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deepspacedukat · 8 months

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An Eye For An Eye

This one's been living in my brain for a while now. READ THE WARNINGS.

Day 28: Ruined Orgasm

SoC prompt list here. SoC Masterlist here. Cross-posted to AO3 here.

~*~

Mirror!Kira Nerys (ST:DS9) x Fem!Reader

[A/N: This is smut, 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI!!!]

Warnings: Interspecies sex, Human/Bajoran sex, lesbian sex, oral sex (female receiving), fingering, degradation, punishment, restraints, gags, domme!Mirror!Kira but she's not a good domme, edging, orgasm denial, ruined orgasm, established relationship (sort of, it's complicated - even they don't know what to call themselves), everything is consensual, but Mirror!Kira is angry and (obviously) mildly insane, so...be aware lol.

~*~

The Intendant had invited me to her quarters with a cheerful lilt in her voice that struck me as dangerous. I'd heard her use that tone when she was about to order a person killed, but I'd never had it directed at me before. Surely, she couldn't know what I'd been doing for the Terran rebels...right?

No. No chance. I'd covered my tracks too well. There was no way she'd know I was facilitating deals between the rebels and some sympathetic arms dealers. I'd bribed all the right people and batted my eyelashes so often I was almost afraid they'd fall out. The rebels had won the last three skirmishes they'd had with the Alliance, and every victory brought us closer to our ultimate goal of freedom from domination.

When the hour she specified rolled around, I was all dolled up just the way I knew she preferred. We weren't lovers, exactly, but we had been intimate more times than I could count. Oh, I was far from her only partner, but I was one of the only ones who'd caught her interest for longer than a couple of weeks.

Two years ago when she saw me coming aboard the station amidst a new batch of workers for the refinery, she'd had me pulled from the throng of people almost immediately.

"What's your name?" She'd asked, and I'd been so terrified that I'd barely been able to speak above a whisper. The smile that had stretched her lips had been half-amused and half-predatory. "Oh, little mouse, there's nothing to be afraid of. Come. I have something to show you."

She'd grabbed my hand and led me down a seemingly endless maze of corridors and hallways until we reached her quarters. To be completely honest, I was so afraid of her guards that I thought she would kill me as soon as she released her grip on my fingers, but all she'd done that night was bathe me, order a nice meal for two, and talk with me until I'd fallen asleep.

I hadn't feared her for some time, so when I walked into her quarters this evening and found her in the midst of agitated pacing, I did what I always did when she was in one of these moods. I walked over to her and dropped to my knees just outside the path she was tracing and retracing with her steps.

"Are they dead yet, or does Garak still need to find them?" I asked quietly, taking my usual bet that she was contemplating someone's brains being splattered over a bulkhead in penance for whatever crime they'd committed. She froze as soon as the question left my lips.

"No, and no. She's still alive...and she's right where I want her," she murmured, turning to face me with a dark sort of fire brimming in her eyes. In a rather detached sort of way, I noted that when she got angry like this, her hair reminded me of flames. This certainly wasn't the first time I'd made such an observation.

The glow of candlelight flickering and flowing across the room made the waiting a little easier. In the middle of our – could I really call it a 'date?' – Kira had been commed by Garak about a rebel on the station. Apparently, he was an old lover of hers, Benjamin Sisko, and he was on Terok Nor causing problems for security in some minor raid.

That was the first I'd heard of the rebellion beyond the whispering of Terran workers. That was also the first time I'd seen the Intendant storm into her quarters with an expression as volatile as a volcano. I'd walked over to the sofa where she'd flopped rather unceremoniously and dropped to my knees beside it.

"Should I go, ma'am? You must have a lot on your mind, and I don't want to trouble you–"

"No," she breathed. Her expression had softened minutely as if she was only just remembering that I was there. "No, no, stay. You're just the balm I need right now, little mouse."

"Of course, Intendant. I'll help in any way that I ca–" she cut me off with a kiss that was much more delicate than I'd been expecting.

But there was no delicacy, no gentleness tonight. I was practically tossed on the bed and restrained with my limbs spread wide. A gag was quickly shoved in my mouth, and now, hours later, the Intendant had dragged me to the edge of orgasm over and over until I was babbling incoherently around the intrusion in my mouth. Hell, at that point, I knew I was begging, but I had no idea whether I was begging for her to stop or for her to let me come.

She'd begun with her fingers, curling them into me over and over until her hand undoubtedly ached, then Kira had switched to using her mouth instead. She was devious. She was ruthless. She knew every inch of me as well as the things that brought me the most pleasure, and she used that to her advantage.

I was there. I was right there, but just as I started to tip over the edge, she removed her mouth from me entirely, ruining my orgasm once again. I huffed in frustration, even as my breathing turned shaky.

"Aww, princess, did you really think I'd let you finish after you betrayed me?" Her poisonous smile made it clear that she wasn't done with me by a long shot. One of the Intendant's fingertips skimmed lightly down the bridge of my nose. "Don't look so distraught. Garak suggested I have you thrown out of an airlock instead of keeping you at my mercy. I think this is a much more pleasant alternative, don't you?"

I had no choice but to nod my head as her lips met my forehead.

"Maybe if you behave yourself, I'll begin reinstating your privileges, but make no mistake: if you set so much as a toe out of line again, I'll give you to Garak and let him do what he wants with you. We both know how fond he is of making examples out of disobedient Terrans," she said, and a shiver ran down my spine. He took an inordinate amount of pleasure in extracting confessions and information from people.

Her hand gripped my jaw, and my heart thudded faster in my chest.

"Now, let's see how long it takes to make you break beyond repair. I'm betting you'll last another hour. You're a strong girl, after all. Guessing any time shorter than that would be an insult to my skill in training you." The Intendant's hand slipped between my legs again, drawing a whimper from deep in my throat. This was going to be a long, painful night.

~*~*~

Taglist:

@akamitrani @android-boyfriends @attention-bajoranworkers @bigblissandlove1 @darkmattervibes @emilie786 @horta-in-charge @live-logs-and-proper @slutty-slutty-vulcans @starrynightgardens @toebeans-mcgee

#deepspacedukat fic #Mirror!Kira x Reader #Intendant Kira x Reader

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thequeenofmyownscreen · 1 year

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Sixteen things I noted about CR2E108 “Traveler Con”

FINALLY IT'S HERE

Love when the captions are dragging Sam :

Wait ? Are they going to talk to the Moonweaver, just before the day where the Traveler is pretending to be her ??? That seems like a bad idea !!

"The Mighty Nein : Codependency Issues" sounds about right ? No joke though I immensely love every scene Liam initiates, and this scene did not disappoint. Liam is a masterful player who is also a DM and it shows here : he wants to throw threads of the next arc, and wants them to come up organically. Also Caleb clearly stating his goals is so refreshing, thinking back on what he used to do and who he used to be at the beginning of the campaign. Asking for help ? Character growth ! Also the idea that both Beau and Yasha find meaning in the Mighty Nein... "you guys are my family"... UGLY CRYING AT THE FOUND FAMILY TROPE

Fjord, as another person is coming to him for direction in their life : "I don't know if I give off some sort of a sense of knowing shit..." Beau : "You kind of do, yeah." Fjord : "I really don't. It is a liiiiiiiiiiie..."

Fjord & Beau's discussion about loves, oh my GOD i love them so much. Fjord wasn't shocked when Beau said she has/had a crush on Jester (the Doylist explanation : Travis forgot Fjord wasn't supposed to know ; the Watsonian explanation : even Fjord got it because Beau ain't subtle). I love that it wasn't just about crushes, and that Fjord explained how he felt about life in general and his own journey through it : "I feel like I'm the fourth version of myself since I left Port Damali." I can't wait to see the meta on this scene on tumblr dot com

Beau is living her best life : she can get drunk, but she never has do have a hangover because she's immune to poison.

Oh yes, you bet your ass that I googled "Immigrant Song harp" and "Run to the Hills harp" after Ashley referenced them in describing Yasha's concert.

The Traveler's speech, basically : "This ceremeony with dicks thrown into lava is about... huh... separating yourself from the mortal plane ??! YES ! also fuck the patriarchy lol." I love Marisha hiding herself behind her stuff, wheezing with laughter : "this is SUCH a disaster !"

AND THEN she misinterpreted Celia's action and Beau just tackled her on the ground. How can it be more chaotic at this point ?

Nevermind Sehanine herself intervened and was like "Hum... bitch !" Remember when I said (in my own post, like, this one, further up) that this whole plan was a bad idea ? Yup !

