#then i remembered cater doesn’t like sweet things

[fingerless-glovez]

Found this jewel on my dash today

[lustlovehart]

uhm uhm uhm maybe,, SOMETHINF angsty Y/n x Twst Character because I’m craving angst :33

prompt; Y/n adores [TWST Character], and [TC] ignores it. Ignores all of Y/n’a affections. As time passes Y/n slowly loses all of those feelings and then [TC] starts gaining feelings for Y/n. They know, they know it’s too late. But they need You, they can’t let go of you.

Characters?? ;; Riddle, Azul, Kalim OR one of them! I know ur suuper busy so I don’t wanna pressure you that much. It’s okay if you make the story short, I don’t care! I’m just happy you took the time to read this! Take caaareee 🫶🫶

—🐍anon (the first one to comment on ur recent post wink wink)

Jellyfish Flow to Tide, Never to Heart

A/n: I won’t lie, One of my favorite angst prompts has always been the “Noticed too late” plot device, the idea of what could’ve been had you seen it earlier is so heart-wrenching to me (ಡ‸ಡ) Also, thank you for the take care comments!! You guys are so sweet <3

Pairing: Azul Ashengrotto x Reader, Ft. Jade Leech

Warnings: Angst,You fall in love with someone else when he realizes his feelings, Jade’s a cuck, Jealousy, Attempted Kissing, Azuls very pathetic in this one, Spelling errors

You’re sat in front of Azul as he diligently counts this months expenses and gains. It looks mostly like complicated math, but… you’ve been looking into accounting in hopes of Azul looking at you the same way you do to him.

You were the first one to check up on Azul after his overblot, the twins a close second. Nonetheless, you were still first. You’re the one who attempts to genuinely talk to the real Azul, not the suave “benevolent” businessman he presents himself as.

Yet you’re attempts to pursue fall flat each time.

“Would you like to schedule a meeting? Is that why you’re here?” his cerulean eyes gaze over his glasses to take a glance at you, his eyes searching for a reason to your presence, thought he doesn’t find one, as you don’t have one.

Except to see him.

“I… I want…!”

“Pease make it quick Jellyfish, I have other attendants to meet.” Jellyfish, a name he assigned to you at the detail of your deamenour. Venomous, yet pretty to look at.

It makes you heart float like one.

But there’s not time for that. In your desperation, you make a choice you should never resort to, but in your defense, it’s what came to mind first.

“I…! I wanna make a contract with you…!”

The business man in him perks up at the suggestion, but falls back down to earth when he remembers you don’t have much to offer. But, there is one thing.

“My benevolence has left me besseeched, tell me what you want, and i’ll tell you my exchange.”

“Go on a da… hangout.” you quickly save yourself from a straightforward confession, only narrowly doging through the little piece of anxiety with fear.

“… That’s all?”

“That’s all.”

His cautious reply reminds you of when you first visited him in the infirmary. You were rooted to the side next to his bed, insistent on seeing him to the end of his treatment.

It was admittedly a pain to him, having you spout endless positivity his way, placing your hands on his skin to help ease any injuries he catered from his overblot. You touch was soft, gentle, a stark contrast to the dark ink that cradled him deep within. It’s unsettling how very out of touch you are to the group of students at Night Raven College.

When he awoke from his long sleep, the feeling of a warm palm enveloping his own made him quirk an eyebrow, his vision squinting to look down at your face nuzzled into his skin, only being strirred by the touch of a single finger flicking you awake.

“You’ll have to pay me a good fortune in order to use me as your pillow.”

“Too bad i’m broke.” you already know he’s gonna offer you to grace him with a different reward, but your expectations are proven false when he only sighs, sinking into the plush pillow under him.

He hasn’t let you go yet. His warm limb, typically adorned with a leather glove, is bare, naked possibly. Holding hands with him could even be scandalous. This sense of vulnerability made you wonder, just what is the true Azul like? You’ve seen a glimpse behind that counterfeit display of his, but not enough to truly gauge him.

“Azul, we should go out.”

“… How direct.” He thinks you’re joking. “We can do that when you wish to form another contract with me.” But you’re not.

“Aww, and I thought you’d change…” You weren’t kidding, but you play off of him as if you were. “Are you sure you’re as benevolent as you say?” The door behind you quietly creaks open, neither you nor the aquatic patient notice the sound.

“My, it’s rude to be mean to a recovering patient you know.”

“This recovering patient seems well enough to start scamming though huh?”

“Not scamming, just business.” Those four words, were the second moment that stirred your interest in Azul. It was then, you vowed to become closer to the man you hold hands with in that room.

You’re ready for whatever piece of skepticism he’ll trade you. He only pays you a sigh before snapping his fingers, the familar golden scroll coming into view.

“For 3 months, i’ll accompany you in these outings, providing for the funds necesary, though, with my benevloence, this deal can only be broken when you’re satisfied with my service. In return, I want the plant Crowley has been secretly cultivating within your dorm.”

“… Those…? Aren’t those used in love potions…? What do you need that for?”

“Someone’s been paying attention in class— kind of. It’s more so enamor rather than love.” His gloved hand airs the scroll forwards, the thin slip falling into place, your eyes scanning for any sign of vague wording. You may have a deeply festered infatuation for him, but that doesn’t mean you’re foolish enough to dive in without warning.

“Same thing. Still doesn’t answer why you need it.”

“We’ll save it, for a rainy day of course!”

You’re not sure if he means for himself, or for a client. Either way, you got what you wanted.

“Y’know… I know I asked to hangout, but I wasn’t expecting you to go all out…” your bottom awkwardly shifts on the cushioned chair beneath you, the leather squeaking at your movement.

“Nonsense, I only provide the best.” Yes, because the best, is the Mostro Lounge all empty.

It’s deserted, but you can see the effort he went through for it. The lights are dimmed, and the table you’re both sat at is covered with a pretty tablecloth, readily made food adorning the surface. Even the man on the other side of the table is dressed in a fancy suit, different from his typical cafe uniform.

You thought it was just gonna be talking about regular mundane things, not an expensive dinner for heavens sake. You feel so out of place inside, still adorning your loose fitting pajamas.

“The best…? I’m not sure, would’ve been the best if I dressed for the occasion…”

“Why? I want you to be comfortable, besides, you look quite nice all the time.” You don’t want his words to fluster you, yet you can’t stop the creeping warmth that invades your face at his statement.

“Then, I think you should change out of that suit and join me.” It’s his turn to track back, his eyes slightly widening before flaling back into their usual shape.

“That would be improper.” His hands stiffen when you reach out towards him, your warm palm now rubbing circles into his skin, slowly bringing the limb to your face.

“Than lets be improper together.”

In this moment, Azuls not sure feeling what rushes through his hearts. All he knows, is that it tightens in his chest so hard he might as well stop breathing. The logical part of him though shoves such a heart wrenching pain away, locking it deep down so its ugly head isn’t allowed to rear back at him.

It’s vulnerable, too close. He won’t fall for such a foolish trap. He won’t stuff himself into that octopot anymore.

“I don’t think we should.” Your soft hands are quick to let go of him, your body sinking into your chair at his words. He’s about to chase after the heat from your palms before remembering it was him who chased you away.

“You’re right, sorry…” He wishes he had worn his glasses, maybe then he wouldn’t see the way you look so hurt right across from him. It’s quick, but you seem to recover fast from his rejection, smiling as you clap your hands together. “I should get to know the real Azul before he allows himself to be so informal around me!”

“You jump back quickly don’t you…”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have stayed with you the entire time you were in the infirmary would I?” You’re right. He wasn’t exactly the most welcoming when receiving your attention, yet you stayed until he began softening up and finally letting you help tend to him. It reminds him of right now, even though he just bluntly shot your attempt of befriending him down, you’re still being so happy. Your smile falters for a moment, eyes looking down at him before speaking. “I wasn’t lying. I want to know the real Azul.”

He’s silent. Why would you want to know the him that’s… Just utterly pathetic….?

“I wish you good luck on your endeavors—”

“But, you don’t believe in luck.”

“Ah, so you remembered that?” He’s taken a back for a second time of the night.

“I told you I wanted to know you, it makes sense I would, wouldn’t it?”

“I suppose it does.”

“It does.” You parrot his words, as if they’re your favorite flavor and you’re attempting to savor the taste. Azul secretly wishes you would stop smiling already. It’s making his hearts hurt.

“You’ve made me curious Jellyfish, why do you want to know me so bad?” He watches as your expression contorts, first in shock, next in confusion, and finally in defeat.

“I… I’m not sure… Well maybe because…?” I liked you before you even overblotted? No way, too direct. “Ah! Because I just wanna!”

“… You’re much too broad in your answers,” he pours you a glass of sparkling water into your glass cup. “If you wish to know a method of elongating the truth, I happen to know quite a few.” Of course he does…

“Let me hear them then, Cephalo.”

“Ah, well if you ask so kindly I’m inclined to agree. “ he scoots his chair in as he instructs you through his ways of scam.

A few minutes pass before you take a chance at his lesson of spinning the truth, inhaling before speaking.

“I think this opportunity would be great so I can confess to the guy I like.”

“My and who could the mystery man be?”

… You didn’t think this far ahead.

But maybe, this could work in your favor.

“I like y—“

A loud clang is sounded on the table as a covered tray is practically slammed onto the wooden surface.

“Jade…! You…! If this table has a scratch on it I hope you realize that’s coming out of your next check…!”

“Ah, forgive me Azul, I seemed to have tripped” Did he really? That seemed way too hard to have been on accident… Jade resumes to his full height, his smile lacking the usually conniving it usually does when he looks at you before turning back to Azul. “You told me to intervene when the clock strikes midnight.”

You’re ready to reach for your phone to check the time, slyly being stopped by Jades gloved hand gripping you wrist, his free finger pointing towards the clock on the wall.

Has it really been that long already…?

“So it seems… Unfortunately, we’ll have to call this hangout off. I wish you a safe travel back—“

“There’s no need, I shall accompany them back home.”

…

You and Azul are both silent at the proposition.

“Uhm, I’m okay Jade. It’s late; you should probably go to sleep—“

“I insist.” It’s not like you wouldn’t enjoy company… You’re just, a bit afraid of Jade… You look back at Azul, his countenance not giving you any sort of hint on whether or not you should take his offer. Without realizing, your hand is slowly lifted up towards Jades face, his form slightly bowing as a promise is spoken on his lips. “Do not worry, I just wish to stand by your side.”

You have a gnawing suspicion those spoken words mean much more than he lets on.

It isn’t until you’re in the comfort of your bed you check your phone.

It’s 11:27 pm.

Why was the clock ahead of time?

The lights of your dorm shine bright on your skin, further displaying your beauty to Azuls eyes. Your soft breaths carefully enevlop the room, each one sounding like a music note.

His elbow props his head up from the pillow, your body never leaving his visage. He carefully allows his fingers to ghost of the skin of your arm, smiling when your eyes begin to flutter open.

“... You... Let me sleep...“ quiet laughs escape him when you turn over and lift the sheets to shield yourself from the man next to you.

“Only 5 minutes, we did plan this entire day, can’t let it go to waste right?” Your hand emerges from beneath the blanket, waving him off before retreating back into your cocoon. Azul sighs before letting his arms wrap around you, enveloping your body as he rests his head on yours. His voice is soft, sweet, like he’s attempting to coo you out of your protective layer and back into reality. “Would you prefer spending our entire day in bed? I don’t mind but that would mean we don’t get to go out to eat like we penned.”

He watches as you flip over the covers and practically fall off the mattress, his arms reflexively reaching out to catch you.

“Well come on! You’re a busy businessman it doesn’t do you any good to stay in bed!” His smile reaches his lips for once, not the typical cunning smile he trades when making deals, a true genuine smile of joy.

Wait, when did he become so enamored with you?

He’s frozen in place, only watching you get ready in a hurry, clothes flying in the air as they stray across your shared bedroom floor.

Shared?

“… Why are you gawking at me like that? Surely my husband has seen me get ready enough times to not be so entranced.” Your clothes are loosely fit to your body, not yet fully on your skin.

Husband?

“I don’t think so, it’ll have to be at least your last day on twisted wonderland before that happens. By then, I’ll be too focused on all of you.” You’re sat on the floor, watching him slowly walk over to you, his hand caging your cheek as he leans down into you.

Your lips are mere centimeters apart, your mouth slightly parted when soft lips ghost over your own.

“… Am I really that interesting to you?” Your words are hushed. If you weren’t in the comfort of your room, he would’ve never heard those syllables. Yet, that’s not the case, because it’s you two, only you two.

“You always have been.” He closes the distance, his eyes fluttering shut when he leans into the warmth of your lips, only stopping when a quick jolt of energy shoots up his spine.

He never got the chance to feel you.

…

Azul wakes up to the sight of his empty desk.

“Oh my, I was just about to wake you up from such a sweet dream.” Jade is stood in front of the table, his gloved hand placed over his heart. “You seemed to be calling so sweetly for [Name].” That smile of his makes Azuls eye twitch.

“Ignoring your brazen care for privacy, what do you need Jade?” His once unkempt appearance is back to its natural state, his glasses corrected and his hair no longer disheveled.

“Coincidentally, it’s about your dear dream lover.”

…

“What about them?”

“Has [Name] ever mentioned an Ideal Date?” This endearment makes Azul finally take notice of the bouquet of flowers Jade has hidden in his concealed hand. Coincidentally, both your favorite kind, and your favorite color. Since when did he have the knowledge to such info.

“… If they did, I wouldn’t tell you.” His reply doesn’t stir anything in Jade, and if it did, it certainly is concealed well enough to not peak through any part of him. That slick smile doesn’t leave the eels mouth, his head only tilting to signal any sign of disappointment.

“How unfortunate.” He takes a bow before turning heel, the bouquet now on full display to Azul. There’s a letter neatly wrapped to the floral, addressed to you.

My dear, Jellyfish.

…

Azul thinks it’s foolish. That name was made by him, so why is it coming from Jade too?

Eventually, your summons begin to happen less and less, no more outings for the two of you left to seize. Azul sits in his office, his chin places on his clasped hands as he stares at the door. Papers are no longer neatly piled like they used to be, only scattered around the desk with messed scribbles of what used to be Azul's neat handwriting.

He’s waiting. He’s been doing such a thing for a week, simply because, you’ve yet to summon him to your side.

You’ve yet to want him, like you did before.

He’s not sure why he’s so fixated on your attention. Before it was just for the business he required from you, each weekly date— no, you never did call it a date, neither did he… when exactly did he start calling it such an intimate occurrence?

Either way, this arrangement started as a way for you to build up courage for the one you wished to confess to, he started suave, distant, trying his best to embody the mystery man you wished to romance.

Then, at some point, he started filling in the empty placement he left for your suitor, with himself. Instead of trying to be anyone else, he gave you answers to your questions filled with his own character, his favorite foods, his favorite hobbies, his feelings, him, all him.

He gave you all of him, every fragment, every single piece of him he wouldn’t even trust himself with, just for a temporary arrangement. He was a fool, a stupid pathetic cepahlo, how could he just sell out all his cards for this…! It reminds him of his pathetic octo pot, the one he would crawl into in piques of shame.

He’s sure, he’d crawl into it right now had it followed him on land.

You… When he looks at the selfie you took on his phone, a pang sores through the blue blood in his veins. Not his hearts, never those, because you took all three of them when you left him.

He was a fool to not have noticed your affections earlier, had he done so, maybe he wouldn’t need to be locked up in his office, burying his head in his hands at the mere thought of you—

“I insist, it would be improper to let you freeze as I walk perfectly warm next to you.”

“I’m gonna regret this later aren’t I…”

Azuls quick to push himself off his desk, peeking through the crack of the door, his blue eyes spying an all to familar eel peer back at him, with one of the most fiendish smiles he’s ever seen on him.

Truthfully, there isn’t malice behind his smile, if anything, the smile on his lips is the courteous respectful one he always trades people. At the moment though, Azul’s current visage skews his expression, turning a respectful act into that of spite.

He’s ready to storm out and dump as much work as possible onto him, he’s preparing to do it before halting when he sees you again. You’re still just as beautiful as you were last week, and the week before. No, you must’ve started glowing more.

Just like a jellyfish.

“Jade are we gonna go? If you don’t want to anymore I can just walk alone.” your hands wraps around his arm, gently pulling him your direction. Enough for him to move, but not enough to force him your way.

“Yes, do not worry i’m coming—”

“Jade, there you are. I’ve been looking for you, our expenses for supplies have remained unaccounted for, that has always been your job has it not?” The frames of his glasses suffer from the glare of lunge lights, it works in his favor though, without it you would’ve noticed the sense of hurt in his eyes when he stares at you.

“Ah, that is unfortunate timing, I was meant to walk [Name] home—“

“Than it seems I should accompany them in your place, as you will be busy, very busy, correct?” Jades thin-lined smile doesn’t give much away for his current countenance, before he takes his leave, he turns towards you and bows, a gently farewell leaving his lips.

“Wait…! I should give you back your jacket shouldn’t I?”

He didn’t even notice you were garnering the eels wear. In fact, when did you start smelling like Jade? The soft smell of herbal tea Azul had rubbed off on you has basically dissipated off your body. It’s like, all traces of him have disappeared from you.

“It’s okay, keep it.”

Azul watches the way you open your mouth to retort Jade, knowing you, he’s sure you would’ve told him “and risk being in debt to you?” But then your lips close in on themselves and you tug the blazer ever so close to your warmth.

When did Jade become the center of your attention?

Azul beckons you out the door, his hand ready to lay itself on your waist like it once did in the past, but the limb restrains itself without him even commanding to do so.

The walk is silent, save for the footsteps of your shoes clanking against the flooring of their dorm. But, Azuls fine with it, as long as you don’t request for him to do the thing he’s been dreading for the past few weeks. He hopes, he prays you won’t do it. If you don’t, he’ll consider such a thing his lucky day.

But then again, when has Azul ever believed in something like luck?

“I’m satisfied with the deal we made. I’ll give you those flowers and… we can end this contract—”

“You’re ready to confess to your mystery love than? Forgive me, but I took to inspecting flowers. Has Crowley forgotten them? It seems they’re wilted… What poor unfortunate plants.”

“Wha…? When were you in my dorm Azul?”

“Floyd enjoys wandering into places that aren't his to be in.” Azuls fits his glove to his hand, the material stretching over his skin. It seems to you like an act of prim elegance, to him, it’s a subtle way of calming his aching, trembling nerves. “You should know by now the great deal of effort it takes to get him to listen...“

“Well even then, last time I checked they looked completely healthy!”

“And when was that?”

“… 4 days ago… In my defense they’re Crowleys responsibility not mine!”

“Yet there’s still some fault to be found in you…” He’s not wrong, unfortunately… You put them in as collateral for the contract yet you never took any effort to keep them in prim shape. You stop in your tracks, almost tripping over yourself. Your eyes watch Azul pull a box of tea bags out from his pocket, gently shaking the cube as the bags inside hit the interior. “When we get back, do we mind having the discussion over tea?”

You should be suspicious, but, after all the time spent with him, even if you no longer harbor the feeling you once did for him, you trust him.

“Fine, but this better not be some elaborate trick of yours!” He laughs to it, but provides no further comments.

“So, about the contract—“ you’re ready to lift the tea cups rim to your lips, the golden liquid shining with the light.

“Are you in love with Jade?” You sputter out the liquid that hadn’t even made its way into your mouth.

“Wha—? Nahh… Well…! Uhmm….” Your reaction is way too obvious. If you had a cliff anywhere near you, there’s no doubt you would’ve jumped off in pure embarrassment. “Love is… surely a strong word, let’s describe it as more like… A growing infatuation!” You bury your head in your hands after ruminating on that rewording. If anything, it’s sounds more intimate than love….

