#almost like fate

[pink-november]

There's something almost magical when you first meet with The Shifting Mound.

The way your options are staggered from the mirror to proceeding to the cabin to approaching her, like bated breaths waiting to be left out. The way the piano sounds when you're facing her, lonely keys being pressed, solemn and so so beautiful. Her soft melodic voice dances, like comfort and familiarity. You ask your first question, asking her what she is, and she responds with the most profound thing you've ever heard. I am solitary lights in an empty city. What are you?

You explore. Press her for more meaning. She responds with more metaphors, sketching out the barest lines of her budding existence. Then she says: We are oceans reduced to shallow creeks.

Then the vocals trickle in, filling the silence of The Long Quiet with her enveloping presence.

And you stare at her, basking in the song that follow, and think to yourself, oh.

#slay the princess #it may be with my own playthrough but if you play at relatively normal speed during this section of the game #and pick the first option and let shifty finish her dialogue #then by the time she says the line with the oceans #the vocals comes in #almost like fate #synchronized perfectly for maximum impact #it's beautiful

[nelkcats]

Time crisis

Clockwork looked sick, this was the first time Danny had witnessed something like this so he couldn't help but feel concerned for his mentor. However, no matter how many times he asked what was going on, the Ancient refused to answer.

The halfa was taking care of him and finally Clockwork revealed that he was under attack. Danny raised an eyebrow in confusion, he saw no one in Clock Tower and the Observants were not around, seeing his confusion the Master of Time explained himself more clearly.

Clockwork had multiple bodies, distributed in different dimensions. And while they didn't follow the same rules, their job was the same, "preserve the timelines". One of his other bodies must have sensed his timeline being altered multiple times and awoke from its rest to repair the error.

Someone must not have been happy about that, if the damage Clockwork was receiving was anything to go by. The Ancient had no doubt that if they kept attacking him they would cause him further damage, which would be a big problem for the timelines.

The reason he didn't want to tell the halfa that was because he knew Danny would want to help, but not all of his "parts" were good, nor did they have the same methods to "repair" and he didn't want to show the boy a bad part of himself. Although he doubted his other "self" would attack young Daniel, seeing how fond he was of him.

Danny of course, offered to solve the problem. Knowing the boy was stubborn, Clockwork sighed in resignation and opened a portal to the DC Universe, where the Justice League was facing Kronos, Danny stepped through the portal immediately and started running to the battlefield.

Wonder Woman was gritting her teeth in fury as she faced Kronos, who was scowling in annoyance, his gaze seemed to be fixed on the speedster for some reason; half of the League were injured but holding their ground, and John Constantine had almost finished preparing a spell to destroy the titan once and for all. He opened his mouth to tell the Titan it was his end when a teenage boy ran past him.

Danny, who had no idea what was going on, stood in front of Kronos not knowing what to say. He didn't quite know how to fix the situation. Kronos looked at him in confusion as John choked as he noticed the boy in the path of his spell.

"Fate is not inevitable" the halfa told the Titan decisively. While he had been a hero and understood why the people around him would want to "stop" the other Clocky, he didn't want to see his mentor die (even if this was some sort of clone? Danny didn't quite understand), he was selfish, and he knew the other Clocky had his reasons. He looked at the wounded on the battlefield and took a deep breath before looking at the Titan again.

"Come home with me and we'll find another way to solve it" Danny offered, ignoring the heroes glaring at him. Kronos was still silent, he knew he could kill the boy in seconds but something in him protested at the idea.

Danny wondered if he could lock the being in front of him in a Fenton thermos.

#dpxdc #Clockwork is Kronos #but at the same time he's not #Clockwork divided himself to control the problematic dimensions #and some of his clones developed a personality on their own #Since Clockwork doesn't care about morals as long as the timeline is fixed that was okay for him #Technically all the situation is Flash's fault #He traveled too many times and played with the timelines #that woke up Kronos #since that dimension fate was to be destroyed he kinda decided to destroy it himself #dp x dc #dc x dp #John Constantine almost destroyed the time on the DC dimension #JL attacks damaged Clockwork directly #Constantine didn't finish his attack because of Danny #Danny doesn't care about all that's happening #he just want to help Clockwork #he wonders if that's a Dan situation and if he need a Fenton thermos #Kronos isn't going to attack Danny #he like him unconsciously

[kyuyua]

I still love the fact that the entire Ironstrange community decided that Stephen fell in love with Tony after viewing 14000605 possible timelines bc he watched him die for everyone on Titan, watched him sacrifice himself for people he just met and essentially for the entire universe, watched him fall over and over and over again just to stand up and keep fighting because he had to. He’s seen every decision Tony could ever make, has seen every sacrifice-play he’s made, every victory and defeat, and decided ‘this one.’