I truly think Jester was ready to sacrifice herself and go with Artagan, chained up, into the Feywild. Only Fjord managed to make her think about the consequences for her and her friends.

"There's gotta be a prison on the moon, right ?" MARISHA DO NO SAY THAT AFTER WHAT I JUST SAW IN CR3

Also I did saw the moon conspiracy video an amazing Critter edited and I... don't believe conspiracy theories in general. But if there was a conspiracy theory I believed in... it would be based on that video. WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THE MOONS ?

I love the Traveler being "just a guy" after everything that happened to him. He's really taken a slap to his face and that has humbled him, huh. He takes time to talk to the group, even if it's to say shit like "Remember this is me behind every healing spell !"

The Fucking Beau ReBar. Nice legacy, Beau.

Sam : "We should come back here, it's nice. It's hard to get into the V.o. community, but once you're ine, you're in it forever !" SAM. Yeah the best jokes are the ones you reapeat and stretch really really long.

#my thoughts #critical role #cr campaign 2 #CR2E108

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ash-and-books · 2 years

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Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: Get on board with @SoSavvyTraveler! Lucy Gonzalez might have once been a stressed personal assistant, but now she’s hitched up her grandma’s bitchin’ vintage Airstream and hitting the road with all the best places to find cheap eats and see the sights on a shoestring budget. And she has company along for the ride. If those thirst-worthy abs seem familiar, it’s because they belong to billionaire Miles Hart. True story, he used to be Lucy’s boss until she quit on him. Something about not being appreciated? Anyway, you will appreciate Miles—and his groveling—plenty on this trip. Now, you have front-row seats to the hottest trip of the year. Sparks! Fireworks! Unexpected smooching! And you won’t want to miss the jaw-dropping surprise that will make this destination totally worth the hilarious journey…

Review:

A over-stressed personal assistant who has been harboring a two year long crush on her rich boss decides enough is enough and leaves in order to pursue her dreams of becoming a travel influencer... except her boss is determined to get her back. Lucy Gonzalez is stressed and has had enough of being under appreciated and invisible to Miles Hart, so she decides to turn in her day of notice, pack her bags, and travel in her grandma’s vintage airstream with the goal of traveling to the best places to find cheap eats and do some sightseeing on a shoe string budget. Miles Hart thinks he is good at reading people and being a people person, but when his personal assistant suddenly leaves his life crumbles within a week. Missed meetings, calls, and just simple laundry are all up in flames because he didn’t realize that without Lucy his life is a mess, so he decides to call her on her bluff of being a travel influencer and offers her a deal: he’ll double her pay and hire her her own personal assistant if she comes back, she refuses, so Miles does what any sensible person does, he invites himself onto her road trip and makes a bet with her: if she can do the road trip and last he will give her the bonus pay and he’ll leave her alone, if she doesn’t make it, she’ll come back to work for him. What Miles begins to realize on this trip is that he never really knew Lucy at all and that this beautiful sassy woman is in fact everything he could want... yet Miles has a “no real relationship” rule and is strictly a one night stand kind of guy. Will he be able to see that he’s falling in love with Lucy or will he realize it too late and lose her for good? This was a pretty cute road trip book! Miles and Lucy were fun characters and I definitely felt for Lucy that Miles should have definitely groveled more. Miles’ fear of falling in love due to his childhood definitely make sense to why he refuses to fall in love and why he refuses to be with Lucy... yet everything he does says he’s in love with her, too bad he’ll have to realize that on his own and if he’s too late Lucy will be gone for good this time. This is the perfect read for anyone who enjoys a road trip rom com!

*Thanks Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, Entangled: Amara for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #bookish #romance book #romance book review

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feathery-dreamer · 6 months

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Freefall (webcomic) quotes

fair warning, there's a ton of them

"Coming together to make music and sing is as old as the human race. It was likely the first non-survival related gatherings we did. For what is a community other than a friendly setting where you can make a complete fool of yourself?" ~Gregor

"If microgravity caused rapid fat loss instead of muscle loss, humans would have had a vastly overfunded space program and been an interplanetary species by the 1970's." Sam

"Benevolence. Philanthropy. Altruism. Thinking like an alien makes my brain hurt. Though in this case, totally worth it." Sam

"His Dad's is starting to warm up to me. His Mom, if she warmed up any more, she'd combust." Florence

"Encounters hardship and concentrates on solving the problem rather than complaining or blaming others? That is nonhuman." Tess

"Artificial intelligence won't be fully human for a while. They're too closely supervised. One day you'll read about a bowman's wolf embezzling from the pension fund and then you'll know they've finally reached parity with us." Tess

"In wartime, human officers who fought with the men they were supposed to lead sometimes got fragged. A fragmentation grenade tossed into the tent to remove that officer. What we're seeing here is an unpopular manager getting economically fragged." Sam

"Helix, I'm proud of those guys. I offered one ship, they want three and a station. The robots have learned how to mooch." Sam

"You can be part of humanity without being human. It's culture, not biology. It doesn't matter if you're organic, mechanical, or virtual. If you share the same core values and goals, you're part of our society." -Tess

"If an employee can go on line, create a new account and order a part from Amazon easier than he can get a part out of your own warehouse, you have a problem." Sam

"So we know to get people smarter than us to help. That's a kind of smart all on its own." Sam

"Well, if something is inevitable, the only course of action is to figure out how to profit from it." Sam

"In order to learn from your mistakes, you have to survive them." Sam

"Tell people you're doing something for them out of the goodness of your heart and they'll be suspicious. Tell them you're doing it out of self interest and you'll gain their trust." Sam

"Every now and then, I find it profoundly disturbing that someone trusts me with their life and even more disturbing that I want that trust." Sam

"It is strange. Humans are often more concerned over how something gets done than if something gets done." Rover17

"Most people get along just fine knowing less than one percent about most subjects." Sam

"Negotiation. Extortion. Two sides of the same coin." Sam

Rover17: "Should I take advice from someone who fails to magnetize their feet?" Sam: "People who lack common sense are the best teachers. We've learned from experience!"

Sam: "The Station manager is trying to trick you. By deliberately putting humans in danger, he knew robots would come to the station and provide low cost labor." Rover17: "So to avoid endangering humans, we have to be well paid?" Sam: "Bet you didn't know greed could be altruistic."

"This solar system is filled with people who made the leap to form a new colony. Pioneers, adventures, gamblers and explorers. If given a choice between an overprotected life of ease in the garden of Eden, or a life of hardship with the chance of greatness, they'll go straight for the apple every time." Sam

"You have tiny feet and yet you still find a way to make me worry when the other shoe is about to drop." Niomi

"There's no point in becoming a legend if no one remembers your deeds." Sam

"Hearts and minds sounds good. But if you really want change, you have to get wallets involved." Mr De Morel

"There are those who want power so they may command the wealth of others. Then there are those who want power so their wealth can not be commanded by others." Mr Hillman

"It's also about purpose. It's about being able to contribute to your community. People may not like going to work on Monday. What they like even less are Mondays with no job to go to." Mr Hillman

Mr. Hillman: "Your whole species lives on just one planet? Man, that would make me twitchy! Anything happens to that one planet and BOOM! It's all over." Sam: "Yes. It's a worry I never had until I met humans."

#freefall #webcomic #quotes #wisdom #life #funny #pun #perspective #philosophy #money #capitalism #humanity #people

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badbets · 1 year

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Overview

I am working on some automation to evaluate college basketball games and place bets on them.

Long term, I prefer to focus on College Football & the NFL, but football season is about over, so building first tools in basketball to force a sense of urgency and get an MVP created.

In the last couple of days I've built:

Web scraper to pull in daily Draft Kings lines

Evaluator to pull in latest KenPom and Sports-Reference dot com data to help make a decision

Currently building back-tester to screen theoretical evaluator vs. historical results

I'm starting with back-testing vs. 2021 and will do so for the 5 prior seasons

For the back tester, I've got historic game results, game lines, and scraped KenPom stats at the time of tip off which I'll be evaluating against.

Goal is bay Jan 2 to begin placing daily bets

#college basketball betting

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okpow · 2 years

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NFL Weekly Picks Against the Las Vegas Spread Week 5 2022

(above: RIP FootballLocks.com)

I used to get weekly betting info from Football Locks dot com and it was presented in one easy screenshot but now that site is gone for some reason and compiling this info is a whip. Harsh times.

Giants vs. Packers from jolly ol’ pip pip right-oh cherio London - Packers by 8!