“I see. So then, were you imagining me as him?” You’re struck out of your embarrassment, looking back up at the dull blue of his irises.

“No. I never did.” You don’t see nor hear it, but the leather of his clothes crunches loudly with the increasing pressure of his fist, slowly tightening.

“Are you sure? This contract is coming to an end, you do not need to hide such details anymore—“

“On those dates,” the word date was already enough to make his posture straighten, the words you later speak only furthering this case.”I imagined you to be you.”

“… What do you mean?”

“I liked you back then, Azul.”

Azul is practically biting his cheek at this revelation, the inside of his mouth salivating with blue blood. You… You must be joking, it can’t no…

“Wh… When did you… you stop…?” He thinks he sounds pathetic. No… he must sound pathetic. His perfectly curated voice is beginning to crack as small slips of voice squeaks escape into his speech.

“When it seemed like you didn’t want anyone to see the real you.” That…! that was just because he didn’t want you finding the sad pitiful octomer behind this suave persona…! He wanted you to fall in love with the version he wanted to be! Not the forlorn octopus he truthfully is and always has been…! “I tried, I really did, to finally have you set free of that wall. I wanted… I wanted to fall in love with the man behind the business. But at some point, it’s like, there was no man, only business.” Your hands scoot over the table, one last time, the lovely feeling of your palms encaging his is felt.

For the last time…

Before you can speak your next sentence, Azul lets words that are far to late to tell you escape him.

“I love you.”

…

There’s silence only. You don’t reciprocate the words you longed to hear him say so far ago in the past.

“And I loved you, Azul.” The emphasize on the past tense practically threatens him to spill over on the table and eat himself limb from limb. The sorrowful yet happy smile from you is enough to stop him, but not enough to cease the thought.

He takes a deep breath in before smiling, his once stiff posture melting into the chair.

“Well then, we should finish this tea, I wouldn’t want it to go to waste.”

“Oh…! You’re right.” The upward turn on your lips as you lift the cup reminds him of your dates. His head turns to the side to finally make a comment on the poor fully curated flowers on the windowsill, the ones that were offered up on your contract.

“They’re wilted, yet they still look pretty. Much more, they’re shaped like jellyfish, aren’t they, Jellyfish?” You wait for the pink liquid to travel down your throat before replying.

“They are. That reminds me, why wouldn’t you want them if they’re wilted?”

“In their natural state they provide the effect of admiration and gentle love with the first party they see,” you quaff the rest of the pink liquid into your stomach, the fruity aftertaste stuck in your mouth. “When wilted, the effect is… differnt”

“Huh, interesting.” You tug Jades overcoat closer into your body, his cologne invading your nose. You glance to the window just as Azul is, your eyes tracing over each plant. “Huh… There’s 9. There used to be 10…”

“How peculiar… Perhaps a ghost took it for a rainy day.” He’s not wrong, they have a tendency to steal snacks, so it’s entirely plausible.

“Yeah maybe.” Your phone rings, your fingers slipping the device out of your pocket as you glance at the notification. “Jade’s asking me if I want to go on his next mountain hike… Like, right now…”

“You should probably go then.” You didn’t realize it, but since when has your hand been intertwined with Azuls? But even then, why is this blazer the sweetest-smelling thing you’ve ever worn? “You have a growing infatuation.”

“You’re right… I should…”

You don’t know what it is, but your body feels light, hollow even. When you drag yourself up out the door, it’s as if your body is simply flowing through a tide.

“There you are [Name].” you look up the spot on the floor you were staring at, being met with the pretty sight of Jade in front of you. Yet despite it, you look back at Azul, waving a kind goodbye before setting foot.

You miss the look of fondness he trades you, and in turn, you miss the pure sorrow that tears into his eyes.

When the door shuts, Azuls left at the table, his head turning down into the wood as the smile he dealt you is no longer to be seen, the darkness seemingly surrounding him. Just like it did when he overblotted, except…

You won’t be there to comfort him, when he’s left in that wretched white bed,

All alone.

A/n: To be honest, I was so conflcited on who should be Azuls love rival in this fic. If I chose Riddle, It would make the fic have two of your requested characters, also Azuls one sides rivarly would’ve been delicious to write. On the other hand, Jamil who he consistently praises, stealing the one thing he genuinely wanted would’ve been good. Then I realized, Jade is right there. Azul doesn’t consider Jade above him, if anything they’re on equal footing, he just tends to take charge more. Which is exactly what confuddles him more, are Jade and him… basicallly not the same person? (they’re not similar, but Azuls just blinded with grief).

Also, This ended up being way longer than expected (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞

[beneathashadytree]

HEY GUYS! LONG POST HERE, BUT PLEASE READ🙏🏽

I am genuinely appalled by the discourse ongoing in the LNDS fandom these past few days—but above all, I am severely disappointed in what had started out as one of the most inclusive and sweet fandoms I’ve ever been in. I have a few things to say, so in this post I’m trying to put all my thoughts to words. Apologies if I sound harsh, but I’m genuinely livid. Also, please ignore any typos. I’m not wearing my glasses while word-vomiting.

First off, for a fandom that is composed of mostly adults, you guys have been acting terribly childishly. It’s 2024, and yet people are still unironically shaming others for “switching up on their favs” as if a person owes 2D characters any loyalty. Let people enjoy things. The novelty of Sylus and how he’s quite literally 6 months behind the other 3 love interests makes people want to catch up on the enjoyment of him all at once. He’s still such a brand new character and concept, so there’s no wonder everyone’s hyped up over him.

I’ve seen people get genuinely mad at other players and writing whole think-pieces about this. I promise you guys, the company making this game is still benefiting whether you’re pouring your money into Sylus or any one of the previous 3. We’re all happy to have an interesting character pop up among the roster now, and we’re taking our time getting to know him. Doesn’t make any of the first 3 any less loved. I genuinely don’t remember this amount of nastiness when solo events for each of the guys used to drop.

In fact, if the popularity thing is worrying you, going off MLQC (the company’s past game) the character who was last added was—eventually, after the initial hype died down—kicked off to the sidelines in most major events and was given the least content, and was the least favorite of fans.

Secondly, and this has my blood boiling, there is an insane amount of entitlement and rudeness I’ve seen on my timeline concerning how people characterize the men—particularly Rafayel.

Absolutely nothing warrants this shitty attitude towards other creators for how they depict characters in their fics. It seems you guys feel protected behind a screen and think it gives you the right to bully strangers online. Fanfiction is for fantasizing about your favs; for letting your imagination run wild. If this were a character analysis, then yes, maybe I’d agree that inaccuracies are aggravating. However, in fanfiction, there are zero rules, especially when it comes to smut.

Sexual preferences are not equivalent to a person’s whole personality—so whether he’s written as a dom, a sub, a switch, or whatever the fuck you wanna call it, this has nothing to do with his kindness, gentlemanliness, passion, power, ruthlessness, snark, or whatever minuscule aspect of his character makes up his lovely whole and matters to you.

I think this circles back to a lack of ability to separate sexual matters and personality, because how else do people interpret fics depicting him in a certain manner as them erasing his character? They might overlap, but they can very well be mutually exclusive. I’ve seen incredibly sweet and gentle men irl who were absolute doms in bed, and I’ve seen powerful and passionate men who were reduced to tears between the sheets. There is barely any correlation whatsoever, and if anything, claiming otherwise is what I consider piss-poor media literacy and reading-comprehension.

My third point is that for some reason, there have been many, many posts and replies on here where I’ve seen people just straight-up spread pure hate for the characters. Maybe this bothered me in particular because I’m an OT3 (OT4 now!) and absolutely adore all of them, but I find no logical reason for “yucking someone’s yum” when we’re talking about liking the characters of an Otome game—a genre of video games which is made to literally cater to the tastes of as many people as possible.

It’s especially disheartening to see when it’s at a time like this, when new content is about to drop, and you find in the replies of every other post/discussion at least a few people spewing hate and disgust at Sylus. Again, so many people are incredibly excited about him. Why is there a need to rain on everyone’s parade, especially in such an unsolicited manner?

This fandom originally started as a safe space for people of all races, backgrounds, genders, sexualities, and personalities to bond over our mutual love for characters. All I’ve seen on my TL lately (in terms of discussion) is negativity, and it’s such a fucking let-down. I hope whatever the fuck has happened to this fandom cools down after a bit. It’s probably exaggerated and very in-your-face rn, cause more and more people are downloading LNDS, so the probabilities of finding people being nasty are increasing. But I seriously don’t want to grow to resent this fandom and find myself distancing myself from it to protect my peace.

Let’s all remember to be kind towards other players, to not act entitled or bratty about the characters, and to try and mind our own business if we see content that doesn’t suit our tastes.

[angelwishess]

— 🎀🕊️ The ethereal yet odd prefect of Ramshackle.

This version is old! Updated intro is here!~

“How did I get here? Why, I wished upon a star, of course!”

Nicknames: Prefect / Prefect of Ramshackle, Henchman (Grim), Trickster (Rook), Little Shrimpy / Sea Angel (Floyd), Kid (Leona), Child of Man (Malleus), Lacy, Ra-ra (Cater)

Grade/Class: Freshman/Class A

Birthday: May 5

Age: 16

Height: 170.18 cm (5’7 ft) ( 175.26/5’9 with her heels!)

Dominant Hand: Right

Homeland: ???

Club: None yet !

Best Subject: Animal Languages

Hobbies: Designing and making clothes

Pet Peeves: Indecisiveness and living routinely

Favourite Food: Burgers !

Least Favorite Food: Steamed fish and liver

Talent: Making clothes out of just about anything!

Likes : Fashion, Cute things, Mythology, Folklore, Fairytales, Flower language, “Adventure”, Anything considered “Art”, Ribbons n’ frills, Pranks n’ mischief, Amusement parks, adrenaline rushes, Cute sweets and cafe hopping!!!

Dislikes : “Boring things”, Normalcy/Living life routinely, pessimism, indecisiveness, lack of freedom, strong smells, studying, silence, humid weather, being looked down on.

Gender & Sexuality: cis girl, demisexual + demiromantic

Voice Claim(s):

ENG: Briana White (Aerith from Final Fantasy)

JP: ??? (None yet!)

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

— ₊˚⊹ The mysterious prefect from another world, Kyra Lovelace exudes an ethereal aura that draws in people and animals alike.

Easy to approach, its easy to let your guard down around her without even realizing it! Well, mostly because she doesn’t seem like a threat at all.

It almost feels like she was pulled straight out of a fairy tale! The way critters big and small flock to her— they say that they even helped her clean up the Campus when she was still a janitor!

(Strangely enough, this also extends to beastmen and merfolk. Such a strange thing, isn’t she?)

With how kind she is, it feels like she really is an angel sent from above! Ever so eager to help whenever she can without ever asking for a thing back, even if they never even asked her.

Of course, people aren’t always as they seem.

Kyra is an uncontrollable force of impulsivity and chaos! Wherever she goes, trouble is sure to follow! With an insatiable desire for adventure and an almost childish curiosity and wonder of everything— Kyra is much more mischevious than you’d think!

Incredibly chatty and foul-mouthed (and fluent in brainrot) with absolutely zero filter, Kyra says whatever is on her mind, and does whatever she wants, whenever she wants!

So dont be surprised if she randomly dissappears out of nowhere, only to come back with trouble burning hot on her heels, and eyes full of wonder! Shes an odd one, thats for sure. You never know whats going to come out of her mouth!

Despite how rambunctious and uncontrollable she is— you’ll find that she’s wormed herself into your heart, and its already too late! Because once she sees you as a friend? Hah, good luck getting rid of her!

An amazing friend in all seriousness, but be ready to face whatever trouble she brings with her! The definition of ride or die, if you can’t handle it then don’t bother sticking around, cuz’ the fun (and chaos) never stops when Kyra is around!

Its undeniable that Kyra leaves an impression! Shes the kind of person you’ll remember even years after a little interaction, she leaves a mark on everyone she meets and her larger-than-life persona is sure to be remembered by all! If you’ve met her, you’ll never forget her. Thats for sure!

Even if she seems rather naive and simple minded at times, shes actually very thoughtful. She has an admirable view of life, and honestly? The best way to describe her is love itself.

She loves so, so very much. Shes so full of it, and it overflows onto the people she interacts with. Shes very emotionally intelligent, and knows just the right things to say to people. A lover in spirit, she can tell when someone’s hurting. After all, shes been there, too.

Perhaps its a little foolish, she can be too trusting of others, choosing to see the best in everyone regardless of who they are. But she’d rather love too much than not at all.

She loves living, she loves every little thing. She has no room for shame nor hesitation because she loves living so very much, she refuses to waste time standing at the sidelines (Not anymore). She lives without regrets, with no restraint, nor fear. She lives as she pleases because that is what living should truly be, shameless and raw. To be who you truly are unashamed, to let yourself shine brighter than the stars! ♡

Sadness is nothing to be ashamed of. Feeling overwhelmed? Stop on by at Ramshackle, and the little mischevious angel of a prefect is sure to sit down with you and listen. Because, she loves you, too!

“Whats done is done, nothin’ we can do about it now other than laugh about it and move forward! Whats the point in feelin’ bad anyways? No point in waiting for the world to stop spinning, yeah?”

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

—₊˚⊹ Funfacts n’ Trivia !

(+ some doodles~)

(the quality is so bad pls…)

🎀 Kyra is not twisted / based on a specific character, but she is just the embodiment of the kind of person i aspire to be! Free, positive, and full of love! Basically a ball of blazing chaos and love, with a lust for life.

🎀 I gave her some typical Disney Princess characteristics (the talking to animals, ethereal beauty, ykyk) just because i thought it’d be funny paired with her personality!

🎀 Kyra’s name means “Shiny” in Japanese, but it can mean “Lord”, “Princess” or “Lady” in other languages!

🎀 Kyra’s last name, “Lovelace”, originates from the word “Lawless” or “Outlaw”! Which honestly fits her and her attitude perfectly, as well as how cute it sounds despite its meaning lol

🎀 Uses her affinity with animals for her ‘little shit’ shennanigans. Has sent an army of rats to Octavinelle during Book 3 out of pure spite, and always wins Croquet with Heartslabyul because the hedgehogs roll into the goals even though she clearly missed (shes actually really bad at croquet.

🎀 ^^ Her natural ability to draw in animals doesn’t stop there— but it seems beastmen and merfolk alike are also drawn towards Kyra! Although much more subtly. Though, don’t be surprised if a beastman comes sniffing around her without warning! (She doesn’t mind, she finds it cute!)

🎀 With waaay too much energy, Kyra just cant stay still for a minute! Always off on some random side quest, working a part-time job at Sam’s just for the fun of it to partying it up with Scarabia, she just can’t stick to one thing for too long! She’ll dissappear for a minute and come back with something completely random. You really never know with her.

(Parents got confused and picked Side Quest Daughter)

🎀 She has a concerningly high pain tolerance. Could be stabbed and be bleeding out but wont notice until someone points it out.

🎀 A total klutz. Shes so clumsy its actually unbelievable how clumsy she is. She could be walking so gracefully then suddenly trip on air. Bumps into literally everything. (The truth about her high pain tolerance— its because shes so clumsy shes so used to getting hurt by random things)

🎀 She adores fashion and hopes to one day be a fashion designer! Her personal style is himekaji.

🎀 She customized her uniform herself, and has always been fond of making her own clothes out of spare cloths and fabrics ever since she was a child! Her first ever dress she made was from the fabric of a curtain.

🎀 Despite how rambunctious she can be— Kyra can also be incredibly gentle. This comes out whenever taking care of her friends, even if she finds it funny to (playfully) bully them, she doesn’t mind letting them lay in her lap and quietly singing to them until they fall asleep.

🎀 She has a scarily good inuition!

🎀 Hoards things like a goblin. Whatever random object she finds she just keeps it, regardless if its worth anything. Her ‘hoard’ consists of trinkets that vary from ‘cool shaped rock on the side of the road’ to ‘a literal gemstone mined from the depths of Briar Valley my friend Hornton gave me!’.

🎀 shes an adrenaline junkie.

—₊˚⊹ Fatal Flaw(s) :

💔 (Self) Toxic Positivity : Anyone who knows Kyra knows just how positive she is. But, what they don’t know is how deeply imbedded it is in herself. Although Kyra always speaks about how important it is to allow yourself to express your emotions, be it anger or sadness, she encourages others to express themselves.

But that does not go for herself. For some reason, she refuses to ever show any sign of “negative” emotions in herself.

Toxic positivity is a "pressure to stay upbeat no matter how dire one's circumstance is", which may prevent emotional coping by feeling otherwise natural emotions. Toxic positivity happens when people believe that negative thoughts about anything should be avoided. Even in response to events which normally would evoke sadness, such as loss or hardships, positivity is encouraged as a means to cope, but tends to overlook and dismiss true expression.

Instead of properly coping when faced with overwhelming, negative emotions, she instead chooses to ignore it entirely. She jokes about it, and pretends it doesn’t exist. All of these pent up emotions keep on layering on eachother, yet she continues to bottle it all up until she explodes.

💔 Impulsivity, with zero regard for safety : Infamously known for her reckless behavior, but her impulsiveness constantly puts her in danger. It doesn’t matter how many times she gets hurt, she just keeps on doing it— constantly running head first into danger again and again with zero regard for her own safety and health.

💔 Calm— to the point of being uncaring : Kyra is coolheaded. As chill as mount Everest, and goes with the flow just like water following a stream. This calm mindset is both a blessing and a curse, even if she is good at staying calm even under crushing pressure, she can struggle to see the urgency in situations until its too late.

Often brushing off clear warnings, reassuring herself and everyone else that it’ll be finee! (It wont.)

She lacks that sense of danger needed for survival— but not all hope is lost. After all, theres always room for growth!

“If you keep waiting until you’re ready, you’ll be waiting for your entire life. People will always judge you no matter the time of day, so just go on and be yourself!”

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

—₊˚⊹ Notable Relationships !

— Kyra x Floyd !! (AngEel)

(Yeah they have the dumbest ship name ever but i think that makes it fit even more theyre so STUPID !!! IM GONNA BITE RHEM !!!!!!)

SLOWBURN IDIOTS TO LOVERS !!! SLOWBURN IDIOTS TO LOVERS SLOWBURN IDIOTS TO LOVER SLOWBURNIDIOTSTOLOVERS THEYRE SO AAAA

The cutiest patooties EVER !!! If you like a dramatic, angsty ship, unfortunately they aren’t for you !!! The only thing you’ll get from Floyd n’ Kyra is tooth rotting, diabetes inducing FLUFF and a major headache while watching them obviously be basically a couple— but refuse to acknowledge it.

Ever since they both caught a glimpse of eachother, there was always this strange feeling of familiarity. As if they’ve met before, somewhere… Perhaps once upon a dream? (Nah, jk. Opening scene ref!!! She took his hand teehee)

They’re canonically soulmates. Eachothers compliment, theres no one on land nor under the sea that could ever be as in sync with Floyd as Kyra is. They just… Click. Their hearts beat in the same pattern, and they’re always on the same page. Well, even when they aren’t and they argue, they can never stay mad at eachother for too long.

Remember what I said about Kyra being naturally very touchy? Yeah, this is a whole new level. Kyra has no problems showering Floyd in kisses and affection, both physically and verbally, even if they are in public. She doesn’t see how it could be seen wrong, after all they are just the best of friends !! Shes just really comfortable with him, thats all.

