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#this was such a hail mary pass
kuiilandtorch · 9 months
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I didn't want to do this, especially on Christmas Day when mostly everyone is with family and/or friends enjoying the holiday or at least hopefully chilling at home, but as I've moved cross-country and am between employment, it's looking like the rental reimbursement check I'm expecting from my former property management won't arrive in time for my next bill this coming Wednesday. I've already postponed payment on a loan last week and things will continue to cascade the longer that check takes to show up. If there's any possibility any of you out there can spare some funds and I can have enough small contributions, maybe I could make the $200 I need to pay and avoid missing another bill. You can find my ko-fi page HERE, my PayPal page HERE, and if you prefer to use Venmo (which also won't take any fees from me), you can DM me for my handle. I know this is a long shot, but I'm even though I'm blessed to be spending my holidays with friends kind enough to take care of me and give me a place to stay in my new location, I'm still stressing out over money. I should be getting my reimbursement eventually, but it's a matter of timing. Thank you for your consideration and have a Merry Christmas or a happy holiday or at least some restful time off, wherever y'all are.
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upsidedownsmore · 1 month
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finally submitted this job application i'm gonna throw up
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tkachunk · 5 months
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having my goal notification app so much further ahead than my stream is a fun way to experience 20 seconds of the most anxiety a person can feel at one time
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the-football-chick · 9 months
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It was a wild finish in the Browns/Bears Sunday matchup when Bears WR Darnell Mooney couldn't hang on to the Hail Mary throw from QB Justin Fields and the banged-up Browns came away with another startling win, 20-17.
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Browns manage to stay in the playoff hunt despite a bevy of injuries to star players.
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meimi-haneoka · 2 years
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"With hindsight" Part 2 - a Yuna D. Kaito retrospective/analysis
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Welcome to the second part of my retrospective on Yuna D. Kaito!
I remind you this is just a collection of scenes about Kaito from the whole story that I will be revisiting with the hindsight that Chapter 70 finally gave us. I'll try to give what I think is the right interpretation, but of course these are just my thoughts on the matter.
Continuing from Part 1, here we get into the heart of the story, while we find out more and more hints for Kaito's plan...but also hints for what's really in his heart.
My main goal with these posts is showing that the recent development didn't come out of the left field but there were actually subtle (or less subtle, but misunderstood due to prejudice) hints for it all along.
In this particular post, at some point, there'll be talk about heavy subjects related to life and death. The paragraph will have a warning beforehand, just to be sure, and you can skip to the next section if you want.
"The greatest magic artifact...Akiho-san herself" - Volume 6
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After the huge event of the first time-rewind happening just merely a couple of chapters earlier, the end of volume 6 brings another earth-shaking revelation, along with many more important info.
First of all, since he completely dropped his "mask", we're shown for the first time how Kaito is immediately aware when Sakura creates a new Card. But that also confirms that he didn't meddle with those events, not in the beginning at least.
As I said previously, Kaito is someone who tends to act and intervene only at the last minute, when he cannot really avoid it anymore.
Even though the Card created by Sakura was so pivotal to the success of his plan, he really didn't intend to make her produce it by force. He still had time, so he hoped she would create it on her own without needing to resort to harsh methods. Another indication that he really wasn't keen on hurting Sakura at any moment of this plan. He was just standing there, going "oh!" when he could sense a vibration in the magic that suggested that Sakura's powers went out of control again, and soon another Card would be born. He just had to wait for the right one. A game of patience. Definitely a challenge for someone like him, used to obtain everything immediately, thanks to his magic.
We also get the first mentions about his plan: we acknowledge that he indeed needs a Card created by Sakura in particular, but that any of those new created ones will still be very useful to his goal (almost all the Cards in fact acted as "characters" for the story he prepared in Clockland).
We're informed that Momo is the guardian of the Book Akiho holds so dear, and that Kaito is trying to make that Book work to activate a forbidden spell.
Indeed, as we well know from chapter 70, everything went exactly as he wished for: they went inside the Book, he created the Clockland story using his memories and those of Akiho + Sakura in order to turn them sisters later on, the transparent Card he wanted was produced at the very last moment and he "piggybacked" Sakura's wish to exchange roles with Akiho to make an exchange himself.
But the biggest revelation (and one of the biggest misunderstandings) is that Kaito mentions "that's why I never returned it....the greatest artifact created by the Magic Association and that Clan...Akiho-san herself".
After this page, all the red flags and sirens probably went off in everyone's head, "omg he abducted her", "he wants to use her", "he's deceiving her"...but....to be honest, seeing the chapter with the first part of Akiho's past, and seeing how unhappy she was, we should've wondered immediately if that wasn't for the best.
Because it was.
He literally saved her life by never returning her to her clan.
Still, the sense of distrust in Kaito after this scene here (powered by that seemingly manic smile) persisted for long, long time in the fandom. And that was exactly what CLAMP planned us to feel like. Or rather, they wanted to see if we'd be able to get rid of this feeling the more the story went on.
Time magic at the behest of the Association - vol. 7
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Just want to point out this small detail here - it tends to be forgotten, but Kaito didn't learn time magic when he decided to escort Akiho around the world, nor was given that ability by Momo.
He already knew how to work it, and has been using that dangerous type of magic ever since he was a kid, at the orders of the Association. Eriol obtained that information during his research.
This connects to chapter 70 because it made sense for them to impose a spell like the Seal of D on Kaito.
They knew he could use time magic, they knew he had no qualms in using it, and therefore that made him all the more dangerous to escort such a precious magic artifact in their eyes.
But most of all, this scene here confirms how Kaito himself was used and abused by the Association, in a similar way to what happened to Akiho. Scared of the terrible side effects, they ordered an emotionally stunted boy to use that magic on their behalf, well aware that it would've shaved off his life span. He didn't know any better, had a bleak existence because of how he grew up, he didn't have desires, so he couldn't really muster a will to refuse the orders.
"The boy didn't understand what was fun in that" - Volume 7
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When talking about Kaito's past, CLAMP keep telling us "he didn't care for anyone, he didn't know what was fun in doing something with someone...spending time with them".
It's something they keep hammering because it's very indicative of how Kaito changed profoundly thanks to Akiho.