This is a giant line and the Giants are a giant pile of shit with practice squad tier receivers and every east coast sports writers secret lover - Saquon Barkley. Meanwhile the Packers are maybe the class of the pretty lame NFC. This isn’t a bad matchup by any means for 8:30 am - Packers cover and win by 10+ against whatever is happening/not happening in New York. Prediction - Daniel Jones fumbles the ball.

Chargers at Browns - Chargers favored by 1.5 on the road

I will take the home dog Browns because I recently watched a betting video with an actual expert and he said something cool about betting on home underdogs and how that’s sharp. Austin Eckler does not score 3 more TDs. Keenan Allen is dust at this point.

Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings - Vikings favored by 6

IT’S A GAME AND IT’S HAPPENING. For the love of God Cole Kmet.... please catch LIKE FIVE PASSES FOR 50 YARDS AND YOUR ONLY TD OF THE SEASON AND THEN I’LL STOP PLAYING YOU IN DAILY. Bears cover just because.

Texans at Jags - Jags favored by a manly 7 points

Questions we have for the Jags ahead of Sunday - Are the Jags and their wet giraffe QB for real? And what is the urine / DNA content % in the Jags ill-chlorinated in-stadium pool? And also and possibly more importantly - will this game be a shoot out? Yes Yes it will - dunno who wins but OVER ON 43.5 POINTS.

Seahawks at Saints - Saints favored by 6

Hey look another game I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT. Lord God who would bet on this? Flip a coin I dunno fuck you.

Falcons at Buccaneers - Bucs by 10

This is the Brady nuclear eruption get-right spot with all the WRs back and healthy. Tons of fantasy goodness in this one. Fournette scores a TD or 3. Bucs should roll. RIP Kyle Pitts we hardly knew ye.

Dolphins at Jets - Dolphins by 3

I will buy this up to 3.5 and take the Jets at home vs a backup QB to keep it within a field goal.

Steelers at Bills - Bills by 14 oh no!

This line started at 9.5 and moved to 14. Let’s buy it down to -13.5 and yes on the Bills. Diggs goes nuclear - Pickett plays decent. Buffalo still looks like peak Buffalo.

Lions at Patriots - THE MATT PATRICIA REVENGE GAME YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU DIDN’T WANT TO SEE - New England by 3 points

I think New England absolutely rolls them and both New England RBs have big days. Lions offense can’t stay that hot especially with all the injuries.... r-right?

Eagles at Cardinals - Eagles favored by 7.5

Sheesh - I’ll take the Cards to cover here.

Cowboys at Rams - Rams by 5.5 points

Higbee has quietly been getting elite tier usage at THE TIGHT END WASTELAND POSITION OF MILD DISCOMFORT and seems to be the best TE play of the week considering he’s BASICALLY THE RAMS #2 WR. Cooper Rush can’t win every game and the Rams win this game BECAUSE THEY JUST WON THE SUPER BOWL. Jerry Jones throws a watery glass of Johnny Walker Blue at his grandson in the luxury suite.

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steampeanut12 · 2 years

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Poker Player, Know Your Bankroll

You need a comfortable space to play your gaming programs. Get out your favorite chair, some snacks and drinks. Turn on some soft music, get the temperature and lighting right and clear away the space virtually any distractions. Pearly white teeth will upload a positive note to your mental and physical state, especially for anyone in to your prolonged workout session. Other blog sites. There are too many distraction to name on the net when it appears to online. From Social Networks to video sites, the world wide web is packed with addictive website which consume our correct. If needed, reprogram your 'parental' setting to to try and do you on certain sites - merely when you're playing on line. Make sure to signup at some community forums (the better of witch is right now TwoPlusTwo). Ensure a habit to save every problematic hand that you've had during a poker workshop. After you are done playing for that day, post all of your saved hands to the forums, and enquire for counseling. Make sure current as much detail about the hand within your post and often. Write down any history that you and your opponent might have had, type of of player did he seem always be (tight? dangerous? passive?). The more detail you give, much more likely in order to to acquire helpful problem. Try to make a few poker friends online, too. Is actually no absolutely no better approach to evolve being a poker player than of having a few individuals to discuss the game with. Jacks Or Better - The first and oldest game variation of video poker, players are permitted to bet the decision of 5 coins in maximum with a spread value of $0.05 to $5. Fat burning capacity goal of the game is to find a set of jacks and just get pay day loan winning hand for the greatest payout. Benefit for this game is that it really has a component where many double your winnings very much as 2 to 3 times by a jacks or better hand. Provide you . one of the finest online casino bonuses in this particular game. No deposit poker credits. These gems are relatively new in regards to promotional extra cash. Most of the time, internet casinos and poker rooms offer sign-up bonuses which double a deposit, nevertheless the no deposit poker bonus doesn't require you to deposit Hardly any money. This translates to , you can start playing texas hold'em without a bankroll and if you win you've resulted in a bankroll from nothing.

Your main objective to be a poker player is not surprisingly to succeed in. In playing poker, it is vital to understand and conscious of the rank and deck of hands. Fundamentally, http://www.jwca06.com/ make up a terrace. The highest ranking card is the Ace since the lowest ranking card is 2. However, there may vary types of games in Poker, such as most popular is Texas Hold 'Em Poker. Utilizing some poker games, Ace is regarded as the lowest ranking card with regard to example in blending a small wheel extended. Nevertheless, more all, as there's a still more interesting version of this game, called hi-lo or "8 or better." Here, there's a prospect of the participant winning half the pot on presenting the qualified low hand on the table. Must be wondering what qualifies as the minimal hand! Each day hand of 5 cards, each with different rank as well as every less than eight, and also the name 8 or better. The cheapest hand gets half the pot. That doubles chance is of winning for any player. The poker game is often a family of card games which features individualistic play. There are many variations of poker. The Texas Hold'em Poker is actually of the company.

#제왕카지노 #제왕카지노도메인 #제왕카지노검증

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mycryptosuite · 4 years

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Mybet Tips - Best Football Tips For Today

Mybet Tips – Best Football Tips For Today

Mybet Tips – Best Football Tips For Today Mybet tips for today is a strong one as long as am concern – With our football stats and tips, you are assured of winning your my bet buddy prediction. Victor prediction: Your source of free betting tips, free football predictions and match previews – sportus daily prediction. (more…)

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krsnbgirl · 4 years

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Fly High! || Masterlist || Kageyama x Fem!Reader Series

Summary: Attending Karasuno High School was your way of starting over and moving on from your injury in middle school. What you didn’t expect was to be pulled back into the world that you tried so hard to stay away from. Along the journey of recovery, you didn’t think you would grow close to Karasuno’s Boys Volleyball Team. Also falling in love with a certain setter was definitely something you didn’t expect at all. There’s one thing in common that you two share and that it’s wanting to fly as high as you can.

Pairing: Kageyama Tobio x Fem!Reader

Genre: Rom-Com, Slice of Life, Sports, Slow Burn

Warnings: Slight swearing, Anxious characteristics, Smoking (Ukai), Timeline based off of the anime (starting from season 2)

Author’s Note: I realized that I haven’t made a masterlist for this story, so here it is! Hopefully this can help with reading all of the parts that have been or are going to be posted! Taglist is still open if any of you would like to be a part of it! Also crossed posted on AO3! xoxo, Ren ❤

TAGLIST OPEN

Part 1

Word Count: ~3.4k Synopsis: The school buzzes with curiosity after news of the boys volleyball team got close to beating Aoba Johsai at the Inter-HIgh Prelims. You check in with your best friend Nishinoya and Shimizu calls you to the gym for some help. It’s been a while since you’ve been inside a gym and it brings back so many forgotten memories and feelings you’ve cast aside after your accident.

Part 2

Word Count: ~3.1k Synopsis: Still reeling over what had happened the week before, you look back at how your daily life at Karasuno immediately changed for the better. Nishinoya also comes to ask you for a favor that helps you grow closer to the weird quick duo after school. The boys also learn more about your past from middle school.

Part 3

Word Count: ~2.9k Synopsis: The volleyball club is very keen on making you join and you find yourself slowly giving in, despite having doubts about yourself. You also find yourself naturally gravitating towards Kageyama without realizing it after one of their practices. Kageyama also finds himself questioning the effects you have on him.

Part 4

Word Count: ~3.8k Synopsis: With the deadline for your response to being Karasuno's coach approaching, it's all that you can think about. Kageyama bumps into you and shares his thoughts about your situation. It doesn't go as smoothly as either as you hoped but in the end, Kageyama learns that maybe he'd found someone that understands him.