In fact, she gets cuteness aggression from him! Thinks that hes the cutest thing ever, and she just cant help but swoon and coo at him, squish his cheeks and pepper his face with kisses!

Floyd doesn’t mind at all! And returns the favor! Of course, there are times where he isn’t in the mood, and Kyra is more than understanding. But no matter how upset or angry Floyd gets, he could never be at Kyra. He’ll come to her grumbling about whatever hes annoyed about and melt into her arms, and she’ll listen while carressing his hair and humming along.

Its hard not to assume the two are dating, when Kyra runs into his arms at match speed once hes in view, and he picks her up n’ spins her around like they didn’t just see eachother earlier in the morning. Hard not to assume they’re dating when Kyra tells him ‘I love you!’ So shamelessly in public.

Hard not to assume things when Floyd is so obviously, ridiculously soft around her. Absolutely smitten, you can practically see his heart eyes, paired with that lopsided, dopey grin. Not to mention the way his mood seems to do a total 180 and cheering right up when Kyra is around! He could never get bored with her, even when they’re doing nothing but laying in bed together in silence. Everything they do, in his opinion, as long as theyre together, then its fun.

Are they really that oblivious…? Theres no way… But, it seems as time passes, the realization is beginning to dawn on both of them! Its about time! (No, seriously. Everyone is sick of them. Especially Ace. Gags whenever he sees them being all “lovey dovey”, pun intended.)

— Kyra & Leona !!

After Book 2 Kyra basically looked at Leona and said “yeah, thats gonna be my big bro!” And ever since she just refuses to leave him alone. Literally.

Kyra sees the good in Leona, she knows deep down he does care for the people around him even if he says he doesnt. And she finds it so endearing!! She loves him dearly as her big brother, and wants to help him get his motivation back!!! (Has absolutely tricked him into doing his own homework by pretending it was hers.)

Though he won’t admit it, he sees her as a little sister and somehow takes pride in knowing she knows she can depend on him.

— Kyra & Malleus !!

The best of friends ! Late night walks where Malleus— or, Hornton, talks about gargoyles and Kyra listens, and talks about whatever comes to mind. Kyra always invites Hornton to Ramshackle for a little hangout, and she enjoys playfully bullying and bantering with him. Malleus finds it amusing how ‘brave’ she is, and plays along. What a funny little human!

Who could be a better friend than Kyra? She was practically meant for this! Platonic soulmates?? I think yes!!!!!!

They exchange random little facts, Malleus talking about gargoyles n’ architecture while Kyra talks about mythology from her world! (“He… Ate his own children…?” “Haha, yeah.”)

Kyra absolutely teaches Malleus brainrot. She has no regrets.

— Kyra & Adeuce Duo !!

Her day ones, and also victims of her Found Family Beam. (Seriously, shes just out here building a family like this shit is Toca Life 😭😭)

She especially has a soft spot for Ace! Even though she bullies him the most and they banter (and fight) like siblings, she cares for him more than she’d ever admit.

She finds Deuce adorable! His biggest supporter, even if she doesn’t like studying, she tries to help him whenever she can! (Jokes that Deuce is her favorite and she’d “throw Ace in the trash”.)

Adores the two with all her heart. Will always be looking out of them in both big and small ways, she trusts them entirely, fully! Would trust them with her life, but not with the food she was saving for herself.

— Kyra & Grim !!

She always found Grim so very cute! As an animal lover, she couldn’t bring herself to ever dislike Grim. Of course, they got even closer as time passed, and she cares for him like a son! Views him as such, and loves to cradle him in her arms. (In private, of course. The Great Grim has a reputation to keep up!!)

— Kyra & Divius Crewel !!

Same thing that happened with Leona, she kind of just looked at him and went “Mmm yes, father figure time!!!”

Although she doesn’t like to open up much, she often finds herself doing just that when talking to Crewel one on one. She feels as if she can rely on him.

Admires him a lot! Especially with his designs, she begged him to teach her some of his tricks that he picked up. Her biggest inspiration to pursue fashion designing as a career! Shes so thankful for him, as a role model and as a father figure.

“The world is so much more beautiful than most realize. Life is a gift. Don’t worry, you can rest. I’ll be right here until the sun rises again, and we can face tomorrow together.”

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

[twstreverie]

soft headcanons, (dorm leaders)

requests are open!

riddle rosehearts

he is literally so inexperienced with relationships let alone even being in love with someone, he’s afraid sometimes he goes over the top or just does too little for you. this guy will literally be scouring old romance love stories and try to replicate what the guy in the story would do. cater poked fun once and said to look at the internet instead but… riddle has an acquired taste.

your room is hardly seen without some sort of flowers — usually roses of course from riddle. he just loves the look on you’re face whenever he presents some he had gotten for you. he has told you that he believes they’re as beautiful as you. :)

you’re always treated the best whenever you’re over at his dorm — he wants to make sure everyone is treating you nicely and special. he’ll make sure you’re favorite sweet is saved for whenever you stop by, so he can offer you some with him. everyone usually enjoys it whenever you’re there because he’s in such an elated mood that their chances of getting scolded or in trouble by him are less haha.

leona kingscholar

leona is a man that has a hard time trying to convey the fact that he does love you — frankly he hasn’t quite admitted to himself that he really does. but here me out, he always listens to you, like you could be sooo chatty and talk and talk — it’ll seem like he’s not listening, maybe even had fallen asleep but nope! you’ve got his attention almost always. he is extremely good at reading you and your body language.

he’ll remember basically every detail, he is very intelligent anyway. something you mentioned wanting or needing, you’ll have it trust me — he can have his hands on practically anything as a prince hehe. even if you want him to take it back he’ll stubbornly deny and insist that you just take it because it’s “useless to return it.” hes not saying it but please just take it.

he respects you — he values your opinions and concerns definitely much above anyone else. and that’s a very special thing coming from him. he wouldn’t necessarily tell you but trust me he respects you greatly.

leona has a “don’t go wandering into savanaclaw to find me” attitude but then he kinda noticed that after like 1 incident of someone from there messing with you…. they would be to nervous to, knowing leona.

azul ashengrotto

I don’t care what anyone says he is so smitten with you… like he’s just always thinking about you and things he wants to treat you with he can’t help it. he could be in the middle of making a scheme-y contract with some distraught student and he’s just thinking about some necklace he saw in a magazine that would look pretty on you.

number 1 rule for his employees (mostly ppl working under contract lol) is that you are treated as a priority when at the mostro lounge — even when he’s busy they know about you. jade or floyd are usually there to give you something special along with your meal haha, they’ll tell you it’s courtesy of azul.

but he really enjoys time with you, he could be dealing with work but he loves knowing that you’re there by him in the vip room. you could be talking about anything or just reading, doing school work in silent. he just loves being with you.

kalim al-asim

kalim talks about you so… much. like he just can’t help it, he doesn’t even try most of the time — he’s got a lot of positive things to say about you and everything basically reminds you of him. he can go on and on, jamil is the one who hears this the most. but he’s literally done this with his teachers before. when I say he thinks the world of you, he does.

he wants to bring you to his homeland so so badly — he’s always telling you great things and stories, stories about the land of hot sands or stories from his childhood there. he gets quite excited being able to share about that place.

speaking of which he buys you clothing and accessories from there — love is an understatement when it comes to seeing you wear them!! he is obsessed.

carpet rides>>> okay minus the fact that he has crashed it multiple times and it gets jamil pretty pissed off at him he promises to be careful and begs him to let him share them with you more often.

vil schoenheit

I don’t care about whether or not it’s ooc to make him a lovey dovey man with you but can we just think back and remember how he was and acted throughout chapter 6?? like?

with that being said, he makes sure to look out for you, not even just for your looks and stuff he genuinely does care about whether or not you’re taking care of yourself. it may come off in a lightly scolding way but he can’t bring himself to actually be upset at you. like if he figures out you haven’t eaten or have been sleeping right he’ll get this stern look on his face but that doesn’t stick for long.

you get access to like any major and fancy brand when it comes to basically anything but especially facial products, but he prefers just giving you his own. and he also loves doing your facials for you before bed. it is so sweet, I can just picture him rubbing in lotion on your cheeks as he’s softly humming… just yes. once he’s done he likes to kiss you on the face, both of your cheeks.

vil tends to ask for your opinion a lot when it comes to something he should where, a shade of lipstick, perfume scent, etc because it helps him figure out what you like more so he can use it more around you.

will invite you to the film research club he’s in and in charge of, mostly because he wants an opportunity to act out a scene with you but even if you don’t want to there’s always some way you could help him and assist him that he’d love if you could do. writing scripts, video editing, making costumes or props.

he is embarrassed about it whenever he kisses you (or you kiss him haha) but his lips are scarred and almost raw and chapped because he bites them so much. if you put balm on them with your finger to help heal them he would die. please do it for him he loves it.

while he’s no picasso, I can see him being very pretty talented when it comes to drawing. he totally has a habit of doodling and even full on sketching you on papers and such. he wouldn’t saw no to you if you asked to see them, but he’d be hiding and shoving his face into a pillow the whole time while you look through.

he would honestly do like anything for you, he loves being able to show that he’s useful — especially with his talents, he can fix things for you — like if you have a device or item not working he’s got you. you better believe he got rid of that phone Crowley gave you thats probably like older than crowley himself and have something WAY better he made.

would melt if you got along well with ortho (well honestly who couldn’t?) you’re literally the two most important things in his life — seeing you two happily converse and chat with each other would make him on cloud nine. also ortho definitely was a major assist when it came to getting you and idia together, he was rooting for the two of you since the beginning.

malleus draconia

it’s so funny, especially to lilia seeing malleus become lovesick by you, his behavior is definitely noticeable towards you. bystanders, students whether in his dorm or not that fear him and know him as an extremely powerful prince melt within your vicinity… it’s a habit he’s gained ever since he’s caught feelings for you — it’s a bit odd but he can’t help but stare and watch you lot of the time.

you’re with him, you’re apart of his “family”. basically lilia, silver, and begrudgingly Sebek who takes a while to warm up to you. still, nevertheless, they treat you as one of them!! lilia would simply adore you by the way. like ortho with idia he would be a proud supporter of the two of you.

he loves to wow you with his magic and shamelessly show off a bit. you could show the tiniest bit of like being cold and rubbing your arms and boom he’ll just bring out the sun with a smug smile like wasn’t that cool of him? or if you enjoy the rain he could just make it happen hehe.

malleus enjoys bringing you gifts a lot its mostly because of well a dragon thing but he will have a habit of just randomly gifting and adorning you some priceless jewel he can’t help it, he thinks you look so lovely in them.

[chaifootsteps]

What if Stella and Blitz met Martha and Mayberry? The ex wives and the mistresses.

Ms Mayberry would know all about hiring hitmen on cheaters and Martha would understand what causes people to cheat in a loveless marriage with kids, they’d both help Stella to move on from it and for her (and the extremely stolas obsessed biassed audience) to learn she’s not crazy (at least by hells standards) Maybe they look at Blitz being mad at Stella for hiring a hitman and laugh because he’s one himself who Mayberry hired. Learning that could change Stella’s view of him. Martha like blitz seems to ping pong between men, before finding the right person (woman) for her. Imagine a scene of “how did you know they were the one?” I love those. Or in Blitzs case “how did you know he is not the one?” Hint: him being on the phone to that creep while being shot at by Martha then stolas shaming blitz to fail to cater to his safety. Stolas is the reason Martha caught him remember. Please blitz remember.

Both sinner women tell them that a man willing to humiliate them and bring them into a cheating scandal does not truly care for or respect them, much less “love” He cares about himself only, and not either of them. In fact he wants them to fight each other. To take blame off him.

Another slightly random thing I was thinking, what if Martha was a huge horse girl too. And dreamed of the wrath ring and meeting hell horses and Satan himself. Blitzø is super stoked about this. He says he descended from Satan as his hellborn and flirtily asks Martha “maybe you should be worshipping me? We’re practically the same” Before Mayberry smacks him and Stella fact checks that assessment. Stick to horses Blitzø.

Another sweet idea, Mayberry has full shared custody of Martha’s evil cannibal children and loves being around kids again. And teaching. As a teacher she finally helps Blitzø learn to spell and read properly, and doesn’t make fun of him for it. But does put him in the dunce hat for cussing. She notices his dyslexia right away and is actually helping him, and maybe notices he grew up speaking multiple languages adding to his spelling difficulty (but Ofc Viv wouldnt do that, everyone in HB speaks exclusively English) I’m tired of the audience calling him stupid. Stella too, she received no education as a woman without official status besides baby maker, and imagine how hard that is to admit?

Basically the message is bad actions have consequences, but good actions have consequences too. Apologies aren’t just meaningless. Every year the three send gift baskets. Blitzø doesn’t say it aloud. But being around three motherly women who understand him, helps him in his grieving journey quite a bit. And to be less of a misogynist. All he had to do was give a sorry basket and he just made three close friends.

You guys are going to kill me with all these beautiful, sincere versions of HB that we'll never see so much as a shade of in canon.

[screampied]

do u have any tips for starting out your own blog? i’ve been writing for awhile now and want to start sharing my work, i just wanna know how to post and make everything look good 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

sureeee nonnie !!! ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-

so some tips i can give you to start, have a pinned post to start. it doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a simple pinned with important things your readers can access—view, like rules, byf / dni, masterlist, if requests are open or closed, and if you’re a mdni blog. this stuff’ll be important after you start posting and receiving interactions on your work ☝️

tag your work properly!!! tumblr runs on a tag system, and it’s important to use the right tags so you reach the audience that you want. there’s different kind of tags, like smut / fluff / angst. for individual characters, you’d tag it like (character x reader ) + ( character x you ) etc. for a fluff piece i did, here’s an example on the tags i used—

there’ll be different tags for different fandoms. so if you’re writing for the one piece fandom, it’ll be a tag like #one piece x reader | ALSO !!!! this is kind of optional, but i usually tag my works with fem! or female reader, in case others don’t want to see my stuff on their filtered tags. always specify what you’re writing for, whenever i write angst or fluff it’s usually gender neutral reader but for smut i always write fem! reader. you’ll notice how in my works when i tag the warnings, i add fem! reader near the very beginning so people know what they’re getting into !!!

as for the aesthetics go, you wanna sorta ‘stand out’ i would say. hentai / doujinshi banners are pretty known around the smut community, and you can find a lot either on twitter on tumblr by searching under the tag #mangacap . one popular manga i could recommend is called ‘lady k & the sick man’ and i made a tutorial on how to color them here !!!!

don’t base your works off notes. always remember, it’s not a competition but it’s completely normal to feel happy whenever you receive traction !!!! 💗 if you’re just starting out as a new blossoming writer, it’ll take a bit for your work to reach an audience but you just have to be patient. writing is meant to be a hobby, and it’s important to have fun while doing it!

INTERACT WITH PEOPLE 🫵🫵. this goes for reblogging other people’s fics, commenting, sending sweet asks, etc. throughout your time, you’ll get some nice encounters from people. you’ll even get some anons !!!!! making mutuals is my favorite part of tumblr i think, and yes it can be scary. im still shy to make mutuals but i looooove interacting with different people !!!! you just gotta remember, everyone’s been in your shoes before so don’t be shy.

i think the last piece of advice i can say, is to just have fun :) of course, tumblr isn’t all positive. there’s lots of negative sides about this platform and one of it is the harsh reality that not everyone will like your work. that’s just something you have to accept, you cannot cater to everyone and that’s fine! but, just remember there’ll always be that one person that genuinely loves your work and gets excited whenever you post. once you start posting, you’ll see what i mean 💗. don’t be discouraged if you feel like you aren’t receiving interactions right away, that’s normal and growth takes time. just know that i believe in you, and i wish you luck on your writing journey nonnie!!! mwah <3

[yourlocaltreesimp]

Hi I'm a big fan and I just wanted to let you know I love your yandere headcannons I like the way you write them, I hope you don't mind me requesting for yandere headcannons of koridai, courage and platonic!wind. If you accept I can't wait to see them. (⁠*⁠＾⁠3⁠＾⁠)⁠/⁠～⁠♡. (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)⁠❤

Y’all Courage and Koridai simps are on crack. I’m here for it tho. Not doing wind in this part as i’m still planning where he’ll be

Yan!Chain headcannons

Tw: Yandarism and it’s accompanies, Courage and Koridai, I traumatised them, oops, child abuse, SH, baby trapping.

Courage

His version of the guide was different- far more than the rest. You were there. He saw your reflections in the mirrors and out of the corners of his eye, he heard whispers of your voice, you were there since as long as he could remember. He used to think you where an imaginary friend, as he didn’t have many actual friends. It made sense. But you never went away. No matter how much medications he took or lashes he’d taken, you were there.

It was when he learned of who he was and what purpose he held that he learned what you were. And it didn’t take him long to start going off the edge.

His very own guide- someone to hold and keep all to himself. Someone no one else could see. Someone no one could steal. Someone that would finally stay.

When he meets with the chain he’s still got that entitlement.

This reflects in his love languages. Physical touch and Quality time, being as close to you as often as possible. You were his reward, his support, his gift to be put through what he was put through. He deserves you.

He’ll hurt himself for your attention. Im talking full out stab wounds if that’s what it takes for you to kiss it better.

Fiercely loyal. Glares down anyone that flirts with him and would even flat out insult them when you were still just a spirit in his minds eye. Now you’re real however? He can and will compare people to you.

Has a hand on you at all times. He doesn’t care if he’s getting glared daggers, he’s throwing his arm around your waist and savouring the way you flush.

On that note, i’m sorry if you’re easily flustered. Like- truly. This man is a f l i r t. He’ll learn what makes you tick and abuse the living hell out of it. Even if it’s whispering the filthiest things into your ear, he’ll do it if it gets you blushing.

He’d kidnap you. 100 %. Married and with a kid by your side so you have to stay and so everyone knows you’re his. A wife on his arm and an heir to his title, even if they needed a little… assistance to realise that’s what they wanted.

Fav nicknames for you: Dear, Babe, Babes, Sugar, Honey, Loves, starlight

Koridai

It took him a while to realise you were his old guide, purely off of the fact he was so deep into believing he hallucinated you.

But prying him off of you when he comes to is what’s more difficult.

Again with physical touch, but he has a sweet spot for words of affirmation and gift giving. (you’re really racking up sugar daddies)

Golden retriever energy to the nines. Waiting at your hand and foot, back and call in case you might need him. You did so much for him, he might as well pay you back. He’ll cater to whatever you want of him. You want him to jump, he’ll ask how high. You want him to smile he’s beaming. You want jewellery, he’ll mine the gems himself. You want him to change his clothing, he’ll let you pick out a whole new wardrobe. You want a husband, he’ll hire the officiant. You want a man dead, all he needs is a name.

Two faced as Sky and Wars. Absolute sweetheart to your face, plays dumb to be unassuming, slips passed the squabbling of the chain and next thing they know he’s gone and you’re in his universe.

Another kidnapper.

Fun???

Either way you’re leaving with him or he’s leaving with you. He’d gotten himself so hurt while you left him unattended for 5 minutes to get water, and you expect him to live without you? After how he was forced to leave you behind? After he dug you a grave?

He can cry on command, and you’re none the wiser. You’d hold him as he sobbed and sniffled as the others watched. You’d defend him and his place, and off of the lies stories he told you, it’s a wonder you saw his emotions at all.

