#what is the opposite of a downfall

[libraryboy]

i'm existing purely to spite people now i will not lie

[tiredqueermushroom]

The relationship between the Prime Deities and the Betrayers is so interesting, especially when examined through the lens of grief.

One side mourning the loss of their home, running and building a new home. With new life and hope, in hopes of honouring what they had lost. And recreate that feeling of home.

Vs

The other mourning and carrying that loss with them, being defined by their grief. Viewing the world they're siblings created as nothing but a mockery that spits on the memories of home. Their true home.

[thequeenofmyownscreen]

"- Will this world hold ? - This world has held being remade before. - And those who live upon it ? - If they're strong, they will. If not, they'll be remade into something stronger."

Huuuuuuuuuuh I don't see how THAT is a good thing, Ashton

[maddymoreau]

Thinking about how Benny no longer covering his trail is what leads to courier six having enough evidence to give to Swank:

Comic: https://imgur.com/gallery/dYFAz

[fujii-draws]

hey fujii do you wanna hear about a silly little thing i thought of earlier. so you know how in red/blue rescue team, eevee used to be in the "naive" category, whereas in explorers of sky, it's in the "jolly" category? it made me think about ribbons, specifically because of how the rescue team personality test describes the naive trait.

in rescue team, the naive type is described to be someone whos highly curious, and someone who likes rare things. their cheerful and carefree make everything fun for the people around them, but they also have the flaw of being childish, never sitting still, and always being on the move. (it also says that they might be selfish but i dont see that applying to ribbons tbh..)

it seems so oddly fitting for ribbons because her personality does show those traits in particular. she's a silly little thing and her bright cheery personality, and she is childish to some extent. and of course, can't forget her curiosity. especially with how curious she got when it came to dusknoir. and of course, we can't forget about the *actual* definition of naive. naivety in the sense of choosing to believe that dusknoir, despite how his aura flared with malice, bared no ill intent. to think that someone who is so great, so wise, so kind and caring could ever be capable of shattering her world apart.. that was naive. because she believed he was what she thought he was, and because it was her naivety that nearly got her and aimilios killed. you'd think she'd have learned from the drowzee incident where two kids displaying trust in a spur-of-the-moment stranger who coincidentally showed them kindness in their misfortune was a mistake, but i suppose that's what being a naive little child does to you.

(anyways im sorry if this sounds incoherent and out of the blue. have a good day)

DONT YOU DARE APOLOGIZE FOR THIS. THE JOLLY AND NAIVE NATURES FIT MY GIRL SO WELL. (Unhinged rant in tags)

[winterstaryu]

I said something that could have been interpreted as mean literally 3 days ago and I still can't stop thinking about it

[mosscrab]

mgsv has so many literary references to books i have essays abt it kind of makes me.

[fideidefenswhore]

After 1536 the only bard to comment on affairs of state with any regularity was Lewys Morgannwg, who as unofficial poet laureate continued to praise Henry for his imperial qualities as the heir of Brutus and a second Charlemagne, and (in an allusion to the laws of 1534) for disciplining the unruly Welsh for their own good. The opportunistic poet who before the break with Rome had honoured the monastic vocation in an ode to the abbot of Neath now commended the king for suppressing the corrupt monasteries, and yet he did not entirely abandon his attachment to the traditional faith. After the fall of Anne Boleyn, who is held responsible for promoting the 'new religion', Lewys denounced her as a second Alice Rowena, whose corruption had betrayed the kingdom of the Britons in 'the treachery of the long knives.' In the same poem the king is urged to prefer local men before Englishmen of low breeding to high offices, for the sake of security and contentment of the realm.

British Consciousness and Identity: The Making of Britain, 1533-1707, edited by Brendan Bradshaw, Peter Roberts

[inkdrinkerworld]

hi! i saw you were taking requests for post prison spencer, so hey

i was thinking about spencer meeting a kinda sunshine reader, and it’s like…love at first sight. she’s literally the one to make him smile for good

feel free to add your magic to it, and to ignore it, don’t feel pressure at all!

have a good day/night <3

babe you guys are saving my life with these requests right now! I'm feeling so good about everything I write again <3 enjoy sunshine!reader x post prison!spencer who looks less tense and serious around you

You’re at his desk, sitting there all perfect in your orange button up and flared pants, Mary Janes clicking on the linoleum tile as you tap your pen against your lips. Your hair is scraped back into a ponytail, the plait brushing the spot between your shoulder blades. 

Spencer had asked about you to Penelope, asked about your personality, about how you work- all the important things. What he didn’t ask was if you were gorgeous and Penelope, who loves to divulge, had never said a thing about your looks. 

“Hi, you’re Y/n right?” Spencer’s standing before you, not realising how intimidating he must look till you jolt in your chair. 

You’d been trying to get your morning crossword and read in before the day had officially begun, a habit you’d been trying to keep up with since you started the job. So far it’s been going- the crosswords are boring so you have to pretend to be distracted by it to let it last a bit more than four minutes.

“Oh sorry, I am. You’re Doctor Spencer Reid,” you lean back in your chair, not bothering to hold out a hand to you. Penelope had grilled you on his aversion to germs and touching people more than needed. “I’m sorry about taking over your desk, but they didn’t have any free ones.” 

Spencer shakes his head, you take a moment to look him over. His hair is a bit looser than you’d imagined, Penelope said curly hair and you’d thought tight spirals- he has pretty loose ringlets, dark and mocha-like.

He smells like leather and something else, maybe plum and black currant- it’s a bit of an all encompassing smell that you like already. He’s much prettier too, he looks tired, but still pretty. His stubble presents a problem, you know it’s going to be your downfall. 

“It’s alright, we keep a tight ship. Have they been treating you well?” 

You tilt your head, “The team or the unsubs? Because it’s been too many cases to have real team building.” You grin when Spencer huffs, making his lips twitch. “But I think getting concussed while saving Newbie’s ass counts for something.” 

Luke grumbles as he walks by with his coffee, “You were hired after I was,” patting Spencer on the back when the taller, lithe, man rolls a chair to sit opposite you. 

“Do you still experience headaches or migraines?” Spencer kicks himself when he sees your tongue poke into your cheek- you’re trying hard not to smile at his question. He also thinks he’s doing a shoddy job of flirting but that can be fixed- he’s been in prison for the last three months, he just needs to get back in the swing of things. 

“I’m pretty sure your first official day back starts with you in Emily’s office and not giving me an impromptu physical, Dr. Reid.” His lips twitch again, cheeks jumping as he shakes his head. 

“It’s just a check-up, no physical yet.” he stands, not really giving himself time to overthink what he’s just said. It’s more than a little presumptuous on his part but you don’t call him an asshole or swear at him, so he thinks he’s okay with it. 

“Do you want your desk back, Spencer?” you’re earnest in asking, not wanting to fuck up his routines and his norm. You can tell you like him already and it’s hardly been a fifteen minute conversation. 

“No, it’s okay. I’ll take the one right there.” Spencer points a finger to the desk right in behind yours with a little less severity to his lips, his stubble looking even more attractive as he does so. 

You watch him walk away, willing yourself to be professional about all this, he may be hot but he’s your coworker and you know all about close proximity relationships possibly being shams. You’re not here for that, so Spencer will be a good friend. 

You make your way into the kitchen, steps light as you reach for your mug- a cute blue mug with an orca as the handle. 

“So you come in and the kid’s already obsessed with you?” Rossi’s right beside you, making you jump as you put more than the recommended amount of tablespoons of coffee into your mug. 

“It’s not like that, you all made him out to be this awkward shy mess and he isn’t.” You try to sound as casual as you can, but you profile your own voice and know how it sounds to everyone- wistful. 

“Maybe he’s seen a pretty girl and the ‘awkward shy mess’ melted away,” Rossi places his hands on your shoulders. “He’s a good kid. You can trust in that.” 

You roll your eyes, stirring your coffee. “I’m pretty sure he’s in his thirties, Rossi.” You take the milk from him, pouring it in till your coffee is just at the lip of your mug and smile. “Definitely too old.” 

Rossi waves his hand, “I’ve been married four times, old isn’t a marker for romance anymore. Not when you’re only twenty four.” He leaves you be for a moment, and on your walk back to your desk to fill out the remaining crosswords you mull over his words. 

As you sit, you look down and find it all filled out in black ink, opposed to your blue and you know who did it, if the messy scrawled message is anything to go by- ‘You should get The Washington Post puzzles, much more stimulating.’

[burst-of-iridescent]

the thing with zuko and azula that people, specifically azula stans, seem to forget is that they are intentionally and specifically characterised in opposition to each other.

i keep seeing discourse about how azula deserves a redemption arc & even leaving aside the fact that a) saying someone “deserves” a redemption defeats the purpose of what redemption is and b) there was no space in the original show for azula to redeem herself anyway, azula could not have been redeemed because part of her narrative purpose is to be a foil to zuko.

zuko and azula are each the metric against which the other’s evolution (or devolution) is measured, and it’s the striking disparity between their character arcs that makes said arcs as impactful as they are: the child who swallowed the poison vs the child who spat it out. the fire nation royal who perpetuated the cycle of violence vs the fire nation royal who broke it. the abuse victim who became an abuser vs the abuse victim who became a protector.

would zuko’s redemption have felt as satisfying and hard-won if we hadn’t seen in azula the alternate path he might have so easily gone down? would azula’s downfall have been as terrible and saddening if we hadn’t seen the possibility of a better future embodied in zuko?

thematically speaking as well, the fire nation royal family exists as a microcosm of the fire nation itself — the generational trauma and violence passed down from sozin to azulon to ozai to azula and zuko is symbolic of how the fire nation’s warmongering has turned inwards, back on itself, a self-inflicted wound that grows and festers and rots until they’ve destroyed themselves just as much as they’ve destroyed the world. but where zuko represents a way out — hope for healing, for peace, for an end to the self-destructive nature of war — azula represents the cost of that war, the damage that can never be undone, the danger of remaining mired in an ouroboros, forever the snake that bites its own tail.

a version of the show where both zuko and azula redeem themselves together would have lost the grave, sobering impact of that message: that getting out as zuko did is the exception, not the norm, because the system in which they exist is built to be a trap. and even when that system is dismantled, the destruction it’s wrought cannot be fully erased.

the point of zuko and azula’s story lies in its inherent juxtaposition: there was never going to be room for both of them to rise or even fall together, not in the world in which they were raised and the virtues it extolled. and it’s because zuko exists as who azula could have been and azula exists as who zuko might have been, that their individual arcs are so powerfully poignant, and their relationship so infinitely tragic.



[catxfisher]

Just the tip

One Shots about our favorite Adult trio and Y/N in different "Just the tip" scenarios.

Illumi Zoldyck

Her fingers dug into the soft black T-shirt as she gently pushed her hips over his lap. She tried to look into his dark eyes while he tried to avoid her gaze. He knew he couldn't say no when he looked into her beautiful, large eyes. "Please Illumi, just the tip, please..." Damn, now he had looked up. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and the first tears were already welling up in her eyes. She was absolutely enchanting in his eyes. And it was difficult for him to deny her a wish. But they had already talked about it and had come to the conclusion that it just wasn't quite right yet. She wanted to pursue her job as a Hunter for a few more years and, above all, consolidate her relatively new relationship with him before she started planning a family. And it was universally known that "just the tip" never remained "just the tip". And her opinion on the whole child topic as well as the fact that they had run out of condoms and were not using any other form of contraception, was making his life really difficult right now.