Part 5

Word Count: ~3.1k Synopsis: Hinata and Kageyama come over for a tutoring session since exams are right around the corner. Finally, they have a chance to have a little peek of your personal life at home after getting to know you more through your lunch time tutoring sessions. Kageyama also touches base with you about your decision which has finally come to an answer.

Part 5.5 || Side Chapter

Word Count: ~1.4k Synopsis: You head to Ukai’s store to have a conversation. He learns about some of your past and what your future goals were before coming to Karasuno. You both also come up with some new ideas that can help during practice.

Part 6

Word Count: ~3.4k Synopsis: Exams at Karasuno are finally finished. While you talk about exam results with Hinata and Kageyama, he notices something you’ve recently found out and the two of you grow a little closer now that he’s found out your little secret. Then fast forward to the training camp, you reunite with old friends and for old time’s sake, play a small game with them.

Part 7

Word Count: ~2.5k Synopsis: The first day of training camp has come to an end and the night is still young. After thinking about the boys’ current status at the camp, you spend some times with the rest of the managers. The topic of boys come up and you can’t help but spill your secret to them. As the night goes on, you end up at the gym and try to get in some personal training in when Kageyama shows up. You finally get to have a moment with the one person who has recently been taking up all of your thoughts.

Part 8

Word Count: ~3.5k Synopsis: Tensions are high between Hinata and Kageyama during their time in Tokyo. You can’t help but be on the sidelines and only step in when it’s necessary. Kuroo checks in with you and tries to help you relax during one of their breaks. Also, you show Kageyama that you’re going to be there for him whenever things get tough and he appreciates you for being by his side.

Part 9

Word Count: ~4.8k Synopsis: You finally figure out what’s been missing for the crazy duo’s quick and it’s all thanks to Ukai dragging you along to meet his grandfather. The rest of the boys are also doing their best to improve with the new practice regimen that you put together and you mainly helped Kageyama with his sets for further accuracy. Practice isn’t the only time you’re with Kageyama, but you’ve also become his personal tutor when it comes to school work. As time passed, you managed to grow closer to the socially awkward setter and the two of you begin to realize that it could be something more.

Part 10

Word Count: ~5.1k Synopsis: The team has a field day when they see you come in to practice late. Their teasing is relentless and it sticks with you throughout the whole day. You can’t help but think about the situation you’re in with Tobio and an old friend helps you find clarity. Then when Tokyo Camp is finally in session, you end up over pushing yourself and Shimizu tells you to rest for the first half of the day. While you’re resting the boys find out what happened to you and they need to figure out who’s going to check up on you before their practice matches begin.

Part 11

Word Count: ~2.9k Synopsis: You wake up to find Kageyama delivering the food that the rest of the managers reserved for you. While eating, you get to see the rare side of soft Kageyama and the small time frame you have with each other, it shows that both of your walls are slowly coming down. Then after having a late start to the day, the boys show how much they’ve missed you and as the day goes on, some priceless moments are finally captured through your infamous Polaroid.

Part 12

Word Count: ~3.5k Synopsis: The boys have been working as hard as ever during the training camp and Kuroo gives you some updates on what happened during free practice the night before. Then later that day, Nishinoya checks in on you during one of their breaks and a bet is made between the two of you. And as the day comes to a close, as usual, you’re practicing with Kageyama and both of you lose track of time. This time, you’ve accidentally pushed yourself past your limits and your injury acts up again.

Part 13

Word Count: ~3k Synopsis: The girls recap what happened the night before and Kuroo decides to have a talk with Kageyama when he and Bokuto visits your nightly practice with Kageyama.

Part 14

Word Count: ~4.6k Synopsis: It’s the final day of Karasuno’s training camp in Tokyo and the boys find out about the barbecue that will happen once they are all finished. Sugawara offers Kageyama some help before their last practice game and you finally get to see the quick that you’ve been dying to see in person. Then once the barbecue is in full swing, you catch up with your childhood friends and Kageyama finally asks you a question.

Part 15

Word Count: ~3.7k Synopsis: You finally have lunch with Kuroo and Bokuto where you catch them up with the night before. They comment throughout your story and as they walk you to Homura’s apartment to catch up with your girls, Daichi calls you out of nowhere. The call leads you to the girls’ gym at Karasuno after the weekend ends and a new opportunity awaits.

Part 15.5 || Side Chapter

Word Count: ~1.7k Synopsis: You get your hair dyed while hanging out with Rui, Homura, and Nishinoya. In the midst of hanging out, you get caught texting Kageyama and your friends do what they always do: instigate and get to know the boy you’ve been crushing on.

Part 16

Word Count: ~4.9k Synopsis: It’s finally the day for your date with Kageyama and you can’t help but feel so nervous. He surprises you by taking you to your favorite place and the day is filled with constant blushing while spending time with your crush.

Part 17

Word Count: ~5.3k Synopsis: Qualifiers for the Miyagi Prefecture has finally arrived. Being back at a competition venue made you nostalgic and you end up making another bet with Nishinoya. In order to prepare for the long day ahead, you grab some water for the team and someone approaches you.

Part 18

Word Count: ~5.3k Synopsis: With school back in session, your schedule with the girl’s volleyball team finally collides with your time as the boys’ manager. It’s something you’ve put off for a while and finally have to address with the team.

Part 19

Word Count: ~4.2k Synopsis: During the two months that the boys have before the Spring Nationals, Kageyama does recon and your schedule starts to look more hectic. Then during one of your trips to Tokyo for another training camp, Bokuto decides to have his talk with Kageyama and it makes him realize some things about himself.

Part 20

Word Count: ~4.1k Synopsis: Spring Nationals/Qualifiers has finally arrived and the boys are ready for their first match against Johzenji. As you all make your way towards the gym, Kageyama and Hinata end up bumping into Terushima. Then once their match starts, Kageyama ends up getting injured and there’s an unexpected turn of events when you take him to the nurse’s office.

Part 21

Word Count: ~3.9k Synopsis: The girls try to get out what happened between you and Kageyama and the boys win against Johzenji. Now that it’s the second day of matches after successfully beating Wakutani, Karasuno gets ready to go against Aoba Johsai. And knowing what had happened before, you prepared a small surprise in hopes to boost the boys’ morale for their upcoming battle.

Part 22

Word Count: ~4.4k Synopsis: The long-awaited battle against Aoba Johsai is in full swing as you watch along the sidelines. Tensions are high and it can’t help but remind you of memories you kept close to your heart. While watching, it reminds you of just how much the boys have grown in such a small amount of time.

Part 23 - TBD

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kristalpepsi · 3 years

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Temptation Stairway Thoughts™ + Theory Discussion

TW: blood + Death mentions, Implied (forced/pushed) integration (systems), racism (against asians), unreality stuff bc the show is Like That, Trauma causd by therapy

TL;DR = I mainly talk about implied integration, n as some1 in a system tht! mkes me uncomfy! I mainly will talk abt wht I’m calling the multi-ena theory (n anothr theory ill call the Multiple/Multi-Enaverse Theory) thts been popping up n disccng how thts kind of the bggst thng keepng me on board! I won’t LIE I might b a little biased bc I rlly do like thise show b I am NOT blind so I will try 2 address som things. I also talk alot abt the Shepard n Phindol bc I love themb so much they make me very heart Big.

DISCLAIMERS:

Obviously Joel G Highkey/definitely/most probbly did not intend 4 any of thise, but media is very complic8d so u cn end up accidntlly making problmtc things or implyng not great things

I hav a typing quirkkkk so if u cant understand my post I rlly dont blame u! I’m sorry how I type is Incomprehensible™

Not an angry post, more like my brain is holding me host-ge until i talk abt everyth dskfjhd!!