Nicknames: Whatever makes you the most embarrassed or flustered

[abiiors]

the spring curse - ross x reader ˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧💌˚.⋆🌿

a/n: this is essentially a sickfic with so much yapping in there oh my god 🙄 yapping and yearning are the two things i operate on cw: brief suggestive content but no actual smut. being ill i suppose but it's very mild and fluffy. also pls we're going to suspend our disbelief here because i have no idea what being a florist entails. wc: 3.4k

they get together at the beginning of winter. 

the last of the leaves are already a deep shade of orange, falling and falling everyday until the trees go barren and white snowflakes start fluttering all around. they’re already exclusive by the time the first proper snow of the season falls. 

ross is a boyfriend. to the girl of his dreams. it makes him feel as giddy as a teenager every time he thinks about it; every time she gives him a sweet smile and an even sweeter kiss. 

he always holds her hand just a little tighter, cuddles her closer just a little longer every time she has to go—he’s making up for the lost time, he thinks. all the time he’s wasted being stupid and a coward. and so whenever she stays over he stays near her, follows her around from room to room. she finds it infinitely amusing, so endearing that she can’t help but kiss him every two minutes for it. 

a florist’s job is pretty slow in the winter. ross learns that quite early on in their relationship when he gets to take the slow days extra slow—cuddling on the sofa and dancing in the kitchen and every other cheesy thing he can think of. 

he fucking adores the slow mornings after she stays over—loves waking up with her in his arms, loves the slow, lazy morning sex where she’s moaning and squirming and cumming on his cock barely awake, loves how she looks at him with sleepy eyes hooded with lust. 

“‘s gonna be so awful when my job picks up again and the spring weddings start happening,” she says one morning while they’re in bed still, her head on his chest. ross hums. “you’ll be lucky if you see me two days in a row.”

he pouts. “it’s not that busy is it?”

“it is! so many new flowers coming into the shop and scott wants us to make sure each one of them is absolutely perfect. individually. fuck and the pollen—you’re not allergic to pollen are you? because i get so covered in it…”

ross racks his brain. maybe he does remember being a bit more sniffly in spring but nothing severe. it’s never been noteworthy. he shrugs and holds her tighter. “nah, don’t think so. it can’t be that bad though.”

she laughs mirthlessly. “you don’t know the half of it. my ex was so allergic i had to stay away for all of spring pretty much. like three months every year where i’d move back in with my parents because it was just that bad for him.”

he pretty much stops listening halfway through, stuck on the part where she had to stay away for three whole months. he can barely stay away half the week. 

“don’t have to worry about that,” he strokes her hair, brushing off the silly unwanted thoughts. 

and it turns out to be true—even when she stays in the shop longer, busy catering to new year’s parties and other events, ross hardly ever has a reaction to it. it’s blown out of proportion, he thinks. sure pollen allergies are real, but they must be incredibly rare.

what are the odds that he has it just as bad as her ex? 

soon enough he forgets the conversation. everything is so blissful, so perfect that by the time valentine’s day rolls around, he’s already asked her to move in. 

“are you serious?” she shrieks, giddy with excitement. it works great for them—for one, the floral shop she works at is so much closer to his house. and then just as an added bonus, he doesn’t have to compromise to seeing her only half the days of the week. 

“yes. oh my god, yes! it’d be perfect…”

and he agrees. it would be perfect… until, well, it’s not. 

spring arrives with a riot of colours—little weedy flowers grow in his backyard, daisies and buttercups cover grassy patches on the ground. even the dead trees start sprouting new leaves. 

everything outside is cheery and pretty and colourful. in comparison, ross feels…weirdly tired. not that it’s an everyday thing but on days when he’s outside more, he’s way too fucking exhausted to do anything else. it’s only when the sneezing starts does the conversation come back to haunt him. 

my ex was so allergic i had to stay away for all of spring pretty much…

ross shudders, thankful that it’s not that bad for him. it’s not! he’s certain about that. it’s only a scratchy throat and mildly itchy eyes that he could have gotten from eye strain too frankly, and maybe just a little case of the sniffles. it’s annoying, sure, but it’s not the end of the world. there’s no reason she needs to know about it and worry that she'll have to be away from him when she just moved in a week ago. 

he can very easily chalk up all his symptoms to a plethora of other things. 

and well, denial’s worked great for him—for one whole week, at least. 

towards the end of her second week, ross feels more tired than usual. she’s been slightly more busy at work (there’s a big wedding coming up) and ross has taken it upon himself to do a deep clean of the house now that he has a bit more free time—spring cleaning, to get rid of the pollen that may or may not be there. 

everytime there’s a persistent cough, he brushes it off. it’s dust—of course, that’s what’s making him cough and sneeze. 

it’s all the cleaning—that’s why he’s so tired.

all of it melts away though when he hears the keys jingling and the door opening. there’s a bit of a shuffle, a door shutting softly and then he hears her. 

“ross?”

he’s out the kitchen and walking towards her the next second, smiling huge. she looks like a fucking delight—hair a bit messy from the wind, surrounded by the smell of her perfume and a whole mix of flowers, plus something inexplicably green. 

she grins when she sees him and almost tackles him into a hug. 

“i love coming home to you…” the words are muffled by his t-shirt but his heart speeds up regardless. ross smiles and tucks his nose into her hair. 

“hello, you. had a good day?”

she nods and stays exactly like she was. the bliss only lasts another second though. ross feels it only a second before it happens—the string of sneezes he lets out with only a split second’s warning from his body. 

one, two, three, fifteen… until his eyes are watery and his throat stings from the effort. she looks at him with a bewildered expression on her face, slightly confused about…all of it.

he shakes his head. “shit, sorry! must have inhaled some pepper… i was just making dinner.” 

which isn’t a lie. he was making dinner and yes he has got the pepper out on the table. she throws him one more skeptical look but doesn’t push it further. 

ross takes her bag from her. “go wash up, i’ve got a movie picked out for us.”

she brightens instantly, and gives him a gorgeous smile, one that makes the tiny dimple by her lip appear. ross watches her nod and walk away from him, making her way to their bedroom. his smile is real for the most part until she finally shuts the door and he lets the cough he’s been holding in loose. he tries not to agitate his throat more, he tries to clear it so it would get rid of the itchy, sticky feeling. 

pollen, the logical part of his brain tells him. there was a tonne of pollen in her hair. but ross stubbornly gulps a glass of water, sighing at the way it makes him feel better instantly. he splashes some water from the kitchen sink on his eyes to get rid of the stinging.

it’s only a bit of allergies, he’s not going to die from it. besides, once she showers, the pollen would be washed away…right?

the other delightful symptoms show up hours later when he’s in bed, tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable. his head feels fucking heavy, like there’s suddenly a dumbbell placed on there. the itchy eyes won’t let him get comfortable and the constant urge to sneeze has him almost on the verge of fucking tears from how uncomfortable he is. 

ross curses silently, staying as far away from her without falling off the bed—for one he wants to try limiting his exposure to pollen. and if there’s a slight chance that he’s coming down with something then it’s better that he stay a bit away from her anyway. 

that just makes him even more miserable. all he wants to do is cuddle and fall asleep and not wake up until it’s at least 8 am the next morning but apparently he’s not afforded this luxury. 

sighing, ross gets up and checks his phone. 1:03 am. 

then he makes his way to the kitchen. maybe some tea might help… at least out of the bedroom he can finally sneeze into the crook of his elbow without worrying about waking her up. 

ross stumbles into the kitchen, his footsteps heavy with exhaustion and frustration. he flicks on the dim light above the stove, wincing as it illuminates the small space. his head throbs with each heartbeat, and he reaches up to massage his temples, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure. 

he tries not to be miffed about it—the fact that being out of the room instantly feels a bit better. it must the the honey in the tea, or the warm water. whatever it is, he refuses to admit it to himself that it may be her. that he’s been cocky about it this whole time only for it to bite him in the ass. 

“ross?” he startles and whirls around. 

despite the painful headache, his heart melts. she looks sleepy and soft—hair half out of the braid, his giant t-shirt drowning her a little, sliding off her shoulder. she squints her eyes against the light and rubs the sleep out of them.

“what are you doing, it’s—” she has to wait till the yawn passes “—so late. you alright?”

he nods, maybe a bit too quickly and fails to stifle a wince. the movement makes a twinge of pain slice through his head and her eyes train on him. 

“you’re being weird… are you unwell?”

“‘m not being weird,” he tries to reassure her. ross walks up to her, placing a hand on her waist so he could gently steer her back to their bedroom. “i’m fine, love. my throat feels a bit dry so i thought tea would help.” 

“your eyes are all red.”

“yeah, babe. i just woke up.” lie, lie, lie. “come on, you’ve got to be up early. go back to bed, i’ll join you in a sec.”

the skepticism on her face remains. “ross, if you’re ill—”

“i’m not ill, come on. would i do this if i were ill?” and then he kisses her. for a good thirty seconds. 

predictably (and to his delight) she goes all loose in his arms, clinging to him as if the kiss is the only thing that matters. that convinces her though and once they break apart, she hmphs. 

“fine, don’t be long.” and then she drags her feet back to the bedroom. 

ross stays in the kitchen for a bit longers, massaging his aching temples and hoping the tea works as some magical cure. he even manages to convince himself a little that it’s working, and maybe it is! 

finally, fifteen minutes later he gives up. he just wants to be in bed at this point. he’ll figure out the rest tomorrow. 

ross wakes up alone to warm sunlight streaming in from the window, perhaps a bit too warm for an early spring day. everything feels weird and uncomfortable and stuffy, almost like he can barely breathe. exhaustion coats every cell in his body. 

what the fuck… 

he just woke up too, how is it possible to be this tired, this early in the morning. he stretches a little, trying to shake off the ickiness, until his eyes land on a post it stuck on the nightstand. 

i don’t know if you remember me telling you i was leaving for work early so i thought i’d leave a note. you looked really tired and uncomfy :( call me if you need me xx 

her neat handwriting stands stark against the paper. how did he miss her leaving for work? he has absolutely no memory of being even half-awake and he never sleeps in until this late. ross frowns and checks himself for a fever but his skin feels cool to the touch, normal. 

allergies. a voice chimes in again. allergies to pollen and spring and. allergies to your girlfriend. 

it’s incredibly childish to think of it that way, he knows it. but he also knows that if she knew her job was causing him this much discomfort, she’d be quite sad about it. so ross just shrugs it away and sends her a text

awake and feeling a lot better :) 

thirty seconds later, his phone pings. 

good, because i took half the day off to spend it with you ♡

despite himself, ross beams, feeling giddy like a teenager. it takes him some effort to get out of bed and shake off the fatigue. he should probably clean the room a bit before she comes back. his thoughts wander back to the last time—to him uncontrollably sneezing and coughing because of the pollen in her hair.

ross groans and tries to clear his throat again. 

somehow he manages to pass the time, doing little things here and there, getting on his playstation to see if any of his friends are free for a game (the are, but only for a bit). he makes himself a lazy lunch, quick and easy tin ravioli that she would 100% wrinkle her nose at (“pasta should be fresh though!”) and then he waits, scrolling on his phone to pass the time. 

he wakes up to an onslaught of kisses and a huge bouquet of daisies. 

for a second ross wonders when he fell asleep. he didn’t even mean to fall asleep, the tiredness just dragged him under… 

“there you are,” she grins at him and places another kiss on his nose. ross tries not to blush like a high school girl. instead, he pulls her into a quick kiss. 

“i got you flowers!” the bouquet of daisies is thrust into his hands. the flowers are beautiful, each about the same size, white and fresh and pretty and she beams at him proudly. “made that one for you.”

“you are perfect…” he kisses her again and cradles the flowers closer. “any special occasion though?”

“nah, just thought you were a bit unwell and thought i’d get you flowers.”

ross brightens. he loves how thoughtful she is, loves that she made sure to get him flowers because she suspected he was sick.

all of it comes crashing the moment he feels the familiar itchy feeling build at the back of his throat, feels his eyes starting to water. he tries not to throw the flowers away as if they were made of fire but he has twist his body away from hers when he breaks out into a coughing fit. hacking and trying to get the flowers away from him. 

“shit, you okay?” she sounds alarmed and rubs her hand up and down his back. it barely registers while ross struggles to breathe. 

quickly she runs to the kitchen to get him some water. it takes him a bit to breathe and stop coughing so he can get some water down. 

“i didn’t know you were this sick!” 

“i’m not,” his voice sounds strained but she ignores him entirely and places the back of her hand against his forehead. 

“no fever,” she frowns. “but you looked so run down before…”

“i haven’t caught a bug i promise!”

she opens her mouth again to argue, about to say something but stops halfway through the sentence, her eyes widening and ross watches in real time as the realisation dawns on her. the room goes drop dead silent. 

“fuck…” she murmurs, “it’s hay fever, isn’t it.”

ross wants to deny it so desperately but all he can do is sit there and pout miserably. there’s nothing he can say that will undo it now. 

“how long?”

“how long what?”

“how long have you been feeling it? itchy eyes, the sneezing, coughing. you know what i’m talking about.”

he does but he doesn’t want to admit it. quietly, she move the flowers as far away as possible. ross palms the back of his neck, sheepish. “two weeks.”

“you’ve been miserable for what–two weeks? because of me! and you didn’t even tell me.” her face falls more and more with each word and ross wants to point out that this is exactly why he didn’t tell her, and now she’s upset anyway. convincing herself that she’s the reason he’s been feeling so horrible. 

“why didn’t you tell me?”

sheepishly, he spills everything—how he remembers the conversation about her ex, how he doesn’t want her to feel like she’s the one making him sick. 

“and i didn’t want you moving away for three months! you just moved in”

he sounds so petulant and childish to his own ears, he sounds like a seven year old, not a fully grown man. 

for a moment she says absolutely nothing. she only looks at him, bewildered and speechless. 

“did–do—” then she has to pause to take a deep breath. “did you take any antihistamines?”

and that’s when it dawns on him. ross opens his mouth and closes it again, like a fish. antihistamines. allergy medicine. a miracle of modern science easily available to him over the counter. something he didn’t even bother thinking about.

“did you?”

“no.”

he hangs his head in shame, embarrassed that he didn’t think about it sooner until peals of her laughter jolt him back. she looks like she’s ready to collapse on the sofa, completely fucking floored by the giggles she can’t seem to suppress. 

“you are so dramatic!” she shrieks, manages to even get the whole sentence out between gasps and giggles. “you’d think you caught the black death or something.”

“oi!” ross flicks her her on the nose but joins in on the laughter too. he has been a fucking idiot, of course he has. “you said you had to move away every spring! because your ex had it that bad!”

“yeah because he had asthma, you idiot.”

with every new piece of information she reveals, ross feels his face warm up more and more. okay yeah… he really has been fucking dramatic about all this. 

“you really are an idiot, you know that?,” she catches her breath with a bit of effort and moves a bit closer to him. ross pretends to grumble but pulls her on his lap and holds her close.

“your idiot?” 

“don’t try to be cute, you’re not living this down.” she sounds stern for about two seconds before bursting into another fit of giggles and burying her face in his shoulder.  

“i’m not moving out the house just because you’re allergic to me, you know?” she teases once she’s sobered up enough. “you’ll be fine with some pills.”

he would be, now all he wants to do is make a mad dash to the pharmacy and buy whatever otc medication they have. it’s been hell as is, he just wants this feeling to go away. 

i’m not moving out the house…

his heart leaps up to his throat and relief floods his body. ross feels like he can finally breathe again (figuratively, at least). 

“i’m not allergic to you,” he counters, “i’m obsessed with you if anything.”

“flirting will not get you out of this!” but ross doesn’t miss the way her smile widens and she struggles to meet his eyes. if only he could stay like this forever…

he would have even, if not for another round of sneezes building up again. ross cringes, turning to the side. 

“shit shit! still, radioactive, sorry.” 

ross snorts, silently begging for the sneezes to go away. 

“let me make a pharmacy run for you,” she declares, putting her shoes back on and shushing him with a look before he can even protest. it’s fine though, he thinks, it's only twenty minutes. she’s coming back home to him anyway. 

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[zgvlt]

CRUSH x CRASH ruggie bucchi x reader

summary: Ruggie, your fake boyfriend, is your date to yet another wedding.

tags: gender neutral reader, sfw, fluff + attempt at humor, 3.1k+ words, not beta read

author's notes (see end for more): i was in a bit of a writer's slump with some newer stuff i was working on, so i picked an older draft to finish. i'm glad it worked out in the end for me. anyway, if this is something that bothers you, reader does not talk about getting married :) the setting is just a wedding

[you can also read this on AO3]

Ruggie likes weddings more than most people. Sure, lots of people find them awfully stuffy, terribly expensive, a huge waste of time, but not Ruggie—even if he does think a lot of them are too fancy shmancy for their own good! Like, what’s with the wedding industry being so costly? Does it seriously cost that much money to rent a venue? Why do dresses and tuxes cost an arm and a leg? Are the to-be-weds actually expected to pay for the flights of their guests if they’re coming out of town?

That aside—he’s not planning a wedding so those questions have nothing to do with him!—Ruggie adores weddings, enough to crash them and celebrate with the newlyweds! 

Not that he crashes them, not at all in technical terms, has not really needed to considering you were more than willing to invite him as your plus-one for every event with catering or an all-you-can-eat buffet, all events including weddings! Birthdays and gender reveals were all fine and dandy too, but sometimes those adult party games could get embarrassing, even if they had some snazzy (and usually practical!) prize to be won.

But really, none better than a good wedding.

So sure, maybe tuxedos weren’t exactly his style—he’s worn the same one to pretty much every wedding, but guys tend to get passes on that sort of thing—but it’s really not that bad having to dress up every, what, once or twice a month… and sure, maybe he’s a bit selective with the wedding speeches he actually finds sweet, but he has the decency to clap after each and every one (and even let out a whistle or holler if the atmosphere is casual enough!)

There was also the issue that maybe some of the time that should have been spent chatting up other guests was spent discreetly putting food in the tupperware for him to take home—not like most of them would have finished the food anyway! It would be a waste if it had just gone in the trash!—but he’s the first to ask and lead you to the floor when you seem like you’re in the mood for dancing.

So okay, maybe he doesn’t like every aspect of the arrangement (it’s hard to care about it 100% when most of the attendees are strangers or acquaintances at most) but, well, you were his friend and there was bound to be good food, especially the more extravagant weddings, so attend he shall.

“What color do I have ‘ta wear? Don’t wanna be stared at like I’m the asshole for not following some dumb dress code.”

Like, why the hell would guests have to wear certain colors or prints? Wasn’t it good as long as you didn’t outshine the bride(s) or however the rule went? As if he could even wear something glamorous and bling bling enough for that to happen anyway.

“Sunrise colors, so probably red and orange and yellow… maybe blue as well?” 

Excellent, Ruggie thought, absolutely excellent, considering he actually owned a yellow tie!

No need for renting, no need to borrow one from Leona (again), no need to ask Kalim, who would have probably sent him a bunch of way too expensive ties with exquisite patterns and stitching, and definitely no need to ask some other guy who would probably ask for a favor or something which, no thank you, he’ll just break the dress code and play dumb.

“I’ll go wear yellow, then,” Ruggie announced, just in case you wanted to, well, match or something. Wouldn’t be the first time (and the first time was a complete accident!) so he could probably handle the teasing… probably.

“Ah, one more thing,” he asked, suddenly remembering something—his part of the deal when it came to attending these events with you. “So our, y’know, our usual—do we have to do that there too?”

“Hmm? Do what, Ruggie?” you asked, feigning forgetfulness. 

With how many different occasions he’s accompanied you to over the past year (this would be the seventeenth, and the year was still a few months away from ending), not to mention the amount totaling from all the years he’s known you, he knew that you were very well aware of what he was talking about.

“Y’know…! Pretend that me and you, you know, that we’re… Oi! Can your laughter, you’re at fault here!”