But what was he supposed to do when she was sitting in his lap and literally begged him to give her "just the tip"? She was just so damn horny and he found it so hard to stand firm. And maybe he just rolled his eyes and grumbled something quietly to himself that sounded a lot like "needy brat". But deep down he just wanted to throw all resistance overboard, because for him there was no better idea than to finally pump her full until her belly was round and her breasts were heavy and full of milk. He just wanted to give free rein to his breeding kink, which never was allowed to see the light of day until now. His otherwise emotionless dark eyes now seemed almost to blaze as they fell on her full lips, which were slightly parted and from which soft gasps escaped while she was still grinding against him. Faster than she had thought possible, he had rolled her over until her back was pressed against the soft sheets and he was on top of her. He slipped his hand under the old T-shirt she used to sleep in and found two things. Firstly, no underwear and secondly: "You're so wet, love." It was impossible for her not to moan softly as his fingers slid between her pussy lips and teased her lightly. "Want my cock that bad?" She nodded frantically and pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she watched him sliding his jogging bottoms halfway down his thighs, freeing his cock. She couldn't stop her mouth from watering when she finally got to see it. Long and grithy with a slight curve to reach each of her spots perfectly. Drops of pre had formed at his tip, which was already slightly reddened. He pushed her thighs apart to create more space between her legs for himself and also pushed up the t-shirt to finally get a glimpse of what would eventually be his personal downfall. His long, slender fingers travelled back up her thigh to her centre to make sure she was ready for him. But she needed no further preparation. She was so wet that he could see her juices wetting not only the inside of her thighs, but also the bed sheets beneath her. His fingertips brought whimpers to her lips, begging again for more. And he gave her exactly what she wanted from him. The tip of his cock, swollen and reddened and leaking, rubbed against her entrance while he played with her clit. He threw his head back and couldn't suppress the deep humming in his chest. Meanwhile, she moaned loudly and tried to push herself away from the bed and get closer to him to finally have him where she longed for him. His hand gripped her hip and held her in place so that she couldn't move any further. "Stay still," he mumbled softly. But he only achieved the opposite. She braced herself against his hand and tried to push him away so that he would finally come closer.

"So impatient, love." His gaze was fixed on her expression. The way her lower lip was pushed forward because he hadn't yet given her what she wanted. The single tear that ran down her cheek. He didn't even realise that she had wrapped her long legs around his hips and crossed them at her ankles. His cock slid deeper into her and the soft exclamation of his name was like music to his ears. He thrusts into her gently and listened to the soft sounds that escaped her. She was so needy today that the knowledge that only he could provide her with this kind of satisfaction made him feel warm inside. "What me to fuck you that bad love?" he asked. A nod and a few gasping breaths were all she could say in reply. And who was he to deny her that wish. A cry escaped her as he sank completely inside her with one hard thrust. He was so incredibly deep that she felt him push against her cervix. He found a hard and fast rhythm with which he buried himself in her again and again. He watched as her eyes rolled back and her hands eached around until they found his shoulders and grabbed onto them to find some sort of support and brace herself for his pace. He felt her literally suck him in, her warm walls gripping him and making it difficult for him to pull back.

It was unrestrained. Just reduced to lust and her urges. Messy. Without a condom. She could see it in his eyes, just as he could see it in hers. There was no coming back from this. For both of them, there was no better feeling than this. Without a barrier, skin on skin. He knew that he would never again be able to live without letting his bare cock slide in and out of her warm cunt raw. As quickly as they had brought up "just the tip", they had also thrown it out the window. Forgotten as soon as he fucked her on purpose. Buring his shaft inside of her right down to the hilt. All caution was lost in their lust and need to feel each other and listen to his name slide over her lips again and again like a mantra as her pussy pulsed around him and seemed to literally suck him in. He watched as her back lifted off the bed and her body shook as her orgasm swept over her. "Fuck, shit...!" Illumi closed his eyes as he felt her almost milking him and he tried to penetrate her as deeply as he could. He felt the distinct tugging in his stomach and heard the roaring in his ears that showed him that he was ready too.

The thought of pulling out kept coming back to him and he was determined to maintain at least some semblance of control. Because at least one of them had to remain rational and think about how they had come to an agreement. But no matter how good the arguments were to pull out, it couldn't beat the feeling of finally fucking her without protection. Her lewd noises grew louder and louder as the grip on her hips tightened and the rhythm of his hips became uneven, turning her first orgasm into a second. A hiss escaped him as he tried to fight the stuttering of his hips and pull out. But her pussy just felt too good and while inside him his breeding kink was still fighting against the good reasons of pulling out, she finally made the decision for him. The grip of her legs tightened, not letting him back off, keeping him exactly where her lust-fuelled brain wanted him: Between her legs and deep inside of her. A long drawn-out "fuck" escaped him and echoed through the room while he could no longer prevent his own orgasm from overtaking him and allowing his sperm to flood her pussy.

Hisoka Morow

She had agreed to accompany him to the event. Her job was just to look nice next to him, smile nicely and make small talk. And she totally regretted going along with it. There were a lot of older gentlemen at this event, who lost interest in her after a few lecherous glances and brief exchanges of phrases as soon as they realised she was here with the crazy magician. She couldn't blame them, really. She could feel the fear spreading through the men as soon as they realised. And it was justified, Hisoka was dangerous. Still, she was disappointed. Without anyone to talk to, she was bored to death. She wasn't close to the few people present who were her age and not that afraid of Hisoka. She had discovered members of the Phantom Troupe and Illumi too. But she didn't have a point of contact to engage them in conversation and they were more interested in talking to Hisoka and didn't give her more than a few quick glances. So she sat next to Hisoka and was bored.

She tried to occupy herself for a while by trying to recognise patterns in the tablecloth in front of her or by counting the tiles on the floor. But she didn't last long before her eyes wandered around the crowded room again, longing for something to do. Hisoka didn't pay any attention to her either. He was far too engrossed in the conversation with Chrollo and Illumi, who had the seats opposite them at the table. She knew that she had to do something if she didn't want to be stuck here. And she knew a method that would definitely help her to lure Hisoka away from this event and get him home. And to get her plan rolling, she first took a quick trip to the toilet, only to return to her seat next to Hisoka just a few minutes later.

She slid her hand under the table onto Hisoka's thigh. She felt the muscles under her fingers tense up for a moment, only to relax again shortly afterwards when he realised that she was merely drawing small, random shapes on his thigh. With her fingertips, she felt the muscle strands of his leg, which were still rock hard even though he was sitting completely relaxed next to her. Her fingers travelled upwards from his knee before pausing halfway up and then finding their way to the inside of his leg. She let her fingertips circle there too before placing her entire palm on his leg. With gentle pressure, she caressed his thigh before venturing further and further up. Her fingertips brushed against his crotch and after a short wait, she dared to slide her hand further until it covered him completely. She could see Hisoka watching her out of the corner of his eye, but without interrupting the conversation with the other two men. She gave him a slight smile that spread into a grin as he sank further into the chair, spreading his legs wider to give her more room. Her hand quickly found a comfortable position as she slid it over his crotch again and again, feeling him slowly harden beneath her. Only a short time later, her fingers slid a little further up until she found the button and zip of his trousers and undid both.

Her hand slipped under the fabric. Now only separated from him by his boxer shorts. As she continued to massage him, she could see him swallowing hard and his breathing was a little faster than usual. If you weren't paying close attention, you wouldn't notice, but she had a feeling for him. She heard the slight excitement in his tone as he spoke to the other two because his words came out a little more stretched. He was telling them about a fight he had coming up in the arena and she chose that moment to slip her fingers under the elasticated waistband of his boxers and finally feel his hot and hard cock for real. Her fingers slid over the soft head, catching the drop of pre that had formed and rubbing him in agonisingly slow strokes. She could feel it pulsating as she continued to massage him. She knew him well enough by now to know that it wouldn't be long before he came into his boxer shorts. And probably to avoid that, Hisoka's own hand slid under the table and grabbed her wrist to pull her away. She allowed it, but before he had a chance to straighten his clothes back under the table, she placed her hand over his and guided it to her own thigh. Just a moment later, she had navigated his hand even further until his fingers were under her dress. The cool satin fabric was a stark contrast to her naked and hot centre. She had taken off her panties in the bathroom so that he now met her pussy lips, wet with her own juices. She bit the inside of her cheek to stifle the slight moan that escaped her as his fingertips finally made their way to her entrance. She gripped his wrist tightly and thrust her hips forward as she pushed his hand towards her centre until two of his fingers finally entered her. She couldn't stop her soft walls from tensing and pulsing as she finally felt something of him inside her. She pushed her hips towards him in small circular movements, holding his hand until she had the feeling that he wasn't going to pull away. Only then did she push her own hand back into his boxer shorts and grasped his cock as tightly as her pussy was gripping his fingers.

Faster than she could react, Hisoka had stood up, pulled her to her feet and positioned her in front of him. At the same time, he turned to the two men, who looked at the couple in surprise: "You'll excuse us for a moment, we have to go and say hello to someone." Before the others had a chance to reply, Hisoka had already pushed her out of the hall in front of him and only stopped at a door down the corridor. He yanked the door open, pushed her inside and then closed the door again behind him. She didn't even have time to look at the room before he had turned her around and pinned her against the door. "Fuck Pet, be good and let me come," he murmured softly as he pressed his lips to the sensitive spot under her ear. She couldn't suppress the smile that spread across her face as she thrusts her hips towards him. "I didn't stop you, did I? You could have come then and there at the table." She could sense that he was getting really desperate, chasing towards his orgasm the way he was grinding against her thigh. "Not in my boxers, you know what I want" he was still panting against her ear. His breathing quickened by now. "How could I, you'll have to tell me Hisoka." Her hand slid between their two bodies, freeing him from the last piece of disturbing fabric before her fingers closed around him again. "I need your pussy, darling. Need to feel you around me, want to pump you full so the old peeping geezers here know you're mine." With slow movements, her thumb circled his slit, playing with the soft head before she pumped him again in slow movements. She savoured his throbbing, the slight desperation she could hear in his voice. "Why should I let you? You ignored me the whole evening and I was bored. You promised me a nice evening and you didn't deliver. So do you really think you deserve my pussy?" Soft moans reached her ears as he thrust his hips towards her to at least urge her to move faster. But she took her time. They both knew very well that he could actually take what he wanted, as he was much stronger than she was. But she had him wrapped around her little finger and made him do what she wanted. "Just the tip Y/N. Please, just the tip, that's all I want." He pressed light kisses on her neck and her collarbone. His warm breath stroked her skin as he gasped "Please" over and over again. She pushed him away from her to turn her back to him. Her fingers dug into the soft fabric of her dress as she pulled her skirt up so that it billowed around her hips. She spread her legs and leaned forward to finally give him a glimpse of her pussy. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she caught his dilated pupils and flushed cheeks. "Okay, just the tip and then at home you'll fuck me properly." She had barely finished the sentence before he had bridged the distance between them and penetrated her with the thick head of his cock. "Anything you want darling," he gasped as the tightness of her pussy mesmerized him and he poured himself inside her.

She had won.

Chrollo Lucilfer

He knew he had to have her the first time he laid eyes on her.

That day, he had sneaked through the dark alley, looking for someone connected to his next coup. She had walked past him in her white dress with a pretty smile on her face. She was so radiantly beautiful, like a bright light in his darkness. And he couldn't get her out of his head. So he did what he did best. Gathered information and hunted her down to make her his. And so he met her again. He had found out that she was a guest at a charity event organized by one of York New's wealthiest persons.