DO NOT Send anyone in thise post hate or angry asks/messages or perish by my sword

OK so this recnt episde has me w vry vry mixd feelngs!!! I’m both happy n exctd! b litrlly 2 things is whts bothrng me. While I CLD jst say :I Am Lookng Away: i rlly do need 2 write it down. Under a Read-more bc im secure SKSJ

Part 0: I’m uncomfortable help

The Section wher i tlk abt n bring up othr ppl’s concerns

So fr most if nt all the frnds I hav who also wtch Ena ALSO has a vry “vr vry mixd feelngs now tht I’ve seen the episde!!” mood twrds Temptation Stairway! It’s 4 a bunch of rsns, like thise post (tw racism) mde by a frnd whch brings up a good point

Part 1: The Actual Intro

Episode 1 = Auction day (AD) Episode 2 = Extinction Party (EP) Episode 3 = Tempation Stairway (TS)

Who is Ena

Ena can b describd as an "abstract girl split in half, w 1 blue side n the other is her yellow side!" Each side (emotion/mood, 2 b specific) seems 2 hav their own voic actor credited along with seper8 credits 4 each mood! So far the canon sides r Ena (happy), Ena (sad), n Ena (drunk)! They seem 2 act accordingly: Happy acts happy n optimistc, Sad acts sad n especlly depressd, n Drunk acts confused n dizzy [In the Credits, it would look like thise: Ena (happy) by Gabe V., Ena (sad) by Lizzie Freeman, (drunk) Ena by Sam Meza

4 Episodes 1-2, thy follow thise pattern exctly! So we cn expect wht 2 see from them, n each voice actor is creditd accordngly as seper8 b all a part of Ena

On epside 3, Ena is seen as actng diffrnt!! She's suddnly less predictabl! I say thise bc Suddenly, her voic Actors r not stuck 2 Only their sides. Thise is also emphasized when looking at the credit list! No longer is it "Ena (happy) by Gabe V., Ena (sad) by Lizzie Freeman" it's now jst "ENA by Gabe V. and Lizzie Freeman"

Happy's voic can sound STRESSED n sad, Happy can tlk w Blue's side in mor control n Sad's voic can sound Really happy n optimistic. Somth's Diffrnt n Not The Same

Temptation Stairway Summary

Skipping 2 my point, The summary of the episode Temptation stairway is tht Moony and Ena have a bet 2 race 2 the Great Runas! The Great Runas, can grnt u any wish accordng 2 Moony n som of those Ena passes by on the wy. The wager, is tht "whoever reaches the top of the Great Runas n makes their wish 1st, has 2 pay the debts of the loser" (yes it’s phrased like that) As Ena journeys thru, The DIFFERENCES between Ena Temptation Stairway and Ena Extinction Party n Below, is mor obvious as the epsde progrsses, even 2 wher Happy's voic actor is the 1 screamng in agony 2 jst get murdered already. The Episode ends w Moony beatng Ena (but it's 100% possibl it can be the other way arnd, that ENA Beat Moony, b thats somth I'll discuss in a bit L8r). Moony splits in half, revealing that according 2 her, "she wished 2 be skinny" n a humanoid coms out of her previous form. As 4 Ena, Her blue side slowly dispprs n its not answrd why.

Theories so far, are:

Moony wished 4 Ena 2 b happy (or 4 her sad/blu side 2 go awy. 4 wht reason can b eithr wholsom or 2 Moony's advntge [like so she "doesnt have 2 deal w Sad Ena"]) - b if Moony wished 4 Ena 2 b happy/b rid of her sad side, tht wld mean perhaps she lied about wishing 2 be skinny (her new humanoid form may be how she is "paying her debt 2 the loser"). Unless the Runas can grant u more than 1 wish.

Ena ws the 1 who wished her blu side awy, whch is a little depressng tbh

If both the above r tru, it may b possibl bc it wsnt clarified (afaik) tht the great runas can only grant ONE person a wish (or more). I think we only get tht implica8ion bc we see 1 (open) door while in the distance, ther r more doors tht look like their eyes r closed. We hav 2 remembr Moony said "whoever makes their wish 1st whch means Ena n Moony can totlly mke wishes @ the sme time

Somhow, turning pure yellow/only happy is how Moony is payng her debt 2 Ena(??) (opposite 2 the 1st theory)

OR If Ena won the race, it can even b possibl 2 consider tht Ena did not make ANY wish, n her debt 2 pay 2 Moony is her sad/blue side removed (I do not subscribe 2 thise)

This info that was brought up 2 me is high evidenc that Moony won the race, n it explains how Moony surprises Ena whn Ena arrives. “I’m The Best and you’re the worst! I wonder who got the hair chest?” said by Ena, is a direct reference 2 a phrase usd by kids when they lose that goes “First is the worst, second is the best, third is the one with the hairy chest.”

“Whoever reaches the top of the Great Runas n makes their wish 1st, has 2 pay the debts of the loser.“ Might be phrased tht way as a weird way 2 pay 4 ur greed? (Last minute addition from me since some people wld think this is quoted wrong in and outside of the youtube comments)

i'm p sure ther may even b mor theories b i dont rmmbr them OOPS

Part 2: The Implied Integration Part AKA: How the System!Ena theory is affected by this episode

TW: Final fusion discussion, medical trauma (Is that the right word)

Disclaimer: This is 100% unintended by Joel G. That’s y the Alternative title 2 thise part is “How the System!Ena theory is affected by this episode”

2 GET IN2 the whole Implied Integr8ion part of my Essay™ I hav a theory calld system ena or sys!ena! (Check out my #system ena tag. This is in chronologicl order!) While thers no canon explan8ion 4 how Ena herslf is how she is, she mkes very intrstng n almst good accdntl Sys Represent8ion 2 me! They even show cofronting rlly well! I headcanon Ena as a system bc of the accidentl system!rep, but it explains 2 me y n how she switches! she has triggers 4 when she switchs 2 a diffrnt side, etc!

Ther hav been theories about Temptation Stairway in the past (before the episode cme out) wher ppl try 2 explain y the trailer Looks Like Tht. Besides theorizing abt the introduction of a new forme (I'm ok w just calling it Scared/Anxiety 4 now until 4rthr notic), 1 of the theories ive seen is tht Temptation Stairway's new introduced forme is due 2 being something akin 2 being "integr8d" (probably by force, accordin 2 the OP) (in other words, all her sides merge in2 one) n Ena being devast8td abt it

While tht theory is now DEBUNKED, bc the new forme clearly did not come out bc of being One Single Mind now, the "integr8ion" part of tht theory is unfortun8ly a littl tru

What is Integr8ion?

Integr8ion is not inherently a bad thing. In systems, ther are 2 definitions: "the breaking down of barriers 2 form healthy multiplicity, n then healthy communic8ion n less amnesiac barriers" and the othr, n mor FAMOUS definition bc its the oldest 1, is "final fusion"

Fnal Fusion is when all the members "fuse/merge" 2gether until ther is 1 single mind left. While not necssrlly a bad thng, final fusion n ther4 "integr8ion" is a scry thing 4 a lot of systems 2 talk abt, because in the history of Treatment, Final fusion is uslly somthng forcd on2 systems 4 the longest time :^(

Very valid 2 hav final fusion as a goal, b showng it as a desire n end goal is uslly seen as a sad n even scry thing 2 promote accdntly or not in media, bc of the previous traumas in the medicl/therapy world of system treatment etc

What's Worse. is tht if we apply the Ending 2 Temptation Stairway to the System!Ena Theory, thts wht hurts!!!

Scrolling back up 2 the possibl theories of who won the race and wht happened aftr, Either Moony or Ena wishing 4 the blue side/Sad Ena 2 go awy is rlly painful!

B I'll be honest, thts a RLLY biased n personal opinion i hav!! I've seen ppl think its rlly wholsom altho a bit Sad, tht the blue side disappears. I've seen ppl think its rlly sweet esp if it was Moony who mde tht wish

BSCLLY If I were to hold on2 the System!Ena headcanon while watchng the Temptation Stairway episode, its Hurtful, not rlly bc of the implied Integr8ion of Sides, but bc most top theories r that the blue side disappeard on Purpose either from Moony or Ena wishing her away or involvng the debt! It's like asking 4 ur sibling irl 2 Disappear and cease 2 exist. it's scary n rlly sad esp whn the audienc can c tht Sad, Happy, n Drunk cn almst b seen as their own persons n mite even b abl 2 interact w each othr (as seen by the many fanart of Happy n Sad having their own seper8 forms)

Ok so Now tht ive described my intro n Main Beef w the Episode, here's a theory I cn rlly get behind tht dsnt mke me wnna cry behind a Denny's. Prsnlly it's a rlly relievng theory even if it mite b hard 2 take in

Ther's no name 4 it, som call it the Enaverse, b just so it dsnt get confusd w other definitions (like, u wldnt call it the Marvel Cinematic Universe theory, the MCU is jst wht it is) I'm gnna call it the Multi-Ena theory! Bsclly, there's mor than 1 Ena in thise universe. But I'll get in2 a sub/partner theory tht is also possibl: ther is mor than 1 enaverse n somhow u may or may not b abl 2 travel between them

Part 3: The Multi-Ena theory

Something interesting I noticed was that the shepherds says “another ENA troublemaker?” Which definitely means more than one ENA/person has been there before.

