you remembered the first time you laid eyes on jj maybank.
a shitty admin job was the best you could score from your father, the sheriff — something light you could add to your resumé, whilst doing minimal work. you didn’t anticipate working in the local jail to be as boring as it was, despite knowing you were going into a job that consisted solely of checking people in and out and punching names into a computer. you tried to make it as fun as possible, showing up in your cutest miniskirts, fluffiest jackets, daintiest mary-jane heels, but there was never anyone interesting coming in and out the cells, only drunks being thrown into the tank after one too many.
that was until jj came along.
it was like everything moved in slow motion the first time he got brought in. your father had the blondes wrists clipped behind his back, shoving him along the hallways. it was the first young person you’d gotten in weeks, your shoulder finding the door frame as you stare, watching in intrigue. whatever jj had done to get himself wound up in a cell, he didn’t seem remotely sorry about it. the smirk on his face was worn proudly as a medal, even whilst being shoved along by the sheriff he had this swagger to each step. you didn’t even realise you were staring, dressed in all your girly glory until he locked eyes with you.
his smirk spread on his face. jj knew who you were, but that was to no surprise — everyone did. the sheriffs daughter. a title you wore not so proudly, as all it did was get you labelled as a narc by association in high school and barred from any party where drinking or smoking could potentially be occurring. jj’s eyes drag down you, and then back to your eyes, even turning his head to hold the eye contact as he got shoved into a cell.
your father followed his gaze before grabbing a fistful of his white tshirt to hold him straight. “and quit eye balling my daughter, would you?”
he holds your gaze with that amused grin for a moment longer before blinking down at the shorter man. “thats my bad, sheriff.” he drawls in that lazy southern accent of his. you had to have him.
it was over from that point on. you’d seek him out, tired of being associated with your fathers profession and wanting to have some fun for once. jj was more than happy to oblige, infact he couldn’t believe his luck. there was a thrill to the two of you being out in the open together, something in the two of you wanting to be caught — just to see what would happen. you’d even go as far as to makeout against your car right outside the station after you’d finished a shift, jj all but shoving his tongue down your open mouth as his hands grope you all over for other officers to see and relay to shoupe.
jj frequently returned to his temporary cell with all the trouble he’d get in — your glossed lips turning upwards elatedly at the sight of his cuffed form trudging its way through the hall like routine. you’d even gotten to the point of ignoring your father and running to him, wrapping your arms around his neck. “oh jayj what’d you get yourself into this time?” you whine, only for him to chuckle it off with the same joke he made each time.
“maybe i just wanted to see you, babydoll.”
by which at this point, your father had yanked you off the boy, sending you away. “go do your work, don’t lemme tell you again.”
of course it drove a wedge between you and your father. but he deserved it! he ruined your social life growing up by shutting down parties and arresting your peers, the least you could do was date one of his hottest cell-regulars. every gaze across the waiting room as maybank checks out was met with your father appearing seemingly from nowhere to ask “you really think it’s gonna work out with a kid like that? don’t come cryin’ to me when you get hurt. i warned ‘ya.” to which you’d roll your eyes and walk away. jj would never hurt you, not unless you asked him to.
he was always desperate to get his hands on you in other ways during your alone time, crowding you from behind at the sketchy bar he’d brought you to and wrapping his arms round your waist.
“your daddy’s gon’ be real mad at me for bringing his sweet little daughter to a joint like this.” he jokes, pressing kisses to the sweet spot behind your ear as you lose interest in attempting to attract the bartenders attention.
“he’s not the boss of me.” you sigh, eyes fluttering at the feeling of his hands and mouth on you. you hear him chuckle, craning round to look at you from the side.
“nah? all grown up now, huh.” he comments, making a weak giggle leave you as you press your ass further into his crotch. “guess someone’s gotta step up then, right? maybe next time i’ll be the one puttin’ you in cuffs. bet you’d like that.” his coarse hands slide down your arms to your wrists before binding them with his hands behind your back, continuing to attack your jaw and neck with little kisses.
“you can do whatever you like to me, jj.” you admit sweetly, and he responds with a kiss to your cheek.
“i know. it’s my favourite thing about ‘ya.”
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I love making Sanji have good siblings so I introduce you: Zosan!Siblings ✨
Yeah, in this, things are basically the same in Sanji's backstory (and Golden, a little bit). But after he runs away, Sanji finds Mihawk, who adopts him before the rock even happens. Some months later, when both father and son are buying things, they find a also 8 years old Zoro who wants to fight Mihawk and has 3 swords.
