#why wouldn't they block me I don't really understand

[juanitascribbles]

I want to talk a bit about a part of Ralph's character that I don't see brought up as much as other aspects of WIR, and that's the concept of self-sabotage. I put it under a read-more because it's rather long.

Obviously, one of the main themes in this movie is self-acceptance, and that part is not exactly subtle. Ralph very plainly states that he believes he "can't make things - just break them," and while he does say that he can be a "good guy" I don't think he's really confident in that fact during the course of the movie. He brushes off most negative comments he receives, but we can see that others' perceptions of him have impacted his perception of himself and the actions he's taken (or hasn't taken) throughout his life. Vanellope greatly helps him change his perspective and accept himself, but I think he had the capacity to do this on his own. This is where the theme of self-sabotage comes in.

Ralph places the entirety of his problems, solutions to said problems, and self-worth on external factors, and while yes a big part of his problems do come from discrimination and being ostracized, he also exacerbates his own problems. He has many resources fully available to him the whole time. He just doesn't take advantage of them because he feels he can't, perhaps feels he doesn't deserve it, or maybe because it doesn't even occur to him that he can.

For example, the dump:

We see at the end of the movie that Ralph has built himself a home, and he does it entirely on his own. Note how the pieces he uses to build his house are right behind him in the beginning of the movie.

Living in the dump is out of his control, but what has always been in his control is the ability to make himself a better home right where he was at. He simply didn't do it because he didn't believe he could and (I assume) never tried.

Next we have the Bad-Anon meeting.

Ralph makes it very clear that he is lonely and wants a friend, but he has had the opportunity to make friends for years and never did. When he's told that the other villains have felt the same things he feels, he's surprised. But why? It makes complete sense that others in similar situations as Ralph would feel the same as him. He simply assumed that they wouldn't. "There's no point in going. They wouldn't understand me anyway. Nobody does" might be a reason he never went. Perhaps the idea of reaching out to others was too uncomfortable for him (Vanellope does mention him needing to go outside of his comfort zone). On top of this, he isn't receptive to the advice he's given at the end of their meeting. They didn't tell him what he wanted to hear so in his mind they still just don't "get" him. He blocks himself from making useful connections because of his own perceptions and assumptions.

Finally, I want to touch on Ralph's poor hygiene.

Throughout the movie, Ralph's poor hygiene is commented on by several characters (including himself) and on the surface is treated as a joke. What I find interesting is the juxtaposition between his own lack of cleanliness and his reaction to unclean things around him.

He is very squeamish. Despite living in a dump and smelling awful, he has no tolerance for any "gross" things he comes into contact with and lists the lack of hygiene as a negative. I do think this is, in part, a result of external factors he cannot control. Like the previous examples, however, I think this is also a result of neglecting himself and not taking advantage of the resources that have always been around him. I am inferring a bit, but hear me out.

Ralph can't access the penthouse to wash up, but it's highly likely he could have access to facilities in other games had he allowed himself to open up and simply ask for help. I'm sure any of the bad guys from his Bad-Anon meetings would be more than happy to offer him the resources he needs. There are a ton of other games that likely have accessible facilities, and he's not exactly barred from entering them. Surge Protector does not hinder him from entering or leaving any game, despite the frequent stops. Instead of using the washroom in Tappers to clean himself up, he (allegedly) passes out in it after drinking all night. Ralph is rather depressed at the beginning of his journey, and maintaining proper hygiene is something a lot of depressed people struggle with.

I think self-sabotage, isolation, and rejecting available resources is something a lot of people can relate to. Of course there will always be circumstances that are out of our control, but often there are things we are fully capable of taking into our own hands and making the effort to change. We simply for some reason believe that we can't or are too scared to try. The negative feelings we have about ourselves and allowing ourselves to remain stuck in our current situations can become more comfortable than the idea of external or internal change and taking risks.

For Ralph, he doesn't seem to take much action to change what he can on his own until he's reached a boiling point. He's consistently passive (or passive-agressive) until his negative feelings become too much to bear, and it definitely bites him in the ass or... face ig.

This is something I've struggled with and continue to struggle with to this day. While I'm not at all claiming this movie is the first or last to cover these topics (or even the most subtle or the best ever at doing so), I do think it's very well done. These themes definitely resonate more with me now that I'm older and have experienced more of these feelings myself. It's just one of all the little elements wrapped up in a candy coated 8-bit bow that makes this movie so special to me.

[lilimalia]

CRAZY? FOR YOU? // windbreaker

SYNOPSIS... wind breaker men really are crazy aren't they. picking fights everywhere. anywhere. with anyone they can! even, you. it's a good thing you can fight then... right? Maybe there's more then just the fights that their picking at.

CHARACTERS... sugishita kyotaro, togame jo, kaji ren,

DISCLAIMERS... cursing, gender neutral reader, romantic, part II, manga spoilers

BARISTA'S INTEL... again, all based on my silly little depictions of what styles combat each character the best!

CAFE TUNE... from the start // laufey

PART I (sakura, suo, kiryu)

SUGISHITA KYOTARO (wing chun)

Sugishita has always been a man more of anger than actual thoughts. It was one of the more obvious traits that came out of his character at first glance. That being said, it always made him harder to read than any of the other Bofurin men.

His devotion to Umemiya was his pride and power, his driving force that made him understandable... If not a bit genuinely emotional.

So why is that your standing face front of his idol, Umemiya Hajime, watching as the guy bashfully rubs the back of his neck, glancing to the side as he asks,

"You see... Ah, how do I explain this?... Sugishita just needs a little push! Yeah, that's right! Just a little nudge. I'm worried he's spending too much time brooding over how Sakura pisses him off rather than actually practicing...", a small sheepish chuckle leaving his lips as he glances as you. Eyeing you nervously as if the favor was a debt.

Is this really Furin's head? Man... He's wimpish- oh but don't let dear Sugishita hear you say that-

"Anyhow! Are you up for it [Name]? I hope this isn't too much to ask for! I promiseee, I'll pay you back! I'll even have Kotoha make you an omurice! On the house!" He's clasping his hands together now, looking at you pleadingly as he scoots in, dress shoes scrapping against the rooftops dirty cobble.

Man... It's really hard to deny him, isn't it, Sugi?

"First off, are you even sure Kotoha would be okay with that?? I know you guys are close, but man I'd be pissy if someone made me return their favor without notice- Also, hey! Your acting as if I'm all hard headed, I'll do it! Just please... Stop looking at me like that. It's gross... And very unfitting for the leader of a gang school..." you grimace, sneering a little -against your will- sighing at his pitiful puppy eyes.

"Ohhh... Kotoha wouldn't mind at all! We're sooo close! My little sister would be thrilled to help me! But! You'll do it?! Thank goodness! Thank you! Oh phew... I can finally tell Hiragi too chill out without a worry!" Now he's bounced up to his proper height, blocking out the sun as he jumps in joy, giving you a close eye smile.

"Thanks [Name]! Please go easy on Bofurin's loyal dog! Now shoo, shoo! Since we've taken care of this, I've got zucchini to water!..." Without a second thought, he pushes you, gently, out the door, shooing you as he waves a frantic goodbye.

The door slams behind you with a thud.

Once again, your sitting in your own thoughts, stuck dumbstruck at the sheer... Naivety, even if feigned, of Umemiya. Actual whiplash, you suppose.

Finding a heavy sigh release from your lungs again, your vision adjusts to the dark staircase winding down to the third floor of the school. Strangely, there's something, or someone... Propped up against the wall, mid way through the staircase.

Taking a couple steps down, your eyes narrow.

"Hmph."

Oh my god it's Sugishita-

"What the fu- Sugishita!? Goodness gracious you're like some sort of ghost- Wha- What are you even?-" before your able to stammer out the rest of your surprised exclamation, Sugishita glares at you. His hauntingly long ghoulish hair draping down his face, as he grunts.

He barely glances back, locking eyes with you once, scanning you up and down. Holding onto the moment, for a couple seconds longer, he huffs again and stomps up the rest of the flight of stairs. Crunched over in bad posture.

"What the heck was even going on there... he's so creepy..." murmuring to yourself as you finish walking down the stairs, listening to Umemiya's ecstatic voice dim into the distance.

Suo and Nirei had told you he was a bit of the brute.

You just hope Umemiya knew who he was assigning you to.

...

Sparring with BoFurin comes with evident chaos.

Grunts and shouts echo across tatami covered floors, windows blazing open as pairings of sweaty exhausted fighters sway back and forth across the rooms.

Your dead set in the middle, having just taken a break from your first partner, scouting for Sugishita per captain's orders.

Hiragi finds you first, walking up to you in his usual state of prolonged stressed.

"[Name]! Are you looking for Sugishita? That damned brat was stationed outside with some of the other members."

"Oh? Are you not watching them Hiragi, sir?" You're taking a noticing to his unique sharpened teeth... Like a shark. Wondering, can he bite someone with those? Would Sugishita be able to do that too?... His teeth are just as sharp aren't they?...

A sharp barking sound wakes you from your daze.

"Hey! Wake up! Umemiya said you'd be the one sparring with him today, teach him a thing or too, okay? That brats got way too much bite on him. Needs somewhere to chew it off. Go on, scat! Beat him in for me!" Hiragi chatters up a storm, motioning you away, shooing you to the exit as you jog out of the building.

What is it with the leading men here demanding things and shooing you off? Hmm...

Immediately after stepping outside, the hot air hits you like a wave. Absolutely ironically. If it wasn't bad enough that you were sweating buckets from sparring, the Japan heat would most definitely take you out.

From the side, you hear outrageous slams, hard disgruntled and pained sounds as you feel a slight shaking of the dirt beneath your boots.

When you've swiveled your head towards the noise, you see several upperclassmen twitching slowly and painfully... laying gruesome and distraught on the ground.

Holy sh-

Sugishita's running up towards another student, poorly defended, jumping high into the air as he brutely lands a devasting blow smack damn to the side of his face.

You. Were most definitely. Screwed.

But more so concerned-

Isn't he usually lazed in fighting?... Unless it had direct connection to his famed idol, you really couldn't understand where the sudden boost of energy came from...

"[Name]! [Name]! You're here! Please help us out, switch in with Sugishita right now! He might just kill half of our classmates [Namee]!!..." Nirei's ran up frantically beside you, making dramatic fanfare as he pleads.

Cracking your knuckles, you sigh fearfully, once more nodding at those damned begging puppy eyes, stepping forward.

"Sugishitaa!"

...

Okay so maybe this wasn't so bad.

So far, you've managed to stay alive. Watching ever so keenly at the bent over black haired boy glare at you. He does this weird thing with his eyes... As if he's daring you to take him down.

He runs, he punches, and then he forces all his strength down on you all over again.

If Umemiya had wanted you to push him and his thinking, you would.

He's stepping forward now, bracing himself angrily as he yells in rage, permanent scowl on his face furrowing even more at his bushy brows. He spins his kick, trying to land one at your side.

Gracefully, you push into his momentum anticipating his already raised fist, ready too gut you in the face.

With one quick movement and then another, his parade of punches are narrowed away. Your hands, flat and straight, palm's facing out each way as you flick his fists away effortlessly.

The more you redirected, the angrier he got, pushing into you as he tries to find some sort of opening.

Eventually, out of realization, he takes to backing up, making space for kicks and uses outside of savage shots.

Unfortunately, you knew otherwise. Pushing in to keep your wing chun usable. As he tries to step in again, quick to throw another, you palm faces in.

A rapid palm strike going forward.

And it knocks him back off his feet, as he falls miserably. Now you've really ticked him off... He's glaring, messy long hair dancing down the front of his face, covering his fierce eyes as he stares you down. His teeth grind together as he lets out some sort of angry emotional grunt-

Spinning into a kick again, snapping back and forth between legs relentlessly. Switching up his pace to match your quick hands.

Shit. Now he's learning a little too quick for your liking.

Desperately, you look for an exit, as your hands start reddening from the sheer force of his brutality.

He's opened his field of vision, keeping good distance away from you as you struggle to keep the fight within the courtyard.

A small group of onlookers have gathered around you both now, members hooting at you both to finish it off. Murmuring about how beastly Sugishita's strength was.

The more you tried to make good distance, the more he'd learn. Catching on quickly, your palm strikes and attempts at striking the side and front of his body were failing, as he -you hope learned- to keep good balance between his body.

In your momentary distraction from the crowd, classmates chanting your names both, he had found an opening below your waist.

Diving in sanctuary as he wrapped his arms around your waist, your hands left upwards from your wing chun as he tightened.

For a second, it felt quite safe as he squished, grunting exhaustedly, almost sweetly, around you. It almost felt like a hug, surprised, you found your arms wrapping around him as well. The faint scent of some sort of... Yuzu? Sandalwood? Wafted up, as strands of his hair flicked in your face, wafting away as he looked up at you.

And you swear. His berserked eyes softened slightly, and his frown disappeared.

Before you both fell, bruised on the ground.

...

When all of the crowd had faded away, giving congratulations to you both for the good effort of the fight, Hiragi and Umemiya approach you. Umemiya's got a bright smile on his face, laughing about something -probably about you and Sugishita- to Hiragi, who looks pained to even be near the bright man.

Considering Umemiya's appearance, you now understand where the sudden burst of spirited energy came from.

Really, it shouldn't surprise you that Sugishita's drive came from Umemiya's watchful gaze; arms crossed as he stood tall behind you, smirking knowingly.

The conversation comes quick and clear, Umemiya congratulating you and giving many thanks towards your bruised efforts, making a jab towards how relaxed Hiragi was inside the building while you were out scrapping for your life.

"Maybe we should have you as permanent watch dog for Sugishita [Name]! I've never seen him so pumped up! Man, that was really the show!"

"The only reason he was fighting so hard was because of you Moron! He saw you staring him down and wanted to impress you dumbass! Now look at them, [Name] make sure you head inside and put something on those bruises. Sorry you had to deal with this idiot's brilliant plan..." Hiragi lets out a big sigh, grabbing for his pack of pills as he crunches down on the powdery capsule.

Is that... Normal-

"Hey! This whole idea was for your sake Hiragi! Your always so uptight I was worried having you watching the freshmen would turn you bald!" Umemiya points and accusing finger at Hiragi, faking a pout.

"It's not even these new kids Umemiya! It's just Sakura and Sugishita, their all-fucking nuts!"

Now, Hiragi's got his sharp teeth pointed out as he groans back at Umemiya. The two continue arguing for minutes while your forced to stand there awkwardly... It seems very one-sided, Umemiya trying to justify how he was only worried for Hiragi, only to get a hit to the head.

Suddenly, those bruises on your body are really started to ache.

"I uh- Is this an argument you guys need me to be there for... Or can I-

'Huh? Oh, look what you've done Hiragi! We've left poor [Name] all by their lonesome. Yes, yes, go on now [Name]! Thanks again! Please check up on Furin's dear loyal dog for us would you!" He flashes a bright smile towards you, giving you a thumbs up as he starts dragging the angry Hiragi stood beside him, fume puffing out from his nose as his forehead creases.

