#but there didn't really appear to be one in either of those locations

[uvobreakmylegs]

Set Pattern

it has been far too long since I wrote for the trash clown

Hisoka x reader

Warnings: stalking, blood, mentions of death, depictions of violence, noncon

Word count: 8.7k

….. Was this really where you were supposed to go?

That was the question going through your head when you found what was at the end of the alleyway. Wherever the map was supposed to lead you, it seemed odd that it would lead you here.

Maybe you had messed up at some point along the journey here, perhaps by way of misreading the map completely and making a wrong turn. But when you looked down at the map you'd gotten from the man who you met when you came into port, the directions you had followed appeared to be correct: the route provided to you led to this spot.

But it couldn't be right. Why would the map lead to a dead end?

Looking back up to the area before you, you scanned over it again, trying to see if there was anything of note in the open area. All you saw were piles of garbage sitting next to a metal trash can that looked as though fires had been set in it regularly, and opposite that stood a large but flimsy sheet of plywood with a bit of cloth hanging over the edge as it leaned against one of the four stone walls. Aside from old cobbled surface beneath your feet and the small flight of stairs you had just descended, there was nothing else, and you once again looked back to your map, looking over the highlighted route and trying to figure out where you had messed up and where you were really supposed to go for the exam.

Once again, it didn't appear to be wrong. This was where the map had wanted you to go.

Sighing to yourself, you put the map into your hoodie pocket as you figured that you should at least investigate the area.

Though while your hand was in your pocket, you instinctively reached for the weapon you were keeping hidden in there, your hand brushing up against the hilt. Despite the feeling of apprehension that this spot was giving you, the knife in your pocket gave you some sense of security. Though you knew you shouldn't bring it out now in case someone was watching. Better to keep it hidden and not reveal your hand too quickly.

Now there was a lesson you had learned the hard way.

You shook your head, as if the physical action would send away those thoughts from the past – both past and recent – as you needed to be focused on the task at hand. A lot of time had been spent researching the Hunter's exam. You'd looked over discussion threads and testimonials from people who had claimed to have attempted the exam, and while there had definitely been a few entries where the authors had clearly either been greatly exaggerating or flat-out lying, the one thing you could say for certain regarding the exam was that you needed to be on your guard at all times.

So it was better to not focus on the unpleasant memories regarding your stalker.

You craned your neck as you took a step forward, trying to see around the round metal can without getting too close, though there was nothing to be seen outside of the piles of garbage and a few odd planks of wood. And when you looked to examine the wall behind you, there was nothing aside from the opening to the narrow alleyway and the stairs that led up to it. No doors, no windows, nothing.

Was this really a dead end?

Or was the door hidden?

Ah, that could definitely be it. This place certainly felt a bit odd – why else would an alleyway lead to an open space with seemingly no real purpose? Maybe it was meant to deter those who wanted to take the exam, make them turn themselves around and then get lost trying to find the “right” location, and while they were doing that, they missed out on the window to officially enter the exam and be forced to wait until the next year.

That seemed in line with what these examiners might do, if that ship captain was anything to go by.

Feeling a bit more confident, you began to walk towards the area in the space that seemed as though it was hiding something – the piece of plywood, and when nothing happened after taking the first few steps, you quickened your pace, hurrying over to the wall as you glanced up to the sky above you. It was late in the day, but not close enough to be the evening. The captain didn't tell you how much time you had to make it to the official gathering spot for the exam, but with how fast you had found the other examiner at the docks, you felt that you were getting through the stages at a decent pace.

That certainty increased when you pulled the plywood away and found that there was a door in the wall that had been hidden behind it. A door that was locked, but still, what else could a secret door be for? You probably just needed to find the key somewhere in this area, and then that'd be another part of the exam under your belt.

Another step towards the protection and security that had evaded you for a while now.

Now for the key.

Your eyes naturally went to the trash can and the bags around it, though you questioned yourself on that almost immediately as it felt too obvious. But if not that, then what?

You looked about the area again, glancing at the stairs and then at the cobblestones.

….. Could they have hidden it underneath one of those?

Within an instant you were on your hands and knees, pulling at the individual stone pieces in an effort to find one that was loose. This seemed right. This sort of trickery felt in line with the things you had read during your research. The Hunter Association didn't want just anyone joining them, so you needed to do more than just follow instructions and a map. You needed to have some brain power if you were going to get that license. That was fair.

You paused briefly after having that thought, focusing in particular on the word you had used.

'Fair'

…. No, it really wasn't. It wasn't fair at all.

There was nothing fair about the fact that you needed to go this far just to get some safety.

Your mood fell as those intrusive thoughts came to mind again, and this time you weren't able to push them away so easily.

It really didn't seem like the Hunter's Association did much good for the world. More often than not, it seemed as though the majority of those who worked for the association had joined just to take advantage of the protections that it offered. Before everything with your stalker had started, you had heard in passing about a few horror stories of the deaths of civilians at the hands of Hunters, and how those Hunters in question were rarely punished for it. It was only in the truly gruesome and egregious cases that made headlines where the association was forced to make a statement and do something about it, and those cases were few and far between.

So most of the time, all those Hunters would do when caught was flash that card of theirs and they were off the hook.

A sight you had seen all too often by now.

But it would be okay, you told yourself as you continued moving from cobblestone to cobblestone while prying at them with your fingers. You'd get that Hunter card, and then he couldn't do anything to you anymore. And sure, the exam itself would be tough, but you were confident that you could get through it.

Just keep your guard up and your mind focused.

It looked like you finally found what you were looking for when one of the stones in the middle of the open area moved when you pulled on it. Of course, it wasn't coming out easily, and in an effort to force it out, you changed your position and moved so your back was facing the alleyway opening. The stone came out a bit more when you tried from that angle, but it still didn't want to give.

You continued like that until you stopped to take a break, at which point you reevaluated your thoughts.

Was this right? Would an examiner really hide a key underneath the cobblestone? Was it something more elaborate? Or were you right earlier in thinking that maybe it was in the oil drum? Maybe you were overthinking things.

Fuck, maybe there hadn't even been a hidden key. Maybe all you needed to do was knock on the door and it would open. Maybe you had wasted a lot of time doing something stupid.

You sighed to yourself as you wished that you didn't need to be here, and you began to get up so you could check the door again.

“Is there a reason that you're trying to pull apart the pavement, pet?”

The sound of the voice combined with a presence that was suddenly standing behind you had you freeze in place, and after a few moments as reality sunk in, you felt your heartbeat starting to pound as you were immediately aware that you knew that voice. You knew it better than you wanted to.

There was no mistaking that disgustingly playful tone of voice.

That day he'd been waiting for you when you got home, and he kept quiet until you entered your bedroom, at which point he announced his presence by giving you a cheerful 'hello', like he was supposed to be there.

The sight of him lounging on your bed made you panic, and after a few choice words and demands that he leave which were all met with a flippant refusal from him, you pulled out your phone to call the police.

You weren't even able to put in the first digit before the phone flew out of your hand and straight into his.

Fear and confusion hit you then, while he told you not to be so dramatic.

In that moment, being around him felt far more dangerous than it had in those previous meetings, and all your brain was telling you to do right then was to run.

You managed to turn around and step out of the room-

But that was as far as you got, as something pulled you back in. And just like your phone moments earlier, you were pulled into his grip.

You tried to keep your breathing level in an effort to keep calm. Panicking never helped you when it came to dealing with him. It was hard, but you needed to do that much.

Although you didn't want to, eventually you managed to compel yourself to turn your head and confirm visually what you already knew the instant you heard his voice:

Hisoka had found you.

He stood at the top of the stairs, the signature star and teardrop painted beneath his eyes and clad in one of his usual gaudy outfits. He'd also changed his hair color since you'd seen him last, having gone from orange to back to pink.

Despite your sullen expression, he was as amused as ever when your eyes met his. Raising up one hand, he waved at you as he said “I saw that you were taking a trip to Begerosse, so I thought I'd surprise you.”

When you didn't reply, Hisoka continued with “well, pet? Aren't you happy to see me?”

He was smiling when he said that, knowing full well that you were currently the furthest thing from 'happy' whenever you saw him. And especially now.

No doubt he'd realized what it was that you were trying to do and was here to put a stop to it.

As easy as it would have been to admit defeat while falling into despair, you reminded yourself that you weren't helpless, not completely. For now, try to keep him talking while you figured out what to do from here. At least that part would be easy enough – Hisoka loved to talk.

“So you lied about going to Heavens Arena,” you finally said.

“I didn't lie,” he answered, “but there was nothing interesting going on, so I left early.”

He pulled out a deck of playing cards, and he began to shuffle them from hand to hand as he continued with “it's a good thing I did. If I hadn't seen you heading off to the port, you might be in a terrible situation right now.”

“It's hard to imagine that anything could be worse than being alone with you,” you responded flatly.

Instead of being insulted by your jab, Hisoka smiled. As usual, nothing you said was able to upset him. You could've spewed out the most hateful, vile words towards him (and you had a few times when you'd reached your limit) and he was only ever proud of the fact that he'd managed to get you that angry with him. Nothing ever phased him. Nothing that you were capable of, anyway.

A majority of the cards in his hand disappeared, and he was left with a smaller selection of around five or six. You weren't sure if there was any significance to what he was doing. You were inclined to doubt that there was; Hisoka wasn't one to stay idle for very long.

“Despite how you view me, I'm actually quite nice to you, pet,” Hisoka told you.

You scoffed.

“It's not very nice to stalk people,” you answered.

“And yet, it was quite good for you that I did just that in this instance.”

He pulled out a random card from the selection in his hand and turned it so you could see the face of the card.

Whichever card that was, you didn't know. You were more focused on the bright red blood spatter on top of it.

Somehow, for a few moments, you'd managed to forget that he used those cards as weapons. Though you'd never seen it in person, your curiosity had driven you to watch the recordings from the arena, allowing you to get a glimpse at what the clown was capable of.

“….. You killed someone?” you asked, to which Hisoka smiled while he put the card back with the rest and began to shuffle them again.

Your voice was far more quiet when you asked that, and it shook slightly despite how hard you tried to keep it steady. Truthfully, this scenario happening was one that had crossed your mind. While you had hoped that it could be avoided, it was ultimately wishful thinking that he wouldn't find out and confront you on the way to the exam site.

But it was the fact that he'd killed someone that rattled you. That he was willing to cut down members of the association just to keep you in this game of cat and mouse that he loved so much. That his obsession went that far.

“Won't you get in trouble for killing someone from the association?” you asked. Your voice was stronger that time.

He cocked an eyebrow at that, asking back “who exactly did I kill from the association?”

“One of the examiners.”

“You aren't at the point where you'd be meeting any examiners, pet,” he corrected, “until you reach the starting line, you're only in the pre-exam.”

“… Fine. One of the pre-examiners.”

“And what makes you so certain that I killed one of them?”

“The next checkpoint is right there,” you answered, pointing at the door as you said “if I'd gotten in there before you came, I could've continued.”

Hisoka stopped shuffling the cards as he looked to where you had pointed, staring at the door for a few moments before looking back to you.

And then he started to laugh.

You didn't really want to ask, but knowing that he likely wouldn't tell you on his own, you were compelled to ask “what's so funny?”

“You haven't figured it out? You still think you're in the running for the exam?” he asked.

Your brows furrowed as you answered “of course I am. I got the map from the guy at the port.”

“And that was where you went wrong, pet,” he began, “because you weren't supposed to get any map. The man who gave it to you wasn't working for the association.”

“And how do you know that?” you asked.

“Because the person you were supposed to go to was the woman in the crab boat at the other end of the port.”

“How do you know that?” you asked again.

“From the captain. I overheard him speaking to the three of the others who got off the ship with you,” said Hisoka.

“And he told them and not me?”

“Clearly he must have felt that you weren't suited to take the exam. And I have to agree with his judgment on that. You couldn't even see the obvious trap that you walked right into.”

“What trap?”

“Do I really need to go into that much detail, pet?”

His tone was mocking, and you hated it. And what you hated even more was that you were starting to believe what he was telling you as you thought back on the man you had run into at port.

He was tall and had an eye patch, and he had scared off another man who had approached you with offers to sell you the information you needed to get to the next point of the pre-exam. The man with the eye patch had been polite to you, handing off the map while telling you to be wary of people who were looking to take advantage of newcomers to the exam.

Had all of that been an act? Was that first guy in on it and only there so you would trust the one with the eye patch?

“Why did that guy tell me to come here?” you asked.

Hisoka hummed. He was having too much fun with this.

“Do you know how many people die or go missing during the Hunter's exam?” he asked in response.

“A lot,” you answered.

He nodded.

“On average the number is in the triple digits,” he continued, “and with so many people vanishing or dying around the same time, it's not much of a surprise that there will be those who try to take advantage of that.”

“And how was he going to take advantage of me?” you asked.

“His friends were going to kill you.”

You stayed quiet as Hisoka continued with “that man was part of a group that murdered would-be participants of the Hunter exam so they could sell the pieces of their victims on the black market. And if everything had gone as they'd wanted, the ones who were waiting here earlier would've jumped you the instant you walked down those stairs, and by now you'd be dead in that building while they scooped your organs out through your stomach.”

He clapped his hands together and pulled them away, revealing that the cards in his hands had disappeared completely.

Then he smiled as he said “luckily for you, I prefer that your insides stay where they are.”

… He could be lying, you reminded yourself.

“If these people were known to kill participants, why didn't the association do anything about them?” you asked.

“They likely hadn't found out about them yet,” Hisoka answered, shrugging as he continued “it's not as though they're the only ones to take advantage of the opportunity the exam creates. And I'd guess that they were smart and never took out too many at one time; the ones who get caught are the ones who get greedy.”

“Though they won't be continuing their operations anymore,” he added, “so you're welcome, pet. I saved you from a horrific death. I do hope you appreciate the things I do for you.”

You looked to the door before looking back to him.

“This really isn't the next point for the exam?” you asked.

“Would you like me to break down that door and show you the state those people are in now?”

After a moment, you shook your head; based on that response, it seemed pretty likely that he was, in fact, telling you the truth.

Which just made this whole thing worse.

You'd been tricked. In your desperation to get that license, you went with bad intuition on who to trust at the port, and because of that, you hadn't even managed to get to the true start of the exam before Hisoka found you. Hell, he was aware of what had happened at the port you'd gotten off at, so he'd been watching you for a while. He could've stepped in at any point, no doubt he just chose to do so when he felt that his entrance would be sufficiently dramatic enough.

It left a bad taste in your mouth that you should technically be grateful for him since he did save your life.

Though if he hadn't been the one to stalk and harass you, you wouldn't have even been here.

Hisoka brought your attention back to him when he called out to you.

“Well, pet? Don't I deserve some gratitude for my efforts?”

“….. Thanks for not letting me die.”

“You're welcome,” he cheerfully replied, before continuing with “now, how about we head off?”

“No.”

You finally pulled yourself to your feet while Hisoka watched, staying quiet for once. When you looked at him again, you told him “I'm going back to the port. I need to take the Hunter's exam.”

He cocked an eyebrow as he asked “what makes you think you still have a chance of taking it?”

“I'm sure I'll find that woman. It hasn't been that long since I left and it isn't that late.”

“Hm. I suppose I should rephrase that,” he said.

Those golden eyes seemed to pierce through you when he spoke again.

“What makes you think I'll let you go back?”

…..

You weren't sure what to say at first. When he asked that, there was an intensity in him that you weren't used to, and you weren't sure what to make of it. Was he upset? That would be a first, though since he'd let you go as far as you did, it seemed unlikely.

Maybe he wanted you to give up and go back quietly when he revealed himself to you. Realize that this escape route was just as much of a dead end as the others you'd tried. Go back to that house and let him feel like he'd won. Again.

Fuck him. You weren't going to give up that easily.

Eventually, you asked “what would be the alternative if I can't go back to port?”

Hisoka's more cheerful demeanor returned when he spoke again.

“I was thinking I'd take you back home,” he answered, “the exam simply isn't for you, pet.”

“I can handle it.”

He laughed.

“It's very cute that you have so much confidence in yourself,” said Hisoka, “but if you were to actually make it to the starting line, you would have a very harsh reality check.”

“I'll take my chances,” you replied, “it can't be any worse than living with you constantly breathing down my neck any opportunity you get.”

At that, he actually shook his head, saying “you're a tad delusional, pet. You always say such cruel things about me, but if you were to enter the exam, you'd find yourself at the mercy of hundreds that would have no issue throwing you under a bus if it meant they were one step closer to getting a license for themselves.”

“Some of them wouldn't even do it for the license,” he added, “some would do it just for their one amusement. So despite how you feel, I'm afraid that I have to put my foot down on this matter, as I have no desire to see you kill yourself by way of your own stupidity.”

Hisoka held out his hand towards you and said “now, lets head home.”

You looked at his outstretched hand and then back to him. And then you shook your head.

“I'm not leaving without taking the exam,” you told him.

There was a silence after you spoke, as Hisoka didn't say anything at first.

If he was really having enough of your stubbornness, then this conflict would be over quickly. Hisoka was far stronger than he looked and it took next to nothing for him to restrain you.

But that he hadn't felt the need to go that far yet.

That was at least something in your favor.

After several moments of that awkward silence continuing between the two of you, he spoke again.

“Tell me something; why do you want to take the exam so badly?” he asked.

“Why does it matter?” you asked back.

“Because I've never seen this desire to become a Hunter before,” he replied, “and I'm curious as to where this suddenly came from.”

“Maybe I'll tell you after the exam.”

“Mm, I don't think so. Like I told you pet, I don't want to see you kill yourself doing this.”

“Then I guess you don't get to know,” you said, before adding “I'm not telling you anything without you working for it first.”

That seemed to get his interest, as his eyebrows raised and he hummed to himself.

“You do know that I can just make you come with me if I really wanted to, don't you?” he asked.

“Yeah,” you replied, “but I also know that you wouldn't find that very entertaining.”

He laughed, and seemingly agreed with your statement.

Was this going in a direction where he'd let you go take the exam? With how adamant he was on you not being able to handle it, it was hard to think that would be a possibility.

And as much as you'd rather not do it, you did technically have a plan B if things were to escalate, though the thought of going through with it scared you even more.

You'd never heard of it happening, but it seemed likely that a civilian could get into a lot of trouble if they managed to kill a Hunter.

“It's been some time since I've seen you so determined about something, pet. I can't help but be intrigued about why you want to take the exam so badly,” Hisoka said.

You didn't respond. And in the moments after, it seemed that he had come to a decision.

“Since we seem to be at something of an impasse, how about this: if you can land a single hit on me, I'll take you to the true starting point of the exam.”

“Land a hit?” you repeated.

Hisoka nodded, adding “you can attack me for as long as you like, and it'll only end when you choose to give up. Or if you take so long that you can no longer be part of the exam, though I doubt you'd be able to hold out that long.”

He smiled then, asking “how does that sound, pet?”

The smart reaction would've been to refuse. You'd seen the videos from Heavens Arena – you knew how brutal he could be when it came to beating down opponents. Hisoka was strong. Far, far stronger than you. A true one-on-one fight between you two would be extremely one-sided and end quickly.

But if you wanted that Hunter's license, you needed to be a little tough, right?

For that reason, when you spoke next it was to ask a question.

“What kind of hit are we talking about?”

Hisoka seemed a bit surprised, given the way his eyebrows lifted some when you finished speaking. But he got over his surprise quickly and the grin on his face that formed after was one of excitement.

You didn't comment on that as you added “can it only be a punch? Or am I allowed the use of a weapon?”

“Any attack will count, as long as it lands. Weapons are allowed,” he replied.

“And what about you?” you asked, “if you get a hit in on me, does the fight end then?”

“Of course not,” Hisoka answered, smiling pleasantly as he said “it would be over too quickly if we did that.”

Disregarding the obvious provocation, you were about to agree to his terms when he spoke again.

“And one more thing,” he said, “when you give up, you'll need to tell me why you want the license so bad.”

“…. Fine,” you replied.

But I'm not giving up, you added in your head.

With a deal now in place, Hisoka made his way down the steps and into the open space, stopping a short distance in front of you. With his hands on his hips and an amused look on his face, he told you “whenever you're ready, pet.”

As soon as he said that you launched yourself at him.

You tried to punch him in the face but found your fist punching at the air, the clown taking a step back to avoid the hit.

You threw another punch, and that also ended in you hitting air as he took another step back.

When you threw a third punch was when he acted, stepping to the side instead of straight back. His foot then caught your heel, and because of how unbalanced you were, when he pulled his leg up, your leg went up with it and you fell backwards. In the split second you had, you clenched your eyes shut as you anticipated the impact from falling onto the cobblestone.

Instead an arm caught you.

You opened your eyes to see Hisoka hovering over you, his arm beneath your back as he held you up. He smiled at you, humming cheerfully when he saw you looking at him. He acted like you weren't trying to attack him and that the two of you were sharing a cute moment.

Asshole

When you tried to get a punch in from that position, Hisoka dropped you, and you let out a noise of pain when your back connected with the pavement. He stayed where he was, standing over you while you were in a rush to get yourself back to your feet. You were struggling, and of course the bastard needed to make some comment in that moment.

“I suppose that isn't enough to convince you to give up, is it?”

Still not on your feet, you tried to punch one of his legs.

He stepped backwards again, chuckling to himself as he said “guess not.”

The sun was steadily setting as the two of you continued like that; you, trying your best to get even the weakest punch or kick to connect with him, and Hisoka expertly dodging everything you threw at him with the barest amount of effort. At one point you grabbed one of the wooden boards that lay next to the trash can and used it as a bat, only for him to wrench it out of your grip with one hand and then throw it against the adjacent wall where it smashed into splinters.

