#wishful thinking but we're all still here

[lightseoul]

CHAPTER 4 | ALL OUT OF LUCK

w.c. 5.0k (can you see the trend)

tags. fem!reader, pro-hero!katsuki, aged-up (26), still a lot of cussing, some mature themes (no smut, sorry), we're finally in the headquarters!, the story moves significantly along here (i think)

a/n. this one took a second to get out, but i hope the wait was worth it! we're going knee-deep into the storyline, so brace yourselves for the nitty gritty. the dialogue here was too fun to write tho lol

links. masterlist, ao3 (coming soon)

Neither of you says anything about what happened.

After you used your quirk on Masaki and the rest of his crew, eventually convincing them to let you take off the bugs and censor the cameras in the evenings, you and Bakugou were briefed about a few more details before you went your separate ways, returning home to pack up your things and spend your last night alone for the foreseeable future.

The trek back to the subway station was quiet, with Bakugou leading the way and you trailing a few feet behind. The silence that enveloped the both of you bordered on tense more than awkward, and you itched to confront him about unceremoniously jumping you, but restrained yourself at the looming thought of the trackers planted firmly against your chest.

As much as it pained you to think about it, from this point on, you have to work double time on biting your tongue and watching your words. Just your words and location—if you’re lucky—but your facial expressions and movements, too, when there are cameras around.

Fortunately, there weren’t any when Bakugou didn’t step out of the carriage just as the automated voice announced his stop, nor when he wordlessly got out of the train beside you at yours. Your face contorted in evident confusion in those two instances, to which he only tossed you silencing looks. It didn’t take long for you to realize it’d be suspicious if Bakugou didn’t see you home—his alleged girlfriend—this late into the night.

And so you rolled with it.

You even went ahead and thanked him with the sweetest possible voice you can muster when you reached your front door, as well as wished him a safe trip back home. You think you caught him off guard, but he was able to quickly gather himself and mutter back a few words of gratitude before telling you to get a good night’s rest.

You couldn’t.

Aside from the paranoia that came with knowing someone or some people were listening to your very breathing, the anxiety about this whole mess that you’ve walked into was too palpable for you just to ignore. You tossed and turned for what felt like hours—brain buzzing with a hundred what-ifs and hypothetical scenarios—before you eventually knocked out at around 3 AM.

You promptly woke up at 7 AM a few hours later, albeit begrudgingly and all thanks to your bothersome alarm tone. You had to show up at work, despite it being a Saturday, to file an indefinite leave as soon as possible. Annoyance shot through you as you remembered Kouki’s dismissive remark about your job in contrast to Bakugou’s.

You shook it off.

There were more important things to deal with, such as the guilt that bloomed in your gut as you turned in the paperwork to Yuzuki, your school’s HR personnel, who, at the sight of them, visibly deflated.

“You’re going on a leave?” she asked that cool morning, incredulous and tone somewhat begging you to say no.

“Yeah…” you replied, rubbing the back of your neck sheepishly.

“But why?” she pressed, sitting up behind her desk that’s riddled with knickknacks and picture frames of her and her toddler. “You never take off from work. And,” she enunciated, “…the kids need you, Y/N.”

Your polite smile faltered at the mention of the kids.

“Yeah, well…” you started, unsure of what to say next. “I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding a temp, what with the recent licensure exam results. The kids won’t even notice I’m gone, I promise.”

She cocked her head to the side, frowning. “I highly doubt that.”

It didn’t matter if she had her doubts, though, because this was happening. You braced yourself to tell Yuzuki just that, but to your relief, she didn’t push further after that exchange, opting to half-heartedly process your request instead.

By the time lunchtime rolled around, you were already cleared by her department and now officially on a short indefinite leave without pay.

In an attempt to take your mind off of potentially losing your job, you stopped by the grocery store on your way home and picked up a few items, such as toiletries and other things you may need for your stay in the headquarters. There was no telling when you’d get to shop for your necessities again, so you went full ham and spent the money you usually budgeted meticulously to the nearest cent. Besides, if you succeeded in this mission, you wouldn’t have to worry about finances for the next year, at the very least.

You were about to head to the check-out counter when your eyes caught the display of…house slippers in the back aisle.

You paused at the sight of them.

If you were going to be under house arrest, you might as well be cozy while doing so.

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you grabbed a beige pair for yourself, and a black pair for Bakugou. You had no idea what his feet size was, but those were the largest they carried, and so that’d have to do. Plus, you doubted quirk supremacists were mindful enough to provide their hostages with comfortable footwear.

It was already around 4 PM when you arrived home with your arm-numbing groceries and takeout dinner in tow. Setting them aside by your kitchen counter, you quickly got started on gathering your necessities. You blasted your favorite album as you packed your suitcase partly to make the arduous process more bearable, but mostly to drown out the voices that fought to take the reins in your head. You were nervous—very much so—but there was no going back from this.

And so with a heavy heart and a churning stomach, you swiftly got to work, and by dinner time, you were already packed up and ready to go. After going through your checklist one more time and confirming that everything was accounted for, you got changed into fresh, more appealing clothes and scarfed down the meal you purchased to-go after shopping.

You sat in your living room with all your things stacked beside you on the couch, waiting, though it didn’t take long for Kouki to materialize by the kitchen with that irritatingly haughty expression on his face.

You tried to ignore the disgust that sprung as you watched him step on your freshly washed rug with his booted feet, choosing to shift your attention upwards instead. You observed him as he eyed your belongings with mild disinterest, before shifting to regard you.

“Ready?” he asked, holding up one hand for you to take, while the other moved to touch the pile of stuff.

You didn’t bother to verbalize your consent, resorting to just nodding as you gingerly took his hand. Your surroundings instantly morphed the moment that you did, and you found yourself going through the now-familiar motions, emerging smack dab in the middle of your floor’s hallway a few seconds later.

Kouki was gone just as quickly as he arrived, apparently way above helping you move your things to the space at the end of the hall. The same goes for the twins, who only watched you as you lugged your baggage into the room.

You locked eyes with the female guard, and for a second, you debated engaging her in conversation.

You already knew what to say. You’d ask her if they were sure about you staying in, when Kouki can just teleport you to your respective apartments at the end of each day if they’re so worried about you getting spotted.

Besides, you thought as she glared at you with seemingly unfounded hate, that means we’ll be out of your hair.

But as tempting as it was to bring up that alternative at the moment, you ultimately thought better against it.

You already used your luck to convince them to turn off the trackers at night—something they probably wouldn’t do if you and Bakugou lived outside due to the lack of backup surveillance. It simply wouldn’t be smart and cautious of them if they did. You also didn’t want to undo that already tall order of a bargain when what you needed the most was the privacy in which you could discuss the mission and steps moving forward.

Besides, you bet your money it’s not just that. The teleportation quirk of that old geezer has to have a limitation somehow…

You let all these simmer in your head as you settled in for the night. To your chagrin—you wanted at least one night where you get to sleep on the decent-looking bed—Bakugou showed up not an hour later with his own luggage.

You didn’t say anything to each other aside from brief ‘Hey’s’ as he entered the room and unpacked his belongings, as well as when he disappeared into the small comfort room and showered.

You decided then and there that you both had to work on your conversing skills if you wanted a shot at making this ruse believable for the sake of the mission.

By the time he stepped out of the bathroom, decked out in lounge clothes and haphazardly drying his ash-blonde hair with a towel, it was already 8 PM sharp—your agreed-upon time to retreat for the night and consequently, remove your trackers.

And so you wordlessly filed out of your room, only to see the twins already at your front door, waiting. You doubted they ever left their post ever since you arrived.

You eyed the male twin as he sashayed into your room before his sister called you to attention. Other than that, the exchange was nothing but silent and perhaps a little bit hostile as the woman roughly stuck her hand up Bakugou’s shirt then yours, similar to last time, and removed the devices. You fought back a wince just as she ripped it from your skin, leaving a stinging feeling in its wake.

You could tell she was resisting the urge to shove you back to your room when the deed was done. You didn’t want to risk being her punching bag, so with a curt nod, you promptly turned back and once again entered the room, with Bakugou following you just as the other twin exited and closed the door behind him. Looking up, you immediately registered how the cameras were now facing down—covered—and the red, flickering lights were nowhere to be seen.

An instantaneous wave of relief flooded through you.

Bakugou must’ve noticed, because he whipped to face you, and the disturbed expression on his face was enough to shut you up.

He tilted his head, perhaps gesturing to the rest of the room, and it took you a second, but you eventually managed to make out what he was trying to say.

Shut your trap, his icy stare told you. Check the room for bugs.

And so with a nod of understanding, you tossed him a look right back before quite literally turning the room upside down. It probably took you at least 10 minutes to uncover and check every surface, nook, and cranny, but by the time you both were pretty sure you were safe, you were already stifling a yawn.