Before Hiragi gets to argue back, he's pulled away, shut off again as you hear bits and pieces of the compliments Umemiya gives you about your fight, covering over his begrudging complaints.

...

Sitting down on the hard wooden floor, your arm move swiftly as you wrap the rough cotton tape around your knuckles, the healing ointment, sheer and oily, spreads underneath the bandages, cooling down the aching of you reddened knuckles. Like wise bandages are wrapped around your waist and knees from the less graceful falls of earlier.

There's a slight humming of birds that twiddles in from the open windows, cooler air breezing through the house as the sun sets in warm oranges outside. Beside you, Sugishita sits quietly, eyebrows still furrowed as he tries to hide his struggle, unable to wrap the bandages around his left knuckles.

It's hard to ignore him when he's aggressively huffing beside you, his long legs sprawled out forward and his again- very sharp shark like teeth, gnaw at the fraying ends of the sports bandages.

It's so tempting to study his face... Really, teeth that sharp make his pretty brown eyes stand out. Fierceness from his dark eyebrows as his brown eyes are encapsulated from his dark silky-smooth hair. The yellow light peeking through the window shines on parts of his raven hair, reflecting gorgeous tones of dark blue as he blinks. If you could just get a closer look at his long eyelashes too-

Oh no. Now you've been staring too long.

He grunts and growls and sharply turns his head.

And now you're the focus of those charming brown eyes.

"What."

Oh my goodness. He speaks.

"I- Uh- Did you... Want help?"

He huffs, and for a second you panic, thinking the worst, that you've offended him and pissed him off.

"Sure... I guess." He chokes out, shifting his head away quickly too look out elsewhere. Did you embarrass him?

Oh, but be quick now, you're losing your chance [Name]. Wasting no time, you scoot yourself in towards him, closing the space between you two until your knees are just barely scrapping each other.

He's still looking out the window, and his stupidly elegant hair is too long, blocking you from reading his expression as it tumbles past his sharp nose. A short sniff of some sort of distain you guess, as you tap his hand in warning.

Grabbing it gently, you unroll the mess of bandages he had made before. The ointment now all messy and sticking to your hands as you toss the wettened bandaids.

His hands are very smooth...

Grabbing the box of supplies, you try not to focus on how long and nimble his fingers are. Trying, well, attempting to focus instead on spreading the healing cream between his... Very, smooth knuckles and the tips of his fingers. His nails are also well kept, but the only part of it that was unsightly, yet beautiful, was the dried paled parts of his first two knuckles. Calloused white and paler then the rest of his hand, there's evidence of previous scrap ups that remained permanently. It's pretty, you think, and a trophy of his personality.

"Tell me if it's uncomfortable alright? This sort of cream works better when it's massaged in..." You murmur, lifting your head up as his striking eyes cast against yours.

God, he made it so hard to look directly at him.

"It's... Fine. Do whatever. Tch." He bleats out, eyebrows again furrowing as he looks at you.

As you take to palming the fingers on his hand, spreading the ointment, you fail to notice the slight undeniable tint of pink that shades his high cheekbones, as he stares at you, softening his gaze.

The awkward seconds of silence between his curt response doesn't last long, as he clears his throat and grunts again,

"Your... Fighting earlier. It was... Good."

"Thank you, I tried, to um- Well to make you think, quite honestly", you take care to mind the reddened parts of his arms, scrapped up from the final fall.

"You're not too bad yourself," to which you can already tell he's smiling cockily too,

"What was it? The fast fists thingy"

"Oh that? It was wing chun! You know, it's actually really useful in fighting... The person who made it was this Buddhist monk named Ng Mui who actually was a women! It's a very extricating story actually! Her story on developing the style caused for it being recommended by Bruce Lee... oh, wait I'm blabbing all over again... Sorry!" stammering out, your hands stop as you furrow your face in embarrassment.

His right hand, delicately, taps on your hands too continue, as he speaks,

"No, continue. I want to know."

"Really?..." Now your head has turned up, your other hand blindly grasping around on the ground for the bandaging tape as you lock eyes.

He looks at you in this strange, angry yet longing way, his eyebrows are furrowed, and he seems pissed off, but his eyes. Oh, his eyes. Their locked in on you with this cute peaked interest, shining as you speak. This time, you take notice of his soft pinkened cheeks and the nervousness of his body language.

So, you continue speaking. Wrapping his hands thoughtfully as you retell the history of your fighting style. Recounting the learnings and teachings, explaining why you thought Umemiya even chose you too spar with him. Which he grunts too exasperatedly.

By the time you've finished completely bandaging his sores, you've sat crossed from him, glancing up and down anywhere but his face.

"I hope I didn't bore you through that... I just thought, you'd like to understand why Umemiya made me spar with you. I swear I wasn't trying to steal him away from you or anything!"

Sugishita scoffs a bit, flicking his head to the side as his hair falls away from his face.

"Tch, don't apologize. I don't care. I like your talking."

"Are you? Sure?... I swear I'm not trying to earn brownie points with him. It's not a goal of mine... Honestly, he makes me sort of nervous andalsoI'mnotsureifhe'evenlikesme- Mmph!"

Mid-croaked speech, Sugishita huffs another sigh, pushing his hair back from his face. Leaning in quick, pressing against your lips, opened. Sweet, short, and shocking.

"I- Oh my god- Wow. Um-"

"Let's do this. All of this. Again." He's shocked himself off his feet now, fidgeting with his bandaged hands as he stomps towards the door. The night time sky, dark outside, the only lights coming from the building and the lamps outside.

Turning his head, one quick glance more, he mumbles through his blushed face.

"Your cute. Stop worrying about it. See you..."

Before you able to scramble to your feet he's scrunched himself over and angrily stomped his way all the way across the street.

"Wait!- What?!-"

You hear the angry slam of the gate.

Touching your lips, there's a slight tang of metal as you run your tongue over where his lips had been. Excruciatingly hot, your whole face becomes.

But now there's a slight nip of blood, where his little vampiric teeth had accidently scrapped.

TOGAME JO (aikido + kung fu)

"You'll wait for me, won't you Kami-chan?"

"Mmm... Maybe. If you remember to come back for me" he teases, grinning his long feline smile as he looks down at you through his shaggy mullet. Black hair dancing softly with the light breeze as fireworks blare up above.

He's slumped over the wooden railing of the arched bridge, gazing out at the red Torii gates as the wood creaked. A small paper bowl dawned Mitarashi Mochi, steaming hot from the vendor as the sticky sweet soy sauce glazed over it glowed under the flickering fireworks.

Flashes of red, greens, and yellows echo above. As you gaze at him, taking in his striking soft lazed eyes. His silly grin molding into a frown as he raises a brow.

"Hmm? What's wrong Tori? Why aren't you responding?", he seems so unbothered by your moving. If only you could tell him, it was him that was distracting you.

"It's just that... Well, what if you forget me?" you mumble, stuffing your face into your sweaters sleeves as you curled on top of the wood.

You don't have to look at him to feel his eyes narrow in some sort of strange annoyance.

"I won't. Even I know better than that [Name]. We've been friends for long enough, haven't we?" Leaning forward, creaking noises barely mix with the loud cacophony of the fireworks.

He stares at the patterned lights of a red heart. The sparks floating away like fairies as they disappear.

You could sit in this moment forever. Soak in the fainting scent of his hair, the boring old public bath soaps mixed with his own strange, food embedded aroma. Something from his love of festivals you had always noticed.

Luminated underneath the sky, his green eyes held sparks of such vibrant color. From the straight, dark gaze he held for a moment, he turned, grabbing your hand with one of his own, grabbing what was left of the mochi with his other, as he looked at you, deeply,

"I'll remember you. So, write to me while you're gone, won't you?"

Lost in his darkened gaze, you only nod, smiling meekly as his hand closes into yours.

It's cold. Very, very, cold.

He's always had cold hands. When he stands up straight, he pulls you in by his side, your hand warming up to his, heat rushing through your finger tips as he palms the front of your hand. Running over the knuckles hardened from your several brawls.

"Come on' at least let me bet ya' one more time before you leave Tori"

With that, the mood blazes a little more, eliciting a giggle from you as he grins and jogs the both of you towards the large, opened sumo mats. Left open for freelancing competitors.

When he lets go of you, it's a lot more noticeably cold. A choke of air left loose from your throat as you reel your hand back. Desperately holding against the urge to grab again at his empty hand. Watching as he turns his back, throwing away the mochi, clueless.

Ducking under the flexing ropes, you both enter, cracking knuckles, stretching legs, grinning childishly.

"I'll get you this time Jo!" Teasing, you bounce on your heels, cart wheeling towards him.

"We'll see about it [Name]... I've been beating you since we were babies, maybe you'll win this time..." His baritone voice drags out the last syllable, watching knowingly as your eye twitches from his annoyance.

"I'll beat you and then send you to the States instead of me Kami-chan!"

"Mmm, we'll see doll"

He hopes you don't notice the way he's jaw is latched shut. The way his eyebrows furrow in annoyance. And especially not the way small crystalline tears dabble his pretty green eyes you so adored.

Realizing that you're leaving him.

...

"I'll be home soon Kami. Do you still remember me?" - Tori

“Ohhh Kame-chan! Kame-chan, Kame-chan! Look what I brought! Ume-chan said the bakery down in their precinct had extras so I brought home mochi!” Choji giggles in playful delight as he jumps up and down.

Watching as his friend crumples a small piece of paper into his palm. Togame takes to it quickly as he shoves it deep inside his Shishitoren jacket. He tilts his head.

...Kame-chan never hides secrets from him. And he certainly had no reason to start now.

"Hmm~? What's that Kame-chan? What is it! It looked important! Was it from Sakura-chan? Ooo, I haven't seen him in forever! I wonder what he's up too-"

"It's... Nothing Choji. Leave it. This isn't for you to see anyways." Togame mumbles, shifting uncomfortably onto one of his wooden sandals. Eyes following off to the side, finding interest in the sky instead of his friend. Shuffling something in his pocket, digging deep into it; indenting the shape of some sort of crumbling.

He was ruining the note!

"Hey! Wait, wait, wait! Kame-chan what's on the notee?! I wanna' know! Give it here! You'll ruin it!" pouting, Choji jumps forward, yanking at the orange letterman jacket. Pulling at Togame's wrists as he tried to reach for the crumbled paper.

"Wait Choji- Hey!-"

Successfully wrestling the note out of his friend's grasp he fumbles over the folded edges, lifting the note up in triumph as he grins and reads,

"I'll be home soon Kami!- Tori, Oof!"

Only to get plundered to the hard concrete rooftop of building.

'Kame-chann! Ow... That hurt! What was that for?!"

"You... Dumbass. That note has nothing important... Leave it alone would ya'..." Furrowing his brows, the emeralds of his eyes narrow as he glares at the folded-out letter in Choji's hand. The last letter of your signature just barely peeking out in a soft stroke of pen.

"It's clearly very~ important if your hiding it from me Kame-chan! Who is it? Who is it? You've never hid secrets before! Ooo... I wonder, is it a lover do you have someone you like Kame-chan? OhwowIcan'timagine-"

"It's not my lover dumbass! It's... From someone. I guess..." Togame groans in exhaustion, watching Choji through colored lenses as he jumps giggling up and down. Bouncing on the fronts of his feet like a little child. All the fanfare as his eyes glow in anticipation, staring deep into his lazed eyes.

Togame swears he felt his eyebrow twitch,

"It's... From an old childhood friend. Okay? Ya' done yet?"

He should of hid that note quicker.

"Oh?! Oh!! Kame-chan has a pen pal! Woahh... Wait, is it that one girl from your old secondary school?! Kame-chan you've got to tell me more than that!" Now he's circling him like a vulture. Tugging on the whites of his sleeve as he twirls in circles around him, all the energy in the world.

Choji would ring this opportunity out of Togame if it was the last thing he did.

"... It is them... I guess. But keep your mouth quiet dumbass. We didn't end on good terms last time around... Anyways, I haven't seen them or talked to them since that letter..." huffing, Togame bends his knees, laying flat on the ground as he put his arms behind. Staring up into the clear sky as he traced over the clouds. Suspiciously heart shaped and fluffy.

"Wahh~... But then doesn't that mean this is your chance to make it up to them?", Choji takes the time out of his boundless energy to plop down beside the tall, clearly saddened man, as he turns and stares. Unblinking.

"Hahh?! Are you kidding me? No thanks... We haven't seen each other in forever. It's stupid... I got all angry and annoyed after they left. I stopped answering their texts and when they tried sending letters I... Just. Couldn't"

A breeze blows a strange chill down Togame's spine.

When he turns to look at Choji, fearing the silence, his face is met with the very, very, chilled and deadly hands of Choji Tomiyama.

His friend had latched his eyes opened, inches away from Togame as he grinned, emotionless. Unfazed. Blankly.

Petrified, Togame forces himself to stare back, eyes opened in near heart attack.

"If you're going to be such a wimp about it. Then I'll make it happen. Myself."

The air stills.

.

.

.

"Haha! Gotcha'! Was that good? That was my pep talk! Ume-chan said good leaders know how to encourage their right hands! Didya' get the message Kami-chan?"

Togame feels his heart skip a beat as the hands gripped tightly over his cheeks let loose as Choji jumps to his feet spontaneously.

"Yeahh... Sure Choji... Uh huh." Recovering from his near shock, he takes the hand extended out towards him.

"It's okay to be scared Kami-chan! All of us are at some point! But sometimes you've got to learn to face your fears head on! You've got me, Sakura-chan, and all of Shishitoren holding you up on your back anyways! Trust in us! We're here for you and your sad romance!"

"There is no sad romance! Ohhh... Never mind"

"Come on Kame-chan! Let's enjoy this mochi before it goes cold. Maybe that'll get your mind off things for a bit!"

Letting out a cold hard sigh of frustration, he follows behind the bumbling child. Watching as Choji leaps through the doors, never looking back. Knowing full well that he'd follow.

It reminds him of how you'd tail behind him.

Back when you two were just friends.

...

When the sky turns bleak in darkness, Choji hums a lullaby as he waits outside the train station, being the only one within radius of the neighborhood Togame lived in.

Scrolling absentminded on his phone, he waits for the intercom to stop it's announcement.

"Arriving, Makochi Station. All passengers may now exit"

Flicking his phone off, he tucks it into his jacket, still having not changed since his meeting with the dark raven haired man.

A devilish grin adorns his face as he zeros in on the person exiting the train. Two large luggage cases trailing behind their person as the curl up the scarf rung over their neck.

Skipping up to them, his grin widens.

"Hiya! Your Tori-chan aren't cha'? Ooo, it's so nice to finally meet you! I'm Choji Tomimiya! Are you lost?"

He leaves you no time to soak in the shock of the name he calls you by.

Watching you keenly as your eyes widen in surprise, not expecting the greeting; your cheeks-stained light pink from the cold of the night. Immediately going into a familiar praying mantis stance. Thumbs and palms folded like knives as you step back cautiously.

"Now hold on! I don't mean harm! I'm Kame-chan's friend! Oh wait- That doesn't help... Togame's friend!"