Though you hadn't been expecting much when you grabbed it, there was something disheartening about that moment.

He was just too strong, too skilled.

But, you reminded yourself, he was also too smug for his own good.

And as the amount of time the two of you were at this increased and you refused to give in, you told yourself to just keep at it. You didn't need to be stronger than him to get lucky and get in just one hit. You just needed to wait for an opportunity when his guard was lowered enough that you could strike him with the knife that was still hidden in your hoodie pocket.

If you were able to do that, your problems would be over.

That moment felt like it would be coming when you had paused on your assault, hands on your knees and breathing hard while you glared at him. During this time, Hisoka pulled his card deck out again and was making a show of shuffling them, just to further express how little he was worried about you managing to do anything to him. Another slight towards you.

“It is cute how determined you are to win this, pet,” he said, “but you can't get through everything in life on determination alone.”

“Cool. I'll keep that in mind,” you breathed out.

You lunged at him again, this time at a speed far slower than when you had first attacked him.

He dodged it easily, and you collapsed to the ground after, still breathing hard.

At that, Hisoka frowned.

“Even I'm starting to feel bad about this. You should give up now,” he told you.

“I don't want to,” you stubbornly answered.

He hummed as you forced yourself back up to your feet.

A few more times you tried to connect any sort of hit, and a few more times your attempts resulted in nothing. Hisoka would always get out of way at the last moment, having put his cards away again. However, now the clown appeared to be less smug and more thoughtful.

Minutes later and you were on the ground again, your arms holding you up while various parts of your body were aching in pain from how often he had caused you to fall. It didn't feel like you'd be able to get up again.

Hisoka seemed to sense that as well.

His heels echoed within the space of the alley as he walked towards you, and then he was standing in front of you, looking down as he asked “don't you think you should stop wasting both of our times and put an end to this?”

“Fuck you,” you hissed.

“Aw.”

The bastard then had the nerve to kneel down and pull you into his arms, holding you close as one hand began to caress your head. It was yet another way he humiliated you, the way he would act caring at a time like this, belittling you as he made it clear just how little of a threat he viewed you to be.

“There's no shame in giving up, pet,” he whispered to you, “I won't judge you for it.”

All you were able to get out in that moment was a sad-sounding noise, one that had him cooing at you despite how you were able to hear the smirk on his lips.

You just hoped to god that he couldn't tell how hard your heart was pounding at that moment.

When he pulled you up into his embrace, you had used that as an opportunity to move your hand back to your hoodie pocket, and now you were gripping the hilt of the knife.

You didn't even need to fully stab him with it.

Just one scratch would be enough to do him in.

Just one scratch.

You acted when he spoke next, when he said something else about you giving up. This was your best chance.

Grabbing at his shirt with your free hand, you pulled the knife out from its sheath and your pocket and aimed for his side.

Just one-

A hand gripped your wrist and you were forced to your feet as you were pulled upwards by your arm. Suddenly you and Hisoka were now standing and he was holding your arm high enough that you needed to stay on your toes to try and alleviate the pain the position brought you. The knife was still in your grip. You tried to pull your wrist out of his grip, letting out a small noise of discomfort when you failed to do so.

Hisoka didn't acknowledge that, his eyes focused on the knife in your hand.

“Is that a Ben's knife?”

You didn't respond to his question as you continued to pull at your wrist.

This can't happen. He can't win.

Not again

When you failed to reply, Hisoka raised up his hand and pointed a finger at the blade of your knife.

Then he flicked his finger back and the knife was wrenched out of your grip as it flew towards him. He easily caught it, holding it up so as to inspect the design of the blade. And now that your backup plan was literally in his hands, you stilled, uncertain as to what was going to happen now.

“I'm not terribly familiar with these,” he said, “but would I be right if I were to guess that this was one of the knives that has poison on the blade?”

You frowned, and he hummed, looking back to the knife with some amusement.

“You must've spent a lot on this; I know enough about those knives to know that the poison-edged blades aren't cheap,” he added.

Hisoka smirked as he asked “are you that desperate to be rid of me that you want to kill me, pet?”

“How the fuck can you ask that after everything you've done?” you spat.

“Is showing you affection such a terrible crime?”

“That's not affection, you freak! That's just you ruining my life!”

He hummed again, and then let go of your wrist.

Right at that moment Hisoka moved.

And then something rammed into your ribs.

You were sent flying a few feet before you toppled to the ground, your side aching while you gasped for breath. The pain you had felt before this was nothing now, and as you tried to go over what had happened mere seconds ago in your head, the best you were able to guess was that he'd rammed his knee into your side.

Just how much damage had he managed to cause with that?

Your hand instinctively went to press against the area where you'd been hit, and you cried out the instant you pressed down on it. He had broken your ribs. You were sure of it, and the pain was great enough that tears were already starting to run down your face.

Hisoka stayed where he was, the Ben's knife still in hand as he watched you, taking in your cries of pain and how hard you fought against the tears that were falling, obsessively wiping them from your eyes while you struggled to get back to your feet. You were so desperate to not appear weak that all you were doing was hurting yourself. So desperate to fight him that all you were doing was delaying the inevitable.

He couldn't help but smile at the sight.

You noticed when he walked towards you, the heels of his shoes clacking against the cobblestone beneath his feet. Wanting some distance between you two again, you tried to pull yourself up and away from him, but the pain that burst through your side when you tried to move like that forced you back down.

He stayed standing this time, cocking his head to the side as he looked down at you.

“Like I told you earlier; it would be over too quickly if I were to fight you for real,” he said, “I hope you realize now that I wasn't saying that as a slight; there's simply too much of a difference in strength when it comes to the two of us.”

He chose to emphasize that point by pressing the heel of his shoe into the spot where he'd hit you, and from that bit of contact alone you felt the pain was great enough that you might pass out. It was a mercy when he pulled his foot away.

But now you were forced to face the grim reality:

You had lost.

Once again, your efforts to get yourself away from this man were in vain, and once again, you were at his feet, on the ground and sobbing as despair took over you.

You hated this.

It wasn't right.

You hated him, and you hated the people who sat back and let him do as he pleased.

If only the stupid Hunter association hadn't given this psychopath a license, you would've been able to get help.

You looked back up to him then, and found that he was still staring at you with that amused look while he loosely gripped the handle of the Ben's knife.

“Well, pet? How long do you intend to drag this out for?” he asked.

…..

… Ah. Right.

This would only end when you hit him or gave up. And it was incredibly clear that you wouldn't be able to land any sort of hit. Even if you could, you wouldn't be able to handle the Hunter exam after. Not with the condition you were in now.

Hisoka was sticking to the deal you'd made, and he wouldn't be doing anything until you gave the word.

“……. Alright,” you whispered.

“Alright what?”

“I give up,” you spoke, your voice even softer.

“Could you speak up louder? I can't quite hear you,” he told you.

You gritted your teeth in frustration, but you complied anyway.

“I give up,” you answered, adding “I can't hit you, so I give up. You win. Again.”

You didn't need to look at him to know how he was grinning at you in that moment. How wide that smile was across his face as he looked down at your fallen form, watching excitedly as your determination to win broke into a million pieces and was replaced with bleak resignation.

Just like the other times.

“I'm so glad you saw reason, pet.”

With that, Hisoka picked you up from off the ground and placed a kiss on your forehead after you cried out from the pain yet again.

“Lets get you to a doctor, and then we'll head home,” he told you as he began to carry you up the stairs and out of the alley.

Hours later, after a long hospital visit that had lasted well into the dead of night, the two of you were alone again, this time trapped in the confines of an airship cabin. You aimlessly watched the tops of the clouds through the window while you did your best to ignore how close Hisoka was sitting next to you. At first there had been a small bit of hope that he might not crowd you too much, given that this was the first time he had ever hurt you in a way that required a trip to the hospital after. But even with the state of your ribs – that had somehow only been fractured and not broken – Hisoka was determined to cuddle with you and stroke your hair during the long flight back.

Eventually you pushed his hand away, though that did little to stop him from bothering you.

“Sulking isn't very becoming of you,” he said.

“You cracked my ribs,” you answered flatly.

“And you tried to murder me,” he replied, “I'd say that makes us even.”

“Not really,” you said, “not after all you've done.”

“So saving your life counts for nothing?”

“I wouldn't have needed to be saved if you had just left me alone. I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you,” you snapped.

“Oh?”

His hand returned to your hair, but when you tried to slap it away again, he grabbed your hand and held it while he did as he pleased with your hair. You huffed, but kept your attention on the darkened sky outside.

“That reminds me – you still haven't completed your end of the bargain,” he then said.

“What part of it?”

“You were supposed to tell me why you wanted the Hunter license.”

“…..”

When you didn't reply, Hisoka let out a soft sigh.

And then the hand that was stroking your hair was now gripping it. Hard. Your head was pulled back while he whispered “there's been so much needless pain today, pet. Do you really want to go through even more just because you don't want to answer my question?”

“…. No.”

He released the grip on your hair when you said that, and you sensed the way he stared at you expectantly.

No, there was no more point in continuing to defy him just to end up going to another hospital once the flight was over.

Better to give him what he wanted.

“I wanted the license so I could protect myself from you,” you told him.

At first he said nothing to your admission, and when he did, there was a tinge of confusion in his voice as he asked “what do you mean?”

“Hunters aren't allowed to kill other Hunters,” you began, “and although it isn't written anywhere, I figured that Hunters couldn't kidnap other Hunters, either.”

He understood what you were getting at then, and he chuckled to himself as he said “scared that I'm going to do something to you, pet?”

“Outside of everything else you've done to me? Yeah,” you replied.

You kept your gaze on the clouds outside the window as you added “if I had the license whenever you kidnap or kill me, at least then the association wouldn't be allowed to ignore it. If they're happy to protect you whenever you break the law, they should be fine with protecting me when I haven't done anything wrong.”

Your voice was trembling slightly when that last bit of your sentence came out, your mind going back to all the things that Hisoka had done to you and how no one would do anything about it.

It wasn't right.

Hisoka had made both his presence and his interest in you known early on, almost immediately after you met him for the first time. He had tried to win you over with flowers and gifts for a short while, and when that didn't work, he resorted to forcing his way into your life.

That horrible day where you'd found him in your bedroom, where he had managed to pull you towards him when you tried to run – something that you still couldn't wrap your head around – that had been the start of a long, stressful night that made you want to cry just thinking about it.

When he left in the morning, you'd called the police. Though there was little they could do in that moment, they took your statement and told you to call them if you saw him again.

You followed their instructions and did just that when he returned that next evening, waltzing in through the front door like he owned the place.

The moment where Hisoka had a pair of handcuffs slapped on him and was led away never came. Because when the officers that arrived approached him, all he'd needed to do was show them that Hunter's license and they stopped in their tracks. When they left shortly after, the only explanation that they gave was that they couldn't do anything for you.

So you spent a second night with Hisoka, this time even more confused and horrified at the lack of help that you needed so desperately.

Hunters get special privileges, you learned. Access to exorbitant amounts of jenny, an ability to travel to almost anywhere in the world, and no real consequences if they committed a murder.

Learning that last point had things make a bit more sense to you, because if law enforcement were willing to brush off a Hunter killing someone, then it was no wonder why they would do nothing for you, someone who was 'just' at the mercy of a stalker.

You weren't dead, so they didn't see it as even being that bad.

Calls to any and all lines of help resulted in nothing being done. You would cry and beg for anyone to help you, even getting down on your knees and debasing yourself as you pleaded to be saved from the man who had now forced his way into your life, and all you got in return was uncomfortable silence that was usually followed by a short “sorry”.

The police didn't come around anymore. Your employer let you go. The neighbors didn't talk to you. And when one of your friends wound up missing after having tried to defend you from him, everyone else had cut you off, too scared that just being in your presence would set off your stalker and they would also end up on the missing persons list.

All you had was Hisoka, who was always there to revel in your despair by holding you close.

There wasn't much else you could do but try to act like it wasn't as distressing as it actually was, leading to you putting up a brave front in front of Hisoka. Maybe if you acted like you didn't care anymore, he'd lose interest and move on.

That didn't work, and so you were forced to cope while you looked for any opportunity that arose for a way out.

You thought you had a chance with this – you really did. When you read up on the Hunter bylaws and you saw that Hunters weren't allowed to target each other, you thought you had a way to end all of this. Even if just getting the license wasn't enough to make Hisoka stop on his own, if he continued to do anything after that fact, then the association would have to step in.

But none of that mattered now.

This was another loss for you, another hope of escape for you that Hisoka had made sure to dash thoroughly.

And just like he always did, he was now holding you after having pulled you up against him.

“It was an interesting thought, pet,” he began, “but ultimately, you really had no idea what you were getting yourself into.”

So you keep saying, you thought to yourself.

“And wouldn't it have been a better idea to just use the knife on me instead of going to all of the extra effort to try for the exam?” he then asked.

“I wanted to avoid that, if possible,” you answered, “I wasn't sure what would happen to me if I did manage to kill you without the license.”

“Hm. Still seems like a wasted opportunity to me.”

“…. Whatever. You got all of your answers. Stop talking to me.”

“Don't be like that, pet,” he said, “after all, we have quite a few hours ahead of us before we get back home. I'd rather that we didn't spend all that time being mad at each other.”

He said that just as the hand that was holding yours let go in favor of sliding up your inner thigh.

“After all, I haven't been properly rewarded for saving your life,” he added.

The way his nails trailed up your leg combined with the way he said that sentence with such a sultry tone made it obvious as to where this was going, and your heart started to pound heavily in your chest as you realized that Hisoka was going to do what he wanted regardless of the state you were in.

“Please don't,” you began, your voice cracking as you said “not now. Not like this. I-I can't-”

“You'll be fine.”

Hisoka emphasized that by shoving his hand down the front of your pants, his fingers blatantly rubbing up against your sex.

Despite knowing what would happen, you tried to elbow him in the face in an effort to make him stop, only for both of your wrists to suddenly snap together. And no matter how hard you tried to pull them away, something invisible was keeping your wrists bound together.

Just like that, you were completely helpless.

With one hand still in your hair, Hisoka moved your head and forced you to look at him.

You were crying again.

And Hisoka looked even more excited.

“I truly can't get over it, pet,” he breathed, claiming your lips in a kiss after.

“There's nothing quite like the despair in your eyes when you've realized that you have no other choice but to give in.”

#reader insert #yandere x reader #yandere hunter x hunter #yandere #yandere hxh #hxh hisoka #hisoka morow #hisoka x reader #yandere hisoka

[radiance1]

Inspired by this post.

So, we have Danny, who outlived his friends and family (none of them became ghosts.) is the prince of the Infinite Realms.

As soon as he didn't have any ties to the living world anymore, at the young age of 114 was Danny scooped up and taken to the ghost zone for royal tutelage.

Things like balance training, how to carry himself prim and proper, how to invoke power with his voice (not literally, mostly how to sound commanding at stuff), what he should wear, knowledge about the ghost zone etc, etc.

Although, History beyond a certain point had to be taught exclusively by Clockwork, since the only other person who could teach him about the Infinite Realms' full History would be Pariah Dark, who was the first ghost ever to have been conceived by the Realms, and no one really wanted to wake up him.

Of course, that would mean there would be a void where Clockwork can't teach, but that knowledge is.... not necessary for the young prince to learn.

[It was really just about Pariah acquiring the ring and crown, the rest is uh, cough the lovey-dovey arc of Pariah Dark and Clockwork that will stay lost to time if Clockwork has anything to say about. Look, they were babies then compared to now, no one needs to know what happened back then alright?]

So, after all this I imagine him wearing something like this, staff and all.

However, Danny has an arch-nemesis.

Dark Danny.

Who somehow managed to escape from his imprisonment and causes havoc and chaos wherever he goes. His thing to do was to escape to the living world to make it befall the same fate he caused to his own.

He, however, probably did not expect for Danny to be more experienced, and his skills more honed than 100 years ago. Not that Dark Danny knew such time had passed, as he went through the trouble of trying to locate Danny's parents, sister, and best friends to make try and set him on the path to become him.

He failed, obviously, as they were already long gone.

His next thing to do? Locate Vlad and consume his ghost half. However, Danny made it just in time before he could do so.

However, Dark Danny's sheer, raw power, still eclipsed his own. However, while his raw power may be superior, he had something that would let him reliably go head-to-head in a fight with his alternate self and not win due to being underestimated and the sudden appearance of the ghost wail.

A staff, one naturally formed when he was crowned as Prince. An artifact that granted him a boost in power, and furthered his strengths regarding magic, giving him a roughly equal playing field when he confronts Dan.

It by itself may have only been equal to that of the Ring of Rage or Crown of Fire individually, but the fact it could compare to either one when not paired together spoke well of its power.

Dark Danny was, obviously, not expecting him to be as well-equipped and powerful as he was now. So, he underestimated him yet again, and almost led to his defeat and subsequent containment. However, Danny didn't expect for him to escape as he did, and run into another dimension.

Danny, both as himself and Prince of the Ghost Zone, has the responsibility to go after his evil self. So, he entered the portal, with some equipment made by Vlad as both a thanks and silent 'Find him as quickly as possible', which was a device meant to track Dark Danny's energy whenever he uses a good amount of it.

He... didn't expect, to land in a dimension of Superheroes and Villains.

However, he could let such things distract him from the task at hand, Dark Danny was surprisingly laying low for some reason. Probably to recuperate the damage Danny managed to do to him, so that left him a while to get familiar enough with this dimension.

He got a few odd looks here and there, mostly due to how he was dressed. He was worried about it for a while, before overhearing others calling him a cosplayer and him, suddenly remembering that those do indeed exist, decides to use that as a cover for how he dresses.

A month later, still with no sign of his alternate self, and making Danny worry about if he wasn't in this dimension at all. The device finally picked up Dark Danny's signature, and he hurried to said location, when he arrived, the place was not in the best of shape.

Upturned cars, broken buildings, rubble on the street, fire here and there. Not the best welcome party.

There were multiple other villains than just his future self there, but he didn't put them in mind. He was here for one, and one alone.

A few members of what he believes to be Young Justice took to fighting his alternate self, while other members of their team and the Justice League fight the other villains. He saw what could only be the start of a ghost wail, and hurried over.

In front of them, he slammed the butt of his staff on the ground and conjured a shield, which took the entirety of the attack with a few cracks.

"Still as strong as ever, I see." Danny said, lowering the shield as his twin rings run up and down his body respectively, hair turning a white glow and eyes as green as toxic waste. He raised his staff, pointing it at his future self, who looked none too pleased to see him at all. "Now then, shall we continue our fight you so rudely left unfinished?"

Of course, Danny no longer had the card of underestimation, but he could do well without it. Unfortunately, after quite the battle, Dark Danny managed to escape once again, due to some kind of teleport spell of another magic user.

Danny didn't escape unscathed from the fight, but nothing that couldn't be healed in time.

Of course, then he had to interact with both the Justice League, and Young Justice after his sudden introduction.

#dc x dp #dp x dc #dp x dc crossover #dpxdc #dcxdp #dc x dp crossover #ghost prince danny #Right #Dark Danny is neither Ghost King nor Prince #Just thought I would include that #Just another difference between the two teehee.

[busycucumbermelon]

 couple goals

Carmen X influencer reader

Warning, Manipulation, smothering, mention of smut, mention of murder

summary: Carmen really does take after his mother 

After being kidnapped, you threaten Carmen by pointing out that if you didn’t make regular and consistent updates on your normal social media accounts, someone would notice your absence. This would put pressure on Carmen and either force them to let you go or allow you to make those updates, where you could use one of the telltale signs you had previously mentioned on your TikTok to alert others of your situation.

While initially amused at your attempts to threaten him, Carmen became more and more intrigued by watching your daily activities on TikTok. His curiosity got the better of him, as he couldn't resist diving into the seemingly trivial details of your life. As he watched, he became increasingly fascinated by your everyday actions and routines.

It was only a matter of time before the cute act gave way to more sinister intentions…

When Carmen watched the specific video where you had mentioned that you would immediately make a video about how much you hated your brothers' twins if you ever got kidnapped, their first reaction was a slight chuckle. The irony of the situation was amusing to Carmen, given how often you had praised your brothers' twins in other videos. However, the video also sparked a darker thought in Carmen's mind.

The question that was now plaguing Carmen was, "What would your community do if they found out about the truth behind your brothers' twins?"

The fact that all of them are now very much dead

When Carmen visited again and allowed you to make TikTok videos, he had secretly enabled a few settings behind your back. Every single video you made would now need his approval before it could be shared with the rest of the world. This meant he would have the power to decide which videos of yours got to see the light of day.

This put Carmen in the position of controlling what your online community got to see, as he was the one who would have to give the final go ahead before your videos could be made public.

When Carmen finally relented and allowed you to continue making TikToks under his watch, the experience was much different than what you had anticipated. Instead of him threatening you and rushing you into something, he give you a whole wing of his house and only occasionally asked for your cooperation and company.

Your viewers, however, didn't suspect anything and were curious about the odd changes in decor. Some people even inquired if you had moved to a new location. The truth was hidden in plain sight, and no one had a clue what was really going on.

You're a little perplexed by Carmen's behaviour at first. When he had first kidnapped you, he had made it clear that he wanted your attention and affection, but he wasn't rushing you into

anything...yet. However, soon, he did force you to spend time with him, such as cuddling on the couch with snacks

In one of your recent videos, he even made a subtle appearance, although his face wasn't visible. You could tell he was a man based on his boots, and it was clear that Carmen wanted everyone to know you were his property.

While Carmen may have seemed like a fool at times, he was quite clever and knew how to maintain his secrecy. He was well aware that, due to the nature of his job, many people would come after you if he were to randomly show up on your social media page. This is why he presented you with a proposal one day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"My dear," Carmen proclaimed as he gently grasped your chin and tilted your head up to face him. Your hands were gripped tightly in fists at your side, a sign of your frustration and mounting anger.