The boy keeps following them all afternoon, until it's time to Sanji and Dracule go back at Kuraigana. Zoro still is saying he wants to fight "The Best Swordman", but the man says he is too young. So, even if he don't totally want to, he asks Mihawk to train him, then they will know when Zoro is ready.
Mihawk thinks a little and, yes, having a kid to play with Sanji is good. But where are this brat parents? Zoro says he don't have any. So fuck it, he can see what will happen.
Zoro goes at Kuraigana with them, finally noticing the blonde boy the same age as him who the man presents as his son, Sanji. They get along surprisingly quickly, starting to see each other as brothers.
Mihawk also starts to see Zoro as his son, and Zoro see Mihawk as his father. They stay this way for two years, until one day, when they're returning to Kuraigana and a storm starts to happen. Sanji fells from the boat, much to his father and brother panic.
Then he stops at the rock. And stays there for 3 months. Until he sees his father boat and yells, yells so loud that he almost can't talk later, seeing his dad and brother coming at the rock, to save him and Zeff.
After this, Zoro is glued at his "baby" bro all the time, afraid to lose him like he lost Kuina before.
Some months after, with Baraties opening, Sanji talk with Mihawk about working there, maybe? So he can be teached how to be a chef? His father think that isn't a bad idea at all.
So he starts to work at the restaurant. Him and Zoro creating their "bickering sibling relatonship" more and more. Zoro starts to be a Bounty Hunter some years later.
Then cannon happens. Until the Baratie arc where Zoro already knows the place (because it's "Uncle Zeff" restaurant) and, well, Mihawk and Zoro's fight still happen but not this bad.
Zoro and Sanji don't openly say they are siblings because, 1) there's no need 2) the dumbasses think everyone already knows. The only person who actually knows is Robin.
Alabasta arc is a funny thing because there are Luffy's big brother who is a little to much interested in Sanji? What the fuck?! Ace flirts with his "little brother" Sanji all the damn time. Ace notices Zoro glares but think he is jealous.
He catches Ace and Sanji kissing and, fuck it, if this "Second Commander from the Whitebeard Pirates" think he can simply date, flirt or whatever with Zoro's baby brother then he's wrong. He goes to talk with Ace, gave him a shovel talk and knows if the man is serious about te blonde, because he can tell Sanji is. Thats when Ace discovers the green haired guy is actually Sanji's brother.
Then the crew is separated, and just Zoro shows up and, hell, he just lost his brother again. Mihawk also is nervous and the only thing that they can do is wait the 2 years. Zoro also is relieved that Ace survived because he would never be able to forgive himself if his brother had gone through a heartbreak and he wasn't there to console him.
The timeskip ends and they meet each other at Sabaody, both 21 now. Ace joins the crew and is actually and openly dating Sanji now. The only two persons that know they're brothers are Ace and Robin, Ace also thinks everyone else knows.
WCI happens and Ace go with the Sanji rescue team, Zoro wants to go too but he need to lead the crew at Wano since he is the first mate. He asks them to bring the curly browns back, hoping his brother is okay.
Luffy marries Ace and Sanji when they're going away from Whole Cake, and Sanji just thinks about his brother and father reactions upon the news.
After the fight in Wano, Zoro finally hears about acesan being husbands now. Great, fucking great. Everyone else just finds about Zoro and Sanji being siblings at Wano when Zoro says something like "You better treat my brother the right way, Portgas".
At Karai Barai, Mihawk finds out his blonde son is fucking married with Portgas D. Ace, fucking great. He also gives a shovel talk at Ace.
AMAZING! HILARIOUS! WOW! The fact Zoro snuck off with three real swords including Wado from Koshiro[he actually just got lost with three real swords] is fucking hilarious to me. Amazing.
So Mihawk finds Sanji and takes him in, maybe he raided the Orbit and took the brat with him a few months after Sanji's escape from Germa and has just latched onto the kid the way the kid latched onto him. Sanji is still small, the size of a five year old when Mihawk first takes him in. Then a few months later as he and Sanji are in the East Blue for something or other they find this random kid following them and demanding to fight them when they're getting supplies to make the trip back to Kuriagana after spending a few days island hopping there. He keeps demanding to fight Mihawk who keeps telling him he's too young and not trained enough to even attempt to fight him. Sanji is sticking so close to Mihawk in fear because he knows logically it's not Yonji but there's just something in his brain about green and fighting that terrifies him. Eventually the kid changes his tune and asks to be trained by him instead and Mihawk looks the boy over and sees the determination and asks for his name, the kid gives it easily and his name is Zoro and he's carrying not only his dream but his dead friends dream. So Mihawk agrees to take him with a nod from Sanji so they head to Kuriagana with another child, a playmate and an equal hopefully for the boys. Zoro asks who the blond kid following him around is and Mihawk introduces Sanji as his son. When Zoro asks why he has a baby with him Mihawk says due to some incidents Sanji is small for his age but he is in fact eight years old. Sanji frowns at the boy as they find out Zoro is also an orphan as they pack up and set sail for their island on the Grand Line. They get to know each other on the way there and find out Zoro is a few months older than Sanji and was being raised in a dojo.
