the emotional impact of serious things, to protect themselves and help those around them deal with trauma or difficult topics. Mei and Mk really are two sides of the same coin and I'd love for them to do more with that in the show.

Going back to Mei's parents, one of her biggest struggles is reconciling who she is with who she's meant to be. She is a noble dragon, a descendent of the great dragon of the West Sea and practically the successor to Ao Lie. It's a lot to live up to and -- evident in episode 3 of season 1; Welcome home -- she doesn't believe she dose.

Mei is confident in her abilities, she's sure of her strength and quick to help those around her, but in the face of her legacy she stands uncertain. It's another thing her and Mk have in common, though in vastly different flavours, and it's interesting how this legacy colours Mei as a character.

She wields the dragon blade, proving herself as a worthy part of her family and gaining the approval of her parents, however the stark difference between her and the rest of her clan is more blatant than ever. We see this perfectly in season 3 when they visit the great Dragon of the East Sea, Mei being put into fancy clothes she instantly ruins in order to have a place to hold her sword. She fights against her uncle, fights against her family, because she knows they'll never understand her. But even still, she knows she's still one of them and she's so proud to be.

Becoming the vessel of the Samahdi fire is only more proof of Mei's legacy and connection to her family. It gives her a moment of pure vulnerability where she vents her frustrations and fears before rushing away, wanting nothing more than to protect the people she cares about.

When Red Son finds her she's still serious, but even with just a basic understanding of the fire within her Mei falls back to her normal nature; a silly excitable girl not taking things seriously. We see this after Red Son attacks her with the spears and when she's eating later on, but even if her attitude doesn't show it, she's still listening and taking the training seriously. She just needs to be silly so she won't freak out again.

Since we're on the topic of the Samahdi fire, I think most people can agree that the way it was handled post s3 was very poor. With only one mention of it in s4, by Master Subohdi no less, I assumed that the fire had been resealed, this time correctly. Something that dangerous should be locked up, even if a capable wielder is around. It would also prevent power creep and stop the show from having another Wukong predicament, by which I mean a character so powerful they need to find a way to prevent them from trivialising whatever threat they have to face in the plot. Wukong will get his own post soon don't you worry...

Instead, we learn in s5 that Mei still has the fire, she just kinda forgot? She learned to fully master it when breaking out of LBDs mech, so since the fire was no longer a raging uncontrollable inferno she just didn't realise it was still there... for an entire season. Yeah it feels lazy and honestly is probably the worse written choice the show has even made. Even still, it dose lead to a very interesting and in character moment for Mei.

When attempting to seal the willow wisp with Red Son, Mei loses her confidence, believing that she lost the Samahdi fire and thinking she's lacking. Mk getting Monkie Kings powers was one thing, but the rest of her friends now having cool weapons and magic? If their all so strong and only getting stronger, then what's the point in Mei? She was the strongest but now she might be the weakest, and that terrifies her cause if she's weak she can't protect people. How can she act when she's powerless to do so?

This dilemma is quickly resolved by Red Son telling her she's had the fire the whole time, amending it's use to Mei's lightning motif she's had since s1 -- I know fire benders in ATLA use lighting but come on -- and basically saying she's been using the fire the whole time. It takes away from Mei's whole struggle to be honest, but I do think there's potential for her to relearn this now tamed Samahdi fire so she can better use it. Just depends if the show wants to do that...

Moving on from my thinly veiled complaints about season 5 (I like it I swear but it is the weakest seasons to me so far), let's talk about Mei's role in the group a bit. Aside from being the token girl, she's also Mk's best friend and the only other character his age and acts around the same age as the shows target audience. Mk's the main character and leader, Tang is the lazy historian smart guy, Sandy the loveable giant, Pigsy the cynical brute and Mei's youthful and silly power house.

I would love to go into some narrative tropes, specifically the 5 man band since jttw is one of the primary bases of the trope, but I've realised I have far too many thoughts about that to fit here. This is the 21sh paragraph and I'm sure at least some of this is a mess, but I hope I'm getting my point across! Overall, Mei is an extremely compelling character how often gets side-lined due to run time and other stuff, but is honestly one of my favourite characters in the show.

#lego monkie kid #lmk #lmk mk #lmk mei #lmk fandom #lmk s5 #lego monkie kid mei #lmk xiaojiao #lmk analysis #lmk ao lie #lmk rant #lmk character analysis #thank you for coming to my ted talk #the brainrot is real #expect more rant's like this #i'm cooking #menace LMK posts

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whateverisbeautiful · 9 months ago

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♥️ Ranking Richonne

#13: I Love You (S8E14)

Ahhhh probably one of the most anticipated exchanges between Rick and Michonne, and of course, it was sensational. This scene powerfully reiterated that these soulmates truly mean the world to each other. And after seasons of communicating those special three words through every look, touch, kiss, and conversation, we finally got to hear Rick and Michonne directly say what's always been true - they love each other 🥰 Wholly, Deeply, and Forever...

This ily moment, adorably spoiled by our lovely captains 😋, is so tender and heartfelt while also being so natural and clear that these two have been verbally expressing I Love You’s for a while.

(Side note: I know there’s often debate on Rick’s hottest season lookswise, and really you could make a great case for any season, but lemme just place my vote here for season 8 right quick. 😊 Something about Season 8 Rick was extra fine. I feel bad cuz he was in pain all season, which I truly hate to see...but Rick was looking real right even while everything was going wrong ijs. even tho I think Rick Grimes' TOWL era is about to take the cake 🤭)

Something I so love about Rick and Michonne's relationship is that whenever they go through hardship they ultimately step closer rather than apart. They always eventually close the distance, which was evident in this lovely 'I love you' scene.