Now he experienced what's good in doing something for someone (not only all the things he did for her as her attendant, but also the very plan he set into motion, the sense of accomplishment we see in his final smile in chapter 70 comes directly from that), he experienced how good it can feel to spend time with someone (there's no doubt he loved spending time with Akiho, otherwise when given the chance - the time rewind at the date later on - he would've avoided it).
The only problem is.....he hasn't understood why yet. What really makes the difference here. Or rather, he stubbornly refused to acknowledge it till the end. And that stubborn ignorance led him to go on with his plan, thinking he was doing something good, oblivious to the effect this will have on Akiho later on when she'll find out what happened. That's why Momo cried "blockhead!!" in rage before he disappeared in chapter 70.
"Happy ending for whom?" - Vol. 7
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And here we get HUGE, huge hints for what was coming up in the future.
Kaito was exhausted (Momo checks on him with a worried face) and fell asleep on a sofa, dreaming of his past and the moment that changed his life forever. The moment when the Association decided to tell him that they had just executed a magic ritual on the girl that he had certified as "magicless, like a blank book" long time before, in order to turn her into a magic artifact. Not "any girl", but the daughter of the only person who treated him with humanity for the little time they interacted with eachother.
If he was still dreaming of it now, years later, it meant that the event scarred his heart in a way that he didn't even fully understand himself. And we'll get confirmation of this only in chapter 60, 29 chapters after this one.
Kaito mentions that his dream looked "like a picture book", and Momo poses a clever question: "Does it look like this book will have a happy ending?".
We all took this question as figurative back then. But to imagine she actually was meaning it in a literal way, that we would really witness the characters becoming protagonists of a story set up by him! Again another hint under our noses.
Kaito confidently replies "It will (I'll make sure of it)", but that's when Momo (oh, I love her so much) comes with another sharper question that hits the bull's eye fully: "And that...will be a happy ending for whom, exactly?". My gosh. I don't know how Kaito didn't start second guessing after a question like that.
Because it's true, even though this might be the happy ending he imagined for Akiho (at his own expense, but he didn't care), it didn't even occur to him that this might not have been what she wanted at all. It didn't occur to him because of the complex feelings that his sense of disgust for himself and his guilt for what he had done to her were stirring in him. But we'll find out more about that later.
"She's really loved...by all the people involved with her" - vol. 7
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Man, you can really feel we're halfway through the story, because in volume 7 are starting to surface a series of hints that become more and more specific to the revelation of Kaito's plan.
Kaito and Momo had just sensed that Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun came to Japan on behalf of Eriol, and Kaito knows very well that Eriol is venturing in scheming that far for his dear Sakura's sake.
And then....Kaito becomes sad? melancholic? for one moment...with a quite painful expression.
"She's really loved...by all the people involved with her"
This expression here kept me (and I'm sure not only me) wondering for long, long time. Years. It's apparent he's feeling a pang of sadness because Sakura's blessing with people who love and care for her wasn't granted on Akiho as well. But was he only feeling sad for Akiho? And what exactly that expression represented, was there envy for it? Longing?
Did he resent Sakura for the blessing of a loving entourage?
Now we know he really didn't. Of course the idea that CLAMP wanted to instill in our heads was that Kaito wanted to exchange the girls and felt envy/resentment towards Sakura, for the countless, shameless luck and privileges she was blessed with. I had fallen for that interpretation too for some time, because it kinda made sense. Seeing his past, his background, his upbringing...and the fact that Sakura was basically a stranger to him.
And Momo's further comment that Akiho loved Sakura too, with the subsequent silence from Kaito, was really staged by CLAMP in a way that could suggest Kaito was having second thoughts about his plan, because if he hurted Sakura, Akiho would've been sad.
But now it doesn't really seem like that was the case anymore. We know he never intended to hurt Sakura, nor exchanging them, from the very beginning.
I think here his storming feelings are originating not only from Akiho's situation, but also from his own need to be loved. A need that was naturally born in him along the years, but could not find its way to be acknowledged and expressed properly. And Momo mentioning that Akiho loved Sakura as a friend only contributed to make him feel even more alone, outside that "circle" of people loving eachother. He's excluded from this, because in his head he won't ever have someone who loves him. He's a bad person with a locking seal imposed on him that will swallow him whole at the end of this journey. Which is why...
"Because it's about you, Akiho-san" - Vol. 7
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...when Kaito nonchalantly blurts out "Because it's about you, Akiho-san" in response to Akiho's question on how does he know perfectly everytime she's coming home to let her find her afternoon snacks ready, Momo becomes livid. So much that she wants to send him flying with a kick.
Because Akiho of course cannot help but running away, red in the face like the reddest tomato, in front of such sweet declaration of affection from him. It's like he's saying "you're important to me, so of course I always know everything about you, I have a sixth sense for you" and that would be perfectly fine, if it weren't for his otrageous obliviousness. His "?" face in front of a raging Momo is further proof of that. Remember when she said, in the Drama CD 2, "it's true they say people know the least about themselves"?
He's uttering it himself and yet he doesn't understand the full meaning of the words that are spilling out of his mouth. Nor he understands the effect they have on Akiho (because he's oblivious to her feelings as well).
Kaito never ever admitted that he's doing all of this for Akiho's sake, never spelled out that he cares about her and loves her in his own way. Even though it's apparent to everyone by now. And this obliviousness, or this refusal? to see the truth is precisely the reason why the success of his plan will only bring misery to Akiho in the long run. Despite he wanted (deep down in his heart) nothing more than making her happy.
"I will read more books" - vol. 7
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If we exclude the scene where Kaito gets closer to Akiho during stopped time at the end of Vol. 5, this is the first time we clearly see Kaito hurting for something. The first time he clearly lets slip a sort of weakness in front of Akiho. And you can guess it, it's got always something to do with her.
This is the very first, timid proof that what little Kaito said on that fateful day of some years earlier had wrecked him in every possible way and had pushed him to give all of him to make things right.
Akiho says something really innocent, "I will read more and more books! I will memorize so many more things...!" because poor her, she just couldn't bear to keep embarrassing herself in front of her most important person with her clumsy, ignorant takes.
Little did she know, she had just pierced his heart with a knife at that very moment.