Like, Stephen’s seen this man at his worst and at his best, probably knows him better than anyone else ever could, and he fell so in love with him. I will go down with this ship.

#and endgame kills me bc it implies that stephen decided the fate of the universe was more important than tony #and maybe #but also no fuck the universe #i like the fics where endgame doesn’t exist 💖💖 #which luckily is almost all of them #ironstrange #marvel cinematic universe #marvel #mcu #doctor strange #stephen strange #iron man #tony stark #also this is def where supreme fam was birthed and I love supreme fam #didn’t fit into my whipped-stephen ramble tho so

[wi1dshxpe]

gortash sets up a lending library at his estate after seeing durge’s in the bhaal temple. they both know they’re the only people who use them so it turns into a sort of game. durge loves music, so after enver’s last visit a book about viola has appeared in the temple library. enver fancy’s himself a jeweler so it’s only natural a scroll about gem welding would end up in his library. books relating to their schemes, hobbies, pasts, futures, inside jokes and aspirations get passed back in forth. the only extended pause is when a novel about star crossed lovers gets dropped in the bhaal library. it’s weeks before the favor is returned and enver receives a scroll about bhaalist marriage ceremonies. he doesn’t know whether to take it as an advance or a threat, so he accepts it as both.

#dark urge #durgetash #enver gortash #durge #i ​love enver’s boldness to hear durge say ‘nobody whose been in a relationship with me has left alive’ and respond ‘yeah but i’m different’ #he is but not enough to change his fate #they would also be like varying levels of straight forward- at times they’re coming up with entirely new cipher systems for simple messages #100% being way more open they would be normal. gortash would almost never be open about about his time with raphael but he will leave a book #alluding to his treatment when he was at the house of hope #my durge was a cleric of ilmater in their youth and is incredibly ashamed of it by the time they meet gortash. but they do leave him a book #of his teachings with a chapter about meditations they still use to quell their urge #and obviously bhaal hates everything about this. not only is durge besties w his enemy and doing stupid stuff that has nothing to do with #murder they’re being unashamed of things he very much wants them to be ashamed of

[deimcs]

You don't unsettle me, you know that. (x,x)

#bg3edit #wylledit #gamingedit #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #wyll ravengard #i love him so much he's such a scrunglie :( #romancing astarion in this 3d pt but then. then i'm coming back fo r you babe i swear #honestly tho he's such a complex emotional character to me #he's a living tragedy like most of the companion but the way he choose to act about it is different #and so interesting to me #cause they all go through the stages of grief but he's almost quiet about it #he takes everything with such stride and puts all of his energy in helping others cause it's almost like he's accepted #he can't help himself and there's no point in wallowing in self pity #i just want to hold him and tell him it's okay to be angry at the shitty hand of fate he was served tbh

[unseconds]

watched Goncharov on a call with some friends and... yeah i can see what people are talking about

#goncharov #this is like so self indulgent it barely makes sense as a fan poster #its like a poster for the goncharov that is in my head #unreality #also #while im here #can i just say that i love how while goncharov is positioned as a masculine protagonist of a mafia movie #hes a surprisingly passive character #hes so willing to be lead by the wrist to his fate #he only really makes one decision and while (spoilers) it does redeem him it also dooms him #its like he knows how his story ends #i almost felt complicit as a viewer? #good movie basically

[shivunin]

the fact that you start the Tabris origin by literally stepping into your mother's shoes. the fact that what you get is a wedding outfit and your mother's worn boots, kept carefully intact for years, tucked away for this exact moment. the fact that you then immediately take the path she never could, leaving behind the alienage and the wedding and following Duncan (who would have recruited Adaia first, if not for baby!Tabris) to what ought to have been death.

And Then!! instead of fighting and falling as she did, cheating death and becoming the fighter she always intended you to be instead??? Reliving and simultaneously subverting the story of her life??