His eyes gleam mischievously as he watches your eyes widen even more, a gasp puffing from your lips as he clasps his hands together. Rubbing them together like a pesky fly as he skips.

"You and I have so much to talk about!"

The poor, unsuspecting you.

...

When Togame arrives in the dark, gloomy lit room of The Ori his subconsciousness immediately perks up to the appearance of someone, familiar, as their back turned to meet him.

“Hi. Kame-chan”

Your voice has a newfound bitterness he’s not used to, although it was expected. In the back of his mind, he could feel a twitch snap its way up his spine as his eye winced.

When you have fully faced him, a coldness wallowed your eyes. Your lips pressed thin against each other as he watched your shoulders stiffen. An uncomfortable silence crowding the both of you in.

For a while, it seemed like neither of you were going to move. Watching each other blankly as your fists closed. Palming inwards as white crescent shaped imprints were left from your nails.

“Hi. Kame-chan.”

Shit.

This was all Choji’s idea wasn’t it.

Nothing could explain the way you looked at him. Something begging for him in shame.

“Ah, hello. [Name]."

Anxiety bubbles up in his stomach in rippling waves. Choking down the pitiful tears that bubbled up in his stomach, taking a step forward, he watched as your brow twitches.

"So, are you going to explain yourself? Have anything to say to the person you ghosted for months?" Bitter is your voice as it rise, angry, wrathful stomps, following step by step, until your close enough to punch him.

Or even kiss him.

But he doesn't need to know that.

"Aha.. Ha. Listenn [Name], I. A lot of things happened while you were gone, I met new people, had new things to take care of... I'm sor-"

"If you were sorry, you would have replied. You would have answered my letters. You should have answered them."

And now you've backed up, popping your knuckles as you snicker, mocking him as you glared.

"What, were you too awestruck by your new little best friend that you forgot me Kame-chan?"

How much had Choji told you? Anyway, he was really going to kill him one way or another. If he could get past you first.

"Hey. Eyes here Togame Jo. I don't take shitty emotional outrages lightly turtle head. I don't give a damn if you've join some sort of gang or what not, but if you've got a problem with me, we'll fight it out like we've always done" Twisting your neck, cracks resound, bouncing up and down as you take deep breaths, slowing down your racing heart.

Tradition would have it, that whenever you were arguing, as children do, your parents would force the both of you into a padded garage, the mats firm but cushioned as they'd demand you to fix your issues through regulated fights.

For the both of you, this had always been the way fights were fixed. Nothing staged, no parades, no bitter tears, just simple, very simple, rough housing.

It was always natural to you, finding your fix in taking out your anger in the punches, blocks, hard slams onto the mats with him. The five year old versions of you and Togame being snotty emotional babies, taking out your frustrations with tactless takedowns and silly punches.

He doesn't stop to think as he grins, bittersweet. And Togame thinks about how pretty you look underneath even the horrible yellow dim lights of the Ori's theatre stage.

Kicking off the sandals below him, digging the palms of his feet into the cracked wood of the stage, his smile widens. Lazy doe eyes perking up at you, reeling you in, through shaded yellow glasses. Previous sadness dissipating as he watches you bounce, playfully.

That's right, it had always just been you two and your silly little fights, hadn't it. There really was no reason he should have been scared.

Aiming for your leg he ducks, sweeping as you jump over. Swaying like a snake as your hands lift and tuck.

Now you grin too, a nostalgic feeling bubbling in your heart as you watch his black hair flair. Beautiful as he grapples for you, aiming closer and closer.

It really was so hard to be angry at someone as beautiful as him. The next time he aimed for you, you barreled, grabbing at his arm as you throttled him over.

His eyes widen in the split of the second your faces align, watching as his body glides over yours in a swift throw.

God, he admired the way you grinned and chuckled as his body crashed to the wooden floor.

A threatening crack left in the imprint of the stage.

His back was aching.

But for some reason, he was thrilled. No, he knew why. You could see it, as he grunted up from the floor, you backed, still swaying as you pounce towards him. Grappling for his limbs as he backed and tried to his own throw.

For minutes, you two grappled at each other, tiring yourselves out as he crouched lower and lower, as you yanked quicker and stronger.

Fiery passion dancing in unseen ways between the quick glances. Your eyes catching each other's as short looks found their way into your messy brawls. Just like little kids again, you both grinning like maniacs, little children, forgetting the whole reason behind your dirtied fists, crappy stage, and labored breaths.

When it had felt like hours, and the wood planks of the stage had started to tilt under the pressure of your heavy body slams, only then did you both pause to catch your breath. Short, raspy catches of air as your eyes locked.

And the moment holds. Bent over, hands on knees, as he looks at you, hair disheveled and little hair tie lost somewhere in the midst, his bright green eyes glowing brightly as he stares. Watching your hair, splayed out and unkept, clothes dirtied with patches of dirt. Still with a determined look of fierceness held on your gaze. Moment holding, before you both leap at each other, tangling arms and legs.

It takes even longer, as you both tumble to the floor, breaths quickening as limbs lace around each other, trying to find an opening to throw. Rolling around, dirty and grim bulking over each others clothes, as the floor below threatens to give.

When you finally give, throwing your head onto his, knocking the breath out of him as he one final breath gives leeway.

"Ow! Damn it-..."

He glares, your legs crossed over each other as he lays up, propped on his shoulders below you.

You blink.

He blinks.

And suddenly, a quiet rumble erupts, and your both giggling as you stumble over him, lying next to him. Crazed, pure psychotic laughter as your hands cover your face shielding from the light.

He's slow, deep looming tone, echos across the walls as he grins, looking up at the ceiling, eyes droopy as he turns.

"... I, missed you, Tori" This time, you're sure you heard a choked back sob.

"Wait- Hey now... Wait, don't get all sappy on me Togame Jo!" Alarmed, you turn, propping up on one elbow as you clasp your calloused hand at his cheek.

Watching as a tear slides down his cheek.

"...Kami-chan... Are you alright?"

He doesn't reply. Sitting there, watching your dolled face, anxious with worry as you hold his cheek. Everything felt warm, inviting, exciting. And he didn't want it to leave.

"Can we, stay like this?..."

Without hesitation, or need for explanation,

"Of course. Of course we can Kami"

So, you lay back down, staring up at the ceiling looking that the lights as they start to flicker. Wondering whatever happened to the best friend you knew as lazed and cool. It doesn't take long before you hear the shuffling of Togame, long limbed as the beast he is, scooting closer.

The softness of an orange coat floats over you, draping elegantly as you let out a deep sigh.

He looks at you, smiling, body aching, knees giving out, as he turns, facing you, taking in your details as the butterflies in his heart explode like burning pain.

He lifts the orange coat, blackened by design ink and dirt that coats its outside, as he tucks you in.

"I'm sorry"

He thinks.

As he turns upwards, laying on his own arm, thinking about how the wood seemed even brighter than the mornings blue sky.

...

"Woah dude... What was that about? Didja' see that boss? That was crazy!..." Kanuma squeaks, hiding behind his puffed out sleeves as he whimpers behind the wooden door.

"Shhh! Shh! They're gonna hear us if you don't shudd'up idiot!" Arima whispers -yelling through his teeth- trying to peak over the top of his friend.

"Woahh... He did it! He did it! Kame-chan talked to his crush!" A small, fluffy blonde hair boy peaks over the top of the two eavesdropping rats. Pumping up his fists in cheer as he grins maniacally.

"Wait- What? Boss that's Togames crush?! That's crazy... There's no way!" Almost fearful, Kanuma ducks behind the wall.

"No, it totally is guys...! When I talked to them yesterday, they told me about how they used to like him when they were kids... Just look at them. Their totallyy in love!~" The blonde boy snickers, sticking out his tongue at his friend as he watched the lover birds sleep.

Trying to peak again, Kanuma looks over Choji's head, squinting at the two lying forms. A sudden twitching motion coming from Togame as his eyes flicker, turning slowly to the sound of rustling clothes.

"... Uh oh! I think he noticed us guys! Scatter! Kame-chan's gonna kill us if he knows we were eavesdropping" Choji tip toes out of the line of sight as he gives a closed eye smile. Putting up a finger as he motions to be quiet. Scampering off with the two mischievous members tailing close behind, giggling like children again.

Togame Jo would not be hearing the end of it any time soon.

KAJI REN (capoeria (e.g of reader (cw: indecency) MANGA SPOILERS

Kaji Ren hates stupid people.

He hates stupid people with an ego even more so.

Thinking about it makes him even more ticked off, which doesn't help the crowd he's with at all.

There are bruises traced all over his face, purple as they start to darken. His mouth is parched, his bottom lip is busted and bleeding slightly as the iron taste touches his tongue. A sharp iron taste lacing itself in his mouth as he wipes the blood pouring out the scraps on his face and skin.

Stuck between two boys, who seem quite obviously ages older than him; cornered him towards the large jungle gym. His back pressing up slowly against the cold metal bars. Their eyes preying as they snickered, cracking their knuckles in viciousness. Having already landed harsh, unfair blows at his back and chest. His wrists ached from where they had iron gripped at, leaving red marks. His legs wobbled slightly as he backed, he was sure he could feel more bruises forming.

"Where's your little protector now Kaji? You're not all that scary without Hiragi anymore are ya' punk", the taller of the two boys, spits, getting his saliva all over the wood chips decorating the floor.

Really, Kaji Ren can't stand nasty little idiots like him. Pieces of the cocky bastards' spit got over his cheek, gross and slimy as his eyes narrow. Swiping at the disgusting remanence with his school uniforms sleeve, it stains the cuffs.

Spitting back, "Get the hell away from me moron." Kaji tries to duck underneath the two boys.

Only, behind them were several other upper classmen, all dressed in a strange coat printed with some design of a blacked-out snake, curling in on itself. The logo of their gang he guesses. Damn it, as he tries to swerve away from the group of teens the more they close in. His headphones had already been off as they had died hours ago, having forgotten to charge them before heading out, much to his annoyance.

Hiragi had told him to contain his anger, tune out the dumb people with his headphones and music, hold his tongue from starting fights with lolipops and sweets to chew on. Yet, his headphones would be no help and there were far too many people trying to instigate with him for him not to start a fight. Especially when his body was already battered and bruising as he tried to stand up right.

The shorter of the boys, freckle face and yellow hair, perked up, inching closer as he grabbed at Kaji's collar.

"What happened little boy? Where's all that bark now huh??- Guess those rumors your short temper were all yap huh. Come on now! Show us your rage, your anger." Lifting him up in the air, Kaji grimaces, closing his fists tight as he tries to struggle loose. Suspended in air, moments last.

A strong back handed fist landing the boys nose as he drops down and back.

"Ow- Fuck! You damn brat!" Blood leaks from the boys nose, a strange joint sticking out as he covers his nose. Eyes widening at the awkward angle it held.

"Fucking! Damn it don't just stand there! Get that fucking dog in a cage!"

Several of the members jump at the command, charging at the white hair boy with bats in hand. Closed fists, weapons of wood, and blood thirsty looks on their face as they push past the wounded teen.

Twisting his body he launches into the air, careful to hold onto his headphones as he lands, kicking members from every side.

His knuckles flame and burn as he lands blows, screaming bloody murder, words muffled; hell, if he knows what he's saying. His body manipulates like a ballet, twisting and spinning as he jumps to dodge and throws with full intent. Every muscle in his body aching as his legs collide with the onslaught of members. Kicks sending back several at a time as he sweeps below. Ducking under one before launching up to round house another.

The air gets colder the longer he stays outside. It's almost completely black when the streetlights turn on. Everyone tucked away in their homes.

Out of nowhere a punch connects with his jaw, sending up sideways.

Standing up, he wobbles, trying to get back his vision at his attacker(s). His jaw is stinging with numbing pain; almost broken he thinks. But it's nothing he hasn't had before.

Limping, his back curves to a straight stand, trying to clasp back his fists. A fatigue enveloping him as he tries to stand. Only to have someone yank him from behind, strong and quick as he lands on the wooden chips of the playground. His coat flaying off him with the attacker. A scream releasing from his lips as pieces poke sharply into his back.

"Damn it..."

His throat hurts from violent pain, labored breathing leaving him as he tries to calm himself.

1...

2...

3...

Everything fades. Every little breath he counts as he tries to stop the blurring of his eyes, widened in fear as the blackened shadows approach him.

He can't lose it again.

Where are they? Where are the headphones? His lollipops even? He can't feel anything.

Where are they?

The headphones. Their gone, they're not on his neck, his eyes blur even more, eyebrows raising as he frantically stands, stumbling as he grips around his neck, looking for them.

"Looking for this little boy?" The taller teen steps forward, headphones, pale white, in hand as he sneers.

"Give. Those. Back. You fucking moron!"

Prancing around him, dancing with a sing song-y voice, the boy taunts,

"Come and get em' doggy"

Fuck. He can't see, everything is blacking out, he can't lose them. Not now, not yet, Hiragi didn't give him those precious headphones just for them to be taken away.

He couldn't disappoint Hiragi like this. Not like this. Anything but the headphones. Anything but that pitch blackness and the bodies that would pile up when he woke.

It's too late, he's already losing control of himself. He can't even feel his arms anymore. He feels dazed, let lose. Black dots stabbing at his vision as the last of the men trail in, crouched low as they sneer and snicker. Taunting. Enticing. Looking down.

On him.

What would Hiragi think? Kaji apologizes in his head. Feeling the last of his consciousness fading away as his muscles relax.

"Sorry... Hiragi, sir..."

For a second the world slows as he tilts, falling lightly. It's almost peaceful.

.

.

.

"Waitt-!!"

"Stay alive dude! You've got this, hold on!"

Flashes of clothing appear. A sudden figure leaping towards the rest of the gang, fists tight as they move in weird dissonance. Their legs bent and swaying like a snake.

It wakes Kaji.

Whoever they were, they didn't stop to check if he was still awake. Or if his legs were still holding up him. They kept bouncing up and down, flairs of all sorts, cartwheels and tornado kicks combined.

They moved like a dance, cutting off each member slowly as they jumped and leaped. Taking the stage as they landed kicks across every member. Bodies dropping one by one as each kick and punch landed.

Violent pulses of coughs left from their victims, short, asphyxiated breaths. His legs gave out watching them. Vision returning slowly in color as they watched the way the darkened figure danced. It felt like anything but a fight, much more graceful than his. It felt staged, long lasting, as they took out men with their long loose limbs. The power felt almost raw, beautiful, but untamed and violent in a way even he could understand.

Until finally, the very last member stood. The very boy that had taken his headphones off. Quaking in fear as his knees buckled, hands held high as he tried to run.

"Hey! Come back here dummy! Why are you so scared? I'm not done yet!" Grinning, you launch upwards, flipping dramatically as you land. Cascading down like a little fairy as you smile in a sadistic glee.

Pinpoint on his back, leg first.

His head hitting the floor in a disgusting, awestruck crack.

“… Uh oh. Is he alright?! Shoot, I didn't kill him did I...? Shit” you mutter under your breath.

Despite your word a devilish smile entertained your face. It was almost horrific the way you sat on the poor boy's back.