He had arrived before her, sat down at the bar and watched her descend the stairs. Her hair was artfully tied up and the red dress she was wearing made her shine. He wasn't the only one who had noticed her arrival. Both men and women around him eyed the beautiful young woman and he could hear the murmuring and whispering that went through the crowd. When she made her way to the bar after a while and a few rounds of small talk, he saw his chance. He immediately engaged her in conversation, which was not difficult for him. He was charming and had been told many times before that he had a way with his words. And Y/N was glad that someone had finally approached her who wanted to have a conversation with her that went beyond mere small talk and the exchange of meaningless phrases. Someone who wasn't just interested in her money. Oh, if only she knew what he really wanted from her... She was lively and talkative. And the more champagne glasses he handed her, the more trusting she became. He could probably have asked her for all the login details to her bank accounts and she would have given them to him. Instead, he listened to her as she confided in him about her life and suffering. Among other things, she told him about the upcoming wedding next week. That it had been planned by her parents and that she had only seen her future husband twice so far. That she was very much looking forward to her married life because she wanted to fulfill her duties as a daughter and wife to be conscientiously. She was a good girl who always followed the rules and wanted to make her family happy. Chrollo sensed that the alcohol was slowly making its effect. So he seized the opportunity. "Let's find a quieter room, love, then we can talk better," he suggested as she sipped her champagne. Without thinking twice, she nodded: "Yes, it's really very noisy here." He could hardly believe his luck at how trusting she was. He offered her his arm she smiled and as soon as she hooked her arm around his, he led her out of the ballroom and into one of the small guest rooms at the other end of the corridor.

While he closed the door behind them and locked it inconspicuously, she made herself comfortable on the bed. The alcohol had made her cheeks rosy and her beautiful eyes had become slightly glassy. The radiant smile still adorned her face as she waited for him to finally take a seat next to her on the bed. Slowly, and with a deliberate steps, he closed the distance. The mattress gave way slightly beneath them as he sat down. He leaned his back into the soft pillows and made himself comfortable. The soft laughter that rang out next to him sounded like the most beautiful melody to him. "Tell me more, love," he asked her. And so she made herself comfortable next to him and talked about her upbringing, her childhood and her pets, and then again about the man she was going to marry next week. As she talked, Chrollo listened attentively and casually let his hand wander over her thigh. She only paused her story for a moment before blessing him with her radiant smile again. The way she spoke so passionately, using her hands to paint the picture for Chrollo and how relaxed she sat by his side, made his heart lose its rhythm and it skipped a beat for a moment before he could regain his composure. "I'd like a nice house, it doesn't have to be big but cozy with a little garden where I can grow some vegetables. And then maybe..." She couldn't finish the sentence. Because in a split second he had sat up and turned towards her, then he had already pressed his lips to hers.

Her eyes widened in surprise and she slid her hands between their bodies until she could rest them on his chest. She tried to push him away, but he was stronger than her and didn't give in. But when he held her face with both hands and gently caressed the soft skin of her cheek, she no longer wanted to push him away. She found herself enjoying the gentle kiss. She thought he was a nice and attentive man. And she also found herself wishing that he was the man she would marry. She would like to live with him by her side. A happy life. Images of a shared house with a garden flitted before her inner eye. Maybe a dog, definitely three children. She hesitantly returned his kiss, opening her mouth willingly when the tip of his tongue tapped against her lower lip. She allowed his hands to wander down from her face, his lips following them until they paused at a point just below her earlobe. A shiver ran through her as he pulled the soft skin between his lips. She felt like she was getting goose bumps. She wanted to look, but her body no longer seemed to obey her. Instead, she tilted her head, giving him more space to caress her neck.

She allowed his hand to close around her breast and when he began to knead it lightly, she leaned towards him eagerly. It felt so good. No one had ever touched her like this before and she liked the slight tingling sensation that ran through her body. She liked it so much that she could become addicted and above all didn't want him to stop. So she leaned towards him, pressing herself against him until he pushed the straps of her dress off her shoulders and the soft fabric billowed around her hips. He pushed her into the pillows and climbed over her until his hips found their place between her legs. His mouth never left her body, but he moved lower. So deep that he could suck her nipple between his lips. She knew she was supposed to stop him. Knew she shouldn't be doing this. She wanted to save herself up for the husband she would have next week. But it just felt too good. And when he bit down lightly, she could no longer suppress the moan of his name. He smiled at her as he let go of her breast and shortly afterwards went for the other nipple. Heat gathered in her belly and when he took one hand to gently knead the free breast, her lower body twitched. Her abdomen collided with him and she felt a hardness between his legs that hit that one spot perfectly, sending lightning bolts through her body. She moaned his name again and clung to him. She didn't know if she was trying to push him away or if she was pulling him even closer. All she knew was that she didn't know how this all worked, but it felt too good to stop him. Besides, she wasn't even married yet, she tried to justify the behavior to herself.

She felt his hips pick up her pace, rutting against her. His lips let go of her breast, releasing her nipple with a soft pop. He straightened up on his knees and looked at the young woman beneath him. Her hair had begun to come loose and her hands had moved to her breasts to cover them. She was even more beautiful in his eyes. He knew that the sight was etched in his mind forever. His fingers closed around the hem of her dress, pulling at it, and she helped him take it off by lifting her hips. She was now lying there in just her panties, while he was still fully clothed. He seemed to be able to tell from her face that this bothered her a little and added to her insecurity. So he slowly undid button after button of his shirt until he let it slide off his shoulders and onto the floor. Then his fingers slid down his muscular torso until he came to a stop at his belt. She watched as he undid it and then slipped out of his pants. He stood in front of her in just his boxer shorts, his bulge prominent. He was long and thick, she could tell from the outline. He seemed like calmness personified as he stood there smiling at her.

She knew what that meant. That he wanted to have sex with her. And as much as she liked that tingle inside her, she knew it was something that couldn't happen. She couldn't let herself be tainted like that. She wanted to go into marriage as a virgin, the way girls like her should. Untainted and pure. He could see worry darkening her eyes. Her doubts were clearly written on her face. She sat up, scrutinizing the wicked grin on his face. "Chrollo, you know we can't do this. We can't go all the way." Her voice small as she looked at him through her lashes. She now had her arms crossed in front of her chest and looked so incredibly vulnerable. The innocence she radiated made his cock throb with excitement. "Don't worry, love. That's not what I want" he murmured softly as he climbed back into bed and over her. "There's another option." Her eyebrows drew together, irritation spreading across her face. "Huh?" He knew she didn't know any better. That she would believe what he would tell her next. "Yeah, if I just put the tip in, then it doesn't count," he whispered softly in her ear as he lavished kisses on her neck. Sucking the sensitive skin between his lips again. "It doesn't count?" she asked, still confused. She'd never heard of it before, but she hadn't heard much on the subject in general and had no idea what the options and possibilities were. "Exactly," he confirmed, reaching for the elastic of her panties and sliding them down her legs. She was now completely exposed in front of him. And as he looked at her, she came to the conclusion that he was probably right. He knew his way around better than she did. And he was a nice man, she had no reason not to believe him. "But it'll only be the tip, right?" She wanted him to confirm it again. That he recognized how important it was for her to maintain this status of untouchedness. He looked her firmly in the eyes and smiled at her: "I promise you, my love." After she nodded once more, she watched him take off his boxers. His hard cock slapped against his stomach. Undressed like this, he seemed even bigger. But he was pretty, she hadn't expected that. The head was slightly pink and she could see a drop of liquid glistening at its tip in the light of the room. His fingers slid up her thighs until he touched her pussy lips and felt the wetness that had formed between her legs. Then he moved even higher, massaging her clit and eliciting a moan from her. It felt so incredibly good.

He slid closer to her and then gripped the base of his cock. He navigated it between her legs and lips. He let it slide up and down a few times until it was thoroughly covered with her wetness. She couldn't suppress the string of moans that escaped her. She couldn't understand how it could feel so good when he wasn't even inside her yet and had really started. In the next moment, his tip penetrated her, was practically sucked in by her. A deep moan escaped him as he held the position, just the tip. If just one of them moved a little, he would slide out again. She had thrown her head back and her eyes were closed. Her lips were parted as soft sighs escaped her. "Just the tip Chrollo" she managed to gasp. He began to slide the tip in and out and it felt incredible. But he knew he couldn't leave it at that. She felt too good. He had to know what it was like when she completely enveloped him. He buried his head against her neck, kissing and licking the soft skin there. He knew he had to be clever about it. He had to make sure that she was completely overwhelmed by her lust. So his hand reached between them and he began to massage her clit. Meanwhile, he kept pushing in and out and with each thrust, he went a little deeper. It was barely noticeable, so slow that she only felt it when he was halfway inside her and the burning sensation she felt intensified with every second. "You promised it would be just the tip," she gasped as he continued to stimulate her clit. She knew that she should do something now, push him off her. But she just had to admit to herself that it felt too good to do anything now. The feeling was overwhelming, but he was so unbelievably big that it brought tears to her eyes with every further thrust. His head was still buried against her neck, soft moans and sighs stroking her skin. He had never felt anything that felt so good. She wasn't his first, not by a long shot. But none of the women before had stirred up lust in him this much. She was so warm and so, so tight. "I can't stop, it feels too good love. But I'll make it up to you, okay?" He breathed feather-light kisses on her swollen lips. With another thrust, he buried himself completely inside her, driving all the air from her lungs. "I'll put a ring on your finger," he promised too dazed by the veil of lust. "Okay," she gasped. She had only half realized what he had said and she didn't even care anymore. A knot was forming in her abdomen and it was the best thing she had ever felt. And while he never stopped playing with her clit, she began to push herself against his every thrust, meeting him halfway. This allowed him to thrust even deeper into her. His tip bumped against her cervix each time. His previously styled hair now fell loose in his face as he threw his head back. His pace increased and she couldn't stop her eyes from falling shut as the knot tightened. His name rolled off her lips in a continuous loop of moans and the next moment the knot burst. His hips didn't pause as her orgasm rolled over her and only one thought occupied her mind at that moment: it was worth it. This feeling that had taken over her whole body was worth no longer being considered untouched and not starting her marriage as a virgin. She didn't care that someone might find out and what the consequences might be.

His pace seemed to increase even more, even though she hadn't thought that was possible. Then his hips stuttered and she felt a warmth spread through her. He came inside of her. But even that no longer interested her when she caught a glimpse of his peaceful and almost blissful face. He stayed like that above her for a moment, peppering her face with kisses. Then he rolled off her and slid into the sheets beside her. His gaze wandered over her form. She smiled at him, her cheeks still flushed. There were many small marks on her neck and chest that he had left behind. His gaze slid further, between her legs. Her pussy reddened and his cum flowed out of her. Another image of her that he would never forget. He hadn't intended to come inside her, but he hadn't been able to resist in that moment.

[iamgonnagetyouback]

𝟷.𝟽𝚔 || 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐓

♡ ︎ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: Romeo and Juliet had nothing on you and Jess Mariano.

♡ ︎ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: None

♡ ︎ꜱʜɪᴘ: Jess Mariano x reader

The small bell above the diner door jingled, signaling your arrival at Luke’s Diner. As you stepped inside, you caught sight of Jess Mariano slouched in his usual booth, a dog-eared book in his hands. His dark eyes flicked up just briefly from the pages before returning to whatever literary masterpiece he was engrossed in.

You and Jess had a thing. Well, not officially. Not that anyone was thrilled about the prospect of it becoming official, except maybe you. You were supposed to be the sweet, well-liked girl in town—the one who got along with everyone, including Rory Gilmore, who always threw daggers your way every time you were caught within a ten-foot radius of Jess.

Lorelai wasn’t any better. She’d never been particularly subtle, and her dramatic sighs whenever she spotted you two talking were enough to fill a whole novel themselves. And Luke? Well, Luke had his usual I’m going to throttle my nephew expression on his face.

It wasn’t like Jess was helping to ease anyone’s concerns, either. If anything, he seemed to enjoy the chaos. He lived for the thrill of rebellion, the undercurrent of defiance. And you? Well, you were getting a kick out of it, too.