Zoro and Sanji get along well, thankfully. Zoro does seem to have issues with navigating around the island and the castle but Sanji seems to find him no problem. Mihawk can find him by his observation haki relatively easily but doesn't necessarily need to with Sanji around. Sanji will guide the green haired boy back from wherever he got himself lost this time. Mihawk smiles gently at his boys as time goes on, they are good fits for each other, Zoro naturally protective and Sanji caring, of course Mihawk trains them individually and together, he reads to them and educates them. They live relatively happily and peacefully until a freak storm on the way back to Kuriagana tosses Sanji overboard and they can't get him. Zoro is screaming into the crashing rain and thunder as Mihawk holds him back from jumping in after his brother because he can't lose both of them. He can't. Mihawk holds his eldest who is sobbing as he sails them through the storm and back to Kuriagana where he continues to hold the boy as they grieve. Meanwhile Sanji is on a rock, he doesn't know who the geezer is, doesn't know how he got there. He's terrified and crying because he's going to die here. He knows it. The geezer explains how he scooped him up and then the boat he was on crashed and how they got there, that they share the same dream of the finding the All Blue. Sanji wants to go home to his dad and brother, wants to be curled up in the study with them sleeping like they do sometimes. He wants his mom too.
Then, months later, after all the food is gone, the geezer's - Zeff, his name is Zeff - leg is gone, he sees a small boat, so familiar that he thinks he's hallucinating as he sits with Zeff and creeps to the edge and starts screaming for help, loud and scratchy and hoarse. Then he sees it is his dad and brother, the green hair and hat unmistakable as they approach yelling his name. Zeff is staring at their rescuers in disbelief as Sanji is too dehydrated and exhausted to cry as they sail to the nearest port to get them checked over. Zoro and Mihawk have a hard time not touching Sanji because they thought he was dead and instead he was starving on a rock and a man gave up his leg for him. Mihawk rewards Zeff handsomely and assures him once his apparent restaurant is open they will come eat there. Sanji is so much smaller again as they travel back, both he and Zoro tied with rope to make sure they won't fall out again and if they do they will be far easier to fish out. Mihawk carries a sleeping Sanji with one arm and holds Zoro's hand with the other when they arrive back to Kuriagana as Zoro vows to become stronger again to protect his little brother. Mihawk smiles gently to him and says that's a good reason to be strong.
They make good on Mihawk's deal and eat at Baratie quite a bit, the staff knows Zeff has a particular soft spot for the kids with the swordsman and it always weirds out the new staff, being their waiter is almost a rite of passage. Between the bickering of the kids and the World's greatest swordsman chiding them and the literal owner will let the blond one in the kitchen to help cook and prep and learn while the swordsman and the green haired one go out and practice katas. Their bickering only increases after the blond moves in some years later to work full time. Mihawk and Zeff will chuckle over their fights until something gets broken, the adults have also noticed while Zoro is protective, Sanji is the one tasked more often than not to go find the moss when he's gotten lost somewhere. Mihawk has absolutely used a child leash on Zoro, not because he's a runner he'd just take a wrong turn and then Mihawk and Sanji would have to follow his haki to find him. Zoro is incredibly incensed that Sanji's observation haki is better than his until Mihawk explains privately that it's from before he had adopted Sanji and didn't know much of Sanji's time before taking him in and it's best to just leave it because Zoro has conqueror's haki which Sanji doesn't so Zoro decides fair is fair with that.
Of course, when Zoro is in Shells Town in the yard and everything he eats the rice ball and joins Luffy's crew as the first member. He follows Luffy as they collect crew members until they land at Baratie and eat and if the three other members of the crew are noticing the animosity between the waiter and the swordsman they don't say anything. Then Zoro fights Mihawk and still almost dies. After Arlong Park and they're headed to Logue Town Sanji sits by Zoro and smokes a cigarette, both of them giving each other shit eating grins.