He gave in anyway, only because he still found himself embarrassed whenever it was brought up. It was easier once he was settled in, but the process was still… yeah. 

Honestly, he doesn’t really have much of a (valid, not embarrassing to say) excuse for how and why the whole ordeal still flustered him even after how many years has passed since the arrangement—it just does. 

Well, okay, there’s an actual reason, but best not to speak it into existence in case you find out and make fun of him for that too.

He just has to be satisfied knowing that in some ways, he gets the best of you as well.

“Sorry, sorry!” you said, appeasing him with your laughter, “No, no, there’s no need to pretend we’re dating this time! The groom is pretty chill about the invites, so it’s no big deal if I bring a friend along.”

“Cool, cool,” he replied, not really feeling any smidge of the relief you were expecting him to. He feigned a sigh anyway, just to pretend he did. “‘S not that it’s a big deal if I had to.”

“Of course not,” you agreed, “must be like a second skin at this point, huh?”

He scratched the back of his neck as he laughed.

“Ah, yeah, somethin’ like that!”

Second skin might have been the right way to describe it, though Ruggie’s beginning to realize that there are problems as well with how natural everything’s become between the two of you. 

This whole fake dating business seemed like all pluses at the start—hanging out with and getting to go to snazzy events with a friend, eating good food, getting all the perks of socializing without having to make too many promises and commitments. Those were all pretty fantastic, really!

The issue is, though, that once you become someone’s fake significant other, you simply can’t stop fake dating them because of the mutual friends and acquaintances you happen to share with the other person. The degrees of separation have decreased significantly since becoming your go-to partner to these things.

“Ruggie! It’s so good to see you!” He gets scooped up into a tight hug—if his personal space is gonna get invaded, can they at least mind the tail?!—by some person he attended the wedding of some months ago. What was their name again…? 

“Yeah, good to see ya too, man!” Well, he can’t say he’s all that upset about seeing a sort of familiar face or two, especially a face of a genuinely generous person, but he’s not sure he has much to say, really. Other than your mutual friends, he mostly lets you or the other people decide what to talk about and he sort of just improvs from there. If he ends up getting asked about work and life and such, he’d end up drawing a blank (too hectic and too little he’d be willing to say to an almost stranger).

“Since you’re here, it probably means you’re still dating my cousin, huh?” 

The person he had been talking to before the interruption—the groom of today’s affair—was momentarily confused, before grinning at the revelation.

“Wait, seriously?”

“Yeah? Did Ruggie not tell you he’s the S.O. of…?”

Basically, people know him as your boyfriend, and he will be introduced as your boyfriend even when neither of you had the intention of pretending that day for the sake of not blowing your cover. 

Like, it’s not as if he’s gonna fake break up with you or anything anytime soon, so spreading the fake news it is!

Really, ain’t he just such a good friend for keeping up the act to the best of his abilities? Not that it was all that hard or nothing, it’s kind of just like lighting a match—after a few flicks, it’s already registered in his brain that he’s supposed to be your date. 

“I thought the two of you were just friends?” The groom wiggled his eyebrows in the way annoying adults tended to when they felt like teasing the children in the village about their crushes. 

Except Ruggie was already a few years past drinking age so he doesn’t really feel like playing into that game, even if the guy’s your friend. He’ll just answer quickly and move on (back to you, and maybe the buffet table as well).

“Shishishi… It’s an inside joke we love to tell people,” he explains, a well-practiced excuse at this point. “Started out because people kept telling us we’d make a pretty good couple not knowing we were already dating, so we kinda just committed to the bit!”

Yeah right! The irony of it all, if that was the right category it fell into.

“So this has been going on for a while then, huh!”

“Yeah, something like four years, one month, and eight days,” of fake dating, Ruggie said nonchalantly, like it was no big deal that he’s been keeping himself single for all that time so he can continue to fake date you. He’s just never felt the compulsion to stop, and clearly you haven’t either considering you’ve been single all that time as well!

“You can’t just say something like then get the exact numbers down to a T, puppy.”

Likely wondering what was taking him so long to return to your side, you decided to finally grace him with your presence, wrapping an arm around his waist. He pretends it happens frequently enough to the point that he’s not flustered about it.

“Means ya have it memorized too, kitty,” he replies, deflecting. “Not that big a deal. Also, hyenas aren’t even part of the dog family, y’know!”

“Okay okay, whatever you say!” you laugh, nudging the groom with your free arm. “Sorry I lied to you about him being my boy space friend and not my boyfriend. I saw an opportunity to lie and I took it!”

“You know what? I’m not even surprised,” the man says, shaking his head before turning to the hyena once more. “So, Ruggie, since the two of you have been together for several years now, do the two of you plan on getting married any time soon, too?”

Questions like that are meant to be heavy hitting, meant to be discussed for more than just a few minutes, but Ruggie manages to answer it swiftly. 

Again, not the first time he’s been asked, but his answer has never really changed from all those years ago.

“Only if my partner wants to,” he replies. He grabs the hand you have wrapped around him, pushing it down so he can clasp onto your fingers properly, like a dutiful boyfriend would. “I’d be happy as long as we have a future together.”

Considerate. That was how Ruggie was known to… pretty much everyone you had introduced him to that didn’t know the truth. He was a considerate boyfriend, one who never spoiled or babied you too much, but one always eager to help or guide you with whatever it was you needed.

You saw him as considerate too, you let him know, a considerate friend. It was why you approached him with this whole fake dating shenanigans in the first place, and why you continued to rely on him over and over again.

“I just don’t know what I’d do with you, really,” you bemoaned, “you’re seriously the best, you know that?”

“Shishishi… if you wanted me to comfort you, you could just ask,” Ruggie replied with a grin, more receptive to the compliment than he wanted to let on. “Whether you want to cry at their speeches and use my tie as a tissue, or ask me to refill your plate with something in particular, I’ll do it.”

You smiled, your appreciation extending from your lips to the tips of your fingers, reaching out to comb through his hair gently. 

“Your tie’s too nice for that,” you admitted, your fingers trailing down to his neck to caress the fabric. He might have misheard, but he thought he heard someone murmur about public display of affection… as if a wedding didn’t scream P.D.A. already. Regardless, he lowers his eyes to watch the movement of your hands, only a little bit mesmerized by how gently you treat him at times like these. He’s used to you not being afraid to fool around with him, which is nice, but… but this is nice, too.

Yikes, you’d think you were cupping his face or something by the way he reacted—it was just his tie, for sevens’ sake!

“I’ve always liked how you looked in yellow,” you said, and he could do nothing but melt. That’s all he can do, considering if he tried to speak he would probably whimper and purr and let you have your way with his heart… But you look like you want him to say something, so he should try to do that. It can’t be that bad! He just has to clear his throat and make sure he actually vomits out words instead of feelings.

You can praise me more! was what he wanted to say. Instead, he said,

“Ahh, ya look very charming too in…!” It’s a good enough start, but he trailed off when he realized he couldn’t really pinpoint just one thing he liked. What, was he gonna say you looked good in yellow too? You said it first! He’d just be repeating at that point! “Agh, you’re just cute…! You don’t have to laugh at me for that!”

“I’m not making fun of you!” you explained quickly—not that you needed to, he knew you weren’t, and the clarification didn’t make his cheeks cool in the least bit. It’s like the heat of his hometown all over again! “You’re acting like you wouldn’t tease me for the very same thing!”

“Who, me? Your Ruggie? Never!” he said, lying as easily as he breathed. “So go on, might as well ask me for a few more things while I’m in the mood to be all sweet with ya~”

“Well… what if I want to ask you to dance?”

He laughed, as he tended to in many situations, but he laughed then because he knew his leading you to the dance floor would be inevitable—it was just a matter of time. When you laugh with him, he knows it’s because you knew the very same.

“You know my rhythm ain’t that good, especially when the music is…” He paused to listen to the music, having been too invested in you to pay attention to the tunes. “...classical? Like, piano and violin instrumental and all.”

“Then I’ll let you step on my feet—once!” 

“You’re only sayin’ that because ya know I won’t,” Ruggie said, grinning, “well, not on purpose anyway! Shishishi…”

They’ve danced this dance before… not literally, or maybe literally, many wedding playlists and bands repeat the same songs anyway, but the whole let’s dance and pretend we’re an engaging and fun couple kind of dance specifically. He’s not really sure why they continue doing so, most people only really care about who the newlyweds dance with, but once they’ve started they never really had it in them to stop. 

At least, that was how he felt about it.

“‘Times it feels like the first time,” Ruggie said, hands gesturing vaguely in the air before they take their place next to yours. You interlock your fingers with his in response. “This whole thing. The date and dance thing.”

“Awkward?”

“S’ not the right word,” he replied, “I always feel comfy around you.”

“Exciting?”

“Fun,” he supplied, “somehow this has never gotten boring even after four years–”

“–and one month, and eight days,” you were already smiling the whole time (he would know—when he wasn’t staring at his feet to make sure he wouldn’t accidentally hurt you, he’s been staring at your face shamelessly), but your eyes crinkle a little bit more. He thinks you might’ve stolen his abilities because he mirrors your very movements. “Or is that nine days counting today?”

“Nah, I already counted today as the eight.”

The look you have on your face resembled approval, as if you were praising him for remembering so well. 

“We’ve never celebrated an anniversary, have we?” you whispered, as though too embarrassed to let anyone else hear. Ruggie doubted anyone would, too preoccupied with themselves and everyone else to pay attention to a couple of guests dancing, but he leans into you anyway to hear you better.

(He doesn’t need it, he can hear you fine and dandy with the ears he has, but neither of you comment on the action.)

“Is there somewhere you wanna go? Or do?” he asked, genuinely interested in what your idea of an ideal celebratory date would be. For future reference.

“Your hometown would be nice.” The answer very nearly has him yelping, but he managed to restrain himself by squeezing your hands a little tighter. His eyes look around wildly before gawking at you. You know what his hometown is like, but more than that, you know what that place means to him, the people there that he looks out for whenever he can.

“You’re sounding very much like a real partner right now,” Ruggie said, awed at the unspoken revelation, “makes me wonder why we put that fake label in the first place if we were just gonna reserve ourselves for each other.”

“Because we’re fools,” you replied, glad to be on the same page as him, “and we’ve just been acting as the other does all this time without stepping out of line.”

“Was there even a line in the first place?” The both of you shared a laugh. 

“So, what do you think? About that hometown date?”

You probably know exactly what he thinks about it. You’ve always had a way with his heartstrings and he’s done nothing to stop you from doing so, so you know his entire being feels very warm and bubbly just about now, has been the entire time he’s had you by his side, really.

“Help me sneak some sweets out later,” Ruggie murmured quietly, “in the tupperware. The brats back home will love it.”

“One step ahead of you,” you muttered back, a voice with barely contained mischief, “while you were busy chatting up the groom, I already snuck some food out to the car.”

“What the hell,” he breathed out, “I think I might have fallen in love with ya all over again.”

end notes | masterlist of all my works

[ 1 ] Title's stylization was inspired by TOMORROW x TOGETHER, the kpop group. There's no actual inspiration from TXT, though. I just like it.

[ 2 ] Ruggie and Reader have been to seventeen events that year because Ruggie is 17 (in TWST canon, he's older in the fic), and they've "fake" dated for four years, one month, and eight days because Ruggie's bday is 4/18. I just like choosing numbers with purpose or as references is all. Reader only questions if it's been 18 or 19 days and doesn't question the other parts because they're also counting. They're whipped, amen.

[ 3 ] When writing Ruggie, I was careful in how I portrayed him and his attitude towards food and money, mostly I didn't want that becoming his personality. Big-scale weddings are often quite expensive and wasteful, and while Ruggie has his insights about that based on his background, but he also knows that people do derive joy from that and he can appreciate it (basically, he's not hateful even though he can't relate). Not the main point of the fic, but putting Ruggie in that setting I felt like I had to describe his feelings regarding it a bit.

[ 4 ] I made reader call Ruggie "puppy", then I wondered if he should actually be "kitty" instead. I had to search whether hyenas were part of the cat or dog family, only to find out they belong to their own family! Kept puppy in anyw.

[ 5 ] I asked some followers what nickname Ruggie would call his s/o and kitten came up. Makes sense, he says it in a voice line… but for the life of me I cannot type it out because of how the nickname became tainted due to "discord kittens" arghh it felt too silly… I'll commit to it next time when the context is better!

[ 6 ] ( “Because we’re fools,” you replied, [...], “and we’ve just been acting as the other does[…]” ) This is referencing Ruggie's UM/SS literal translation, "March of fools". Though in this case, I suppose it's a dance of fools, huh!

[ 7 ] As mentioned, this was something short to help get me out of my writing slump. This has been in my drafts since June and the original "june wedding prompt" fic I meant to write before I scrapped it for the jade wedding fic instead. I decided to finally write it since, compared to before where I only really enjoyed writing longer one-shots (around 5k-15k words), I've gotten more comfortable writing shorter one-shots :>

[chevelleneech]

A little while ago, I posted about how although I am not owed an answer, I often sort of wonder what the motivations may have been for Jimin and Jungkook enlisting together. I can’t remember the replies I got, and they don’t matter now, but seeing their interactions in Are You Sure? I feel like I kind of slightly got an answer.

Once again, the actual status of their relationship is not what I wonder about. It’s the connection. I’m curious as to what they view each other as, and what about their bond led to them deciding they either weren’t able to or didn’t want to spend over a year apart, like they were going to do with their other very close friends.

The slight answer coming the show, is, “They don’t like being apart.”

Whether you think they’re dating or just friends, we can’t deny how things present from an outside perspective. They said in the car, they hadn’t seen much of each other and didn’t talk on the phone as much as they would have liked. The show was then choosing to rectify that, which they did and had fun doing. As a result of the show, they chose to go on even more trips together. Then in the middle of their second trip, they sent in applications to try and ensure they could enlist together.

No one is doing all of this for a paycheck. JM and JK are very popular soloists within the group, so it is fair to say fans may be more likely to watch their content, but then as a unit is not at all beloved. So while the show could be catering to Jikookers and trying to capitalize off of Vminkook and the hostility among shipping fans… that’s a waste of time. A travel documentary with any of the maknae line would have done well. A travel documentary pitched as a vminkook special would have done even better. Marketing a show centered around the two members nearly the whole fandom refuses to acknowledge are incredibly close, is bad business.

So imo, it makes the reality of AYS being scripted and fan service, less likely. On top of that, Jimin and Jungkook enlisted together. Their company has no say over that, and unless they paid them some pretty millions to do it, there is no other explanation other than, they wanted to.

Therefore, because the most reasonable thought process is that Jimin and Jungkook chose to travel together to reconnect, and chose to enlist using the buddy system, becahse they wanted to be around each other. Which is an easy conclusion to come to without the show, but I think the show just made it more clear that there isn’t (or so it doesn’t appear to be) any additional reasoning. They just wanted to be together, and I think that’s sweet.

[goodlucktai]

in the mouth of the world

one piece word count: 1k written for @op-secret-santa 2023 and my giftee was @viktorclawthorne ! viktor, two of your favorite characters are zoro and sanji, and one of your favorite pairings is platonic zolu, so this is what i came up with. i really, really hope you like it !

read on ao3

x

Sanji is in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, hair tied back with one of Usopp’s scrunchies, trying to remember if the raspberry or the pistachio macarons went over better last time. His friends inhaled them all in a matter of minutes, but Sanji can’t recall which ones went first.

In the end, he goes with mango. The fruits are ripe, cheerful orange, and their color pings as appropriate in his mind.

These pastries are finicky at best, and a punishment from god at worst, so leveling the battlefield by removing extra heat and moisture from his workstation is always step one. As a result, the room is very cool, the door propped open to let in the crisp winter air, a fan borrowed from Franky’s workshop whirring away in the corner. 

Zoro and Luffy are in the galley, sitting around the scarred kitchen table—ostensibly to keep Sanji company while he works, but more likely just waiting around to see if they get tossed any scraps. 

As Sanji whips meringue, he finds his attention wandering back to the two of them in time to pick up part of their conversation.

“—be anything,” Luffy is saying, spreading his arms out wide as if to encompass the full scope of just how big the concept is he’s talking about. “There are no rules and it can be as weird or funny as you want! What would you pick?”

Zoro hums, giving it some thought. A stranger might be surprised to learn it, Sanji thinks, given how severe and forbidding their first mate appears at a glance, but he is generally the first to fold when it comes to catering to their captain’s whims. This terror of a swordsman, this nightmare of a pirate, simply follows Luffy’s every step without even looking to see where it might lead, like a no-nonsense Belgian Shepherd plodding along behind a bouncy border collie. 

That’s true for battle and danger as much as it’s true for shenanigans. Zoro is worth millions, is as much a killer and a criminal as any of those other Wanted men his posters are displayed beside, but he isn’t afraid to look silly. Not if it’s Luffy reaching back for him, sunny grin amped up to eleven, calling Zoro, you too! Come with me!

Zoro says, “Time, then.”

Luffy rocks up in his seat, eyes round and impressed, and says, “Time travel? Like the Fruit that Momonosuke’s mom ate, that sends you forward?”

“Mm. But mine would go backwards,” Zoro explains, leaning into the game of make-believe. “It would only work one time and it would start me back at the very beginning.”

Zoro’s birthday was a month ago, and Sanji made a dark chocolate truffle cake infused with enough liqueur that he guiltily baked a lighter version for the younger half of the crew. But Zoro had taken one bite of the boozy dessert and his eyebrows flew up to his hairline. He doesn’t usually go in for sweets, but the bitterness of the chocolate paired with the velvet smoothness of the liqueur seemed to win him over instantly. 

It isn’t in their nature to thank each other openly. From as far back as Thriller Bark, the best things they know about each other are secrets kept from everyone else. But Zoro took a second piece when Robin’s extra hands offered him one, which said much more than any effusive praise would have anyway. 

Just last week, it was Chopper’s birthday, and Sanji whipped up about a hundred triple-strawberry cupcakes, filled with ganache, topped with cloud-like icing and sugared fruit and sprinkles, and it was worth it for the way his little brother’s face went slack with awe when he took in the spread. 

Until Robin and Vivi’s birthdays in February, there are no specialized desserts Sanji needs to prepare. His nakama will sometimes have a craving, and he tends to keep sweet things on deck for those nights when sleep is not forthcoming, for those cloudy days when it’s hard to see the sun waiting for them beyond the storm, but he rarely makes macarons just for fun. 

The timing, the temperature, the moisture, all of it has to be exact, or the shells will crack, or the feet will spread, or they’ll come out hollow. It’s not a hard recipe, it’s just annoying. It’s the last thing he learned from Zeff, because he perfected every other dish on the menu well before he made a halfway decent batch of macarons. 

No one asked for these. Sanji is well-aware that he doesn’t have to be standing here, sacrificing the bulk of his day to this thankless task, but he’s already in it now. The buttercream and mango curd are ready, and the shells are about to go in the oven. 

“A one-time Fruit!” Luffy exclaims. Zoro could have said he would pick a Fruit that would turn his hair a different color every day and Luffy would have sounded equally as fascinated. “You would go all the way back? Do you want to change that much?”

“My Fruit wouldn’t work that way,” Zoro explains simply. “I wouldn’t be able to change anything or the future I was from where I used the Fruit wouldn’t exist, would it? It would have to stay exactly the same for me to get back there.”

Zoro doesn’t want a Fruit—neither does Sanji. They spend half their lives dragging their nakama who are already anchors out of the sea. 