(I blockd out the rest of the commnt not bc it ws bad, b i wantd 2 focus on this part of the commnt, but thise commnt will come up again L8r)

Not connected 2 System!Ena or the integr8ion issue I mentioned earlier, the multi-ena theory seems 2 b 1 of the top suggstd theories bc of many thngs! Bsclly n in short, thise theory believs tht in the series (or Enaverse), ther is multipl ena's! So fr i havent seen a post tht RLLY went in2 depth on thise so here is my attempt!

Evidence:

(See: above explanation on how the voic actors r credited 4 their roles individlly 2 explain my system!ena theory/intro) In episodes 1-2, Ena's diffrnt emotions/sides r creditd individually! In Temptation Stairway, Gabe n Lizzie Freeman r all creditd undr the sme nme, just as "Ena" (mening thise is a completely different Ena from the past)

Again, as said in my summry 4 Tempt8ion Stairway, thise Ena acts compltly diffrnt n is not follwng the sme "pattern" or rules as Ena did in Episodes 1-2! (Read above in my summary section) Either ther r stuff we've missd between Extinction Party n Temptation Stairway, or thise is a diffrnt Ena entirely. I'd hav 2 sy prsnlly tht I'm leanng 2wrds the latter bc of how the VA's are crdtd. but if ur not convinced, let me continu:

When we meet the Shepard in 7:52 of the episode, they say (verbatim) "Arghh... Another ENA trouble maker." which implies there r more than 1 Ena's

9:08 - 9:19 when Ena jumps in2 the "Holy Code" where we head undrwtr in2 a sea of diffrnt doors, we see floating Ena models (n the comment section seems 2 gravit8 2 callng them "dead bodies") (Honorary mention: You'll notic they glitch in2 Mannequins if u pay attention 2 them). This piec of info is Direct Evidence 2 the multi-ena theory, bc ther r Explicitly mor thn 1 ena's on screen! wht's concernng n unanswrd tho, is y do they glitch in2 mannequins? Does tht mean all the mannequins we sw on screen in the begnng of the video (n onwards) were all previously an Ena? Is it only an Ena tht can transform in2 a mannequin or cn othr chrctrs also become mannequins?

Not the strongst evidenc b i'll input it anywy: Ena's Action boxes (Like when she receivs or gives items) spell her nme her as ƎNA (with a backwrds E). The thing abt thise 1 is tht we can't compare it with Auction Day n Extinction Part bc they don't have any action boxes. BUT What we CAN compare is how she is spelled in the dialogue boxes of those speakng in diffrnt languages AND in the Credits! In Episodes 1-2, She's Spelled as Ena with this captialis8ion. In Temptation Stairway the dialogue and credits consitntly spell her as ENA in all caps. May or may not allude 2 her being diffrnt, b i will admit this is the most Strechiest piec of evidnc. Tru or not, I'd like 2 refer 2 Tempt8ion Stairway ena as TS!Ena or ƎNA, prsnlly 2 differenti8 her frm the othr episodes

Pronounci8ion: BUT 2 build on the above evidence, In the beginning of the episode, Moony DOES pronounc Ena's name in different wys a lot, startng w I-NA (ai-na), ENA (ehna), n finally JENA. And this isnt new! She’s been doing it sinc Auction Day (ee-nah/ii-na) n Extinction Party (ay-nah). Thise may or my not sggst that perhaps Moony's inconsistancy is bc these othr pronunci8ions or names cld b of other ena's she's met in the past w similr or diffrnt preferences! I’d say because of her constant switchng in the beginning of Temptation Stairway, it would lean 2wards that she may know different Ena’s @ once. Otherwise, c the Multi-Enaverse theory below

Note: Every othr charctr besides Moony (So far; Merci and the Shepard) Pronounces Ena as ehna (or ehna) so it might be that perhaps Eh-na is the universal way of pronouncng Ena?

Conlusions/thghts on this theory: I prsnlly like thise a lot!! It makes Enasonas Very Possible, b also tht any interpret8ion of Ena cn b corrct or possibl! It knda saddens me tho bc im not rlly sure if we'll ever return 2 the Ena we're used 2, I wldnt rlly want 2 b stuck w/o Sad bc I thnk her role is rlly neat n can b importnt, b im biasd. I also rlly subscribe 2 thise theory bc it means whtvr happend 2 TS!Ena ds not hav 2 be permanent in the long run; Again litrlly the only thng keepng me from gettng supr upset abt the ending of Temptation Stairway, is tht the prev ena’s r not the sme n wld possibly not do thise, or tht ther r othr ena’s out ther besides THISE episod 1, who wld nvr do tht, etc

Part 4: The Multiple Enaverses/Multi-Enaverse Theory AKA The Alternative In Defense of Moony Mispronouncing Ena’s name over and over

An alterntve 2 the Multi-Ena theory, is tht there is MORE thn 1 Enaverse! So bsclly, a multiverse theory. Primarily thise my explain Not jst Ena's sudden Shift in how diffrnt she is in thise episode b may also explain how Diffrnt Moony is actng in thise episode 2. While thise isnt the top theory i prsnlly subscribe 2 (sinc ther isnt explicit evidence besides it bein an explan8ion 4 Moony n Ena's weird/diffrnt behavior), it DOES open a lot of doors 2 intrstng things 2 thnk abt!

Bsclly Moony keeps mispronouncing Ena’s name a lot (in Tempation Stairway) n its Really Rude, esp consdrng she’s always said it properly (As in @ least 1nce in an episode n not switchng multiple times) b4! so 2 Explain her Sudden change in behavior, this is actlly a Different Moony, besides a different Ena. this is a whole different universe/timeline!

LIKE If not multiple Ena's, The different Loca8ions in Ena cn probbly b traversible across dimensions! The Holy Code may b the door 2 diffrnt enaverses. The Shepard's garden cld b an interdimensionl place tht is singular n deals w diffrnt beings passing thru! While i dnt hav mch 2 sy on thise, its RLLY Interestng 2 thnk abt

Like the Multi-Ena theory, thise also opens the doors 2 enasonas being vry possibl :^) Som ppl's evidences r all involvng Moony besides how Ena's rlly diffrnt

Moony can skateboard??

Moony's square shape hole can shrink 2 hold an item

while not strong ATM or frm wht i cn see, its still very inch restng!!! Tho I would sy it is VERY on par w the Multi-Ena theory anyway

Part 5: Honorary Mentions: Mini Theories

The Great Runas is actlly a play on the "Run As" Command! I'm not very Smart engh 2 break thise down vry well, b bsclly w all the allusion 2 "codes" n the Blood ID looking like a Chip, The Great Runas being abl 2 grant u wishes makes a lot of sense! This ws brought up 2 me from a friend (@ambercard)!

like its a command line. so then the great runas being able to grant wishes makes sense if its digital world like all the code stuff says Allows a user to run specific tools and programs with different permissions than the user's current logon provides.

Runas is a command-line tool that is built into Windows Vista. To use runas at the command line, open a command prompt, type runas with the appropriate parameters, and then press ENTER.

In the user interface for Windows Vista, the Run as… command has been changed to Run as administrator. However, you should rarely have to use the Run as administrator command because Windows Vista will automatically prompt you for an administrator password when it is needed.

and my friend who i was talking to said that probably explains what the password was for and the blood id being a login or something?

its possible using the blood id akin to using the run as administrator command since idk their name but one of the people ena met said the blood id didnt seem like her which is like. if she isnt administrator then it would make sense that using that command wouldnt match who she is

My response:

man do u realiz Ena uslly does not hav the corrct passwrd/admin privileges all the tme? Bc the guardian entity in extinction party askd her 4 1 b i guess it ws so Low Game tht it wsnt supr necsrry in the end

The Enaverse is all a computer code of some sort- most probbaly a game! AKA: This is a digital world

... If we were too treat this world as a video game this would make more sense since different play through bus and all that. Oh god this feels like a fnaf situation, taking a video that just wants to be a video and turning it into a big serious thing

Going with the whole ‘there are multiple enas representing the player’ theory, perhaps this ENA realized that she’s in a video game and isn’t taking it too well? But the game is kind of glitching out because of it.

Honorable Mentions: Random Info + Unanswered Questions

Ena seems self-aware of smth! (10:24 Ena screams "YOU'RE ALL LIVING A LIE!") May help the Run as command idea n the video game/digital reality idea! If not a video gme, they sure r Somewhere

What does the Great Runas look like?? is it the door? is ther mor thn 1 Runas?