And I feel grateful that after experiencing such a devastating loss of their son, Carl, (why, TWD, why? 😭) and having to go on their journeys of grief, Rick and Michonne find their way back to each other truly in this moment. It doesn’t always go that way when a couple loses a kid as we’ve seen from other characters in this very series. But for Rick and Michonne, what they have is so unbreakable that, even in the hardest storm, their love still shines through, rises above, guides, and centers them.

So reflecting on Richonne's I Love You scene will forever have me like...

There’s also a beautiful and heart-rending honorable mention scene in this ep where Rick wipes Michonne's tears and Michonne opens up with Rick (and even makes reference to her son Andre 😭) while trying to help him heal at Hilltop instead of running out and about to get away from his grief.

But Rick still has a bit of savage Rick to get out of his system, so he and Morgan go hunt down some saviors first.

(Side note: while we're talking season 8, this 100th ep kiss in the season 8 premiere also deserves a big honorable mention because...🥵🔥🔥)

When Rick returns to Hilltop after wildin out with Morgan, he’s finally gained clarity on what he needs to start focusing on and who he needs to be healing with. Which leads to him saying those three very special words to the very special woman in his life. 🤗

So the scene starts with Rick returning to his room in a clean fresh tee, showing a clean fresh start to me. (Also Rick + a white tee has been a great combo since season 1, y'all) And he finally knows it’s time to let his wife and son guide him and read Carl's letter.

Michonne enters sorta hesitant I think because when Rick and Morgan returned they def looked like they had dabbled in the dark side out in those woods, and so she might be wondering what headspace Rick's in after whatever he just did.

But the thing about magnets is they always find their way back to each other and so Rick's not grown more distant but rather more aware of how he needs to navigate this season with her.

She finds him holding the letter, and Rick first says, "Thank you." Again, I love that Rick always thanks Michonne. Like as early as when they were strangers in s3, Rick has always vocally expressed gratitude for Michonne. And, in this moment, he knows how much Michonne has been his rock during this unbearable time as well as still fighting for their son Carl and his wishes, and so Rick thanks her for it. Her presence in his life is invaluable and he knows it.

Also, I adore the shared breath they both take when he says this. #TheyAreOne. And Michonne's so relieved that Rick has arrived at this point in his grieving journey.

Then Rick says he’s sorry which is also great cuz he knows going out and handling all this alone is not how magnets do. And Michonne is so understanding when she says, "You don't have to be."

It's just more proof that she is the exact kind of loving presence Rick needs in his life because she’s so good at both accountability and empathy. (Also in 4.09, Rick tells Carl sorry, and Carl also responds with, "You don't have to be." 😭)

And then Rick, knowing how blessed he is to have Michonne love him and stand with him through it all, turns to her and so tenderly says, "I love you." Beautiful x10. 🥹✨

I love how melodic it's said. 🥰 It’s this lovely quiet moment and Rick says it truly like it is a reassuring reminder of something he has expressed to her often and feels deeply.

I love that he turns to really look her in the eyes and has this little nod and subtlest smile when he says 'I love you.' And you just know he genuinely means this. It’s so great, and I could replay it 1000 times idc.

And Michonne really does complete the perfection when she so movingly says, "I love you too." 🥹✨

Again, you can feel how much she means this. The emotion on Rick's face, when he hears his wife say she loves him too shows that he also can feel how much they both mean this, especially as a small tear can be seen. They are everything to each other. 🥲

(Side note: One of the many reasons why I was so elated to hear Rick call Michonne his wife in that TOWL trailer (which I'm still there btw - haven't left since I first heard it 😋) is because we who love their love story of course already knew he views her as his wife (since 2016) and that he'd refer to her as that in the spinoff series, but by saying it in the trailer it showed that this isn't some big reveal they have to wait to say in the new show. Michonne has been his wife for the longest. Rick has viewed her as his wife for seasons. Their marriage is not a new TOWL development, it is an element of TWD. And scenes like this ily scene in season 8 make that crystal clear. (also I cannot wait to hear Rick call Michonne his "wife" even more and to hopefully hear Michonne call Rick her husband 😊)

I adore that we had so many moments of Rick and Michonne communicating 'I love you' to each other in different ways leading up to this point, and then this scene gifted us with the actual direct ILY exchange between them, and of course it was perfect and proof that...

I really feel confident this wasn't intended to be R&M's first time ever saying "I love you" directly either. In this scene, both of them seemed to communicate it in a way that said this is something they've said before and often. (like it feels like they don't show Michonne's facial expression upon hearing Rick say 'I love you' because this isn't a first. She's heard that man tell her this several times before 😋)

I like to think that why these season 8 'I love you's carry so much weight right here and now is because it might be the first time they've said it to each other post-losing Carl. 😭

How heartwarming is it to know that even in a sea of pain, Rick and Michonne still want each other to know that while their whole world has been changed, the one thing that hasn't changed is their love for each other. 🥹

Their love story is just heavenly. To go from staring at each other through a prison fence and thinking they’d patch her up and then she’d be gone to now declaring their love. Perfection. ��🏾

And ILY’s do not seem like a phrase either Rick or Michonne take lightly or would just say to anybody. For them to express this and fall in love with someone, the connection was going to have to be deep and special. And what they found with each other is the deepest love so of course they can tell each other these 3 words with ease.

And because Richonne is the gift that keeps on giving the scene doesn’t stop there. Michonne then approaches Rick and lovingly takes his face in her hands as they share a sweet kiss. 🥹

And only Richonne can make their movement after the kiss feel as passionate and intimate as the kiss itself. Cuz after finally connecting like they’ve been longing to do, Rick and Michonne stay in the moment, looking deep into each other's eyes before leaning their heads against each other with that blessed mirror giving us all the angles. 😍

I love that mirror, y'all. 😋 I'm deeming that mirror and the set designer who placed it there some Richonners cuz, baby, they knew what we needed to see...