Because "reading more books" is not just an innocent, healthy activity, but in her case can also actually mean to push herself one step closer to death. And since it all started with something Kaito unintentionally said, the mere thought wrecks him more than 100 spells attacking him.
Kaito defends his 'family' - vol. 7
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Allow me to comment on this scene, because I really need to point out something that will be more subtly connected to what happened in chapter 70 (we get into dark thematics related to death, so beware and skip to the next paragraph if you're sensitive on the matter).
The Magic Association tried to attack the Shinomoto mansion, likely to take Akiho back. Of course Kaito sensed it and counterattacked, using time magic.
Here he commented "As long as they continue to not include time magic (in their spells), due to their weakness and fear of its devastating effects on their bodies, it's going to have the same result every time".
The thing that immediately becomes apparent for people reading this for the first time is that Kaito not only betrayed the confraternity of people he was once part of, but he also despises them, thinks very little of them and probably has done so for quite some time (with all the reasons of this world).
Then, it's also very apparent how he indirectly poses himself in contrast to their actions: "they're weak and cowards, that's why they don't use time magic. While I have no qualms in using it. I am not afraid of what will happen. No one is gonna stop me".
Then....if we dig deeper...we also find something more personally concerning Kaito, in his sentence.
He's indirectly showing he acknowledged that they kept using him when he was a child to perform tasks that required time magic, because they were too coward to use it themselves. He acknowledges they used him, and lord only knows when that realization came about, probably after starting his journey with Akiho and staying away from that toxic environment for some time.
And that realization came with his greatest act of rebellion.
"I hate myself, I'll always be alone and am not interested in continuing living this life, but at the very least I won't ruin myself at your behest anymore. I WILL BE THE ONE to decide how and what to exhaust my life on". It is of course a terrible, horrible way to see the worth of his own life, but at the same time a desperate scream for self-determination that personally I can't ignore. For how horrible it is, this is Kaito calling the shots for what concerns him. He's not existing for the use and abuse of other people anymore. And this is also part of why he shows that self-satisfied smile at the end of ch. 70, although mixed with other emotions.
Of course, he made such decision with a mindset of someone who got nothing to lose. Nothing, or no one. And this is where he was terribly wrong.
Rewind & the silencing spell - vol. 7
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Sakura produced the Rewind Card, and for the first time ever, we get a comment from Kaito indicating that, although it's not exactly the one he was looking for, it went quite close.
Now that we know that the Card he was looking for is Exchange, we can infer in which ways Rewind went close to it, but wasn't exactly what he was looking for.
I think Rewind was simply incomplete for the full plan Kaito had.
Rewind showed to be capable to change the appearance of someone to make look them like they were in a previous state. In Syaoran's case, it made him look like when he was very little, because that was what Sakura was thinking about when she created the Card. Even if Kaito wished, thanks to Rewind, to restore Akiho's situation back to when she wasn't turned into a magic artifact yet, that would've been only a superficial change. Rewind doesn't seem to have (for now) the full potential of the time-rewindings operated by Kaito. Sakura didn't actually travel in time to bring a little Syaoran back from those times, as Syaoran still had his own teenager conscience. The "change" doesn't operate at deep level, basically, and so it was insufficient for Kaito's plan.
Furthermore, in this same scene, we see him activating the silencing spell on Syaoran. Again, a move made at the very last moment, when Sakura had already found out that she was the one giving birth to those Cards. To be honest I still don't feel like this was malicious at all. He could've thought up so, so many harsher ways to stop them from interfering with his plans if he meant any harm to them. Messed with their minds, made them forget (Eriol did so with Yue!!), I don't know.
Instead, he chose this way, exposing himself even further, because why only mentions of Akiho and Kaito would get "blocked"? Of course that made so apparent that the spell came from him, and he somehow wanted Syaoran to know it did. Probably as a way to suggest "it's me, please don't interfere more than this". Of course, as I said before, Kaito is not here to f*ck around, so he found himself forced to use this silencing spell, or cutting off Eriol from communication, or to use all the time-rewinds he used.
The first decision I've ever made for myself - vol. 7 and vol. 8
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I look at the first picture of this paragraph and I laugh, because I remember when this chapter came out people were making fun of Kaito, calling him "creep" for spying on a middle school (a swimming class, at that 😅). But looking at that smile now, with the hindsight of what we know...it's such a sweet smile. He seems genuinely happy to see Akiho enjoying her time with all her classmates. He loves to see all the bonds she created.
But that heartwarming feeling lasts very little, as his "half-assed" (as I always call it, what was that 'wave' for?) attempt to make Sakura create a new Card triggers Akiho's book, and for the first time ever we see it in action, making her lose her conscience completely.
The proof is that "Akiho" doesn't talk with her usual voice, but with the voices of the Association and the Clan. As you can see, at her feet, we see the same "book pages" that will engulf Kaito at the end of chapter 70 too (therefore almost confirming that's where he is right now, inside the damned book).
As both Momo and Kaito confirm, the spell that will eventually crush her soul is still very much active on her and not too far from its final goal. We get a glimpse of a very sorrowful expression from Kaito while he says with his own words that probably those people are hoping that the spell will crush Akiho's soul. This expression alone shoul've already been enough to confirm what Kaito's intentions were. But also how much he felt responsible for that atrocity.
Kaito doesn't have a choice, he will use *more* time magic to put some sort of "seal" on the book inside Akiho (freezing its time), full aware that this is just a patch and won't solve any problem definitively. But at least it should keep everyone (Sakura & Syaoran included, since it activated mostly in their presence) safe while he tried to bring his plan to completion.
Also...I can't help but point out how he softly caresses her face again before starting his spell, such a sweet gesture that almost seems as if saying "sorry" for performing a magic on her without the girl being aware.
Once again, he allows himself to be this sweet with her only when she's not aware of it. Knowing what we know now, it's no wonder why.
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And here it is...probably the most important scene beside the one where he made a choice and said "I'll go".
His first conversation with Akiho.
For him, this wasn't really the first 'meeting'. Indeed, later on he will talk again about this moment and he will specifically use the japanese word for "conversation". Because although from afar, the very first time he met her was through the magic sphere.