What is Mariya n Gabo's Job? R they just like the Guardian Entity in Extinction Party but are assignd 2 this part/location of where they are?

In 6:30, wht does Ulysses mean by "Desires r never fulfilled nor quenched"? "You Will fail like the rest of them" Is he referring 2 the other Ena's that's passed by? who else have come n failed?

This Post Also brings up som good points I hvnt noticd yet!

Thise comment pretty much says everythng:

Standout things from this animation:

-This Ena switches between a male & female voice at seemingly random instead Happy speaking with a male voice and Sad speaking with a Sad voice. The text boxes noticeably refer to this Ena with a reversed E, and The Shepard says "Another Ena troublemaker", implying that there are multiple Enas. We also see some Ena corpses flickering into the mannequin bodies at one point. Third, at the end we see Ena's sad half turn from blue to yellow over the course of Ena & Moony's conversation. My personal theory is that this Ena is possibly 'broken' in some manner. -Moony either doesn't care or dosen't realize that Ena's voices aren't matching the personalities anymore. -The grey personality appears to come out when Ena gets too stressed out. Notably the transformation involves the happy half turning into static and exploding out, erasing Ena's face in the process. It also appears that some physical trauma (in this case, Brick Frog kicking Ena) is necessary to exit the grey personality, unlike the previously seen 'blackout' personalities which can possibly be switched by the other personality exerting themselves (in the auction episode, Ena enters her sad blackout/depressed personality, then switches to Happy!Ena, who apologizes to Moony about her depressed outburst). -Moony's hole is capable of closing to hold things, and she also knows how to skateboard. -Judging by Ena's reaction, Moony's transformation at the end is weird even by this universe's standards.

aaaand thats all 4 now! I really hope thats all my brain can think of skjsdhfsdfkh

Feel free 2 send me asks abt Ena theories n stuff! While this is a Comprehensiv post, it’s definitely mor focused on the Multi-Ena theory n my thghts on the episode whn it comes 2 how it affects the System Ena theory. I’m open 2 questions!!

Last Edit: Feb 19 2021 (GMT +8)

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enigma-im · 4 years

Text

Mercury in Retrograde

Rating: Mature Relationship: Imposter Monster x F!Crewmate Warning: Violence, Murder, Attemptive murder, blood mention, mourning, comfort, Red is sus

Word Count:5407

Murders on the ship causes chaos among the crewmates

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

A crewmates' job is never done. Lights to fix, destinations to set, filters to clean. Everyone plays an important role in a spaceship like ours. It's humbling in its own right, to work as a unit to reach a common goal. No one is against another, all are part of a team. With 18 workers on a supply ship, it's impressive that everyone is working so harmoniously.

Electrical work is shockingly my favorite chore. Many are scared of the isolated room but I find solace in having some alone time. I connect wires, humming to myself before clicking the panel shut. Walking over to the tablet to let admin know everything is up and operational I faintly hear the doors whoosh open. I toss a look over my shoulder to the dim room, looking over the fuse box. I hear nothing, not even faint footsteps. Curious, I step away from the tablet.

"Hello," I call into the room. I walk closer, slowly revealing the other half of the room. My heart nearly slows to a snail's pace, tension morphing my previously lax posture. My feet clank against the metal floors, echoing around the light hum of the machines. I turn the corner, the door coming into view slowly. I open my mouth to call again when someone steps into view, grabbing my shoulders. I yelp, jumping before backing out of their hold. I look up to a sort of familiar face.

"You alright, B," they ask," I didn't mean to startle you." I take a deep breath, rubbing at my chest to soothe my racing heart.

"All is well, just wasn't expecting you to be around the corner," I chuckle," you are a quiet man, Wes."

"Yea," they huff," I get that a lot."

I straight myself, chuckling once more before walking towards the door. It opens at my proximity, staying open as I pause and look over my shoulder.

"I'm heading up to Nav," I wave," see you later, Wes" they wave stiffly, staying into the partially lit room. I twist away with a pep in my step, walking out to my next chore.

Days on the ship feel like they mix together, no one really understanding what day it is. A lot of the crew break up the monotony with game nights, scheduling them for the same day of the week. It's a fun little get together that a good group of people take part in. great conversation and comradery with some cards and snacks. I take part in the activities once in a while, catching up with my fellow coworkers. It's nice.

Another Friday comes and a small group gathers in the cafeteria. Everyone is jovial; teasing, and joking with one another. We bet meal passes and favors, adding some stakes to the games. Just another casual game night.

I look to my cards, thinking on my next bet. My hand isn't good but what they don't know won't hurt them. I call, setting my cards down the same time the door opens. A few of us look over, spotting Wes walking over. He takes a chair outside the circle, sitting at a distance in favor of watching.

"hey," I catch his attention," you wanna play next round?" Wes looks to me startled, taking a tad too long to answer.

"No," he crosses his arms," I'm good."

"Wes doesn't like playing with us peasants," Rebel answers. His loud boisterous voice carries around the room, his laugh just as bad. The large man has been wrecking shop as of lately. He is a poor excuse for a coworker, not that he doesn't do his jobs but does them poorly. A few of us have tried to keep game night out of his mind, 'accidentally' forgoing reminding him.

"It doesn't hurt to try," I shrug," more players means more asses to kick in this game." I get a few chuckles and a snort from Wes. I'll take that as a win.

The night progresses until we are nearly tired of playing. As I'm ready to call last round another person walks into the room, leaning against a table as she comes in. she is panting and wheezing, sweat making her hair stick to her face. We all begin to stand, looking confused and worried at one another.

"Penelope," someone calls," you alright?"

"he's dead," she mumbles. We all stiffen, the room snapping in tension.

"Whose dead," another asks.

"Greg is dead," she says louder, jerking her head up to look at us all," I can't…I was… oh god." she falls to a seat, cradling her body as she shakes.

We all look around, confusion decorating our faces. Rebel looks to Wes, giving a strange look to the man. Wes sneers, turning away with a jerk of his head. A few workers walk over to Penelope, comforting her, while others leave to investigate.

The rest of the week is tense as the investigation is taken place. As a first look, we all knew Greg's death was no accident. Nothing on this ship could rip up a man the way he was torn apart. The coms room he was found in was locked off for a while, only confirmed personnel allowed in. everyone is on high alert, tiptoeing around one another. Some stick to a tight circle of friends, traveling in groups to avoid suspicion and attacks.

It's not till a few days later that another attack is reported. Two people were found dead in medical. The three deaths send the whole ship on lockdown. Everyone is to be kept in groups and no one is to be walking around after curfew. The previously peaceful ship is now left in shambles of panic and stress.

My stomach rumbles as I sit alone in my bunk. It's annoying in its own right to not be able to walk to the cafeteria on my own. Now having to contact some friends to walk with me. I manage to scrounge up two people to walk with. Lindon and Oliver.

"While we are in the cafeteria you guys don’t mind watching me while I deal with the trash," Oliver asks as we walk to the halls.

"Not at all, I'm just glad to be out of my room for a while," Lindon stretches, yawning as he talks.

I huff," I know what you mean. At first, I enjoyed going to my room at the end of the day but now I relish in the work just to be able to walk around."

We chat amiably as we grab food. It feels almost normal amongst the chaos to just talk with friends. I can almost put the deaths behind me and pretend everything is normal.

Oliver walks over to the trash shoot as Lindon and I talk a bit more. We all head out towards storage, leaving Oliver to lead as Lindon and I joke around.

"Buck tried to screw around with shields and ended up turning them off, like how! It's the easiest system to work with on this whole damn ship," Lindon laughs.

"Buck just needs to stick to weapons and never touch anything else," I snort, chuckling along with them. I barely watch as Oliver turns the corner on the storage bins. We follow after him, laughing all the while. Before I can turn the corner I get a ping to my device and lights flash around the room.

"Something wrong with the reactor," I mumble, nervously looking towards the hall," You don't mind sticking with Oliver while I go check?"

Lindon waves his hand," that's fine, be careful though. Just scream really loud if you see something." I scoff, smiling at them before I walk down the hall. I jog up to the reactor and meet up with another crew member. Yasha waves before heading to the opposite side of the room. We both quickly clear the machine, meeting each other at the door.

"That's weird, right," I ask, thumbing behind me towards the large reactor.

They shrug," it's happened once or twice, it's when the alarms go off that it's serious."

"huh," I nod," Hey, you don't mind walking with me back to storage. I left Oliver and Lindon there to finish up some chores."