The way Rick and Michonne touch each other is always electric, and I love that they seriously feel like one as she rests her hand on his heart and he gently moves his hand up her side. These actors are so gifted at not wasting a single moment or action because they communicate Richonne's love in every second of a scene.

(and when richonne inevitably does that signature forehead touch in TOWL, after years apart...y'all I just might ascend to the heavens right then and there 😇)

It’s also sweet the way Michonne looks at Rick before leaving for him to have this time alone to connect with his son and read the letter.

Having the scene end with Rick reading his son's letter in a whole mirror as opposed to the shattered mirror he saw himself in earlier in the ep, is lovely. And it speaks to the power of Richonne that Rick could arrive at this point, ready to slowly but surely start healing.

“I love you” really is communicated in every Richonne scene. And while season 8 was a weak one overall, one thing it did well was illustrate the stunning strength of Rick and Michonne’s exquisite and powerful love.

And I love knowing that, thanks to TOWL, we're sure to have some more Richonne "I Love You" moments in store. #GiftThatKeepsOnGivingAndGiving 😌

#richonne #top 30 #number 13 #rick x michonne #twd 8.14 #reveling in richonne #twd towl #the ones who live

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miss-musings · 4 months ago

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"And We're Not Done Yet": How Omega Also Needed Crosshair in The Bad Batch Season 3

Both during and in the weeks after "The Bad Batch" Season 3 aired, a lot of people talked about how much Omega helped Crosshair grow and change during Season 3 (and the show in general).

I'm certainly one of those people, but I thought it might be time to talk about just how much Omega needed Crosshair in Season 3 as well. I know he generally supported her like his brothers did throughout the show, but let's focus on how she specifically and uniquely needed him throughout S3.

(NOTE: I already posted this as a thread on my Twitter — @catchingclassic. So, sorry for any repetition across platforms. But, if you already saw the Twitter thread, I am going to expand on a few points, because Tumblr is more conducive to that.)

So, let's talk about how Crosshair and their special bond helped Omega in "The Bad Batch" Season 3:

Initial Imprisonment on Tantiss

Let's go chronologically and start with our characters' five- or six-month imprisonment on Tantiss.

While Omega is a prisoner at the base, she basically only has four individuals she has neutral to positive interactions with on a daily basis: Nala Se, Emerie, Batcher and Crosshair.

While she spends the most time with Emerie and does seem to develop some bond with her -- as we find out from Emerie's comments in 3.14 -- she also doesn't fully trust Emerie. If she did, she would've clued Emerie into her escape plans in 3.03.

But, Crosshair is someone she KNEW she could trust.

Crosshair was essentially Omega's only comfort during her imprisonment (other than Batcher, I guess). She'd just lost Tech and been separated from Hunter, Wrecker and Echo. She clearly needed someone to support her mentally/emotionally.

We only see two conversations between them in 3.01, and in the first one, he doesn't offer her much in the way of comfort. But in the second one, it's clear that Crosshair is trying to keep Omega focused on escaping, even if it's without him.

Look, I'm not saying Crosshair's demeanor was great. I wish we could've seen him offering her more comfort and support (and maybe he did off-screen).

But, at minimum, she continued to interact with him on a regular basis and seemed to tell him all sorts of details about her day, her plans to escape, etc. And, again, Crosshair encouraged her as best as he could:

Crosshair: What is your primary objective? Omega: Escape. Crosshair: Then stop wasting time on lost causes. Forget the hound, forget me, and complete the mission.

In early 3.01, he doesn't believe escape is possible. But, by late 3.01, he's apparently realized that Omega does have a good chance of escaping, if she plays her cards right, so he's trying to keep her focused.

And, he's actually right. Omega could've left with Batcher at the end of 3.01, but as I'll talk about shortly, that wouldn't have gone very well.

I've been showing TBB to my sister and we recently started S3. She was surprised by the five-month time jump in 3.01 and by just how much Omega had changed. She'd lost hope. She'd become almost complacent about her new life on Tantiss. She doesn't acknowledge Crosshair in the hallway. She doesn't demand to leave anymore. She's just accepted this is her life now, to some degree.

Omega definitely still had some fight left in her, as we see when Batcher is threatened, but five months on Tantiss clearly diminished so much of the stubbornly optimistic person she used to be. She also seemed to tunnel-vision on Batcher and Crosshair, and so that's why Crosshair has to remind her exactly what her objective is.

Again, we don't get to see much of it, but it's clear that Crosshair was basically Omega's only real support system on Tantiss. She might've had some positive interactions with Nala Se and/or Emerie off-screen (although that doesn't seem likely), but Crosshair seemed to be the only person encouraging her and helping her toward an escape attempt.

Speaking of...

Escaping Tantiss, Round 1

Omega absolutely needed Crosshair's help to escape Tantiss, especially on the day and at the time she did.

Let's say she took Crosshair's words to heart and left with Batcher at the end of 3.01:

She's outside the base with no weapon and no datapad. Even if she happens to remember the abandoned shuttle, she has no way to find it other than just blindly running around the jungle.

(EDIT/UPDATE: I forgot the droid K9-X1 also had a datapad Omega could’ve taken after she used it to open Batcher’s chute in 3.01. Not sure if it had the same capabilities as Nala Se’s datapad, but I would guess so. The droid also had an electro baton she could’ve taken. Not exactly a blaster but it’d be better than nothing. 🤷‍♀️)

And, while Batcher would be some help against the jungle creatures, one lurca hound isn't going to do much.

It would probably take a while, but I’m sure the lurca hounds and/or the stormtroopers would find her. And even if she remembers Plan 72 herself, now she doesn't have another person (or a weapon) to help her execute it.

But, in 3.03, once she gets Crosshair out of the cell, he gives her the second blaster. Now, they're both armed. They get outside, and he suggests they "follow the flight path" to find the crashed shuttle. He also watches her back the whole time they're in the jungle, and when the stormtroopers find them, he suggests Plan 72 and acts as a distraction while she steals the shuttle.