Of course she was way too little to remember. So while for her this might have been effectively her first meeting with him, for him it wasn't, and his kind, sweet smile is proof of that.
He went there already knowing who she was, her background, who she was the daughter of, what happened to her, and prepared so that he could make her feel at ease from the very start. Of course someone must have taught him this, because before this scene he used to have such a dead stare. He looked like he never smiled once in his whole life.
My idea is that, after making his contract with Momo, she "trained him". For his smiles and everything else. Taught him how to interact properly with other people, since he was so averse to it beforehand.
This theory I have comes from the fact she's the one who told him, in one of the Drama CDs, "please laugh more properly! even it's a fake laugh!".
Anyway, this scene is so powerful because it's not only drawn in such a "fateful meeting" way, but also because this fountain and rose garden will appear later on in Clockland too, summoned by the magic of Momo's book browsing through Kaito's memories.
While other people might argue that this is also the place where he met Lilie once, I'd daresay first meetings and talks are more likely to leave such a big impression on someone. When he met Lilie there, it was one of their regular meetings (and clearly not the first one), while with Akiho it was the meeting that would start their journey together, and start the process of how his whole life would change thanks to her.
It's definitely not by chance that he's remembering this important moment while he discloses to the readers for the first time that "I made a decision that day. The first decision I've ever made for myself".
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Stopping the time of the book inside Akiho proves to be very arduous.
So arduous that Kaito is sweating and panting at the end of it.
Not only that, but the book itself activates some sort of "defense" (that black matter that comes out of Akiho, the same black matter that comes out when she loses consciousness) and literally attacks Kaito. You can see it hitting him in several spots.
He looks stubborn and unstoppable, though. Even with the magic of the book hurting him, he still pushes through with his spell for the sake of Akiho.
Momo is taken aback because she didn't know *anything* of this idea of his, and she's really mad when he's done.
Always for the same reason.
Because while he can realize her change of mood without any problem ("You look even angrier now" "Ah, you can understand *that* just fine, hm? And yet you don't understand what's really important"), he hasn't understood Akiho's feelings nor his own, yet. And he keeps insisting in disregarding his life like it's nobody's business. The very core of the problem that will persist till chapter 70 lies all there.
Small detail I like to point out: Kaito's time magic isn't infinite. After he exerted himself on stopping Akiho's book, the magic he used to stop time for everyone literally starts to crumble apart, signifying that its effect will vanish very soon. This will happen again later on, in a *very* different situation.
Whenever Kaito's magic focus falls short, whether it's due to physical or emotional matters, his magic is affected and falls apart.
And with this scene of the beginning of volume 8 I will conclude this second part of my analysis! 💜
I have to be honest, when I started this "project", it was totally propelled by the strong feelings that chapter 70 gave me, but I thought I would finish this in 1, 2 posts maximum....but along the way, I found myself wanting to talk about so many scenes 😂that I'm not even sure I'll be able to finish this within the 3rd post 😂😂😂especially cause later on there'll be more and more hints scattered around...god help me 😅
At this point I can say for sure that part 3 will come after the release of chapter 71, so see you later for my monthly translation + commentary post!! 😉
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wrdn-tabris · 1 year
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attached to the catholic jason hc but specifically my take on it bc everyone else does it wrong and i’m projecting
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scottmcstark · 2 years
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the way owen was the only valid man this season
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witchblade · 1 year
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all the pikmin picking this game up and carrying it 10 feet before falling into a puddle or getting mauled by a bulborb
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digestionmachine · 1 year
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colorado trail near cottonwood pass, june 2022
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DPxDC Warlock Batfamily
They're not warlocks in the traditional sense, no fancy spell work or obvious theming. In fact, most anyone less magically attune than John would just assume they were metas like anyone else on the team, but they weren't.
It took a while to notice, just passing off the magical fluctuations around them as the ebb and flow of the natural world, or maybe some residual curse vibes from Gotham (ew). But it was too consistent. When Batman slipped into the shadows it pulsed, and when Oracle seized control of nearby computers it surged. When Nightwing took his inhuman leaps into the air simply trusting that he would reach his lading point it soared and when that nightmare of a Robin brought a room to darkness it rested like a heavy weight on his shoulders.
They weren't individual users, their eclectically cohesive group structure was too uniform for that; but they weren't some family of sorcerers either, being quite obviously unrelated by blood save for a few. The most likely answer was that they were all warlocks in service to some common diety, taking on aspects of its power to enforce it's will upon the mortal world- and John really hoped it was a helpful entity, because they were in deep shit.
Peeling the partially liquefied tentacle off from across his chest, Constantine sat up and brought his hand up to cup his bruised face. He prayed to whatever was least likely to hold a grudge that their little hail Mary there had bought them enough time to perform a summoning.
"Hey Bat, get your patron on the phone, this is getting fucking Eldritch."
"What the hell are you talking about," Hal Jordan pushed himself out of the rubble with a massive green fist construct. "Bats isn't a magic user."
"Hm." Batman grunted as he picked bone shards out of his gauntlets. "I'll need to get something for the ritual."
Everyone present sat up to look at him like he'd grown another head, except Superman and Wonder Woman who seemed a little excited.
"I'm sorry, you're a magician?" The Flash pipes up from behind the ruins of an old altar, only to receive a level glare from his black clad coworker.
"Warlock."
"Oh."
Constantine grabbed onto some chains hanging from the precariously damaged ceiling, rising to his feet. "We don't have much time; that thing's off licking its wounds in space or something, but it'll be back. You go off and collect whatever artefact you have from wherever you hid it and I'll start drawing the circle, where are we pulling your Patron from?"
Batman nodded in agreement. "The Infinite Realms."
"Fucking Hell."
-
The Watch Tower was crowded when Batman returned flanked by two other members for his little hero coven, carrying a small case decorated with constellations and nebulae.
Wonder Woman stepped up to look at the container, obviously curious, but not touching it.
"It will be wonderful to see him again, Batman. After this is dealt with I hope to hear the tales of my sisters from beyond."
"He'll definitely be happy to chat after we're done," Nightwing commented. "I hear he's been training with Pandora."
Red Robin nodded to that, an exasperated look on his face as he likely anticipated a long and drawn out conversation about different kinds of swords. Amazons liked their blades.