" I have a small proposal, I'm sure you'll find it reasonable," he continued with a patronizing smile.

You thought it was outrageous that he thought you would accept any of his proposals at this point. He had already made you behave as though you loved him, which was more than enough.

" I find nothing you do reasonable; I don't know why you think I should."

He smirked at your response before adding, " Well, I believe it is only fair to mention that your most recent video has gained quite a bit of positive traction. Would you like to know the cause behind it?"

Seeing the reactions to his subtle presence in the background, Carmen realized that even with just a glimpse, your viewers figured out that it was a man and he must’ve be your boyfriend

" All they needed was my boot in the back of your video, and they were able to put it all together," he stated, smirking.

" What are you going to tell your audience?" he asked, his tone becoming more serious. " We both know you're going to have to do the right thing."

The so-called "right thing" wasn't your own decision. It was Carmen’s, and he would make that decision for you. You already knew that there was no way out of this situation. Your social media account was your only link to the outside world; you didn't want it revoked. Consequently, you did whatever Carmen told you to do, regardless of what it meant or how much it went against your own values and beliefs.

As Carmen was one to cook dinner for you whenever he could, this particular evening was no different. You decided to take a video as the perfect opportunity to provide more "evidence" that you were alright and everything was fine. Of course, you were anything but fine, but you didn't exactly have any other options.

Sitting on the countertop, you recorded Carmen's hands as he chopped up vegetables. With the use of careful camerawork and positioning, you managed to ensure that his face didn't appear in the video.

He had already made it clear what would happen if you decided to put his face in a video — your punishment and the subsequent harm that you would face would be considerable, and the danger wouldn't solely stem from Carmen himself. That was enough of a warning to ensure your compliance.

The caption for your video read, " Well, you guys are quite some detectives," and the text overlay over the video featured Carmen slicing vegetables read, " At least one of us is a good cook. "

Carmen himself viewed the recording multiple times prior to it being published, ensuring that it contained nothing that jeopardized the ruse and only reinforced the image of everything being alright.

Well that, and he couldn’t deny the growing bulge in his pants the first time he had watched it you never really complimented him, but you putting it out for all your followers to see was good enough Painting his screen and white before he even published it. Oh, if only it was your pretty face on that screen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As you continued to share more of your life's updates on your social media accounts, your audience grew more fascinated by the apparent relationship between you and Carmen. They flooded your comment section with remarks about how lucky you were to have such an amazing and charming partner, and Carmen began to appear in your content more often.

Indeed, people would complain when he wasn’t featured in your uploads, and eventually, you solely stuck to providing brief glimpses of Carmen via camera angles which did not include his face or any identifying features.

An overwhelming number of your content updates depicted Carmen undertaking a variety of small tasks. He would cook meals for you, prepare and run baths, cuddle you when he was at home, and attempt to engulf himself in your scent and scent alone.

Indeed, Carmen was constantly surrounded by death and decay in his work. Being near something that embodied the complete opposite — peace, warmth, and comfort — was something he craved desperately.

One of your uploads seemed to entice your viewers most, in particular, due to Carmen's "deep green eyes." During said video, he was cuddling with you, which was not something you enjoyed in the slightest. In fact, he was constantly enveloping you, and that was truly insufferable. Indeed, when Carmen was out on a mission, you considered it to be a relief and the absolute best thing in the world, allowing you to breathe and relax.

The sheer volume of positive feedback and praise from your viewers started to get to you; perhaps Carmen wasn't as terrible as you believed he was. Certainly, he had taken the lives of a few innocent individuals and....the twins....never mind that.

Your viewers also believed him to be a good person who meant you no harm, and the general consensus was that Carmen was harmless and harmless alone

As you progressively began to feature Carmen in your videos slightly more frequently, he would whisper certain things to you; such as how cute it'll be or what a wonderfully endearing moment it would make for the channel. You now recognized that a specific smile or expression on his face meant that it was time for you to begin filming because it would be ideal content for your channel.

That didn't mean Carmen wanted everything documented though. Carmen often wanted to simply hold you, cover you in kisses, or keep you pinned down to the bed depending on his mood.

It felt like you were constantly being smothered by Carmen. Everything, he constantly wanted you all to himself. And even though you cared about him, you needed space. But it kept feeling like it wouldn't matter what you did, everything you said would lead him to act possessive. And you decided enough was enough. So you took out your camera and started filming, even though you weren't sure how it was going to go over, it was something that needed to be done

. Carmen held your waist as you announced to your channel that you would no longer be posting and that you needed a time to think about yourself and your life. His arms squeezed a bit tighter, a small warning. You added on and spoke about your love life, admitting that you felt like you hadn’t been able to connect with your boyfriend as much as you would like to. As a conclusion, you thanked your viewers for understanding and left the video with another hug from Carmen, even if it wasn’t genuine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#yandere #yande.re #fem y/n #yandere imagines #yandere x reader #yandere x darling #yandere x y/n #port mafia #mafia definitive edition #mafia romance #mafia rp #mafia au #mafia #alphabet mafia

[beanmachine69]

Favourites | Charles Leclerc

(Mentions of smut, minors dni)

You were on your side, ass pressed up against his crotch, one of his arms was under your head, and the other was on your waist. He was scrolling through his phone with the hand that was under your head, slowly humming a melody you couldn't quite put a name to, but was familiar nonetheless.

Both of you had an airpod or earphone in one ear, as to not disturb the other but also not be completely oblivious to each other either. It was just one of those nights, where you both had an exhausting day, and just needed to be close to each other. From the high floor at which your hotel room was located, you could see the city lights blinking away, every light indicating another story, another life that was oblivious to the other.

You were on TikTok, but had put your phone down a few moments ago to focus on Charles' humming, and the way you could feel his breath on you; it was all quite relaxing. It would have been a perfect moment, if only that question hadn't started nagging you in the back of your head. You tried to reason with yourself, knowing the answer and not wanting to disrupt the peace. You were trying to resist the urge to ask, but everytime you felt his breath, and acknowledged his presence, you just couldn't resist the urge any longer. You decided you both had been in peaceful silence far too long, and asked your silly question.

"Charles?" You asked, hearing him stop his humming.

"Yes, darling?" He asked, moving his hand off your waist and to his ear to remove his airpod.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

You had his full attention now, he swiftly placed his airpod on the nightstand behind him, placing his arm at its usual position, and placed his phone on the sheets infront of you. Undivided attention.

"Promise you'll answer?" You needed confirmation before you even brought the question up. You knew how silly it would be and you needed to bind him down to answer it.

He hesitated a moment, curious to the nature of the question.

"Uh, I don't like where this is going." He chuckled.

"Please just promise you'll answer it, I know it's silly." You whined, slightly turning around to face him so he could see your pout.

"Fine, fine, I'll answer." Charles agreed, he was hesitant, obviously, but it never took you much to convince him.

"Do you have a favourite boob?" You asked, relieved to scratch the question off your brain.

"Huh?" He let out an unidentifiable noise before he started laughing into your neck, pulling away to kiss it when he'd stopped laughing.

"Answer meee." You whined again, you really needed to know.

"Oh God darling, what did you see on TikTok now? Your page thingy is so weird most days." He laughed.

"I didn't see it on Tiktok, I was just wondering. Everyone has a favourite." You lied, ofcourse you'd seen it on Tiktok, you saw some stupid teenage couple do it and now you wanted to know whether your boyfriend preffered a specific boob or not.

"You're telling me you didn't see this on Tiktok, and that this question just appeared in your brain?" He was suspicious, and rightfully so. At this point, he was used to your antics, finding himself quite fond of them and being entertained by your strange little quips here and there.

"Okay, maybe I did, but that's not the point, you're not answering the question." You huffed. You were getting an answer to your question one way or another.

"Okay okay, uhhh," He began laughing again, genuinely in awe at the question. He'd never thought of it before, frankly he'd barely get a chance to think straight when he'd see you topless, let alone have enough of a thought process to pick a favourite. Getting flustered at the absurdity of the thought, he began laughing again; the whole situation was so bizarre he couldn't help but laugh.

"Charles," You whined, pressing your ass up against him. "Please just answer the questionn."

You heard him inhale sharply as your ass pressed against him- the nature of the question, your actions and your whining were not helping him one bit in maintaining his composure enough to think of a way to get out of this situation.

"Darling, I don't have a favourite." He whispered into your neck, slowly moving his lips as he kissed the soft skin.

"Yeah you do, everyone does, you have to have a boob you prefer." You were stretching your words out, whining just a little. You knew how to get under his skin.

"Okay alright, come here." His hand moved upwards from your waist, cupping one of your boobs in his hand. He slowly began massaging it, kneading it in his hands as your ass started slowly grinding against him.

He moved his hand to the other boob, massaging and kneading it, lightly pinching your nipple in between his finger before letting out a 'hm' noise and pulling his hand away and onto your stomach. His hands were soft and gentle, and always felt good on you.

"So?" You asked, halting your grinding.

"I don't know babe, I really can't pick a favourite." He replied, pressing his hard dick onto your ass, in hopes that you'd start grinding on him again.

You let out a whine as a response to his answer. You knew you didn't need to even bother using your words anymore, you were so close to him you could feel his breath on you slightly damp neck and it was driving you crazy. The question and your desire for it's answer were losing importance in your mind as your need for him was taking over.

"Maybe I need to," His lips found their way back onto the sensitive skin on your neck, "Taste them to see which one I prefer, hm?"

"Oh yeah." You nodded eagerly, careful to not hit his head with yours. He laughed again into your neck and you could feel the vibrations in your back from his chest. If you thought the day was long, the night was only going to be longer.

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A/N: Hi! This idea came in my head like last night at 4 am, so if there's any mistakes, or errors please excuse it ahaha.

As usual, feel free to send in criticism or requests, both would be appreciated.

#f1 fic #charles leclerc #charles leclerc smut #charles leclerc one shot #charles leclerc drabble #f1 drabble #f1 blurb #ferrari

[galaxygolfergirl]

Watcher's Expenses

I didn't major in accounting: I took three classes and it grinded my brain to a fine powder. However, after graduating with a business admin degree, being a former eager fan of their videos, and from a cursory glance over their socials, there's a lot to consider in their spending behavior that really could start racking up costs. Some of these things we've already noticed, but there are other things I'd like to highlight, and I'll try to break it down into the different categories of accounting expenses (if I get something wrong, let me know. I was more concentrated in marketing 🤷‍♀️). I'm not going to hypothesize numbers either, as that would take out more time than I'm willing to afford-- you can assume how much everything costs. Anyways, here's my attempt at being a layman forensic accountant:

Note: All of this is assuming they're operating above board and not engaging in any illegal practices such as money laundering, tax evasion, not paying rent, etc.

Operating Expenses

Payroll: 25+ staff salaries and insurance

Overhead Expenses

CEO/founder salaries

Office space leasing or rent (In L.A, one of the most expensive cities in the US)

Utilities (water, electricity, heating, sanitation, etc.)

Insurance

Advertising Costs

Telephone & Internet service

Cloud Storage or mainframe

Office equipment (furniture, computers, printers, etc.)

Office supplies (paper, pens, printer ink, etc.)

Marketing costs (Social media marketing on Instagram, Youtube, SEO for search engines, Twitter, etc. Designing merchandise and posters, art, etc. )

Human Resources (not sure how equipped they are)

Accounting fees

Property taxes

Legal fees

Licensing fees

Website maintenance (For Watchertv.com, Watcherstuff.com, & Watcherentertainment.com)

Expenses regarding merchandising (whoever they contract or outsource for that)

Inventory costs

Potentially maintenance of company vehicles

Subsequent gas mileage for road trips

Depreciation (pertains to tangible assets like buildings and equipment)

Amortization (intangible assets such as patents and trademarks)

Overhead Travel and Entertainment Costs (I think one of the biggest culprits, evident in their videos and posts)

The travel expenses (flights, train trips, rental cars, etc. For main team and scouts)

Hotel expenses for 7-8 people at least, or potentially more

Breakfasts, lunches and dinners with the crew (whether that's fully on their dime or not, I don't know; Ryan stated they like to cover that for the most part)

Recreational activities (vacation destinations, amusement parks, sporting activities etc.)

The location fees

Extraneous Overhead costs (not sure exactly where these fall under, but another culprit, evident in videos and posts)

Paying for guest appearances

Expensive filming & recording equipment (Cameras, sound equipment, editing software subscriptions, etc.)

The overelaborate sets for Ghost files, Mystery Files, Puppet History, Podcasts etc. (Set dressing: Vintage memorabilia, antiquated tech, vintage furniture, props, etc.)

Kitchen & Cooking supplies/equipment

Office food supply; expensive food and drink purchases for videos

Novelty items or miscellaneous purchases (ex. Ghost hunting equipment, outfits, toys, etc.)

Non-Operating Expenses

These are those expenses that cannot be linked back to operating revenue. One of the most common examples of non-operating expenses is interest expense. This is because while interest is the cost of borrowing money from a creditor or a bank, they are not generating any operating income. This makes interest payments a part of non-operating expenses.

Financial Expenses

Potential loan payments, borrowing from creditors or lenders, bank loans, etc.

Variable Expenses

Hiring a large amount of freelancers, overtime expenditure, commissions, etc.

PR consultations (Not sure if they had this before the scandal)

Extraordinary Expenses

Expenses incurred outside your company’s regular business activities and during a large one-time event or transactions. For example, selling land, disposal of a significant asset, laying off of your employees, unexpected machine repairing or replacement, etc.

Accrued Expenses

When your business has incurred an expense but not yet paid for it.

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

(If there's anything else I'm missing, please feel free to add or correct things)

To a novice or a young entrepreneur, this can be very intimidating if you don't have the education or the support to manage it properly. I know it intimidates the hell out of me and I'm still having to fill in the gaps (again, if I've mislabeled or gotten anything wrong here, please let me know). For the artistic or creative entrepreneur, it can be even harder to reconcile the extent of your creative passions with your ability to operate and scale your business at a sustainable rate. That can lead to irresponsible, selfish, and impulsive decisions that could irreparably harm your brand, which is a whole other beast of its own.

My guess at this point is that their overhead and operation expenses are woefully mismanaged; they've made way too many extraneous purchases, and that they had too much confidence in their audience of formerly 2.93 million to make up for the expenses they failed to cover.

It almost seems as if their internal logic was, "If we make more money, we can keep living the expensive lifestyle that we want and make whatever we want without anyone telling us we can't, and we want to do it NOW, sooner rather than later because we don't want wait and compromise our vision." But as you can see, the reality of fulfilling those ambitions is already compromised by the responsibility of running a business.

And I wrote this in another post here, but I'll state it again: Running a business means you need to be educated on how a business can successfully and efficiently operate. Accounting, marketing, social media marketing, public relations, production, etc; these resources and internet of things is available and at your disposal. If they had invested more time in educating themselves on those aspects and not made this decision based on artistic passion (and/or greed), they would have not gotten the response they got.

Being a graphic designer, I know the creative/passionate side of things but I also got a degree/got educated in business because I wanted to understand how to start a company and run it successfully. If they’re having trouble handling the responsibility of doing that, managing production costs, managing overhead expenses, and especially with compensating their 25+ employees, then they should hire professionals that are sympathetic to their creative interests, but have the education and experience to reign in bad decisions like these.

Anyways, thanks for coming to my TedTalk. What a shitshow this has been.

#watcher #watcher entertainment #ryan bergara #shane madej #steven lim #watcher tv #watchergate #accounting

[toastedjeans]

Siren Tower AU!

I wanna keep this more on the silly side, but here's the basic gist of it.

There's a huge tower submerged in the ocean where many sirens and other sea creatures have found a home, and somehow humans have discovered it. They want to study and explore this tower, and the sirens are NOT happy about it, not wanting their home to be potentially destroyed. Pretty reasonable. But now, this random middle aged pizza baker somehow gets roped into this whole mess.

And here's the characters! (I tried to keep their heights accurate but idk if i succeeded)

And down there is some more info about everyone!

HUMANS (and Brick)

Peppino

He still has his pizzeria, but it's located a little closer to town. While business is slightly better than in game, he still has debts. But hey, he has his own apartment!! No more sleeping in the back of the pizzeria or on the floor!!

Peppino will sometimes just come to the shore or the port in the evening or at night to clear his head or be alone with his thoughts. Depressed guy. Will sometimes talk to himself when he thinks he's alone. He isn't necessarily afraid of the ocean, but because he can't swim, once he's in water the fear kicks in and he starts panicking.

He doesn't believe in sirens, mermaids, or other such creatures. Thinks they're just made up to tell scary stories of the sea. Jokes on him, he's about to meet the jolliest shark gnome man he's ever seen.

Brick

A gigantic rat that lives with Peppino, who didn't get a say in this. Just appeared one day, and no matter how many times Peppino tries to get rid of him, Brick always comes back. After a while Pep reluctantly accepts him and sometimes even takes him for a walk.

Brick actually loves to swim, but doesn't stay in the water for too long cause Pep won't join him. Like, he'll just leave if Brick stays too long. Kinda rude if you ask me.

Mr. Stick

Tax and debt collector, and a friend of Peppino. He often comes over for a pizza, then proceeds not to eat much, and rarely pays (he either says he's deducting it from Pep's debts or he lets someone else pay). He's kind of a piece of shit but outside of the whole money business he can be pretty nice.

He strikes me as a gambler tbh, either he's extremely lucky or extremely unlucky. Likes playing poker, and invites Peppino and Hazel to play after work from time to time.

Doesn't believe in sirens, but if he ever saw one he'd try to exploit it for money. He wouldn't kill it or anything though, mainly because he's too weak and he doesn't know how to handle guns.

Noisette / Hazel

She runs a little cafe near Peppino's pizzeria, and is good friends with him, but can sometimes be a little annoying. They hang out after work from time to time. When she notices that Peppino is having a rough day, she'll sometimes bring over a free cup of coffee or a slice of cake for him. Sometimes experiments with... interesting... food combinations, which are strangely popular.

She has loved mermaids and sirens since she was young and is very fond of them. Once she discovers they're real, she becomes even more fascinated and obsessed with them. You better believe she wanted to be a mermaid when she was young.

SIRENS

Gustavo

A little round shark man who is perfect in every way. He's curious and adventurous, and even though sirens and humans are enemies since, uh. A long time. He doesn't believe that humans are inherently evil. He'll help out whenever and however he can, but can get very aggressive when his friends or brethren are threatened. You will regret it if you anger him.

Noise annoys him often but they don't harm each other. He isn't really friends with Noise, but he will defend him if he's threatened or attacked.

One day he saves Peppino from drowning, which makes other sirens sceptical of him, especially those who think humans are evil. He will later try to learn human language to be able to communicate with Peppino better.

Noise

Goblin shark. He can theoretically go on land for a bit, but needs some water nearby. He's a little sceptical about humans, but not outright hostile. He likes annoying pretty much everyone, especially Peppino once they meet (he thinks his reactions are funny).

He throws sea urchins and pufferfish at others like bombs, as he (like most sirens) is immune to their poison / venom. While he's usually an unhinged gremlin, he just about melts when with Hazel. But of course he tries to hide this from others.

Fake Peppino

Created by Pizzahead from DNA of frogs, newts, and Peppino (obviously). He was meant to be a weapon for sirens against humans, and thus is supposed to be hostile. Unfortunately, he turned out to be extremely affectionate, and he loves hugs. Much like Gustavo, when friends are attacked, he can get downright deadly. He can also regenerate body parts like an axolotl, unless his brain has been damaged. Like, you can rip both his arms off and they'll grow back within a day.

He becomes close friends with Gustavo, and is kind of fascinated by Peppino (other humans too, but mostly Peppino). He would play in the water with Brick once they meet, and become friends with Hazel. Can go on land as well, but prefers the water. He communicates with croaks, gurgles and other noises, and can speak very limited human language (very few fractions of words or sentences, it just sounds like gibberish), taught to him by Pizzahead.

Pepperman

Lumpfish (idk either just roll with it). He's kind of indifferent to humans, but he does think he's better than them. I could see him making a brush or something out of seaweed to draw. And then always getting upset that his drawings never stay cause of the water, but he keeps drawing anyway. Blames Noise for destroying his art even if he knows it's the water (Noise thinks it's funny). "Borrows" seaweed from Vigi's farm to make new brushes. But he'll also make statues out of various rocks and other things he finds laying around. Mostly of himself. Some humans think they're built from ancient civilizations, while others think it's some sort of elaborate hoax. Nobody recognizes Pepperman's talent :(

Vigilante

Sea slug. He genuinely believes humans want to kill sirens for nefarious reasons, possibly cause he's a little older i guess. Hands just appear when he needs them.

He has an underwater equivalent of a farm (like, he grows and tends to seaweeds, anemones, corals, etc), that he inherited from his grandpa. He'd love to just tend to the farm all day, but feels obligated to punish anyone who does wrong. Unofficial officer / sheriff of the sea. He still has his cowboy hat because i said so let me be silly on main.

Pizzahead

Ribbon eel. He can give others a little shock as if he had like a hand shocker thing. It mostly just hurts a bit and isn't lethal cause cartoon logic. He does not like humans, but mostly because he grew up with everyone around him telling him they're evil. Actually he's very curious and fascinated by humans, which is why he decided to clone Peppino. Mostly cause he sees him the most on the shore. Somehow. How he actually got his DNA is a mystery.

Later on he decides / attempts to make Fakey into a weapon after witnessing how strong Peppino is. He obsessively learns human language and tries to understand as much about human culture as he can. But he'll twist things around and tell others that he does it to "better understand their weaknesses". Right.