You slid into the booth opposite him, the vinyl squeaking under your jeans as you gave him a once-over. “Hey, Romeo,” you said, leaning forward. “What tragic tale of doomed love are we reading today?”

Jess’s lips quirked up, his eyes still on the page. “Wuthering Heights,” he said dryly. “You know, to set the mood for our inevitable downfall.”

You grinned. “How fitting. Are we at the part where Heathcliff wrecks everything?”

Jess finally looked up, his gaze meeting yours. “Depends. Have you made up your mind to ruin my life yet?”

“Who says you’re not the one ruining mine?” you teased back, earning yourself a full smirk from him. His hand casually turned the page of the book, but his attention was clearly focused on you now.

Before either of you could continue, the door opened again, and in strolled Rory and Lorelai. Instinctively, you straightened, feeling the weight of their disapproval from across the room. They exchanged knowing looks, whispering between themselves, and Lorelai’s exasperated sigh wasn’t even the least bit subtle.

Jess rolled his eyes, leaning back in the booth. “Well, if it isn’t the Montagues.”

You chuckled softly under your breath. “Ignore them.”

“Hard to, when they’re so invested in our tragic demise.”

“Tragic?” You arched an eyebrow at him. “A bit melodramatic, don’t you think?”

He shrugged, his smirk growing. “Just quoting the classics. We are in a small town where everyone has an opinion, and they all seem to hate me. Shakespeare would’ve had a field day with this.”

“Oh, totally. You as Romeo, me as Juliet, and the entire town as the bloodthirsty Capulets.”

Jess’s gaze darkened slightly, his tone playful but serious beneath it. “You know how that ends, right? Double suicide, lots of crying, poetic last words.”

“Relax,” you said, laughing softly. “No one’s drinking poison or stabbing themselves here. We’re more of a modern adaptation. Happy endings.”

“If you say so, Cherry,” Jess said, leaning forward slightly, his voice a low murmur. The nickname slipped off his tongue with a casual ease that made your heart skip a beat. It had started as a joke, something to poke fun at your fondness for cherry-flavored candies. Now, it felt like a secret only the two of you shared, a reminder that he saw you differently from how everyone else did.

You smiled at him, leaning your chin on your hand. “I do say so, Romeo.”

“Speaking of star-crossed lovers,” he continued, “you planning on telling the entire town about us?”

“What about us?” you grinned, glancing around. “Besides, they’ve already made up their minds.”

“Of course they have,” Jess said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “It’s Stars Hollow. They hate me.”

“Not everyone hates you.”

“Really?” He gave you a sceptical look. “Name one person.”

“Michel doesn’t hate you,” you said, leaning back with a satisfied grin.

“Michel doesn’t care about anyone.”

“Exactly.” You smirked. “I talk to him about you all the time.”

Jess’s eyes lit up with intrigue. “You talk about me to Michel?”

“In French,” you replied nonchalantly, picking at the edge of your napkin. “It’s our little secret. So, even if the whole town thinks you’re the worst, Michel remains blissfully indifferent.”

“Lucky me,” Jess muttered, though his eyes gleamed with amusement. “So, what do you tell him? How much you adore me? How I’m your Romeo, destined to sweep you off your feet?”

You shrugged, playing coy. “Maybe.”

“I knew it,” he said with a grin, leaning in closer. “You’ve got it bad for me, don’t you?”

Before you could respond, Luke approached the table, wiping his hands on his apron and glaring down at Jess. “You bothering her?”

“Not at all,” Jess said smoothly, leaning back. “We’re just discussing the great literary works.”

“Right,” Luke deadpanned, clearly not buying it. “Well, whatever you’re discussing, don’t get any ideas.”

Jess raised his hands in mock surrender. “No ideas here, Uncle Luke. Just harmless banter.”

Luke shot you a look that said I know exactly what’s going on before walking away, mumbling something about young people and bad influences.

You turned back to Jess, who was watching you with that infuriatingly smug expression.

“You know,” you said, picking up the book in front of him and flipping through the pages. “For all your talk of tragedy, I think we’re more of a comedy.”

“Comedy?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “You’re sure about that?”

“Absolutely,” you nodded, meeting his gaze. “Everyone’s making a fuss, we’re keeping secrets, and at the end of the day, it all works out.”

“Is that so?” Jess tilted his head, his voice dropping slightly. “What makes you so sure?”

“Because,” you said, your smile softening as you looked at him, “no one dies in our story.”

Jess looked at you for a long moment, his expression unreadable before he finally chuckled softly, his defences melting ever so slightly. “Alright, Cherry. If you say so.”

“I do.” You leaned forward, mirroring his earlier movement. “Now, where were we?”

Jess smirked. “Oh, I think you know.”

Stars Hollow had never been one for keeping secrets. Gossip moved faster than a Gilmore Girl with coffee, and somehow, before you'd even realized it, everyone knew that something was going on between you and Jess Mariano. Well, everyone except you and Jess, apparently.

You leaned against the counter at the Dragonfly Inn, flipping through the latest book you had been unable to put down, your mind still half in the world of fictional characters and tragic romances. Michel was at his desk, typing with exaggerated annoyance.

“Il est agaçant (He is annoying),” you said in a hushed tone, eyes still glued to your book.

Michel barely looked up. “I assume you’re talking about the delinquent,” he replied, his accent as sharp as ever.

You sighed, a smile tugging at your lips. “Yes, of course. Who else?”

“I don’t get it,” you had said to Michel one afternoon as you sat at the reception desk. “Why is everyone so against him? They don’t even know him.”

Michel had waved a hand, unimpressed. “Parce qu’ils sont tous idiots." (Because they are all idiots.)

The bell above the door chimed, and you looked up to see Jess walk in, his usual smirk firmly in place.

“Hey, Cherry,” Jess greeted you, leaning against the counter casually.

You raised an eyebrow, fighting the smile that threatened to break free. “Mon cher Roméo (My dear Romeo),” you replied playfully.

Jess chuckled, glancing around the empty lobby. “Don’t tell me Lorelai or Rory have been by to lecture you again?”

“Oh, they have,” you said, rolling your eyes. “Apparently, I’m making a huge mistake.”

Jess shrugged, not offended but rather amused by the whole town’s reaction to him. “What can I say? I’m Stars Hollow’s favorite villain.”

“Maybe it’s time for a redemption arc,” you teased, pushing the book you were reading across the counter towards him.

He picked it up, scanning the title with mild interest. “Pride and Prejudice? Not exactly light reading.”

“Well, I have to keep up with someone,” you shot back, raising an eyebrow. “You know, the town’s resident bad boy with impeccable taste in literature.”

Jess smirked. “Impeccable, huh? High praise, Juliet.”

You rolled your eyes. “I just don’t get why everyone’s so obsessed with what we’re doing. It’s not like we’re… I don’t know.”

“In love?” Jess finished for you, his tone playful but carrying a hint of something more.

Your heart skipped a beat. “Yeah, that.”

Jess’s gaze softened for a moment, and the teasing smirk fell from his lips, replaced by something more serious. “Maybe they’re just jealous they’re not living in their own Shakespearean tragedy,” he said, his voice lower now.

You scoffed, trying to brush off the intensity of the moment. “A tragedy? Please. You and I both know we’re way too smart to fall into that trap.”

He leaned closer, his eyes never leaving yours. “Is that what you think, Cherry? That we’re too smart to end up like Romeo and Juliet?”

The reference wasn’t lost on you. It never was. Jess had this way of weaving literature into every conversation, turning something mundane into something more. And you knew what he was doing, teasing you, pushing boundaries.

You bit your lip, leaning in just a fraction closer. “I mean, I do prefer happy endings.”

Jess’s eyes flickered with something unreadable, and then he leaned back, the playful smirk returning to his lips. “Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Before you could say anything else, the door swung open again, and Lorelai walked in, her eyes immediately narrowing when she saw Jess.

“Oh, great,” she muttered. “Romeo and Juliet. How fitting.”

You groaned inwardly. “Lorelai…”

But she wasn’t listening. She marched over, standing between you and Jess, arms crossed. “Jess, don’t you have a book to brood over somewhere else? Preferably far away?”

Jess just raised his eyebrows, completely unfazed. “Nice to see you too, Lorelai.”

“Yeah, well, the feeling isn’t mutual,” Lorelai shot back, turning to you. “Seriously, you need to be careful with him.”

Jess glanced at you, and for a moment, there was something unspoken in his eyes—something that made your heart race. You knew he wasn’t going to push back against Lorelai, not right now. Instead, he gave you one last lingering look before turning to leave.

“See you later, Cherry,” he said softly, as he walked out the door.

Lorelai groaned once he was gone, turning back to you. “I really don’t get it. What do you see in him?”

You didn’t answer right away, your mind still on the way Jess had looked at you, the way your heart had skipped a beat when he called you Juliet. Maybe you were falling for him. And maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t such a bad thing.

“Je ne sais pas, (I don't know)” you muttered under your breath, catching Michel’s amused smirk from behind the desk.

But deep down, you knew.

Romeo and Juliet had nothing on you and Jess Mariano.

[ghostbsuter]

"What exactly are halfas?" Constantine asks, cigarette lit and leaning against the table.

They were in the justice league, having attended a meeting previously and now just lazed around.

Batman loses focus on his laptop screen and openly looks at the two, interested.

Green Lantern, Hal, jerks up at the question, looking between everyone still in the room and trying (and failing) to seem uninterested.

Zatara is glaring daggers at Constantine's back, eyes narrowed.

While flash had no context, having just arrived back with his food to sit with the rest, he appropriately tenses as well, from just one glance around the room.

Superman and Wonder woman aren't different from batman, not as discreet as some are trying to be and just staring at the two.

Slightly amused, Danny decided to entertain the question.

"Unlike ghosts and the undead, halfas are created and not born." He explains, looking at the man when he writes it down.

Who knew the infinity realm were this closed off that John Constantine had to get information from the source itself just to keep updated?

"Care to elaborate?"

Clicking his tongue, he does so.

"Halfas get created during extreme circumstances, it has to be right place, right time and correct amount of ectoplasm." Danny catches the lollipop that Batman throws at him, sending the bat a quick smile.

"Not everyone can become a halfa, our race is a rarity amongst the dead."Constantine raises a brow, pursing his lips. "There are only 3 of you right? Is that a normal amount in the realms?"

Another click. "No, thousands of years ago, when our kind reached its peak of over hundreds of people, Pariah Dark happened."

He briefly shares a glance with Martian Manhunter, he wonders if anyone here sent out a message of phantom story time? Why were they all lounging around?

"It was genocide. He killed off an entire species just because he felt threatened." He shrugs.

Constantine jolts, eyes clear as if he'd just connected the dots.

"So his downfall wasn't only because of rights of conquest but— the reason no one joined nor fought between you and the old King was because it was a revenge kill."

Danny ponders the words over, nodding. Yeah that sounds right.

"Many aren't surprised that Pariah Dark went berserk. It was kind of predictable, considering his soul was brought to the Infinity Realms after he'd died in the Phantom Zone as you know it."

Hal straightens up, Batman tenses and Diana leans forward.

"This previous King of yours– he was a past prisoner of Aethyr's Mind?"

The halfa nods, uncertain now that he'd stumbled upon unknown territory.

"Yes, the Phantom Zone and the Infinity Realms are sister spaces. Were you not aware?"

They were not, he quickly finds out.

Fumbling with his words, mind working overdrive as he sorts through information, he speaks again. "They are the two sides of the same coin, Phantom Zone being non-habitable while the Ghost Zone is filled with unalive."

He briefly struggles with his words, genuinely taken off guard with the lack of knowledge.