Kaji watches you sit in silence for minutes muttering under your breath before you snap back to reality. Jumping up spontaneously; surprising Kaji as he sits up right, before you yank out the white headphones, inspecting them.

Giving a little kick at the bodies arm, you reach out with your empty hand, feeling for the certain beat of his heart with your two fingers. Inspecting the pulse as you hummed, strangely unbothered.

When you were satisfied, a grin left of your face from where Kaji could see, you skipped towards him. Headphones in hand you bent down all bubbly as you smiled and offered him a lending hand.

"Hiya! Are you okay dude? Was a bit worried back there to be honest! I thought you died or something..." A nervous chuckle left your, very pretty lips, Kaji noticed, hyper focused on the way they moved as you went on bumbling,

"Do you need... Bandages? Water?... Does it hurt a lot?"

Something about the way you spoke held him in a weird trance. You were mesmerizing. Maybe it wasn't even just the way you spoke, but the way you looked. The way you acted. Maybe even, especially the way you completely saved him from months of regret and wallowing in his own self pity. Something about the way you fought and the way you were looking over his face and knuckles. Eyes keen on his bruises that decorated his cheeks made his face feel warm.

There was an unfamilar fuzzy feeling bubbling in his stomach. Was this... Anxiety? Now? It was weird. It didn't feel exactly like times before. But still, he felt something that was new and foreign. Something that he wasn't sure he enjoyed.

Your eyes are glued to his knuckles next, turning over his hands to inspect his palms, and he notices the way your eyes furrow and you continue to mutter under your breath.

Now he just feels like a creep-

"I- Um- H-hey, let go of me!! It's nothing I swear- I'm used to it by this point! -"

"That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt you any less! Don't say things like that! Trust me, I've had my fair share of fights too... Getting treatment makes the recovery process easier than you think!"

"But-" He starts.

"Shut up! Nope. Be quiet! Here, take this, we'll get you something for the bruises and then I guess we can also repair these-" holding out your hand, you hand him back the headphones. This time, their scrapped and chipped by the sides, only noticeable if you looked closely. But still. It hurt Kaji a little to see them even remotely damaged. What sort of person was he to ruin Hiragi's gift like that?

Not noticing his little frown and the way he narrows his grey eyes to squint at the damages, you pocket out a couple hundred yen. Handing him the money as you chuckle, watching his face flush pink underneath the moonlight.

His eyes dart shyly elsewhere you could see the way his cheeks puffed slightly as he avoided your gaze. Sweetly, they looked absolutely squishable, it took everything not to reach out and grab.

"Hey! [Name]! Where are you ya' damn brat...! My friends are waiting and I am not having your family yell at me for leaving you out here in the dark!"

Shit-

"Coming! I'm coming! Hold on!-" turning your head quickly towards the voice your eyes shock open. Looking back, you smile quickly at Kaji, whose head is tilted, curious as he stares.

"Sorry I gotta' go pretty boy! See you around?... Till next time!"

Running away quickly waving your hand high above the air, flickers of the moonlight glows across your air as it reflects off. Before he blinks you've run off as fast as you appeared.

Leaving him confused, flushed red as his stammers a breath.

Looking down at the wad of yen in his hand, he notices a small tab, a sticker. The image of a white rabbit, a popular character that the girls in his year always had merch of. Its eyes looked almost soulless, staring back at him with its little x-cross shaped mouth.

"Cute..."

He thought. The blush on his cheeks growing redder as he stood in the light, staring at the gift left by his little savior. He should have asked for your name...

Peeling the paper off its smooth backing, he sticks it in the middle of his headphones, right center as it covered over the most noticeable of the scratches.

Man, he really wished he had asked for your name now.

...

"Alrrrright Kaji sir! Firrrst yearrrs are surrveying the norrrth homes! Grrrandma Sato rrreporrted her daughterr was missing sir! Let's search around the marrrkets arrea! Gram'ma said she was sent over therrre last." Enomoto yells, fiercely as he jabs a finger towards the pastry stores up ahead.

A smell of fresh bread hints itself in the air. Motioning to Kusumi with a few quick words, feeling his phone buzz in his pocket he nods. Kaji scampers off quickly as he sighs, adjusting his headphones. Sucking hard on a pink lolipop, his lips pop slightly as he runs.

The old women lost her poor baby cat every other day. Not to confuse the way she described her daughter, the animal in her possession was indeed a white feline.

On days where patrol was slow, and the only calling for Kaji was the needing for his and Bofurin's athletic prowess, he'd find himself walking straight past that park.

Looking longingly as he scoffs, noticing the way the wooden chips dipped softly, just barely noticeable, right next to the metal bars of the big jungle gym.

If it wasn't for the fact he had a job to do, and people he'd much rather not disappoint, he'd find a seat, right on the very tip of those cold metal bars as he dangled his legs over. Turning up his music to a certain lovecore playlist replaying that very night back in his head over and over. Humming slightly to some overseas American artist, Laufey.

He was never a fan of soft lullaby songs, all pathetically whimsical as they sang of love and possibilities.

But, months after that very scramble, he'd found a couple pragmatic online posts about the white little rabbit, stickered onto his headphones. Apparently, the girls who loved the so-called mascot rabbit 'Miffy' were systematically linked to artists associated with Laufey or lovecore.

As much as he'd love the posts to be proven wrong, the playlists always did reminded him of his first love.

He'd always spend the time, staring down at the floor, closing his eyes as music blasted, thinking about how your hands had been so very warm against his own. How bright you giggled as you were nervous, and how pretty your hair looked against the moonlight.

Kaji, oh dear captain of his year, was head over heels for a person he'd only met once.

And by gods, was it horribly embarrassing.

Slowing down from his jog, Kaji stares at the park. Pausing for a quick minute,

"It's just for a quick breath" He thinks.

His cheeks puff slightly at his amusing thought, slight tint of pink as he shakes his head angrily. Huffing a breath of annoyance, as he thinks;

Patrol comes first.

Out of the corner of his eye, mid thought, there comes the shine of something white. A small instant flash as the figure bounces across the wooden chips onto the small road.

"Darn it... There she is"

It doesn't take a second longer, as Kaji runs towards the movement. Watching the little naughty cat pounce across the road. Stopping to look back and give a teasing stick of the tongue. Damn Grandma, she spoiled this cat way too much.

Running after Risa, the flicker of her tail tucks as she ducks under stalls and their produce stands, scampering across the market place.

"Hey! Come back here damn it!"

Tripping over loose rock, he runs to catch up with the slimy rascal. Together as they duck under trashbins and banners, flipping over buildings as he yells. Just a few steps short as Risa bends underneath some bridge, skittering to a stop as Kai jumps down. Only for her to jump right back up as she pause once more, blinking innocently as she mews and sits pretty and perched. Kaji's sure he seems like a maniac now. He's yelling at the stupid cat as if it'll slow down, watching as he finally climbs up onto the bridges railings, nearly tripping again as he finally catches up to Risa behind a darkened part of the neighborhood.

A neighbor of the lower tax bracket, as litter is scattered on the floor, and a few abandoned houses and an amassed amount of weeds and strangling plants left alone as he watches the pearl cat finally sit still. Stuck right in front of him as she licks her paw, glancing at him in a sneering amuse he swears is an insult about his intelligence.

Mewling all sweet and baby-like, she beckons him to come closer. Watching him slowly crotched, annoyingly scoff as he rips open another lolipop. Having lost his previous one in the chase.

It's sour flavor of lemon pinches his tongue's tastebuds, souring his expression more as he starts to stomp fiercely towards the mocking kitten.

"Hey!... Look dude! A white cat! Aren't those like, superrr expensive?" a voice calls out, the small of a head of hair peeking overtop the overgrown weeds. A snicker comes with, and before Kaji and let out another tsk of annoyance, a group of guys about his age pops out behind the tall grasses.

One by one teens, Kaji guesses third years, stampeded towards Risa, gossiping in loud tones as they crouch, narrowing in on Risa.

He doesn't like the way they look at the cat, eyes preying in on her white fur like a prize, like predators.

"I'm sure it'll make for some good cash guys..."

"Hell yeah it will! Senior folk go crazy for cats this colo..-"

"Hey! What do you guys think you're doing?!" suddenly, another voice chimes in, it sounds... Almost familiar to him.

He takes the surprise of the guys to his advantage, sweeping up Risa in a quick swift motion.

She yowls in protest, echoing across the fields. Kaji's suddenly grateful he still has his headphones on, the muffling feature in full works.

Glaring at the guys, flashes of angry shouts come as they run towards him. Based on their reactions, he's almost certain they're yelling at him for stealing their cash cow-

Cash cat?-

Kaji doesn't get the chance to think before he grips his arms tightly around the soft kitty. Careful not to hurt her as he dodges out of the way, trying to make a mad dash towards the Bofurn plaza.

There were better days and better times to pick a fight. Even Kaji could tell, especially when he was carrying a very fussy and prickly cat that was very keen on escaping.

Trying to turn his back, he fails to notice the sound of a whole body slamming into the dirt ground. Several more shouts erupting as some sort of flashy black shadow twirled and danced, kicking towards the older guys.

Before he's able to run far, someone grabs at the back of his hoodie, yanking him to the floor as Risa panic, hissing violently.

"Shit! Come here Risa-chan... Sorry-"

He's lifted and turned around as a punch collides with his face.

Crap.

In the brief last second, he somehow shakes free, taking the punch as he feels his lip bruising.

Scurrying backwards he sees his attacker holding Risa by the scuff of the neck, perking their lips outwards in a taunt.

Risa's claws are just short of reaching his face as she hisses in frustration, swinging wildly as her claws extend.

"Shoot... Damn it. The cat!" Whisper yelling underneath his breath, he pops off his headphones as he runs towards the attacker. Throwing raw punches towards his opponent while trying to carefully pick Risa back up.

Blows exchange as he tries to step in front of Risa, having been let down as the grip loosened. When Kaji had finally noticed the other attackers had been laying on the floor unmoving and a shadow was curb stomping them almost breathless, he yelled

"Hey damn it! What's taking you so long?! Help the cat!"

The figure whips around confused,

"Oh shi- Sorry! Didn't know there was still more!"

Giving a swift low kick to make sure the men were still unconscious the person joined, flipping wildly into cartwheels as their knees bent. Raw jagged movements left your body as you confused the man in front of you. Striking at key targets hitting the arteries that would stun him as you aimed.

Kaji once securing the pretty cat, joined, holding the cat in both arms as he spun as well, kicking sporadically.

Together you both danced around the man, mixing styles in sychrony as you paraded over the blood leaking out of noises and cuts. The attacker blocks over and over, lifting his hands up as he tries to run.

"Shit- Sorry! Sorry! Okay I get it! I'll leave!"

It doesn't take long for the coward of a man to run, legs wobbling as he quickly picks himself up, flipping you off as he runs.

A sigh of relief escapes your lips, only for your eyes to shock open widely, searching for your partner in crime.

"Oh dude! Are you okay? You aren't hurt are you?"

As you inch towards the boy, you notice locks of silver hair, and a pair of headphones you had long looked for.

"Holy shi- your that pretty boy from the park!"

...

For Kaji, this coincidental moment felt like a whole years worth of voices silenced. When the shadow had disappeared from your face, his eyes widened, his cheeks flushed, and his grip on Risa loosened.

It was almost a miracle the cat hadn't tried to run off again.

You, you were there.

In front of him.

And this time you weren't fighting for his safety but had done it with him. Suddenly, he almost felt bashful. Embarrassed as he scuffled to his feet, mouth left open as he struggled to respond.

"Hi..."

Damn it Kaji Ren, that was absolutely moronic. His palms are sweaty, and he can feel Risa's fur sticking to it. He can tell his pupils are dilated as he hyperventilates. Staring at you in awe as replays what happened. Your beautiful flair kicks that had caught his attention, coming back to reel him in for more as he fought.

The chemistry you shared, the way your hair was disheveled even less than the last time, and the way your face had matured. Small features that had changed, indications of the time between when you guys had met.

A weird feeling bubbles in Kaji's stomach, turning and twisting in a way that made him confused. Did he want it to stop? Or was he just crazy?

Your eyes look even prettier in the sunset, with the scene of old dark houses shining against them. Your own face perks up curiously,

"Hey uh- Are you just gonna stare?..."

"I uh- Shit. Sorry, um yeah I am that guy... Ya' know... The one you saved last time" Shit, he thinks his voice cracked. Did it crack? Was he hallucinating again?

"No no I remember! I'm just surprised to see you on this part of town... I'm guessing by the uniform you joined Bofurin! Is the cat a neighbor's then?" A smile laces your lips as you inch closer, lifting your index finger to scratch underneath Risa's chin.

As you inchd, Kaji could feel his breath cut. A sharp cut of his unsteady breathing, as his whole body stiffened, almost too aware of how close you were to him.

It feels like hours watching you scratch at the cat in his arms. Right... The cat, not him. It's the cat your paying attention to.

Why is there a stingy sensation now? What is it with all these emotions. It's pissing him off. The weird bubbly feeling replacing itself with a weird giddiness and a hint of something he could only think was jealousy.

Of a cat? How stupid...

When you finish, you stand up straight, grinning even more brightly at the cute kitty time.

"Hey- If you need to return the cat now, how about I walk with you to your side of town? I feel like this meeting was just an absolute sign we were supposed to get to know each other!"

Clasping your hands together, Kaji's whole face erupts in a fierce red, a slow nod as he turns his head away, hiding shyly as his cheeks puff abnormally.

You could almost see the steam bubbling out of his ears.

"S-sure... But just to return the cat!" he babbles, trying to hide his warming ears as he shoves his headphones over his ears with one hand, struggling to put them on all the way.

"Hehe, if that's what you want!" You giggle, reaching out again to pet the sweet soft kitty in his arms. Reaching up once more to readjust his headphones.

All while Ms. Risa sleeps peacefully, and your hair brushes past Kaji's nose, warm hands clasping near the cuffs of his ears by accident as you push the headphones on fully. A glimpse of the bunny sticker showing itself to you as you do so.

A happiness boils inside your chest. Almost a sense of pride as you take notice how yours is the only decoration upon his grey headphones.

And how clean the sticker held up.

A soft smile lifts from his flushed face. Listening to your coos as Risa yawns. He chuckles to himself, thinking again about how awesome you were as you fought, as he timidly reaches out a pinkie. Shifting his grip on the cat as he moves.

Looking away quite obviously, he hooks his pinky with yours as you two walk.

Neither you nor him notice the flushing cheeks and the averted gazes as you hold pinkies.

Short and sweet contact, yet all the warmer as speckles of pink and red dances across your cheeks both.

...

"So, Kajiii whose the new perrrson?!" Enomoto yells, shaking Kaji violently as he spits accidently across his face. For the past hour, since the return of Kaji, his face had been stricken with uncontrollable fear. Thinking his captain had gotten lost.

Only to meet Kaji with a whole essay of questions.

'Yeah, yeah! Tell us Kaji!' A text message rings from Kusumi, his grin widening by the minute as he captures photos of Kaji's red flustered face.