John gave that idea some concideration, Amazonian ghosts probably get up to some killer fights without having to worry about, ya know, death. He called out to the Dark Knight, "I've got the circle done, now we just need your call."
The three of them walk over to the summoning circle unceremoniously carved into the watch tower floor, Batman narrowing his eyes at the damaged paneling but saying nothing otherwise. The Dark Knight opens the case in his hands and pulls out what appears to be a small model space station.
The Coven spread themselves evenly around the circumference of the circle and Batman begins the ritual. "Salve patrōnem, egō stellam vocō." He throws the model space station into the circle where it appeared to float as the symbols in the ground lit up.
Slowly, a figure formed in the center, first as hands holding the model and spreading out over its arms and to its body in the shape of a young boy. He seemed to be wearing a black rubber hazmat suit with white accents and green lichtenberg figures crawling up his left arm. White hair appeared and with it piercing green eyes that seemed to be fixed on the toy in his hands. A cape flowed out behind him less like fabric and more like the endless void of space littered with stars and a cold weight settled on the room.
"Damn B, y'all really fucked up the floor this time."
Red Robin snorted, "Nice to see you too, Danny."
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woso-dreamzzz · 3 months
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Proud V
Hardersson x Teen!Reader
Summary: Your first match for Sweden
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"And Sweden is making a substitute. On comes y/n Harder, Arsenal's youngest forward. Blackstenius makes way."
It's your first match for Sweden, the first of Sweden's euro qualifiers as well.
You high five Stina on your way onto the pitch.
It's a late substitution, maybe five minutes or so until the ninety minutes are up so you know you're the last kind of hail mary before this ends in a draw.
You pass some of your Arsenal teammates on the way to the corner that's being set up.
It's hardly the first time you've worn a Sweden jersey. You were a staple on the youth teams. You always had been.
Your first long term foster family had gotten you into football. They'd sorted you out with kit and gear and put you into a kid's football club to see if you liked it.
You really liked it.
Their foster license expired and you got moved but you never left your football behind.
Some families were more into it than others but none of them stopped you from pursuing your football.
Least of all Magda and Pernille.
You knew Magda from a distance when the senior team had come down to help out with whatever youth team you were on at the time. It was almost like fate that you got placed with her and Pernille over the summer.
It had been the best summer of your life both emotionally and physically.
They worked on your game while they were off season. They helped you with your studies and they took you out to the arcade and the beach and anywhere you wanted to go.
You didn't want to leave.
They didn't want you to leave.
There was a bunch of red tape around it, lots of meetings with lawyers and the judge and your care worker but by the time the next season rolled around, you had a new last name and two mothers.
Now, you're here.
Playing in Wembley Stadium for Sweden with Momma's last name emblazoned on your back.
You weave between Morsa and Johanna, slotting between them during the jostling to get into position.
The ball comes in and you make the jump.
It gets cleared away and England are on the counter attack quickly.
Magda peels away from your side quickly to sprint down the pitch to intercept while you follow at a more sedate pace.
Defending is not your role and you're not the greatest at it.
You've been bought onto this pitch for one thing and that's to score a goal.
You pass Lotte on your way and exchange a small smile with her. You've still got to go back to North London after this and you and Lotte are friends.
Morsa recovers the ball quickly and boots it up the pitch.
Most of your team was concentrated in your half of the pitch so the ball falls neatly to your feet.
You can feel Lotte at your back quickly, almost too quick for you to react but you turn even quicker, keeping the ball out of her reach.
You don't have any backup as you drive forward into the box.
Greenwood slides in for the tackle but you jump over neatly with the ball practically attached to your feet.
Charles and Bronze start closing in as you lose Lotte behind you.
The angle's getting tighter and tighter and Earps starts coming towards you to collect the ball.
You've driven into the box so quickly that there were no reinforcements for you to pass to.
So, you kicked the ball upwards just as Earps comes out.
The ball sores over her head before landing and rolling into the empty goal.
The Sweden supporters go wild as, seconds later, the ref blows the final whistle.
You scored.
The familiar arms of Morsa wraps around you from behind as you celebrate.
"Debut goal!" She cheers as the rest of the team finally run over.
You laugh. "Do you think Momma was watching?"
Of course she was.
She couldn't travel to watch, not with preparing for her own Euro qualifiers but your phone is ringing by the time you get back to the locker room.
"Hi," You say as you pick up, Pernille's face filling the screen.
"Debut goal," She teases and you look down bashfully.
"That's what Morsa said."
"It's impressive," Pernille says.
You roll your eyes. "It's my job."
"Still impressive. Don't sell yourself short."
"I'm a Harder," You reply," It's what we do."
Pernille grins at you, face full of pride. "Don't do that," She says," Celebrate, alright? You have my full permission to let loose and drink tonight, alright?"
You huff out a laugh. "You know most mothers wouldn't encourage underage drinking."
"I think I can make an exception tonight."
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kedreeva · 10 months
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Look who just narrowly escaped a hawk by diving into me
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I was outside minding my own birds when I spotted a hawk on a tree nearby. I called a warning to my birds to look out for it (they know a trill means sky danger), and then it stooped on a small flock of birds. They took off to where I couldn't see them at the neighbor's, and a moment later exited neighbor's yard left, pursued by hawk.
I was treated to watching a really stunning aerial chase scene over my field, pens, and barn, which ended when the mourning dove the hawk had singled out made a dive directly for me. The hawk turned away and left, and the mourning dove caught his breath in my hand for a couple of minutes, and then flew to the top of the barn to watch me while he recovered. I think the hawk may have nearly gotten him, too, as he was a bit rumpled and part of his tail/feathers were damaged/missing. No blood though, and nothing broken that I could tell from a quick look, he had no trouble flying.
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I'm left to wonder if this might be the same mourning dove I rescued from the peafowl pens a week or two ago. Did he remember I helped him and didn't hurt him? Coming for the human surrounded by much bigger birds than the hawk seems like quite the hail mary pass to make, if not. Then again who knows how much I'm being watched in general by the local birds.
Bug did not appreciate any part of these events, by the way. I'm not sure she could tell if I had the predator or the prey bird.
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But she didn't trust that dove on the roof.