Besides that, Sanji wants to meet All Blue properly the day he finds her. He’s going to swim for hours and hours and barely remember to come up for air. A Fruit would only take from him more than it could ever give. 

And Zoro has never cut corners when it comes to his own strength. But there’s something in his tone that makes Sanji wonder if he’s thought about this before. 

“What if you wanted to, though?” Luffy asks. “Or what if you had the chance to stop something bad before it happened?”

“No changes,” Zoro says adamantly. “No diversions. I would have to live it all over again.”

Sanji remembers all the stories Luffy tells his crew about the trouble he and his brothers got into when they were children. He said there was a pâtisserie in High Town where chefs and bakers created decadent desserts catered only to the nobles. When they snuck around that part of the kingdom, a brightly-colored dessert in the display window there would always catch Ace’s eye.

Once, Sabo and Luffy broke into that pastry shop in the dead of night at the end of December, and made off with as many of those colorful macarons as they could carry. 

“Ace was angry,” Luffy laughed through his retelling. “He told Sabo we were lucky we didn’t get caught and have our hands chopped off. But he hugged me for a long time after he yelled at me. The cookies were for him, you know? For his birthday! You have to have your favorite on your birthday.” Luffy had smiled as if it didn’t hurt at all when he added, “Even back then, Ace was bad at being loved. Sabo said he just needed more practice. He said that’s what Ace had us for.”

“And then at the end,” Zoro says, “when I catch up to the future, and I’m back where I started, I would have more time.”

“How much more time?” Luffy asks.

“Not much,” Zoro admits. “Maybe a few minutes. The time I took to use the Fruit before would be free for me to use differently.”

“You’d relive your whole adventure for a few extra minutes at the end?” their captain says, brow furrowing while he makes sense of it. “Would it be worth it?”

Zoro sits back in his chair, his dark eye fixed on his captain the same way sailors follow Polaris relentlessly across the fathomless sea, and says, “Yes.”

The final baking tray goes into the oven. The macarons will be ready for tomorrow night, for the party they’re going to throw at the close of the year. At midnight, Sanji will cart them out—bright orange, each of them painted with whimsical little whorls of red—and they’ll wish Ace a happy birthday, wherever he is. They’ll wish he was still here to scold his baby brother and eat stolen pastries at midnight with the people who loved him best. They’ll resolve to protect Luffy and enjoy sweets in his name. 

It’ll be a good night. Luffy will be surrounded by his nakama and the open arms of the sea. If the macarons make him remember something sad, he won’t be alone. Luffy—unlike his brothers—is very good at being loved. 

Sanji washes his hands, sets the timer, and then calls over, “Hey, idiots, what do you want for dinner?”

Luffy appears beside him as if summoned by a magic spell, hopping up to sit on the counter before Sanji has a chance to wipe it down, sending up a little cloud of almond flour. 

“Beef!” he declares predictably. 

“That stew you made with red wine that one time,” comes Zoro’s contribution from where he’s still lounging at the table. 

Beef burgundy it is, Sanji thinks, hauling out his biggest soup pot. He nudges Luffy’s knee out of the way so he can close the cabinet door but otherwise leaves the young captain where he is.

“Sanji,” Luffy asks brightly, “if you could have any Devil’s Fruit in the whole world, what would you choose?”

“One that would make me a better swimmer,” Sanji replies without missing a beat, and turns his head to hide his smile when Luffy bursts into loud, ringing peals of laughter. 

But that strange, tricky, highly specific Fruit that Zoro dreamed up—one that would make him relive his life and everything he’s ever done, everything he’s endured, all the pain and fear and joy and breathless wonder, all for the sake of an extra minute at the end—a minute he could use to look up at Polaris one last time and say thanks for taking me with you. You didn’t have to do that. I hope I was everything to you that you were to me—

That wouldn’t be so bad, either. 

[yuurei20]

Trey Info Compilation part 25: Teeth, Sebek and Vil

Trey is very big on dental health and offers to introduce the prefect to his favorite dentist.

There is a vignette that revolves entirely around Trey’s strictness when it comes to brushing teeth: Trey refuses to let Ace go to bed without brushing his teeth twice and offers to check inside his and Deuce’s mouths.

When Ace reacts in surprise he explains, “Force of habit from back home. It was my job to make sure my younger siblings really brushed their teeth.”

Trey procures spare toothbrushes for Deuce to use and explains that he uses a different brush for different parts of his mouth. He says that dental care was drilled into him from when he was young because he grew up in a patisserie. Trey walks both Ace and Deuce through the process of brushing their teeth despite Ace’s exasperation, and then insists on checking the inside of their mouths again.

Trey offers a toy for clean to use to keep his teeth clean (presumably for cats—Grim is not amused) and is often reminding the prefect about the importance of teeth brushing, even gifting Cater with a toothbrush for his birthday.

Trey says he would like to meet Sebek’s father, a human dentist in Briar Valley, and Deuce explains that tooth brushing is Trey’s hobby.

Sebek comments in both his 2nd and his 3rd birthday vignettes that Trey reminds him of his father, both for his comments on dental health and for how he is never bothered, no matter what kind of comments Sebek makes about him.

Vil and Trey share a vignette where Trey invites Vil over to Heartslabyul for tea after Vil rejects his offer of a piece of cake on the ground that he has just started a diet.

Vil comments on how busy Trey must be seeing to Riddle’s needs and Trey insists that he doesn’t get stressed out over Riddle, because he knows a trick to nip stress in the bud: “never skip out on sweets when you want them. That goes double for cake with lots of fruit.”

Vil reluctantly agrees to accept Trey’s offered cake, saying that if Riddle ever decides to have Trey’s head, Pomefiore would hire him on as their patissier in a heartbeat. Trey replies, “I’ll do my best to make sure it doesn’t come to that.”

Trey and Vil overlap again during the Wish Upon a Star event when Vil flatly refuses to make a wish, saying that he has zero respect for anyone who believes in the “hoax” of making wishes at the well in the school’s courtyard as “hoping for a miracle without putting in the work to make it happen is the epitome of indolence.” Trey says he wasn’t expecting Vil to be so dead set against the event, asking him to “please just wish for something, as a favor to us?”

Vil wishes for them all to quit nagging him.

Trey is Vil’s interviewer in his second birthday vignette and gifts him with a neck massager.

He also gifts Vil with an outfit from the Firelit Sky event. Vil observes, "He must've remembered when I said I was interested in Scalding Sands fashion a while back," and, "The man knows how to get things done."

[thesupreme316]

Girl I’m ready for the next part of Had it Coming 😩🫶🏼

Had it Coming (Part 5): Hook'sSister!Reader X Christian Cage, Reader X Jack Perry

Summary: It's been some months after the confrontation with Jack about your relationship. Are things still holding up strongly in your life?

Word Count: 2K (hehe...i need help)

Supreme Speaks: thank you guys so much for supporting this series and showing it love. aight look, this took a hot minute so please go easy on this. also, thank you so much for being patient and to my anons i hope you are still here. Please remember that you are loved and appreciated.

Warnings: DARK PORTRAYAL OF JACK (tw: obsessive, stalking), explicit language, proofread i hope (if yall wanna help a sista out lmk hmu)

You thought that all of your problems were solved. You thought you were actually moving towards happiness yet again. But no, this shit can’t get any fucking worse.

It’s been approximately 6 months since you last saw Jack. For the first month, you kept receiving messages from him ranging from angry to sadness. You blocked his number but he was getting new phone numbers and using his friends’ phones to text you. You ended up getting a new number but that didn’t even stop him as he even began texting you on Instagram and Twitter.

It was driving you crazy, the constant noise of your phone going off, and the constant feeling that you were being watched. You started to seek therapy because of it and tried everything to distract you from it. Even Tony allowed you to take time off however much you needed to cope and heal.

But then one day and for the rest of the 5 months, he was radio silent.

It wasn’t because he finally got the hints though. It was because he signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling. Because they have a rigorous training and performance schedule, he didn’t have enough time to text you.

The new silence and peace allowed you to focus on other and more important things. You started wrestling again and actually made you feel better. You were winning more matches all by yourself, the crowd slowly but surely started to get behind you again, and you were rising up to be one of the top talents within the women’s division. You decided that being in the ring was the best course of action for your career, mindset, and peace. After all, there wasn’t much you could do in just a managerial position, besides supporting your boyfriend.

And speaking of your boyfriend, you two have been going through some challenges within your relationship. Christian was keeping a closer eye on you. He never allowed you to leave the house by yourself when you had days off, and when you were at work you were always escorted to your destinations. At first, it was endearing, however, over time it became smothering and overbearing. It was like Christian was becoming less of the person you fell in love with and more into a….

Bother.

After all, he hasn’t been catering to your needs or relationship, always focused on work. You’ve tried to tell him your feelings but he doesn’t seem to listen as he’s too absorbed with his career. And was too absorbed to even send you flowers like he normally does.

He began to get very obsessed with his TNT Championship and his rivalry with his former best friend, Adam Copeland. He started to wrestle even less than usual and just paraded around the building before going home. And then he became very obsessed with The Patriarchy, the name of his faction. Originally, it was just you, Christian, and Luchasaurus. But now, you were in and out of the picture, he changed Luchasaurus’ name to Killswitch, and he added Nick Wayne to the group, the same kid he embarrassed months ago. Which all contributed to why you’re sitting here in the group’s locker room now.

Killswitch was pacing around the room, shadowboxing the air. You were sitting on the couch listening to Nick Wayne and his various questions and stories about wrestling. He’s a sweet kid, a second-generation wrestler, and very curious just about life. His big brown eyes just lit up every time you offered him advice or laughed at his jokes.

“So Miss. Y/N-“

“Nick, I told you that you don’t have to call me that. Y/N is fine with me.”

“Oh okay, Y/N, has Mr. Cage always been very stoic? He seems to be very uptight.” Nick said in a whisper, careful to not let Killswitch hear.

You giggled as you looked towards the open door where Christian was loudly talking on the phone.“Yeah, but he knew how to relax, have fun, and make others a priority. But right now, he’s going through a phase.” Nick’s eyes widened at you as you cleared your throat. “He’s just a little on edge right now. But look at the bright side; you’re improving so much in the ring.”

Nick smiled at you, “Thank you! Mr. Cage has really been giving me great pointers. But I also wanna thank you for helping me with that submission move.”

“No problem, I-“ you started but cut yourself off when you heard Christian start to yell in the hallways. You excused yourself before going in the hallway and shutting the door. You grabbed his phone and put it up to your ear, making your boyfriend’s jaw drop. “I’m sorry for that. Mr. Cage is busy and will have to call you later. Thank you!” You said before hanging up the phone.

“Y/N-“

“You are being way too loud and you're going back to your old ways. This is the first time you’re yelling on the phone in months.”

His eyes cut at you and his tone grew to very stern, “That was a very important business-“

“Everything is very important business with you, right? The faction, your championship, but not your relationship. You’re focused on everything but me and I just ask if you can just once think about me.”

Christian’s face grew with confusion as he ran his fingers through his short dirty blonde hair. “Everything I do is for you Y/N. I fight for you, I protect you, I provide for you, especially ever since that day with Jack. But I’ve been trying to give you space since you feel smothered and whatnot.”

You huffed, upset that he hasn’t seen your ways yet, “Oh so that TNT Championship is for me? So this group is for me? Newsflash, all this is your doing and for your benefit but it wasn’t ever anything until I came into the picture. Has it ever crossed your mind that I feel smothered because I feel like I’m not in a relationship anymore? In terms of Jack, I’ve been doing a lot of healing but I cannot continue to heal if you’re holding me hostage like how he did.”

Christian’s eyes widened before shock, fear, and disappointment took over his eyes. It made your heart hurt, but it was something that you felt and you had to let him know. He stepped closer and leaned down, not taking his blue eyes off of you, “What are you trying to say?”

“I think you know what.” You whispered as his face was centimeters close to yours. The silence and air became so tense that you felt like you were suffocating. Before either of you could say something, his phone started to ring in your hand. He grabbed the phone and looked at the name.

“Go inside now. I’ll be there shortly.” He said as he turned his body away to answer the phone. Upon entering the locker room, you could have sworn his tone was more excited and softer…like how he used to talk to you. As you closed the door, Nick looked at you and gave you a soft smile. You sat next to him and began another conversation to wait out Christian.

Five minutes later, Christian came back into the locker room with something- someone in tow. She was a tall blonde woman, who was a little bit taller than Christian due to her heels. She looked like a supermodel. She was dressed in all black, matching your boyfriend’s actions. You looked over at Nick, whose eyes were about to pop out of his head. Already, you felt some off vibes. Christian cleared his throat to address the room.

“Everyone, I would like to introduce someone. This is will be my new manager,” Those words made both your stomach drop. However, him pulling flowers out from behind him to give them to her would make your heart drop. He continued, “and I’m sure she will be a great asset to The Patriarchy, please welcome Shayna-“

“Mom?” Nick’s voice shouted from beside you. Your eyes also began to pop out of your head. ”What is this?!”

“Nick, this is a business arrangement. This should be fun, I get more acquainted with the wrestling industry and I get to spend more time with you. Mr. Cage made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse.” She said giggling while leaning on his shoulder, making your boyfriend smile and chuckle. She rubbed his shoulder and flipped her hair while continuing to talk.

Normally, you wouldn’t get insecure about another woman near Christian but at this point, you couldn’t help it. It made your eyes and heart hurt, seeing them so comfortable together and for her to look like she naturally belonged next to him.

But also, it made you mad as hell that he was allowing someone else to showcase this behavior alone right in front of you.

To distract yourself, you started looking at your phone and you found two text messages. One was from your brother, Tyler, asking you to come see him as he had important news. From the looks of his text, which has no acronyms or emojis, you assumed that it was bad news. The other one was from an unknown number, you were about to unlock and read the text until a figure was standing over you. You looked up from your phone to see Shayna standing over you, with almost a smug smirk.

“You must be Y/N, I’ve heard a lot about you!” She said as her smirk transformed into a smile. You stood up and gave her a small fake smile. She extended her hand to you.

Looking at her hand, you said, “Nice to meet you. However, I should be going.” You stepped aside and headed towards the door.

“Killswitch, go with her,” Christian commanded as you opened the door. Killswitch started to make his way over to you.

You rolled your eyes saying, “These are family matters. I’m going alone.” Before slamming the door shut in Killswitch’s face. You quickly marched, damn near ran, to Tyler’s locker room.

You took a deep breath and opened the door. “Okay, you had no emotions in your text, is everything ok-” You looked up to see your brother…kissing a brunette woman.

Which at first you didn’t have a problem with.

Tyler quickly stepped away from the woman but soon grabbed her waist, turning her to you, to reveal all-too-familiar blue eyes mooning as she made an awkward smile.

“Anna?” You said with your voice hesitating. Anna Jay gave a small wave to you as Tyler scratched his neck and then ran his hand through his own hair.

Now, you have a problem with it. In a shocked state, turned around despite your brother’s protesting and asking you to let him explain. You shut the door and just kept walking down the hallway.

You were just shocked and angry. Your brother, whom you’re very close with just stood there making out with the same woman who was detrimental in the break up of your last relationship. You couldn’t help but think that all this trouble was karma catching up with you. After all, you did at first betray him to date his best friend and become his enemy at first.

As you’re trying to process what was happening between your relationship with Christian and your relationship with Tyler, your phone goes off to show you the message that you never opened. Your body naturally stopped in the hallway to pay attention to your phone. You swiped on your screen to reveal a message that sent chills down your spine and your phone crashing to the floor. Tears started to fill your eyes as you began to feel overwhelmed with all that was going on in your life. You dropped to your knees as you re-read the text with your tears hitting your now cracked phone screen.

Unknown number: 7:08 PM

Hey Y/N, I would like to talk and apologize to you…properly. Please text me back.

~Love, Jack

At this point, karma and trouble has caught up to you.

And you only had yourself to blame.

Taglist: @hookerforhook @hooks-martin @sheinthatfandom @triscillal @wwenhlimagines @kat04ie @batzy-watzy @cassie0sstuff  (lmk if you wanna be on or off my taglist, i don't bite)

[wystericwoes]

Doomed pt.3

Pt.1, pt.2

Warnings: Smut, cursing, implied dub-con, reader with anxiety, panic attacks. Readers age is unspecified but implied 21+

GN reader

“𝔏𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱 𝔦𝔰 𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔶 𝔱𝔬 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢. 𝔖𝔥𝔬𝔴 𝔪𝔢 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔡𝔞𝔯𝔨𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔰.”

Gojo satoru: some things about him-

6’5

28 years old

The first to be born with both limitless and six eyes in centuries.

His eyes are blue, he loves sweet food,

And he fucks the same way he talks.

Cocky, smart, and always knows something you don’t.

He can read you like an open book, except that book is on a lectern with a light shining down on it and the pages move on their own so he doesn’t even have to try to look through it.

You weren’t allowed to have secrets around him. Not when his fingers danced across your body in a way that you would’ve given anything to him. He expertly picked all your locks as if there was no reason for them to even be there.

Recently Gojo Satoru had become the only staple in your life. The only familiar thing, only comforting pattern and recognizable face.

So when you just fucking went for it and kissed him, you barely even thought twice.

Worst case scenario you blame it on the alcohol-

But then his hand slid up to the back of your head and held it like precious pottery.

Sacred, unique, and incredibly valuable.

You let out a groan of frustration after the second kiss that was much more needy and your forehead clinked against his glasses.

“What’s wrong?”

“Damn glasses…”

He chuckled at you before taking them off and reaching past you to put them on the nightstand

“Like to see my eyes?”

Yes.

“No.”

“Right.”

He said cockily

“Just shut up and keep going, You’re less handsome when you talk.”

His hand flew to your waist and he dug his slender fingers in causing you to let out a crude moan, which he cut off by pressing against your face again.

You almost couldn’t keep up with him, it wasn’t that he was desperate- he was just that good.

You were frenzied in your effort to not be left behind, you wanted to be someone that he would remember if this was going to be a one time thing.

A one time thing…

You didn’t want this to be. You wanted to be with him like this again, and again, and again. Until your body remembered his shape.

You didn’t like how fast you were falling for him, but you decided to not think about that right now. And instead focus on how you were going to fuck him tonight.

Tunnel vision was set straight onto him. You were mid kiss and his hand was becoming eager, searching and squeezing across your lower torso. But not going higher or lower than that

With one hand you put on his should you mounted his lap and put your thighs either side on his

You did so clumsily, but before you had the chance to mess up he guided you with his hand on the small of your back

You were holding yourself up by your knees, trying to cater to his comfort.

He caught wind of that quickly and wrapped his arms around your waist slamming you down on him.

“Don’t hold back on me. I am the strongest after all.”

You didn’t even care how much of a narc he was being.

One of his hands remained on your hips, and the other began to slowly trail its way up to your shoulder. His delicate traces leaving goosebumps where he ghosted your skin.

You two started making out again, growing more and more impatient.

His fingers were cold, and they teased the entrance of your clothing fiddling with the hem.

Sukunas fingers are warm.

A memory that wasn’t yours suddenly invaded your mind. It was fuzzy and convoluted. A parasite had planted itself into your brain and was saying things that weren’t true. Were they? How would you have any way of knowing what he felt like…

Where did it come from?

You must not have been as inconspicuous as you thought, because you were suddenly snapped out of by the sensation of cool air hitting your exposed chest.

“Don’t lose interest now.”

He smugly said while shamelessly staring at your chest.

“I’m.. im not.”

You whined.

“Not what? Sorry babe couldn’t hear you.”

“I’m not losing interest!”

“Mhm. Good.”

With a satisfied hum he pressed the pads of his thumbs against your nipples, the sudden cold feeling perking them up effective immediately.