"You neverrr said anything about your crrrush dude! This is crrrrazy! Did Hirrragi sir know about this?! Damn did you leave us out of it Kaji?!" Relentlessly Enomoto shakes, hands quivering at the thought of it all. Kaji Ren with a partner.

"S-Shuddap'! Their not a crush!! I just-"

"What's this I hear?! Kaji you have a crush now?!"

Shit.

Hiragi's face explodes as he drops the plant he holds. Umemiya following close behind as his face drops in horror.

For the plant or for Kaji, he doesn't know.

But he knows he's screwed for sure, looking over to the side of the balcony as you come towards him, smiling as you lift up a hand, showcasing the cute white bunny sticker sheets as you skip.

Maybe he is crushing. Just a little.

SPECIAL BREWS...

Tori-chan // Togame nicknames [reader] as Tori-chan as he views them as someone sweeter than him. Tori or Torii refers to the red gates found in Japanese Shinto shrines. It's a nice play on his monk like religious persona

Kami-chan // [Reader] refers to Togame as Kami as it means paper but also gods/divine beings. For reader and Togame I wanted to symbolize their relatiionship with small religious monikers. Reader also thinks of Togame being laid back and loose limbed like paper, which Kami can also mean!

Lovecore // I wanted to show how innocent and dreamy Kaji's love was. In comparison to his harsh personality, I also headcannon he's the type of guy to listen to music to reminsce and remember his s/o <3. Also just think that lovecore playlists are bangers that remind me of cute character like Miffy and such (I def was not listening to lovecore playlists writing this)

BARISTA'S INQUIREMENT... part II of two! not proof read... Was supposed to be gender neutral but I have a sneaking suspicion I forgot it somewhere. Please let me know if I did! Unfortunately, was very burnt out and couldn't find it in me to write an Umemiya part :(( I will try to post Umemiya content in the near future!

word count. 3k-ish

tag list form !

Part I // FINAL

©lilimalia... Please do not plagiarize, themes are edited by me, reblogs allowed, do not repost on any other platform!!

banner creds: satoru nii, author of wind breaker

[silverstrying]

https://i.postimg.cc/3NLQjZQg/Screenshot-20240616-153649-Tumblr.jpg this is from bella (fujogie) and ayas (tinogiehd) blog :/

No seriously who are they, I dont follow either of them. I have no idea what post theyre talking about did they @ me?

I'm not on tumblr 24/7 so I don't see everything Actually! This weekend me and my person went to a college friend's house to learn how to crochet from her mother, whos a fiber artist! It was very successful :DD I made this:

I am excited to make more! End goal cat beanie!! I think it will be easy!! What colors should it be?:D

[thewindandthestars]

Finally blocked the two main venti people on twitter because they hurt my very being (despite not being yumes with him)

Let's hope my soul heals after months of tormenting it 😌

[benevolentvampire]

.

[hairmetal666]

It's 3am. It's pouring down rain. Steve's soaked to the skin, been wandering the city for most of the night, hasn't slept in almost 24 hours, thinks maybe he's on the brink of delirium, and then a truck hits a pool of ponded water, sending a muddy wave cascading over him.

He just wants to go home but Dustin lost his dog and he can't leave a puppy out in this weather.

Steve steps off the curb, and what looks like a shallow puddle turns out to be a water-filled hole. He crashes towards the pavement, nothing he can do to stop it. As fast he's falling, he's miraculously not, arms wrapped around his waist. It takes a second for his brain to catch up, to understand that he's being held upright in an old-fashioned, romantic dip.

"Careful, sweetheart," a deep and smoke raspy voice says from above him.

it sends chills down his spine, the good kind, and warmth slips through him. His rescuer is a solid 10 knockout. Long, curly hair; eyeliner; decked out in leather and studs and chains. He smells like booze and cigarettes and weed, and it's intoxicating. Steve has to fight the instinct to nuzzle the guy's leather jacket. He's beautiful, holds Steve with the swagger only a guy with rings on every finger could pull off.

And Steve is a mud soaked mess in sweatpants and a threadbare Hawkins High tee. But the guy holding him isn't letting go. He stares down at Steve, brown eyes wide.

"Steve!" A voice calls over the patter of the rain.

"Dustin?" He says at the same time that the man holding him says, "Henderson?"

"Eddie?" Dustin asks.

"Wait, dnd Eddie?" Steve gets his feet under him, but Eddie's arms don't drop.

"You're the famous babysitter Steve I've been hearing all about?"

They gape at each other until Dustin reaches them.

"What are you still doing out here?" Dustin shouts. "We found Dart hours ago."

"Dustin!" He thinks he might cry. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You weren't answering your walkie!"

"Fuck." Steve drops his face to his hand. The walkie. Which is on the table by the front door where he and Robin leave their keys.

Steve swallows his frustration, the misery of waterlogged shoes, having to be up to open the store in a few hours, meeting the hottest guy he's ever seen when he looks like a drowned rat.

"I promised I'd find Dart, didn't I? Now what the hell are you doing out so late?"

"Mom and I were looking for you!"

"Let's get you back to the car, man, okay?" Steve says to Dustin. He wants to end this weird, terrible, embarrassing night before it gets even more humiliating.

"I can give you a ride home," Eddie says. He's got this weird, intense look on his face, staring at Steve.

"I'm only a few blocks away. I'll be fine. C'mon, Henderson."

"Oh, I can walk him. You head home."

He nods, starts towards his apartment, but turns back just in time to see Eddie and Dustin share a look he can't parse.

---

A few days later, Dustin's following him around at work, chattering about dnd as Steve shelves books, and without taking a breath during a soliloquy about owl bears, says, "Eddie's running a one-shot for us next week. You should come! It's a great way to get into the game."

"I'm not playing dnd," Steve answers. He slides a book onto the shelf. "I've told you this."

"Yeah, but you liked Eddie, right? He'd help you out!"

Steve squints at the kid. "I didn't really meet Eddie to know. Anyway, I'm sure he doesn't want a newbie crashing."

Steve is pretty sure Eddie doesn't like him, based on their short introduction, so he's not interested in forcing himself into the guy's dnd club. The night they met was humiliating enough, Steve in all his dorky glory.

"No, he totally wouldn't care. C'mon, Steve!"

"No can do." He ruffles Dustin's hair as he walks away.

He thinks that'll be the end of it, but every few days, for weeks Dustin and all the rest of the kids stop at the store to beg him to join their dnd club.

---

Steve is working the register and he hears the shuffling clank of a customer, looks up and finds Eddie. He's staring at Steve with that same look from the night they met, intense and piercing, cutting straight through the heart of him. He feels himself start to blush.

The first thing out of Eddie's mouth is, "Wait, this is your store?"

"Yeah?" Steve asks. "Is that--is that weird?"

"No! Not at all. It's a good store. Cute." His nose wrinkles when he says it and Steve's blush grows hotter. He knew Eddie thought he was a dork.

"Cute. Yeah. Right. Can I help you with something?"

Eddie rocks back on his heels, hands going to the pockets of his leather jacket, sending his chains jingling. "Oh, so, actually I wanted to see if you were busy?"

"Yeah, man. I'm busy." He laughs, doesn't intend to be mean about it, but he and Robin only opened the store six months ago and both take night classes at the local community college. Plus, everything he does with the kids.

Eddie's face flushes bright. "Oh, sure, of course. Yeah, I--I'll see you around."

The door thunks to a close behind him, and a voice immediately pops up to ask, "What the hell was that?"

He turns to find Max Mayfield hands on hips, glaring up at him, Robin close behind.

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

Max rolls her eyes and strides up to the counter. "Why were you an asshole to Eddie?"

"He started it!"

"I highly doubt that."

"Okay, Ms. Know-it-all, why don't you tell me what happened?"

"I know for a fact that Eddie came in today to ask you out. So, tell me, Steve Harrington, why he rushed out of here looking like a kicked puppy?"

"What?" He yelps. "Eddie doesn't even like me!"

She glares. "Doesn't like you? He's been pathetic about you since you met."

He gapes at Robin. "Don't look at me," she shrugs. "But that guy was definitely here to ask you out."

"Fix it." Max commands as she stomps out the door. "He bar tends at that metal place on 68th."

---

It's just after 9pm and he's at the metal bar on 68th, decidedly out of place in the yellow t-shirt and jeans he wore to his business accounting class.

It's fairly busy for a weeknight, but Eddie's not hard to find. He's obviously in his element, bobbing his head to a song Steve's never heard as he mixes a drink.

With a hard swallow and a healthy dose of humility, he walks up to the bar.

"Be right--" Eddie starts, balking when he notices Steve.

"Can we talk?" he shouts over the music.

Eddie's eyes widen a little, but he nods, slips out from behind the bar to guide him to an employee exit.

"What's up, Steve?" Eddie asks. His hands are in his pockets, shoulders bowed in.

"I wanted to apologize."

"What for?"

"Earlier, I--when you said the store was cute I thought you were making fun of me."

"But--why?"

"I thought you didn't like me." Steve cringes at the admission.

"What?" He laughs.

"I don't know. We met in the middle of the night and I was covered in mud looking for a dog that wasn't lost anymore."

"Steve. Holy shit." Eddie shakes his head. "You looked gorgeous that night. The way your clothes were sticking--you know what? Never mind. Did you think I wanted you to come to dnd because I hated you?"

"You wanted me to come?"

"Dustin didn't..."

"No! And he's been asking me to play dnd weekly for the past five years."

"Jesus Christ," Eddie slumps agains the brick wall at his back. "No wonder you turned me down today."

"To be fair," Steve slumps next to him. "If I had realized you were asking me out, I wouldn't have turned you down."

"No?" Eddie asks. His brown eyes gleam.

"Definitely not. I've had a crush on you since that night. Sort of devastating since I thought you didn't like me." Steve runs his hand through his hair, watches Eddie track the movement.

"The store is cute, Steve. I--uh--I've been a few times. Back before I knew you were the owner! I just kept seeing a hot employee with great hair and a perfect ass, and the vaguely mean lesbian barista gives me free drinks."

"That's Robin," Steve says. He's smiling so hard.

"I know that now," Eddie smiles back. "Sorry for being an idiot."

"Me too." Steve nods. "Do you--could I still come to dnd? Or take you out sometime?"

"Why not both?" Dimples pop on Eddie's cheeks, and Steve's heart flips.

"I like both." They're still against the wall, but drifting into each other's space.

"So Dustin said."

It surprises a laugh out of Steve. "I'm gonna kill him."

"Too bad. He's a nice kid."

"Eh, we've got six more to choose from."

"I have a few more hours here, but there's a diner down the street that does some of the most mediocre pancakes I've ever tasted. Meet me there? Around 2?"

"A thousand lost puppies wouldn't make me miss it."

The next time Steve is out at 3am he's pressed against a building, Eddie kissing him so thoroughly he knows he's never recovering from this one.

[zephyrchama]

We know there's cooking duty, and trash duty, and various cleaning duties that the brothers rotate who's in charge of. They take turns shopping for groceries. When MC becomes their attendant in Nightbrighter, some of these chores are foisted onto them.

Is there a laundry duty? Does MC have to do everybody's laundry? Does Asmodeus keep buying more and more outrageous underwear to leave on top of his laundry so he can tease MC?

---

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whaddya think you’re doin’?”

Mammon walked into his room and caught you red-handed with a pair of his yellow briefs. He nearly flew across the room to snatch them out of your hand.

“Uh, the laundry?” You gestured to a basket of Mammon’s dirty clothes that had been collected from all over. “This would be easier for me if you left it in one place. Getting all of your stuff every week is like a scavenger hunt.”

Mammon threw the dirty briefs over his shoulder. They landed somewhere on the opposite side of the room for you to find again later. You looked at him in exasperation while reaching for a pair of crumpled-up jeans. His face had a rosy tint.

“Why are you doing the laundry?” he demanded.

“Because it’s my job as your attendant,” you answered.

“Wh-? Like, just this week?”

“I’ve been doing your laundry for the last three months, Mammon.”

He craned his neck forward in shock and waited a beat, as if you would say psyche. It’s not that Mammon couldn’t understand you, but this was new information he did not want to process. A hand rose to his forehead, sliding upwards as he pushed in frustration. “Well... cut it out! You look like a pervert. How would you like it if I did your laundry, huh?”

That’d be nice. “Could you, please? That would be great. I don’t have a day to do my own wash, given there’s seven of you and only seven days in a week.” Chores, RAD duties, and devilsitting took up every waking moment.

Mammon sighed and ruffled his hair. He muttered, “Seven…" In an instant, his attention snapped back to you.

"Seven? You’re doin’ everyone’s laundry?” he shouted.

You were ready to pull his jacket off yourself if he wouldn't cooperate. “Yes! And I’m short on time so just give me your dirty clothes!”

--

You cracked the door open ever so slightly. Leviathan was preoccupied with a game at his desktop, the back of his chair pointed at the door. The chair shook from the intensity with which he smacked the controller. Now was the perfect time. With the goal of being as quiet as possible, you crept into Leviathan’s room and made a beeline for his laundry hamper.

“Dooooooooooon’t touch those!” The pitch of his voice rose and fell impressively as Leviathan jumped and scrambled across the tile on all fours to physically block you from the laundry. Did he see your reflection in the monitor? His headphone cord popped out of the PC, its headpiece falling down to tug at his neck, and the gaming controller clattered to the floor. Leviathan slid in between you and his laundry basket like an athlete safely sliding onto a base.

In contrast, you just stood there wide-eyed with a tub of detergent in one hand.

Leviathan stammered a few times, realizing he might have overreacted. “So, uh. You see, Mammon gave us all an earful for letting you touch our clothes,” he explained. “He clearly didn’t listen when Lucifer told us you were doing it.”

“Oh, and you knew? Good job, Levi!"

You both smiled, Leviathan chuckled bashfully at the praise.

"Now give me your laundry.”

His face fell.

“No, wait! I knew you were doing it! But… you know, I never really thought about it. And for once, I think Mammon has a point. So, please!” Leviathan pressed his hands to the floor and bowed his head to the ground. A pose he learned from anime. “I’ll do my own laundry from now on! Just don’t touch it anymore!”

“Why? I've always been careful, I check the tags on your shirts so the colors don't bleed.” All of the brothers' clothes had insanely specific washing instructions. Compared to laundering suit jackets and leather and silk, colorful graphic t-shirts were a walk in the park.

Leviathan did not budge. "That's true. Still, I have dignity that must be protected!"

---

Beelzebub goes through almost twice the amount of clothes that his brothers do due to his regular workouts. Thankfully, he helps you carry them all to the laundry room so you're not struggling alone.

Beelzebub already had everything neatly sorted into two baskets - regular clothes and workout clothes. They were all ready to go when you showed up for the weekly collection. He let you take the lighter one.

Before the two of you left the bedroom, Belphegor called out, "are you doing laundry?" His head lolled over the side of his bed.

"Yeah, do you need anything washed right now? You can put it in with mine," Beelzebub kindly offered.

Belphegor wormed to the edge of his bed and picked up an empty pillow case. "I drooled on this and stuff. Can you take care of it?"