Pizzaface

Stingray. The leader of sirens in the elusive Siren Tower. He HATES humans, especially after some divers discovered the tower and continuously come there to explore. Basically just doesn't want his and his fellow sirens' home discovered or threatened. He's disappointed in Pizzahead because he taught himself human language, even after given an explanation (or excuse).

SPECULATION CORNER

Aka characters i can't quite figure out what to do with yet

Burton

A whale shark bc I can't get enough of sharks apparently. Sharks are cool okay

Alternative: just Mr. Stick's husband who sometimes comes with him to Peppino's

Gerome

A sentient rock and John's older brother, who always took care of him and helped him with the tower. Now just does maintenance and keeps John company.

Alternative: Peppino's janitor, but still made of rock because that's silly

John

A sentient rock that used to carry the tower around through the oceans but somehow got cursed and is now part of the foundation and can't move anymore. Was he a siren before? Or just a pillar? Or maybe a fish made of stone? We don't know.

#pizza tower #pizza tower au #Siren Tower AU #peppino spaghetti #gustavo pizza tower #brick pizza tower #mr. stick #the noise #noisette #fake peppino #pepperman #the vigilante #pizzahead #pizzaface #toasted art #it's finally done #i hate being so slow with drawing but hey #to the three people who liked this idea. hope you enjoy #to everyone else. hello look at this silly fish thing

[aikoiya]

Hello there, I love your post and I like your idea about Danny being affected by hamon but now not the time for dp x jjba and i have a long post idea that I would be understanding that it takes you days to research and post your idea.

Danny Phantom (phantom planet not happen in this au idea) x hunter: the parenting and by extension the world of darkness.

A few months before the event of Adorable Family Trip, the D family went to Amity Park for a month to visit one of Big-D ex, Jack Fenton, and while at Amity Park Kitten decided to look into Amity Park folklore. I want to know what 3 folklore that Amity Park has and what Kitten and Big-D thought about it, also bonus point if one of them is not about ghosts.

Also I have fun idea that the D family shenanigans while in Amity Park like Kitten learning about ecto ghost from Maddie ( who has extreme bias), Jack ( who is still learning about ecto ghost), and Big-D ( who usually keeps info until it's relevant), Marckus telling Danny and Dash about his experience with bully and tell them about how Brok Blacklaw eat Marckus book, gross Danny and Dash out, Door and Boy waiting in line at Nasty Burger for the meatiest burger for Boy and telling Jazz about his old 'mining day' unintentionally misled Jazz into thinking he was a miner and not a EOD specialist that he actually is, and Big-D and Jack have a journey and talk about why Big-D broke up with Jack as while Jack is good against ghost, he is not prepared for Big-D reckoning against the various supernatural.

Also for the funny Big-D know Danny Fenton is Danny Phantom when first met and didn't tell his family until on the plane back to Norfolk UK and his reasoning is that "it is obvious".

Holy cow! Honestly, I was confused for a bit. But the further down I got, the more I recognized. Like, Big-D was my first tip off, but it wasn’t until I read Markus, Door, & Boy that it clicked.

Now, I know what we’re talking about. I was afraid this was about Monster Hunter or Hunter x Hunter because I know practically nothing about either of those except dragons & that they are an absolute infestation in Monster Hunter.

You have no idea how lucky you are that my brother got me to watch the animated adaptation on YouTube or I would be completely lost! XD

So, congratulations, I can ramble about this subject!

However, I have only seen the animated adaptation up to Big-D's guide to avoiding arrest & am actually currently watching it as I type because I asked my brother a question about the show & he later said he'd rather watch more of it rather than continue with Lupin III. So, thanks for that. (Jk.)

Brok literally just appeared for the first time. His crew certainly seems to possess quite the motley assortment of very unfortunate faces, don't they?

But, yeah, I haven't seen any of the actual sessions, so my knowledge about how that world works is limited to that.

First off, I love, love, love all the supernatural lore in it. I was literally taking down notes.

Anyway, hmm… Well, I just looked at a list of Michigan cryptids & it talked about Michigan Mermen, though evidently, it's “bad luck to threaten one.” Though, the legend specifically says it's in Lake Superior. At the same time, the 2 lakes are connected by Whitefish Bay, so I wouldn't understand why they wouldn't also appear in Lake Michigan unless it was specifically inhabited by a predator of theirs. There's also apparently the Chicago Mothman, which according to a really cool map someone made from doing a bunch of research (Amity Park Location & Map), is most likely not even a full day's travel from Amity. Then there's the Lake Michigan Sea Serpent, which is, like, right there.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if it lived in Lake Eerie. Maybe even just a short walk away from Amity itself.

Though, I do also have something a bit more benign that I made up myself. It's not really a creature. It's just a jukebox that plays creepily accurate music. → The Haunted Jukebox

It's really not much, but I figure that it'd be nice to investigate something that wouldn't try to do unspeakable things to them for once, ya know?

And I do have to say that I very much don't see Jack as the type who'd be into Big-D. In fact, I think the only dude that Jack might have a chance of being into is Vlad, who was never interested & will never be interested. And I don't even know if Jack would be aware of his own interest or if it's ever even crossed his mind.

However, I do have an alternate suggestion. What if Jack & Big-D… were brothers or cousins?

Now, I have a lot of thoughts on not only the Fenton Family’s lineage, but several others too, so here's a link so that I don't have to put it all here. → DP AU - Family Legacy

For that matter, I also hc that Warden Walker is Maddie's dad (but neither are aware). Seriously, go read Grandpappy Walker on Fanfiction.com. It’s an interesting read. However, it never finished. I have other hcs involving her family here, too. → The Walker Family

Now, moving on. This could absolutely work because my theories regarding both the Fenton family & Big-D actually align very well.

Mainly in that I hc that the Fentons are descended from a Lugat, thus making everyone descended from him dhampirs after a fashion.

Now, if we go this route, my suggestion is that Jack was the black sheep of the family… but Big-D was the bedazzled, feral sheep that kept biting everyone. Brilliant & the star of the Fenton family with a brain like a supernatural encyclopedia, but obviously has something very wrong in his head.

In my mind, Jack was never good at learning other languages (which was very important for research) or the apotropaic magics of his family because he could never really wrap his head around the mechanics of how it all worked, so he became frustrated with it all, called it a load of hooey & became determined to prove himself a hunter through the medium he did understand: SCIENCE!!!

And engineering. However, because he'd felt like an outcast due to being unable to understand the magical side of things, he'd begun to reject a lot of the old, tried & true hunter methods, relegating them to the domain of superstition even though a part of him knew that it was all true. He was bitter, okay?

Despite this, he's actually surprisingly honest with himself, considering how full of himself he can be. As such, if he's ever shown concrete evidence that he's wrong, he's actually very quick to adapt & accept that fact.

Then, promptly make amends.

Maddie, however, is ridiculously secular & stubborn. As such, she would be ridiculously difficult to convince regarding subjects involving the supernatural that couldn't be explained using science.

Interestingly, despite being so very different, Big-D was actually one of the only ones in their family who actually heard out Jack’s theories.

At the same time, though Big-D thought that the possibility of this “Ghost Zone” was, indeed, possible, he'd never thought that Jack would not only be able to reach it, consistently of all things, but then prove it!

Personally, I love it when experts of the supernatural are entirely blindsided by something that completely shatters their understanding of the world around them. Like, science is making new discoveries all the time. Why can't the supernatural hunter field also be doing the same?

I'm saying that I think it would be fun if the entirety of Big-D's knowledge of this new plane of existence completely consisted of whatever theories Jack had spoken to him about regarding it.

On the one hand, he's so ridiculously PROUD of Jackie-Boy!!

On the other, Big-D is absolutely shitting his short shorts as it slowly dawns on him the implications of all this.

I mean… this… this is the fucking trans-universal thanatonexus!! Literal proof of alternate & parallel universes!!!

The universe between universes & the moment between times!!!

….

….

Big-D needs to sit down before he passes out…

Which, my guy. I have a full freaking masterlist of hcs regarding how the Infinite Realms work, how it interacts with the Living Realms, how ectoplasm is made. As well as hcs about Clockwork & Nocturn. → DP Ghost Zone Masterlist

Clockwork - The Origin of Clockwork - Clockwork Through the Multiverse - Nocturn (My Style)

Peruse at your leisure.

Seriously, I might have a problem…

I mean, if you really think about it, how would Big-D know much of anything about ecto-ghosts? The only people shown to possess portals are the Fentons & Vlad & the only other portals are natural portals which open randomly & very rarely. Like, maybe he's heard stories about powerful beings that could fly & shoot lasers, but I don’t think he’d know anything truly concrete.

But I definitely think he's aware of Danny's time traveling shenanigans, though only from the perspective of having seen imagery of Phantom & Plasmius scattered through time. But not that it’s Danny & the mayor of Amity (at least initially).

Which, I honestly think that they'd legitimately despise each other. D & Vlad, that is.

Which, perhaps Big-D's actual reason for visiting could partially be because of that? Maybe he saw a picture in a supernatural tabloid about a little town in Illinois that was a tourist trap centering around ghosts? And the picture used was of one of Danny & Vlad's fights?

Maybe it was Kitten who was reading it & Big-D was just sort of sipping his drink at breakfast, was chatting with Kitten, & glanced down only to choke on his drink as he recognized the figures from one of the single greatest mysteries in all of hunter history. He gasps & wheezes rather comically as he tries to catch his breath. Kitten is concerned, but the second D caught his breath, he declared that they were headed to Amity Park to visit family.

The terrifying thing is that I actually think that the Fentons of Amity might be the most well-adjusted members of the current Fentons in the family… This realization haunts me…

Holy fudge, I think Jack would end up being the responsible & rational one between him & D…

Like, I can just see Jack looking D dead in the eye & telling him that drugs, psychedelics, alcohol any purer than near beer, & especially sacrifices were not allowed within 5 yards of the perimeter of Fenton Works & neither were D's sexual indiscretions.

If he brings that shit anywhere near his family, no one will find the pieces. And if he gets caught with that sort of thing here, then Jack's never met the man.

Like, the supernatural stuff is fine, whatever.

Typical Fenton clan brouhaha, but Jack raised a couple of wonderful, talented, genius kids.

(Even if Danny was having a rough time keeping his grades up at the moment, he could still reverse engineer any one of their inventions practically on autopilot & sometimes could even surpass Jack himself in terms of guerilla science & ingenuity, but that's not the point!)

His kids were brilliant & they don't do drugs or commit crimes or go out drinking, & he's not about to have one Bignaceous Ditryck T. Fenton walking in & screwing up the 2 (3 if they’ve adopted Ellie) most sane, well-adjusted children born into the Fenton clan in 5 generations just because he couldn't behave like an adult for a week! Like, he loves D, but “Seriously, D, you need serious help.”

Which would probably start a bit of a dismissive handwaving about how, of course, he’d never dream of it! But Jack just narrowed his eyes at the other man’s insane smile before sighing with a slump of his shoulders before letting them in reluctantly.

Anyway, I'd very much appreciate Amethyst Ocean to be a thing here. This is the DP ship that I've been shipping since I first watched the show. And it was made canon.

Of course, in the end, it's your choice. Not mine.

Also, keep in mind that if Phantom Planet isn't canon, then neither is A Glitch In Time. Just something to remember.

#danny phantom #dp #hunter the parenting

[yanderes-galore]

Yandere (TFA) Swindle with a human mechanic darling that tries to fix him up after a run in with the autobots? Darling has no idea he's a robot and just thinks hes a neat, beat up, car

Sure! Using his alt-mode without the huge gun because... well... that gives it away, doesn't it? As always I hope I get the character right ^^

Note: I struggled with the ending yet I think it turned out okay despite that :)

Yandere! TFA! Swindle Concept

Yandere! TFA! Swindle with Human! Mechanic! Darling

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Transformer/Human, Forced partnership, Kidnapping, Stalking, Manipulation/Threats, Violence, Attempted murder/implied murder.

As a mechanic the opportunity to see different models of cars always excites you.

It's not everyday you see an armored vehicle to fix up.

Let alone one in such strange colors.

Do these types of cars typically have purple windows?

You assume it must be a custom.

Even then, the vehicle looks so beat when you come across it.

What's even weirder was it was just left for you to find at your mechanic shop (or house if you decide to work from home).

There was no owner in sight.

Just a broken down car, sitting in front of you, as though it was waiting.

You had no idea about the concept of Cybertronians.

To you this was just a rare armored vehicle custom model.

One that you were excited to attempt to fix.

You have no idea that this car is a Cybertronian Decepticon named Swindle.

Swindle thought there might be a chance to use a human like you to fix his scuffed armor plating.

Those Autobots really dinged him up.

When Swindle saw you in his vehicle mode he thought you were such a small thing.

All humans were small and weak yet part of him found it cute.

He tucks away this thought as his only concern was using you to help himself.

He didn't think a human like you would know what to do at first.

He can tell you've worked with vehicles yet he hoped you didn't notice much of his Cybertronian biology-

Swindle also wasn't sure if he should feel disgusted or think it's funny at your excitement with fixing him.

He isn't entirely put off by humans touching him.

The thought of disgust actually starts to fade when he notices how soft you are with fixing his parts.

It actually feels... pleasant when you study his parts and try to find new ones to fix them.

You get rid of the dents, swatch some paint colors, and crawl over him to look for any other damage.

It... tickles, honestly!

It only takes you a few days to fix him up.

Although you nearly get suspicious a few times at the strange tech he's armed with.

This vehicle doesn't feel normal....

You expect it to disappear after you've fixed it, just like how it's mysteriously appeared before you.

As you expect, the car's gone the next day.

Meanwhile Swindle marks the location of your business/home for later events.

If he's injured again then he'll come to you.

As long as it isn't anything too serious as of now.

This meet up kick starts a strange series of growing thoughts in Swindle.

Out of every human he's met you're probably one of the most useful.

He actually feels pretty good after your work.

The new paint job feels nice, too.

He actually wants to go back.

In fact, he does!

He goes back many times, much to your confusion.

It's not even just to get fixed up, either.

He just... pops by, sometimes.

Maybe he circles around the block at times...

Maybe he sends you letters he gets other humans to write by making a deal (he would do it himself if he could).

He shows gratitude for what you do for him.

He actually enjoys you checking up on him.

You, on the other hand, are beyond confused and a bit frightened.

The more you work on him, the more you notice things you shouldn't.

Why is this vehicle so armed with weapons?

Is it military?

Who does this belong to?

Why did they choose YOU to fix it up?

You may be thinking, are you doing this all for free?

At first you were just out of interest... but now money just shows up at your damn door.

Swindle respects you and gives you currency to pay for his repairs.

He is one for deals, after all.

There will come a point you get suspicious of the car to the point you try to call the cops about a suspicious vehicle.

Swindle realizes he needs to rush his obsession over you at this point.

For the past few, what is it on Earth, months...?

For the past few months he's been watching what you do.

At first he planned on taking you with him because you're so useful.

Now he wonders if his intrigue is more about keeping you as a human pet than your useful traits.

Which is why when he has human cop cars following him everywhere he realizes he should probably hurry.

As much as he hates the idea of it.

The cops can't stop Swindle.

He'd most likely blow them up with one of his many weapons.

Again, humans are weak to him, it's funny how they TRY to be a threat.

His next stop is picking you up.

Which occurs when he drives into your shop, making a disgruntled you come out to take a look.

Just who is this guy!?

Then he snatches you up like a toy, shoving you into his vehicle mode and speeding off.

His seat belts ensnare you into his seats as you cry and scream.

Finally, it is done.

"I know it's jarring, trust me I was going to properly introduce myself later but you forced my hand." He'd say to you, tracking a location to bring you.

"The name's Swindle, the armored vehicle you've been working on? Got to tell you... you do some nice work. I feel great whenever you finish. So great I thought I'd take you with me!"

"What the hell!? What are you? Where are you taking me!?"

"So many questions, let's take this slow. I'm a Decepticon, an alien to you. As for where I'm taking you..."

The belts squeeze you tighter when you try to reach around the vehicle for a chance to escape.

"I'm taking you to my ship. Out of all the fleshy humans here, you're the most useful in my eyes. An arms dealer such as me gets into trouble at times. Plus... you could say you've grown on me."

"Let me out!"

"Or what? You'll call more of those cops? They didn't help you before."

"I have a family, please..."

"Let's make a deal..." The Decepticon says bitterly. "You come with me willingly and I promise to leave your family be! It should only be just us anyway. Haven't you spent more time working on me than with your family anyways? I thought I made you excited, dear!"

You stay silent at that, tears pricking your eyes as your breathing grows uneven.

"Don't cry, baby... I promise you'll get much richer with me. I'll even provide you great company...!"

Swindle can try to comfort you all he wants but it most likely won't work.

Even when he takes you onto a ship he managed to barter for and shows you his robot form, you still close yourself off.

Swindle is willing to wait for you to open up.

Sometimes you have to be patient when making a deal, right?

Swindle thinks with time you'll be happy with him.

Why stick to such a boring human life when you can stay beside him...

Business awaits, dear... quite possibly in more ways than one.

#yandere transformers #yandere transformers animated #yandere tfa swindle

[taylor-titmouse]

kink that doesn't say it's kink 2, the sequel, where we abandon saying anything at all

so if you've been following for the past what, two weeks, i've been posting a lot of art with cherry, the perpetually imperiled farmhand and a host of barnyard furries having a go at her while she's tied up one way or another. and if you haven't seen it, by golly i have a tag for it on my patreon that you can peruse, including exclusives.

but i digress.

this series came about from me wanting to do SOMETHING with bondage, barnyard animal furries, and breeding kink. you'll remember from my previous post on the subject that i was struggling with tying this concept together into a narrative i could write, and ended up thinking about how kink and narrative should work together in a way where the kink is a natural consequence of the narrative, rather than the narrative being obviously constructed for the kink. have i said the word narrative enough times in this paragraph. i'm going to say it a bunch more times.

the solution i eventually landed on: don't bother with a narrative at all. the concept i wanted to explore was mostly visual spectacle: rope bondage, barn/farm aesthetic, exhibitionism, public use type stuff. and you don't really need a written story to enjoy those concepts. they are very much about the image of the scene. thus, barnyard bound is going to be a collection of illustrations, an art book, rather than a story. there's no narrative between them, no thread. just a hot girl in her cowboy boots getting roped up and rawed by animal boys for 20+ pages of pictures.

but what's INTERESTING and what's the POINT of this post i've been taking such a long way to get to, is how there is still an expectation of narrative created by the images. i've been asked several times "who is tying her up?" or "is this her farm?" and so on. requests for context as to how and why. and i would argue that you don't need a how or why, but i find it so fascinating how much the audience wants one, as opposed to a comparable image of real bondage.

you see a video of a naked woman tied up in some ropes in a studio and you're unlikely to ask why she's there, why She specifically is there, or who did it, or why. you might assume she's there because she's an actress paid to be, She specifically is there because she was willing or had the right appearance, and the who and why is presumably the person paying her to do it, for whatever reason that person has. or she's there because she wants to be and she's into it and it's a homemade porno. either way, that isn't so much a narrative as it is an explanation.

but you see a drawing of a naked woman all tied up in some ropes, and suddenly there must be a narrative reason. she is a fictional construct, and therefore she and her world must be constructed for a purpose. she has a design, and that design is serving a purpose. she's in a location, and that location is serving a purpose. it's entirely created by a series of deliberate choices from the artist. in art, we crave answers and explanations in a way we usually don't with real life pornography, because real life pornography is constructed within the limitations of real life, but illustrated art does not have those limitations.

and i'm just interested in the why of why a viewer might want this information about the art. why do you need to know exactly why she's tied up? it doesn't change that she is--but it might change your interpretation of the image and what you get out of it. for one viewer, the image of a woman tied up might be ruined by the idea that she didn't ask to be--that it's a punishment, that there's no explicit consent. the image won't arouse them if it comes with that context. for another, the image would be ruined by a context where she did consent. for them it becomes less thrilling when they're made to think about the necessaries of consensual bondage rather than the erotic fantasy of being held against one's will.

but if the image is presented with no narrative, no word of god, no explanation, the viewer has only their own ideas for how they feel about it. the viewer has to decide themself if the woman wanted to be tied there, who did it, and why. how you feel about the image is left entirely in your hands, making you responsible for your own interpretation. and i think this aspect of art is part of what makes doing non-narrative illustrated erotica so fascinating to me, as somebody who has Always prioritized narrative in his work. deliberately abandoning it has made it clear how much we desire it--perhaps to justify to ourselves that we're allowed to desire what we see in the work.

but that's a different essay

#tt talks writing #technically explicitly Not writing but you get what i mean #perhaps i should've made the tag tt talks craft

[i-guess-im-into-this-now]

The Apothecary Diaries

S1E15 First Watch

Here's where I watch The Apothecary Diaries for the first time and give my thoughts, analysis, predictions, and occasionally I stumble into a joke.

To start at the beginning:

Episode 1

My character/locations cheat sheet

Suiren - Jinshi's attendant

Lakan - mysterious officer

Lihaku - the military officer who took Maomao out of the Rear Palace

Basan - an officer who works in the palace

Xiaolan - Maomao's servant girl friend

Palace gossip! Lihaku has done a good job handling the fire investigation. But he had help from Jinshi's personal assistant! Didn't Jinshi just buy a beautiful courtesan from Verdigris House?

This shit is worth sitting up for. Master Lakan, who's peaceful nap was interrupted by gossipy military bitches, would like to hear more about Maomao. Should I be worried about this guy's interest in Maomao?

Gaoshun would like Maomao to look into an old case. If you want to close a cold case, then Maomao is certainly the one to ask.

Side note: Gaoshun just offered to take Maomao to a restaurant to eat raw pufferfish. Is Gaoshun going to get a date with Maomao before Jinshi does? Bwahahaha!