#okay no i'm not done actually #the way it feels like destiny for you to die on the alienage's behalf (soris is still in the dungeons in other origins when you get there) #and not only is that fate averted by duncan's presence #but what feels like the fate laid out for you by adaia's death is shifted too #this makes the ultimate sacrifice ending so much more awful imo #because it almost feels like a final destination-esque reckoning #you thought you escaped? no. this city will eat your bones and spit out a golden savior #who tabris actually *is* was always irrelevant and i am!!! #eating this #excuse me i am just writing baby arianwen and adaia right now and i am Feeling Things #i just!!! her boots!! is anyone listening? is this thing on?? her *boots*! #*buries face in crossed arms and sobs* #dixeram #dao #tabris origin #warden tabris #arianwen tabris #adaia tabris #oh shit oh god i just realized also #you free adaia from the dungeon in leliana's song right #and then in turn escape from the same dungeon #and when imprisoned at drakon's rise you break free from that too? #now it's tastier if you free yourself from the dungeon but #the possibility of leliana freeing you from there as well?? not the same dungeon but the same danger??? ouch. ouch!

[komashkathesilly]

wherever theyre going i hope theyre having a great time

#the sillies walking and running again #im guilty of drawing them like that again sorrey its fun #love those outfits #rui in big pants and big skirts is so prettey but drawing big skirts is more fun :3c #nene kusanagi #emu otori #tsukasa tenma #rui kamishiro #project sekai #prsk fa #prsk #also the way kasa and emu stand in that art looks like tsukasa is catching emus flying hat teheehee #im so sorrey kasa my girl ure almost always in disstress in my drawings but its ur fate #also ruis keychain and emus whole uhhh bag are SO CUTE #and the way emus and ruis both outfits have all colors of wxs ugh ughghjdghjdhgf they make me sick #and they do look like they shopped and dressed together indeed #wxs #wxs nene #wxs emu #wxs rui #wxs fanart #polysho #wonderlands x showtime #komashkart

[omgjolras]

i’m no authority on this ofc i haven’t done queer studies but as a french lit graduate who has finally read the brick i must say the homoeroticism is definitely fucking there and it’s important to understand the metaphor of it all likeeee the symbolism with enjolras and grantaire is pretty obvious, the two of them being foils and also pretty obvious symbols themselves, but the homoerotic subtext realllly brings the theme of it all together and it just can’t be ignored from a compared literature point of view if it makes sense???

like nothing i can say will be revolutionary the book is 150 years old and i’m no one (will definitely make a more thorough analysis if someone is curious) but yeah i think hugo probably wanted to play into it more than most readers realize

i will say that enjolras’ smile at the end when they die, them holding hands even, then the way they die, it’s just their arc coming full circle with love and acceptance, it shouldn’t just be taken at face value but really examined up close, from the moment hugo emphasizes how SAFE grantaire was from the guards to the way they die, enjolras standing and grantaire at his feet. wtf man

#les mis #les miserables #enjoltaire #exr #grantaire #enjolras #i have so much to say lol #it’s almost 4 AM #THERE’S JUST SO MUCH #it’s not about whether enjolras reciprocated like it’s not that at all because it’s all about acceptance of a predestinated fate #in a sense #i really should put this into words

[pixelatedsarina]

I've been enjoying s8 of litg. It's the first season in a long time that's got me excited for new episodes. A lot of it is thanks to Claudia who is a top tier love interest! So I drew a little something of her. ❤️

#litg #love island the game #litg season 8 #litg s8 #litg claudia #litg tempting fate #litg fanart #my art #its been like 7 years since i last drew anything in chibi style #i almost forgot how to do it lol

[general-cyno]

I've been musing about it for a while, thanks to some posts I've read recently too, and honestly... one of the (many) fascinating aspects of zolu to me is the way they share parallels/connections and or similarities to important figures in OP's world. spoilers for the most recent arcs and reveals ahead!

perhaps the most blatant and one of my personal favorites, are luffy and zoro's similarities to roger and rayleigh. as OP's mc and someone who's on the road to become the pirate king, luffy's own similarities to roger have come up a lot throughout the story and they've been acknowledged or pointed out by other characters like shanks, rayleigh himself and yamato, for example. from the goofy parts of their personalities, to the strength of their wills, and their dreams, luffy and roger's parallels are consistent in OP,

and as seen in rayleigh's brief memory of their first meeting, the straw hat luffy received from shanks was originally worn by roger back when he was young.

albeit the circumstances are a little different - with them stumbling upon each other by chance vs luffy going out of his way to meet zoro after learning of his name and reputation - this first meeting is still reminiscent of zoro and luffy's, with both ray and zoro initially rejecting roger and luffy's invitations to join them in their journey.

as for rayleigh and zoro, there's also a bunch of parallels between the two!