I also love that moment when she seems to give up, but Crosshair doesn’t let her:

Crosshair: You got us this far, and we’re not done yet.

One small detail I appreciate: if you look really closely at his facial expression when she apologizes, he really goes 😟 to hear that Omega of all people has given up hope that they’ll actually escape.

In any case, Omega, Crosshair and even Batcher all needed to be there to escape Tantiss as they did. And even then, they probably wouldn't have gotten away safely without Emerie bringing Hemlock Omega's results to have him call off the V-Wings.

Navigating Lau

Once the group crash-lands on Lau, Crosshair proves crucial to their escape efforts there. We always focus on her contributions, but don't really talk about his.

Omega probably would've been at the crash site all day, freezing and trying to fix the shuttle, if Crosshair hadn't prompted her to leave. He locates the spaceport, and says they need to move before they're discovered.

Once there, he reassures Omega that the stormtroopers are a standard patrol presence and tells her they can't contact Hunter and Wrecker because the Empire monitors long-range comms. He then comes up with the plan to try to sneak about one of the shuttles at the spaceport, but it's too well-guarded.

This is where Omega then takes the lead: she tries to bribe the spaceport employee and then decides to get money by hustling people at the cantina.

The whole time, though, Crosshair is watching her back and tries to stand up for her against the Imperial officer and the street kid.

And, despite how much he dislikes it, he does follow Omega to the cargo docks and helps her free Batcher. During the shootout, he fights the troopers while she steals the ship. Just like on Tantiss, they wouldn't have gotten out of there without working together.

Finally, as they head to reunite with Hunter and Wrecker, Crosshair tries to prepare her for the possibility that they might not be there. We know he's wrong, but he was still looking out for her (even if it was probably just him projecting).

Crosshair's Knowledge of the Empire and Tantiss

Just like on Lau, Crosshair's knowledge about the Empire and its procedures, etc. proves crucial in TBB's larger fight against Tantiss.

Once he and Omega reunite with everyone in 3.05, Crosshair helps by sharing what information he does have (although it does take him a while because of his trauma).

He takes TBB to Barton IV to decrypt the datapad in 3.05; he tells Rex & co. about the CX operatives in 3.06; he volunteers to take on CX-2 twice in 3.07; and he initiates the plan to break Rampart out of prison in 3.12.

Obviously, I don't like that Crosshair stayed with the Empire and left his family in 1.16. But the unspoken truth is that, without Crosshair staying in the Empire as long as he did, TBB probably never would've found Tantiss.

It was so well-guarded that the only way they could've found it was to track a ship already going there, like CX-2's Dagger in 3.11 or the science vessel in 3.13.

Also, while Omega wasn't there, Crosshair's knowledge of Tantiss and the surrounding jungle was crucial to TBB infiltrating the base in 3.14 and 3.15 -- even though the CX operatives beat their asses and take them prisoner anyway.

We'll circle back to Tantiss, Round 2 later, but for now, let's refocus on mid-Season 3:

Recovering from Tantiss

Let's talk about Omega needing Crosshair during their downtime on Pabu.

While the show focuses on Crosshair recovering from his trauma, Omega was traumatized by her imprisonment too. And Crosshair is the only one who knows firsthand just how bad it was for her.

Her day-to-day routine on Tantiss clearly wasn't as brutal as his, but she was still separated from her family for months.

As she tells Emerie in 3.03, it reminded her of being trapped on Kamino; and as we know from Season 1, that's where Omega was initially traumatized.

In mid-Season 3, she's so focused on going back for the other clone prisoners, but it's clear from several looks and remarks in 3.05 and 3.06 that she's still processing everything that happened to her there.

Throughout Season 3, we get several scenes of Crosshair being worried about her, checking on her and trying to keep her safe. We also get at least two scenes where he affirms just how bad Omega's suffering was:

Emerie in 3.03: "You should go back to your room." Crosshair: "You mean her CELL."

This exchange was short, but I love that Crosshair refused to let Emerie gaslight Omega. (I know Emerie was essentially a prisoner too, so her gaslighting wasn't exactly intentional, but that's a story for another time.)

We also get The Argument in 3.05 where Crosshair holds Hunter accountable, albeit in a very mean-spirited way:

Crosshair: You let Omega be taken to Tantiss. She went through what she did because YOU failed. You're angry because she escaped with MY help, not yours.

Admittedly we don't get to see it, but I wouldn't be surprised if Omega's recap of her imprisonment in 3.05 glossed over just how bad it was for her.

Again, Crosshair knew firsthand just how much she suffered. So, he tries to look out for her as best as he can, whether that's physically or emotionally. (Admittedly, we could've gotten more scenes of this, but the show is focused more on Crosshair's post-Tantiss recovery rather than Omega's.)

In 3.08, Omega's focused on helping Crosshair start his healing journey. I'm sure it proved to be a decent distraction while inadvertently helping her start processing her own trauma too.

I mean, at the end of the episode, they're meditating TOGETHER. It's not like she showed him how to do it and then just watched him or walked away.

It might have been inadvertent, but by helping him heal, I also think Omega was starting her own healing journey too.

Family, Reconciliation and Hope

Another recurring thread in mid-Season 3 (and even into the finale) is how Crosshair's journey reaffirms Omega's belief in the power of love, hope and family.

We know from Season 1 that Omega always wanted to save Crosshair and bring him back to their family. Even though he leaves them willingly in 1.16, she still cared about him and in 2.15, she and the others pushed Hunter to do whatever necessary to save Crosshair.

But, especially after losing Tech in 2.16, I can imagine just how important saving Crosshair and restoring him to their family was for her.

As she says in 2.16 when Hemlock captures Hunter and Wrecker:

Omega: I already lost Tech. I'm not gonna lose them too.