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snoopyracing · 2 months
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hii i’m so excited for the sleepover!! can you please do number 7 from "𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪…" 𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙨 with max?
hi!! it's been so fun so far! hopefully you like this :D
max + getting upset over cancelled plans and unanswered texts
max shouldn't have been so angry with you. in all reality he should be angry at himself. he's the idiot who couldn't admit to you that he'd been in love with you for an embarrassingly long time. there were so many moments when he thought about telling you- like when he won his first wdc and his second and then his third, when he'd had a couple too many on a night out and you end up taking care of him, or when it's just you two cuddled up on the couch watching some dumb movie. but all those moments he let pass, his sudden burst of confidence always getting washed away by his much larger fear of rejection or making things weird between the two of you.
you were his best friend, he shouldn't be so deeply in love with you that it hurts to have you so close yet so far away. for you to be just out of arms reach even when he's got you wrapped up in his. but unfortunately for max that was his reality and he had learned to live with it, until today.
the two of you had plans to go out to dinner. it had been planned for weeks and it was one of max's only free nights, of course he wanted to spend it with you. but when your name popped up on his phone a couple hours before he was supposed to pick you up he was not expecting it to be you cancelling.
you: i know we had plans tonight... and i'm so sorry to do this max. but lucas called and asked me out... ON A DATE!! i can't pass this up.. i promise i will make it up to you!
fucking lucas. maybe if max could get his head out his ass you wouldn't be going on a date with some guy who only wanted to get into your pants.
he didn't even bother responding, but as the evening wore on the gears in max's head began to turn and anger had settled in. he should be the one taking you out tonight- not lucas. you should be laughing at his stupid jokes and making fun of the dumb names for stuff on the menu with him. and against his better judgment he grabbed his phone and started to text you. one text turned into three which then turned into five and with each one that didn't get answered the more upset he got.
max thought about calling, but he figured you'd actually kill him if he called. but as one last hail mary he sent a text that he didn't think he'd ever send and prayed that you'd leave lucas and come rushing home to him.
max: i'm in love with you. ↳ read 8:25 p.m.
come chat it's sleepover saturday!!
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theriverbeyond · 5 months
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also ive been rotating how Gideon absolutely considered Wake to be her MOTHER before having that fantasy ripped away from her and like, that experience of learning the bedrock of your existence is a lie and the person who made you did not love you and did not want you and what do you do with that when you did not ask to be born. and also of course Wake's own experience as someone who likely never saw herself as a mother and whose only claim to the title is the result of a hail mary pass so desperate that it wasn't even a choice at all. something about directly contradicting agencies creating a tangle of tragedy...... Gideon cannot have a mother who loves her because Wake was not a mother but at the same time Wake can never escape the fact that Gideon is a child that she created
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joontroverted · 2 months
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no harm no foul
office workers nanami kento x reader
fandom : jujutsu kaisen
word count : 1.4k
cw : just fluff! (i think)
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“if you keep putting in nights this late, i think the boss is gonna start charging you rent.”
at first you think he hasn't even heard you. you stand and shift your bag up your shoulder, wondering if it's worth repeating yourself or if it's better to take the sign and leave.
he turns to you slightly.
“how long have you been working here?”
you tilt your head to the side, wondering if you've really been that unremarkable. “i'll be completing four months soon.”
“in another two you'll be sitting late at your desk, just trying to finish your work and some bright eyed new joinee is going to come up to you and crack the most unfunny joke as if that's going to make you want to smash your head into the computer any less.”
the silence between the two of you in the empty office stretches.
“um, no.”
he raises his eyebrows. “so you think you're that good at the job?”
“yeah. but i meant that i'd never be this depressed and hateful.”
“mmhm, and why's that?”
“because i have a life.”
his stern face drops in surprise.
it's at this point you realize that this is your senior. your senior. you weren't exactly in his team, but he was senior to you nonetheless, and you had just mouthed off to him without giving it a single thought in a country where seniority was so deeply ingrained in office culture.
you hesitate for a second, and then decide to (foolishly) stand your ground.
you fold your hands and lean forward, making yourself taller in comparison to the seated man who is still staring at you.
“you can try and report me for insubordination if you want to. i'll argue it because i have the right to do so. and it might get me fired. but just know that i can get up and get a different job at a different company and move on with my life, but you'll be here with your big senior position but it will do nothing to satisfy you truly because deep down you know that you are nothing but a man with a nasty attitude upholding the misery of corporate spaces with your negative attitude, you negative nancy.” you squint at his id. "you negative... nanami."
you don't bother staying to see his reaction. you turn on your heel and leave.
and that was where it all began.
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you weren't reported for insubordination.
in fact, time passed as if nothing had changed at all.
but something had. someone who had clearly never noticed you before had turned his focus onto you.
nothing nanami does is noticable enough for other's to think that it was special in any sort of way, but for you to know how you had spoken and how he is treating you now despite it all, it has you initially suspicious.
it starts small.
it's the good mornings. what used to be you saying good morning to a senior who would perhaps just nod back has now turned into him wishing you a good morning with a slightly... pleasant look.
then it was how his brown eyes that you had always deemed to be calculating settle on you every time you're giving a presentation or speaking in a meeting or within view of him- but now they seem open, as if for the purpose of needing to take you in.
you're faced with one of the most twisted appliance of them all, the photocopier that sits by the window, choking on paper for the third time consecutively, and you are seconds away from kicking it.
“how is it that it's been six months since you've started and you still don't know that you apaproach this one only when it's absolutely necessary and with a hail mary?”
you spin around and see nanami leaning against the wall, arms folded. you're lucky that the papers in your hand are already crumpled up, because you would've crumpled them anyways with the fist you make. he raises his eyebrows at your frustration. you resist the urge to roll your eyes.