So Gaoshun was asked to investigate this case years ago. Which makes me wonder what his position is/was. I thought it was mentioned that he has been with Jinshi since the day he was born, but that can't be right either, or he would have noticed the baby swap. Unless, I mean he is not always around Jinshi, so maybe the swap happened when he was out investigating a case? Also, can people not recognize one baby from another? Or did the swap happen so quickly after the births that people really didn't know what their child looked like. Whatever, the details probably aren't that important.

So after hearing about Jinshi's new servant/concubine who can solve mysteries, Lakan approached Jinshi's man, Gaoshun, to ask for help solving a case. Uh yeah, that dude knows a thing or two about strategy and maneuvering others. Is this guy dangerous?

A similar case has arisen, a bureaucrat has fallen into a coma after eating raw pufferfish.

Maomao: Master Gaoshun. Forgive me, but is it appropriate for you to be discussing this with me? Gaoshun: It won't be an issue. Unlike certain individuals, you understand your position.

What a loaded response from Gaoshun.

He's clearly taking a dig at Jinshi. Gaoshun was frustrated when Jinshi was assigned to care for the Rear Palace, and thinks that using his appearance as a test against the concubines is beneath him. But he also has been witnessing Jinshi spiral further and further away from propriety with Maomao, and can't approve of it. I thought Gaoshun had decided to support Jinshi and Maomao when he intervened to get Jinshi to Verdigris House and rescue Maomao. But, perhaps his motives weren't to support a romantic relationship between the two, rather to bring Maomao back to the palace where she would be under their protection and within their control. The second half of his statement to Maomao, "you understand your position," is also a bit of a reminder or perhaps a warning to her. He's also saying don't try to exceed your station. Gaoshun is delusional if he thinks the situation between Maomao and Jinshi can be maintained as it is.

Gaoshun lays out two similar poisoning cases. Maomao's keen mind is already rolling through the possibilities and she asks for some more information.

Jinshi scares the living shit out of Maomao when he startles her by asking what she was talking about with Gaoshun. I find it interesting that this request came directly through Gaoshun via Lakan, and that Jinshi was not aware of it. Why not inform Jinshi? I had wondered before about Lakan, if he might be some kind of rival of Jinshi's, since he seemed to take such an interest in the gossip about him. That Gaoshun, avoided informing Jinshi about this, makes me think there is something between those two gentleman, that isn't friendly. This scene also shows us that Gaoshun does sometimes operate outside of Jinshi's domain. We saw that in the past he was an investigator, and that now he sometimes does tasks that aren't given by Jinshi. Also, Jinshi is in casual robes, with wet hair. He clearly just got out of the bath. Was Gaoshun trying to have this conversation with Maomao while Jinshi was busy. Was he trying to hide this from Jinshi?

Jinshi: You seemed to be listening quite intently to Master Gaoshun's story.

Jinshi has become a bit possessive where it comes to Maomao. We saw that when he brought her back from Verdigris House, and again when Gaoshun gave Maomao a cloak last episode. Here it is again, with her having an intense conversation with Gaoshun. I wonder what Jinshi's actual thoughts are on his possessive actions. I mean I can see that his emotions for her are making him jealous and he's not bothering to try and hide that, but in his mind, does he think he has a claim on Maomao? He may actually have a legal claim since he did buy out her contract at the brothel, but in what way does he intend to exert that claim? Does Jinshi see Maomao as something he owns? Is his jealousy connected to that? Is he frustrated that he just bought a concubine and she wants nothing to do with him romantically? Or are the feelings of jealousy that we're seeing simply from his attraction to her? Does he simply wish her to return his feelings, and want to keep other guys away from her, so they won't get a chance to pull her attention away from him?

Maomao: People tend to pay attention to stories they actually find interesting. Jinshi: Now hold on. Is that why you frequently cut me off midsentence- Maomao: Oh dear. It's getting late. I suppose I'd better take my leave.

So the ambiguity of the relationship between Maomao and Jinshi has not affected their ability banter. Maomao is still teasing Jinshi, even if the conversation may indicate that Maomao has been avoiding Jinshi. Is she afraid they may have to talk about what it means that she's had her contract purchased and is living in Jinshi's house? Is she afraid her feelings may tip over into something that is even more difficult to hide from? Is she afraid she'll have to confront Jinshi's true identity and all the repercussions that come with it? All of the above? This situation feels so untenable.

Jinshi: Come back here. I'm not done talking with you- Suiren: And I have not finished drying your hair. Hold still

Suiren really controls everything that happens in this house doesn't she? What are this lady's goals? What does she think about Jinshi and Maomao?

Jinshi watches Maomao walk away and rumbles in frustration. He's ever trying to get closer, while Maomao keeps her distance. What will it take to change this?

Gaoshun returns with the details Maomao requested.

Maomao: I knew you would deliver.

There is a real trust and comradery developing between Gaoshun and Maomao. She doesn't have the same reservations she has with Jinshi and she isn't nearly as critical of Gaoshun. Indeed, she routinely views Gaoshun with glowing praise. In many ways he's the ideal man in Maomao's eyes, even if she doesn't see him as a match for her personally. I wonder how she would accept knowing Gaoshun's true identity.

Jinshi is delighted to come upon Maomao and Gaoshun discussing the poisoning mystery. He can't resist teasing Maomao for getting stuck on this case. It's rare that she doesn't figure out the solution right away, which means she probably hasn't had all the clues presented to her yet. Not only is she very good at solving mysteries, she's very perceptive and good at recognizing clues. So far everything she's been presented are clues gathered by other people. I have no doubt she could solve this if she were able to investigate herself.

Suiren: Careful, or you'll ruin your appetite. Jinshi: I'm a grown man. Maomao: Highly debatable from what I've seen.

Okay, I'm going to side with Jinshi on this one. Like, let the man eat if he's hungry. Also, isn't this his house? Why does everyone get to have an opinion on when and what he eats? Or how he behaves. Jinshi already lives in a fishbowl with eyes on him and every action he takes. It would be nice if he could have a little slack in his own home. But that is not his fate. He's destine to be slowly driven insane by endless demands and expectations.

Finally, Maomao will be able to see the kitchen where the poisonous meal was prepared. No doubt she'll be able to solve this now.

Maomao meets up with Basen. And it took me a moment to remember where I heard that name before, but this was the officer Jinshi was sparing with (shirtless!) way back in episode 5. He was kind of a hot-headed fighter, but was humble enough after Jinshi kicked his ass. He's being a dick to Maomao here. Now I just want to see Jinshi beat his ass again. Maomao says she's never seen Basen before but that he looks a bit familiar. What the hell? Like, is he related to someone she knows? You know what, I'm already working on trying to figure out Maomao and Jinshi's parentage, I'm not going to waste thoughts for fricking Basen.

I lied. This is actually going to bother me.

The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is that he has crazy hair just like Lakan, but Maomao hasn't met him, so how can he look familiar. Fuck it.

So Maomao and Basen take one step into the kitchen and a dude runs up and demands they leave. It's not at all suspicious.

Damn it Basen does look familiar doesn't he? But like who?

Maomao finds the seaweed that is out of season and steals some on her way out. Thievery is becoming a habit for Maomao. She explains that the seaweed was improperly prepared before being shipped to this region, so it was never detoxified. She implies that it may have been intentional and the others know what to do from there.

We see a humous scene of Maomao explaining that the seaweed is toxic and proceeds to eat it. Jinshi is about at horrified as he can be. To be clear, he has the appropriate reaction for when someone consumes something poisonous. Jinshi forces her to take an emetic agent and vomit it back up before she can allow her experiment to begin. Once again we see her disregard her own wellbeing to pursue her study of poisons. It's reckless behavior. I understand that she doesn't have an ethical way to run these experiments, but one doesn't risk their own life or health for the pursuit of knowledge without having a pretty messed up sense of the value of their own life. She could have done this experiment in private and tried to hide it, but instead chose to do it in front of Jinshi and Gaoshun. I wonder if she was curious to see their reactions, or if she was even hoping they would respond this way. That they prevent her from hurting herself is a sign of their care for her. Will she be able to understand that and internalize it? I'm not hopeful.

Oh, that not at all suspicious younger brother was the culprit who bought the foreign seaweed? You don't say. Okay so he felt he wasn't treated well as the younger brother. Is this the same dude from the end of the last episode when someone was whining about being "worthy too?" So the mysterious guy who happened to be around the night Sir Kounen died, was also around to suggest to this murderous little brother, that he import toxic seaweed from the south. What is that serial killer up to? Does he have a larger goal? Is he part of a conspiracy?

Maomao, I think is tidying up Jinshi's bedroom, and is in a terrific mood, dreaming about how to use her caterpillar fungus. She accidentally is overly welcoming to Jinshi, and it is too much like a scene from one of his fondest dreams, so he smashes his face against the wall. These two cannot keep going on like this. Jinshi is desperate to move things forward with Maomao, even if he is holding back for now. And Maomao cannot pretend to be oblivious to his feelings forever.

Jinshi is exhausted. He has a lot of work to do, and Lakan has been making his life harder than usual.

Finally we get more information about Lakan. He's past forty, a high ranking military office, and a weirdo. I'm always looking for long lost parents, and this guy is a prime suspect. And he could work for Maomoa, Jinshi, or Basen. The fact that he's a "weirdo" makes me lean towards Maomao. Also, his strategic mind. Though I suppose that could be descriptive of Maomao or Jinshi, I think it fits Maomao better.

Jinshi says he thinks Lakan has it out for him, because he keeps causing trouble, plus the man has been in his office for the last few days. Probably ever since he heard about Maomao.

Jinshi is opening up and sharing his frustration about something going on in his life, and Maomao decides it's not her problem, so she doesn't need to care.

On the one hand I get it, she's trying to stay out of things that aren't her business. We see that consistently with how she avoids gossip. She may also feel that since she is merely a servant, that her opinions wouldn't be welcome here. But either way, Jinshi has decided to open up and share something, and she just disregards that. Frankly, it's rude.

If a friend wants to share something with you, you should make some effort to listen, it's how you build and nurture relationships. Of course that is likely the heart of the problem here. Maomao is terrified of intimacy, and this is a lot like actually being friends. She can't allow it. At least not with Jinshi.

We have seen Maomao sit and listen to Xiaolan, chatting about all kinds of different things, and I'm trying to remember specific examples but I think she would be willing to listen to the ladies of the Jade Pavilion or Verdigris House. I at least don't remember her ever straight up bailing on a conversation like this. It's really only Jinshi that gets this kind of treatment, and it's because he's the biggest threat.

She could be friends with just about anyone else, but with Jinshi, it's a slippery slope. If she allows a deeper friendship to grow, what's to stop her from continuing to tumble, until she fall completely in love?

Foreshadowing:

Maomao: Enough of that. It's not like it affects me, right?

Right.

And for as much as Maomao would love to check out of what Jinshi was saying, in truth she's bothered by it. The skies are cloudy, and Maomao's got a bad feeling about Lakan. She's worried about Jinshi. I wish Maomao had a therapist.

So we finally get a scene between Jinshi and Lakan. And what a scene it is!

Lakan arrives with fake smiles and words with hidden meanings. Jinshi is on guard from the start.

Lakan wants to talk about Verdigris House. He had a connection with a courtesan there who was a master at Go. Lakan lost his chance to buy her when her price went up during a bidding war. The courtesan he's talking about was an interesting one, who sold her skills but not herself, and wore a haughty expression. Jinshi unwillingly relates to Lakan when he describes the joy of being glared at.

Jinshi can't help himself and keeps asking questions even though he is aware that Lakan is luring him deeper into this conversation. Does Jinshi have an interest in this conversation? What Lakan's goals are here, Jinshi doesn't know, and I don't either, but Jinshi and I are both pretty sure it has to do with Maomao.

Lakan did something to the courtesan to lower her value, but doesn't want to reveal his misdeeds without a favor. Lakan asks to meet Maomao, and refers to her as Jinshi's servant rather than his concubine, which is interesting, following the conversation that preceded this ask. There is a mystery that Lakan wants to get to the bottom of, and he wants Maomao to take a look. Jinshi allows it. Maybe trying to find some peace from the endless trouble that Lakan has been causing him, or maybe he is agreeing to something, something mysterious that was being discussed in this conversation, that wasn't said aloud.

So time for a wild theory. I'm wondering if Lakan is Maomao's father and if the courtesan might be Maomao's mother. The thing he did to lower her value may be to impregnate the woman. Was he able to purchase the woman? Did he move her into the annex? Is Lakan a rotten piece of shit, and Maomao's mother faked Maomao's death and asked Luomen to help get her away from Lakan? If so, and Lakan suspects who Maomao may be, then his conversation with Jinshi may be a chance to see what Jinshi knows. Lay out some pieces of the story and see if Jinshi reacts.

And now I wonder, just how much does Jinshi know?! Does he know about Maomao's parentage? Is that why he couldn't help asking more questions? Is that why he agreed to allow Lakan to see Maomao. Is this some kind of tacit agreement, like fine you can see her, but don't tell her any of this shit?

In the final scene the rains have come. Trouble has arrived.

To start from the beginning:

Episode 1

Next Episode:

Episode 16

#the apothecary diaries #apothecary diaries #maomao #jinshi #jinmao #jinshi x maomao

[imthepunchlord]

One thing that has really interested me as of late has been the development of the Miraculous Shanghai special. Looking at all the old promo art, it seems to have changed a lot. For starters, it was originally called "The Chinese Legend" and was seemingly going to have Master Fu in it

(Makes me wonder if it was initially going to relate to the Order of the Guardians in some way since it doesn't give a clear location)

Also, it seems that there was going to be what appears to be a spirit dragon that looks like it would've played a major role with how often it appears in promo art

On top of that, when I went to the Wiki to get those images, I found these

And I honestly don't know what to say about them other than that the New York special influence was strong.

I could definitely see that the Shanghai Special was potentially more about the Order and Fu. Makes sense given it's related to China. And if it potentially would've been an exploration on Fu, his origins, and on the Order.

Which makes me wonder what the earlier plan was, especially as it doesn't feel like they really had sentimonsters planned from the start, and I don't know about you guys, but I didn't like Fu's origins. So I wonder if they had something else in mind and made changes. As with most of ML's concepts, those ideas were probably better.

As I do think the Chinese Special should've been the place to reveal and introduce the Zodiac Miraculous and where they came from (as it didn't make Fu look good having 16-17 Miraculous and gave out the very two HM wanted), that dragon could've been a protector of them, seeking a worthy Guardian to take on the Zodiac. Could even be the dragon kwami spiritually manifested. Which a whole Zodiac of powerful Miraculous sealed away makes more sense than the Prodigious that just has you transforming into 8 animals, which you can't even control unless you're virtuous. Very dangerous indeed.

Or that dragon it could've been a rare instance of just seeing another magical creature, work off Thomas' older claim that there was other magic out there than just Miraculous.

As for the heroes, I am kinda glad they didn't make it in. I don't like those designs. I can roll with the idea that every country/state/city could have their own hero, but they really do just roll out too much.

Speaking of Specials, I remember that, supposedly, that we were going to see the Turtle's power in the Christmas Special, and hearing that Chris Master was the original Christmas Special, I wonder if that was originally where we were supposed to see Carapace for the first time, and Nino was going to be the first temporary hero to be seen. And that would've been his time to really shine. Though it also could've been our first intro to Jade, seeing what Turtle could do in a fight, and potentially Chat's way of meeting Fu (though as Jade instead), and maybe that's the point where Fu's like, ok, I really am too old for this, you guys do temp heroes.

Either option sounds better than what we got in canon.

#ask Punchie #miraculous ladybug #miraculous concepts #miraculous chinese special #miraculous shanghai special #miraculous christmas special

[herzgeist-writes]

Captain's Log

A/N: A highly self-indulgent piece. Not sure how I came up with this, but . . damn, I needed this after going through some tough times. Let a girl dream alright? ;-; Hope I still could give you a little smile with this. This is kind of a recap to last year and how I learned to love that silly boy Not really prove read

Content: first person pov of Law 'diary style' - him being lovey dovey for fem!reader in his own way

January, 2023

Noticed a new wanted poster hanging around in the towns and cities we dock at. A woman. I have heard rumors of her, (Y/n), but she looks rather strange. The bounty is quite high though - another worst generation rival perhaps?

February, 2023

Her bounty‘s higher now. Even the poster has a new, more clear picture to it. Strange looking. I wonder what her fighting skills are like.

March, 2023

Finally this pink bastard is down for the count. Breaking up to Zou - will be a long journey ahead.

This crazy woman sabotaged an admiral‘s fleet?! Is she mad? How?? She has to be one of the worst generation! At least I heard that rumor from Nami-ya.

April, 2023

Nico-ya mentioned this (Y/n) is headed towards Zou as well. It worries me even more, that she's supposed to bear a mythical zoan devil fruit. People died because of her singing? Ridiculous.

May, 2023

This is not what I expected. Shortly after meeting my crew, this blasted woman appears right around the corner and instantly disappears again? Bepo brought her back, introducing her to me and explaining her supportive acts. She was down right nerve wrecked as she looked up at me.

I'm an idiot for thinking about how velvet like her hand was

Guess she heard of me. Wouldn't be a surprise, she went pale as snow as she saw me.

June, 2023

I hate her. She's nosy, upright, supportive and . . cute. Those terms shouldn't be in a pirate's resume, at least the cute part. Yes she has excellent control of her devil fruit, true she helped out my crew , but it doesn't mean I'll fully accept her as part of the crew.

I learned about her powers. The Sonar-Sonar fruit. It acts like a submarine or bat I believe, using echo location to discern anything in a large radius. In addition, singing melodies, each having a different use, she can either make people fall asleep or lure them towards her. Her epithet 'Siren' sure makes sense.

That's all I know - but there must be more . .

July, 2023

She's part of the crew now. If I'd refuse her, Bepo would cry 24/7, Shachi and Penguin might as well talk my ears full with bullshit and Ikkaku will most definitely sabotage the Tang's motors. So I didn't have any other choice.

Besides that, it's (Y/n)-ya's birthday - if I wouldn't have taken her in . . yes that leads me to everything above.

Additionally, I learned she turned my age yesterday. She's so . . feeble for that age. So insecure and too nice for this world (besides being bold towards the government?) Why even is she in the piracy scene? How did she come this far?

August, 2023

What the hell is wrong with me? I fell for the oldest trick in the book! She merely asked for my help, saying she had something in her eye, so of course I take a look and she goes ahead and pokes my nose??

Not sure what she said, but I think it was: "You should smile more." What? Who does she think she is? Talking to her Captain like that?

God, I will never get rid of that image and her deep e/c eyes staring back at me. Damn it she was close. Or theoretically I was

September, 2023

Damn it, her scent is everywhere! It's outragous, she steals my clothes, Kikoku and even my hat when I'm not looking! I think I took on her odors now too! It's annoying . .

Not sure why, but the fragrancy reminds me of wildrose and chocolate. Maybe because she eats way too much chocolate, which she stashes somwhere aboard the sub. (Note to self - find her candy stash and eliminate it ASAP)

I can't help but think of her whenever wildroses appear randomly wherever I go. And I see them everywhere as soon as we dock on islands? What dumbass is into wildroses that much? I sure am not! They're nothing but cosmetic to me, nothing of use in real medical sense.

October, 2023

I am most certainly NOT giving in to her charms. She's just being nice and gifted me a yellow hoodie, a polar teddy bear and . . god damn tickets to Sora Con. Is she insane? They cost a shit ton of Berry and she just . .

She accidently grazed my hand as she gave me the plushie. How can it be so soft? Not the teddy I mean. She's warm and silky. And again - this forsaken scent of wildrose.

Speaking of which. I noticed how pink her lips are, almost resembling the petals of . . wildroses.

She's weird.

November, 2023

Something's different. She's not as cheerful and overly smiley as usual. I believe there's a private matter going on.

Whatever, she'll get over it.

December, 2023

She didn't get over it. Her mood is really annoying lately, but she's behaving like a totally different person. She truly isn't well.

So I asked her about her well being. It's nothing to get over quickly, that's for sure. It worries me, seeing her this absentminded. She'll get in trouble if she doesn't concentrate on the battles ahead. Her powers can be truly useful, if not crucial if we stick to my plans (which I highly doubt)

To be fair, I'd rather see her happy than all slumped and grumpy.

She's got a pretty smile

I like her, I must see to her after the raid

I think she's going to be alright

Last page of captain's log / Notes barely readable, for he tried to eliminate 'evidence'

She called me 'snow leopard' the other day. I believe her naive woman thoughts got the better of her, perhaps influenced by all the ‚adorable’minks at Zou. If she calls me that one more time in front of everybody, I swear I'll send her heart to the marines.

Anyway, she asked me what I think what kind of mink she would be? She's a human, why should she be a mink out of the sudden? But I guess I'll humor her tomorrow.

She reminds me of a red panda. It's her hair. As soon as the sun rays hit her, red glows from her strands, resembling the embers of fire. Besides, she behaves like one, silly and throwing paws. Plus they're cute. Kind of like her.

I heard her sing together with Brook at the outpost. Her voice sounds nice. Yet, the way she holds the notes, it reminds me of north blue folklore. Is she actually . .?

She hugged me. It felt strange. But I can't deny it was . . heartwarming? I tucked her into my blue feather coat, in hopes to suffocate her, yet her head just plopped right out front and she looked up at me . . smiling

I'm too young to have a cardiac arrest - still whenever she does this I get premature ventricular contractions.