From the way she pushes Crosshair to talk to Hunter at the beginning of 3.05, it's clear she's invested in seeing the brothers reconcile. And, based on her expression when she sees Wrecker hugging his brothers at the end of the episode, it must've been so comforting for her after everything she and their family went through -- especially losing Tech.

Additionally, throughout the show, Omega has always tried to believe in people's goodness, and appeal to their kindness and compassion.

With Cid (and others), she's proven wrong, and they ultimately take advantage of her.

But, Crosshair proved she's right to believe people CAN change -- that they can reject the darkness and choose light.

When the group is debating whether to let Omega train with Ventress in 3.09, Omega uses Crosshair as her prime example that "people can change" and that she's not naïve for wanting to give Ventress a chance despite her past crimes.

I think she ultimately learned that there's a balance: that yes, some people like Cid will take advantage of you; but that there are others like Crosshair and Ventress who are trying to be better and will come through for you if given the chance.

(ADDITION: While it took her a long time to come around, Emerie also ultimately makes the right decision to turn against Hemlock/the Empire and help free the Tantiss prisoners. Maybe after reuniting with Emerie in 3.12, Omega hoped her sister would come to her senses and help/join her, just like Crosshair did. I can’t say for certain, but it’s a thought.)

Returning to Tantiss

In 3.11, when the Empire attacks and invades Pabu, Omega feels guilty for seeing the island full of refugees suffer because of her.

She straight-up says as much to Hunter and Crosshair. And while Hunter tries to emphasize that it's not her fault, based on what she tells Crosshair later in the episode, she still feels guilty:

Omega: Look at what they've already done. I can't let the people here suffer more because of me.

And, in 3.12, when Crosshair justifies letting Omega surrender herself, he affirms her sacrifice for the people of Pabu:

Crosshair: The Empire would've destroyed this whole town. She stopped them.

You can argue that Crosshair made a bad decision by letting Omega surrender, but I personally feel like they had no choice, especially if they wanted to minimize the suffering on Pabu. They couldn't hide; they couldn't fight; and they tried to run but failed.

I've wondered before if Hunter had been in Crosshair's shoes in 3.11, whether he would've let Omega go. I honestly don't know if he would've. Crosshair himself was so reluctant, and I imagine Hunter would've been just as bad or worse.

We've all talked before about how much Crosshair was afraid of going back to Tantiss, but we tend to overlook Omega's fear because of how brave and determined she is in 3.11. When CX-2 is taking her back to Tantiss, the way Omega breathes when she's on the ship is reminiscent of meditation breathing. I imagine she was trying to collect herself before facing Tantiss again.

I think she was afraid to go back, but she was more concerned about the people of Pabu and the prisoners on Tantiss, so she was trying to make the best of a bad situation.

But, despite all her fears and his own, Crosshair supported her decision and then tried his best to track her ship. And while he ultimately failed, I'm sure the thought that he was there for her -- physically and emotionally watching her back -- helped Omega make that choice and face it as bravely as she could.

(ADDITION: Right before she boards CX-2’s ship, there’s a moment where she turns around and looks back at Pabu. Was she looking for Crosshair specifically, or Hunter or someone else familiar, or just looking back in general? I’m not sure.)

Escaping Tantiss, Round 2 (AKA The Shot)

So, Crosshair helps his brothers infiltrate Tantiss.

They get captured by the CX operatives and taken to the training room/CX lab. Echo, Omega and the clone prisoners work together to fight the CX operatives and save TBB.

After Crosshair saves Hunter from CX-2, he affirms he's going with Hunter to find and save Omega.

It's honestly a really good thing he did, because without Crosshair on that bridge, that scene plays out very differently.

Hunter probably could've taken out CX-2's Dagger and Scorch by himself, but with Hemlock holding Omega at gunpoint, I think Hunter might've actually put his blaster down when Hemlock threatened her.

It'd be in-character for him, as he surrendered when Hemlock's commandos had Wrecker at gunpoint in 2.16. Admittedly, he was vastly outnumbered, which is a big factor. But, if Hunter is on that bridge by himself, he and Hemlock are basically in a standoff.

With Crosshair with him, though, the brothers have Hemlock outnumbered and outgunned. If Hemlock managed to shoot one of them, the other would take him down.

Additionally, either of them might’ve backed down if they had to navigate that situation alone. But together, they have each other for support. They're greater than the sum of their parts after all.

So, Hemlock has Omega at gunpoint and is using her as a human shield. The brothers take a knee on the bridge, and Hemlock decides to take Omega over to the edge, so if the brothers manage to shoot him, he and Omega will both fall to their deaths.

Omega signals them. Hunter catches it, but Crosshair apparently doesn't. So, Hunter tells him what to do.

And now we come to The Shot:

Let's say Hunter is out there alone and the scene plays out the exact same way. Omega signals him, he sees it, and she stabs Hemlock in the leg and lifts the binders so he can shoot them.

Could Hunter have made that shot?

Obviously, it's a TV show set in a science-fantasy universe. So, there's always a chance. Plus, Hunter is definitely a better shot than the average person, and in a high-stakes situation like that, I'm sure the adrenaline and his love for Omega would help (just as it does for Crosshair in-canon).

But, based on everything we've seen of Hunter's shooting abilities in the show, I'm going to say: No, he probably wouldn't have.

In 2.09, Tech shoots the vial of ipsium instead of Hunter or Wrecker because:

Tech: If the shot is not precise, it'll cause another cave-in.

If Hunter was a better shot than Tech, Tech would've had him take it. But, Tech was the best of the three, so he did it.

And, Crosshair -- as a sniper -- was the best shot in Clone Force 99. I mean, that was his whole thing. He’s a sharpshooter.

I know that Crosshair has basically everything stacked against him, and he still managed to do it. But, Hunter would've been facing many of the same disadvantages -- injuries; lighting and weather conditions; the distance, size and speed of the target, etc. And based on everything we've seen in the series, Hunter is a worse shot than Crosshair.