"Aethyr isn't just a being, but someone who is connected to the realm itself. Its similar to my position as King of the ghost zone." He summons his crown of ice to simple gesture.

"Besides! Phantom Zone, Zero Zone? Anti-infinite? That's literally the opposite of the Ghost Zone, the Infinite Realms!" he exclaims, throwing his hands up.

"Could you tell us more of your realm?" Superman asks, voice gentle and non threatening. "Some of us have been in the Phantom Zone, so hearing that there is a place being the complete opposite?"

The halfa nods in understanding. "Sure, why not?"

Three simple words yet everyone feels the trust put on them with such information.

"The entire realm is an ever shifting space, we categorise eith the sectors of each afterlife. From the Greeks to the Yetis and different eras."

—

(The tale of his realm lasts longer than expected, it is only when Hal started to get ready to leave does Danny address a certain area in his zone.

"The... Emerald Space is also a sector of the Infinity realm. The sector itself is formed in a sphere like form, we aren't sure what's inside since the fallen lanterns keep to themselves rather."

Hal froze, eyes catching the ghosts, and looked away again. He'd tell OA of this, but now he was going home.

Danny watched him leave and declared it down for now, free for more question the next time and left just as fast.

At least Constantine and Zatara can update their books now.)

[sttoru]

𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐔𝐒𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃 . . .

⟣ sypnosis. you’re fed up with your rich abusive husband and finally decide to hire a skilled assassin to get rid of him in secrecy. one night when you’re left alone in your penthouse, you invite the assassin named toji over to give him the money he’s demanded to accept the job. things turn for the worse when your husband comes home early that day and catches toji and you together.

⟣ note. eeek. never thought i’d be here to write this out but i did and it turned pretty detailed if i must say. hope u all enjoy and appreciate my hard work. feedback / comments are greatly appreciated ! if the fic does well, i can make an alternative ending that’s smutty :3 wc: 7.4k

⟣ tags. toji fushiguro x female reader. angst, comfort. themes include abuse. reader is in an abusive + toxic relationship with her husband. implied age gap with husband. implied size difference with toji. mentions of guns + blood + m.urder. knifes.

“what is a successful marriage?”

that is one of the many questions that keep you up at night. you’ve laid awake for hours on end ever since you’ve married your husband, in search for reasonable answers. you’ve got many of them sorted out, however that specific question is one left unanswered.

it is very subjective—many can vary about the concrete answer. but one thing you know for sure is that your marriage is the exact opposite of what ‘successful’ means.

you were so full of yourself. you didn’t realise that your pride would also be your downfall one day; you’d constantly brag about having a rich husband who gets you everything you wanted. you were too blinded by love—or actually—by his money to notice the real him. the real, twisted and manipulative face of the man you were determined to marry.

his name was daisuke. from the yamamoto family. a family known in japan for its generational wealth and the many buildings and famous corporations it owns. you’ve worked at one of those companies and had met daisuke whilst he was on a visit. you’ve heard about his image by the public; sweet, caring and apparently wouldn’t hurt a fly.

unfortunately, the true him matched none of those descriptions. the true him only you—his wife—came face to face with at your shared home. you remember when it started. when daisuke began to turn into a nasty, abusive man whose anger is never restrainable.

your dating years were nothing but a dream. or, maybe you were too gullible to notice the signs and red flags your then boyfriend was showing. his love bombing, the manipulation, the gaslighting—you didn’t know better. if you complained about a minor thing that he had done, daisuke would apologise by sending you lots of money and presents. toxic, isn’t it?

but you didn’t care. you were happy and content with that being your compensation. the money was the evildoer that made you lose all your morals. the teenage you who said that you’ll never put up with a man’s disrespect was long forgotten.

even now, 4 years later, you put up with his verbal and physical abuse just to continue staying in that big mansion you live in. to continue getting everything paid for you. to continue getting lots of money by doing nothing but be his wife—his trophy wife, at this point.

it’s an easy life; ‘all i have to do is get through his abuse and it’ll be just fine’, you tell yourself that every night. it’s the only thing keeping you sane—a coping mechanism of some kind.

however lately, daisuke’s never skipped a day without being abusive towards you. he’d enter your home yelling and shouting, complains about the tiniest speck of dust in the house (which is not even your fault, it’s the maids’), reminds you how worthless you are in his eyes and the list goes on. he sometimes gets physical and throws stuff at you, causing multiple bruises and cuts to appear on your body after he’s done having his daily tantrum.

he might even kill you one day. it’s scary to think about; if he would, he easily could. he could one day just decide to be done with you and stick a knife in your body, leave you to bleed out and then order one of his men to get rid of your corpse. just like his family does to whoever stands in their way of success. you don’t want to discover how many people your husband has killed.

daisuke can easily get away with murder after all—the law is nothing but a thing to exist to keep the common citizens in the government’s control. to the rich, it’s like those rules don’t exist. court? justice? the so called independent judge? nothing money can’t buy. after all, money is power. money is innocence.

after four years of sticking with that rich man, you were getting tired. you were staying with him for his wealth, but was it actually worth it? besides, if daisuke hates you so much, why wouldn’t he divorce you instead? you don’t have anything going for you. except for your looks and youth, probably. that’s the main reason why daisuke coaxed you into marrying him—to show you off during events or parties. a complete and utter trophy wife you are.

you’ve been going to sketchy bars lately to let off some steam. you weren’t even there to drink alcohol. the sole reason for attending pubs was to forget about your own situation. you’d get weird stares since you’re always alone, sitting in that one spot in the far corner, no one wanting to come up to you because of that gloomy aura you’re emitting. and because you’re always dressed modestly from head to toe—not an ounce of skin showing. it was all the opposite of what most people would normally look and act like in bars.

‘what is normal?’ also a subjective question. society has turned it into an objective one, however.

“good day, miss.” a deep voice had interrupted your thoughts one day whilst you were doing your usual routine; sit near the bar counter, get a non-alcoholic drink, stare at the table for hours and question your purpose in life before going home to the reason of your problems.

a man, probably in his late 30’s or early 40’s, sat next to you on an available stool. he nonchalantly ordered a drink before making small talk. it was a nice change of pace for some reason. you had asked him his name. it was shiu.

that stranger had kept you company for hours until a call from your husband made you snap back to reality; you had to be home as soon as possible. judging by daisuke’s tone, you were in big trouble.

you remember how shiu outed his concern for your well-being by pointing out the bruises on your arm which you didn’t even know were showing.

you dismissed his worries with a fake smile and told him it was nothing, quickly pulling your sleeve back down. shiu seemed to let the topic go, but before parting ways with you, he handed you his business card. you didn’t know what it was for—what kind of services he could offer;

“call that number if you need someone to get rid of your problems,” was all you got before the mysterious man walked away. you couldn’t shake off the emphasis on the word ‘rid’. it sent a shiver down your spine.

that sentence of shiu’s echoed in your ears as tears streamed down your cheek after you arrived home. you were in your personal bathroom, hands shaking as you put a bag of ice on your fresh bruise, the small red and blue-ish area stinging. once again—you couldn’t avoid your husband’s wrath.

after having slept for a mere two hours that day in your bathtub, you’ve awoken to an empty house. daisuke was gone for work. luckily for you.

you hastily grabbed the business card in your purse and dialled the number. staring at the card, you’d think it was some kind of house cleaning service. that’s the kind of vibe it gave. little did you know that it was far from that.

a few rings later and you heard the same familiar deep voice in your ear; “good morning. with shiu kong.”

your heart was beating in your throat as you couldn’t gather the right words to say. maybe it was due to the little voice in the back of your head that warned you for something—you couldn’t pinpoint what the specific cause was just yet.

you answered eventually, “hi. uhm, you said i could call this number if i needed someone to get rid of my problems.” you pause and inhale deeply, “wh-what if my problem was.. a person? would you…” your voice trailed off, but the implication could not be missed by anyone if they heard the tone you used.

shiu seemed to recognise your voice, though stayed silent for a second or two at your request. when he replied, it sounded like he had expected you to ask him this—like he’s heard this many times before; “certainly.”

that’s when you realised what you’ve gotten yourself involved with. you were sweating and you had trouble breathing as you realised that.. this was your chance. to get rid of that man called your husband. your abuser.

you had decided to take on that opportunity and that’s how you ended up getting a phone call from an anonymous number right after your talk with shiu. the agent hadn’t told you anything other than the name of the person who’d contact you; ‘toji’, and said that he’d help you further.

you stared at the ‘no caller ID’ on your screen. this was him: the person who’d help you get rid of your problem. you gulped before sliding your thumb across your mobile to answer the call.

“hi, good m—”

“location.”

the husky male voice cut through your introduction and got straight to the point. your lips were parted to answer the man whom you guessed was ‘toji’, but your breath got caught in your throat for a second. do you just randomly give your address to a stranger? was that okay to do? you didn’t know—no, you didn’t care. if you got killed in the process or something similar, that’d be way better than to live another day in hell with your husband.

you dropped your address after some hesitation and toji just added a quick, ‘be there in an hour or so,’ before hanging up on you.

fast forward to 50 minutes later and you were pacing back and forth in your living room, trying to breathe properly and not have a second panic attack. daisuke wouldn’t be home until noon, so at least he won’t see whoever will enter your mansion in a few minutes. and if there’s a possibility that you get killed by this stranger, you’re sure that your husband would be more than happy that the job was done for him.

a loud tune. the sound of your doorbell. normally, you’d find the short melody relaxing, but now it sounded like something out of a nightmare. you made your way to your intercom and looked at the small screen—seeing a tall black-haired man with a compressed shirt and beige baggy pants standing near the gates. that must be toji—the man you talked to an hour ago.

he must be confident in his abilities since he didn’t cover up his identity at all when coming all the way over here.

you press a button and the gates open with a buzz. toji disappears from the little screen as he enters your front yard. the screen fades to black and you’re left alone with a sense of dread in your stomach. that only lasted for a couple seconds since the doorbell of your front door goes off.

“c-coming!” your voice cracks. you make your way over to the entrance of your home and breathe in. you open the doors slightly, peeking through the gap at the tall, intimidating man standing before you.

toji was kicking a rock to the side whilst waiting and looked up when you opened the doors. he seemed laidback, as if this was nothing but child’s play to him, “took ya long enough.”

you were appalled as toji simply barged into your home like he owned it. his strong, masculine cologne wafted through the air as he passed you by without giving you a second to process his intrusion.

your shaky eyes followed his bulky figure—the muscles that bulged through his shirt, which tensed every now and then. his aura was no joke either; it was horrifying to someone whom didn’t even know who he was or what he exactly did for a living.

“phewww,” the dark-haired man let out a low whistle as his eyes scanned the interior of the entrance hall, shamelessly touching a few expensive looking decorations, inspecting the material, “pretty damn rich, ain’t ya? this y’r daddy’s money?”

you shake your head and close the door behind you, staying there in case you needed to run. you are still wary of this situation, even when you had been the one that started this all.

“h-husband’s.” your voice was a quiet whisper. toji raised an eyebrow and turned his attention towards you. his eyes scanned you from head to toe. you looked pretty young. a fragile little thing, is how he described you in his head.