#one piece #one piece law #fanfiction #fanfic fluff #self indulgent #one piece trafalgar law #first person pov

[electronicwitchcollection]

Byakuya Kuchiki one shot

had a request for a Byakuya one shot. I can only apologise for how bloody long it is 😂

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"Hi! Could I pleas request angst and fluff with byakuya? Maybe a lil smut ? the reader has lost her SO to a hollow attack and he comforts her? Thank you!!"

Prompt; The pain doesn't go away, does it?

No

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Darkeness had settled over the Seireitei, bringing the crisp cool air of an autumn night with it. You sat on the cold, dewy grass, knees pulled up to your chest. Arms wrapped around them in comfort, you had propped your chin on top of your knee, blindly staring out to the rippling surface of the inky pond.

It had been three weeks since your husband, your best friend, soul mate had died. Three weeks ago you received the heart shattering news that your partner had died while on duty. He had been sent to one of the lower districts to cleanse the hollow reeking havoc there.

The mission had started easily enough, you were informed by your late husbands squad mate. They had located the hollow, dispatched it without fault. On their return home, however, another hollow had appeared, trying to make a meal out of some Rukongai kids. You didn't need to be told that your husband was the first one to react. Literally throwing his body inbetween the children and the hollows bloodthirsty teeth. Of course he did.

Tears stung your eyes at the mental imagery, shaking your head defiantly you willed away the thought. You didn't want that image of your husband. That of his last breath. You wanted the lopsided grin he always wore. His kind yet mischievous eyes shining back at you. His loud obnoxious laugh.

That's why you found yourself here. Why you've found yourself here every night since that awful day. Every night you would climb into your too big, cold bed, the empty space where your husband would never again lay next to you, holding you close, a stark reminder that he was gone. Really, truly gone. 

Sleep cruelly availed you each night, plagued with the images of your husbands demise. So each night you wandered the Seireitei absentmindedly, always seeming to end up here. The pond in the 6th squads Baracks. It always has been a beautiful place. Serene and calming.

It's where you first met your husband. He had spotted you walking across the grass, delivering paperwork from your own captain. In an effort to gain your attention, he had loudly called you over, waving manically. You had made your way over, interested in what he wanted. His flailing about was amusing, his boyish good looks didn't hurt either. He later told you that he was shocked it had worked, hence why he began fisting his friends clothing, desperately shaking him, asking what he should do next. Which resulted in his friend pushing him into the pond.

Your lips curled up at the memory of him spluttering and coughing when he resurfaced. He had asked you for a date that very same night, you had been inseparable ever since. This pond became a special place for the both of you. It's where you had met. Taken romantic walks. Where you had your first kiss. The place he asked you to be his wife.

You felt close to him here, could almost feel his arms wrap them selves around you, almost hear his laugh in the wind blowing through the trees. Closing your eyes tightly, you breathed in deep. Trying to catch hold of that phantom feeling, desperately trying to hold on to that ghostly caress. A particularly strong gust of wind snapped your eyes open, forcing you out of your fantasy.

A stray tear escaped your eye, falling down your cheek. The trail quickly became cold with the wind blowing against your skin

"I miss you "  you whisper out into the night, the pond becoming blurry in your vision as fresh tears replaced those that had fallen.

"LN-san?"

Startled by the deep voice you sprang to your feet, whipping around to see who had found you. Wiping at your eyes, you saw the serene face of your husbands captain.

"Captain Kuchiki" your voice broke with emotion. Clearing your throat you tried again "sir, my apologies, I'll just leave..."

Captain Kutchiki held up a hand, silencing you as he came to a stop next to you, looking out at his pond

"your apologies are not needed. You do not need to leave" that surprised you. The captain was usually quite protective over his pond, it had taken your husband weeks to convince his captain to let him propose to you here. You wrapped your arms around you, shielding you from the wind and the uneasy feeling deep in your stomach. You couldn't remember ever speaking to the Captain, how he knew your name was a mystery "it's a beautiful place to find some peace" 

You nod numbly in agreement, unsure how to respond to that. You had no idea how to converse with the noble. He is possibly one of the most famous captains in the gotei 13. Head of the noble Kutchiki clan. Your husband had told you that his Captain suffered no fools, the man oozed authority and arrogance. Not someone you would normally keep the company of. The Captain seemed the complete opposite of your playful, loving husband

"I wish to offer my condolences" the Captain broke the silence, still staring out into the water. You tilted your head, acknowledging his words. His silky black hair danced behind him as the wind picked up. "Your husband was an excellent shinigami, His presence is sorely missed within my division" 

"thank you" you smile softly, thumbing away a stray tear "it's comforting to hear I'm not the only one missing him "

With a curt nod the captain made his leave as quickly as he had appeared, Captains coat billowing behind him. You watched as he gracefully strode across the grassy landscape until the dark of night swallowed him up.

You didn't know then that that wouldn't be the last encounter you had with Captain Kutchiki at the pond.

——————————————————

Three months. Three long, painfully lonely months had passed since your husbands death. The aching grip of sorrow clenching at your heart hadn't eased in those few months. You cried less now, in public at least. You managed to get through your daily duties, assure your concerned Captain and colleagues that you were doing well. A prefect mask. As soon as you returned home though, the mask slipped and the pain returned. Your home no longer smelled like him.

There were no messily thrown uniforms on the bedroom floor. No cupboard doors left partly open ready to bang your head if you didn't notice in time. Your home was clean and everything in its place. it no longer felt like home. Its was cold and empty. It was so lonely. Night time was still the worst. Alone with your thoughts, every inch of your home screaming out at the lack of his presence .

After a long day of pretending, at night you no longer had the strength to ward off the emotions waiting to consume you. You missed him. Deep in your stomach you earned for him. Your heart felt as though every beat was a struggle. It felt broken. You had been managing to get some sleep. It was never as peaceful as it once was, but some nights you managed a full night. Tonight was not one of them

Today was your husbands birthday.

Birthdays between you were spent at home. Nothing lavish or over the top. Neither of you were the type. You'd make it special for eachother by ordering your favourite take away, snuggled up on the sofa together. Drinking your favourite sake you would reminisce your life together. At the end the night you joined together in a passionate love making, full of kissing and sweet confessions of love.

Which is why tonight you find yourself back at the pond, sat in the grass gazing up at the sky, you just couldn't bare to lay alone in your bed. The sky was clear tonight, millions of stars offered their comforting glow. You had wondered if one of them was your husband. He would be the brightest one, twinkling brightly as he watched over you.

A rustle of clothing had you turning back, eyes falling on Captain Kutchiki, his hand already up to stop you from rising. When he came to a stop , a little to your right, you returned your gaze up to the sky

"the stars are exceptionally bright tonight" the captain noted, not sounding as casual as he had probably intended.

"the moon too"  your voice sounded emotional to your own ears. Apparently there was no putting that mask back on tonight

"Why is it, that this is the place you keep coming back too?" Captain Kuchiki asked, he didn't sound angry, more curious "it's not in your division, is the pond in the 13th not to your liking?"

"I feel close to him here" you say quietly, seeing him nod in your peripheral. You knew he would understand it was your husband you were referring. "its full of good memories" 

"for me too." You turn your head to look at him questioningly. His grey eyes, softer than you had ever seen looked back at you "yours is not the first proposal this pond has seen. This is where I asked Hisana to be my wife" 

That's right, Captain Kutchiki had also lost his spouse. Another person who shares the pain of missing the other half of their soul. You wondered what his wife had been like. Stories told she was beautiful, graceful and with a kind heart. You wondered if she had loved the setting of her proposal as much as you did, here at this pond. Two proposals, two marriages, two deaths. Two widows

"maybe this place is cursed" the words slipped through your lips before you realised you had said them out loud. Fingers covering your mouth you turned to look at the captain apologetically "forgive me. That was rude" 

"it's fine. It's not a thought I've not already had"  he replied, voice not giving away any emotion

"it's his birthday today. The first one where he's not here" heavens knows why you're telling him this. You've not spoken to anyone about your husband. Yet, with the man who had lost his wife, you seem unable to stop yourself "they say the firsts are the hardest" 

"that's not true" Kuchiki said carefully, glancing down at you "they're all hard"

You looked at him then, really looked at him. His eyes were shiny, corners of his lips turned down, shoulders slumped almost defeated. He looked like he was carrying a painful burden

"how long as it been sir? Since you lost your wife?"  You asked quietly. After a long pause you thought that maybe he wasn't going to answer. Not wanting to pry, you turned your gaze back to the stars

"6 years this spring" he uttered finally, surprising you

"the pain doesn't go away...does it?" You say. It wasn't really a question that needed answering. You knew the pain in your heart wouldn't leave. You knew there wouldn't be a day that you wouldn't miss him. From the look on the Captains face, mirroring your own, you knew he felt the same

"no, I'm afraid it doesn't" and with a barely noticeable nod, the captain left you to your thoughts.

"happy birthday my love." You whisper into the night sky, eyes fixating on the brightest star "I miss you"

——————————————————

You staggered and swayed through the 6ths divisions baracks. The blurry faces of shinigami as they passed you by payed no mind. You weren't even sure if they were real. Half empty bottle of sake swung sloppily at your side as you continued on your inebriated journey. Your feet heavily slapped the floor as you walked, the sound deafening. Shushing your too loud feet, you chuckled amused.

The pond coming into view spurred your pace, practically tripping over your own feet in your haste to get there quicker. Reaching the waters edge, you fall back heavily onto your ass, huffing at the abrupt halt to your fall, you could have sworn the grass was further away.

Taking a long pull from your sake, you don't notice when it spills over the side and down your front. The world begins to sway, corners of your vision blurring everything into dull colours. Trying to focus your gaze across the pond, picking something solid to focus on so not to slip into darkness.

You couldn't remember the last time you were this drunk. Back in your academy days probably. You never were much of a drinker, at least never to this state. The concerned looks from your colleagues today finally made you accept their invitation to go out for some drinks. Just two, you told yourself, then you can sneak away back home to be alone with your thoughts.

Two turned into three, which turned into five. The gripping pain in your heart had lessened somewhat. You could almost breath again. Five turned into seven and you were laughing. Really laughing. Finding your colleagues stories amusing, embracing their drunken embraces and toothy grins. You had almost forgotten about the anguish you felt every day. Until you remembered.

The guilt swallowed you. Dampening your mood dramatically. You had forgotten, if only for a shot while, that your husband was dead. What kind of monster does that?! Happily drinking and dancing and singing. Not a care in the world. You felt disgusted with yourself. Grabbing a bottle of sake from the table, you left, ignoring the calls from your friends as you stumbled from the establishment. There was only one place your drunken mind wanted to be

the sun was still setting. A sliver of light cast the skys in beautiful purples and oranges, rays making the ponds surface almost sparkle. Like the stars. Squinting your eyes in the harsh light, you look down into the bottle in your hand. Sloshing the liquid around absentmindedly. You wanted to feel that numbness again, if only for a moment.

Ignoring the wave of nausea, you down the rest of the liquid, dropping the bottle next to you as you cough around the burn. Alcohol laden brain was thinking of nothing and everything all at once. Closing your eyes you fall back onto the grass, waiting for slumber to pull you into the darkness

"it won't help". You didn't need to open your eyes. You knew who had come to join you out by the pond.

"it might" you slurred your words, cracking one eye open to see him standing above you, grey eyes focusing on the empty sake bottle besides you "seems to work for Captain Kyoraku" 

"Captain Kyoraku is an emotionally stunted child, you would do well not to indulge in his bad habits"  Kuchikis voice settled over you, it was deep and comforting. He may have been scolding you, you really couldn't tell when this drunk.

"I like the numbness." You shrug, though your voice broke in the middle. "I don't want to be in pain anymore" the whisper followed

"the pain will still be there. You can't drink away these emotions." You didn't want to hear those words, no Matter how truthful. You wanted ignorance and bliss. You just wanted your heart to stop hurting for long enough to get some decent sleep. "It will still be there in the morning, accompanied by a throbbing head I imagine"

An unexpected sob ripped through your throat, tears forming on your lashes "I don't want to hurt anymore" you cry out softly

"can you stand?" You don't even hear him anymore. Nor do you feel his large hand gently trying to guide you into a sitting position

"I miss you" you sob around a shivering breath, speaking out to the man who could no longer talk back. Could no longer comfort you, hold you "please don't leave me alone: I can't live without you"

You felt like you were falling, the ground suddenly pulled from underneath you. Opening your eyes startled, your hands came out to grab at something to steady you, falling on something soft. Furrowing your brows you realised it was the Captains white coat. He had picked you up and was carrying you bridal style away from the pond.

Alcohol didn't give you anytime to be embarrassed as it quickly pulled you into the sweet relief of darkness. The gentle footsteps and the subtle smell of something sweet and almost spicy lulled you into a deep sleep, head resting heavily on a strong chest.

——————————————————

It had taken you a little over a month to face going back to the pond. The morning after you last visit you had woken to a horrendous headache and your stomach doing flips. You had laid in bed wallowing in self pity, willing the embarrassing images of Captain Kuchiki carrying your drunk ass home and putting you to bed. You didn't even want to think about anything that you could have did or said that you do not remember. You were still baffled that he somehow knew where you lived

The pull of yours and your husbands special place was too strong however, so pushing down the embarrassment and shame, you came back. You needed to feel close to him. No matter the length of time your heart still called out to his, knowing it wouldn't call back. You had a rare day off, insisted by Captain Ukitake. Apparently news of your drunken night had reached his ears. You could see the concern in his kind eyes as he invited you to share some tea with him.

He was trying to get you to talk, to share your pain. You knew that. You couldn't share though, the pain was the only thing that still connected you to your husband. It was the only thing you had left. He smiled in understanding, but had insisted you take a day off to relax. So you came here. The pond was even more beautiful in the sunlight. It invited more memories of you and your beloved, the times you had shared here.

The seasons were changing, if the chill in the breeze was anything to go by. You imagined the pond water would be just as cold if you were to dip your feet in there. You wouldn't dare, you too had heard how protective Captain Kuchiki was over his koi fish. Your cheeks flushed at the thought of the Captain. Mortified came close to how you felt. A Captain shouldn't have to carry home a seated member from another division due to their poor drinking restraint.

A noble clan head at that. You must've embarrassed him too, degrading him to such a chore. No, you wouldn't be touching alcohol for quite some time. You should thank your lucky stars he hasn't banished you from returning. Something he could easily achieve. Not only could he order you as a captain, could even go to your captain, the kuchiki clan puts a lot of money into the 6th division. The land was legally his, and you would be trespassing.

You heard his approach this time, amazing how heightened your senses were when not on the edge of unconsciousness due to the numbing cloak of drunkenness. You couldn't imagine how far gone you had to have been not to feel his presence. The nobles spiritual pressure demanded respect even when relaxed. You look at him through your lashes, trying to gage his intentions. He didn't look angry, on the contrary, he looked almost.. happy?

"Im Relieved to find you sober, LN-san" he spoke carefully, surprising you as he chose to join you on the floor. You waited until he was sat in his perfect seiza position before responding, shifting your position to face him, you bowed deeply, speaking into the grass

"please accept my apologies Captain. It won't happen again"

"tea?" 

You raised yourself up from the bow quickly, quirking a questioning eyebrow at the Captain, had you heard that right? You noticed for the first time the flask the captain held in his hand, two cups sat on top.

"oh" you couldn't help but mutter, you had heard him correctly. Captain Kuchiki placed the cups on the perfectly manicured grass between you before taking off the lid to the flask, letting the mesmerising steam escape as it danced into the air before disappearing. "Please sir, let me" you reach out to accept the flask from him, stopping him from pouring. Whilst you didn't regularly share tea with others of a higher status, you knew the customs. A higher up shouldn't pour the tea, and you couldn't get more higher up than captain Kuchiki.

Pouring you both a cup of the hot, translucent tea, the smell reached your nose. If the colour didn't give it away the smell would've. The robust almost grassy scent was familiar, something you indulged often, though not of this quality. Handing the first cup to the Captain, you bowed your head respectfully. His slender fingers ghosted over your own as he accepted, making you twitch your fingers back before pulling your hand away all together. Had it really been so long since you felt the touch of another person that it startled you so?

"thank you, LN-san" he broke you out of your thoughts. You watched as he brought the cup to his lips, taking a tentative sip. Prompting you to lift your own to your lips, blowing into the light green liquid to cool it before indulging yourself. You watched over the rim of your cup how graceful the man moved, like water; each movement was fluid yet powerful. Complete dominance in his actions. You couldn't help but compare him to your husband. Your husband was a whirlwind, all long uncoordinated limbs. Expressively flailing them around in everything he did. Graceful was not a word often associated with him.

Noticing the pause in conversation becoming awkward due to your memorising, you finally take a sip. Definitely a higher quality tea than you were used to. It was full bodied and delicious. You eagerly took another pull before lowering the cup to your middle, letting the heat deep through to warm your fingers

"it's delicious, thank you"

the captains lips quirked up at the sides slightly before he covered them with his own drink. "I'm glad to see your tastes go beyond that of cheap sake"

was he.. making a joke?  How uncharacteristic. You send him a wary grin, happily accepting this over the scolding you deserved "I definitely won't be drinking like that again any time soon."  You say in-between another sip of the delicious tea, he nodded in agreement "Im Sorry you had to carry me home"

"you do not need to keep apologising, I assume your suffering the follow morning was a sufficient enough punishment"  his eyes caught yours over your shared drinks, gun metal grey shining with amusement before softening "how did you end up that inebriated?"

You sigh, settling back onto your ass to sit more comfortably. Really, how his legs could cope sitting in that position for so long was a testament to his strength. "I forgot about him" your soft words get caught in the breeze as you face the pond "just for a moment. I let my friends convince me to join them for a few drinks. After a while...just for a moment, I had forgotten that I should be sad. That my husband is dead..." 

"and you drank to forget your guilt" Captain Kuchiki finished for you with a seldom nod. You watched as the ponds surface rippled with the breeze, lapping at the sides. Listening to the hustle of shinigami beyond the wall of the 6th, getting on with their daily work. Half expecting the Captain to finish his tea and silently leave, like he had all your other encounters, you decided Captain Kuchiki was someone you should stop being surprised at when he spoke lowly, just for your ears "I can still remember the first time I had forgotten."

You turn to face him at his words, his eyes were looking forward, out of focus, not seeing what was in front of him. Instead seeing vividly the memory he was sharing "I was tired. I had stayed late finishing an important document expected at the first the following morning. When I arrived home I called out for her. Asked if she would like some tea before bed" A small sad smile settled on his lips as he turned to you, holding your gaze as you held on to every word "when I didn't get an answer, I remembered. I never would get an answer" 

You shared an understanding smile. The pain of longing for someone no longer here. How that painful scar reopened any time you thought you were healing. You were thankful to the Captain, taking time out of his clearly busy schedule to converse with you. Share in the pain you both feel. Even look after you when you were in no fit state to look after yourself . It made you wonder, if the Captain had anyone to help him? Did the captain have someone he could've shared these thoughts with at the time of his wife's passing?

Would anyone dare approach the proud noble, ask him to bare his soul, lay out his pain and suffering for others to see? Somehow, you couldn't imagine it. You couldn't imagine the stoic man crying to another. Perfect poise crumble away as he gave in to the grief. The fact that he had probably suffered alone, for so long and is still standing? A pillar of strength you so desperately needed in the storm of emotions you were drowning in. You were in awe. You hoped that sharing with you, to help you, helped him in some small way too.

"though they will never be forgotten." He added, voice sounding stronger as he held your gaze once more "you will have more and more times when he isn't in the forefront of your mind as time passes. It's the way it should be, the living going on living." 

You nod. He was right, you knew that. You knew that realistically you can't Morn your husband all day every day for the rest of your existence until you two can meet again. There will come a time when the thought of your husband Doesn't immediately send you into a spiral of depression. Hours, days even weeks may go pass without thinking of him, too busy living your life to the best of your abilities, the way it should be. For now though...

"what did you do sir? When everything got too painful?" You ask, clearly alcohol wasn't the crutch you needed.

"I meditated, entered my inner world mostly." You could hear the honesty in his words. Maybe you should give that a try next time it all becomes too much "I also indulged in as many different types of tea I could find in this world and the world of the living"

another joke. Who was this man with the satisfied smile and where did he put the proud stoic captain? You grinned at him, an honest unforced grin "you didn't go the alcohol route? You saw how beneficial that was for me" 

"Im surprised you had found any sake at all. I was under the impression Captain Kyoraku had drunk the Seireitei dry". He replied dryly

You held your tea further away from your body to avoid it spilling and burning you at the loud laugh that bubbled up from you. Fingers went to your lips to hush the unexpected laughing fit you found yourself in. Who knew the Captain of the 6th was funny? Dry and sarcastic, but you had always enjoyed that humour. His eyes glistened amused, pleased you had understood his jest.

You wiped away a tear, a happy tear for a change, brought on by laughter and not sorrow, and gave him a grateful smile. You hurried to finish your tea as he began to move, collecting his flask and cup as he stood. Standing along with him you offered back your now empty cup

"thank you. For the tea, and for speaking with me " you told him, choosing not to bow this time, but offer a genuine smile. A strong hand settled on your shoulder, giving it a small squeeze "next time it becomes too painful, try a hot cup of tea. Don't put yourself in a dangerous position again" 

"I will."  You nod, accepting the slight telling off. He was a captain, he couldn't let you get away with that completely "though I don't think I will find one in the shopping district as wonderful as the one you shared with me. You've spoilt me sir".

He graced you with a private smile and a slight raise in his eyebrows before he settled back into the dignified Captain everyone expected and strode away gracefully without a backwards glance

——————————————————

The following morning you walked to work feeling lighter than you had in months. Your heat still ached. There was still the heavy weight of grief weighing densely in your stomach, but it wasn't as pressing today. You had a good sleep last night, you managed the whole night and had woken up feeling refreshed. The winters sun was bright, fighting against the frigid temperatures that winter brought. The heat it offered soaked into your thick black cloak, warming you as you hurried to the 13th offices.