And having a hawk eye must come with the job description, because that didn’t go unmissed by the pro-hero, who wordlessly took one of the two pillows from the bed, as well as the throw blanket on top of the actual duvet cover, before tossing both on the brown couch.

You were just about to thank him for preparing your ‘bed’ for you, but you didn’t get to, because you were very much robbed of all words when he plopped himself down on the couch, wrapping himself with the quilt.

“What are you—”

“Don’t argue,” he cut you off, his commanding tone comically juxtaposing how snug he looked with his head barely peeking out of the cloth. You’d laugh at the way his large feet were poking out at the end of it if you weren’t in a contentious mood.

You frowned. “You’re the guest of honor. I should be the one sleeping on the couch.”

“If it bothers you that much—” Bakugou piped from where he laid comfortably on the (p)leather furniture, “—we can take turns. Tomorrow, I get to sleep on the bed, and so on.”

“But—”

“Conversation’s over. ‘Night.”

With that, Bakugou flipped on his side, turning his back against you, effectively shooting the conversation down in its entirety.

You stood there for what felt like a couple more minutes, keen on shaking him awake, maybe even yanking him off the couch and planting yourself on it before he could wrap his head around what was happening, but you ultimately decided to let it go, at least for now.

You wished him a good night as you turned off the lights and snuck into the queen-sized bed a few moments later, although you bet he was already fast asleep based on the lack of a reply.

Which was good for him, because he needed the rest for what was about to crash into you the next day.

Apparently, Masaki wasn’t kidding when he said groups like theirs needed the space to conduct their activities, because they sure handle a lot.

At 8 AM, you were roused awake by a violent knocking on your door, and you could tell Bakugou was awoken by the very same thing, because he shot up in alarm just as you did. You quickly got up and padded to the entryway, trying to ignore the silly embarrassment of being seen in your threadbare pajamas in broad daylight, before whipping to look at the man. You didn’t have to say it, though—Bakugou was already grabbing his pillow and blanket and plopped into the bed, lying down as if he was there the entire night. Only when he was fully settled did you turn the knob open, only to see the female twin scowling at you. Her hand was held up, on top of which were two trackers.

“It’s breakfast time,” she spat out—literally, some of her saliva landing on you. She looked over your shoulder to glare at Bakugou. “Hurry up and get ready. You’ve got a full day ahead of you.”

Behind you, a distinct grumble sounded out across the room, and you glanced back to see Bakugou getting up from the mattress and folding his blanket, a deep frown etched on his sharp features.

Looks like someone’s a morning person, you thought to yourself.

Not wanting to aggravate her even further, you wasted no time in getting dressed and presentable enough. You debated on whether or not to spend five minutes putting on makeup, ultimately deciding to do so, with you ending up patting on just enough product to look eye-catching before you and Bakugou went down to the mess hall to eat breakfast.

Immediately upon entering the space, you found yourself thankful for that extra five minutes because all eyes were on you. Well, maybe more on Bakugou, but they inevitably drifted to you, the person who walked next to him side by side. You could hear the people whisper to themselves as you moved to sit at the table near the back, before it hit you and you froze.

“What?” asked Bakugou from across you, who followed suit and paused, butt hanging mid-air.

“Come and sit next to me,” you blurted out, and before he could react in a way that would incriminate you both: “I want to sit beside you, babe.”

Bakugou’s eyes widened ever so minutely at the pet name, his face then sobering up as if he just realized what you were trying to do.

You wished you could spell it out for him, that couples tend to sit next to each other rather than across, and…you needed to seem like one who is head over heels for each other around these people as well. Thankfully, you didn’t have to, because Bakugou merely nodded without question, before rounding the table and seating himself right next to you.

You did your best to tune out the looks and murmuring throughout the entire meal, after which you got swept to one of the halls for an introductory talk for the new members. There were eleven of you in total, including you and Bakugou, the rest of whom you didn’t recognize. They didn’t even hide their surprise and awe when the two of you walked in and sat yourselves at the farthest row beside each other. You tried to radiate an aura of friendliness, smiling at the others when they looked at you, and then beaming at Bakugou whenever you caught him looking your way.

You could tell he was having a hard time playing the part, his smile strained whenever he attempted to return the motion. It was probably after the third time of trying to get a reaction from him when you mustered the courage to bring a hand to his shoulder, kneading the muscle as a form of an affectionate gesture, but mainly to get him to relax. He initially tensed at the contact, but eventually loosened up as you continued the action.

Soon enough, the talk commenced, with someone you didn’t know presenting himself as Kazuma, one of the officers of the organization. He went on to formally introduce the association, named The Quirk Coalition, as a group of like-minded individuals who aim for a future where quirks are nurtured and fostered to their fullest potential in a democratic society that puts a primacy on said powers. You noted how they conveniently left out the part where they detest the weak and the quirkless, although you did not comment on it. You only glanced at Bakugou one time, who looked onto the stage with tight lips.

Kazuma also went through the hierarchy of the organization, starting with Masaki at the top just as you suspected, then Sayaka and Kouki, followed by Hiroto and Omiru—the two who you recognized as the twins, looking like they just got their mugshot taken in the photos. Kazuma sat there at the lower tier alongside several other officers, under which were the regular members, totaling about 70—some of whom live in the headquarters and most going in and out, having normal jobs during the day and families to tend to.

You don’t know how they got it, but at the bottom row of the chart was a picture of you, right beside Bakugou dressed in his full hero gear.

You let the reality sink in as Kazuma droned on about the group’s beliefs, how they equally valued their ideals and the people who carried out these ideals. You made a mental note of this piece of information, before accidentally zoning out for the rest of the lecture.

The next seven days went on roughly the same way, with either of the twins serving as your unfriendly alarm to demonstrating PDA in the mess hall during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with talks, history classes, support group sessions, and even quirk training nestled in between mealtimes.

You and Bakugou went through every single thing together, from sitting out the ‘classes’ where the teachers essentially waxed poetic about rewritten history with a strong bias against the quirkless, to attending what felt like group therapy where you each took turns sharing your ambitions and goals as members of the organization. Bakugou even partook in one of the quirk training sessions, wherein he practiced shooting precise targets while propelling himself in the air.

You couldn’t decide if he was trying to act all serious for the mission or was just showing off—could’ve been both, really, but regardless, his efforts were enough to catch the eyes of the fellow members working on their respective quirks. You, on the other hand, sat to the side and watched the pro-hero do his thing, not being able to ‘practice’ anything without a partner to ‘boost’—or really, manipulate.

Needless to say, you’ve both been busting your ass pretending to be eager, dedicated members, but aside from the information readily provided in the forums, you haven’t had much luck extracting details that could prove to be useful for the mission, a fact that you’re now planning to bring up with Bakugou, a full week into moving into the headquarters…

…After you finish checking the bedroom for bugs.

It’s become some sort of an unspoken nightly routine for the both of you. The second the door shuts behind you after the trackers have been taken off and you’ve checked that the cameras are pointed downwards, capped, and are not blinking anymore, you go to your respective halves of the room and thoroughly check each inch for a wiretap. Neither of you dare to say anything compromising until you’ve completed the survey, and even then you’ve telepathically agreed to watch your choice of words.

Still, you can’t deny the familiar sense of reprieve whenever this time of the day comes along, and you’ve since associated these moments with Bakugou with comfort.

Which is probably why you have the audacity to joke around.

“Are they comfy?” you ask just as you plaster your butt down into the couch. You’ve had your fun yesterday, sleeping easily in the soft bed. You watch Bakugou as he eyes you warily, sitting on the edge of the mattress, facing you.

He huffs, crossing his legs. “Are what comfy?”

You point to his feet with your lips. “The slippers. They were buy one take one, you know.”

At that, he smirks. You can’t help but feel your own smile growing.

“I don’t think that’s something you should be bragging about, princess.”

Flying right past the tail end of that sentence for your sanity, you force a frown on your face. “Why not? It was a great deal. And, I’m sure yours are comfy. Mine are.”

He leans back on his hands that are firmly planted at his sides. He’s still smirking. “So why bother asking me in the first place if you already knew the answer to the question?”

You open your mouth to retort a witty comment, but come up short. Bakugou’s smirk morphs into a grin when you do. You wrinkle your nose in disdain, “I was just trying to make small talk. You’re welcome, by the way.”

The pro-hero only chuckles at that, before sitting up and bringing his hands forward, one holding and wringing the other arm’s wrist.

You study him for a beat, and then the cameras, which are still turned down and capped with a lens cover.

And when he only continues the rotating motion, you finally speak up.

“…What are we gonna do now?”

Bakugou’s eyes shift upward from his wrist to look at you, the softness that was just in his gaze a second ago now replaced by his trademark caution. You try not to focus on the disappointment of having caused that, as well as the misplaced longing for what was once there.