"I can't believe Dad let you live."
"Get fucked." Zoro laughs at him and so is Sanji because yeah, this tracks for them. They sail and pick up Vivi and them and then Sanji berates Zoro for the dumbassery that is trying to chop his legs off and Zoro knows it hit a nerve with his brother. Zoro feels the same way after finding out Sanji broke his fucking back on Drum Island. Then in Alabasta when they meet Ace who is all over his brother? Zoro is thoroughly unamused by the whole situation. Mostly because a White Beard Commander? Who is Luffy's older brother? Really? His manners are better than most of the crews though, including Zoro's so he can see it. Whether or not Mihawk will approve is a whole different story because Mihawk, much like Zoro, doesn't show a lot of interest in people. In anyway. Mihawk has his kids and that seemed to be more than enough for the guy. Still, Zoro approaches Ace because Sanji's bleeding heart is on his sleeve and gives him a shovel talk and Ace is staring Zoro. Confusion turning to slightly horrified humor as he promises to take care of Sanji because Luffy is his baby brother and he gets it. They look so sappy and Zoro gives him so much shit for it and says he's going to tell their dad. Sanji looks mortified at the prospect of Zoro telling Mihawk he's dating anyone just at how he would phrase it alone.
Canon continues until Zoro shows up on Kuraigana, half dead and Perona and Mihawk hunched over over him. Mihawk sends Perona for medical supplies as Zoro mumbles about Luffy and Ace and getting back to Sabaody to which Mihawk says he's no shape to travel. Zoro is insisting about saving Ace 'cause he's Luffy's brother and he loves Sanji so much and Sanji loves him back. Then he passes out before Mihawk can ask any questions.
When he comes to Perona hands him a mini snail and says Mihawk wanted him to call him or something and gives him the number. Perona leaves and Zoro calls his dad - who is on his way to the execution - and explains Ace is his captain's brother and Sanji and Ace might be in love. They're certainty super close. Mihawk listens carefully to his elder son and hangs up as he approaches Marineford in preparation for the coming war.
Mihawk is tense because he doesn't know where his younger son is again and has to find out. He's also actively debating in his head the merits of a frozen bounty at this point because his children do not live at home, or they didn't. One is back and he has Moria's first mate. He sees Ace on the platform and then there's the Impel Down escapees, including a couple of his colleagues. He does his part, enough to keep his bounty frozen as he leaves, staying close enough to watch the events and sees the brothers live as they leave the war. They're alive for now so Mihawk leaves with that information.
When he returns to Kuraigana Perona won't stop complaining about how 'not cute' Zoro is and how he keeps asking for his dad. Mihawk says he'll take care of it and finds Zoro doped up on what has to be the strongest medicine Perona managed to make, Zoro is basically mummified in his bed. Mihawk knows Zoro doesn't lie but he does sometimes keep secrets so he sits in the chair next to the bed as Zoro's drug hazy eyes lock onto his father and says he wasn't strong enough again. Mihawk nods and says they'll work on it. Zoro asks about Luffy and Ace and Mihawk says they were alive when he left and Zoro nods at that. When Mihawk asks what happened to the crew Zoro says Kuma sent him away when they were running on Sabaody and he was one of the first to go. He failed all his duties as first mate to protect. Mihawk tells him to rest and they'll train soon, when he leaves Perona just asks when he had a kid and Mihawk answers he has two and he got them a few months apart eleven years ago, the other one isn't there. Perona is frowning at him as Mihawk heads to his office and shuts the door. Mihawk sheds tears for the second time over the blond kid he kidnapped from a cruise liner, he does not blame Zoro or the crew. He doesn't blame Kuma either, the government however? Perhaps he'll go back to his former moniker.
Mihawk trains Zoro as Perona watches them. She and Zoro bond over there time there and eventually asks who the brother is. Zoro answers the cook with the twirly brows and blond hair and she shrugs because she didn't see him. She does watch Mihawk beat him over and over again. They drink and talk as they're both heavily devoted first mates to their captains and the faith they have in them is unrivaled. Zoro grins at Mihawk at some point and says they should take Perona to Baratie and Mihawk asks back if he wants to deal with Zeff while Sanji is missing because he personally doesn't. Perona asks if the food is that good and they assure her it is, but Zeff would absolutely dote on her the way they don't and Perona calls them not cute. Again.