Yesterday was a good day. One you sorely needed. You must remember to thank Captain Ukitake for gifting it to you. A day sat in the sun, at the pond had clearly done your soul some good. That or the time you spent with Captain Kuchiki, it was almost like he had neatly wrapped up your grief and anguish and placed it on your back. Still heavy and present, but a little more manageable to bare than the overflowing mess of hurt and regret that spilled through your fingers any time you tried to grasp it.

Following the corridor down to your office, you returned the smile of one of your colleagues, even wishing them a good morning. You caught the shocked expression flashing their face before they returned your greeting warmly. You obviously looked better than you had the last months.

Reaching your office you tug off your cloak, hanging it neatly by the door before making your way to your desk, smiling at the two who shared the office before sitting down. A small grey box sat in the middle of your neat desk, a stark white card sat folded ontop. Not expecting anything, you opened the card and began to read the crisp neat writing

for when things become to painful

was all that it said. Looking up you noticed your colleagues looking down at their respective desks, already immersed in their paperwork. Setting the card aside, you gently pry off the grey lid, setting it aside with the card. Sat in the box was a plump bag full of green tea leafs. Lifting it out you inspected the packaging, not recognising the design. You brought it up to your nose, inhaling deeply. The deep aroma filled your senses, making your mouth water at the memory of the delicious tea you were offered the day before .

Putting the tea to the side, you began to work on your daily duties. You hardly noticed eyes flicking to the package throughout the day, nor the small smile on your lips each time.

——————————————————

Months had passed along with the changing seasons. Spring was in the air, slowly but surly chasing away the bitter frost of winter, bringing with it new life. The barren trees began sprouting vivid green, little buds nestled away waiting to bloom into sweet smelling flowers.

The months that passed seemed to rush by you. You still had bad days. The grief of loosing your husband would crush you suddenly, though you found healthier ways to deal with the hurt. The pond was still somewhere you frequented often, sometimes alone, but more often than not the Captain of the 6th would grace you with his company.

You had started to look forward to your encounters. Moving away from your shared loss you discovered you had quite a few more things in common. Tea, obviously was a shared indulgent and was often shared. Reading was another passion you each held. You had spent hours discussing the books you have read, some the other had read too. The ones not yet read were brought to the next encounter for the other to read.

Painting, you discovered was a passion of the Captain. When you had mentioned wanting to see some of his work one day, you hadn't anticipated the noble inviting you to his home. You had graciously accepted and joined the captain for dinner in his home, after a tour of the grand manor. Art filled the great rooms and grand corridors. The Captain pointed out which were done by his hand, beautiful art work that captivated your attention

He painted scenic landscapes mostly, with an interesting take of almost dream like colours. The pond was the main focal in a few of the paintings you had seen. One in particular caught your attention. It was the pond at night time. Two things caught your attention, the first being how dark the colours were. Not the usual green, blues and purples that had jumped off the paper in his previous work. Black, navy and grey made up this piece. It made the night dark and cold. Heavy almost, you could feel the sorrow in the picture

The second, was the figure of a woman standing in the centre of the piece. A dark silhouette, seemingly hugging her frame as she looked out into the water. It was the first piece he had shown you that consisted of a person

"is that your wife?" You had asked him, eyes raking over the painting at the delicate but deliberate strokes.

"no, its you" your eyes snapped to him at his reply, studying his profile as his eyes never left the painting.

"me sir?" You asked, looking back to the picture, noticing the hair length and proportions to the woman. After being told, you could see how it could be you, though you share a similar shape to many women here in the soul society

"does that offend you?" He asked, a note of trepidation in his usual apathetic voice

you shake your head softly, looking back to see him already staring at you, trying to gage your thoughts "not at all. I'm flattered, Captain Kuchiki. When..?"

"Byakuya" he cut you off, turning to face you fully "you are a guest in my home, there is no need for the formality, you may use my given name" 

"Byakuya" you said, feeling how the name sounded on your tongue. "When did..? Why did you choose to paint this?"

"that first night I joined you at the pond. After I had left, something made me turn around. The image of you standing at the waters edge, wind blowing your hair around was hauntingly beautiful." You remembered that night. It was dark and cold, like the painting suggests. You remember wrapping your arms around you, keeping yourself together whilst trying to keep yourself warm. You looked at the painting again, hauntingly beautiful was the perfect way to describe the image"When I next sat down to paint, that image was the first to appear in my minds eye"

"you captured the moment perfectly". You praised, glancing at the art once more. A warm hand settled on your lower back, pulling your attention.

"come, let us enjoy dinner" Byakuya invited as he lead you down the hall, gentle hand guiding you

———————————————————

You twisted and turned in your bed, blankets wrapping themselves around your legs limiting your attempt to escape. The nightmare you were trapped in was vivid, the scene of your husbands death clear in your mind. Pitiful whimpers left your lips as your husbands blood sprayed from his body, splattering over your face as you screamed.

Jerking upright in bed, a horrific shout ripped through your throat as you startled awake from the dream. A deafening crash of thunder rumbled through the skies, shaking the glass in your bedroom window as a crack of lightening briefly lit up your empty bedroom.

Breathing heavily, you kicked off the blanket constricting your freedom. A thin layer of sweat covered your trembling body, skin raising in bumps at the chill in your room. The room seemed as though it were getting smaller, walls trapping you in the space. Not thinking clearly you jumped out of bed and fled the room, not stopping to wrap up or put on shoes, you threw the door to your home open and darted out into the street

Punishing, cold rain fell heavily from the sky, soaking you  instantly. Your hair stuck to your face as you gasped desperately, fighting to lessen the panic you were feeling. Another roar of thunder made you jump, snapping you out of your darkening thoughts. Not feeling the chill, you start running bare foot through the streets, only one place on your mind

You didn't know how long you were staring out to the turbulent  pond, rain hammering down around you as the wind whipped harshly against your skin. The rain washed away the free flowing tears from your eyes, teeth chattering painfully, protesting the cold

"YN!" The shout of your own name hardly registered, you would have ignored it completely if two hands didn't grip your sopping shoulders, turning you to face the concerned Captain with a shake. "What are you doing?"

Byakuya had to shout to be heard over the raging storm. You looked up at him tearily, struggling with forming a sentence. He was drenched, sleek black hair void of his usual kenseikan was stuck to his elegant face. His sleep clothes covered by a gown, was clinging to his svelte form

His eyes scanned over you, looking for Injury. Not seeing any, he moved on hand to cup your cheek. The warmth of his hand seeped into your skin, highlighting how cold you had become "what's happened?" 

"it's not fair" you wail around a sob as your hands come out to clutch at his clothing. Trying to hold on to something, anything as you spiralled "He's GONE and I... I just"

"shh" he tried to sooth you from your desperation "it'll be okay"

"no!" You shout back, pushing him from your hands in an effort to escape. He reached for you again, trying to grasp hold of your weakened arms flailing about, punching meekly at his chest. Thunder rolled around you, sharp crack of lightening sounded too close over head "no, it's not okay! He's dead and I can't stop seeing it! I see him every night, being ripped apart.."

the animalistic cry that tore from you startled him. Every shuddering breath screamed agony. Succumbing to your anguish, the fight left your body. With a small tug, Byakuya pulled you into his embrace. Strong arms wrapped around your shivering frame as you cried out into his chest. He waited patiently, head resting on yours, holding you close as you slumped into him, crying out your pain.

When the wailing quietened down into soft crying and shuddering breaths Byakuya pulled back slightly, catching a glimpse of your face. Eyes were reddened by your tears, your skin looked paler than it should be, shivers racked your body. You gazed back up at him, eyes begging, pleading for some of his strength.

"allow me to take you home?" It was a question you could tell he wouldn't be taking no for an answer. Nodding slightly, you tried to step away when his arms around you stopped you. Adjusting the placement, Byakuya lifted you easily into his arms, carrying you bridal style. Too weak to offer any Resistance, you tuck your head into his neck while a hand sneaked back up to his chest, holding on tightly to his clothing.

Eyes dropping closed, sleep threatened to take you in the gentle rocking of his sure footsteps. Raising your head slightly to wake yourself up, you realised it wasn't your home he was taking you to as The Kuchiki manor appeared before your eyes.

———————————————————

Byakuya entered his home, following the now familiar hallway that led towards his bedroom. The painting you had admired, the one with you at the pond, came into view briefly. Slipping through the door, carefully adjusting his hold on you so not to hit your head on the door frame, Byakuya sat you gently down onto a large western style bed. You sank softly into the mattress, aching body desperately wanted to climb into it for warmth.

"wait here a moment " Byakuya told you before walking across his room and into another door, that you saw held a bathroom. Looking around his bedroom you noticed how neat it was. There wasn't much in the way of decorations. The bed was the main focal point, something that surprised you. You would've assumed he had a traditional Japanese futon, judging by the rest of his home that you've seen.

The sound of running water caught your attention. Looking over you could see steam billowing out from the ajar bathroom door. Soft jasmine smell filling up the space. A moment later Byakuya walked out of the bathroom, looking dryer with a clean navy blue gown wrapped around him. His long damp hair was tied loosely at the nape of his neck. Coming to a stop in front of you, he offered a hand. Taking it in yours you allowed him to help you to your feet before following him into the warm bathroom.

"I prepared a bath. You need to warm up or you'll become unwell" he told you, dipping his fingers into the soapy water to test the temperature. Seemingly satisfied, he straightened to face you "take your time. There's towels there on the counter" he nodded behind you before turning to leave. Your hand darted out to catch his before he could leave, stopping, he looked at you questioningly over his shoulder

"wait" you croaked out, voice horse from the crying "please don't leave. I don't want to be alone" 

you watched as his eyes flickered to you, then the bath and back, holding your breath, worried you had crossed a line. With a curt nod you let go of his hand, allowing him to close the bathroom door. After a moment of watching Byakuya stare at the bathroom door you realised he was giving you privacy to undress. Quickly peeling the damp sleep clothes off your body, you haphazardly folded them and placed them on the floor before stepping into the hot bath

A small hiss left your lips as the warm water felt scorching against your freezing skin. Sitting slowly to let your body adjust to the shift in temperature, you sat in the middle of the large tub, bringing your knees up to your chest and resting your head on your arms settled on top. A relieved sigh escaped as you closed your eyes, soaking up the warmth

"you can turn around now" you mumbled to Byakuya still facing the door. You opened your wavy lids, watching as he came to collect your damp clothing, depositing them into a hamper in the corner, before leaning against the sink counter

"I thought we had agreed you would no longer put yourself into dangerous situations" his words made you wince. Whilst he had his arms crossed over his chest, he didn't particularly look angry.

"I'm sorry" you mumble, trailing your fingers through the white bubbles floating on the surface "I wasn't thinking clearly, It just became too much, I needed to escape" 

"in the middle of the worst storm we've seen the last three years?" Ok, now he sounded a little angry "that was foolish. Anything could have happened to you out there. It was only by chance I looked out my bedroom window at the lightening and spotted you " 

"there's no one left to care if anything did happen" you say a little numbly, you had no more tears to cry that evening

"I care" your head whipped round to face him. Would he? You knew you had gotten closer over the last year, developed a strange friendship on the foundation of loosing a spouse. You would be sad if you suddenly couldn't see him again, but would he genuinely care if you were hurt? Yes, if the honesty shining in his eyes were to be believed. Captain Kuchiki was many things, but a liar was not one of them. Nor was he one to spin a tale in order to comfort someone.

"sorry" you breath again, actually meaning it this time. You watched as he sighed heavily, pushing off the counter to walk over to you. He rolled up his sleeves before crouching down next to you. Reaching over, Byakuya grabbed a cup from the side of the bath and filling it. You gasped as he poured it over your head, pulling the cold water from your hair as it trickled down your back. It took another three cups before the water ran warm again against your skin.

The pop of a lid and the sweet smell of almonds alerted you moments before you felt nimble fingers begin to wash your hair. The soothing scratching against your scalp had you dropping your head forward. Sighing deeply at the relaxing feeling. His fingers stopped only for a moment when a satisfied moan left your lips, before resuming in the careful washing.

"lean your head back" his strained voice snapped you out of your daze, quickly following the order. Tilting your head back to avoid soap getting in your eyes, Byakuya began methodically rinsing your hair, gently squeezing the strands of excess moisture when he had finished. You turn to look at him over your shoulder, sending him a small smile

"thank you" 

"are you sufficiently warmed?" He always spoke so proper, even in an intimate setting as this one was. At your nod he rose gracefully, grabbing a fluffy white towel from the counter. Turning to face you he held it open, giving you privacy to stand up without flashing everything you had. Once you climbed out the bath and pulled the plug, Byakuya wrapped the towel around you, holding it closed with his arms around your back. You rested your palms on his chest, looking up into his grey eyes.

Your heart beat heavily in your chest as he leaned in ever so slightly, stopping himself before he followed through. Wanting to show your gratitude, you closed the distance, eyes fluttering closed as you kissed him sweetly. Afraid you read the signs wrong at his stiffening body, you were about to pull back when his arms gripped you tighter, pulling you flush against his body.

A sigh parted your lips, in which he took advantage, shyly slipping his tongue into your mouth to caress your own. A jolt ran up your body at the contact, the kiss was so unfamiliar to you, having only kissed one person the past decade, yet you sank into it easily. One of his hands smoothed over your back, sliding its way to the back of your head and grasping your hair lightly, changing the position of your head to his liking.

You both parted, each breathing heavily as you stared into eachothers eyes, searching for any regret. Not finding any, Byakuya gently kissed your forehead, mumbling into the skin "you must be tried. I shall go find you something to sleep in"

He released you to walk back into his bedroom. Sleep was the last thing on your mind at that moment, the kiss suddenly waking you fully. Taking a moment to centre yourself, you grabbed another towel to roughly dry your hair. Helping yourself to a comb you quickly brushed through your hair before following. Upon entering the bedroom, you saw one half of the beds blanket pulled back, ready for you to slide in.

Byakuya stood at the foot of the bed, white T-shirt in hand "I hope this will suffice" he said, holding out the offered garment. You nod with a shy smile, slipping it over your head before removing the towel. Placing it in Byakuyas waiting open palm, his nod to the bed had you climbing in, wrapping the blanket around you as he returned the towel to the bathroom.

You sat up on his return, noticing he was avoiding eye contact. "Sleep well" he muttered before turning to the door

"wait," you call out confused, speaking to his back as he didn't turn around, luckily he did stop walking "where are you going?"

"I was going to sleep in the spare room"

"don't be silly, come sleep in your bed" you insist, pulling the blanket back for him. The look he gave you over his shoulder was uncertain,

"YN, I don't think.."

"just get into bed, Byakuya" you told him, adding an almost desperate "please"

A another protest died on your lips as he continued on to the door, for him to only switch off the light. You laid down as he got into bed, snuggling into the fluffy pillow facing him. You noticed how far away he was from you, practically laying on the edge of the bed, staring up to the ceiling . You smiled into the darkness, reaching out to grab his hand. He jumped at the contact which widened your grin. Infamous Captain of the 6th being startled? Impossible 

You tugged gently on his hand, pulling him towards you "you'll fall off if you stay over there" you whispered to him. You were pleased when he relented, Scooching closer to you, to also lay on his side facing you. Your hands stayed joined together between you. The darkness of the room made it difficult to make out his features, unable to see how he was feeling, you decided to bring up the elephant in the room .

"we can forget it happened, if you prefer" you say, regarding the kiss. Clearly he was struggling with it, you were surprised that you weren't.

"I don't want that" he admitted, shuffling closer to you, you could feel his breath ghosting your face.

"I don't either"

You could see Byakuya lean forward hesitantly, before closing the gap and bumping into your nose. You giggle as he ran a hand down his face

"I am sorry. It's just, it's been a while" he trailed off.

"it's okay"  you sooth, the moon shining through the window illuminated his face just enough for you to make out where his features were, so you leaned in to kiss him gently. He reciprocated just as sweetly, not demanding more than you were willing to give. Sliding your body closer to his, your free hand cupped his smooth cheek, increasing the pressure of your lips.

Byakuya groaned deep in his throat, parting your lips with his own to explore your mouth with his tongue. His free hand settled on your waist, pulling you closer to him. His hand wandered as you kissed, gently caressing up your side, a burning trail left in its wake. You let your hand trail down from his cheek, easily slipping into the robe he wore. His breath hitched as your fingers made contact with his well defined chest. Smoothing over the soft skin you explored his chest, causing a slight jolt as you brushed over a nipple.

Byakuya deepened the kiss, lifting from the bed slightly to lean over you. Your hand traveled up to his shoulder, gently pushing the thin material away. Breaking away from the kiss, breath mixing between you as you panted deeply, Byakuya shrugged off the arm of his robe before doing the same on the other side. Pooling at his waist, secured by a knotted sash, his arms and chest were exposed. Your fingers tickled over his chest, marvelling at the smoothness. His pale skin was flawless, void of any blemishes.

Leaning down to capture your lips, Byakuya cupped the side of your neck, gently stroking your cheek with his thumb. Reaching up, your fingers found the tie holding his hair back, with a gentle tug you pulled it free, letting his silky strands cascade over his shoulders. A small moan escaped you, heat pooled at your centre as you pushed your thighs together craving friction at his answering groan.

"are you certain?" Byakuya spoke lowly, lips centimetres away from your own. You nod, teeth capturing your full bottom lip, teasing the skin there. You open your legs in invitation, creating space for him to fill, which he immediately slipped into at your verbal response

"please, I need you"

The back I've his fingers trailed down your cheek, following the slope of your neck, the path followed by tentative kisses. Tilting your head to the side to grant him more room, the intensity of those searing kisses increased. You wrapped your legs around his own, tangling your legs together under the blanket. His fingertips brushed up your thigh, tickling the sensitive skin with the hardened callouses formed from decades of training with a zanpakuto , slowly pushing up the hem of the T-shirt you wore. His hot breath ghosted over your neck, breathing deeply near the shell of your ear making you shiver in anticipation.

Trailing your fingers down his naked chest, you groaned into the room as he suckled on your pulse point, sending a wave of arousal through you

"Byakuya" you whine wantonly, "please" 

His fingers grip the bottom of your top, pulling it slowly up your body and exposing your skin to the cool rooms air. Lifting slightly to aid in his attempt to pull it over your head and off you completely. Dropping it over the side of the bed, Byakuya surged forward to kiss you soundly, tongues meeting in a sensual dance. Your nails raked down his sides, hard muscles twitched under your fingertips. The sensation caused his body to jerk forward, his still covered arousal pressing against you. You followed the path to his gown, nimbly untying the sash holding it together and pulling it away completely, letting the garment follow your T-shirt.

You could feel everywhere his hot skin pressed against your own. A strong hand gripped hold of your hip, halting your squirming. Trembling slightly, the hand glided up your body, over the curves of your body to gently cup your breast. A shaky breath left his parted lips as he brushed a thumb over your hardened nipple, eliciting a addictive moan from you. You closed your eyes at the sensation, savouring the pleasure as he sweetly kissed his way down your neck, following the line of your sternum. When his hot mouth covered your nipple, sucking gently, you cried out.

Lavishing attention on your breasts, Byakuya pushed himself closer to you, letting you feel the weight of his arousal on your lower stomach. You reached between you, wrapping your fingers around him and gave an experimental tug. He hummed in approval around your nipple, the vibrations sending a shiver through you. His penis felt smooth in your hand, a decent length with a slight upwards curl. You brushed your thumb over the weeping head, spreading the moisture to slicken up the next downward stroke of your hand. Byakuyas hips surged forward, chasing the exquisite heat encasing his cock.

Removing himself from your breasts, Byakuya sat back on his haunches. His hands gently parted your thighs before removing your hand from his length. Bringing it up to his lips to leave a chaste kiss on your knuckles before setting it on your stomach. You jumped in surprise as one of his fingers brushed up the centre of your sex, teasing it's way through your folds and spreading the moisture already there. You squeezed your thighs around him, head thrown back into the pillow in pleasure. Carefully he inserted two fingers into your heat, torturously slow he began to pump them into your velvety walls, coating them with your arousal.

Your heavy breathing was loud to your ears, keening softly at the delicious feeling of being filled. Your hips gyrated subtly on his hand, seeking out more. The hand not caressing your inner walls held your hips in place with a squeeze. Mercifully he increased his pace, plunging into your wet depths with accuracy. You moaned loudly, arching your back and pushing your heaving breasts higher. Your fingers gripped the sheets beneath you, desperate to hold onto something as the pressure built in your lower stomach

Feeling your walls tighten and spasm around his fingers, Byakuya held himself over you, large hand planted on the pillow next to your head. His hair fell around you, a curtain of black encasing you both in a protective shield from the outside world. Your arms wrapped themselves around his back, nails digging into the flesh at his shoulders. Fingers expertly bringing you to the edge of euphoria, Byakuya watched as your face contorted in pleasure, ready to swoop in and swallow your guttural moan as you exploded around his fingers.

Your body shook with trembles, the aftermath of an intense orgasm. You lessened your grip in his shoulders, soothing away the indents made by your nails with the palm of your hands. Breathing heavily, you regained enough coordination to return his desperate kiss. Parting, you reached down between you, holding his own neglected erection and directed it to the opening of your twitching core. As soon as the head made contact with your dampened folds, Byakuya pushed his hips forward, sheathing himself into your velvety heat.

Byakuya lowered himself onto you, forearms supporting most of his weight as he buried his head into your neck, moist breath coating your skin as he savoured the tight grip you had on him. He groaned into your neck, kissing you lightly as you wrapped your legs around his own, trapping him deep inside you. You squirmed under him, aching for him to move. Byakuya sighed out your name, sounding like a prayer from his lips as he slowly began thrusting into you. The deliberate drag of his hardened length pushing into your wet heat had you clenching your eyes tightly. 