If Hunter knew he could make that shot himself, I think he would've taken it knowing Crosshair was missing his shooting hand. And, if Hunter only thought there was a chance he'd make it, he clearly didn't want to risk it. He deferred to Crosshair, because he knew Crosshair was the better shot of the two of them, even with all the disadvantages they were facing.

No, it HAD to be Crosshair.

As I said, Crosshair needed to be there for Hunter and Omega.

He helped Hunter take out the Dagger and Scorch; he supported Hunter as Omega was being held at gunpoint and Hemlock told them to surrender; and he made The Shot to free Omega and then helped Hunter turn Hemlock into Swiss cheese.

That was the only way the three of them could've done it -- together.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, as much as we understandably love to talk about Crosshair needing Omega to grow and change, Omega needed Crosshair too.

After losing Tech, she wanted so badly to escape with Crosshair and return to TBB so they could all be a family again.

He gave her support and encouragement during her darkest days.

He looked out for her as she processed her traumas and never let others diminish her suffering.

He supported her decision to protect Pabu by surrendering herself, despite her fears and his own.

He showed her that change was possible and that healing is a journey -- one they started together.

And then he helped his brothers rescue her and the others from Tantiss, and ultimately saved her life.

Plus, as we hear about in the epilogue, Crosshair helped his brothers raise Omega for ~10 happy years on Pabu.

Omega needed Crosshair in Season 3 just as much as he needed her.

She needed ALL five of her brothers/dads to become the kind and capable person we meet in the epilogue.

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nekohime19 · 4 months ago

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Macaque study # S2

Alright, let's go for Macaque analysis in season 2!!

After Macaque's introduction episode we got a pretty one-dimensional frame with a very manipulative villain who got some past with the Monkey King. This is our impression of Macaque, and the fact he's cool (at least that's my impression).

Shadow powers are cool and Macaque animation, imagery, soundtrack and fight sequences are very cool!

Let's see what season 2 brings to this one dimensional frame. Do we get to see some nuances already? Or is he still the same villain?

Season 2 ep7

Season 2 is the continuation of season 1 in the sense that the show keeps its episodic nature and keeps introducing MK's new powers, even if we do have an underlying plot with LBD.

Macaque appears in episode 7 (“Shadow Play”) which already by the title, if you remember Macaque gimmick in s1, you can get an inkling about who's gonna be the focus here without watching the episode in itself. But what is interesting this time is that MK's friends are involved with Macaque. Whereas in season 1 Macaque's episode was focused on MK, Wukong and Macaque and the other characters only made a brief one minute apparition, this time more of the main cast is here!

What I think is interesting from the start is, very much like s1 ep8, the episode starts with MK having a confrontation. This time it's not with Wukong but with Mei and Tang who mainly complain about how MK don't spend much time with them anymore. It's interesting how Macaque's episodes in s1 and s2 always start with MK arguing with the people he cares about and somehow creating a wedge between him and those people. In s1, Macaque used the wedge and tried to widen it, we'll see what he does about the wedge this time.

Also, even as a joke, I think it was so funny to have this parallel :

Wukong being the action-phased movie and Macaque the more traditional theater play is such a funny contrast. It goes with what they're portraying of themselves to others really.

What I really like about this episode is how Macaque's aesthetic with the shadows is emphasized, the animation really delves deeper in the unsettling, almost creepy feels of the shadows. We got doors that close by themselves, things that move in the dark and under the seats, puppets that move by themselves. We really dig into the horror movie aesthetic with this one and even the characters feel it, they're scared of this.

Macaque without even being on the screen yet already puts the mood. What I find interesting is that contrary to other villains like LBD who are naturally scary because of the way they are Macaque is scary because of what he's doing with his shadows, because of the shows he creates. Without the moving shadows, the doors which close by themselves, Macaque is not that scary, by that I mean the way he's animated, the way he carries himself is not as scary as let's say LBD. Macaque put on a show to be scary. In my opinion, that shows how Macaque put on a mask to be something he's really not, to appear as a villain when in reality he's way more nuanced than that. He's acting. In s1 he was acting and lying the whole time, acting like a hero in front of MK, acting like Wukong's comments didn't bother him during the final confrontation.

He's always acting. And he keeps doing so in s2. You can see in both seasons he's smiling a lot but in the later season his smile will be more and more rare, making you wonder if this cruel smile he had since the beginning is also just a part of the act. I'll go back to Macaque's smile in s3 bc oh boy this monkey smiles a lot even when he's tortured by LBD.

Now, let's talk about the shadow play and what we can get out of it, and what it means.

The first part of the shadow play :

Macaque : Welcome viewers to a shadow play the likes of which have never been seen. It follows the tragic tale of a legendary warrior and how those who bring light in this world inevitably bring darkness to those they hold dear. Like light heroes bring warmth, hope and friendship but they also give life to the darkness.

So, a lot to unpack already.

First the fact that Macaque qualifies Wukong as a “legendary warrior” when the word “warrior” is more or less reserved to Macaque, makes you wonder if in this particular sentence Macaque is not talking about Wukong but himself. “It follows the tragic tale of a legendary warrior and how those who bring light in this world inevitably bring darkness to those they hold dear.”, if we go with the interpretation that the legendary warrior here is Macaque (despite the image showing Wukong) then the connotation “tragic tale” makes more sense, considering Macaque perspective is skewed and he will sees what happened to him as “tragic”and it is less likely for him to qualify what happened to Wukong as “tragic” when he has so much trouble recognizing what Wukong endured in the first place.

Of course, the mention of light and darkness is a reference for both Wukong and Macaque. Macaque is always insisting on how Wukong is not perfect, how the hero is not flawless, how light cannot exist without darkness. Macaque wants to destroy this image of the flawless hero Wukong portrayed for so long but he does not take into account that mayhaps this image wasn't created by Wukong himself but by the people around him. And perhaps, in a way, he tries to connect himself to Wukong by saying that light and darkness goes hand in hand, even if unconsciously.