“Ah! Shit…”

You stifled a moan as he began rubbing slow circles and pinching one

“Now you’re back. Thought I lost you there for a sec.”

You whined as he started kissing down your neck, delicately at first. But then as he worked his way down and abandoned your chest along the way, instead moving his hand to your lower back, bucking your hips into him.

He worked his way back up to your mouth for a sensual kiss.

You both let out an involuntary groan upon feeling the sensation of grinding against each other, pressure finally being somewhat relieved.

He left your mouth much to your protest and latched onto your collarbones, suckling on the sensitive skin. You felt his teeth graze against it and that slight pain made you bite your lip.

He worked his way around your chest, nibbles, suckles, kisses, and love bites.

You just couldn’t get enough of him, Drunk on the high he gave you.

He separated himself from you and whispered in your ear.

“Where do you want me?”

“Fuck… I don’t know satoru.”

You whisper shouted in frustration. You didn’t have a plan going into this, you just wanted him to fuck you!

“Here, then?”

He tapped a finger between your legs at your arousal.

Your body jumped at his impact, So sensitive- so ready.

You nodded your head yes.

Without warning he shifted his hands under your thighs and seemingly effortlessly manhandled you onto your back. He had his hand on the back of your head as if you were precious pottery.

So pretty, so special, so valuable.

he was straddling you, his legs on either side of your body, trapping you in.

“What kind of mood are you in tonight babe?”

You looked up at him, previously avoiding his gaze.

You really didn’t care.

“Any.”

“Any?”

He slowly moved a hand down your body, until he reached your needy hole.

“Yes!”

You said desperately between shallow breaths.

He prodded the tip of his finger through the fabric of your clothes at the entrance.

Both of you were shirtless, but annoyingly still had pants on.

“Focus on me.”

You gulped but obliged. He moved his head down your body occasionally leaving sweet kisses against your exposed skin, never breaking eye contact.

You elevated yourself up by your shoulders once he went farther down.

He reached your legs, the bottom half of his face was gone past the view of your body. His eyes still never breaking away.

He held his hands to your hips and pulled them into his face. And with one swift lift of the hips and tugging of the clothes, he removed the rest of your bottoms minus the underwear.

He threw them behind his head without a second glance.

You threw your head back with a muffled “fuck” when he gently bit the inside of your thigh.

“You watching?”

He looked up at you again, and with some sloppy kisses worked his way up to your hips. Then, in one fluid motion his teeth latched onto the edge of your underwear, and he pulled them down your legs, letting them dangle from your foot and fall pathetically onto the floor.

And there you were, in a state of such vulnerability that you couldn’t help but shy your head away. You didn’t even want to imagine what you looked like right now. Hair a mess, tear stained cheeks, puffy lips, and sore injured body.

You bet you looked pathetic. You suddenly became insecure and moved your arms over your chest and body.

“What’s wrong?”

He rested his head against your inner thigh and gave you puppy dog eyes.

“Jus’ cold.”

Leaving one hand on your hip, he reached out to the other and grabbed a soft fluffy blanket and graciously draped it over your legs. You pulled it up a little to cover your chest.

“Thank you…”

With this newfound screen of privacy, he couldn’t see your face anymore. But you also couldn’t see his. You only saw your knees, and a blanket covered protrusion between them.

One hand smoothly worked up your thigh, slipping underneath it and pushing your legs back. Now he had full exposure to all of you.

You were so glad he couldn’t see your face, because you knew whatever face you didn’t hold back your flustered expressions anymore.

You couldn’t see only feel. And what you felt started off with one finger slowly entering you.

“You look so pretty like this.”

“You look so pretty like this…”

You were bouncing up and down another man’s cock. You couldn’t see his face. Just a fog of skin and sweat.

Deep talons of nails were sunken into your hips, certainly breaking the skin. But he persisted, not giving you a chance to recover as he mercilessly pounded you in a mixture of pleasure and pain. Bliss and torture.

He handled you roughly. So rough you’d think he didn’t care, but you knew he did. He was doing it just the right amount you liked it.

“If only they could capture memories. Id save this image and paint it on every wall.”

Walls. The walls around you were tall, lanterns lit up along them revealing a series of paintings. Traditional Japanese style paintings… you look around to see it’s an old building. Well- it looks new but this type of architecture doesn’t exist anymore except in historical temples and older homes.

He pulled your face towards him, back hunched to be closer to you. His force was tough, but controlled.

“What are you looking at, Angel?”

You were snapped back into your reality when Gojo’s fingers reached up to your G-Spot.

You moaned from the sudden shift in sensation.

Your heart was beating fast. You couldn’t tell him what you just saw- what would you say? “Sorry I just had a vision of me fucking another man.”

You tried to rub away the memory but everytime you closed your eyes it flashed back to you like fragments to a picture. Trying to piece itself together but you didn’t let it.

“Fuck… Satoru!”

You needed a distraction and you needed it now,

“Fuck me.”

He came out from under the blanket. Cheeks flushed from the heat, sweat glistening his forehead and he sported a shocked but grinning face

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!” You said pleadingly.

You knew you weren’t entirely ready. But maybe the shock would get out of your fucking daydreaming.

You had the most beautiful man alive sitting between your legs and you were zoned out thinking about…

You shuddered. You didn’t even let his name leave your thoughts.

“Alright Angel.”

Angel.

He stood up from between your legs a visible but subtle boner hiding beneath his buttoned pants.

He reached over to the nightstand to take out an open box of condoms.

Open. He had used this box before.

No- you had no right to be jealous. He doesn’t belong to you, you knew the type of man he was the first day.

He sat next to you giving you one last kiss before unbuttoning his pants and resting against his headboard, Sitting upright. He began slowly unbuttoning his pants, savoring your reaction. He was moving too damn slow.

You moved yourself to be sat on his thighs, waiting impatiently for him to finish. With slow and torturous movements he opened his pants and pulled his cock through his boxers.

You sat up to help him quicken the process, he tore it out of the package and you helped him roll it down his insane length. The contact from your hands made his thighs flex under you. A subtle but noticeable reaction.

It wasn’t a surprise but you were still out off guard at how long he was. Of fucking course he had to be packing. No one that confident is walking around and isn’t hung like a goddam horse.

You had to just sit back to admire him for a minute;

White strands of hair fell over his face, it just looked so soft. His cheeks were dusted pink, and eyes half lidded. As much as he had been holding out on you, you knew he was still horny too.

It was average width, and a good 7-8 inches. The tip was pretty pink, he had two small but noticeable veins running along both sides.

He must’ve been tired of your gawking because he leaned forward and grabbed you by your hips, adjusting you so you were hovering over him.

“Impatient.”

You grinned at him

“Guilty.”

He teased

You moved one hand on his shoulder, and the other holding his cock still beneath you.

You were nervous, but you couldn’t show it. With one deep inhale you began sinking yourself onto him.

His hands gripped your hips harder, he looked at you patiently and with that same smirk.

You felt a sharp pain when he went in. And even though you were taking your time, he never bucked his hips up, he just sat there waiting.

You had stayed still for a moment. Chest heaving in deep breaths as you tried to steady yourself.

You ignored the pain, forcing yourself to adjust onto him, and slowly pushing yourself farther down until you bottomed out, involuntarily taking a sharp moan and hissing from the pain.

He let out a deep breath. Eyes closed, he was keeping his composure for you.

You moved your hands to his chest. The stinging sensation was still there, you felt like a fucking Virgin with his monster cock.

“Are you sure you want to be on top?”

He whispered.

“No…”

You just wanted to mount him as soon as possible.

“What do you want?”

“You always ask that.”

“It’s important!”

You took a few deep breaths from your nose, moving your hips in little circles getting adjusted to him.

His eyes clenched back shut, he sat up and dig his face into the crook of your neck.

When he finally settled in, and you had been ready- the tip of him kisses the end of you so sweetly.

A perfect fit.

(With foreplay)

The temporary sting subsided, and you began to clench around him. Now you were the one teasing

You felt his hair tickle your shoulders and back. You couldn’t see his face but you wished, when you moved your hips ever so slightly in shapes and you heard him take sharp inhales each time. You could tell he was growing more sensitive with each passing second. But he still refused to give up.

One particular clench, made him gasp then suddenly reach his hand up towards you but he stopped himself before it reached anything.

You were pretty sure you knew what he wanted.

You moved his hand up your chest, he snuck in some squeezes and punches along his way up until you settled it at your neck.

He moved to look up at you. His eyes had uncertainty in them, but you reassured him with a comforting shoulder squeeze, sweet smile, and affirming nod. You trusted him

“I’m ready.”

Upon saying that you started to rise up and sink yourself back onto him again.

Slow, painful motions not nearly enough for either of you.

“Stop that…”

“Stop what?”

You gave him innocent doe eyes.

“Being a fucking tease.”

He grinned at you, but lust was laced in his words and glazed over his eyes

“What are you gonna do about it?”

You tested the waters.

“Being a brat huh?”

You shrugged with a malicious smirk.

“Want me to fuck you silly, huh?”

Something in his demeanor shifted, his grip on your neck finally had some pressure applied into it. He squeezed in the sides, not hurting you by actually choking you.

You clenched around him when he did that; leg muscles flexing and a small moan leaving your lips.

“You’re gonna regret teasing me, Angel.”

With a swift motion and no warning, he had you flipped over in seconds. Doggy, your elbows almost buckled from the sudden shift in weight. But you managed to keep yourself up.

His hands moved to your hips, and he started to slowly fuck you. He was in the depths of your body, reaching all the right places

You couldn’t hold back the moans and whimpers with each of his thrusts.

He started off rough and slow, taking himself so far out you thought he was gone and then he would slam himself back into you balls deep.

“Satoru!”

You loved this, but you became needy and wanted him to go faster. Each time the head of his cock grazed that spot inside you, you clenched around him.

“What is it?”

In a husky voice he lowered himself down, and grumbled it into your ear.

“You gotta tell me what you want.”

You whined. You didn’t want to talk, want to think. You just wanted him to fucking you faster

“Want me to do fuck you dumb huh? Make you drunk off my cock.”

You gulped and started to moan in response.

You still didn’t know the extent of his powers, and you may never know- but a picture was painted with the way he slammed your hips into his like you were nothing. You had no control over the situation at all, he set the pace, he picked the speed, and he had your hips.

His pace picked up to a more desperate speed, but not once did he ever falter from pure skill. Bo matter how fast he became, each thrust had meaning- each movement had purpose.

All you could do was keep yourself upright. Elbows trying to buckle and betray you at every point.

Eventually you could no longer feel each thrust, no longer feel the stretch and shape of his cock. It all meshed together in one painfully pleasurable blur. You were totally opened up to him, skin against skin became numb. All that was left was the feeling of the nerves inside of you knotting into a breaking point.

You tried reaching down to touch that part you needed most between your legs, but when you lifted your arm you threatened to collapse. He put an arm around your stomach and hips, keeping you upright. You succumbed to your weekends, arms failing you and face pressed against the mattress.

One of his hands reached down between your legs and began taking care of your most sensitive spot, his fingers moved skillfully and with purpose, but started to become less coordinated.

He was close. And so were you.

He bent his head down and whispered into your ear with a clean rasp.

"You take me so well."

"You take me so well..."

It felt like hours that he had been fucking you. The word "Limit" was long gone from your vocabulary.

That's how it had to be with Sukuna.

As he was in the battlefield, he was in the bed.

Merciless, rough, passionate.

Sukuna was flying too close to the sun until you fell into the ocean.

Lighting a candle but the flame touches your fingertips and burns you.

Standing in the summer heat too long until you grow tired.

Being with him was dangerous. You're a skydiver, a risk-taker, or maybe just an idiot.

But it was easy to forget about those things when he was so good at making you deny yourself time to think. Any time he'd see you dozing off he had no hesitance to remind you of who you were with.

A sharp pull of the hair, slap of the ass, a bruising grip of the thighs.

Or when he would fuck you throughout the night, and your whole body was sore.

But then there were those moments of tantalizing touches and wordless whispers.

You sat between his legs, and he traced a finger along your shoulders down to the new silk robe he got you. Expensive and intricate, in deep red. His favorite color. It was funny how much effort that would be made into the creations of these, perfectly stitched together thread by thread by the finest artisans and craftsmen. Just for it to be ripped in half later, one of his favorite games.

You were his most prized possession, his little trophy. Tucked away into the corners of his temple, hidden beyond sight. No one deserved to see you anyway.

Gojo fell on your back holding himself up with one arm, running kisses down your skin between labored breaths.

He had finished, and you didn't even remember.

You let out a shaky sigh.

He tied off the condom and tossed it in the trash, then he flopped over next to you, sitting upright on the bed.

You were still starstruck by everything that just happened. You laid yourself down, wincing as you did from the growing sore spot between your legs. Of course he left you sore.

You wanted to say something, but the silence was deafening.

You looked over to the sound of the sheets moving.

Gojo had gotten up, put on his pants and went into the kitchen. you sat upright, still dazed. Sukuna, you, these memories.

Gojo came back in with a glass of water and your clothes.

"Thanks..."

You mumbled.

You were confused, tired, and disoriented. but above all else, Guilty.

You weren't together but you felt like you had cheated. The image of someone else fucking you continuously popping up in your mind.

Sukuna.

"Youre quiet."

Gojo was smiling at you, buttoning up his pants.

"That good huh?

You scoffed

"Shut it."

you started sipping on the water he brought to you, your mouth was surprisingly dry. The water helped you clear your head.

Sukuna.

You shut your eyes as you gulped down the rest of the cool fluid. Your hand was involuntarily shaking.

"How are you feeling now?"

"I'm alright. Just tired."

"I'll let you sleep then. Don't forget to pee!"

"Where are you going?" You muttered quietly.

"The couch."

You stared at him with a blank yet annoyed expression.

"So, you'll fuck me but won’t sleep in the same bed as me?"

He chuckled at you.

You didn't want to admit it to yourself or him, but you were clingy, and still scared, and you wanted someone close to you.

Sukuna.

He laughed you off.

"I just think it's more polite to have my guest sleep on the bed and I sleep on the couch is all."

You huffed.

"You're cute when you pout."

He easily dodged a pillow thrown at him and laughed.

"Goodnight, Y/n."

"Yeah..."

And then, it was quiet.

Sukuna.

Gojo thought about saying something.

He looked up at the dark ceiling, laid back on his couch.

He couldn't sleep, the rhythmic sounds of the vent and cars driving by kept him awake because he was hyper-vigilant. Something about you had him on edge.

He nitpicked every detail of you and memory with extreme precision.

Another thing about Gojo Satoru, was that his own greatest weakness was himself.

Since he was born his fate has been defined by his abilities. He was always exceptional and gifted, so he never had to be anything more than that.

He always had everything. Love, adoration, power, strength, persistence, money.

He got whatever he wanted and always had what he needed.

Until he met you.

Do you want to know something else about Gojo Satoru?

He doesn't know who he is. Because as he's walked through life- the road was always smoothly paved before him, never having to do anything except lift his feet and move them.

He didn't have the privilege of ever receiving a challenge. And while that may sound great for some people, it leaves those who always had the answers before, behind.

He shifted himself upwards, he needed a distraction. He put on his shirt, his glasses, and went to one of the few things that brought him comfort.

When Satoru didn't know who he was, or ever had doubts- he went clubbing.

Some nights were for dancing, some for drinking, and some for debauchery.

Tonight was anything he could get his hands on. And right now, that was a hot brunette wearing two pieces of fabric leaving so little to the imagination she shouldn't have even bothered wearing anything at all who looked just like his celebrity crush.

But even with his tongue down her throat, he knew he couldn't do anything about it- because someone else was already in his bed tonight.

The way everyone threw themselves at him always made him feel better. Because no matter what he loses, he'll always have his looks.

The way he was fawned over like a celebrity made his confidence begin to rise again. He had one person stroking their fingers through his hair, another in his lap as he laid his head back sipping an expensive drink.

How?

Then, he had someone grinding against him on the dance floor. The bass from the speakers reverberated through his body. The music was almost enough to clear his mind- almost loud enough.

Why you?

He had some hot blonde pinned against the bathroom wall, kissing down on his neck as they desperately grinded against his thigh.

He barely even sensed cursed energy on you the first time you met.

He was doing a body shot on a topless woman, licking the salt off her stomach as he held down her hips. Some lime juice dribbled down his chin, quickly another person turned his face to lick it off. The bitter taste of alcohol on his lips mixing with the tartness of the juice. He smiled against their lips as they pressed into his.

Why don't you know anything?

He leaned against the cool brick outside, checking the time to read it was already past 5 am.

His head was spinning, he may have overdone it last night- and worse- he had work in a couple hours.

"Shit..."

Your eyes fluttered open to light peaking in through the blinds and the sound of morning birds. The setting was peaceful, the bed was comfy, and you were no longer sore- but you did have to pee.

Overall, physically you felt great, but there was an all too familiar feeling of loneliness in you.

You went to the bathroom, grateful that you didn't have a UTI even though you forgot to go even after Gojo reminded you.

Gojo. You painfully remembered how you woke up alone.

You had to convince yourself that you were okay. After all, you knew the type of man Gojo was. You consented; he didn't owe you anything.

When you were in the bathroom you looked at yourself in the mirror.

You had a big shirt on that you didn't remember putting on.

Did he dress you? Or were you that drunk? either way, embarrassing.

But one thing especially caught your attention.

Your bruises were gone. The only thing left were... Hickeys and bites.

You put your hands on your face. So last night did happen.

In a desperate attempt to try and forget all the embarrassing memories, you went to the kitchen.

Making yourself some coffee and breakfast- alone.

Gojo was gone. But there was a sticky note pasted hastily on the fridge door.

Meet at school when you're awake :D

-G

You were indubitley pissed off.

At first, his leaving you cold turkey post-hook-up was something you ignored. But then you had too much time alone. His fancy shower, eating breakfast, navigating through Tokyo to find the school with his cryptic ass instructions, you two having literal sex but him thinking that sleeping in a bed with you was where he should draw the line.

Him not being here. You were more upset at yourself for putting yourself in this situation, but Gojo was just so easy to be annoyed at.

When you made it to the school, you could've sworn that the buildings were in different places, somehow always getting lost.

He didn't tell you where to go, just to be there. So, you went where you wanted to go. You explored the gardens, the old architecture, and then you settled for sitting down in the training field. The grass was soft, the sun was out but gentle against your skin. Brief moments like these in silence where rather than being stuck in your own head you were content were precious, sacred, and also uncomm-

"Y/NNNNNNN!"

Interrupted by Gojo.

"Stop you don't have to yell at me I can hear you!"

He was running towards you at an alarming rate, which caused you to in turn also scream at him to slow down.

He almost crashed into you, and you braced yourself, but before you knew it you were standing up because he had thrown you over his shoulder.

"What the hell Satoru?!?!!"

You shouted in his ear.

"Today is your first day of training!"

"Training?!"

You were going to say, "Training for what?" Before he started to book it across the campus.

You weren't given time to react as you instinctively clutched onto his shirt, a driving force from your hands almost tearing holes into the fabric.

You couldn't even see where you were going because the speed at which you were moving made all the buildings a blur.

You were abruptly set down in front of a door of an unfamiliar building. tears pricked your eyes, and you were shaky and disoriented from that complete assault.

You almost fell over but stabilized yourself on him by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Why didn't you just tell me where it was?!"

"it's more fun this way!"

You were going to face him but before you could he shoved you into a dark room with... A couch and Itadori.

What kind of training is this? An intervention?

"Oh, Hey!"