“husband? you?” toji chuckles dryly, before stepping closer to you, his body towering over yours. he lowers his head and stares at you from up close, his hands in his pockets whilst wordlessly looking at you.

you swallowed a bit of saliva and glanced back at the big man whom belittled you twice in just a couple seconds. you fumbled with the sleeve of your hoodie as the silence grew deafening—the only sound being your own soft yet shallow breathing.

your fingers scratched at the bruises under the fabric of your clothes, causing the cloth to slightly crinkle and glide up a few centrimeters with each rub before coming back down once your fingers stop. the instant you start touching those bruises, the itching just wouldn’t stop.

toji noticed this and looked down at your arm. his eyes caught a small glimpse of a wound on your wrist, but he didn’t seem to comment on it. with a sniff, he straightened his back and cocked his head to the right—face cold again as he glared at you;

“do ya know what kinda stuff i do?” his voice was booming, the deepness to it making you shiver. you press your lips together and search for answer, only to find nothing;

“n-no, i mean—“ your itching increases the more nervous you felt, “th-the man who directed me to you said you’d explain things further. all i know is that you can get rid of uhm— a problem of mine.”

toji scoffs and mutters something incomprehensible under his breath about his ‘stupid agent letting him do all the work’ before turning around. he lazily walks ahead as if he had all the time he needed in the world. once arrived in your living room, the man plops down on your couch, spreads his legs and leans back against the cushions. he really acted like he owns this place.

“i’m not the type to beat around the bush, little lady,” toji starts whilst his eyes follow you as you nervously sat on the chair next to the sofa, “so i’m gonna get straight into it. and if ya back down after this or get too scared ‘n call the cops, unfortunately, y’r pretty ass gotta go.”

toji swipes a thumb across his neck to indicate what that latter meant; killed. you’re gonna get killed if you learn his real identity and decide to expose it to anyone, especially the police. you blinked your tears away whilst thinking of that possibility and shook your head, putting on a determined face. you need to take responsibilities for your actions. you were the one who started this.

“all right. i promise that i won’t back down.” you reply after getting yourself together. toji’s eyes had left yours for a second to look around the grand living room—as if inspecting for something—before settling back on you. he quickly exhales through his nose; leaning his head on his hand while his piercing gaze burned holes in your skin,

“i’m an assassin.” toji says in a bored tone. he’s done this little introduction to his job so many times before to clients who hire him in for the first time, “i kill people in exchange for money. so, ya basically hired me to get rid of someone ‘nd i’m here to collect the money and information i need to finish the job. got that?”

there it was. the confirmation you needed and got without an ounce of hesitation coming from the man in front of you. you had expected this outcome (from the many you created in your head), of course, thus you weren’t that surprised. yet the fact that you actually have a hitman in your house, someone who can easily kill your husband, still makes you nervous.

“yes, thank you.” you eventually replied and nodded, taking a deep breath to calm your nerves. you looked up at toji and this time it wasn’t in a nervous way. this time it was in a determined way. toji notices this change and the scarred corner of his lip curled into a smirk.

“how much. . . money do you want for this job?” you go straight to the point. the dark-haired man grins whilst scanning your figure up and down shamelessly, enjoying the confident look on you. it suited you better.

“depends. who is it that i gotta kill?” toji asks, using his thumb to crack his index finger. you look around as if anyone could hear you. you were sure that no one was there with you, no maids no bodyguards no husband, yet your anxiety was still at its peak.

“my husband.” you reply quietly and point at the big picture frame on the wall near the chimney. it was a picture of daisuke and you. you seemed happy there, but it was all for show. that photoshoot was simply for his benefit, “daisuke. daisuke yamamoto.”

toji raises his eyebrow and stares at the picture. he’s heard of that name before. it was mentioned many times in the articles he reads. the assassin stands up with a grunt and walks to the chimney, letting out a small hum like he was thinking about it. not about if he could get the job done—no, his pride told him he easily could—but about the amount of money he wanted to get out of this.

there was a silence before toji turns around on his heels and walks over to the couch again, plopping down on the soft cushions whilst propping his feet on the table in front of him, “around seven million yen will do.”

that was about 50.000 dollars.

your jaw slightly dropped. it’s not like you haven’t seen nor heard of such big numbers before, it’s just that it was a little unexpected. but then again; nothing you can’t afford. with your husband’s money. the same money that ruined your life, is going to be used as a weapon to save it.

daisuke’s own money is going to be the death of him. and you’re the one to guarantee that.

“all right. i can get you that in cash.” you nod idly. your mind was clearly somewhere else—trying to remember the password to daisuke’s safe that was situated in a hidden room near his office. you recently found out that he keeps most cash, gold and other valuable pieces there, away from your sight. he was bad at hiding that fact from you, however.

one night, he came home drunk and it ended up with him confessing to you that he ‘won’t ever let a gold digger like you near his money again’ and proceeded to spill that he ‘has a secret safe which you won’t ever get your hands on’. eventually, you did. after a bit of snooping around, you easily found the hidden room behind a bookcase.

those fat stacks of money in there definitely add up to more than seven million yen. you’re sure of it. the only obstacle in your way is gathering that money. most of the time, daisuke locks his office before leaving home—or if he doesn’t—his maids will be in there cleaning.

“it will take me some time, but…” your voice trails off as a pensive look falls on your face. you bite your bottom lip and try to figure out something—a plan. toji catches your attention again by letting out a deep sigh. he dismissively waves your worries away with one hand;

“tha’s fine, lady. i need some time to prepare for this job too—it ain’t an easy one after all.” the assassin comments whilst scratching the scar near his lips, also seemingly deep in thought about his own plan, “bet he got lots of guards on his ass, too. tch.”

there was another thought in the back of toji’s mind that bothered him. normally, he’d be pissed off if his client didn’t prepare any kind of money beforehand. maybe some compensation bills, or at least a little thing he can have before they give him the full amount.

but with you, he seems not to mind. he wouldn’t be mad if he left this place empty handed for the time being. maybe he actually feels pity for your situation. or was it something else?

toji scoffs at his wandering mind and inwardly tells himself to shut up about such dumb stuff. getting his money is what’s most important to him. if you die afterwards, he wouldn’t care.

that’s what he tells himself.

“anyways. you should gimme all ya know about him. y’re his wife, right? ya should know his routine ‘n stuff that i can work with.” toji speaks up after the ten seconds of silence. you nod at his question—he wanted every single piece of information about your husband, so you’ll give him everything. no details excluded.

you pull out your phone and show toji pictures you took from daisuke’s computer in secrecy. pictures of his daily schedule for the upcoming month. your prior intention by taking those was to know when to be back home or when to avoid him, but they could be useful for this as well.

you continue to explain when and where daisuke holds his breaks, where his main office is located, the bodyguards that accompany him every day and when they leave him alone— all the information you gathered.

toji can’t help but be amazed by your memory. and the fact that you can recall everything, small or big, about your husband. it certainly did make his job easier; now he doesn’t have to pry out more hints on daisuke himself.

of course, you had your reasons for knowing all the miniscule facts about daisuke. it’s how you managed to survive those four years of marriage.

“good. tha’s enough.” toji nods and stands up with a grunt, stretching his arms—the muscles retracting. you couldn’t help but stare at them; he must have gone through a lot of training to become an assassin. a skilled one at that.

“before i go,” toji continues as he walks past you without looking back, heading straight for the exit of the living room, “you should delete all cctv footage that ya got going on ‘round here. i’ll take care of further evidence, yeah?”

toji moves his index finger in a circle, pointing at all corners in the house. he doesn’t want to risk anything, “i’ll call ya once i get things sorted out. then i’ll get to work when ya hand me the money.”

you nod and make a mental note for yourself to do that immediately once toji’s gone. you still had an hour or two before your husband would return. you don’t think he checks the cctv footage often (otherwise he’d have caught you sneaking into his office before), but it’ll be a big problem if he actually does and sees a random man in his home.

“will do. thank you.” you reply to toji and get up to politely see him out of your house. that’s when the realisation kicked in; your husband will be killed by this man right here in front of you. goosebumps appeared on your skin—not from fright. but from… happiness?

this stranger will end years of torment for you. yes, it’s his job. he’ll probably disappear after he’s got the money and completed your request, and yet, you can’t help but be extremely thankful.

without thinking, you reach out and grab onto toji’s wrist to stop him from moving. the assassin doesn’t stiff or tense up by this sudden touch. in fact, he’s already sensed it coming and allowed it.

toji’s actually more surprised by the fact that his mind and body allowed you to touch him. if it were anyone else, he’d probably have avoided their touch, broken their hand or worse—cut it off.

he moves his head to the side and looks at you from his peripherals, though not fully turning to you yet. he doesn’t speak up either; he’s waiting on you to go first.

your heart was somehow starting to beat even faster. you bit your lip and mentally cursed yourself out for pulling such an action; you could’ve just waited to show your gratitude through the phone.

well, either way, there was no going back now so you might as well spill your words of gratitude right this moment. you took a deep breath and parted your lips, ready to talk, but was then interrupted by your biggest nightmare.

a familiar, chilling voice. your heart drops. your body freezes.

“i knew it.”

a looming figure stood near the entrace to the living room. you recognised him instantly, as did your body, which went into an almost paralysed state. your mouth went dry, your hands started shaking and your eyes widened to the point you weren’t blinking anymore.

your husband, daisuke, appeared out of thin air in front of toji and you. his gaze was solely focused on the way your fingers were curled around toji’s wrist. to top it off, he had only heard the last bits of your conversation: something about deleting cctv and money. his brain hadn’t heard the entirety of it—he had already taken wrong conclusions in his head.

daisuke’s veins were on the verge of popping as he took two big steps towards you—you taking two steps back in response.

“i knew you were cheating on me, you fuckin’ slut.” daisuke spits with his finger pointed right at you. he was ignoring toji’s presence for the time being. he had to deal with you first;

“i work my ass off all day and night to provide for you and this is how you repay me? by inviting a random dude over whilst i’m gone? ungrateful bitch.”

two insults in a row; one more and daisuke’s putting his hands on you. it always went like that. your mind felt like it was emptied, but you somehow felt relieved that your husband didn’t seem to know the real reason of why toji had come over. daisuke really thought you were just cheating on him, and that your words of ‘deleting all cctv footage’ was to hide that infidelity.

“it’s n-not.. like that, daisuke.” you try to soothe the raging man in front of you, but your attempts were futile. he was just three quick steps away from resorting to physical violence.

toji, in the meantime, had stepped off to the side. you were only his client, thus there was no need to interrupt a couple’s ‘dispute’. you weren’t anyone dear or special to him—just a client. a stranger that owes him money to perform a job.

the assassin leans against a nearby wall, crossing his arms over his chest whilst watching the scene unfold. it was unfortunate that toji’s target was right there in front of him; he could just kill him right now. get the job done and over with. but, once again, toji only got to work if he had the money. he only assassinates when his skills are paid for. not any earlier and not any later. those were his morals—the rules he lives by.

if toji wanted to, he could simply walk away and let you handle this stuff by yourself. daisuke accusing him of being your ‘thing on the side’ didn’t bother him. as long as your husband doesn’t know his real identity, he’s fine with whatever accusations that get thrown at him.

but, for some reason—the same reason from earlier—his body was yelling at him to stay. toji sighs; he knows he won’t ever win a battle against his heart’s needs. he decides to stay.

daisuke still doesn’t seem to care about this; all the man wants is to out his anger and accuse you of things he now has enough ‘evidence’ for. he was seething and fuming at this revelation.