"Sure," you said. "Pass it over."

Getting up was far too much work. Instead, Belphegor loosely balled up the pillow case. With the world's laziest throw, he tossed it in your direction. It managed to sail through the air. It smacked the side of your head and landed on your shoulder.

"Thanks," Belphegor yawned, having already turned his back to you and Beelzebub.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

I (26, NB) dropped a long-term friend (23, not disclosing gender, I'll call them X) for being a proshipper, and now they're trying to get in the way of my other friendships.

A little more than a month ago, an old friend from when I was an itty bitty teen on the internet (we met when they were 12 and I was 15 or so) messaged me on twitter asking if we could share discord since they're more active on that platform, and they missed hanging out. Ok, no prob!! I missed talking to X and life was going kinda icky for me at the time. We exchanged discords and started talking more frequently, before we would talk through twitter dms maybe one day every few months, and we went from almost no contact to talking every single day. It was like being a teenager again; we still shared similar interests and we really fast clicked over old and new fandoms we were in. We talked about college and how they're starting to get the hang of their new job but needed support, talked about our family lives, etc., and in general I felt really comfortable and happy to be chatting again with someone I've known for so long. We were inseparable for weeks.

However... of course, as adults, and having known each other for YEARS, we started talking about fandom ships and fics we enjoyed. We didn't have the same taste in pairings, but that was okay. Until it wasn't anymore.

I shared my NSFW twitter with them, and they followed me. A few minutes later X told me, "I see you have "proship DNI in your bio, I just want to let you know that I am a pro-ship and enjoy some things in fandom that you might think is gross. I hope that's okay."

I was kind of weirded out, and told them that as long as they didn't like anything that would be criminal in real life, that's fine. They told me they *did* enjoy things in fiction that they "wouldn't condone in reality" and even though they "don't talk about it publicly" they still wanted me to know. For some reason. ?? Even though they KNOW that I have an irl history of abuse as a kid, they still told me this.

I was so fucking uncomfortable and really, really sad, and honestly I felt betrayed? I stepped away from my account for like, an hour before messaging them back and saying I didn't want to continue talking to them anymore. That I didn't know they were that kind of person and I'm not comfortable being their friend. I didn't read their response to me because I soft-blocked them.

While I was getting over that and trying to move on, a few days later I was talking to another mutual friend of ours when they asked if I was still friends with X. I got chills remembering how I broke off with them, and said no, we weren't talking anymore. That they were the kind of person that made me really uneasy and uncomfortable to be around. The mutual friend, I'll call R, said that X was "feeling kind of down about losing a friend recently" and talked about it in a discord server they share. X didn't mention my name but R wondered if it was me who dropped them since I was really touchy about boundaries online. I freaked out a little thinking about them talking about me, and asked what else they said, and R told me "not much, just that they felt sad but it was your choice in the end because you two were different" and I don't know why but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Were they trying to make people seem like I was the bad guy or something?? Idk.

I told R the reason why I stopped talking to X, and that X is a proshipper who likes things like inc*st and rape, and R wasn't as supportive as I thought he would be, saying that he understood how I felt but if X was being honest and open about their interests, it probably meant they trusted me and didn't want to "lie" to me. I don't understand how that's even relevant if X is a fucking proshipper. I don't want their trust in the first place if that's who they really are, and I felt betrayed that someone I knew for so long was hiding that for me until we were bonding again. R basically dropped it there and said "idk then" and I told him I was going to shut off my notifs for a bit. I really don't want to talk with him again right now especially since he didn't seem THAT bothered by X being a proshipper who's into really criminal shit.

Since then, friends of mine who are also friends with R (because he's a friend of X still, for some reason), haven't been replying to me as much anymore and I'm super sensitive to noticing these things, at first I told myself it was nothing, but there's an obvious decrease in our interactions. I can't help but think that X actually said bad stuff about me, and R didn't want me to know, or maybe X convinced R that I was a terrible person or something. I still haven't read X's reply to me because I genuinely do not want to interact with them ever again, but for the past few days I've been so angry and hurt by my other friend's actions that I can't help but want to blame them, since this all started when I left them.

AITA for dropping a friend because their interests made me SEVERELY uncomfortable? I don't know what to do.

What are these acronyms?

[heavysighing-dreamyeyes]

Desperation

When you disappear from the Arkham Knights base, he's intent on getting you back. ~1.1k words

If the Arkham Knight knew that you'd be so against releasing fear gas over the entire eastern seaboard, he wouldn't have let you have nearly as much freedom around his base as he did. He really didn't consider that your moral compass would keep you from staying with him.

He's frustrated, as he tears through the streets of Gotham searching for you. If you wanted him to change his plans, you only needed to ask. Sure, he might have lied about the details, but the two of you could have at least talked before you decided leaving him was for the best.

He doesn't understand how you've managed to evade him for this long. He's checked every one of The Bats safehouses he knows you know about and a few you didn't. So where the hell are you?

He slams his fist into the wall of another empty safehouse. This is ridiculous. You don't get to run from him, don't get to be anywhere he doesn't know. How is he supposed to know you're safe like this? Know you're not making a bad decision? Not doing something that'll end in you hurt– kidnapped– dead?

His throat tightens as he storms out of the room, mentally running through where you could have gone to hide from him. He has his men stationed at the port, at hotels, at the subway stations, the airport, the highways out of Gotham. There's no way you've gotten out of the city.

'Unless you escaped before he noticed you were gone,' his mind supplies unhelpfully. The Arkham Knight scowls, as if that was possible. He stalks across the rooftops, mind racing. The second he gets his hands on you, he's putting a tracer on you. He should have done it sooner. Never should have let this happen. You're not supposed to be away from him. He needs you with him, needs you close.

Where did you go? Where did you go?

"Boss," a voice cuts through his helmet.

"What?" He snaps, voice sharp and angry and dangerous.

"We had a sighting of them."

He almost lets out a sigh of relief, "Location?"

You cursed rapidly under your breath as you dart through the alleys of Gotham. Stupid- stupid to get spotted by one of Jason's payrolled men. You knew you were lucky to have recognized him, but The Arkham Knight must know where you are by now.

You debate chancing the sewers, Killer Croc is supposed to be in Arkham, and if you're careful you could avoid Grundy. You don't have a plan– didn't have a plan when you left. You just needed to get out, needed air and space and time to process, to really come to terms with the fact that Jason isn't your Jason anymore.

Everything seems to be flying by in a whirlwind as you move through the shadows. Your thoughts frazzled, you don't even know what you want. Do you want him to find you? Do you want to go back with him? Do you want to keep running?

You don't really get a say in the matter when the Arkham Knight drops down a mere five feet in front of you, blocking one of your two exits out of the alleyway.

You let out a strangled noise of surprise as he storms towards you. You stumble back, eyes wide, "Jason–"

"What are you doing out here? Do you know what time it is? How dangerous this is?" He grabs your arm, grip tight to keep you in place. You can hear the desperation in his tone even through the modulator.

"I just– I needed to think–" You stumble out, eyes darting over the neon blue glow of his helmet.

"You can think inside the base, where it's safe." He tells you firmly, already dragging you along the alley.

You dig your heels in, "No, Jason. I can't go back there."

He turns back to you, voice low and almost threatening, "Why not?"

"I'm scared."

He falls quiet. You both do. He lets go of you. "Of me?"

"No! No, Jason, not of– of course not of you. I'm scared of– I'm scared that I understand. That your plan makes sense and I– I understand. At least, why you need this. Bruce failed you. I failed you." You start to reach for him, for the boy you fell in love with, the one lost underneath the armor and guns and nightmares. You stop short, it's hard sometimes, to not blame yourself for what happened to him.

He meets you halfway, the man he is now, the one who you don't quite know how to love yet, grabs your hand and pulls it to his chest. "I don't blame you."

"You should," You protest, but don't remove your hand, "I'm guilty too. A part of you must know that."

He shakes his head, squeezes your hand, "I don't care."

"You should," You repeat, angry and bitter with yourself.

"It doesn't matter, even if I did," he sighs your name and tugs off his helmet, letting it drop to the ground, "You're coming back with me."

You frown a little, something you can't quite name flicks in your eyes. In another life, he would have said he needed you, that he wants you with him, that he can't bear to be apart from you. But that's not who he is anymore, it's not what Arkham turned him into.

You don't know how to say no, not when his eyes are hard and his jaw is set. His only sign of vulnerability is the slight acceleration of his heartbeat, the way his fingers twitch against yours. All you can offer is a nod.

The lines of his face soften just enough to make your heart flutter and he leans in to press a firm kiss to your mouth.

It's still unfamiliar, the way he kisses you now, but you can't help but want to learn. It feels impossible not to, not when you know what he really means with his actions. Not when he whispers that he can't lose you, that he still loves you into your skin when you're half asleep at night.

You just start to kiss him back, just start to lean into his touch when he pulls away, letting go of you to dip down and retrieve his helmet.

He pulls it on in one practiced motion, hiding anything that was readable on his face from you, "Let's get you back."

Your face falls a little as he turns and starts walking away, but you follow him. Of course you do. Your chest aches, your head still feels muddled with what you've learned, but when he silently reaches his hand back for yours, your steps no longer feel so heavy.

[hotpotatopotat]

Why I don't think Shigaraki or his legacy is over.

I don't normally do canon delves but I am compelled as a Tomura fan to dissect the final battle. This isn't a post on whether it's good or bad, but observations on what's been told.

Shigaraki's crux has always been that he feels like no one can possibly understand what he is trying to accomplish, that his message and suffering is pushed under the rug, and that society is so rotten there's nothing to be done. Deku's goal is to try and understand this.

When Deku breaks through in mha417, Tomura challenges him on this. What would even change if you saw what happened to me? What would you even DO about it? Deku declares to the one person that needs it most: To reach out and give you peace, and "that is why...I am here"

But... When given the chance to go back to a time when he was happy, Tenko chooses not to. "Nah." he says. I think this is often overlooked, but Tomura didn't WANT to leave behind everything he's done.

Tomura says, even if you got rid of my hatred, even if you succeed in "saving me", it doesn't change the fact that I still believe in the future I'm fighting for, to destroy. The villains need a hero, the suffering needs to end, and things need to change.

Hang on to that for a moment. All for One shows up. He mocks him, his dream, his goals, claiming that they weren't real, that they weren't his, that his heart doesn't matter, that none of it does. He's evil.

All for One does kill Tomura here... or at least he would have....

With Deku's final blow, he ignites any remaining embers, Shigaraki, included. They land the final blow to All for One. Without that spark, and without Nana having saved Tomura from fading away, he wouldn't have been able to do this. Tomura would have died before.

Tomura's vestige is still decaying away, and he laments the fact that maybe...he wasn't more than the crying kid Deku said he was. He couldn't do anything. He didn't even destroy Deku's hands. His dreams are over.

Izuku says that he wanted to stop the cycle of grief and suffering. Tomura gives him a soft "hah..." This is such a cathartic moment for them, because I believe that Tomura finally feels understood. He's actually quite relieved.

Strangely, Tomura is soft here. He's not decaying away anymore, he's solid, he's wearing his old shirt. He's NOT the same. He declares how he wants to be remembered, as the one who never stopped fighting to change the world. Izuku says, it's already been...but...

In mha424, Tomura instantly challenges this. With a giant smirk, he tells Deku that he better do his damn best to make sure that things change. It depends on the choices that he continues to make, not the conclusion of one battle.

424 feels like a giant wink wink nudge nudge for the reader. Deku is dissatisfied with not getting that instant gratification of "saving" Tenko, just like after a final battle, he won't get the instant gratification of changing the world. We don't get the gratification either.

But honestly, I really do believe that Deku will carry on Shigaraki's legacy and internalize it just like All Might's.

One final thing... You see his hair change textures. Left to right, It's decaying like in the final form, it's defined and stringy like in his early days, and it's airy and blocked like in his liberation days. This is such guardian angel energy, I swear.

I don't think this is the last we will see of him. And if it is, at least physically the last we see of him, I'm happy Deku will carry on what was truly in Tomura's heart.

[jakesangel]

how would jake be if you go non verbal >< -requested

to jake, you're comfort is his top priority, whenever and wherever you're with him. his hands on your waist is a way to keep you close to him and away from the danger but sometimes that wouldn't be enough to keep you safe.

the mall being too crowded, overwhelming you with to munch sounds : people's laugh, babies cries, children running all around,,, and being hyper alert always always makes you go non verbal.

the first time it happened, he didn't know what to do, concern also overwhelming him. baby, why are you not answering ? are you okay ? he would ask you, stopping in his track. you'd shake your head, meaning no. he'd take you outside, calling for a car so you guys can come back to your home. he tries to be as mindful as possible tho he doesn't understand why you are in this state rn, but he understood that you need your privacy, hence why you are not on way to his dorm.

once arrived, he wouldn't let you get undress by yourself, going on his knees to removes ur shoes, going back up to help you w ur outside coat. are you feeling better, baby ? he would whisper making you nod. should we go cuddle on your bed ? or would wathcing a movie help you out ? you, obviously, can't answer to that right now, just looking at him. he'd be dumbfounded n would think about how to help you while he removes his own clothes. he would then lead you to the bathroom, helping you wash your hands. let's go to your bedroom okay ?, reassuring you w a smile of his.

once settle on the bed, he'd make you sat in front of him so he can see your facial reactions, and be sure of your well being. let's do yes no questions, would that be alright baby ? making you nod, i don't really know what's going on, and i won't ask anything until you're ready. i just want your to be okay. would cuddles be too much for you ? you shaking your head left n right meaning no. okay baby. let me set it all up yeah ?

after cuddling for over an hour, you'd finally be able to talk and it's only then jake would make you talk about your condition and asking you why u didn't tell him previously. he wouldn't be mad at you but towards himself, as he would feel like he failed his boyfriend duties. during this important conversation, hed tell you lots of comforting words you're okay baby, i'm here, i'll always love you. he would also take extra precaution to leave your place only if he is sure that you are more than alright. once back to his dorm, he would go on internet, trying to educate himself. he would also text you and ask you questions about ur triggers n how u would usually handle urself.

since then, he would always be more than cautious. his hands would pulls you even closer to him and his eyes a bit less on you to keep in check your environment. whenever you'd want to go out, he'll always check the influence and if he think it would be too munch for you, he'd change the destination or make you wait with another activity waiting peak hours to pass. or if you come over to the dorms hed tell the members to stay more or less calm, or he'd keep you in his room w chilling music to block the stimulations away. but even if his extra preparations wouldn't be enough, he'd still be prepare. always having a pair of headphone w him or hoodie to try to block your stimulations and soothe you down. he would even make you a special playlist those moments, a playlist full of your comfort songs.

note : thank you anon 🩷 for this , i do wish you the well and i'm glad u have friends who can help you w it <3

@imaluckygirl @luvj4key @heeseungswifefr @stwrjvke @goldenretrieverjakezgirlbaby @jaeyunpinkyring @pockettwinzz

[lu-is-not-ok]

A Narcissistic reading of Hong Lu

Yup, I'm actually doing this.