Sabaody with the crew coming together and Ace is there smiling at the cook who is smiling back and he's helping with the groceries and everything and he has patience. He's sweet words and soft touches which the blond finally seemingly indulged in. Zoro finds him after they set sail and says he should really stop disappearing on him and a fight ensues. Of course. Everything is canon except Ace is there. They also take the captain's quarters, and the first time Ace sees Sanji set himself on fire and then he and Zoro see him sky walk they just stare. Ace buries his face in his hat and sounds like he's praying and Zoro curses in the dialect Sanji used to accidentally talk in sometimes. He only remembers the curse words though.
They go through the motions and see Jinbei and meet Law and fight Doflamingo, it's all canon. When the crews meet up on Zou and they find out Sanji is missing and Zoro just has that sinking feeling again of failing and losing and Sanji again. He doesn't know how he's supposed to handle it as he listens to the name Vinsmoke and thinks of how his dad commented on them moving into the East Blue from the North Blue. Sanji's accent now faded as Ace hides his face under his hat as Nami and Brook tell them everything. Before the rescue team sets off Ace promises to bring Sanji back to them and Zoro tells him he's holding him to it, otherwise it won't just be him he has to deal with. Ace nods and leaves for Tottoland and Nami keeps assuring him they'll get Sanji back, he didn't want to leave willingly.
When they find Sanji, after a few fights and a long walk around the islands Ace keeps yelling at Sanji to stop and Luffy keeps yelling at him to stay out of it. Even after Luffy passes out from the fight and Nami slaps the cook who walks away from them like nothing is wrong, Ace knows he doesn't want to be there and Luffy yelling about starving and sits and refuses to move. Ace is half tempted to haul him up and leave to chase after the carriage but he doesn't. He listens to his captain and the navigator is telling them they should go but Luffy is refusing. He'll keep refusing and they all know it so they sit and wait with him. When Sanji does come back, with a bento for the starving captain and confesses he wants to leave but can't and tries to leave the crew again, this time Ace puts his foot down and says Zoro will kill him if he doesn't bring his little brother back so they're leaving. Together. Sanji and Nami are staring at Ace as Luffy is laughing because yeah, Zoro would be really upset if they didn't bring his little brother back and Sanji is rubbing face and agreeing because it would be a terrible thing if the crew fell apart because he didn't come back. Not to mention what their dad would do. So they go through with the plan and make the escape and Sanji gets shot and Ace fusses. Ace also hurls a fire ball at Judge and tells him to fuck off because he should know when to shut the fuck up. Luffy asks why Ace did that when he was listing all of Sanji's good quailtes and everyone yells at Luffy that's not what he was doing. Before they reach Wano they're married and send a certificate off after the Vinsmoke poster comes out to make sure it's only the one.
Zoro of course doesn't see these posters but Mihawk does and he's staring at the two that came out three days, if that, apart of his younger son. And his apparent husband. Perona asks him if he's going to be fine without her and he says he will and when she asks what's going on he responds with his youngest son just married Portgas D. Ace and took his name. Which is fine, he just wasn't asked for a blessing despite the help he gave at Marineford, they're pirates after all. It's not like permission is needed and chances are he got it from Zoro if he did ask. Perona is staring at him owlishly as she decides she's not going to investigate further and wishes him luck with the shovel talk when he gets to give it to the Pirate Prince and leaves to go find her captain. Zoro on the other hand finds out when he finds Luffy and he's telling him about the escape and how big of a dick Judge is and how he didn't like Sanji's other brothers. He did marry Ace and Sanji on the way there though and that was fun! So they'll get to throw a huge feast for that once their business is done there because they also need to welcome Jinbei to the crew. Zoro is asking Luffy to slow down and asks why he married them because this means his dad going to be even angrier and Luffy shrugs and said it's to make sure Sanji can't leave again to get married or something. Zoro is going to break Ace's legs for not asking.
After all is said and done in Wano, Marco meeting the Strawhat crew officially and gives his blessing for the marriage and Yamato is congratulating his friend on his marriage and the feasts are long and the parties longer. Sanji and Zoro are sitting together again because of the death pact and talking and Sanji says their dad is going to be so pissed about all of what he's done. Zoro shrugs and says that he can deal and if he's upset about it he can be upset at both of them because it wasn't just one of theirs fault. It was both of them. Zoro asks about why he asked him to kill him and Sanji explains his birth family and his brothers and how the suit was changing him, the modifications he thought he lacked were coming out and he doesn't want to turn into an emotionless machine like them. Zoro nods, doesn't say he won't because that won't calm his brother down, just acknowledges it and moves on and says he does need to have a word with his husband and Sanji groans and asks if it can wait, their wedding was spur of the moment and Luffy's idea, not theirs! Zoro says he doesn't care and to bring his husband to him and the glare he gets from Sanji as he leaves is hilarious. Zoro's simple threat to Ace makes Ace laugh again and nod, even if Sanji is fuming. When they leave they see the new bounties and everyone finds out Zoro and Sanji are brothers and Sanji is officially married and it wasn't a joke.