It takes him a while to reply, his features contorted into a look of deep thought. But when he does so, he straightens his back. “We—”

A barrage of heavy knocks resounds from the door, startling both of you and cutting Bakugou off. It’s immediately followed by a gruff voice, which you can now easily recognize as Hiroto’s.

“You’re not making any noise,” comes his bite, although it’s slightly muffled. “You better think twice about planning something behind our backs, you two.”

You roll your eyes. You understand any hostility coming from the members, as you and Bakugou come with risks that can potentially harm the organization that they hold dearly. But even you can say that the twins are taking it a bit too far with the harsh treatment.

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think their being extra hard on you has something to do with Masaki agreeing with the off-surveillance.

“Fucking relax,” Bakugou seethes in their direction. “Just because we’re not audibly having sex doesn’t mean we’re talking shit.”

You snort. Bakugou whips to look at you, the corners of his lips upturned.

That seems to put a plug on Hiroto, because the man doesn’t say anything after that. Once again, you’re met with silence, with you and Bakugou sitting on your respective furniture, looking at anything but each other.

It’s him, though, who finally breaks it a few minutes later with a clear of his throat.

“We keep at it—” Bakugou starts carefully, “—is what I was trying to say earlier. They’re gonna discuss the plans with us sooner than later.”

…Patience, huh?

You can do that.

Nodding, you adjust your position on your seat. You don’t dare to ask him to expound or add your own thoughts on the matter. Better to be safe than sorry, even though you’re pretty sure your room is free of bugs.

So instead, you finally give in and steer the conversation to something that’s been plaguing your mind ever since the commission kidnapped you a little over a week ago.

“Bakugou,” you begin, and he looks at you expectantly. You gulp. “Can I ask you something?”

He doesn’t miss a beat. “Depends on the question.”

“…So might as well shoot your shot,” he finishes when you don’t say anything.

Well, then.

You blurt it out before you can talk yourself out of it.

“Don’t get me wrong, alright? I know you’re strong and all that. But…” you trail off, fixing your eyes on him, “Why did they specifically want you of all heroes?”

Almost instantly, Bakugou’s smug expression is wiped off his face just as it falls.

You scramble to backtrack.

“Sorry if that’s too invas—”

“Are you sure we were batchmates?” he cuts you off, a brow raised in question. “Back in UA?”

You stare at him. Where is he going with this?

“Yeah?” you reply, not at all willing to try and jog his memory with the only prominent exchange between the two of you. So instead, you toss the query back at him: “Why?”

“Because if we were, you would’ve heard about the rumors about me, unless they weren’t as widespread as I thought.”

You feel your brows furrow. “Rumors?”

He peers at you for what feels like an eternity, before shaking his head in what you think is resignation. His body language has changed drastically, you note—the distinct confidence from earlier now long gone, having been replaced with…shame?

He heaves a deep breath.

“I was a bully,” he finally declares, meeting your gaze. “I bullied someone for being quirkless. I guess you could say I had a…” he hesitates, as if he’s trying to filter his words,” …certain mindset up until late into our first year.”

He shakes his head again, which is now bowed down toward the floor. “I did some pretty…awful stuff, to say the least.”

And before you can say anything, he beats you to it. “And don’t ask me about what I did.”

“I wasn’t going to,” comes your speedy response. That causes him to look up again and at you, a surprised look written on his face.

“Well, that’s a first.”

“I don’t have to know,” you reason, schooling your features into a neutral, even sincere expression. “Besides, I can clearly see there’s remorse. There’s no need to reopen that can of worms, especially if you’ve tried to make amends.”

You pause, eyeing him. “Have you?”

He tosses you a look of offense, as if you just accused him of being a serial killer. “Of course. And he’s forgiven me. What do you take me for?”

“Someone who feels remorse—” you chuckle, “—just like I said.”

He shoots you a glare, although it’s playful and has no bite to it. “Smartass.”

You grin at him. “I am smart, aren’t I?”

Bakugou doesn’t verbalize his agreement, but he doesn’t deny it either. Instead, he turns the table on you.

“You’re a guidance counselor, aren’t you? You use your quirk on your clients?”

You gasp, insulted. That grants you a smirk from him. “No! Of course, not. What do you take me for?”

He shrugs, “What? It makes sense to me.”

“So should this thing called ethics, which I follow and is very important, especially for people like me who work in the mental health field.”

That doesn’t seem to convince him. “Why’re you in this field, then? If not for its compatibility with your quirk?”

You think about it for a beat.

“I guess you can say my quirk did play a part in all of this, but not as my crutch,” you eventually explain. “Using it made me realize how much I like making people feel and do better, which is something that I now do with evidence-based techniques as a counselor. Plus, my job trains me in identifying emotions, which, you know…”

—helps with maximizing your quirk.

But you don’t say it out loud for fear of getting exposed, and it seems like that’d be unnecessary, because understanding flashes across Bakugou’s eyes. He nods, and that’s all you need to know he gets what you’re leaving unsaid.

“That’s a pretty noble cause,” he offers, although it comes out a bit awkward.

Still, you flash him a genuine smile. He looks away.

…Right at the wall clock, which now reads a little too late o’clock.

“You should get some sleep,” says Bakugou just as you are about to tell him the very same thing.

And when you don’t respond: “Are you sure you wanna sleep on the couch?”

‘What, are you proposing we share the bed?’

…Is what you would say if you were a fucking lunatic, which you’re glad you aren’t, because you don’t know how you’d survive this hell of a mission if you were.

Instead, you nod, shooting him a grateful look as you move to lay back and drape the blanket over your body. “Bask in the luxury of a proper mattress, your highness.”

You don’t get to see his reaction anymore in your new position, but you bet your cheap but surprisingly ergonomic slippers that he’s grinning with the way he snorts loudly.

“Stupid.”

˖⁺‧₊ as always, reblogs, replies, and tags are appreciated <3 feel free to drop an ask, too—i'd love to chat with you. have a nice day!

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[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 96 (Making Amends For Past Mistakes)

Conrad arrived in Henford after dark and walked right inside the Nesbitt home. Henford was the kind of place where no one locked their doors, which was a large reason why he'd wanted Heather and Lavender to spend an extra night in town.

He found his daughter cuddling with River's wife in one of the bedrooms. "Oh you're here!" said Cass warmly. Lavender smiled up at him, and he was happy to stumble on the two of them first. "Heather's still over at the Finchwick Winter Fair, but she should be back soon."

He took Lavender from her arms, sitting with her on Heather's childhood bunk bed until she fell asleep. He chuckled at a goofy selfie of Heather as a child hanging on the wall nearby. She was missing her front tooth, grinning wide in front of the statue of Sophie the Snail.

He smiled at their sleeping daughter, cuddled against his chest. No matter what Heather had to say to him when she got back from the fair, their love was strong enough to create someone perfect, and he held on to that belief as fear gripped him.

River and her parents had seemingly made themselves scarce - perhaps they were enjoying the fair, or maybe they were avoiding him. Whatever the reason, he cherished the quiet with his daughter. The calm before a possible storm.

At the Finchwick Winter Fair, Heather entered some of her homegrown dragonfruit into the produce competition, winning a first-place ribbon! She posed for a photo for the town's community notice board to celebrate her win, met her sister Hazel's boss, Mayor Varner, and even ran into her old acquaintance, Lucas Munch, who she'd failed to flirt with back in her teens.

"Lucas, hi! Did you and your girlfriend, Gabi, live happily ever after?"

He smiled. "We got married after she graduated and I moved to the Bramblewood with her and her parents. I love it here, and it's a great place to raise our son, Luka."

(The game decided the son of Lucas Munch and grandson of Paolo Rocca would be named Luka and I was all for it.)

"Luka's a nice name," said Heather kindly, but she was distracted thinking about home. She thought she'd seen Conrad's cruiser pull in behind her parents' place, but she stayed until the fair wound down, going for a spin on the ice rink for old time's sake. Open despite Henford's notoriously mild winters, Brindleton Bay never put up a rink, though she often wished for such a place to take her kids in their own hometown.

When she returned to her parents' home across the emptying village green, she found Conrad in the bedroom. Without a word, he put Lavender in the crib where Heather had slept as an infant and glanced hopefully in her direction.

"Let's go for a walk," she said. He followed easily. They made their way to a bench in a small park lined with stones and short greenery, and she was the first to start talking. "Your past doesn't upset me, Conrad. That you thought you couldn't share it with me is what made me so upset."

"I'm so sorry I lied to you. I was always just trying not to hurt you."

"I never thought I'd be the girl who broke her own promise to herself after my last relationships - if he ever lies, he's just not worth it - but I can forgive you. If you promise that nothing is too dark for us. I can handle anything, but we have to keep the kids safe together."

"I promise nothing is too dark or us. I know how strong you are, and I'm sorry."

"What do I need to know about the investigation?"