“god knows what else you’ve done behind my back. i bet he isn’t the only one you’ve fucke—“

“stop! i’m not cheating,” you finally yell back. it was the first time in a while that you had gathered the strength to do so. it felt good now that you had stuck up for yourself, but you knew how this would end for you—probably on the floor. crying.

despite all of that, you decided to keep on going. it’s now or never: all you have to do is make up a lie, probably withstand daisuke’s anger again and hope it doesn’t kill you. just this once; all you have to do is survive this once and then you’ll be freed from him.

you’ll give toji his money and he will do the job for you. just a few more days—

“he’s.. he’s my friend’s husband. i invited them both over and he just arrived earlier than expected.” you quickly made up. it sounded a little convincing to you. toji’s low snicker of amusement in the back confirmed that it maybe was the opposite of convincing.

daisuke scoffs at the pathetic attempt of hiding your ‘infidelity’. with another step forward, he raises his voice a notch; “yeah, right! what a pathetic excuse.”

a second step—you were waiting on that third curse. that third swear word that would set hell loose in this house, “do you really think you can fool me with that? huh?!”

it hadn’t happened yet. you still had time to think of a plan to perhaps escape this situation. your eyes flickered over to toji, although it didn’t seem like he’d be of any help. of course, he’s just an outsider after all. a stranger whom you just met today.

assassins have already disregarded their heart emotions the moment they decided to go down the path of killing for a living. you wouldn’t even blame toji for not stepping in. you’re also but a stranger to him.

toji could see the glimmer of hope in your eyes when you looked at him. or maybe it was a call for help. a desperate look. he can’t tell the difference. though, what he can tell, is that there was a gnawing feeling in the pits of his stomach. a gut feeling that told him it’d be smart to interfere.

but there’s his rational thoughts that tell him to not get involved—to avoid any more trouble than needed. besides, what other benefits would it bring him if he did? toji doesn’t want to be seen as a hero or saviour by anyone.

his jaw clenches as the time ticks. only a couple seconds left before the cold-hearted assassin has to make a decision.

daisuke’s patience was running low. the tension was increasing and could burst at any given moment now. one wrong move and you’re done—

one wrong breath could result in the worst possible outcome.

your silence spoke volumes to daisuke. the way you held your head low, your eyes that flickered from the floor to the ceiling, your fingers that nervously fumbled with your clothes and your bottom lip that trembled unstoppably. that pissed him off.

everything about you pissed him off. daisuke didn’t see any benefits of having you around anymore. he hadn’t for the long time, however didn’t know how he’d get rid of you.

divorce? no, he’ll have to give some of his earnings to you. kick you out? a possibility, but that would ruin his reputation. blackmail? that option was now the best choice. he’s caught you with another man after all. with camera evidence.

but, daisuke wouldn’t be satisfied with that outcome. his rage was blinding him—more than usual. he has to make you learn your lesson. in a way that will have you begging for your life to be spared.

and thus, the last step was made. the deciding hands were raised—aimed for your neck. the final curse had left his lips;

“come here. i’ll show you how whores like you should be treated.”

killing intent. it was the first time you’ve seen daisuke’s gaze darken that much, his demeanour emotionless yet full of rage. you close your eyes and expect for the worse.

“tha’s enough.”

everything went blank to you. it was silent, your vision was black, your hands were above your head, your heart felt like it wasn’t beating anymore—had you met your end? had you already been murdered?

in that same instant, you could feel drops of liquid splatter on your face. a faint ringing sound in your ears—it sounded like fireworks had been set off. a loud ‘pop’ sound.

something hit the ground right after. it wasn’t your body since that someone or something landed right at your feet.

after that: utter silence.

you gathered all your strength once more and slowly opened your eyelids. your vision was a bit blurry, though the first shape you could make out was one of a man on the ground. and not just any man—it was the man whom you hated most. at your feet.

you would’ve never thought of seeing that image before. of your husband laying at your feet; both literally and figuratively. a red liquid gushed out of his head and soaked into your shoes.

a normal wife would’ve let out a blood hurling scream at the sight of her lover laying lifelessly near her. a normal wife with a healthy relationship, that is.

you did let out a scream at the sight of your husband laying lifelessly near your feet. but that wasn’t done out of panic for your husband’s life—or due to the pain you were in to see him dead.

it was purely because you hadn’t seen a corpse before.

“d-daisuke..?”

a normal wife would’ve called out her husband’s name in a futile attempt that he’d answer back. that all of it was a dream. that her beloved wasn’t dead.

your reason wasn’t anything close to that. you called out that name in hopes he wouldn’t answer back. that all of it wasn’t a dream. that your abuser was dead.

it was real. you were glad, yet extremely disturbed by the fact that there was a corpse at your feet. you didn’t want to see all of it happening—that wasn’t part of the plan.

you stumble back a bit, hands clutching onto the chair you bumped into as you did your best to avoid the gruesome scene before your eyes. you just wished someone would clean the mess as soon as possible.

it’s then that your gaze fell on the other person present in the room; the man who was standing with a gun in his hand. toji scratched his head with the barrel, cold eyes looking down at the corpse with a faintly visible disgusted expression.

the assassin clicks his tongue as he walks towards the lifeless body and puts the sole of his shoe on daisuke’s cheek as if he was stepping on a pile of dirt, moving the head back and forth to check for any possible ounce of life in there.

there was none. the soul had left its body almost instantly after that bullet went through his brain. toji sighs; this time at himself for acting irrationally, “should’ve tortured you to death for tryin’ to put y’r hands on that lady instead of givin’ you the easy way out.”

with a harsh kick to the head on the floor, toji gathers some of his saliva on his tongue before spitting on the man. doubling the disrespect; “consider yourself lucky.”

toji cocked his head to the right. that’s where he spotted you with a familiar look on your face. the expression of someone who just went through a traumatic experience. he’s seen many people react like you when facing a near death experience or when witnessing somebody die before them.

usually, he’d tell them ‘it’s normal, get used to it’ and leave it at that. this was different. it felt different with you.

“are you okay?” the words slipped out of toji’s mouth before he could hold them back. his tone was a mixture of genuine concern and confusion. the latter was due to his own state of mind at the moment.

you didn’t answer, but you put your hands on your mouth as if you were going to puke any moment now. your vision was getting blurry with tears, head spinning and body feeling numb and weird.

toji hesitates before stepping towards you. his hands reached out to hold you, though he stopped them. he’d figured you wouldn’t be comfortable with him touching you in any way or form. he just killed someone in front of you—

it’s not like you cared that it was your husband. that much was clear. you sniff and glance up at toji with such a relieved yet devastated expression that his arms instinctively wrapped around you and pulled you into his warm embrace.

it was an awkward hug since toji doesn’t really know the basics of comforting someone. he was a bit stiff, but you didn’t show any discomfort due to that fact. instead, you clung onto his body and left tear stains on his black shirt.

“shhh, shh. it’s fine. it’s okay.” toji whispers, whilst his big hands indecisively move around, trying to find a spot to rest on. one eventually lands on the back of your head whilst the other starts to slowly rub up and down your spine, “it’s over, yeah? all of it—it’s over.”

toji doesn’t have a clue about the exact details of what your life was like. why you asked him to kill your (now ex-)husband was none of his business. all he knew was that he was going to get paid for it, so he didn’t care what the reason was.

it wasn’t like he hadn’t noticed the scars and bruises on your body throughout your conversation either—but that as well—was none of his business. assassins do their job without any further questions. there was no need to have personal connections or relations with their clients.

yet, toji was going against those unspoken rules once more. all because of you. for you.

“thank y—you.” your voice was weak as you speak up. it sounded hoarse and tired, though the sense of gratitude was undeniably there, “thank you, thank you, thank you.”

a series of ‘thank you’s’ leave your lips whilst your body and mind were still trying to recover from the whole ordeal. toji was trying his best to keep by your side until you calmed down. that’s the least he could do—after the fact that he singlehandedly got rid of the main problem in your life.

“no need to thank me, lady.” the dark-haired man whispers, allowing you to mess up his shirt with your tears and tugs, “i did what i had to do.”

toji didn’t actually have to do what he did. he never does his job before he’s guaranteed the money. however this time, it was a different story. he did it without thinking. he had to. his body was telling him to move—and in a flash—it was done.

he tries to tell himself that it’s just him slacking off. that he isn’t possibly starting to care about another person. he shouldn’t; those complicated emotions would stand in his way. and yet. . .

“c’mere.”

toji lifts you up bridal style while you keep quivering against his shoulder. his hands had a tight grip on your body, his eyes a sharp gaze on the mess he created. with a sigh, he takes you upstairs to a random room—kicking the door open.

toji carefully puts you back on your feet and guides you to sit on the edge of the kingsized bed. he absentmindedly brushes a few strands of your hair back after wiping some more tears away from your face;

“i know it’s a lot to take in,” toji kneels down before you, looking up with an unreadable expression whilst wiping the tears from your cheeks. his warm palms make contact with your skin and it’s like you’ve forgotten all about what just happened, “but is it okay if ya stay here while i go take care of the rest? i’ll come back once i’m done.”

toji has his own ways of cleaning up after he’s done a job and most likely wants to put one of those techniques to use before any maid or guard comes to check in on the house situation. you sniffle and hiccup afterwards, trying to form a verbal response through your broken sobs, but to no avail.

you simply nod and lean into toji’s calloused hands—such rough and masculine hands—ones that were meant to protect instead of hurt you. you weren’t able to trust men after your marriage, however this one in front of you was unlike any other. even if he may not seem like it on the outside.

his touch was gentle yet firm. the pads of his thumbs swiped the wet skin under your lower eyelashes and you could’ve sworn toji’s gaze had softened for a split second before he caught himself.

he had to stand up, get rid of the mess and leave the place before he got too attached to you. the assassin cannot make such a grave mistake.

“i promise,” toji speaks up after a bit again, standing up after giving you a soft pat against your shoulder, “you’re fine. i’ll be back—ya have my word.”

there he goes; making promises he knows he probably can’t keep. ‘i’ll be back’, will he? he can’t. for your own safety. he has to treat you as just another client. none of what he did in this house could be spoken of anymore.

he slipped up this once. it needn’t to happen again. money. he does his jobs for money—when he obtains the money. he doesn’t kill his targets for the sake of others, for the protection of others.

he doesn’t kill for love.

toji wishes that all of this had never happened, because he knows that his heart will lead him back to you at the end of the day. he knows he won’t leave once he cleans up the mess downstairs. he’ll come right back to you.

and you have faith in that. you trust this stranger whom had practically saved your life with just one shot.

“i don’t know how to repay you.. thank you.” you manage to mutter through shallow breaths. you stare at the back of toji’s head as he makes his way to the door. he stops in his tracks to reply to your comment.

he stands still at the doorway and looks over his shoulder at you—the scarred corner of his lips twitching;

“prepare the money. tha’s how you can repay me.” toji replies and you don’t know if he’s joking or being serious because of that little grin on his face. a breathy chuckle follows and then the assassin disappears.

the door closes and you’re left alone in this space. left alone in the silence of the home that had treated you as its prisoner. you remember how your husband used to lock you up in your bedroom whenever you had done something to piss him off; taking away your freedom by keeping you in a room.

now it’s yours—your life is yours. you’ve fully gained your freedom back and can decide what to do for yourself. it seems like a foreign situation, a foreign world, a foreign concept; you can now actually do whatever your heart desires. without any restraints.

“what is a successful marriage?”

well, to you, it’s one with a satisfactory ending.

🏷️ : @satoruhour @squicksquak @omgeto @xmintpie @cursingtoji @obsidiannero @elmoees @x1aosg1rl @fushironi @ceceher @ajax1230 @toji-is-hot @jayugh @rinshoe @sligerate @satoryaa @luveblad3 @happystrawberrytyrant @ezraiix

[importantstudentbusinessspy-blog]

Cold-hearted wolf

Masterlist

Pairing: Cregan Stark × Martell reader

Tags: arranged marriage, cregan starts out mean in this, enemies to lovers cus he's grumpy and has no time for feelings,

Chapter 3: the way he's obsessed with you, can't stop thinking impure thoughts while he's away, the calm before the sex... pick your favorite.

Note: I made up a war with Highgarden subplot that's not Canon. Ahem, for the plot, so bare with me.