The mention of “those who bring light in this world inevitably brings darkness to those they hold dear” is, I think , a very salty line. It's the world vs loved one conflict for heroes. The “I'll sacrifice you for the world” type of thing that I think Macaque is very salty about. Wukong chose the world instead of him. On the contrary Macaque is personally more of a “I'll sacrifice the world for you” type, and that's why he's so salty about this. There is a clear confrontation between the terms “world” and “those they hold dear”, Macaque is putting “bringing darkness” to the heroes' loved ones as a consequence of “bringing light to the world”. For him it's inevitable, which speaks volume of how he thinks his relationship with Wukong went, he's putting the blame on what happened between them on Wukong hero status.

The idea that Macaque said of heroes giving life to the darkness is clearly an implicit way to say that Wukong created him. Which is not wrong, if we go with the interpretation that Wukong killed Macaque, but Macaque is denying so much of what Wukong lived through right now. His perspective is really skewed.

Macaque : The hero and the warrior were like the sun and the moon. Their light a protective glow shining upon the world. Together there was nothing that could stop the two of them. Either in the celestial realms or on earth. As time went on the hero attained power beyond comprehension as the hero’s light grew so too did his shadow and soon the warrior was cast in that shadow. In the darkness the warrior was forgotten by the hero.

Again, a lot to unpack. Macaque stops trauma dumping through theater.

Clearly, Macaque's view of his past relationship with Wukong is very unhealthy. He qualifies them as the “sun” and the “moon”, as two being in perfect harmony. We can see how the “world” is separated from this balanced duo. Macaque, in his head, didn't need anyone but Wukong. They were two beings against the rest. It was Macaque and Wukong against the world. The brotherhood is not even mentioned which spoke volumes about how Macaque felt, he never valued the brotherhood, we'll see that more in s4. What causes the imbalance between the hero and the warrior is “power”. I think we can easily agree that Macaque is talking about Wukong's search for immortality and the battle against the Jade Emperor. Wukong's search for power broke the balance between Macaque and Wukong. Again Macaque mentions the darkness and how Wukong casted him there, I think it's a lil unfair to say this because Macaque was naturally placing himself in Wukong's shadow already (but we'll see that in s4 again). We can see Macaque's fear here : being forgotten by Wukong. And I think he still has this fear inside of him and perhaps that's one of the reasons why he tries to get Wukong's attention so much by taunting him and trying to rile him up.

Also, calling someone the “sun”obviously speaks volumes about how much you admire this person. You can't call someone the sun without at least putting them on some sort of pedestal (perhaps it's because I love shadowpeach but I see some romantic implications in there, but again you do you).

In between the shadow play we can see how Wukong's absence is putting pressure on MK, he believe he sees Wukong when in reality it's just one of Macaque's shadows.

After the play, we have a montage of MK being miserable with the shadowplay going in loop in the background, MK is relating to the warrior.

This shot of MK touching his shadow is clearly a way to convey how MK relates to the warrior casted in the shadows. Monkey King leaving makes MK feel as if he's inadequate, MK deals with a lot of insecurities about this, about being right and worthy and it pushes him away from his friends.

When Macaque confronts MK and MK realizes that, yes, it was Macaque all along, what I find interesting is that once again Macaque brings Wukong in the conversation. Saying how now that Wukong is not here Macaque should teach MK a lesson. Macaque cannot help himself but brings Wukong into this even when Wukong is not here. There is also the “one and only” line that Macaque uses to reveal himself, a call back to Wukong's “one and only” line in the pilot episode when he introduced himself.

After this, Macaque and MK fight and once again the choreography of the fight is so cool. But once again, Macaque is stealing so much of the spotlight. He cannot help but comment on everything even when he's not in the frame, his voice is always ringing. Really, each time we got a scene with Macaque this guy is at the center of it, he's acting, and he's acting so good he grabs your attention.

Now what Macaque says is pretty self explanatory : MK is abandoning his friends. The “classic hero manœuvre” comment really shows how bitter Macaque is about heroes because of what happened with Wukong.

Now, while there are parallels between Macaque and Wukong, there are also a lot between Wukong and MK.

First the way they're both pressed down by shadow clones and uses golden vision to escape :

Second is when MK pounced on Macaque. The images used here are actually also used in season 5 during the very brief flashbacks we get about Wukong and Macaque fight.

So while Macaque's lesson is more than shady, there is some basis of truth in his accusations. MK really ressemble Wukong on a lot of things. They both really care about the people they love and will do anything for them. Wukong lost himself with this purpose and in some very asshole-y way Macaque is trying to prevent this with MK.

What I think is also interesting to consider in this episode is if Macaque planned this so-called lesson or if he simply took the opportunity when he saw MK and his friends and perhaps eavesdropped on their conversation at the beginning of the episode (where MK's friends were complaining about MK distancing himself). We know the team went to the Shadow Play because they saw a poster. The play was always going to be about the “hero and the warrior” considering the illustration on the poster. But did Macaque manipulate them into coming or was it just a lucky coincidence is never really answered. At the beginning of the episode we see other people in the theater so I might be inclined to think it was a coincidence. Would Macaque really create a whole shadow play and advertise it to the town just for teaching a lesson to MK? If Macaque simply took the opportunity to teach MK a lesson it might explain why he feels so confusing in this episode : the lesson was not planned but the result of an impulsive action after hearing that MK was distancing himself from his friends and perhaps seeing the shadow of Wukong in his behavior. In fact, Macaque might not even know why he's doing this but hides it really well.

MK also has some flashbacks of LBD during the fight with Macaque, while I think it's a form of PTSD I also suppose it could mean the way Macaque took away his friends and are controlling them reminds him of LBD and the underlying fear of LBD doing the same thing.