He took a deep breath. "George Brindleton's involved. He pulled security from the pier to show off and then a body turned up, so we're going to have to bring in some of his guy's for questioning."

"Did he try to show off because he was angry at us?"

Conrad shrugged. "It's the least of my concerns for now... Ximena's missing. She's the prime suspect, but they're going to put a police detail outside our house and the clinic until we find her, so there's no way she'll come around you or the kids."

"What about the school?"

"No one gets out to Deadgrass Isle without a boat, and every boat gets logged at every dock."

"John Brindleton made it to the island without being noticed."

"Heather, they check everyone who walks into the school."

"I can't believe this woman is making me fear for the lives of my kids. Who the hell does she think she is?"

"Right now she's desperate. If our suspicions are right she doesn't have anyone. Her one ally in the world is missing."

"And now no one's looking for him..."

He looked anxiously at his feet. "Actually...the captain put me on the case to look for Rafa. Officially."

She frowned. "I thought you were done with the case because it was too personal."

"I gave the captain a way to do this without opening an investigation into the cartel. He doesn't want me to lead but he wants me involved in case Ximena comes out of hiding and tries to find me."

"Conrad, what could she do to you?"

"She's not going to do anything to me, I swear to the Watcher. I promise you, Heather, we're going to find her and put her away where she belongs. And I'm going to find her brother. I need to."

Heather thought a moment, swallowing her anxiety in the face of his conviction. "The minute she reaches out to you, if she does, you have to tell me."

He stood from the bench, and she reached slowly for his outstretched hand. "I promise I will tell you."

They stayed outside for a while in the mild moonlit night, and Conrad finally had an opportunity to tell Heather about his wild night at Bella Goth's.

"I finally used her seance table to travel to the Realm of the Dead. I was hoping for guidance from the mentors but I relived my first year of college, instead. I didn't go to some new school, and Bella said this only happens when they want to send a warning."

Heather peeled back in fear, but he shook his head. "I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out what the mentors wanted to show me, but after everything that's happened this weekend, I think they were trying to warn me about the body that turned up at the pier. And the way I make amends is by finding Rafa and putting Ximena behind bars."

"Conrad, I know you," said Heather. "Now that you don't have to hide anything, you'll figure it all out. You'll find Rafa and you'll be able to help him. And I'll help keep us all safe."

They returned home after everyone but Neal had gone to bed. He followed them inside with a smile, but Conrad felt a chill in his future father-in-law's demeanor. As they laid together on the pull out couch upstairs, Conrad turned to talk about it. "I think your dad and your brother might have a harder time forgiving me for this than you did."

Heather nodded. "I haven't told them anything about it, but River knows that you lied to his face, and my Dad's afraid you can't keep us safe. I tried to cover for you this morning, but they want to hear it from you."

He was up most of the night thinking about how to defeat Ximena. His mind drifted to Rafa, and who he might find to give insight into where he could be, but he couldn't come up with anything resembling a solid theory.

As dawn broke, he got up when he heard Lavender babbling in her crib. She enjoyed riding around in a carrier, staring at the world with curious delight, and he strapped her to his back. He found River in pajamas and they shared knowing glances. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was really going on. I couldn't tell you before I told Heather, but you made me see that I wasn't managing it and I'm glad you did."

"Even though backing out of the case made your ex leave a dead body out front of the Salty Paw?"

He froze. "Did your father eavesdrop on me and Heather last night?"

A gruff voice called from the other side of the door. "I was looking out for my daughter."

Conrad looked back to River with a helpless expression and River shrugged. "Put your ex behind bars and he'll believe you're keeping Heather and the kids safe," he said. Oblivious to the conversation, Lavender cooed happily in her seat behind Conrad's broad shoulders.

"That's the plan," Conrad assured him.

"Good. I'm not even that mad you lied to me, dude. Lies are bad, and they always cause trouble, but I just want to be sure they're not about to get caught up in something that has nothing to do with them. Heather loves you, but she didn't sign up for a life running from cartels."

"When I said I'd do anything to keep them safe, you have to know I wasn't lying about that."

"I know that," River said. "That's why I left your house knowing you were lying to me about everything else."

"You have my word. I won't rest until Ximena's behind bars and I can put her entirely in the past."

"I believe you, man. But...why are you still in your work clothes?"

"I honestly haven't really slept much. I need a shower before I put on something clean."

(I told you, I like him in this outfit! Shameless.)

Having made amends with Heather and River, Conrad was determined to win back Neal's respect, and his own peace of mind, by ensuring Ximena got what she deserved. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

NOTE: Heather really did go to the fair, met the latest mayor, chatted with Lucas, and won first place for her fruit, but I was bad at taking photos and jumping between too many sims. When it was time to restage for better shots in the photo save they were too far away from another fair so I used TOOL to place a stand but couldn't feasibly restage everything and couldn't get the dragon fruit to place on the stand with TOOL and gave up.

TOWNIE TREE NOTE: Lucas Munch married Gabi Rocca-Chopra, daughter of Lavina Chopra and Paolo Rocca. She's a half-sister of Rahul, who's still living happily with Bella's onetime bartender boyfriend, Diego, after his wife Rashidah died of heatstroke and left him a widower. Rahul's daughter, Thomasine, married Heather's former, mediocre vet tech Marcus Flex, and they live somewhere.

Rahul and Gabi have another brother (also Lavina and Paolo's) named Rocco. Rocco married Rikissa, the third daughter of Bjorn and Clara Bjergsen (also born in game), and thus far they're the only sims to have triplets in this save. Glad I'm not playing them tbh. 😂

Lucas' brother Wolfgang is married to Everett Pancakes' younger brother Kash and they live together in Brindleton Bay with Wolfgang's elderly mother, Mila. Lucas and Wolfgang's eldest brother, Gunther, married Catarina Lynx and they have three redheaded daughters - Felina, Yasmine, and Lindsey.

WCIF Poses Used? @helgatisha's Model Poses 21 posepack (pose 15) next to the stand where the dragon fruit is supposed to be. It's fine. Heather looks ️‍🔥 in the shot, anyway. For the conversation on the bench I used @simmerianne93's Conversation posepack 5, and I think it looks fantastic! Really suits the mood of their conversation, for me. Thank you creators, for sharing your creations, as always! 🙏

[honorhearted]

"For feck's sake, give me a moment!"

Caleb had warned him the Brewster-Hallett women were combative during their pregnancies, yet Benjamin still couldn't help but take offense at her volatile snarl.

"In case you didn't realize, we are in the middle of the woods being pursued," he bit back. "We don't have time for 'a moment' of thought! We need to act now, Kitty!"

She sank against the neighboring tree, pressing her forehead into the bark as she drew in several shallow, panicked breaths. He instantly felt contrite and came up to her, pressing a hand to the small of her back.

"I'm sorry," he apologize. "I did not mean to snap, I just..." hate feeling powerless -- useless!

Katherine no longer seemed to be listening. She pointed a trembly finger beyond his shoulder. "That way, there's a hunting cabin up the hillside...It's used as a smuggling safehouse."

"What?" Although he'd heard her perfectly well, he didn't particularly like hearing that the mother of his unborn child knew the ins-and-outs of smuggling. She truly was a Brewster...

Katherine winced, pressing an appeasing hand to her swollen middle. "There will be supplies...a-and weapons stashed there..."

Immediately detecting the unspoken distress in her tone, Benjamin nodded and quickly ducked underneath her arm, supporting her as he encouraged her to hobble quickly along the uneven terrain. "This would be much easier if you didn't presently have such a fat arse," he teased, opting for humor to try and dull his panic.

Regardless of his efforts, the trek proved difficult and tiresome. By some stroke of mercy, the cabin finally came into view, and it appeared to be completely uninhabited.

"Thank God," Benjamin breathed.

Once inside, Katherine immediately collapsed and Benjamin grabbed her just as she caught her weight on a nearby table. She lowered down, trembling and getting into a squat.

"What are you doing?" Benjamin asked, concerned. "Are you all right?"

"W-we don't know if they'll be after us," she deflected. "The Patriot battalion might be monopolizing them, but it's no guarantee, especially if they think we're more than who we said we are..."

Benjamin's brow furrowed. "I don't think they'll be as concerned with us as their present distraction, but that Major Blackwood certainly had it out for us..."

"The wardrobe," she said, redirecting his attention. "There should be pistols and ammunition inside."

Catching her meaning, he gave her shoulders an encouraging squeeze, then moved over to inspect the promised arsenal. To his relief, there were five flintlocks, two muskets, and plenty of powder.

"What were you all banking on, an invasion?" Benjamin teased. Slipping two of the flints into his coat, he grabbed a third before asking, "And what about you? Will you truly be all right here while I stand guard?"

A part of him wished for otherwise -- surely, there was a place they could hide underground with this being a smuggling hideout? -- but when he looked back at her, he knew their baby was far more important than comfort.