When they're teaming up with the Cross Guild and arriving to Karia Bari, Ace notices Sanji seems nervous and he doesn't get it until Sanji pulls him aside before they make landfall and says they need to talk because he and Zoro are probably going to be in trouble and by extension that means Ace is in trouble. Ace is confused until he hears that Dracule Mihawk is their dad and was the one to raise them and that shuts Ace's brain down. He is staring at his husband in confusion, not hurt because he gets it, but like how did they hide it? How was it not more obvious? Sanji points out they were adopted and he worked on the Baratie for years so it's not like it was well known, or known at all really. Ace just leans on his husband says he doesn't want to die in a whiny tone and Sanji rubs his back and says they'll avoid it if they can. When they meet the Cross Guild and the meetings are done with Mihawk gives Sanji and Zoro a look that demands a conversation, they start following and Mihawk asks Ace for a word as well and Ace looks like he did on the Marineford scaffold.
"Marriage?" Mihawk asks the three of them.
"Luffy did it." The three of them answer.
"Right, was a blessing given?" Mihawk asks pinching the bridge of his nose.
"By Luffy." Sanji answers as he rubs his neck.
"I apologize for not asking properly. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing after we escaped Tottoland." Ace apologizes. Mihawk lets out a long and even breath before locking eyes with Ace.
"Right, well. Seeing as your married to my son who has a penchant for being kidnapped and going missing, if you hurt him or fail to find him or anything; I will make sure your death is long and painful and will not show an ounce of mercy towards you. I have the moniker 'Marine Hunter' for a reason." Mihawk says tells the dark haired boy who nods quickly and swallows the lump in his throat.
"Please stop threatening my husband. He did risk his life for me." Sanji tells the swordsman.
"Oh we are set for a long talk, just the two of us." Mihawk says to him which makes Sanji sigh again.
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I can't stop thinking of Kyanako's Order of Attack au... there's something so moving to me about how things getting so much worse could be what finally causes Amane to get better -- seeing Fuuta dying may be the final straw of getting her to rethink her rejection of medicine. Been a while since I've attempted something whump-y, this was fun to work with.
Tw for mentions/contemplation of death. I don't go into detail about the cult but the doctrines are implied through it all.
Fuuta was not a big fan of dying.
When he imagined his own death, he always pictured it as something dramatic and fast. Action heroes going out in a show of explosions and gunfire. Fantasy characters meeting the shining end of a blade. Even when he accepted his place in Milgram, it filled his mind with images of gallows and electric chairs.
Whatever this slow, lengthy fever was, it was pissing him off.
He’d lost all sense of time. He could no longer tell which hour the prison bells were marking -- morning and night blended together. Dreaming and waking blended together. His head injury and broken leg and broken bones blended together. It was all just pain at the end of the day. He had nonstop visitors that kept him awake and asked him too many questions and prodded his injuries and made his head spin. Somehow, he was simultaneously alone every time he rolled over to talk to someone. Painfully, suffocatingly alone.
If Kotoko was going to kill him with those ridiculous emo boots of hers, she should have just done it. He was losing his mind here: devoid of all energy, suffering through broken bones and a cracked head, and boiling in an increasingly fiery fever. Maybe that was the reason he stopped commenting when he watched Amane pocket the medicine Shidou had left him. Maybe that was why he’d stopped following Shidou’s instructions himself. Even after losing an eye and taking a beating herself, Amane always looked at peace. He was tired of dealing with all of this. He wanted a bit of that peace.
Regardless of why, it was working. His fever had quickly gone from the biggest pain in his ass to the very thing that dulled his racing thoughts.
He awoke suddenly, or maybe he’d already been awake. He couldn’t feel anything in his limbs. There was only a breathless heat around him. He raised himself into a sitting position, looking for a drink. Moving his head felt like one of those glitching computer windows that leaves a trail of copies behind it. The room swam around him. His eyes moved absently around him.