Cregan Stark sat inside a tent with his face twisted in a mix of pain and discomfort. The maester carefully worked to stitch up a nasty gash that ran from his neck to his lower abdomen, courtesy of an enemy soldier's sword. He had little pity for the other man when he cut him clean through the heart with his own blade. The wound was a battle scar from the successful siege, a strategic victory that had his soldiers celebrating and chearing outside.

One of Cregan's knights entered the tent, bearing two pints. He handed one to his injured ruler. "This ale should ease the pain, my lord."

Cregan took the offered drink. "Bring more. This stitching feels personal."

The old man, still focused on his task, dismissed Cregan's jest. "Your Highness, if you'd stop squirming, it would help."

Cregan held still as the maester continued his work. "How many casualties did we suffer?"

The knight looked thoughtful for a moment. "Surprisingly low, my lord. The plan was exceptional."

Cregan's gaze shifted to the ground, and a sense of guilt crept over him. The plan that had proven so effective during the battle was one that you had worked on together. Right before he rudely discarded you. Your tactical insights and knowledge of warfare had been instrumental to saving his and his men's lives today. "I should have listened to her sooner.”

“My lord?”

“Lady y/n.” Cregan specified.

The knight nodded in understanding.

The maester stitching spoke up. “It takes time to see the wisdom in others, my lord. We can only strive to make amends."

Cregan hated being proven wrong. He kept his mouth shut.

As the stitching neared completion, the knight spoke up, "You've fought well today.”

Cregan shook his head with a satisfied smile. "I can't take all the credit. Tyrell's sword was his own downfall.” His enemy's weapon, though notoriously giant, was unwieldy, and Cregan, younger, more agile, and more practiced with his weapon, found his opening.

With the gash stitched and the pain somewhat subsiding, Cregan took another sip of ale. He couldn't help but feel a need to have you close. To celebrate with you, and thank you for your strategy, which was invaluable to his cause. He wanted you beside him in the next council meeting.

But you were far off, warm, and safe in Winterfell. No doubt giving his sister an earful about what an awful husband he's been if the letters he's received from her were any indication.

I like her very much, Cregan. And if you open your mind you would come to like her too. Also, it would help if you'd stop behaving like an ass.

The thought of you two getting along made him smile. Even if it was at his expense.

He was ashamed to admit there was truth to your accusation that night. No, he had not seen you as an equal. How could he?

What could you possibly know of the plight of living in the harsh and unforgiving environment of the North. Of its values and way of life. He'd read about Dornish life in his studies. Sunspear was warmth, music, dancing, and hedonism, literally the opposite of Winterfell. This showed to be true the moment you stepped foot on his grounds. You, with your carefree attitude and enticing dresses, perhaps accepted in your culture, but downright scandalous in his.

He remembered his anger in the hot springs when he heard the men going on about your wardrobe.

“I'd like to see if the Dornish sun forgot a few places.”

They were only jesting. Men, especially soldiers, made vulgar jokes all the time. But the fact that his men spoke about you in such a way made his blood boil hotter than the springs underneath the palace grounds.

All it took was a look from Cregan, and the man shut his mouth, swallowing nervously. But Cregan's anger didn't subside so easily.

He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, remembering taking his frustration out in your bedroom that same day he heard the vulgar comment, and the two more times that evening, and once more the next morning. His hands gripped his chair, mimicking the possessive way he'd held you with every thrust.

He wondered if you questioned why he was so upset. Although even if you did, judging by your whimpers and moans, you didn't seem to mind.

Visions of you flooded his mind. Walking around with a high brow, flaunting your skin freely with seductive silks for his court to admire. Looking elegant and graceful while flipping him onto his back in the training yard. Unknowingly offering up a fantasy of an exotic warrior princess from the far south to hungry and repressed northern eyes… all just so you could prove a point.

He laughed. Maybe his sister was right. Stubbornness was something you two definitely had in common.

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

War was a lonely ordeal. And despite the women from the neighboring towns being more than happy to keep his men company, Cregan’s mind kept finding flaws in each of them.

Their lack of quiet defiance made them too agreeable, he decided. Although, no, not only that. It was also the missing fire in their eyes, the missing pride. They also had the wrong color hair and the wrong length, too. And on top of that, their clothing was also too... cold, yes. Too modest.

The gods help him. He was fucked.

Amidst the noise of his tent, he sat at a table surrounded by his men who were drinking and celebrating. The soft glow of candlelight cast a warm ambiance in the night. A raven's message had arrived, and he quickly sloppily unfurled the parchment, his eyes scanning the words eagerly.

The letter was from you, recounting the events of the day. "In an attempt to offer you a change of scenery, I will try to paint an image of how things are back home.” Your handwriting said. “Winterfell is alight with celebration of your victory. The town square was full of life. The common folks greeted me with glee and danced and sang. I even tried deer meat at an inn. It was… chewey."

A corner of his mouth lifted as he red the letter in your voice.

"You are well loved and admired, my lord. And missed. Also, please pet Grey for me as he is dearly missed as well."

A chuckle escaped Cregan's lips as he reached over to scratch his loyal dog behind the ear before continuing to read. "I even showed one boy how to use my Dornish blade. My favorite one."

Your willingness to connect with his people - your people, he corrected himself, was quite marvelous. A smile tugged at the corners of Cregan's lips as he pictured you among the celebrating townsfolk. He felt a painful pull at his chest, his hands itching for your skin.

He wondered, not for the first time, how he could remedy his actions of your last night together before he marched off. Regretfully recalling the fire and hurt in your eyes.

It would take more than a letter to make up for it. Cregan was neither poet nor a man of many words. He took action. He needed to fix this the only way he knew how.

The next day, he helped his squires and men pack the Stark army camp. With victory secured, they would be marching back to Winterfell.

Cregan was coming home.

@malfoycassimalfoy @leahnicole1219 @literishdegree99

[heartlilith]

Solar Return Chart Observations 💖

Here are some of my observations and opinions on various placements in the Solar Return Chart

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🪽1st House Pluto / Pluto aspecting the Ascendent can bring immense change that year - especially if you have an Aries or Capricorn rising or Mars/Saturn in the 1st house. Scorpio in the 1st house indicates this as well but less intensely (imo). It may will be a painful process but when you look back on it, it'll be so worth it. If you take away anything from reading about this placement, please let it be to trust the process. Trust the process!!!

🪽Speaking of Pluto; wherever Pluto sits in your SR Chart can indicate where you experience the most change that year - it's where you transform.

🪽Vertex in the SR Chart can show you where fated events will take place; Vertex conjunct Venus in the 5th house can indicate dating someone who teaches you a life lesson or this person could be your soulmate.

🪽Vertex is activated in the SR chart when you meet someone with their Sun, Moon, ASC conjunct your Vertex, aka in the same sign/house. These people come into your life to teach you something. Pay attention to the house placement and aspects to see what the lesson could be.

🪽The worst year of my life was last year (2022). I had my 11th house profection year in Scorpio, traditionally ruled by Mars (modern day Pluto). My Mars in my SR Chart was in the 12th house squaring my Sun, Saturn (22 degree) and my MC. It was in a tight conjunction with Uranus and my North Node and my Moon sign was in 0 degrees. That shit sucked, I wouldn't wish that year on my worst enemy.

🪽12th house placements/signs in the Solar Return Chart can show what people say about you behind your back during the year. Sun in the 12th house squaring Jupiter could mean that people think you're overly confident in your abilities or even egotistical. Venus conjunct ASC in the 12th house could indicate that people talk about how charming and friendly you are. Scorpio ruling the 12th house could have people asking questions about you to others or trying to indirectly get to know you. Looking at aspects with this placement can indicate negative talk (square, opposition), positive talk (trine, sextile) or mixed (conjunction).

🪽12th house placements can also indicate "hidden enemies" or people secretly giving you the evil eye and praying on your downfall. Capricorn Mars in the 12th house can indicate older men or male authority figures (most likely in the workplace) wishing you bad luck that year. Sun in Libra in the 12th house could indicate that your female/feminine friends act fake to your face and talk about you behind your back. Sun here can even mean that you yourself are your own worst enemy. Aries in the 12th house could indicate that the people who dislike you take on Martian traits; can become aggressive, loud, or competitive around you. These people are constantly trying to "one up" you. Pay attention to what house the 12th house lord sits in, it can give you clues for who to watch out for; Lord in 3rd house - your siblings, Lord in 8th house - inlaws, Lord in 11th house - your social group and people in your community.

🪽Venus in the 2nd house in your Solar Return can indicate buying a lot gifts for yourself or having a partner that buys them for you (sugar baby energy). Make up, clothes, jewelry, massages, candles, pajamas, skin care, accessories, and good food can be some of the things you get.

🪽Fire Mars in the 1st house can indicate having more energy, coming across as more aggressive, gaining muscles, starting a workout routine, or obtaining prominent scars on the body.

🪽Water Mars in the 1st house can indicate moodiness, gaining the ability to stick up for oneself, an abundance of creative energy, and wearing your heart (and emotions) on your sleeve.

🪽Earth Mars in the 1st house of the SR Chart can indicate gaining patience that year and learning to take your time. It can give you sustained energy and the ability to complete long term projects/goals.

🪽Air Mars in the 1st house: A lot of mental energy that can manifest as anxiety, a lot of great ideas that could be put into motion, the ability to look at situations from a detached point of view and the ability to multitask.

🪽Moon in the 11th house: You could befriend more females this year or be especially comforted by feminine energies.

🪽Jupiter aspecting ASC - indicates a positive year ahead, Jupiter brings luck and abundance to the person's life. Jupiter here can indicate a positive outlook this year and the native could be presented with great opportunities.

🪽Neptune in the 7th house in the SR Chart can make the native more prone to manipulation. They could be the ones manipulating but most likely it's their partners or someone in their one on one connections. Take off the rose colored glasses. If it feels wrong then its probably wrong.

🪽MC Lord in positive aspect to Sun/Jupiter in the Solar Return Chart can bring positive recognition in the workplace, a raise, or a promotion over the coming year.

🪽Neptune square MC can make an individual unsure about their career. They may have a clouded sense of direction and may realize that they want to do something completely different than what they do now. That, or they could have trouble focusing at work and make careless mistakes as a result.

🪽1st House Lord in the houses can also indicate prominent themes for the year and situations that you'll need to face head on. 1st House Lord in 7th house can make you question how your relationships affect you or it could bring the realization that you need to establish clear boundaries in order to find balance. 1st House Lord in the 10th house can indicate that the native's reputation will be in the spotlight and they will put all their energy into their career for the year. Look at your aspects and assess whether you need to proceed with caution.

🪽Mars harshly aspecting 8th House Lord can indicate accidents that can harm you physically. Be careful around Mars ruled things; knives, power tools, motor vehicles, gym equipment, playing contact sports, etc.

🪽1st House Mercury or Mercury aspecting the ASC can make you more talkative for the year and able to soak up information like a sponge.

🪽Moon in harsh aspect to Mars/Neptune/Jupiter can make it hard to focus on things for the year.

🪽Capricorn Rising in the SR Chart can indicate learning a lot of lessons in the year ahead, be patient with this one because it comes with a lot of blockages which can lead to frustration and impatience.

🪽Saturn/Mars ruled profection years are the hardest to go through in my opinion but they bring the most growth.

🪽Pay attention to where your Chiron is placed in the SR Chart. It can bring up old wounds and traumas that can trigger you and throw you off balance. Chiron in the 1st house: Try to maintain a positive outlook this year, journal your experiences and remind yourself of what you're grateful for. Chiron in the 6th house: Take good care of your health and eat nutritious foods. Try to get along with your coworkers and implement self-care in your daily routines. Chiron in the 11th house: Tell your friends what you appreciate about them, don't take disrespect but pick your battles wisely, donate or volunteer to help those in need.

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