From the moment her water broke, Benjamin's voice was distant, replaced by her own rising panic, which heated her face and made it increasingly difficult for her to take a full breath.

Enduring a particularly painful contraction, she dug her nails into the bark of the tree she leaned on, gritting her teeth and sitting her eyes tight until it passed.

Calm yourself, she inwardly scolded, lest you become the reason all three of you die here in the middle of the bloody wilderness.

"What should I do?" She heard Benjamin ask, "What do you need me to do?"

"For feck's sake, give me a moment!" She spat, perhaps a little too harshly as she tried her best to think through the discomfort.

Kitty drew in another breath, pressing her forehead to the trunk of the tree as she struggled to think about where they were, what that would look like on a map.

She knew the area. She did. She'd been through here several times during the last several months. It was a part of the smugglers' route to reach patrons without alerting either side to their operations.

Think harder, Kitty. What did Caleb tell you about this place?

Exhaling shakily, she turned her head, looking past Benjamin to assess the trail, lok for familiar markings. Finally, she pointed, her hand trembling.

"That way, there's a hunting cabin up the hillside...It's used as a smuggling safehouse.

Kitty paused again, cradling her belly with one hand, the other still holding her upright against the tree.

"There will be supplies...a-and weapons stashed there..."

The only problem was, she wasn't entirely sure she could make the journey, however short. If she couldn't, they risked being found by any pursuing militia once it was discovered they had escaped.

With another exasperated breath, she pushed herself off the trunk and pulled herself forward.

They had to get there. They had to! She wasn't going to take any chances and wind up losing their child for it.

Over her dead body.

The trek was hard, even with Ben's help, but the rush of adrenaline aided in Kitty's determination to keep walking despite having to continuously pause and ride out every contraction that overwhelmed her.

Then, finally, the cabin came into view. There was no lit lantern in the window, which meant none of her contacts currently resided there.

Once they'd managed to get inside, Kitty's legs nearly gave way from beneath her. Catching her weight on the table, she carefully knelt down into a squatting position.

"Gravity is on your side in this position," her aunt had once told her, "Less fatigue for you and a smoother course for the babe."

Hopefully the old crone had been right.

"W-we don't know if they'll be after us," she winced, "The Patriot battalion might be monopolizing them, but it's no guarantee, especially if they think we're more than who we said we are..."

Damnation. She wanted Ben there beside her, to hold her hand as he attempted to soothe her with sweet words and praise, but they couldn't take any chances. Someone needed to keep watch.

"The wardrobe. There should be pistols and ammunition inside."

[misc-obeyme]

Tbh I feel so defeated, I barely started to form part of the fandom and got to know about obey me 5 months ago at my lowest point. I started using tumblr more also because as an artist the obey me fandom started having my back and I felt so good on a fandom for the first time in forever even when we are few

I am neurodivergent and change is scary, I had alredy got used to the comfort of whatever wrong thing and traumatic stuff I’m living rn happens it was okay because at least I had OM to comfort me. But now I feel a little too lost. I never even got to the latest lessons :( it just feels off. I want to believe their word when they say this isn’t them putting an end altogether but the wording is even more off “this isn’t the last of the devildom” could open up to spin offs??? But how about the main story? The Simeon arc? Everything BKDHKDHD 😞

I totally understand how you feel, anon. While I don't think this came out of nowhere, it feels like it did. And I've always felt that our fandom has such a nice and welcoming community. Sure there are some toxic peeps, those exist in every fandom. But I've encountered far more kind people here. And people get excited when a new artist or writer joins the fandom because we're happy to see more content of our faves!

I know it's scary, but I don't think the fan content part of things will change any time soon. All I've seen is people saying they plan to continue creating for the characters and story they love. They aren't shutting down the app immediately, so you can still play the lessons you haven't gotten through, too.

I wish I could say I knew more about where they're headed next, but the way they said it was vague enough that I just have no idea. Some people are speculating that a third app is in the future. I've seen people talking about an anime, too. It's hard to say what will come next.

However, I will say there is still quite a lot of fan content out here. The apps have been around since 2019 and there is a lot of fan art and fics that are from the last four-five years. I know I'm always finding stuff from 2020 and 2021 that I never saw because I didn't join right at the start. Fandoms often last much longer than their source material.

[steppingonyourshadow]

Complete translations of song concept blurbs for Xiao Zhan's album Wo Men

These are provided by Xiao Zhan Studio with each track and sourced from QQ Music.

We (track 2)

With the continued development of civilised society, we keep advancing as a species. Everyone appears to live within constraints of common morality, following the herd, hoping they're upholding kindness, trying to live a life of virtue. But no matter what stage we're at, no one can avoid personally experiencing every facet of humanity. How can we maintain a strong and stubborn passion for life and become an invincible "good person"?

All Alike (track 3)

Life is like a street path on which we are all tourists, passing each other by in a rush. Most of life's troubles, perhaps our past anxiety, loneliness, lack of direction, every person paralysed for a moment by indecision, all the difficulty and happiness, it's "all alike". Once we're able to take it all in, we still have to keep going, having explored and reflected on all our possibilities. A quick pause doesn't mean we stop moving forward.

Recover (track 4)

We often put on an immaculate shell, armour ourselves and hide our weak spots. Those masks all cover the marks of being knocked around and honed into shape. Those who are trapped by the past hide their scars and become used to saying one thing and thinking another. Face our true inner feelings, don't run from them, learn to accept ourselves. Return "me" to me, to become a better "me".

Firefly (track 5)

The faint glimmer of a firefly at night might be weak, but it's still a reliable source of light, just like the mass of humanity. Through every lit-up screen, these "fireflies" with their faint glow gather strength and emerge into public view, lighting up their own world. Interacting with the world, providing balance to my pride, knowledge when I'm unaware, encouragement when I'm at a loss.

The song makes use of elements such as pedal, the sound of breathing, strings, and piano with a strong "woody" undertone, evoking flickers of embers from burning firewood. Just like the meaning it wishes to express - even the faintest bioluminescence can illuminate the dark and become an indispensable light.

Drifting (track 6)

After experiencing an unknown past, "I" woke in unfamiliar surroundings, marvelous and strange. My wandering journey began here. A stranger in a strange land, should I fear being infiltrated in return or bravely venture forth? In the unknown, there are wonders, dangers, eye-opening sights. It's dazzling, beautiful, tempting, but how do I keep myself from being swallowed up by it and becoming a puppet? By remembering where I came from, and doing my utmost to reach the destination I wish to reach. At the intersection where it's difficult to tell dreamscape from reality, how do I keep from following the herd?

Lighthouse (track 7)

Alone in the middle of the ocean, the lighthouse, the only beacon among the crashing waves, reminds us that on life's path there will always be ups and downs. As a small ship venturing forward, we never know when we might encounter stormy weather. Go into the headwind, unafraid of the wind and the rain, with only the lighthouse in your heart to provide illumination and point the way to our destination.

The swirl of the guitar in the song's arrangement is like the sea, never ceasing, the piano is the glow of the lighthouse in the middle of the ocean, and the vocal is the ship. Whether we're faced with glorious sunlight or a sudden downpour, wishing for us the courage to keep pushing forward.

Soliloquy of the Night Time Wanderer (track 8)

After a busy day of work, do you ever feel lonely while making your own way home? Having moved our social lives online, swiping from one small screen to the next, refreshing and clicking like endlessly, consuming bite-sized content, experiencing a little buzz of companionship through your fingertips. All those lit up screens brighten up our nighttime life in the city. When we rely on the simulated communication of online life, it's as if we're stepping into a wider world. Sometimes walking at night isn't a choice. Perhaps feelings that cannot be hidden like fear and cowardice surround and trap everyone who have no choice but to walk through the night. When the seductive bustle of the night cools and dissipates and the world goes quiet, wishing that every night-time wanderer can find a place to lay their emotional burdens to rest.

Return to Zero (track 9)

Both the wind howling past and the fog gathering on your brow and obscuring your vision are unique encounters on your journey. Looking back, those previously obscured traces gradually appear and become clearer. The song's arrangement creates a quiet but warm atmosphere, the chilly synth paired with strings push the listener toward a time travelling wormhole, returning it all to the beginning, back to the very start. Would you still be as staunch? The path here through glory, obstacles and rejection, all those things make up the you of today. You can look forward to the future, wave goodbye to the past freely. Wishing for you always the courage to return to zero and start from the beginning.

Don't Look Back (track 10)

This song is "my" personal narrative, but it's not only mine. "Don't Look Back" is addressed to me and for every listener. The path ahead might feature aspirations, companionship, bright eyes watching. Carefully, we attempt battle with the world, with highs and lows, scrapes and bruises, unavoidable hesitation and disappointment. But please don't look back, if you move forward, you can scale mountains, cross oceans and see endless beautiful scenery, or pause to enjoy the spice of life. Having arrived here, wherever you go in the future, you will have all your accumulated experiences to call on.