Fuuta picked up the glass that someone had left him. His fingers were clumsy, and it immediately went crashing to the ground. He hardly heard the noise as it broke apart on the concrete below.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed. He’d just go get a drink himself. Shidou told him not to get up without help. But what did he know? Thinking of the man ordering him around only drove Fuuta to step out of bed even quicker. He cried out, pain shooting through his leg. That was right, it was broken…
Fuuta looked down, finding himself on the ground. It was so hot. Maybe this is what she felt, he thought numbly. Was it this slow for her too? Probably not. She had no regrets to fill the time like he did. The heroes got quick, beautiful deaths, and it was the villains who had to suffer the long ones.
He lifted his right palm from where it had caught his fall. The shattered glass on the floor had cut into it. Shattered glass? What had broken? He stared blankly at the blood dripping down.
He didn’t have the strength to raise himself up. He was burning. Why was he on the ground? Was he bleeding? He could barely breathe. What was he doing here, anyway? He just wanted to curl up and sleep. He was so weak... just to lie down... he wouldn't have the strength to get back up again. Was that such a bad thing...?
A voice caught his attention. His eyes struggled to focus on the figure who’d come running into the cell. He couldn’t understand a word of what she was saying, but he was happy when she pressed her cool little hands against his forehead.
He allowed her to prop him up next to the bed. She held onto his hand, squeezing it tight. Why was she holding it like that? That hand was bleeding. When did that happen?
Her arms wrapped tightly around him. He wanted to shove her away -- it was too hot -- but couldn’t. In his ear, he could make out her words. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Please, Fuuta. Don’t leave me alone. I’m so sorry...”
As she pulled back, he recognized Amane. Her uninjured eye was filled with tears. Was she upset? He thought he’d been making her happy. He wanted to keep making her happy. He’d never made anyone happy before.
He opened his mouth to say something, but no words would come out. They all scrambled up in his mouth. He felt the cell swirling around him.
Amane raised her voice. She looked desperately upwards. “This can’t be --! This isn’t right!”
Fuuta looked up at the ceiling. There was nothing there.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
She continued talking. Fuuta was too busy studying the ceiling. She was shouting. Or maybe crying. Fuuta didn’t like that she was so upset. Huh, had there been someone there? He surveyed the empty cell. What was he doing on the ground?
He looked down at his hand. The sheet from his bed had been pulled down and wrapped hastily around it. Why? His eyes felt sticky as he blinked. Everything hurt. It was so hot. What was going on? He was so angry. He was so scared. He wanted to cry. Why was he here? Why couldn’t he just hurry up and die already?
The next time she entered, Fuuta recognized Amane instantly. Her one hand pointed to him, the other held onto someone else. The second figure hurried over to him.
Fuuta was not a big fan of dying. Shidou reassured him he wouldn’t.
—
“You’re wearing the eyepatch,” Fuuta observed.
He was playing a dangerous game, drawing attention to it like that. He was too exhausted, and his curiosity won out over his better judgment. If Amane was going to explode with one of her typical speeches, he’d just let her.
She didn’t.
Amane’s hand drifted up to her eye. It had been hastily covered before, but now it was cleaned and wrapped in professional-grade materials. She simply said, “Kajiyama Fuuta. How do you feel?”
“Like shit.”
“But--”
“-- But I’m better, yeah.”
Amane nodded, her shoulders releasing.
“Oi, I haven’t seen you in a while. Not since…” He wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence. Shidou had told him what happened, but it was difficult to believe. He couldn’t quite trust his own memory of the night. No matter how much clearer his mind felt since receiving proper treatment, those days of fever still muddled together. He heard that Amane had up and switched her beliefs overnight -- she was now complacent about all of Shidou's treatments -- but Fuuta knew people didn't just change like that. He wanted to hear it for himself.
She lowered her gaze in shame. “I… I thought you hated me.” Her voice was steady. “As you should. I almost killed you. I accept any ill will you may feel.”
“I -- what? You’re wrong. You… it wasn’t…” He grabbed his head, grunting in frustration.
After standing awkwardly in the entryway the whole time, Amane took a few steps inside. She made it to his bedside when he finally collected his thoughts.
“It was your fucked up family or whatever that caused everything. They did this. And I went along and made things worse.” He looked away. His next words felt stupid to say to a little kid. He felt like the most pathetic, weak, loser. But it was too important not to say.
“They almost killed me. You saved me.”
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Genuinely so curious who Mike thinks is gonna be buying The Cage or the new DCTL GN bc with the way he tweets as far as he's concerned, it's not gonna be:
The queer people he has actively admitted he will never show any representation of in the games.