due to his previous time as a bounty hunter in the east blue, zoro made quite a name for himself and as OP progresses, his renown as the pirate hunter and the straw hats' swordsman is only second to luffy's. he was also the 2nd straw hat to get a bounty, and he's usually right behind luffy whenever their bounties go up. similarly, rayleigh was (and still is) considered a legend second to roger himself, strong enough that garp still views him as a powerful foe the marines can't easily defeat and managed to scare blackbeard away from amazon lily without an actual fight, despite the latter's strength.

there's other stuff too: the eye scars, both zoro and ray being greatly skilled swordsmen, their love for booze, being users of all three types of haki and even their epithets! from what I've read from other OP fans in discussion threads and through some internet search, rayleigh's title of "dark king" in jp is actually the name or word for pluto (the god of the underworld, roman mythology's equivalent to hades) in said language. in comparison, "enma", the name of zoro's most recently acquired sword and the "king of hell" title that he claimed after defeating king in wano, are a direct reference to the buddhist deity of the same name in jp mythology, also known as yama - a god of the underworld in charge of judging souls.

from the most recent flashbacks of the god valley incident, too, you can see the physical resemblance between these duos:

(as a bit of a side note, I think it was nice that rayleigh not only took it upon himself to mentor luffy, he was also the one who protected zoro from kizaru in sabaody and after the timeskip, during the straw hats' reunion in the archipelago and as they bid their farewells, zoro went out of his way to thank him for everything too.)

all in all, considering how close roger and rayleigh were (to the point roger called him "partner"), their strength, reputation and their overall journey with the roger pirates crew - the fact that luffy and zoro share more than a few clear similarities/parallels to them is really good imo, and it speaks both of the importance of their relationship and of the kind of figures they're bound to become, or are already becoming, in OP's world and ongoing history.

although it'd be sweet to have zoro and luffy directly refer to each other as partners as well (which kid and killer, another captain/first mate duo, have done too) I'm not sure it'll happen, if only for the sake of keeping the relationships between luffy and the crew balanced, so to say. still, like I said, knowing how close luffy and zoro are and that they share parallels with other captains/first mates, I think that says a lot about them regardless and the importance they hold for each other and the story as a whole.

another interesting resemblance between zolu and characters who are connected to one another involves, of course, shanks and mihawk - both of which are not only acquainted with each other, as rivals and friends of sorts, but also served as luffy and zoro's mentors/guides at different points of their lives and presently stand as their eventual foes to face in order to reach their goals of becoming the pirate king and world's greatest swordsman.

aaand last but not least, because it's yet another favorite of mine: joy boy/nika and shimotsuki ryuma. I sort of talked about it in another post, and I find it pretty cool. nika and ryuma come from different eras and don't exactly have much to do with one another but luffy's DF awakening and defeating kaido led to "joy boy" (since luffy refused to take credit for it directly by name) being hailed as a hero to wano that's comparable and only rivaled by ryuma, who in the past defended the country and was considered a legendary swordsman, whose sword shusui (that zoro wielded for a while) is a national treasure even.

since the hito hito no mi: model nika is a mythical zoan and vegapunk's speculated that devil fruits come into existence as manifestations of hope and wishes (or a potential for human evolution someone's desired), among other things, nika's existence as an actual god is kind of a subject of current debate in the fandom BUT. the fact remains that whether real or myth, he's still mentioned in old texts and his story has been shared among those enslaved by the WG, as a call for hope and freedom. in addition, even though he was human, ryuma also became revered as a savior figure and a sword god by the folks of wano.

so when you have luffy embodying the sun god of joy and liberation,

and it turns out zoro is none other than a descendant of the shimotsuki (frost moon) family, who resembles the former daimyo of ringo and the god of the blade ryuma,

well. those are some crazy parallels luffy and zoro share outside of their equally kinda crazy and meaningful relationship, as individuals and crew.

#zolu #tp #long post #idk what oda was/is cooking with these two but it's insane lmao #as if the braincell sharing; nearly telepathic communication and almost ridiculous levels of loyalty and faith in e/o weren't enough #the manga is like. here. have all these narrative and thematic reasons as to why zoro and luffy are pretty much soulmates #love to see it #I also have Thoughts about how ray lost his home and lived on a ship when roger found him #while zoro got lost and couldn't return to his home village; which he tells luffy about after joining him #smth smth true north soulmates fate #jay reads op

[atomicengineerdetective]

I've been watching Hazbin Hotel in prime. Just watched episode 5 and I gotta ask

Why, oh, WHY DON'T I SEE MORE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT "MORE THAN ANYTHING" WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE HAZBIN HOTEL MUSIC???