The song's arrangement wants to express through its layered progression the narrator's immovable core. What's ahead may not be an open plain, but it will be an endless path. Just go forward, don't look back.

Good Night (track 11)

On a sleepless night, go out for a midnight snack with company, have some noodles and a bowl of soup. Through the wafting steam, listen quietly to your companion make excited or chill small talk. In this concrete jungle of a city, solitude is our default state, and the ability to process our own sorrows and joys a hard-earned freedom.

As the end point of all the disparate emotions that make up the record, the seemingly melancholy backdrop is filled in with warmth and caring, and understanding of the way humans relate to each other. Learning, growing, hurrying through life for decades on end, no matter what we're after, wishing that on the path forward you have food that suits your palate, warm greetings, and precious understanding and companionship to fill the gaps in each of our hearts. After a busy day, wish yourself and the family or friends by your side a good night.

[fyeahlonnyeagleton]

BVB7 Theorycrafting: Saint Sebastian

What's BVB7 going to be about? Hard to say (beyond that there will likely be some relation to fallen angels/demons, based on something Andy said on Patreon - more on that later). However, I think the story of Saint Sebastian may have something to do with it.

1 - The Saint

Back in June, Andy got this tattoo on his leg. While the horns and wings have been added, giving it more of a demonic look, the basis for the tattoo is actually this statue of Saint Sebastian (which to my knowledge resides in a museum in León, Mexico):

(It's worth noting that Saint Sebastian is widely considered a gay icon, but that's not what I'm getting at here. Still interesting though.)

On its own, it's easy to just assume that it's nothing more than a cool tattoo - but this is Andy Biersack we're talking about here, he is insane and methodical with these things. And he likes using Catholic imagery.

Saint Sebastian is the patron saint of, among other things, soldiers and those who wish to die a saintly death. The most famous depictions of him (including in the statue above) show the incident of him being tied to a tree and shot full of arrows during a Roman persecution of Christians - but, importantly, he *did not die*.

Tradition has it that he miraculously survived what should've been certain death, and he was nursed back to health..... only to die shortly afterwards, bludgeoned to death after speaking out and directly criticising the emperor who had sentenced him to death.

Miraculous survival and severe consequences for speaking up against those who wronged you. I sure wonder why Andy's so interested in the guy.

---

2 - Saviour II and the "Exemplary Sufferer"

You know how I said the link between Saint Sebastian and the gay community didn't really have anything to do with this? Well that's still basically true, but I would like to draw your attention to this passage from an article detailing that relationship:

You won't know about this if you aren't subscribed to the TAS Patreon, but the original music video concept for Saviour II was quite a bit more complex than the final product (damn you, Sumerian). Out of respect for the fact it's paid content I won't be posting photos directly from there here, but here's the Sparknotes summary:

- The video was supposed to have Andy's body falling apart more and more over the course of the song, until by the end he's stripped practically bare and covered in blood.

- The sketch he posted has him wearing nothing but a cloth that, funnily enough, looks pretty similar to the loincloth Saint Sebastian is often depicted wearing.

- He uses like 5 different brushes to draw the blood/bruising, but notably there are circular splotches of blood on his torso that correspond basically perfectly to the positioning of the arrows on that statue.

- You can actually see these in the music video itself, he's wearing rather thick chain bracelets on both wrists. Saint Sebastian is pretty much invariably depicted tied to a post/tree by his arms, usually his wrists.

Additionally, certain lyrics of Saviour II seem to play into the idea of the "exemplary sufferer" described in the article excerpt - accepting the pain given to him quietly, not allowing it to affect his art:

Given all of this, I suspect that Andy had hoped to tackle this theme in that music video, but due to constraints placed on the band (DAMN YOU SUMERIAN) was unable to do so. However, as we've seen with Bleeders, the band clearly have more budget and freedom under their new label.... and given Andy got that tattoo quite a while after Saviour II's release, he clearly hasn't stopped thinking about it yet.

[sorinethemastermind]

What Can't Be

In which Opeli awakens to a reality more bitter than the one she'd fallen asleep to. #Sorpeli

The fifth time that Opeli woke up in Soren's bed, she could feel that something was different. He was already up, which was unusual. She could see him standing a few steps away, clipping his armor back on. Opeli sat up, holding the blanket around herself as she studied his face.

"Soren? Is everything all right? Has something happened?"

Her mind flashed worriedly to King Ezran and impromptu council meetings. To some new danger threatening Katolis.

But Soren shook his head, sitting in the chair opposite her to pull on his boots. "It's nothing."

And then she understood. "Ah." Opeli glanced around the room, searching for her things, and found more than she had imagined.

A poem on the wall, one he'd written about her.

An extra set of her robes, hanging in his closet.

A book she'd been reading, propped open on his nightstand.

A vase of flowers that she had brought, sitting in his windowsill.

Opeli's eyes flicked back to Soren as he stood, clipping the sword onto his belt. Her voice was soft, tentative as she asked; "Soren, what are we?"

"We're... friends with benefits." he said eventually. "Right? That's what you said. That that's all we could be."

"We can't even be that." Opeli said with a mournful chuckle. She shook her head. "I'm breaking so many rules just by being here."

"Yeah. You said."

She glanced up at him to find his gaze averted, blond hair falling in a curtain across his face, hiding it further. She wanted to reach up and tuck it back so she could see him again. But she didn't, because she didn't think she was allowed to. That wasn't what they were.

"I should be going." she said softly. "King Ezran is holding an early council meeting this morning, and I need to tidy up."

"Yeah. I know."

She grabbed her robe from where she'd left it on the floor the night before, slipping into it quickly before returning the circlet to her head. She'd left it on his nightstand. Opeli thought for a split second how it looked nice there. Like it belonged.

Then she was at the door, hand hovering over the doorknob, not wanting to go but knowing she had to. That was when Soren's voice broke the silence once again.

"Hey, Opeli?"

Her heart thudded in her chest, but she turned to face him and nodded. She waited for him to say all the things she knew he should. That this wasn't enough, that he deserved something better, something real. That she was leading him on when nothing could ever happen between them. Nothing real, anyway. All of this flashed through her mind, but somehow, what he said was worse.

 "I know we can't be anything." he told her, still not meeting her gaze. "But I wish we could."

Opeli's lips parted, but no sound came out. Her hand tightened on the doorknob. He did look up, then, at her silence. A little abashed and nervous. But at the same time his blue eyes flashed with determination, like he was daring her to make him regret voicing what they both knew. She couldn't do that. Not when it would be a lie.

"I do too." she told him, and flitted from the room like the coward that she was.

[lucien0501]

LETTERS (Wolfstar Oneshot)

Summary: Letters from Sirius Black to Remus Lupin from Azkaban. He isn’t allowed to send the letters so they’re only one sided, which definitely makes it sad. There are a few mentions of fun past Marauders moments/pranks!:) Harry Potter Marauders Fandom

Note: I do not support the views of the author (I am a trans person so....no🤬) but I love these very gay characters so much that I had to write about them!

Word Count: 1k

Warnings: Hints of mental instability, losing memories because of dementors, definite angst, mentions of Lily and James’ death, brief mentions of sex, swearing, Sirius’ hate for Peter Pettigrew, death threats towards Peter Pettigrew, and overall kind tragic because Sirius is stuck in Azkaban.  Let me know if I missed any!!

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

Moons

I'm not sure why I'm writing to you--we're not allowed to send or receive post from Azkaban, but you know that already. You always seem to know everything, you're smart as hell.

I'm not going to waste parchment explaining everything, I already spend too much time rehearsing what I'm going to say. Lily and James, Remus. I still can't make myself believe it, I'm not sure I want to.

I want to ask you not to forget about me, not to believe I'm a traitor. No, that's a lie. I want to ask you to wait for me. I'll come back to you one day, I promise. It’s selfish of me, to hope you won't move on. But I've always been a selfish bastard, you know that too.

I can't remember your eyes, Remus. Or your laugh. I try, every day to conjure you up from my memories, but the Dementors are slowly sucking you from my mind, one day at a time. I'm terrified of losing you--our years at Hogwarts, for good. I'm scared that one day I won't remember what you taste like, your oversized jumpers, the sounds you make when you come. I love you, Remus, and the Dementors prey on love, it's a feast to them.

But they can't take away my hate, my need for revenge. I fucking hate him, I hate him I hate himIhatehimIhate--

Pads

*

Moony

Do you remember the time we shagged on the big couch in the common room and James found out? He was so disgusted he didn't sit there till Christmas.

Do you remember the time that we all got drunk and played Seven Minutes In Heaven and I charmed the spinner so I'd get you? That was our first kiss. I remember.