2. The POC he has actively fought against representing in his franchise. [Who he also mocked for thinking they would be represented in his franchise]
3. The Bendy fandom which has always been concerned with topics of diversity esp in the sense of queer people since its creation. Who he has responded to really poorly esp in regards to the GN.
4. The fans who critique him. [He blocked me for doing so lol]
5. His fans in general who he tweets about like this currently. [He's being vague about why people were mad at him or sent him 'nasty messages' because if you actually looked into why you'd see he was in the wrong. Either way, a very hateful way to speak abt ur own fanbase.]
Reminder while Mike is trash talking his fans he has always treated them rather poorly. The fans who won the fanart contest for Chapter 5 never got their posters actually in game due to it being rushed. Not only was chapter 5 a big slap to the face story wise, but it was literally so rushed he couldn't be bothered to add in the art his fans gave him for his game FOR FREE. [Meatly blames this on a crazy timeline, reminder him and Mike are the literal ceos of this company. The proposal of future updates here is also pretty cruel considering Mike nowadays happily admits he corrupted Chapter 5's source code and therefore literally can't update it At All currently. Because he is a moron]
At least they got to be in Boris and the dark survival, and by that I mean that was the Only game they got to be in so far, isn't that just treating your fans like you love them? Shoving their hard work into a spin off game almost nobody has played or addresses much. [Hell, who knows if with the Lone Wolf rebrand they'll even stay there. In which case they'll be in None of the games, only in the credits of BATIM]
6. The Bendy fans who just generally disagree with him on stuff. Like the new ink demon design where there is literally a public poll showing people generally prefer the old one.
7. The Bendy fans who can see he is actively lying to them. To their fucking faces.
He says this has always been the case, but screenshots and links to tweets regarding the books being canon prove it was not. Does he really think bendy fans are stupid or something? [Unless he's admitting here he lied to Kress when he told her the books were canon which sounds worse!]
8. Anyone who doesn't like the idea of giving money to a guy who laid off tons of employees then afterwards thought it was a great idea to express his anti-union views! Also brag about how good of an employer he was, according to his employees, he was not!
So in summary; Mike is an awful person who has not learned anything from the awful things he did. I will not be purchasing The Cage because, combined with this and his absolute refusal to take any kind of critique or see any differing interpretation of his franchise, I have no reason to think my problems with the franchise will ever be addressed or fixed. I probably will pirate The Cage along with any future Bendy Products [Including the movie] and will do my best to avoid giving it any kind of monetary support. Unless this changes any time soon, I can't see myself making anymore positive Bendy posts soon.
Mike has just managed to make it so hard to speak positively or optimistically of this franchise when he's so willing to broadcast how little he cares about it or its fans. I'm at the point where I refuse to pull any of my punches with my problems with it. What's the point of trying to play nice with my critique when either way the people creating it don't care?
So with this post, I want to invite anyone who feels similarly about the franchise to tell me, make a post or send an ask talking about how all of this makes you feel. It may not change how things are, but genuinely seeing other people share my feelings of anger makes me feel better. It feels nice to see when other people share our same concerns and worries. I'd also love to know if anyone else thinks they'll be avoiding purchasing Bendy products over this.
I'm not forcing anyone to participate in it nor trying to say anyone who doesn't supports mike but genuinely maybe if we can collectively decide to boycott things like the movie, graphic novel and The Cage... It might at least make the bendy devs acknowledge how much they have destroyed their own fandom's faith and trust in them.
The way Mike tweets about his actions like he had no control over why people were mad at him at least proves to me he takes NONE of it back nor regrets it. If you didn't know about his actions and only went off his tweets, you would be led to believe Mike has been needlessly picked apart by fans over things he couldn't control [or in his own words, had his words twisted and taken out of context]. That is not how you speak about your actions if you have actually learned better from them.
anyway, that has been my bendy dev callout post. This is an open invitation to anyone feeling similarly upset about the way the franchise is going to talk about it. It's genuinely nice to see how people feel about this and the more we talk about the more it's likely the bendy devs are forced to address our concerns. I don't think they will but hey, that's why I'm not gonna support them with my money anymore nor am I gonna be nice to them in any content I make critiquing Bendy. I mean I'm also basically making this post just in case anyone asks me Why I feel this way towards to bendy devs/as a way to respond to anyone who thinks I am too harsh in my critique in the future.
As always, it seems the best part of Bendy isn't actually anything about canon but about what the fan's are creating with the ideas Bendy failed to do anything interesting with.
Also the books, the books slap.
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