Like I get it, the song before it "Hell's Greatest Dad" Is a bop reminiscent of other music from the era its parodying. I loved it.

BUT why are you only putting clips of that song when this MASTERPIECE comes a few minutes after

I honestly don't even know where to begin with this song. The visuals are beautiful, especially when we get moments like this where you can just see the absolute LOVE this man has for her daughter is so sweet and Heartwarming I just-

The voices are fenomenal but what else can you expect from the broadway talents of Erika Henningsen and Jeremy Jordan.

There is also the whole Symbolism with passing the baton to the next generation and stuff. I- I can't even get into the specifics right now Im too emotional.

But above all else THE LYRICS

ESPECIALLY THAT LAST ONE

"I'M GRATEFUL YOU ARE MY DAUGHTER/FATHER MORE THAN ANYTHING"

DO YOU WANT ME TO CRY?? CAUSE I AM. I AM BAWLING MY EYES OUT RIGHT NOW.

It's just so fucking beautiful man. Probably the best song I will hear all year. Obviously my favorite from Hazbin.

#Call me Sir Pentious cause Im crying like a baby over here. #WHY HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING THIS GEM FROM ME. THIS ABSOLUTE DIAMOND #I didnt even mention lyrics like “I've been dying to find out who you are. looks like the apple doesnt fall far.” #“You are a part of who I am” “you are the only thing worth fighting for” that just BREAK ME #but oh well #BTW of course I was gonna watch and become obsessed with Hazbin Hotel. I am a theater kid that loves animation. It was like meant for me #could do with a little less obsenities but thats alright its a staple of the show #On another note I almost went insane when I found out lucifer was Jeremy Jordan. #Like its insane how that man always ends up in my obsessions. Newsies. Tangled the series. The Death Note Musical #(Im team L btw in death note but GOD Jeremy's singing made me reconsider for a milisecond in Where's the justice he is just THAT GOOD) #Erika I knew from the mean girls musical which I also deeply enjoy #its Insane the Talent this show brought in. my theater kid heart is ELATED #Last thing is I gotta say I LOVED Lucifer #Like I thought I was gonna hate him because everyone was talking about charlie's daddy issues #I thought he was gonna be neglectful and manipulative #BUT NO. He is a silly (little) father who just loves his daughter but doesnt know how to show it #And had DREAMS and AMBITION and fate in humanity. And he is just such a fun character to follow I had such a riot with this episode #Hazbin Hotel #charlie morningstar #lucifer morningstar #charlotte morningstar

[matchandelure]

i know this isn't in your list but i'd love to see melvin and waver again... :') i loved your art of them before!

these two are still very dear to me

#thank u sm for thr request anon! it’s been so long since I’ve drawn them oml.. #speaking of which…it’s almost time for my annual year end rewatch of case files hehe #also omg I’m so happy u liked my old art of them ;w; it’s so rare to meet another fan of these two im so happy difhhjsh #waver velvet #melvin weins #lord el melloi ii sei no jikenbo: rail zeppelin grace note #lord el melloi ii case files #fate series #willows requests

[honeydots]

ahhh i almost gave up on this but im glad i didnt

#xanlow #fe laslow #fe xander #fe14 #fe fates #pose was referenced from a thornton utz painting! #when i say almost gave up i mean that i got really annoyed while i was first sketching it and decided to drop it #and ALMOST deleted it also #but i was doing a little wip-posting game on twt and i came across the sketch again and i was like. actually this isnt so bad #and i think it turned out nice :) #i was trying to hold back posting this until later cause i KNOW i just posted art like THREE DAYS ago #but.... i finished.... and i wanna share.................................. #so here we are #dots draws

[dancefloors]

trying not to get irked by swiftie media illiteracy. I've retired! I'm out of the game!! but some of you are very stupid

#Like naur offense my eye twitches sometimes. #this time it was that post going 'omg how did she go from I'm a mirrorball shining for you to feeling like a pathological ppl pleaser' #like what are u talking about sis. that song is inherently about people pleasing and always has been. #what do u think 'I'll show u every version of urself'/'you are not like the regulars'/'still on that tightrope' meant #and don't get me started on the interpretations of invisible string post-joever #talking abt 'omg she was just making up connections how is a teal shirt related to grass' #LOIKE THAT'S THE POINTTTTTGAHENEJAHENRKSHDBEKXJSB #it's not actually about a fated love it's about being so caught up that you create the mysticism #the magic is there because I BELIEVE it is. the ordinary things are wondrous and fateful bc i CHOOSE to see it that way. #almost as if 'we can leave the Christmas lights up til January' was a song. #that one enrages me I can't lie. swifties are too dense to handle folklore I'm confiscating it u can't play with it anymore.