Then there was that time that we slipped Snivellus a potion that turned his hair pink for a week. We thought it was the most brilliant thing we'd ever done. Did he retaliate? I'm not sure anymore.

Remember when we snuck out to Hogsmeade through the secret passage and almost ran into Professor McGonagall? Did we get caught? I don't remember.

I'm trying to remember. I have to remember

Padfoot

*

Rem

Half my bloody family is in here, you know. It makes for a wonderful reunion, lots of cursing and threats of murder-- just like old times! 

I wonder if my parents are proud of me now, after what they think I did. After what everyone thinks I did.

I'm sorry. I'm so damned sorry for all of it, for the way I must have hurt you. I wish I could actually send these letters and wish I could talk to you again. Just for a few minutes.

There are so many things I should have done differently. So many things.

Sirius

*

Remus

I wonder where you are, now? What you're doing? 

It's been five years now, for all I know you could be dead or married or finally realized you're better off without me. I wouldn't blame you for the last one. 

That thought haunts me every day, that I'll get out of here and I'll find you and you'll say that you've moved on and none of it matters now.

Cause I will find you. I'm getting out of here, one day.

Sirius

*

This will be my last letter, I'm almost out of parchment and there's no way in hell they'll bring me more. Maybe I'll write on the walls to keep myself from going mad. 

I'm so sorry for everything that I did. For everything that I failed to do. I never told you enough how much I loved you and now it's too late.

I'm going to get out of here, I promise. I have to. 

I'm going to kill him, fucking rip him apart with my bare hands, damn my wand. 

And then I'm going to find you. And everything is going to be alright because then I'll be in your arms. 

[r1vrgreene]

British Admiral Howe's got troops on the water Thirty-two thousand troops in New York harbor

Thirty-two thousand troops in New York Harbor (thirty-two thousand troops in New York Harbor) When they surround our troops! (They surround our troops!) When they surround our troops!

As a kid in the Caribbean, I wished for a war I knew that I was poor I knew it was the only way to (rise up!) If they tell my story I am either gonna die on the battlefield in glory or (rise up!)

I will fight for this land But there's only one man Who can give us a command so we can- (rise up!) Understand? It's the only way to Rise up, rise up!

Here he comes! (Here comes the General!) Ladies and gentlemen! (Here comes the General!) The moment you've been waiting for! (Here comes the General!) The pride of Mount Vernon! (Here comes the General!) George Washington!

We are outgunned (what?) Outmanned (what?) Outnumbered, out planned (buck, buck, buck, buck, buck!) We gotta make an all-out stand Ayo, I'm gonna need a right-hand man (buck, buck, buck, buck, buck!)

Check it Can I be real a second? For just a millisecond? Let down my guard and tell the people how I feel a second? Now I'm the model of a modern major general The venerated Virginian veteran whose men are all lining up, to put me up on a pedestal Writin' letters to relatives, embellishin' my elegance and eloquence But the elephant is in the room The truth is in ya face when ya hear the British cannons go (Boom!)

Any hope of success is fleeting How can I keep leading when the people I'm leading keep retreating? We put a stop to the bleeding as the British take Brooklyn Knight takes rook, but look

We are outgunned (what?) Outmanned (what?) Outnumbered, out planned (buck, buck, buck, buck, buck!) We gotta make an all-out stand Ayo, I'm gonna need a right-hand man (buck, buck, buck, buck, buck!) Incoming!

They're battering down the battery check the damages (rah!) We gotta stop 'em and rob 'em of their advantages (rah!) Let's take a stand with the stamina God has granted us Hamilton won't abandon ship Yo, let's steal their cannons Shh-boom! (Boom!) Goes the cannon, watch the blood and the shit spray, and- (boom!)

Goes the cannon, we're abandonin' Kips Bay, and- (boom!) There's another ship and (boom!) We just lost the southern tip and (boom!) We gotta run to Harlem quick, we can't afford another slip Guns and horses giddyup I decide to divvy up My forces, they're skittish as the British cut the city up

This close to giving up, facing mad scrutiny I scream in the face of this mass mutiny Are these the men with which I am to defend America? We ride at midnight, Manhattan in the distance I cannot be everywhere at once, people I'm in dire need of assistance

Your Excellency, sir! Who are you? Aaron Burr, Sir? Permission to state my case? As you were, sir! I was a captain under General Montgomery Until he caught a bullet in the neck in Quebec and well, in summary

I think that I could be of some assistance I admire how you keep firing on the British from a distance, huh! I have some questions A couple of suggestions on how to fight instead of fleeing west Yes? Well-

Your Excellency, you wanted to see me? Hamilton, come in, have you met Burr? Yes, sir, we keep meeting As I was saying, sir, I look forward to seeing your strategy play out Burr? Sir? Close the door on your way out

Have I done something wrong, sir? On the contrary I called you here because our odds are beyond scary Your reputation precedes you, but I have to laugh, sir? Hamilton, how come no one can get you on their staff? Sir! Don't get me wrong, you're a young man of great renown I know you stole British cannons when we were still downtown

Nathaniel Green and Henry Knox wanted to hire you To be their Secretary? I don't think so And why are you upset? I'm not It's alright, you want to fight, you've got a hunger I was just like you when I was younger Head full of fantasies of dyin' like a martyr? Yes!

Dying is easy, young man, living is harder Why are you telling me this? I'm being honest I'm working with a third of what our Congress has promised We are a powder keg about to explode I need someone like you to lighten the load, So?

Ayo, I'm just like my country I'm young scrappy and hungry! I am not throwing away my shot! Son

We are outgunned, outmanned! You need all the help you can get I have some friends; Laurens, Mulligan Marquis de Lafayette, okay, what else? Outnumbered, outplanned! We'll need some spies on the inside Some King's men who might let some things slide

You rally the guys, master the element of surprise (Boom!) I'll rise above my station, organize your information 'Til we rise to the occasion of our new nation (whoa, whoa, whoa), Sir!

Rise up! What? (Here comes the General!) Rise up! What? (Here comes the General!) Rise up! What? (Here comes the General!)

What? And his right-hand man! Boom

ADD ME BACK ON ROBLOX YOU COWARD

IM WATCHING FALSETTOS LEAVE ME ALONE

[workingonit-currently]

I know there were many options for what the Doctor could sing to stay calm in Boom but I just want to share my penny on why I think the Skye boat song was good.

In classic Whothe 2nd Doctor is a subtitled to play the Skye boat song on his recorder. It's like a soothing mechanism or something to keep him settled.

I like that the fact that the song was brought back recognises this and makes the idea that that song is soothing to the Doctor canon.

While I understand the Doctor could sing anything to calm them (the Venusian Lullaby) I don't think any song would comfort them as effectively.

The lullaby was only part of it, it was also meant to sooth the Doctor and thanks to the 2nd Doctor we know the Doctor is comforted by the Skye Boat song.

[lucabyte]

On autonomy, and what it means to be Obliged to Help.

Bonus:

[jajanvm-imbi]

Hey remember when I said that this was the most frustrating thing about being a Helluva Boss enjoyer?

Yeah I was wrong.

The most frustrating thing about being a Helluva Boss enjoyer is explicitly stating multiple times that I like show and then get called an anti and homophobic and media illiterate when I complain about the direction it has taken.

I LIKE the comedy

I LIKE the animation and artstyle

I LIKE the more serious plotlines like the government agents plot and the Cherubs plot

I LIKE the themes of friendship and found family

I even like most of the songs!

And ofc the voice cast slays every time

But just because your show has angst and tears and drama and sad music doesn't automatically make it "good".

Just because your characters are queer doesn't automatically make them good or well written characters

This fandom is so frustrating to deal with when you want to express your more nuanced takes of it

This is probably gonna be the last post I make about this subject and about Helluva Boss in general, this shit is too stupid to deal with

[fromtheseventhhell]

Remember George's outline notes that had "joy of giving" and "mercy at the gate" for Arya? Mercy is crossed out and we obviously have that as her sample chapter, so what if Arya's next alias is "Joy"? Over-thinking the significance of that phrase and how it could apply to the rest of her Braavos arc🤔

[silusvesuius]

this tree from my new drawing looking goated afffffff 👑👑

[hazbinbabbling4ever]

So I get back from my mini semi-hiatus because in a few days there will be WWDITS s6 premiere and I can't miss the craziness of tumblr about the last season, and apparently I missed: - S3 of Go almost definitely cancelled cause ˚.✦.˳·˖✶⋆Rumors⋆✶ .˳·˖✦˚ - S3 of Go suddenly alive again (but what about booting NG out?) - Now it's a movie called The Finale (so new script???) - But it's all ˚.✦.˳·˖✶⋆rumors⋆✶ .˳·˖✦˚ and they're all contradictory - A bazillion of sexy backstage photos of our comedic Duo

[chocmuffinsscones]

BKDK endgame theory

Another highly self-indulgent theory on how bkdk's gonna be endgame canonically

Disclaimer: Since I don't wanna jinx it or feel embarrassed for being so brazen about this mere silly thought of mine, I'll just keep this private until if things similar to what I've predicted became true. Otherwise, this will only be for my eyes alone. - edited 6 Nov 2023

Fuck all of that guess I'm just gonna put it out there and let y'all have fun as I embarrass myself. Just think it's all for lolz if none of these happen, at least I have fun writing to indulge my fantasy - edited 8 Nov 2023

So, what I think is that since hori's gonna keep giving us surprises and +u up his own game, my guess is that to clearly and subtly lock the pair without making it feel forced is to make bkdk make a promise to each other that hinted a lifelong warrant. Refer this to what toga said in her arc

It's not exactly a love confession, but what'll you feel if someone promise to dedicate their whole life in making you feel happiness, loved? I think that's love disguise in a glass case

So, how's this gonna parallel to our favourite dorks who're both so emotionally constipated and verbally poor at confessing?