“i saw that. there's a better one by my desk. follow me.”
so that's where you're getting your copies printed now.
you don't know that anytime nanami hears a pair of heels clicking around the office, he hopes that it's you, and as it nears he hopes that he sees you, with your pursed lips and your indifferent face that you seem to reserve for him.
he watches you from the corner of his eye, the way your top hugs you and imagines you trying them on in the morning to see which one suits you the best. or maybe you'd keep them laid out and decided the night before, you seem to be the organized type.
he could help you with that. or maybe he'd be of no help at all, what with how lovely he thinks you are as is.
and when you're printing your copies, he hopes that you twist around or peer over your shoulder and end up accidentally making eye contact with him- which seems to make him smile almost instantly. and then he hopes that you smile back, which you used to never do, but now as you're smiling back at him before you immediately scoop up your papers and go back to your seat, he knows that there is space for more. more between the two of you.
you can't help but fall for him notice him.
it doesn't help that he's handsome. handsome in an obvious way. his blonde hair that's styled back, or how it sometimes falls forward in waves of honey. his brown eyes behind his extremely serious looking glasses, the same eyes that seem to soften whenever they see you around.
it gets worse.
you grimace at the coffee from the office coffee machine once and before the day ends you get an im from him saying that he'll show you the place he gets his coffee from every morning. and sure enough, the next day, he's waiting for you outside the office to take you on a short walk to the nearby coffee shop.
you're looking at all the options, acting like you don't think that it's really sweet that nanami with all his money and status frequents the little cafe tucked away where no one can see with no parking and a singular barista who seems to be hard of hearing.
“mr and mrs. nanami!” he exclaims when the two of you approach the counter.
he's supposed to be hard of hearing, not hard of seeing, so you have no idea why he says that, but you give him a flustered giggle regardless and tell him he's mistaken. when everything's ordered and the two of you are walking back to the office, he's about to take a sip of his coffee and you ask him if you can taste it.
"not to sound grossed out, but that's disgusting," you pull a face and give it back to him.
he laughs. "it's straight to the point, just what i need for the rest of the day."
"you take another coffee during lunch and sometimes drink tea before you leave for home, you liar. this is barely gonna last you a few hours."
"well for someone who prides themselves on how well they work, you seem to spend an awful amount of time studying me."
"you're very funny. your subordinates run helter skelter to make sure their work's done perfectly so you don't catch them slacking when you're running low on caffeine. you influence the office a lot more than you think, you know."
"well, i'm a particular man with particular tastes," he says, his eyes on you.
as you walk into the office, you notice your lipstick stain on the cup.
“oh!” you fumble with your bag and pull out a tissue, reaching out to his cup, “let me- ”
“i have a busy day, i need to get started with my work, yeah?” he gives your shoulder a quick squeeze before turning and briskly walking towards his desk.
“nanami!” you laugh, and he turns around, coat fluttering around him, head tilted to the side.
“yes?”
you point at the cup and then spin your finger around. “they're gonna know!” you whisper.
“that i have a particular taste?” he smirks. “i hope they do,” he says, taking a sip of his coffee, lips meeting the exact place where your lipstick stain is.
he turns around and walks away, leaving you standing there, and the heat from the beverage in your hand is nothing in comparison to how hot your face feels.
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later in the night, as you lie awake, twisted to your side and all of a sudden it hits you.
nanami kento, investment banker, coffee connoisseur, man whom you have shared an indirect kiss with, gorgeous, rich, extremely smart and serious nanami kento is flirting with you.
you.
and you have been flirting back, or at least not shutting it down, you realize. the shock that goes through your body has you curling into an even smaller ball, so much so that your fiance grumbles next to you.
“quit movin' around."
"sorry," you whisper back immediately.
sato grunts and shoves his hand up your shirt again, fingers gripping your breast.
it really can't get worse than this.
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reblogs, comments, likes and asks are HIGHLY APPRECIATED!!! 🎂
guys i promise it makes sense i PROMISE
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slyblonder · 6 months
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King for a Day
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MDNI
Youth Pastor!Mingi x GN!Reader
warnings: sex(gross ikr), its just a blowjob, mentions of fingering, throat fucking, spit mention, hair pulling, tears (Dacryphilia), i cant think of anything else ngl
word count: 1.9k (first long fic les gooo)
“You might want to get an early start on your Hail Marys then.”
“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit..Amen.”
Following along you made a cross on your body. This will not be the only time you do this today, and it certainly won't be the last.Mingi and his father had just moved into town, the new pastor and his insanely hot youth pastor son. You had to have him. You needed him like no other. “Lord forgive me for what I do later.” Fixing your dress as you got up, smiling at all the families that passed by you.
You were never the religious kind, you never participated in church, hell you rarely even came to service. But as soon as you caught a look of Mingi you were already in your closet picking out an outfit. You’d always try your best to match him. His outfits were very simple and appropriate but also so slutty somehow. It could be all his rings and chains but once you start thinking about it your mind wonders, thinking about how his chains would look dangling in your face. You shook those thoughts out of your head, saying bye to the last few families to leave.
Upon Mingis arrival to your town you were quick to sign up as an assistant. You didn't care about them damn kids nor the lord but here you were every sunday, helping by his side teaching about the lord.
“Thank you so much for your help today. I know it was a lot harder since we had a full house.” Mingi spoke, making you jump a bit. That’s the other thing about him that had you so enamored..His voice. It was so deep and husky but so soothing. You could listen to him for hours.
“It's no problem Mingi, you did great like always. I’m just happy we let out early today.” You moved out of the pew to now stand face to face with him. “I get to hang out with my favorite person.”
Mingi looked at you with confusion and sight shock, pointing at himself. “M-me?”
Despite his “cold” and “dark” image Mingi was a very gentle and even cute person. Any and everyone could see that. “Yes, you. Why do you think I help you out so much? Why I’m always by your side? Why I’m always at your beck and call?” You watched as his cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. Cute. Walking closer to him he seemed frozen, closing his eyes briefly as if waiting for something eagerly.
“You’re so cute like this…flustered and pretty.” Walking closer you stopped right in front of him, leaning up to his ear with a smirk. “If only the heavens knew how beautiful you look right now.”
“y/n I…w-what's going o-on…” You placed a quick kiss on his cheek, watching as his eyes popped open. He looked as if he saw a ghost but the tint of pink never left his face.
“Ever since you knocked on our door holding that gift basket, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. You looked so fucking good Mingi. I wanted you, I needed you. So I signed up to help, anything to be closer to you. Not only did my urges to have you get stronger, I started to grow feelings for you.”