What confuses MK and us as an audience and makes us think : Okay maybe Macaque wasn't doing this just to be a jerk. Is when Macaque blocks MK's staff. He could have easily won here but instead he chose to stand down and free MK's friends which is a very confusing thing to do for a supposed villain.

Even MK doesn't understand Macaque's motivations.

In truth, Macaque never really gave away his motivations even if we can heavily speculate about it. The only thing he says is : “I kinda wanted to do the whole watching the hero be tormented by their own mistakes thing but seems like you’re already doing this by yourself”. But if Macaque's only goal was to torment MK then why would he talk about “potential”.

Macaque (at the end of the fight) : you're right, that is enough. You know you really are that bit too much like him but it's good to see that there is some potential.

I think this line betrays Macaque's true intentions, it's not all about tormenting MK (even if he pretends it is minutes after the “potential line”) it's about MK not taking the same path as Wukong, if it’s out of care for MK or out of fear of another Wukong being created is still debatable.

Unlike in s1 where Macaque used the wedge between Wukong and MK to his advantage and tried to widen it, here instead Macaque is trying to make MK realize the wedge between him and his friends, no matter how badly and how asshole-y he does it.

It's perhaps here that MK realizes Macaque is a more confusing individual than he initially thought and that's why he goes after him even after getting his friends back. MK is still very snarky with Macaque but there is some sort of comprehension when he points out how Macaque was the warrior in the story. Macaque even warns MK about LBD in his own very ambiguous way, he even does a call back to s1 with the “You can never have too many teachers” line, again a lil spite directed towards Wukong when Wukong is not even here.

I think this is a very important detail, MK realizing Macaque is confusing and maybe not as one-dimensional as he thought he was. It's important for MK and for the audience.

Macaque said there is some potential in MK, well when you see this episode you say to yourself maybe there is some potential in Macaque too, to become better.

While Macaque is still very much a jerk AND a villain here, he also show us more complexity, more subtlety than what we thought him capable of. Yes. Macaque trapped MK's friends in his lantern. Yes. His lesson was downright terrible and not very well-planned (probably because it was an impulsive act). Yes. Him playing with MK's mind, taking on Wukong's appearances, is very wrong and I am NOT denying that. BUT, as I am not denying Macaque being an asshole, you cannot deny Macaque being confusing, being more than one-dimensional. You cannot deny him not finishing MK off when he had the occasion. You cannot deny his convoluted warning about LBD at the end of the episode. You cannot deny the shadowplay and what it might imply with his relationship with Wukong, adding more depth about his character (even if the perspective is skewed).

Macaque is an asshole there, but I don't think he's a rotten apple.

At the end of the episode the not-mayor comes to get Macaque. Again I think this scene is pretty telling on Macaque's relationship with LBD.

The purple who was the dominant color quickly turns blue to indicate that Macaque is not in control anymore despite this being his domain, his episode. In image 2, the smile Macaque has can fool you if you don't see the lil sweat on his forehead, this is a sign of nervousness. For the first time since we have been introduced to Macaque in LMK, Macaque is nervous. Macaque wasn't nervous against Wukong yet he is right now. He's afraid. The fact that Macaque is smiling as a sign of nervousness really hints you already about his coping mechanism. It'll be more relevant and more present in s3 but it is interesting to notice how Macaque works to keep fear at bay (I'll talk more about it in s3).

The not-mayor strangles Macaque. I would like to insist on this form of violence. Strangling. No. Clearly Macaque is not willing to go with the not-mayor. And everyone telling me otherwise didn't watch the same show. Violence is a core element of Macaque relationship with LBD, and we cannot talk about Macaque in season 3 without talking about this. But I'll get back to this in S3.

So what can we say about this episode? We learned a lot about Macaque's feelings for Wukong and their past relationship, at least what he thought happened. And while Macaque still acts like a villain, he does show potential for being better. Showing this potential is really important for the redemption processus, because without these tiny hints of Macaque hidden goodness, or at least the start of goodness within him, the redemption wouldn't have felt genuine.

The use of colors, blue background/blue not-mayor and purple Macaque, really showcase Macaque lack of control in this situation. He's not in control anymore, everything around him turned blue. This is an important fact, and of course Macaque not being willing doesn't excuse his actions later in s3. I'm always first to say that trauma doesn't excuse your shitty actions. But I have empathy. And I do think context matters. Circumstances matters. You cannot brush them aside. Yet they are not to be used as an excuse for his behavior either. He's an asshole here. But what interest me is if he's rotten, if he's irredeemable? Is he? I don't think so.

This is a processus. Macaque arc is long. Showing that Macaque is not willing to go, that he's under threat, subjected to violence, is meant to make us understand he's point of view, to understand him better as a character. If you brush this context of violence aside while talking about Macaque then I believe that you are mischaractering him.

Macaque is confusing for MK and for us, but he showed us something there, a spark, as tiny as it is.

He's more nuanced than we thought he was in s1 ep8.

It's a lil step in the grand scheme of things, potential without action is wasted, but the fact that the potential is here is to be noted regardless because it will be important in the redemption processus later on.

Also, I like that in this episode MK has parallels with both Wukong and Macaque. He relates to the warrior (Macaque) and fears that Wukong is leaving him behind, but also MK fights like Wukong and acts a lot like him. It shows how MK is really a merge between the two monkeys, he's not exactly like them, but he has some common traits with both of them, which I think is why he will be greater than the both of them at the end of this. After all, the mentee has to surpass the mentors one day or another.

Like the previous post, this is my interpretation of LMK, you can disagree, no problem!

I'll post Macaque analysis in season 3 in another post.

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#lmk #shadowpeach #six eared macaque #lmk macaque #macaque #Macaque study #lmk theory #lmk thoughts #Macaque study s2

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