Yuuji sat on the couch holding a stuffed animal, surrounded by DVD cases, soda cans, and a variety of snacks.

You awkwardly waved back at the optimistic Yuuji.

"you're more useful to me if you stay alive this time."

Sukuna.

Yuuji held Sukuna.

"I can see your confusion. This training is to learn how to control your cursed energy!"

You gave him a look of confusion, one eyebrow up and the other furrowed with a "that doesn't help" look.

He pulled out of his jacket pocket a small rabbit that had comedically large red eyes, and monstrously sharp claws.

"What the hell is that thing?!"

"This is the principals cursed technique, as you can see, Yuuji has one."

So that's what that was. You looked closer and it was breathing.

"Yuuji do you mind demonstrating?"

"Aw man, do I have to?"

Yuuji sighed at Gojo's silence and lifted his hands from the... bear puppet. And braced himself like he was about to be hit.

And then he was hit. It decked him square across the face.

He retaliated holding his nose and doubling over in pain, It went to get him again, but Gojo quickly intercepted it. The second he touched it; it went to sleep.

"Trained jujutsu's sorcerers can constantly emit a stream of cursed energy, and that's how you learn to start using it in fights."

"In fights? Youre not expecting me to regularly fight, are you?!"

"Of course not. You're going to be a teacher!"

"What are you talking about. I have a job already, Gojo."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, you got laid off."

You stared at him blankly, Yuuji could read the room and slowly slunk into the couch, looking away with a nervous expression.

"You're joking. You better be fucking with me Gojo."

He simply looked at you.

You let out a nervous laugh.

"Oh my god. You're not joking. Haha..."

You put a hand to your forehead

"We sent in your letter of resignation a couple days ago."

Yuji sank down into the couch, staying completely silent as the awkwardness grew. The tension in the air was so thick it might've well been smog.

"Are you okay?"

"NO I AM NOT OKAY!"

"Why? You can have a better job now!"

Yuuji let out a slow shaky exhale. Cringing audibly each time his sensei spoke.

"You can't just fucking do that SATORU!"

"I understand it's pretty messed up I forgot to tell you but..."

Yuuji perked up upon hearing you use Gojo's first name. were you two close?

"YOU THINK?!"

And then he sunk back down.

"This is too fucking far. You don't just get to come into my life and tell me you're taking care of it, and then leave me unemployed. You really are such a conceited douche, and I cannot believe that for a single second, I thought there was a redeemable quality about you!"

You stormed out.

You had come off as angry and unreasonable, but the truth was you were terrified.

That all too familiar feeling of your breath becoming shallow and lungs becoming heavy hit you the second you reached outside.

Alone, you needed to be alone.

You frantically searched around clawing at your shirt where your heart was. You couldnt breathe.

Your breaths became frantic and desperate. Tears pricked your eyes.

You felt the control of your own life slipping through your fingers. And straight into the hands of someone who most would still consider a stranger.

What hurt most was that he was right, your job did suck, and you had wanted to leave for a while. Your life was mediocre, but it was still yours.

You were completely helpless.

You had sunk against the wall, hoping no one would see as you tried to ride out this wave of panic.

You let a few moments passed, trying to calm yourself and rationalize the situation- but it was just so hard when your brain kept pushing intrusive thoughts into your mind about how bad this was. He didn't even give you the option, you just had to do what he said now.

Slowly, that fear warped into anger.

A downside to being at a Jujutsu Sorcerer academy, is that everyone nearby could sense Cursed energy. Think of it like smelling smoke in a house of firefighters.

And you reeked.

How could one person be so entitled. So oblivious to the consequences of his actions?

Your life was in the hands of an academy you had never heard of before.

“Hey…”

You whipped your head around slightly relaxing when you noticed it was Yuuji, in one hand holding his boxing glove endowed bear, and the other the creepypasta looking rabbit.

You let out a deep sigh.

“He’s not in there anymore.”

You tched. Of course he bailed. Wouldn’t even apologize.

“Thanks.”

You looked side to side awkwardly, clearly not knowing what was right to say in this situation.

“He really likes you y’know…”

You perked up a little

“How do you know?”

“He talks about you a lot.”

Oh god. What does he say? Maybe that you snore in your sleep, or when you cried all over him, or maybe-

“If you come inside I’ll tell you.”

He gave you a reassuring smile. You realized how ridiculous you must’ve looked and got up. Being angry won’t do anything for you right now, and if you really were stuck in this, might as well embrace it.

You wanted to yell at Satoru and unload all your anger. And Yuuji didn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of that.

He smiled lightly when you sighed and got up. Holding out the rabbit to you.

You hesitated, looking at its claws.

“He said not to worry, and we’d just have to figure out for ourselves.”

With great reluctance, you picked it up.

It didn’t do anything. Which was a great relief.

Then, you headed inside.

Yuuji was surprisingly good to get along with, he had character, and heart. You two argued over which genre of move to watch. Until you eventually settled on your second favorite, seeing as he wasn’t in the mood to watch what you wanted.

“This one looks interesting.”

You popped in the CD, and the credit scene rolled for a movie you had never seen before.

You and Yuuji settled on opposite ends of the couch, both of your odd companions next to you.

You had gotten through about twenty minutes into the movie, your focus was fully shifted onto it.

And then all of a sudden, a blood curling scream was let out beneath you.

The sound was so shrill you jumped, also screaming. And with the two screams combined, Yuuji screamed.

You almost went into full panic mode until you realize it was the rabbit. Rushing to pick it back up like a stray alarm in a silent classroom.

“What was that?!”

“This damn rabbit!”

You shouted over its screech.

Once your hands pressed onto it, it still kept going.

In a moment of panic, you thought of the only thing that you could think of that would produce energy.

And that was recollections of the night before

You imagined the way that his hands caressed you, ran along your skin and navigated you like an open sea.

And then it became quiet.

“Woah, what did you think about that made it work all of a sudden?”

You widened your eyes and awkwardly smiled.

“Nothing… Just focused.”

This was so embarrassing.

How come the only time you could muster anything up was when you were about to die or were horny?

That has to be the most impractical and ironic combination ever.

Everytime the sound of a tornado siren went off underneath you, you had to think of fucking to get it to shut up.

You needed to find another method for this.

“How do you do it Itadori?”

“Huh? Oh, I dunno. It kinda just happens I guess.”

“That doesn’t help at all.”

“You’re doing pretty good!”

You couldn’t tell him why it worked. So you had to settle for a half truth.

“Yeah but it doesn’t happen unless I think about… something specific.”

“Like what?”

What were you expecting. Of course he would ask.

“Um. Romantic cutesy stuff.”

You scratched your chin and looked away.

“It’s embarrassing.”

“It’s cool! Usually sorcerers have to think of bad things to get it to work. I bet it would be a lot nicer if everyone could think of something sweet like that.”

“I guess you’re right.”

You looked back straight ahead to the movie. It was a Disney movie, and a romance one- Yuujis pick.

“Oh I never told you!”

“Told me what?”

You raised a brow and tilted your head slightly.

“About what Gojo Sensei says about you.”

You didn’t even know if you wanted to hear. But Itadori took your silence as a means to continue

“He says you’ve got some of the best potential he’s ever seen. And to look out for you.”

“Really?”

“Is that hard to believe?”

“I just can’t believe he wants someone to look out for me. And that I have ‘potential’.”

“Yeah, he says that you’re special..”

“He says that about you too, and Megumi.”

“Really?”

Itadori’s eyes lit up. He clearly looked up to him, and it was cute to see him so excited.

“And he says you’re full of heart. Which I can see, you risked your life for everyone back there during our mission.”

“I mean you risked more, you left yourself alone with Sukuna.”

Your breath hitched.

You were told that you had gotten out before sukuna did.

Suddenly you felt ice shoot through your veins, and your heart rate picked up.

“You okay?” He looked at you concerned. The shock prevalent in your face.

“I- oh yeah I’m good…“

“You were super cool. I can see why they like you so much.”

“Who?”

“Gojo sensei and Sukuna.”

And sukuna.

Sukuna.

“How do you… how do you know Sukuna likes me?”

“Sometimes he talks to me about it when we’re alone. He says stuff about everyone. He tries to mess with me sometimes and it’s super annoying-“

You stopped breathing. Your heart rate picked up, and a sinking feeling overtook you.

Gojos hiding something from you. They all are. Why is it that you’re the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on with everything in regards to yourself?

“Oh… you don’t have to worry or anything! I can control him he’s not gonna hurt you or anyone.”

Poor Yuuji thought you were scared because of Sukuna, but the truth was you were growing increasingly more scared of Gojo.

He looked concerned for you, and the feeling of guilt overtook you more than the strong emotions from the events in your life right now. So? You managed to breathe and push them down.

“Itadori…”

He had a mouthful of soda.

“Can I talk to Sukuna?”

He no longer had a mouthful of soda.

With several coughs and punches to his own chest, he looked at you.

“I’m not sure I’m allowed…”

“I did it before right? He’s not interested in hurting me. I was alone with him once.”

You still saw his hesitance.

“One minute. Okay? Then you can come back out. I promise. If anything happens I’ll text Satoru.”

You knew that if something happened then you wouldn’t have time to text him, but you were desperate.

“Please Itadori…”

He looked you in the eyes, seeing the genuine sadness and feelings in them.

“A lot of things have been crazy recently, and I just need something to go right. 45 seconds?”

He was successfully guilt tripped. You weren’t proud of it, but it worked,

With a drawn out sigh, he nodded.

Pt.4

[an0ther1]

Untitled pt.2

Leah x OC

A/N: A little more in my current project. I’m still getting a feel for my characters. Feedback/thoughts welcome.

“What are we at, one more week?” Kim adjusted the weight on the bench press bar.

“Abouts yeah. I make it to the end of the week without any pain and things feel normal, I’ll get to run on the grass with everyone next.”

Kim laid down on the bench. “Well I’m sure you know what I’m going to say, but I’m going to say it anyway. Don’t do anything stupid and listen to your body. If something is off, waiting an extra day or 2 isn’t going to kill you.” She pushed the bar up off the rack. “Trust me.” She grunted as she lowered the bar to her chest.

“I hear you. And I won’t.”

“Hey Caps.” Beth came bouncing to the end of the bench. “Le, what time do we have the venue for Saturday?”

“Umm, 9 until whenever really. Though I told ‘em it would probably wrap up around 5. 6 hours for a baby shower seemed like more than enough.” Leah answered as she spotted Kim.

“Probably right on that. So we have 2 hours to decorate? That should be plenty. I think Steph has the catering scheduled for between 10 and 11.” Beth twisted her lips as she tried to remember.

“What did I do?”

“Catering. What time is that showing up?”

“Ah, yeah. 10:30 bouts. I’ll call and confirm on Thursday though.”

Kim put the bar back on the rack and sat up. “If we can get in at 9, I’ll schedule the cake and sweets to come around 10.”

“So we just need all the girls to show up at 9 to set up?” Leah switched with Kim after removing a few pounds from either end of the bar.

“Yeah, that should be about it. Caitlin promised that she kept a check on Katie and the games, but Stina is going to claim that she will be the one running the games so she can see what she came up with.”

“Good idea Meado. When Katie called dibs on games and said she was going to use a few “McCabe family classics” I was a bit worried about what those would entail. You really never know what you might get with an Irish family that large.” Kim helped Leah lift the bar to start her set.

“I thought most of Katie’s siblings were younger than her?” Steph asked.

“Ask her to name all her cousins some time.” Lotte interjected as she joined the group. “We talking about Erin’s baby shower?” The group nodded. “You know she’s right there.” Lotte pointed across the room to Erin, their social media content creator, who was sitting in a chair with a laptop balanced on a very round belly. “I thought this was supposed to be a surprise.”

“She has her headphones in editing. She can’t hear anything.” Beth shrugged. “You have everything worked out with Dylan?”

“Yeah. Him and Tao have some plan that Dylan swears Erin will fall for. They’re going to tell her I have a children’s event to attend so I can help set up.”

“Great. And Viv has been talking to Erin’s family, she just needs to confirm the time with them.” Beth added.

“What about Dylan’s family?” Leah said as she finished her set in the bench press. “I know they're American, but is Dylan’s parents planning on being here when Gemma is born? They might be in by then.”

Lotte shook her head. “Dylan told me and Tao he doesn’t talk to anyone in his family besides his cousin Rose.”

“Wait, isn’t that the middle name they’re giving Gemma?” Steph asked.

“Yeah. Rose is the cousin he grew up with. Dylan talks about her like a sister. I think she’s a year or two older. But she’ll be there. So he’ll at least have some family.” Lotte finished.

“Sounds like this is going to be a fantastic party for our little Gooner and her mum.” Kim looked around the group. “But now, finish up your reps. We’re on the pitch in 30.”

Everyone saluted their captain before dispersing.

**************************

The week for the most part had gone smoothly. The team didn’t have their first January game for another 10 days. But Leah was finally going to be able to join team trainings next week, after almost 9 months, and the anticipation was wearing her thin. Several times she was asked if she was excited, or nervous, and repeatedly reminded that the wait was almost over. Almost. She was sure Saturday was going to be full of the same, though the full Arsenal staff and then some would be at Erin’s baby shower, so Leah would hear it ten fold. She needed a break. Which is how she found herself out to dinner on a Friday night, alone, sitting at the end of the bar top of the restaurant she had come to the previous week. She had come in a little earlier this time though, hoping it would be less crowded before the dinner rush, and she had been right, allowing her to get the same seat at the end with her back to everyone else. Tonight she would be any other diner. Not soon to return from injury, Leah Williamson.

Leah greeted Colin as she took her seat, ordering a glass of Chardonnay. The bar keep was placing the glass in front of Leah with a menu before she had even gotten comfortable.

“Would you like the chicken again?” The ginger asked.

“Might do an app first. Take my time and do some reading on my phone if it’s no bother.” Leah smiled.

“Not at all. I’d say the hummus is great. That and the pitas are made in house.”

“Yeah? Alright. I’ll start with that, thanks.” Leah pushed the menu back towards Colin. “And I’ll order the chicken a little later.”

Colin reached for the menu. “I’ll have that right out.”

Leah leaned back in her chair and pulled up the book she was reading on her phone. Picking the wine glass up off the bar, she took a small sip and relaxed. Colin placed a plate in front of her a short time later and for the next 20 minutes or so, she enjoyed her wine and appetizer completely uninterrupted while she read. The noise in the restaurant slowly rose as the main dining area filled and the seats at the bar top were taken one by one. Colin had just refilled her wine and was putting in her dinner order when someone finally claimed the last seat next to her.

“Is this seat taken, miss?”

Leah had heard that voice before. She lowered her phone. “No it’s not. By all means.” She smiled at the new guest. “Hello again RJ.”

“Miss Williamson.” RJ smiled softly as they pulled out the chair before placing their coat over the back. “Nice seeing you here again.”

“Will you be watching another football match?” Leah asked as she watched RJ prop their phone up on top of the bar.

“I was planning on finally watching Sinclair’s last international match. Figured if I did it in public I wouldn’t cry.” RJ waved at Colin and gave him a thumbs up. Clearly not needing words to order.

“Are you Canadian?”

RJ chuckled and shook their head slightly. “No. But as a kid I just kind of decided she was my favorite player and that was that. Figured after a month I should finally just bite the bullet and watch the damn game.”

“Mmmm, yeah, retirement games are hard to watch. She’s still playing one more year for the Thorns though, yeah?” Leah finished the last of her wine and caught Colin’s eye, signally for another glass.

“She is. But that doesn’t make watching this any easier.” RJ picked up their phone and waved it before unlocking it. Leah couldn’t help but notice that their background looked like an abstract black and white print of some sort. Once RJ had the game queued up they set it back on the bar top. “You’re welcome to watch. But I won’t bother you if you wish to continue what you were doing.” They hit the play button on the screen.

“Thank you. I think I might try to finish this chapter of the book I was reading.” Leah turned back to her phone as Colin placed RJ’s drink down and refilled Leah’s wine glass. The pair sat in companionable silence as Leah continued reading.

“Who do you think is going to take the armband in the future?” Leah broke the silence after putting her phone down. “Sinc has been captain far longer than I can remember.”

“Fleming.” JR’s said with a seconds hesitation.

“Seriously? She’s so young?”

RJ turned in their chair and looked Leah straight in the eye. “Really?” They paused for a moment. “You, the youngest captain in England history, is going to say that Jessie Fleming, who is 25, is too young.”

“Oh. Yeah I see your point.”

“Aside from her age.” RJ turned back. “She’s been a regular fixture on the national team for about 9 years. When Sinc and Schmidt stepped off this field she was the 4th longest tenured player on the team.” RJ took a sip of their drink.

“You aren’t just a casual fan, are you?

RJ side-eyed Leah. “What makes you say that?”

“A casual fan generally doesn’t know those types of statistics for a player who don’t play for their team”

“How do you know she doesn’t play for “my team”?” RJ used air quotes. “She may not play for the US, but.”

“Ew. You’re a Chelsea fan?” Leah dramatically recoiled further from RJ who just laughed.

“No.” RJ smiled. A full bright, cheerful smile. “I am a fan of the players individually, especially Fishel and Macario. But not the team as a whole.”

“Do you even have a WSL team?” Leah raised an eyebrow.

“I do.” RJ smirked. “And don’t worry. They wear the right shade of red.” They leaned back in their seat. “Can I ask you something? None football related and not terribly personal.” They rushed out the last bit. “And you obviously don’t have to answer.”

“Well with those conditions, sure.”

RJ tilted their head. “If you hadn’t become a pro footballer, what would you have chosen to do?”

“Probably an accountant or something like that. I’m pretty good with numbers and enjoy that there is always an answer to any problem.”

“Figures.”

“What’s that s’pose to me?” Leah asked, offended by the assumption, regardless of what it was.

“You play football like a mathematician, calculated.”

“Oh.” Leah adjusted in her seat, sitting up a bit straighter. “Thank you.”

RJ just hummed in response.

“What about you? You obviously know what I do and now what I would do.” Leah relaxed a bit in her chair. “Colin said you did something in media, I think.”

RJ glanced down the bar at the mentioned bartender. “Digital media.”

“What do you do in digital media? That seems like a, a very broad field. And do you work for a company in the UK?”

RJ took a long slow sip of their drink, clearly stalling as they then swirled the liquid in the glass before answering. “The company is US based. I do a lot of behind the scenes stuff, sometimes editing, camera work, desk stuff.”

Leah picked up her phone. “Must be a small company if you’re doing all of that. Is there an Insta page I can check out? Give a like.”

“Yes, we have an Instagram account.”

“Okay. What’s the name of the company?” Leah had the app open and was just waiting.

RJ had their glass to their lips when they answered. “-third.”

“What was that?”

“Attacking Third.” RJ repeated.

“Really? That’s the show that covers the NWSL, right?” Leah started looking at the company's account on their app. “If they cover the NSWL, what are you doing here? Covering former NWSL players or something?”

“Something like that.”

Colin approached with a plate in hand. “Ms. Williamson, your chicken.” He slid the plate onto the bartop. “Enjoy. RJ, did you want anything?” RJ raised their now empty glass. “Be right back.”

After Colin dropped off the drink, the pair continued watching the game in silence as Leah ate her meal. Her plate was finished and cleared away when the match hit halftime. “I should get going. I have an event I need to be at tomorrow morning with the girls that will be far more mentally draining than 90 minutes on the pitch.”

RJ chuckled. “I can only imagine.”

The footballer gave the other patron a soft smile. “It was good to see you again. Maybe we’ll get lucky again.”

“I’ll get my hopes up.” They smiled. “Have a good evening Ms. Williamson.”