Mingi couldn’t believe what he was hearing. This is everything he ever dreamed of. Yeah, he was the pastor's son and had to keep up an innocent persona;but it was quite the opposite. As much as he was devoted to his faith he could never shake the thought of you ever since he saw you. He wanted to hold you, take in your scent…devour you. Mingi knew it would be wrong and go against his faith, but he couldn’t help but imagine such sinister acts with you.
“You’re very bad at hiding your gaze, Min. I see you stare and used to think nothing of it. 'oh, he's not looking at me, he's just giving his attention like usual…’ until I bent down and saw you staring at my chest.” You took a step back and watched his reaction with a smirk. His hands were balled up, his face still a visible pink, and a much more visible print in his pants appeared. You could tell from the way he stood there he was virgin but not in the slightest innocent.
“I- I tried to hide it…”
“Not well enough.”
Mingi bit his lip before starting to mumble.
“Wouldn’t you like to feel like a king for a day or even forever? I think you liked it.” You spoke with a small laugh moving to sit Mingi in the pew. He sat there and watched your every move, waiting for you to pounce on him.
“Y/n please… I can’t get the thought of you out of my head. I ache for you.” These words sounded like music to your ears. Mingi wanted you, ached for you, needed you. Moving into the pew you sat on his lap, feeling how big he was instantly and watching him let out a soft whimper.
“You might want to get an early start on your hail marys then.” You placed small and slow kisses on his neck, moving up to his jaw, sucking lightly. He sounded so fucking needy, and you to wanted to hear him scream in pleasure but decided to spare him.
“H-hail Mary, full of grace…The L-lord is with thee fuck y/n-“
“Don’t stop, keep going.” You began to bite at his skin, leaving small marks that would disappear pretty quickly. “Blessed art t-thou amongst wo- ahh…women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” Mingi finally allowed his hands to rest at your waist, gripping tightly with each bite. “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us s-sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.”
“Amen indeed, I can’t believe I have you all to myself Min. You sound so pretty under me. You’re already so hard for me, I think I should do something about that huh?” You laughed a little as Mingi began to nod very quickly, begging to feel something more. Moving off his lap you found a way to kneel in front of him. It was a little uncomfortable but such a small price to pay for what was in store. Mingi took a second to look at you, taking in how pretty you looked in front of him. He mindlessly reached for your cheek and smiled, knowing there was no going back once you started and he was okay with that.
You wasted no time and began to unbuckle his belt and undo his pants, biting your lip as you could see his print more and more. Lifting his hips Mingi helped you pull his boxers and pants down to his mid thigh, giving you more than enough access. Mingi was big. Bigger than most you’ve been with, you were determined to take all you were given. “Please…do something…” Looking up at him doe eyed you licked a stripe up his shaft, smiling as you finally got a taste of him.
Licking up his precum you took as much of him as you could, moaning and slightly gagging at how full your mouth was. Mingis hand quickly moved to hold onto one of the ponytails, bucking his hips at the sudden warmth. Your mouth felt amazing, he was sure he'd cum in no time if you kept it up.. “Your mouth feels better than I imagined fuck..” Mingi moaned, throwing his head back trying his best to keep as quiet as possible. The worst part is if someone walked in right now, he would care less. All his prayers were being answered right before him.
Tears ran down the side of you face as you let Mingi fuck your throat. He was a lot more rough than you imagined but damn did it turn you on. You let your hands travel between your legs, slipping into your underwear and inserting two fingers to fill yourself up more. Feeling so stretched out you let out a moan sending vibrations up Mingis cock. “Fuck, I’m gonna cum. Lord, please, please please forgive me.” Hearing him beg for forgiveness turned you on so much, inching close to your own release.
You sped up your pace, fingering yourself fast and sucking off Mingi even faster. Every cell in Mingis body felt like it was on fire; He's never felt this kind of pleasure before and hopes that this will never be the last. Mingi grabbed onto both your pigtails, practically hunched over your body. If anyone had walked in right this moment they would just think he was praying. “yn i-im cumming! im cumming oh—oh my god…thank you, thank y-you.”
Cumming down your throat felt amazing to Mingi. From your face stained with tears, spit, and cum; your legs sore and shaking from cumming so hard. You both stayed like that for a second, Mingi finally sitting back breathing heavily. You lifted off his cock, making sure you swallowed everything and taking a deep breath.
“You have a thing for being rough, it's hot. You should also be thanking me, I just gave you the best blowjob ever.” You smiled, moving to place the two fingers you used to fuck your self in Mingis mouth. “A small taste of what's to come. Literally.”
You laughed and used his legs to help you get up, sitting right next to him in the pew. “Y-you want to do this again?” Mingi asked, shocked since he has yet to catch his breath properly.
“I told you I can make you feel like a king for a day, or forever. I think we both want forever…unless I'm wrong?” You searched to see where your bag was, reaching into the pew behind you and pulling it into your lap and searching for wipes to clean you both up.
“No! I mean, you're not wrong…I would really like that,I just feel like I'm still dreaming…” Taking the wipe he was handed, he cleaned up any excess spit and around his thighs before pulling up his boxers and pants.
“Dream or not, I’m all yours Mingi. I’m heavily devoted to you.” He looked at you with so much awe and lust, wiping your stray tears and smiling softly.
“I’m more than willing to sin for you, dream and reality.” And he meant that, no amount of repentance will make up for it and he was okay with that.
“You should come over this weekend, My parents are gonna be out of town. We can see how devoted we are to each other, like the lord wants.” You spoke soft, moving to whisper into his ear before pulling back and giving him a quick peck. “See you soon Mingi, or should I say pastor Song.”
Mingi watched as you picked up your bag and waved bye with such a sinister grin, you truly were a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He sat there and thought back on everything he just experienced, chuckling at how lucky he just got.His prayers were definitely answered. Thanks God. He shook his head and moved to kneel down, folding his hands and bowing his head. Might as well get an early start right? “Hail Mary, forgive me, blood for blood, hearts beating…”
©️slyblonder
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a/n :I FINALLY DROPPED THIS FIC OMG!! Sorry i took so long yall, life started turning me every way but loose and then also starting a new job drained me. But enjoy I hope yall like it, if not also lmk you hate it🗿 okay byee love youu
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tags:
@slvtiny @pandoora-the-pink-goth @pearltinyy
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