[seishiroh]

“THREE KNOTS.” / itoshi sae x f!reader.

— sfw. angst. non-established relationship. long distance lovers. pining. fluff. mentioned rin itoshi (not too canon compliant vague state of their relationship.) insecurity. some jealous undertones. misunderstandings. no real comfort.

— not proofread. might be a bit too wordy. also some chance of ooc-ness cause, idk, i tried though. :] ending might've sounded a bit rushed but i was trying to do something and it was not... doing anything. loosely inspired of NIKI's Autumn.

it's a tempestuous relationship—whatever you have with itoshi sae. but he's all you've ever known. whatever love is, it's defined by him.

you met him only three years ago. when he flew to japan to renew his passport only to stay because of blue lock—and whenever you think about it, it's almost like it was meant to be—you and sae.

the meeting him, the wanting him, the wanting you.

you're not sure what it is about him and what it is he saw in you that kept you together then. but his nights were yours. you'd trace your name against his exposed skin and you know he can tell, because you can feel him tense up whenever you do it.

he never stopped you then.

and you wonder which reaction was the most real from sae: the way he'd tense up as you traced your name or that he never told you to stop.

like you could.

like you had him.

you were both only eighteen; it's the first love you've ever known—maybe it's the only love you'll ever come to know.

but sae itoshi's reality is far from yours. so, so far from yours. that's why you're gripping his hand in yours like you'd fall from the earth or float away from it if you let go.

sae doesn't tell you this, not when he needs to board his plane with only a few minutes left, but he almost wishes he could stay with you.

play house, play lovers.

maybe he won't be itoshi sae, and you won't be y/n, but he'd love you the same.

you've gotten only barely a year of you and sae, but at the airport, you hold out your heart—soft and beating fast.

"i love you," you whisper against the pulse right under his ear, like if his heart could hear it, then maybe he won't have to go.

he hears you loud and clear. only because the language of your love is something he could recognize from a mile away.

sae itoshi is only barely nineteen. and i love you are foreign words even if he means to say them.

his thumb brushes against your bottom lip. it's gentle, along with his gaze, trained on the movement.

sometimes you wonder what goes through his mind whenever he does this, just right before he tilts your chin up, teal eyes meeting yours. you're also unsure what it is about sae's eyes that makes them look so piercing; you only ever see it when he's looking right at you.

he leans in, eyes flickering from yours down to your lips, then he brushes his lips against yours—it's barely there—like he's testing it like he hasn't done this a million couple times before.

then he presses a kiss on the corner of your mouth, butterfly kisses, fleeting then coming back for more.

only then—does he really kisses you. he kisses you like it's enough to make up for the words he's not saying.

"i'll come back," he says in between kisses; even at that, he can feel the smile on your lips. it's just a promise, but you smile like you trust him—like you genuinely believed it, like you'd hold him to it even if it took a decade.

"i'll call you when the plane lands," he adds.(because it's the best he could say.)

"it'll be midnight here," you reply, while still gripping on his unzipped tracksuit, your other hand against his chest—because he could keep the words to himself, but you figured the wild thumping of his heart couldn't lie, couldn't ever keep a secret.

"you'll answer," he tells you.

and he's right. he always is.

and one day, you'd wish all of these stolen moments with him were enough. only because they had to have been, only because itoshi sae knew little else outside football, but he knew you.

sae thinks you're quite easy to read from the get-go, but in the months you've spent together, sae has learned you. as though you mattered that much.

you were only barely nineteen. you think you might've shot to the stars when you dreamt about sae itoshi not leaving you or maybe keeping you.

"sae-chan!" his manager yells from a distance, "we have to get in now!"

it's barely there, but you can feel the way he sighs. when sae lets you go and walks away, he doesn't turn back, doesn't wave, doesn't glance to see if you're walking away too.

he doesn't look out the window once he's seated inside the plane; he doesn't watch the view of japan fade away.

but at one thirty-six am, your phone is ringing.

you pick up at the first ring—because you haven't slept, subconsciously waiting for his call.

his voice filters in first, too monotonous for the words he's saying, "i should've asked you to come."

you laugh. only because you know he doesn't mean it, not really.

you miss him already, though. so you allow his little lie. besides, maybe it's not a complete lie. perhaps he really thinks so, but even if he did, he'd never allow it.

unlike you, allowing his calls at midnight to talk about the day and whisper empty promises for the next few months.