To lay down some facts first: I have NPD, alongside a bunch of other things that coalesce into a nuclear concoction strong enough to kill every dark empath in a five mile radius. If I find you ableisting it up, I give myself the permission to smite you. This is a threat and a warning.

Now, let's talk about Hong Lu. Because as it turns out, he might just be the most difficult literacy check in Limbus Company according to what I've seen.

I could just say "I'm a narcissist and Hong Lu is just like me fr fr so he's a narcissist too" and end the post, but honestly, where's the fun in that? There are, legitimately, things I want to yap about, so I'm going to yap about them, and no chucklefucks can stop me.

So, to start this off, let's make one thing clear.

Hong Lu is not only a good actor, but also a skilled liar. The way he navigates conversations and the methods he uses are just as important to analyze as the actual words he says, if not more so. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that trying to understand him based Only on what he says and not how he uses the things he says would result in an understanding that's not only incomplete, but potentially outright wrong.

Now, this isn't really tied to why I think Hong Lu could be very reasonably read as having NPD, at least not directly. Narcissists aren't inherently evil liar manipulators, and if that's what you take away from this post, that's more of a you problem (and you can go ahead and block me considering I'm one of the evil liar manipulator narcissists according to you).

However, there is a reason why I have to bring it up. And it's because almost all of Hong Lu's narcissistic traits become a lot more obvious once you look at the exact ways he takes control of conversations.

With that out of the way, what exactly are we even looking for?

NPD, in my experience, primarily affects one's sense of self-worth and self-esteem. I personally found that the analogy of a pendulum makes the most sense to me - a narcissist's sense of self-worth can swing between massive highs and massive lows, almost never staying in a middle "balanced" position, with even the tiniest things being able to throw it to one side or another.

The ways this can present outwardly are. Quite frankly, way too fucking many to count. But there are some common threads we can keep in mind:

High sensitivity to criticism

Need for an external source of validation

Tendency to seek out ways to make oneself feel more special, important, or powerful

So, does Hong Lu fit those criteria?

Well. Yeah. This post wouldn't exist if he didn't.

Let's talk about the first point, high sensitivity to criticism. And, immediately, I would like everyone to remember Hell's Chicken, specifically the scene where Meursault begins to verbally roast his team's dish, and in the process laying down a verbal smackdown on everyone involved. That scene ended like this.

Curious, isn't it? The moment Meursault was about to start criticising Hong Lu, he just jumps in and distracts Meursault with a change of topic - something even Dante's narration points out.

Mind you, this isn't an isolated event. This is just the most obvious example of Hong Lu exhibiting this kind of behavior.

Don't believe me? Just look at these.

These are all examples of Hong Lu either backpedaling, changing the subject, or otherwise trying to avoid the acknowledgement of something that criticizes his status, thought process, or (in the last example) which would reveal an emotional vulnerability.

This is a fairly consistent pattern for him, and that's not even getting into the fact that the line he says when hovering over him before a skill check he has a Very Low chance at succeeding in has him suddenly try to excuse himself and leave.

Hong Lu is absolutely highly sensitive to criticism, it's just that his primary emotional reactions aren't ones we're privy to. Instead, what we get to see is how he acts to try and minimize the impact of those criticisms, if not outright find ways to never let them leave someone's mouth in the first place.

Next up - need for external validation.

This one doesn't have as many examples as the previous point, as Hong Lu is a generally closed off person who keeps a certain level of distance from most other Sinners. However, that doesn't mean I don't have any.

One such example comes from Canto 4, where soon after acting out his part in the play, Hong Lu seeks validation from Yi Sang.

Then there's this moment in Canto 6, where Hong Lu, once again, seeks validation for something he's done.

And then there's also these lines from Hong Lu's various Identities.

Aaaand then there's these base Identity voice lines, which, if you ask me, feel a bit like fishing for compliments.

This point is a lot harder to say is a definitive one, mainly due to Hong Lu's more closed off projected personality. That being said, the fact that one can find examples of it despite that is pretty notable.

And for the final one - trying to make oneself feel more special, important, or powerful.

This is one that's a bit harder to provide exact examples for, as again, Hong Lu isn't someone who talks about how he feels often, and when he does it's not always exactly trustworthy. He's not like Rodya, who while still putting on a facade, is pretty open and easy to read about how she actually feels.

But, there's still some non-mutually exclusive interpretations I want to posit here. Two, in fact.

One - I believe that for Hong Lu, the thing he sees as power is control.

See, avoiding criticism isn't the only time Hong Lu steers conversations. In fact, it's something he does All The Time. He's often the one asking questions to get the group moving, trying to gather information that might be relevant to him, and generally taking over the direction a conversation is going in. Chances are, if Hong Lu speaks up, it's likely to alter the conversation he joins in noticeable ways.

This, I think, is one of the ways Hong Lu makes himself feel more powerful. After all, it's not that hard to guess from what little bits of his background we have that Hong Lu lacked agency for most of his life. So, wouldn't it make sense for him that having that agency, that being able to be socially in control, would be the exact kind of thing that would boost his self-esteem?

In fact, the only times we see him rendered completely speechless, seemingly stripped of that confidence in conversations he usually exhibits, are in Canto 7 - specifically in scenes where he's Not In Control of what the others are talking about. Those scenes being when the other Sinners start shit-talking Xichun in front of him, and when Xichun actively tries to bother Hong Lu by alluding to the way he's been treated back at home.

Extremely confident until something external happens that utterly strips him of that confidence... sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Then, there's the second interpretation.

See, with NPD, there are two ways a narcissist can try to make themself feel more deserving of attention. One is the one most probably think of when they think about narcissists - setting out to fulfill extremely high goals to feel amazing when one reached them and then feeling utterly crushed in the case one doesn't. This would be someone like Rodya.

However, there is also another way, one which I personally have much more experience with - to undersell. To set extremely low expectations, so that it's as hard as possible to fail reaching them, and to feel way better upon surpassing them than one would with higher, more "regular" expectations.

This, to me, is exactly the kind of narcissist Hong Lu is. Think about it. He's constantly putting out this image of an extremely sheltered person that barely understands the outside world, with notable moments where it's made clear he's Just Making Shit Up at points. Wouldn't making one seem unable to do anything, only to then proceed to do things you've led people to not expect of you, make it feel like you're much more exceptional than you really are?

The underselling goes the other way too. When the other Sinners point out something odd about Hong Lu in a more positive way, he's often quick to point out how it's Nothing compared to what his Family expected of him. Wouldn't that make one feel exceptional, to make it seem like whatever effort you're putting in to do well is but a fraction of what else you can do? That you don't even have to try to be able to be special?

...So, there. That's all the analysis and interpretation I find important to do to get my point across.

Just to make it clear, I don't think that the only thing wrong with Hong Lu is the narcissism. There's definitely a lot more shit going on in that head of his. But, I'll be honest, the NPD reading felt so obvious to me that it genuinely took me by surprise that other people don't see it.

Though... maybe I shouldn't be shocked. Some fuckers out there still think Faust is a narcissist when she's literally just autistic.

[gor3-hound]

teachers pet

ft. leon kennedy x fem!reader

cw: 18+content, dub-con, pussy spanking, spanking, degradation, milddd brat taming, teacher x student relationships (age gap, but reader is in college), p in v, pull-out method, cum eating

a/n: i have been really struggling to write recently, so i hope you guys still like this :3 i um... hate it sorry it's not that good... writer's block is so shitty rn. feedback is appreciated !!

word count: 1.3k words

Leon finds you infuriating at the best of times. Sitting at the front of the lecture hall, giggling as you look at your phone. You never pay attention to his lectures - he doesn't understand why you even bother to show up.

You're not even subtle about ignoring him. The least you could do is try and hide in the back like the rest of his students who don't give a fuck.

To make matters worse, your grades are actually decent. Nothing to write home about, but you always turn his assignments in on time, and you've never failed to get a passing mark. If you failed, at least you'd flunk out of his class, and he wouldn't have to put up with your shit anymore.

It's like you want to get a rise out of him.

He's sick of it. He's sick of you. He retired and took on teaching college kids in the hopes he'd finally have some time to relax, but you seemed to enjoy making his life a living hell. He'd had enough of it. As you're packing up once he dismisses the class, he makes his way to your desk, his footsteps echoing across the lecture hall.

“Not you, miss. I need to have a word with you. Please come to my desk once you're packed up.” He tells you, tapping two fingers against your desk as he leans in to speak before he's returning to sit at the desk at the front of the hall.

You let out an exaggerated groan at his words, shoving your laptop into your backpack before begrudgingly making your way over to him. Your bag is slung over one shoulder, hanging precariously off to the side.

“You wanted to see me, sir?”

“That's right.” He says with a slight nod of his head, gesturing for you to take the seat across from him. He leans back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other as he waits for you to sit.

“I'm going to be honest. You've gained my attention, however it's been for all the wrong reasons. You're smart enough. I'm sure if you applied yourself to this course, you'd get top marks. Is there something I can do to help? Is it a motivation issue? Something at home?”

“Well, if I'm being honest, sir. I thought when I chose this elective, it'd be more interesting. Your lectures are, like… seriously boring.” You say with a smirk that makes it clear you're just trying to frustrate him further.

“I'm seriously getting sick of your attitude.” He bites out, leaning forward against his desk. His eyes are narrowed and locked onto your own. “You can drop an elective. It will have no effect on your main course of study. Why are you still here?”

“It's fun to annoy you, sir.” Is your response, a shit-eating grin spreading across your face.

That's it. Leon is a patient man. He'd tried his best to help you. To figure out what the issue was so he could fix it. But you? Everything about you made him want to rip his hair out.

“Stand up.” He hisses, the feet of his chair screeching against the hardwood floor as he pushes it back suddenly before standing, stalking his way to your side of the desk. You don't stand, crossing your arms as you lean back in the chair.

“I said, stand up!” He repeats, gripping you by the arm and tugging you to your feet. He presses down harshly on your shoulders, forcing you to bend over his desk. “You want to act like an unruly child? Fine. I'll treat you like one.”

“You can not be serious.” You grit out, moving to straighten back up before your chest is forced against the surface of the desk once more with a strong hand pushing down on your back, right between your shoulder blades. “Jesus. I always knew you were a fucking freak.”

“This could all have been avoided if you weren't such a brat.” He hisses, raising your skirt to expose the curve of your ass. You hear him snort, bunching up the fabric of your panties and yanking them upwards harshly, making the fabric bunch up between your lips in a wedgie. It draws a whine from your lips, your brows furrowing as you drop your cheek against his desk.

“Fucking slut. Is that why you're acting up in my class, hmm? You want attention? Prancing around in those tiny skirts, skimpy panties like these underneath ‘em?” He lets go of your panties, sliding them down your thighs before smacking his flattened fingers repeatedly against your pussy until it runs hot, dripping all over his skin.

“Fuck… fuck off.” You say through gritted teeth, your mouth twitching downwards as he continues to spank your pussy. You bite down on your tongue, trying to prevent any noises from spilling past your lips.

He pinches your clit harshly between his thumb and forefinger, giving it a little yank. He grins at the sound of your whimper and the way you jerk away from him, letting out a low chuckle. “What was that, sweetheart?”

You hear the sound of a belt buckle and the shuffling of fabric, which is enough to send a shiver running down your spine. You swallow the lump in your throat, suddenly feeling your confidence drain from you. When you speak, your voice is almost a whisper. “Mr. Kennedy…”

“Oh? You finally learning to keep that mouth shut?” He grunts, running his tip teasingly up and down between your folds, letting his cock catch on your hole just to see you jump. “Trying to pretend you're not a filthy slut, but your cunt is crying for me...”

He presses forward with a low groan, burying himself to the hilt inside of you. His cock throbs as your walls tighten around him, his fingers digging painfully into the fat of your hips as he starts to fuck into you, his pelvis pummelling against your ass with every shift of his hips.

“Greedy.” He scolds, smacking your ass harshly, and once more just to hear the way you whimper when his hand connects with your flesh. “She's sucking me right in. Know this is what you've been wanting… shoulda asked, sweetheart. Pretty sluts like you always get what they want.”

“Perfect pussy… squeezing me so tight.” He groans, thrusting deeper into your cunt, pulling you back onto his cock and angling his hips so he's bumping against your sweet spot every time he bottoms out. He fucks you with deep, hard strokes, letting you feel the drag of every inch of his thick cock inside of you.

“Ah, that's right. Just need to fuck the brattiness out of you, hmm? Goooood fucking girl. Gonna… gonna make me cum.” He says through gritted teeth, slipping a hand down to circle a thumb around your clit. You babble helplessly as he touches you, nothing but ‘please’s and ‘sir's spilling past your lips. He almost cums inside of you when he feels your clenching around him as your orgasm hits, but he's not too pussydrunk to release how stupid it'd be to get his student knocked up, so he pulls out quickly and coats your ass in his cum.

“You gonna be a good girl for me now?” He asks, dropping to his knees behind you, his tongue darting out to lick his cum off of you. The sensation has you shivering, but you nod weakly at his question. He pulls your panties up, straightening out your skirt before patting your butt and going to sit at his desk once more, as if nothing's happened. “Good. That's good.”

“Come see me after class tomorrow, babe. Gotta make sure the lesson really sinks in.”

[petew21-blog]

Bodysitting gone wrong

I thought that the site had only verified sitters. Imagine my surprise when I found out my body had disappeared. He didn't answer any of my calls and even blocked me ony the Bodysitting site. I contacted the support, but they said they need some proof of violation of the contract.

Let me just make it clear to you. I am a manager for a big company. My work life is stressful as it is. Me and my wife just had our first baby and I swear I love them both, but I just can't stand it. I needed to get some rest for a while. Until my colleague suggested a Bodysitting site. Where verified strangers can agree to swap life with you for some financial ammount and pretend to be you. You either continue their life or if you pay up you can do whatever you want. Which was exactly what I wanted.

I set up a profile a submitted my photo. Because of my muscular torso and probably even the dick size and wife I mentioned, the request kept flowing in.

I eventually choose Rick here. He was young, handsome and even here in the same city, so if anything happened I could always come by. We had a whole conversation where he would ask me details about my life, work, wife everything. He really wanted to be good as me.

The swap was instant. I was suddenly in a small apartement on the edge of the city.

I think I chose perfectly. I can even get a date in this body.

As I said before, I really love my life. But we haven't had sex for such a long time. You have to understand.

Back to present

I got a call of thepossible whereabouts of the location of my body. Yeah, I have to be honest. I was horrified when I arrived there. The place was a gay club. But not one of those "sweet" bars. But a pub for those leather fuckers.

I entered and all eyes were on me. Fuck, I didn't realise that this kid is exactly who they want.

But they I saw my body coming out of the bathroom. I wouldn't almost recognise it if it weren't for the beard.

"What the hell have you done?!?"

"Oh hey, that's a face I didn't expect to see so soon. Want something to drink?"

"No, I want you to explain to my why you did everythig we agreed not to do. You got me tatooed, got my nipples pierced and please tell me that's not a mohawk under that hat?"