Me thinks that, apparently when the boys were pushed to the extremes -- to the moment when there's literally no time affordable to think of anything else besides the most important thing they hold in their life, that the moment their body has to move on their own by instincts -- we'll finally get to see, bright as day, where their true feelings lay.

As far as we've seen, it has been clearly revealed (except for those who're illiterate or in a dilemma of spiralling denial) that on katsuki's side, Izuku's the one constantly haunting his head for the rest of his 10+ years. He'd jump into battle with him, rush in front of him to avert the blow, fight in pain to stay relevant in izuku's battle -- to the point of fighting to his death to protect his seniors and to yet remain as izuku's image of victory... all these, to atone his mistakes in mistreating Izuku.

Throughout his character growth, Katsuki had been to the extremes. What are the most extreme situations if not death itself?

After that, however, we see katsuki came back with his heart fully open (pun definitely not intended!), feelings more outwardly shown, saying thanks sincerely without hiding behind his explosive demeanor, smiling straightforwardly at his favourite idol AM 🥺

Katsuki had met his breaking point, met death itself, and came back a new man. A man who wanted to change before everything was too late. As soon as he woke up, he didn't waste time hesitating to allow further regrets, showing gratitude and humility whole-heartedly in any instant he should've done like any decent human being would.

Except, there's still one thing he hadn't yet achieve to reach a complete circle for his narrative.

Pre-war, Katsuki's biggest dread, the constant looming threat choking around his neck, was being unable to be honest and sincere to Izuku.

"But wait! He'd already stated his apology, he has no regrets left!"

Well, if you have that complain, you're not understanding katsuki well enough. Katsuki is a man of action more than his words. It's quite a common habit for Asians too to put more thoughts into action rather than just spewing beautiful words. And Katsuki, through and through, was an all-in-or-nothing kind of guy. He would never stop at just apologising. If his prior intention for reconciliation was to make himself feel better, then the integrity behind his actions and words was nullified, since that would undoubtedly negate the whole building up of his character's motivation. Moreover, it would become a huge flaw in horikoshi's writing as that would depict him in a "fake hero" spotlight as well as contradict the character's self incentive to be the bestest hero there is. I wouldn't bet hori would decide to ruin his writing like this. In fact, this is such a huge plot point for katsuki's character development that such a small blunder at this point would greatly affect the whole endgame story dynamic to his readers. Not that he'd care if he really did chose that path... I mean 🤷🏻‍♀️😬

Anyway, personality-wise, I'd say Katsuki would be the first person to hate that particular kind of people if he sees one. He'd definitely be disgusted of himself if he were one. That's why I wouldn't bet hori will make that blunder, because hori had been writing him as an incessantly growing character, relentlessly pushing his limits to be the best and always showed his results through visible actions.

So then, back to the point, what were left to do if he had already apologised? What more does he need to do then to further compensate?

:) As I've mentioned earlier, nothing beats the offer of a lifelong compensation, of devoting one's own time and energy willingly to the other as long as they need, or provide care and attention whenever they deserve.

"Wait. What does that even sound like tho? Doesn't that seem like a huge burden to bear??"

For Katsuki however, it's as per usual: all in or nothing!

A promise that hinted lifelong devotion though... That truly sounds like a heavy dedication to carry for the rest of one's life. Doesn't that kind of vow ring any bells? That's the only conclusion I could come to unfortunately. Because Katsuki is a perfectionist, he'll never aim at only atoning his mistakes for a "measly" 10-20 years.

But then, at what kind of situation he would promise a life-binding oath like that out of the ordinary?? Knowing our boys, there's no way they would open their ironclad mouths to say something as romantic as that out of the blue, right??

So here comes my prediction❗❗

📢 warning: take everything below with a grain of salt because at this point it's just me wildin' haha

Evidently, it's been awhile we're constantly warned about Izuku's lack-of-oxygen crisis. He was still fighting sAFO alone while Katsuki came back to focus on AFO himself.

There's a few ways things could go south from there. Afo could very well be dealt by Katsuki now with extra buffs(his new cluster moves), but Izuku was still in an unknown critical state. So while Katsuki busied himself distracting afo, Izuku could somehow got sucked into sAFO's vestige space in a moment's hesitation (or something happened that sucked him into vestige space). We might finally get our vestige space fight between Izuku and tenko & OFA vs AFO, or we could get a heartwarming talk no jutsu (as well as some sprinkle of action fights) between Izuku and Tenko. And all of these played out without the involvement of Katsuki -- as he's stuck in the physical world and is still dealing a rampaging afo. The dudebros would be happy about this. Finally they had a chance to laugh at us at being clowns for wanting katsuki's involvement in the vestige fight. But remember, hori is a troll through and through. He could troll us, he could troll the dudebros too. It's our temporary loss for not getting Katsuki fight beside izuku in afo vestige space, but we'll have something better later!

Because while all of those happen in the vestige space, apparently Tomura and Izuku's body will be out of it, falling to the ground and seemingly lifeless, out of consciousness to the eye of the people in the physical world.

I can imagine Katsuki having no time to spare while dealing with Afo as this happen. He's got to finish AFO first to get back to Izuku. And I promise you it'll not take too long for him to do that, 'cause it'll be a combo attack from IN and OUT as Izuku counter both Afo and tenko in the vestige space -- but it'll feel a bit longer in Izuku's pov as timeflow seems to be slightly different in there.

Anyhow, as Katsuki was done with afo, what do you think he'll react then when he reached a passed out Izuku? When he arrived to the scene of Izuku and Tenko on the ground, Izuku probably temporarily *not breathing* and motionless. *not breathing due to the setback of gearshift

Katsuki will be shocked and traumatized. After spilling his heart out to win AFO with/for izuku, how could he stand to win the battle if Izuku wasn't there to claim victory alongside him? He would hold Izuku's hand and kept calling out to him (maybe angrily or threatening but the words are sweet and all of it are very contrasting?👀), calling for his soul to come back. Surely he would start crying and confess all his regrets even more too. *reminder: these are only possible because all his walls were finally broken down after his revival, he's a changed man in and out.*

Then, even better! When the medic units and probably some other heroes arrived to the scene, Katsuki suddenly realised he could give Izuku cpr! He'll do it himself and think it'll work since he learnt it from emergency treating lessons, and he didn't want Izuku to leave his side but also didn't want to do nothing to help Izuku recover.

See? Plus Ultra. Katsuki giving Izuku cpr y'all. Bkdk won. All these too in front of some witnesses and recording cameras. :)

And, yeah, cuz hori is a troll, katsuki's kiss of life actually wasn't the *sole* reason Izuku came to (all for the ambiguity too, ya know ;) and besides, hori likes trolling Katsuki too, not allowing him to get what he wants)-- it was all Izuku's well-deserved victory on defeating afo and saving tenko from the vestige space that allowed him to return to his own body after the vestige world close up. In fact, Izuku didn't actually need it, he was merely away from his body to fight in the vestige space for a bit; if he won, he would eventually come back and wake up by himself, the problem of hypoxia naturally dissolved along with it.

In another words, the "kiss" was just a bonus. It's a heartfelt gift from hori-sensei to his bkdk/grateful manga readers. Because in the end of the day, it's the promise between Izuku and Katsuki that wrapped the deal of bkdk being endgame canonically. For Hori, it's a win-win situation; he could have fun building suspense over his readers, as well as finally letting his favourite boys earn their long overdue peace to be together. Also, completing both protagonist and deuteragonist narrative foil as save to win, win to save. AND not making the whole scene romantically charged, as the reason behind their actions aren't out of sexual desire nor sexual attraction, since tHis Is sTilL JusT a shOuNen mAnGa afterall. Just "bros" devoting their life to each other and occasionally hold hands to get comfortable of each other's touch because they're practicing their next combo move. 😀