"after soccer," he says silently, "we can stay together."

his voice is warmer through the phone, mostly from his exhaustion than anything, but you think it must mean something at least—that it's always you on the other end of the line whenever he comes home, it's always you on the receiving end of his smile through the screen, always you that you see him texting after his team wins a match.

"after soccer," you echo him with a laugh, "i don't think there's an after soccer for you, sae."

your tone isn't malicious when you tell him this, and he's not sure what comes first—that he knows he's hurting you or that he loves you more for understanding.

"i'll figure it out," he answers you, completely serious. he says he will like he could do it all on his own.

"i'll figure it out with you," you say. "i'm right here with you, sae," and you tell him because you think he needs the reminder.

it's odd, you hope you're not wrong, but you can feel sae smiling through the phone in the silence.

when you whisper these promises to each other, promises that are as empty as they are pretty—you think it must mean something.

sae only wanted things that pushed him towards his goals but then there was you... and for a while, you thought you belonged there.

it must mean something, that there was you—running and trying so hard to catch up to his dreams because he wanted you there. running eastward to the warmth that sae had reserved only for you.

but if you were more honest with yourself, there is nothing between you and sae.

sometimes, when sae is gone from you and far into his own world, you think perhaps you might've truly been delusional to think you ever had a shot at calling him yours.

that's why when he gets involved in a dating scandal—with someone who's not you—you have to pretend everything is fine. you think it shouldn't be much of a challenge to do so, since no one even knows about you and sae.

as for sae, you wait for his calls, but for the next few weeks, they never come.

still, you try to think maybe it's your fault. you haven't reached out since then, but he hasn't either; you're stuck with nothing but a promise that you're starting to doubt ever even existed.

you know you love him, and you'd like to think that somewhere in his heart, sae loved you too.

except it's not enough to keep you from doubting otherwise until itoshi rin comes knocking on your door, plane ticket in hand, like whatever you had with sae hadn't ended when you stopped talking to him weeks ago.

but sae's little brother is there, telling you to come to sae because his brother's not doing well without you.

you're not sure what it means because sae seems to have been doing just fine when you saw his recent game—especially when you saw a picture of him leaving a building with the rumored girlfriend.

that's why you're shaking your head at rin, who's still standing by your front door. at rin, who's sighing and finally relenting.

"i don't care what you do, i'm just here to give this," he tells you (and you can't help but pick up on the way he speaks like sae) but he reaches out and takes your hand, leaving you the plane ticket and walking away without so much as a goodbye.

the flight isn't til three more days.

you stare at it, laid on the palm of your hand, and somehow you feel like crying. sighing, you close your door and leave the plane ticket on your coffee table.

maybe the universe would do you a favor and let the wind take care of it, fly out the window or fall somewhere you couldn't find.

the next morning, it's still there.

when you come home, it's still there. you consider ripping it, hoping you won't let yourself stumble over and stupidly back into sae's arms somehow.

but when the night comes and there's a gaping hole in your chest where sae resides, you miss him so much you think you'd die—your resolve breaks. you think about texting him because that's the easiest part, but the curtains of your window sway forward at the wind, and it makes you think of sae and the way it's the first thing he does when he wakes up, opening the window and letting the air in, and how it would be so lovely to see him do it when you're there.

there's a plane ticket taunting you.

you figure flying all the way to spain for sae is crazy but if it meant seeing his face, hearing his voice—if it meant you'd have the chance to keep him in any way he'd allow, perhaps it'd be worth it.

rin sends you a message just as you're boarding the plane the next day; it's an address to an apartment in spain and instructions to contact sae's manager once you land.

you follow it all—heart over head until he's right in front of you, lithe fingers curling over the handle of your luggage and rolling it inside his apartment—where all his windows are open, all wind and sunlight pouring in.

"rin said you didn't wanna come," he speaks up, turning to look at you awkwardly standing by the door.

"i didn't—" you try to say, but it feels like a lie, "but i missed you more."

sae walks up to you, his hands tucked inside his jacket and his stare that never really gives away how he feels.

"why not?"

you give him a shrug. "is there someone else, sae?" you ask, so blunt and earnest that his lips twitch in a smile.

sae reaches out, holds onto your hips, "you've got a good brain in there. use it," he replies, lets your question fall back to you, "is there, y/n?"

you frown at him like you're a child telling him he's being unfair. "there might," you pause, "but then i'd have to leave," but your hands moving to his chest doesn't make it convincing.

his heart jumps at your touch, it beats steadily. it's a rhythm only you're privy to.