Your moans mixed with his quiet groans in the otherwise silent room. He adorned your neck with loving kisses as he increased the power behind his thrusts, chasing after his building orgasm. Your hands mapped out the muscles in his back, moving under your palm with every thrust. The slapping of skin grew louder as he increased his speed. The need for cool air brought him out from the crook of your neck, choosing instead to  watch your face contort in pleasure under him. 

You open your eyes to meet his, already staring at you with unabashed desire. You manage a small smile before a particularly hard thrust had you seeing stars, mouth parted prettily as you choked out a moan. You lift your hips to meet his downward thrusts, pushing him into you to the hilt. 

"YN" he whispered full of praise as he peppered kisses on your face. You wrapped your around around his sticky back, thin sheen of sweat covering you both. 

"Byakuya " you groan, the tightening in your lower stomach becoming almost painful "please"

He captured your lips in a desperate kiss, thrusting into you in a punishing pace. The band snapped, a wave of pleasure washed over you as you sobbed out his name, breaking the kiss. The clenching of your inner walls gripped him in almost paralysing pleasure, his thrusts turned erratic and he pushed himself over the edge, following you into his own powerful orgasm. He stilled momentarily, breathing heavily through his nose, eyes squeezed shut in bliss. A few shallow thrusts followed as your spasming heat milked him  of his ejaculate. 

Heart rate steadily coming down, limbs heavy with exhaustion, Byakuya leaned down, kissing you softly. Slowly pulling himself from you, too sensitive to remain buried within you, he laid down heavily beside you, pulling you into his arms. You laid in silence, coming down from your high as you calmed your breathing. Byakuyas fingers drew patterns into the skin of your side absentmindedly, relishing in the post orgasmic glow. His fingers slowly trailed to a stop, arm hung heavily over your waist as his breathing evened out. You glanced up to confirm he had fallen asleep. 

Blindly reaching down, you gather the blanket to pull over your rapidly cooling bodies. You turn slowly in his arms, looking out to the window. The storm had passed, the lightening sky told you day break was fast approaching. Exhaustion laid heavily on your eyes, sleep threatening to pull you under. Giving in, you close your eyes, the image of your husband flashing through them. Your heart clenched painfully until Byakuyas arm tightened around your middle, pulling you closer into his chest as he sleepily nuzzled into your hair. A content small smile graced your lips as you succumb to the pull of sleep 

"forgive me, my love"

the last fleeting thought you had before you surrendered to the darkness 

#byakuya kuchiki #bleach fanfiction #bleach #bleach fandom #bleach tybw #byakuya smut #bleach smut #im so sorry for how long it is 😂 #bleach anime #its over ten k 👀🫣 #tybw #captain kuchiki #kuchiki byakuya #kuchiki clan

[twojackals]

It starts at the top

Rev. Dr. Tamara Siuda is a good person who I admire. I consider her a mentor and I probably always will to some degree. She is a skilled Egyptologist, a talented divination professional, a beloved spiritual leader (even still to me now, that remains true), and I dare say under different circumstances she'd be easily considered a friend -- the problem is, no one these days has access to Tamara Siuda long enough to be her friend -- but what's worse is that in, my opinion, no one has enough access to Tamara Siuda to be her devotee, either.

And that is definitely one of the big reasons behind my dropping down from Shemsu-Ankh to Remetj.

Let's roll back for a second though.

Rev. Dr. Tamara Siuda is the creator of Kemetic Orthodoxy (not Kemeticism, but Kemetic Orthodoxy in specific. She is a truly beloved spiritual leader, and the self-proclaimed incarnation of the Kingly Ka (a spiritual component linking all Pharonic Kemet rulers, aka Pharaohs). She had a calling, and a vision, and she did everything she could to bring those ideas and visions to fruition. Enter Kemetic Orthodoxy.

I arrived in the House late 2000. The year 2000 was a different time: Some people like me will tell you the old days were the better days, and we really do mean it; however, it doesn't come without its caveats. We were smaller back then, and that isn't something I deny to be an easier situation. With a smaller community size, came differences. Much different, in fact. So different, it may have well been an entirely different religion in a lot of ways, not in belief structure, but in access to the people most important to be the guiding lights of the path itself, and interaction with Hemet (a word conveying a type of royalty), or Rev. Dr. Tamara Siuda, was not at all infrequent.

Having an actual human relationship with Rev. Dr. Siuda back then wasn't a difficult task, and it is what I remember most fondly about "the old days", as it were.

Today, you can literally go months without ever seeing Hemet in any accessible KO location. It's strange because I think I didn't notice it for a long time, and only began to realize the extent of this isolation / disconnection for myself when I first joined her Patreon server. While I had spent the 3+ years (4 come Wep Ronpet) since re-joining the temple wondering "where is Hemet in all of this these days" as her presence grew ever more scant, joining her Patreon would be a refreshing surprise, because basically: there she is. It's not terribly difficult to touch base with her when you're on her Patreon Discord or in one of her Patreon programs, and that shook my world a bit more than I thought it would. To the point where it became one of the reasons I pulled out of the same program after being in it for only a very short amount of time.

Where was Hemet? Well she was there, for anyone who was willing to pay for it at least, and that bothered me to my very core. To be extremely clear, I do not believe she means it to look this way. I do not believe it is her intention for things to be this way, but as per our capitalistic society, maybe that's just the way it needs to be.

That sent me spiraling back into my memories, some more recent than others. We had for years disavowed the idea of a "paywall" inside Kemetic Orthodoxy, for example. Even the old mailing list which was a "Donate $5 and get access to extra stuff!" was a source of disdain: People considered that "tiered access", though I think the donation aspect still exists but not held in perpetuity or the like (you donate once, no one notices if you never donate again). But today, the quality of what you get is no longer there anyway, even for $5. I suppose that is because holding anything back "just for donors" brings that "tiered access" problem back. Today, the list you are subscribed to is nothing but a regurgitation of some Daybook content, and it appears to be queued up robotically with absolutely no customization.

It's funny because if you read what the list is meant to provide, it is that Daybook content as well as (quote) "hymns, prayers, and other tidbits provided by Hemet (AUS)." We used to get that back in the day, to be clear. The tidbits, prayers, hymns… we used to even have access to KO blog-style posts from Hemet multiple times per week. Unfortunately, those days are long gone, and as I mentioned, the mailing list is nothing but the same Daybook content on a never-ending carousel, the beautiful inspirational blog posts are long gone, and Hemet is about as distant as both of them.

As a result, I hardly consider the "mailing list" to be a form of tiered content, but there was at one point in the House's history a time when people cried about the disparity between those with $5, and those without, despite always needing donations, and I suppose here we are.

When you think about the fact that we no longer have the access to Hemet we once did, we no longer have the relationship to Hemet we once did, we no longer get the tidbits, prayers, hymns, and other unique content we once did, and no one really cares if you continue donating "at least $5 in a calendar year or not" to be on it, you realize that list is really nothing anymore. It's just recurring mush pre-scheduled and unlovingly dumped into your box at midnight or like, akin to so much spam we avoid day in and day out, and you still technically have to pay $5 for it.

But all the while we the Kemetic Orthodox crowd is getting this regurgitated content and limited access, people are in fact able to get plenty of access to Hemet and personalized relationships and advice... just not within the actual religion she created. And the way they do that is, in fact, by paying for it: the one thing we kept saying we didn't want to do as a religion, but that we can -- and dare I say, should -- do. Because listen: I recognize capitalism, and that nothing operates on hopes and prayers. There should be tiered access available within Kemetic Orthodoxy that gives access to programs and resources so that donations do happen and that Hemet does not need to go to Patreon independently to do what she needs to do, and our community can again have an access to its spiritual leader that makes that much more worth being here to begin with.

Because I can get the Gods anywhere -- I can only get Kemetic Orthodoxy here though.

But at the same time, you can't keep asking for donations, and delivering almost nothing to the very religion you created. And I do not say that in a vacuum, because before you say "all she does behind the scenes", I already know quite a bit of what she does behind the scenes, and I'm here to tell you quite point-blank: it isn't enough (clarify: it isn't enough to only be behind the scenes and just tell people you really really promise you're doing tons of work, even if you never see or get to interact with me).

I'm sorry, Tamara.

It's weird, I know, I sound like I'm speaking against her, but yet seem to turn it around entirely saying things like she should be available via paywalls. It also seems like I'm screaming into a void of entitlement, but again that's not meant to be the case. If you look at what I'm saying, you will understand I am not speaking 'against' her at all. I am in favor of her doing every single thing she must to find joy, happiness, and yes money, because that's the world we live in... and if that's outside Kemetic Orthodoxy, so be it. But you can't necessarily be "King", either, at the same time.

I do not agree with the idea that the only place you can seem to get access to our own spiritual leader in any significant capacity, is outside of the very religion she created. And creating a religion is no small thing, particularly if you are going to be assigned the literal role of Royalty that comes down from a very long, long line. I mean, she won't even participate in our own Discord, and to be clear, she is definitely participating in her own. So this is not a technology-gap kind of thing, and while the excuse over time has always been that people will try to overwhelm her, there are ways of dealing with that -- none of which anyone is willing to explore.

That responsibility you create by the process of birthing an entire religious movement into this world… it cannot be quantified by contracts, donation levels, exterior commitments, or other spiritual lives you may lead. If you create a path followed by hundreds, you need to be there, because that is your creation from the ground up, your baby, and all the babies that came from it depend on you for as long as it remains standing. "How do you make money", "How do you keep it going", "How do you find the time" -- all good questions, and all not questions anyone in the religion you've created technically needs to worry about, because it wasn't their choice to make this path, it was only their choice to follow it.

By making a statement of such importance as being the incarnation of an ancient, profound, holy and somewhat unbroken energy, followed up without a commitment that reflects the very innate reverence and humility contained within the statement itself, is a paradox I am having great difficulty to reconcile, not the least of which is how you can claim to be this, but also be dual-aspected in terms of your own spirituality in your own personal life as well (something I will not comment further on, asit is a point of bitterness I cannot overcome right now but also a very complex point as well that is not fair for me to touch on).

Simply speaking, after great, deep consideration, I have simply had to come to the conclusion as follows:

Rev. Dr. Tamara Siuda, who I still admire, and deeply respect, is not the incarnation of the Kingly Ka of Pharonic Kemet. She remains an amazing spiritual leader, a strong and experienced divination practitioner (which is why I still accept my RPD results), and a beautiful soul. But in its current incarnation? I feel Rev. Dr. Tamara Siuda has functionally abandoned Kemetic Orthodoxy in one too many ways, and I do not believe any true modern-day King could be capable of such a serious lapse or gap.

In a not-insignificant way, I do feel she avoids her community more than she embraces it, and that makes me sad. Too sad to stay as I was any longer, because I was not getting what I needed from a spiritual community, and too much of it went back to Tamara in specific.

It's possible, one day, I will change my mind about this. I am not so arrogant to think I will never change my mind again, I am 41 years old and have changed my mind more times than I can count. But for now, I agreed I would talk about why I've decided to make these changes in my Kemetic spiritual life, and this needed to be said if I was going to be honest. This is how I feel, right now, for today, and probably tomorrow.

I've cut out quite a bit of material from this, things I wrote down in my first few days after I made the change to Remetj that were perhaps a lot more harsh than I intended. I re-read it to myself and, while a lot of it still made sense, I decided it was just not fair to post. Instead, I tried to balance the way I feel, and the things I want to say, with enough balance that I can still project how disappointed I am in the state of everything and turns of events (or lack thereof), without equally projecting a serious attack against another person (which is not my intent).

I am not here to attack. I am here to express, and that will walk a fine line not everyone is going to agree with.

As usual, I'm fairly OK with that. Edit: Wow... in writing this, I wasn't expecting it to feel like a 20-lbs weight has been lifted from my chest, and my heart, and my soul. But here we are.

Edit 2: Someone on Facebook decided to state that I believe Hemet is a "dirty capitalist" -- I want to be clear that if this is what you've gotten from this post, you are wildly mistaken. Either I am not calling her that at all, or I am simply calling us all dirty capitalists, due to the innate unavoidability of capitalism itself. Ultimately, the idea is to combine 'necessary capitalism' with KO in order to save it and to ensure its spiritual leader can survive on what is connected to the House, rather than what comes from outside the House.

But, I was also accused of stating that Hemet should spend 'all of her free time' in the House, and that is a bit more tricky to address. Here's the thing: if you're going to call yourself King / Pharaoh, perhaps this is the responsibility that comes along with it -- whether that is 'palatable' to people becomes irrelevant.

Edit 3: Because we need these edits, yo. To be crystal clear, I also believe there are alternatives to Tamara being "only involved" in KO, but that's going to involve her a) speaking more readily, honestly, and openly to her congregation on a regular basis (perhaps not every day, but regular, none the less), b) dropping down from a position of "King" to something more akin to High Priest or Spiritual Leader so that her role makes more sense, c) creating full delegation to a wide group of people to run the Temple and its resources/platforms (something where change is happening slower than a snail can jog), d) dropping all contracts that indicate she will work x-amount-of-hours for x-amount-of-pay, because the organization is no where near big enough or committed enough to support it, unless e) they finally agree to integrate some revenue stream into the Temple itself. I'm not saying I have all the answers. I'm saying the way it is now, doesn't work, and will only get worse. I am hoping for change that bridges the gaping divides, and I don't have a scripted plan to 100% tell anyone how that would go. I just know that it can't stay like this, and as long as it does, Kemetic Orthodoxy is not for me. Like I said: I can get the Gods anywhere.

#blog #kemetic #kemet #personal #netjer #religion #pagan #spirituality #spiritual #growth #spiritual journey #kemetic orthodoxy #kemeticism #paganism #polytheism #polytheist #gods #ancient egypt

[wangxianficrecs]

💙 The loudest silence by barisan

💙 The loudest silence

by barisan (@barisan-no)

T, 15k, Wangxian

Part of the MDZS Mini Remix for Tired Adults™

Summary: In almost two decades of peace and with a whole generation who has not known differently, it is hard for those who sit above such dangers to fear a banal death. In a lifetime of not knowing what it means to be truly and utterly alone in such a world, it is hard to understand it is often a sentence. Or, a remix of our beloved post-cql WWX whump Kay's comments: You know I'm so weak for post-CQL WWX whump and of course, barisan never fails to deliver when it comes to WWX whump. This story was such a treat with many revelations and the re-appearance of some, who were thought long lost. One of them Wen Qing! And she even gets to have a wife! Absolutely love that. Really loved how this story didn't offer a magical solution. The road of healing is a long one and just Lan Wangji appearing will not fix everything either. Still, a happy ending is guaranteed. Excerpt: It had been over a month since Wei-qianbei’s last letter. It had felt wrong not to join him on his travels, yet they had been too far from the location and Wen Yuan had just started to feel at ease with his identity. Hearing stories about his parents, his family and his clan from Ning-shushu, made his birth name finally feel right in his mind if not his tongue. He had not felt selfish for choosing not to go back then. Surely Wei-qianbei would understand, and wouldn’t be left alone anyways. Probably Jin Ling and the others would go, perhaps even Hanguang-Jun would make time for it. Yet now, as a group of rogue cultivators tell the tale of how they managed to lure the fearsome Yiling Laozu to his final death, he cannot stop himself from realising how foolish he had been.

pov alternating, post-the untamed, the untamed canon, wei wuxian whump, wen qing lives, lan sizhui is a wen, mental health issues, major character injury, angst with a happy ending, hopeful ending, healing, families of choice, rogue cultivator wei wuxian, wei wuxian is not oblivious, hurt wei wuxian

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

#Wangxian Fic Rec #The Untamed #Wangxian #MDZS #Kay's Rec #Kay's Favorite #November 2023 #The loudest silence #barisan #medium fic 15k-49k #Teen #pov alternating #post-the untamed #the untamed canon #wei wuxian whump #wen qing lives #lan sizhui is a wen #major character injury #angst with a happy ending #hopeful ending #healing #families of choice #rogue cultivator wei wuxian #wei wuxian is not oblivious #hurt wei wuxian

[unhonestlymirror]

Okay, so,

Kenjaku said that the way to capture Gojo Satoru was to make him stand in one place for 10 seconds. How was it possible to do for the strongest sorcerer? If you can't find a gap in his body, find a gap in his mental state. Kenjaku knew he had to make Gojo Satoru shocked enough, and most importantly, he knew HOW to do it.

This leads to a question: For how long had Kenjaku been thinking about capturing the body of Geto Suguru? When did this idea appear? Fandom likes to joke about Kenjaku just randomly finding his body on the streets - just to copy with the fact that it's almost impossible for Kenjaku NOT to watch Geto and Gojo after Toji incident. Or even earlier.

Most likely, Kenjaku paid Toji through the third parties to kill Star Plasma Vessel. Kenjaku either knew that Gojo&Geto would be her bodyguards or even appointed Gojo&Geto as bodyguards himself, again, through the third parties (higher-ups).

The main Toji's mission wasn't to kill Riko Amanai. His main mission was to kill Gojo Satoru, and he didn't even guess about it. A truly wonderful political scheme from Kenjaku, who himself mentioned it was always a pain in the ass to deal with Six Eyes Gojo.

But! Something didn't go according to plan. Everything really went wrong - but not because Riko Amanai died, unfortunately, her fate was already established, and it never was a big deal for Tengen to lose a Star Plasma Vessel. Everything went wrong because Gojo Satoru refused to die.

The personality of Toji Fushiguro himself played an important role in this. This is what Kenjaku could not foresee. Toji was a hitman who did his job so well that people probably said he was a maniac. What's funny is that Kenjaku fell for the rumours. If you shift your focus from how traumatic the Toji incident was for Gojo&Geto, you can see that Toji usually kills his victims quickly, painlessly, with a minimum of destruction, without humiliation and tortures, he doesn’t kill those who weren't in the list.

For Gojo, he made an exception because Gojo was the strongest from the very beginning, and he required a separate tool. Even with it, Toji didn't snap Gojo in a half, he didn't decapitate Gojo, although he MUST have heard the legends about Six Eyes possibilities, as a former Zenin. Nevertheless, all Toji did was stabbing Gojo Satoru into the skull from ossis parietalis and a throat??? Not from the back of ossis occipitalis where the most important parts of the brain are located, without which NO ONE can live??? There were real-life people who survived after being shot in the head from ossis parietalis. Toji MUST HAVE KNOWN anatomy, MUST HAVE KNOWN about Six Eyes possibilities, and he still chose to kill Gojo Satoru in such a lame way.

What's interesting is that Riko Amanai was shot in the same exact ossis parietalis. Riko Amanai, however, was an average girl, not Six Eyes sorcerer. You can say that Toji Fushiguro suddenly forgot everything he knew about the Gojo clan, suddenly forgot anatomy, or just always liked killing people in their parietal bone - but I think it's much simpler. No matter how much Toji gaslighted himself, he still took pity on Gojo Satoru. There was literally no need to talk about the Spear of Heaven, and only now I realised what it reminded me of. It reminded me of how doctors say, "A mosquito will bite you" to children from whom they take a blood sample. That was a very professional and very perverted way to say, "I'm sorry for what I have to do to you." Toji just couldn't have decapitated a teenager. And from that moment on, Toji doomed himself to death. The fact that readers perceive Toji as a maniac who loves to humiliate people (bro, he doesn't even humiliate service staff, or non-sorcerers, or women, like Naoya does) indicates that Gege is a genius.

The cold-blooded politician Kenjaku, who never gave warm emotions to anyone, couldn't have foreseen that. Kenjaku had to urgently change plans, and the most unpleasant thing was that he had to move the deadline to get rid of Six Eyes.

[A very interesting moment to me was when Toji kicked unconscious Geto in the face and told him to thank his parents. Geto fans perceive it as humiliation because that's how it looks from aside - but they forget that the *humiliation* requires either its victim to stay conscious, or someone else watching the victim being humiliated. There was no one. If Toji really wanted to humiliate Geto, he would have woke Geto up and then kicked him in the kidneys or genitals. I think what happened is somehow connected to the fact that Geto looks strikingly similar to Noritoshi Kamo (teen) and that Kamo and Zenin clans are connected. But it's just a theory. I think there is a very interesting hidden story.]

Kenjaku had to change his plans, and that's how the Geto-Kenjaku idea was born. Contacting Kenjaku or not, it is likely that Yuki Tsukumo participated in this conspiracy because it was beneficial to her. Most likely, she knew that Noritoshi Kamo could use techniques of its previous user's body - and she believed "the devil that you know is better than the devil that you don't" (c). Yuki Tsukumo, however, didn't know what Kenjaku wanted exactly Geto's body for - otherwise, that dialogue between her and Suguru Geto would have NEVER happened. Yuki Tsukumo wasn't dumb, and she cared about her country, and she would have never left Japan without its strongest sorcerer.

It's sad that Yuki Tsukumo is being perceived either in chosoyuki context or as just a sorcerer with cool techniques. Because Yuki Tsukumo was not less a cold-blooded politician than Kenjaku, except that she cared about Japan and her close people, nevertheless, she perceived Geto as a chess piece in a bigger game. She had Kenjaku's mind and, most importantly, she understood people's hearts way better than him, it's just that she didn't have hundreds of years of experience. Kenjaku was quite rightly afraid of her.

I suspect she was originally meant to be a traitor. However, since Gege noticed that people love her, he just let her die with honour and remain an underrated hero in people's minds.

In conclusion, Gege is a genius.

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #gojo satoru #geto suguru #toji fushiguro #kenjaku #yuki tsukumo #jjk thoughts