"You know what, you don't have to worry about that anymore. I know how you were unhappy with your life, so I decied to give you a present. You can keep the body. Great right?"

"What do you mean keep the body? What have you done with my life?"

"Well. Your wife kind of figured out I'm not you the second night after she caught me in the shower fingering your butt. I explained to her and I think you shouldn't get near her any time soon. Anyway none of this matters. I deleted the profile, so there is no going back if there aren't both of the original profiles that made the deal."

"I'm gonna kill you!" I jumped at him, but in a second I was pressed against the wall with a hand on my neck.

"Look, either you leave and nothing happens to you. Or me and the boys here can show why not to threaten any of us. So, what you wanna do?"

I obviously left. What was I suppose to do? He would beat me up, rape me or even kill me. I contacted the support and even their number was blocked now. Amazing. I hope my wife is into twinks

[perfectly-imperfect82]

Is that a kid? - Daycare

“What happened?" Mini asked the daycare worker after she rushed here being told she needed to come pick up Harper

"There was a small incident"

"What happened?" Mini demanded again, starting to get frustrated at the no explanation over the phone when they called and now

"Harper bit another child" she stated only causing her to be confused. Harper doesn't bite people, she never has.

"Where is she?"

"In the timeout corner" she said walking that way, Mini following right behind him

"Why is Emily with her if she is in timeout?" Mini asked, noticing Emily sitting next to Harper holding hands

"The only way to calm them both down was if we kept them together" he said

"Harper" mini said

Harper rushing to her mom once she saw her. Mini kneeling to get eye level with her to talk to her but was thrown off by her stoping right in front her

"Emmy has a owie" Harper whispered to her to mom causing mini to look at you but not seeing anything standing out

"Where?"

"Head"

"Come here" mini said to you as you slowly walked towards her

"Can you turn around so I check on your owie?" Mini asked as you looked at her hesitantly

Mini fondly watched as Harper grabbed your hand and guided you closer to her mom

"Look" Harper said holding your hand as mini looked closer, gently moving your hair so she could see the red bump on your head.

"Does it still hurt?" Mini asked causing you to shake your head no

"Okay" mini said turning you around, "you two say here. I'll be right back"

Harper reaching for Mini as you looked at her wit widening eyes

"I just have to talk to your care worker really quick. Why don't you guys play while you wait" Mini said, directing you guys to the blocks near by

Anger filling her since the worker didn't mention you were injured

Taking a deep breath to stay calm around you two, "can you tell me how Emmy got her owie?" Mini asked Harper, knowing you wouldn't speak

"Mean boy hit her with block. I bit him" Harper said with an angry face before looking at you, "I protect you" Harper pulling you in a hug that you softly returned. Mini now understanding why Harper had bit the boy, to defend you.

"I'm proud of you for defending Emmy. But next time we find an adult and tell them, okay?" Mini said causing you two to nod

"You two stay here" Mini said as she went to find the day care worker

"Did you know that Emily was hurt?" She asked causing the care worker

"She's hurt?"

"Yes, the boy Harper bit hit Emily in the head with a block. There is a small bump there. Harper shouldn't have bit the boy but you need to have a talk with him about hitting people" mini said as she care worker started to look embarrassed

"Of course. I'm sorry we didn't catch that"

"Have you contact Emily parents?" Mini asked

"No"

"I'll be picking up Emily with Harper" mini said as care worker nodded

Mini quickly calling Caitlin to explain what happen and to meet them at the ice cream shop a few streets over.

"Let go girls" Mini said, grabbing both of your hands, "We are going to get ice cream." This getting smiles from the two young girls

"Mommy and mama?" You asked looking up at Mini

"They are going to meet us there" mini said causing you to nod then start talking to Harper as you guys walked to the ice cream shop

[tsxkkis]

omg omg can i request? pls ignore if you dont!

s3 of haikyuu will always be my favourite season, maybe due to the fact that tsukishima realizes his potential in playing volleyball? (him having his MOMENT is my favouriteee scene)

so could you write gf manager reader x tsukki, where reader witnesses him having his first moment (blocking ushijima's spike), injuring his hand etc etc up until they receive their throphy and medals in the end ?🥹🥹💕 shes a proudddd reader and literally just smooch smooch hug hug tsukki because hes the mvp of karasuno x shiratorizawa 🥰😤

i realized that theres nobody includes this scene in their fics and i wonder why? 🤔🧐

# tsukishima kei - mvp

a/n: i am terribly sorry anon bcs this took so long T-T i'm not quite sure about some parts of this fic but overall i really enjoyed writing this request!! tsukishima is my fav for many reasons, one of which being the fact that i see myself in him a lot, and the particular moment during the shiratorizawa vs karasuno match is also my fav from the entire series!! i hope u enjoy reading this fic^^ i feel like it's not exactly what you asked for, so i'm sorry if i went too far away from your idea....

summary: tsukishima finally regains his love for volleyball.

warnings: a few swear words here and there, the fic doesn't exactly portray what happened in the series (i switched it up a bit)

'are you stressed?'

'not even a bit.'

'you're lying. i can read you like a book.'

tsukishima kei let out a deep breath, rolling his eyes as he looked away from your face. you were obviously right; there was no way he wouldn't be stressed before the game that determined whether or not karasuno would go to nationals. as much as he hated to admit it, he was almost as stressed as others. he was just better at controlling which of his emotions are shown.

you squeezed his hand, his fingers instinctively intertwining with yours. all it took was a reassuring smile from you to help with his nerves, his muscles finally relaxing after being tensed up for the last twenty minutes or so. he still tried to get used to you being more than a friend. your relationship was quite awkward and fresh, so much so in fact that you never even had your first kiss yet.

'i'm sure you'll do great.' you stated calmly, trying to hide the fact that you were even more stressed about the match than him. 'in fact, i'm positive that you'll win.'

'even if we do, it won't be because of me.' he mumbled, letting out a silent laugh when he saw the angry look on your face. 'oh, come on. it's not like i'm the greatest player this team has.'

'you know i hate it when you talk down on yourself.' you said, the tone serious and sharp, rather unusual for you. it stayed like that for only a short while, taken over by a softer, understanding one. 'you're a vital part of this team, tsukishima. winning this match is not up to a single person. it's a team effort. your input is as important as that of kageyama or hinata.'

he opened his mouth to say something but was instantly stopped by the voice of his captain, daichi, calling the team up to quickly warm up as the match was about to start.

you smiled at the boy, letting go of his hand before lightly patting him on the back.

'do your best for me, alright?'

'i will.' a barely noticeable smile appeared on his face, his hand affectionately ruffling your hair. 'don't worry too much about it.'

you finally realized why tsukishima kei never tried more. why he would never stay longer like other karasuno players to polish his skills, why he didn't truly seem to love the sport he chose to play in high school.

'you're insufferable, you know?' his words sent shivers down your spine. 'why don't you leave it the fuck alone?'

opposite forces, some might say. no one really knew what drew you and tsukishima to eachother - both of you completely different from one another, and yet oh so similar at the same time. frustration took over you every time you looked at him, and now you knew why.

he was like a mirror in which you could see all your flaws, and it irritated you a great deal.

his outlook on life and the way he viewed himself made you furious. how can someone be so full of contradictions? so cocky and confident, and yet so vulnerable and self depreciating at the same time. so full of himself and yet so hateful towards the person he saw in the reflection of every window, every mirror.

how can someone so great at what they do, so intelligent and talented, be so critical?

'because i can't! i can't leave it alone, you absolute moron.' the thought of how loud you were didn't stop you from continuing to shout, a mixed look on your face that tsukishima couldn't quite decipher. were you angry or sad? and why the hell would it bug you so much to evoke such strong emotions within you?

'you're saying i'm insufferable? from the moment i laid my eyes on you, you've been nothing but insufferable. so much so, that i want to gouge them out every time they spot you.' you ignored your watery eyes and tsukishima's surprised face, almost as if he didn't expect you to blow up like this. 'it pains me to see you be so full of doubt and hatred and i- i can't understand why you would think so lowly of yourself, why you feel inferior to the other guys in every way possible, when you could be so much more than them. do you even realize your potential, tsukishima?'

he stayed silent. for the first time since knowing you, tsukishima kei did not have an answer to your words.

'your doubts are so irrational i don't know if it makes me angry or sad. you're truly incredible on the court. you're intelligent, you can read the opponents well, you have the physical predispositions for volleyball and a natural talent that you choose to ignore because-'

'but what is talent without passion?'

that singular sentence managed to catch you off guard so much you had no idea how to answer him. such a simple question, and yet such a philosophical, confusing one.

'why should i put my all into something i'm not even passionate about, huh?' tsukishima tried to keep his composed nature, but it was hard to stay intact after what you've said. as much as he did not want to admit it, your words hit him deeply. 'why waste my time and energy for something that does not give me any satisfaction at all? tell me that, because i have no fucking idea.'

'passion is not something that dissapears once and never shows up again, you idiot.' you took a step closer, as if that was going to help you get your point across. 'if your passion is genuine, it will always be there. whether small or big, it will always crawl around in the back of your mind. if you ever truly loved volleyball, the moment where you fall in love with it again will come sooner or later.'

your words were met with complete silence, but you didn't mind. tsukishima slowly processed your words, a focused look gracing his face, lips in a tight line. even though it was only a couple of minutes, for you it felt like hours - awaiting an answer, any answer at all.

tsukishima moved closer, his tall frame hovering over you as he wrapped his arms around you, catching you in a tight hug, much to your surprise.

'thank you.' he mumbled quietly, glad that in this very moment you couldn't see his face, and the stupid smile plastered to it.

the moment where you fall in love with it again will come sooner or later.

tsukishima's mind lingered over these words whenever he played, awaiting this moment to come almost eagerly. the match was particularly hard - with ushijima wakatoshi as their opponent, the chances of winning were incredibly slim. every spike of his went through the block, his serves were absolutely killer, and his teammates did everything to deliver the ball to him at all costs.

what a hassle.

you noticed that his demeanor on the court changed from what it used to be. tsukishima seemed more invested now - almost as if he was trying to impress you, to keep his word. as happy as it made you, you were still anxious about the match and it's final score, hand shaky and a bit sweaty as your eyes followed the ball flying around from one side of the net to another.

another spike from ushijima, it'll probably be another point for shiratoriza-

and that's when you realized.

you saw the ball hit the ground on shiratorizawa's side of the net surprised gasps from everyone watching the match. you saw the shocked look on ushijima's face, the horror in the eyes of his teammates as the ball bounced off of the floor for the second, third, fourth time.

silence took over the court for just a mere second, quickly interrupted by tsukishima's triumphant scream.

he looked more than content with his performance. he looked... happy.

the rest of the boys joined him, screaming in unison. it was just one point, right? but for some reason, for both you and tsukishima, this one was worth a thousand.

for the first time in years, tsukishima kei felt that his spark for volleyball came back.

you noticed that his eyes were now focused on you, a full, cheeky smile gracing his face, and it only made you tear up. a short moment, probably insignificant for people around, but for the two of you it was like a breath of fresh air, like getting rid of the shackles that once held you in place, enabling you from moving forward.

'y/n, are you... alright?' coach ukai looked with his brows slightly furrowed, confused by your teary eyes and big grin plastered to your face.

'yeah, yeah, i'm fine. sorry, coach.' you mumbled, bowing a little as your eyes focused on the court. 'actually, could kiyoko replace me here for the rest of the match? i'm not quite feeling well.'

'tsukishima is injured.'

'what?' akiteru spoke in unison with you, terrified voices mixing together as you looked down from the stands to see the boy walking off of the court and rushing to the medical office along with kiyoko. your instincts took over you - feet moving on their own as you quickly ran towards the same place.

the two blondes followed right behind you, stopping only when in front of the door to the medical office, gasping for air after such a short run. as athletic as your boyfriend was, you were quite the opposite; getting tired after a little to no physical activity at times.

tsukishima saw your head peeking through the doorframe, a small smile on his face the moment he laid eyes on you.before you opened your mouth to say something, he already gave you an answer.

'yes, i feel fine.' he stated quietly, sitting down on the edge of a chair. 'you don't need to worry.'

'are you going back on court?' he only gave you a small nod in response, seemingly feeling better already as he stood up, his hand taped up.

you looked up at him, taking in the expression on his face, just how focused he already was. he looked almost as if he already had a plan to defeat shiratorizawa in this match. seeing him so eager to go back and play almost made you laugh a little - you swore you never saw him get this invested into something ever.

'go and win then.' you mumbled, patting him on the shoulder as he headed towards the gym hall.

'oh don't worry. we will.'

you couldn't stop the tears rolling down your cheeks as you saw karasuno emerge victorious from the hardest volleyball match they had to play this year, hugging yachi tightly as both of you celebrated the win of your team.

the triumphant screams filled the gym hall, the team emotional after doing what many deemed impossible. as most of them enjoyed themselves, not planning on leaving the euphoric state for a long while, tsukishima could only think of doing one thing - going to you.

you were the only person he truly wanted to celebrate with.

after the ceremony of getting the medals, to everyone's utmost shock, considering your relationship wasn't exactly public, tsukishima went up to you almost immediately, a cocky smile on his face as he ruffled your hair, looking down at you from behind his glasses.

'you didn't exactly look quite as content with your performance before getting the prize.' you mumbled, looking at the blonde haired boy with your head tilted to the side.

'well, i could've blocked more of ushijima's spikes.' he started, rolling his eyes at the sole idea of not being able to do that during today's match. 'i only managed to block one and-'

you decided to use the only method that was for sure going to shut him up in that moment, lightly grabbing him by the tshirt and pulling him closer, lips clashing for a split second in a short, sweet kiss.

'no talking down on yourself today, kei.' you said, unconsciously smiling as you saw his face getting red at what you just did, cheeks covered by a tomato-like red colour. 'i'm proud of you no matter what you think about today's match.'

he stood still for a few seconds, as if processing what had just happened seconds ago, the redness on his face deepening with each passing moment. his hand was quick to grab yours, almost dragging you away from the team and to a more private, less occupied area of the building.

'do that again.' he mumbled, after he finally led you to a quiet hallway.

'huh?'

'it was... nice.'

your eyes lit up, a cheeky smile gracing your face as you finally realized what he was on about.

'ohh, you want another kiss?' you said teasingly, eyes quickly glancing from his face down to his lips. he rolled his eyes, unamused by your act of playing dumb.

'come on, don't make me repeat myself.' still somewhat embarrassed of what he was asking for, tsukishima stood in one place, awaiting your next action.

a sigh left your lips as you took a step towards your boyfriend, standing on your tippy toes to be able to reach his face.

'alright. i guess you deserve it, match mvp.'

your arms were wrapped around his neck in no time as your lips gently touched his, tsukishima immediately kissing you back, hands positioned on your waist as you felt a smile creeping up on his face. he let out a short laugh, seeing your face being just as red as his was moments ago, hand reaching to squeeze yours.

'what?' you mumbled, as he hasn't spoken a word since breaking the kiss.

'that's surely the best prize i got today.'

taglist: @moonswolfie @wyrcan @kitsune-kita