"...there isn't," he says finally, eyebrows furrowing. "you're with me."

you smile because you believe him, "you stopped calling, though?"

"you were upset," he quips.

you nod, point taken. "and you let me be upset at you, itoshi sae? just like that? and let me think maybe you don't love me after—?"

the scowl on his face is quick to form as you spoke, "shut up," he says, completely serious.

"will you say sorry?" you say instead, trying to sound teasing, but your voice is soft and it's the easiest thing in the world for sae to pick up on.

"no," he whispers, pulling you even closer.

"make it up to me?" you continue even though you know he'll shake his head, stand his ground. not scared enough to test his patience, even though maybe you should be.

you want to let up, to take it as it is. to love him with no need for anything else, but the reality of your feelings win and you're asking another question before you could stop yourself.

"am i with you, sae?"

"stupid," he mutters. "i love only you."

right there, in his hold and the sunlight hitting him just right, you find yourself in itoshi sae's apartment for the first time, finally offering you his affections.

perhaps the world can have him every other way, but him just like this, you get to have all for yourself. in the way he pulls you in, presses kisses to your skin. in the way he comes through the door and searches for you in the room, and he smells so good and feels so safe for no reason at all.

while you're there, still unknown to the world, your hands are intertwined beneath the tables when he takes you out, it feels just enough.

in the mornings, you wake up early with him. it's contagious—he's contagious. his habits and idiosyncrasies. when you're brushing your teeth, he's carelessly littering kisses on your neck until you're scolding him about how you can't move. he gives your hips a pat—once, twice—peers at you through the mirror, then he's off.

sometimes, you wonder what it would be like to be able to call him yours. say he's your boyfriend, mean something more.

you think about how nice it would be if you could stay here with him. play house, play lovers.

and no one had to know, because he was enough.

but when sae's stopped for a post match interview and they're asking about her—the girl in the pictures—you wonder if you're enough. because sae stops only for a moment, then he’s sneering at them to fuck off.

under the sheets and a few hours left before you fly back to japan, sae's room is dim in the night. you tug on the necklace he keeps on all the time, bodies pressed together in a bed only fit for him.

he hums, eyes sewn shut still.

"are you only ever with me, sae?"

there's a beat of silence. sae knows exactly what you're talking about, but he's almost sure nothing he could say will never stop you from wondering what if.

so he doesn't try to dispel it, but at least he pulls you in and presses a kiss on top of your head.

he offers you a whisper of yes, and that's all you get.

you're not sure why sae is risking this, when the media always has their eyes on him, but he insists on bringing you to the airport.

there's a sinking feeling in your gut you can't quite shrug off. but sae is holding your hand, igniting your body aflame, peering over you like there's so much he wants to say.

your anxiety insists that it's nothing good. the words never come, though; just sae hooking a finger around one of the belt loops of your jeans to pull you in.

he tugs one, two, three times more, securing you close to him and then he's cupping your face in his hands, kissing you like it's the last time.

all sweeter, all slower. like if he could pause the time, stay there forever, he might actually do it.

you wonder if he feels it now, the way you felt a year ago. in the airport, not really sure when you'd see each other again.

sae doesn't tell you to call him when your plane lands.

instead, he tells you to send him a message when you're home. you nod only because it feels better not to shatter this now, when he's all affection and the one who loves you most.

it's the first thing you do.

your chest is burdened with a weight that doesn't truly exist until his message comes before yours.

we're done.

you'd think that if you anticipate the pain, it would hurt less. but it doesn't, not for the quick sob that rips itself out of your chest, not for the tears that start falling before you make sense of it.

it's only a two-year run and you're barely twenty-one, but you think you'd be sae's forever.

it's a love hard-earned, hard-learned. a love letting go of you before you even stood a chance.

you tell him you're home, just like promised. right before you delete his number, because if you knew sae at all, he'd have your contacts deleted soon enough—if you're optimistic, maybe he'd do it more for him than you.

and miles away, you're right. while you grieve the love you'd always want, sae makes sure he won't crumble from thinking what if.

this is the choice he made for your sake, for his. he could only hope to god if he could finally keep you close to his chest, that you would still let him.

it's a terrible fate, though.

sae could only come back when the chance no longer exists.

#itoshi sae #sae x reader #bllk x reader #blue lock x reader #:: thread of fate #sae angst #blue lock angst #can u guys believe this is like almost 3k words #where did fjat come from.