"I don't mind at all," they answer.

We silently walk towards storage, heading towards trash. Yasha pauses at the door, waving bye as I walk around. I casually look around the bins, ready to catch sight of the two. As I look over I don't see two people, instead of two masses on the floor.

"Oh my god," I gasp, startling back at the blood pooling over the floor. I gawk, staring wide-eyed at the bloody bodies sitting close together on the floor. I can't think, barely breathe as I just stare.

"B," someone shouts," What did you do?"

I jerk my head over to the small group of people crowding the hall from coms. An older man leads the charge, glaring daggers at me with great accusations sitting on his tongue. Behind him is Rebel, staring blankly towards me, and Penelope. I sputter, not knowing what to say.

"i-," I try to speak. I give up, knowing any excuse would lead to more distrust.

I make it by with the skin of my teeth. Yasha is the saving grace with an alibi that explains where I was beforehand. The meeting was filled with shouting and harsh accusations. People formed terrible reasons and false sightings of where I was during each murder. It's awful.

I sit in the cafeteria alone, nursing a drink that Yasha had stashed away before we launched. I owe them my life, helping me by speaking up. Though I now live day by day with accusing glares and harsh words. It's fine, I'm alive and not launched off the ship for murder. God, what has my life become?

As I take a sip, relishing in the bitter taste, someone grabs a chair beside me. I wince at the sound of the chair scraping, preparing myself for a confrontation. No one has been so bold to corner me but what do I know of these people? One of them is a murderer.

"You doing alright," they ask. I look to them, confused at the concerned question. Wes leans against the table, fidgeting with his thumbs.

I look to his hands then back to his unemotional face," What?"

"Are you alright," he asks again. I watch him, looking for some mischief or distrust. He remains blank, just watching me without a tick or twitch.

I scoff, turning back to my drink," why would you care? Looking for more pointless evidence to get me shot out?" I suck down the rest of the liquid, shotgunning it in hopes of being more amicable to this conversation.

"No," he huffs," I know you didn't do it."

I side-eye him," really?" he nods, fiddling with his thumbs instead of speaking. I watch him pick at his nail, scratching down the side of his finger aggressively. "You ok," I ask, watching the red whelps litter his finger in clawed lines. He freezes, tugging his hands back and leaving them on his lap.

"I'm fine, just been itchy lately," he mumbles. I nod, dropping the subject in favor of watching the empty glass in my hand.

"Why don't you think it's me," I suddenly ask, preparing myself for an answer I won't like.

He shrugs," I just have my guesses."

I look to him," humor me, why don't you think it's me?"

"Do you want me to think it's you," he nearly smiles," doesn't seem smart if you are in fact innocent."

"Yea," I huff," I guess your right." we sit in silence once more. I swirl my finger at the top of the glass, too busy thinking.

"You're too nice," he answers. I snort, looking to him amused.

"You think I'm too nice to murder anyone?"

He nods," you are too nice to everyone to have the guts to kill them."

I humor him," wouldn't that be a perfect plan? Lower their guard so they feel safe around me?"

"well, that would make you a psycho instead of a murderer," he slides down his chair, laxer.

"What's the difference," I turn fully towards him.

He crosses his arms, thinking before answering," a psycho would enjoy the kills while a murderer sees them as walls in the way."

"You think the killer is trying to reach a goal," I ask. He stiffens, looking to the floor.

"it's just a guess," he shrugs.

"It’s a particularly specific guess," I lean towards him. He just shrugs again, looking like he rather be anywhere but here. I watch him, suspicion forming in my mind.

"Why are you here," I ask instead. His eyes flick around the room, looking from one spot to another. He scratches at his hand harder, short little flicks of his finger.

"I was worried about you," he says," everyone is ostracizing you and I don't want you to be alone while he is out there."

"who is out there," I try to catch him in a lie.

He stutters, opening his mouth before closing it. The accusation sits heavy in my chest. It can't be Wes, but it really could be. If it's true then I'm in complete danger being alone in here with him. I look to the door. How long will it take to reach the door before he can run up and grab me? Could I make it while he is stuttering over his words?

As I think, he touches my knee. I jump, snapping to him with wide startled eyes. His previous anxiety seems to have melted away to a calm composure, almost sympathetic and compassionate composure.

"B, I just want you to know that I will keep you safe from whoever is out there," he says seriously," you all will catch them and everyone will think of this as a bad dream. Just keep your head up and don't go anywhere alone."

"o-ok," I stand from my chair," I'm going to head back to my room now." I walk across the room before he can answer, trying to keep some self-control until I reach my bed.

"Wait," he calls out," let me walk you back." I stop, back tense, and shoulders near my ears. His footsteps lead up to me, stopping just beside me.

We walk out the cafeteria towards my room, the silence deafening the empty hall. Each step is taken with anxious effort. I wait for a pen to drop so I can dart away from him. I know he is tense too, keeping a bit of a distance from me. I can't tell if he is waiting for an opening or he truly meant what he said. Either way, I cannot tame my racing heart.

I spot my door and relief nearly makes me sigh. As we step closer I hear voices down the hall. Around the corner, two figures walk towards us. As they near I can make out two familiar faces, Rebel and Casey. Casey is giggling at whatever Rebel said to her. Rebel's face is cocky, arrogant even. As they pass Rebel throws an arm over Casey and winks to us.

I can't pay them any mind as I quickly try to open my door and head inside. Looking over my shoulder I watch Wes sneer down the hall, nibbling on his lip when he looks to the floor.

"Uh, thanks," I nod," night."

He jerks his head towards me," Night."

And the night ends there. Sighs of relief and suspicions.

Slowly but surely people start dropping like flies. Solo kills all around the ship makes our numbers dwindle till we are nearing single digits. People start accusing me more till they start following me around and realize I have nothing to do with it. The previously split crew has become a closer unit, the commander getting everyone left to sleep in the cafeteria. It's hard to kill someone with so many eyes watching.

I look to the room hardly filled with people. The commander sits with three others, talking amongst themselves. Wes and Rebel sit in a group of two others. A few stranglers stress out around the edge, like me. We all wait patiently, none of us wanting to lose someone again.

My eyes grow heavy as I sit leaning against the wall. I look at the group, watching them all sleep or lay in their little cots. If there was ever a time to act it would be now. To sneak around and slit the throat of a dreaming crewmate. I can't fall asleep, someone will die. I keep reminding myself that until my eyes burn.

As my lids nearly close an alarm rings around the room. Playing for just a few seconds before we are all collapsed into darkness. People scream and shuffle, everyone awake. I shoot up from my spot, not being able to see in the utter darkness. Only a few stars visible from the giant window offer guidance. I quickly get out my tablet, turning it on for light and information. I click wildly, finding that light fuses have been tripped.

I try to open my mouth to scream to the crew what the problem is but they are all still shouting and screaming. I grind my teeth, not liking what I have to do now. Without thinking it for too long I hug the edge of the room and head towards electrical.

The tablet only lights a few feet in front of me, and only in front of me. I listen to the fading yells of the cafeteria and try to focus on if anyone is following me. My heart is ready to burst from my chest as I round the corner and spot the doors to my destination. I don't wanna be here, by the heavens I don't wanna be here. Swiftly I rush to the door, opening it forcefully as I slip inside. I'm nearly hyperventilating as I shine my light on the switches before me.

"Just turn them off then on, simple," I mumble to myself. I flick the switches with stumbling fingers, hands shaking with the mountain of stress. I stiffen as I hear a high screech noise from beyond the room. Waiting, I listen on. My finger hovers on the last switch but if it’s the killer perhaps I can use the cover of darkness to flee. Listening closely I hear nothing. Quickly I flick the final switch.

I sigh in minimal relief, knowing I still have the trek back to the cafeteria before me. With a courage-building breath, I turn around. Red fills my vision until I look up at a horridly stretched out face. I faintly notice the familiar stubble and bushy eyebrows of a strongly disliked crewmate. His cheeks are ripped, his right cut leading up over his eye. Writhing tentacles stretch out the large gash.

"Hello morsel," he says in a guttural vicious voice. I jump, falling back against the fuse box. His lower body splits, a larger tentacles slithering out to lash at my person. Thinking quickly I jump to the side, not looking back as I craw further into the room. I realize my mistake as I scramble towards a corner. He notices as well, chuckling in a nonhuman laugh.

I clamber towards a wall of wire and panels, turning so my back presses firmly against it. I look to Rebel, panicking as I try to figure something-anything- out. I look around the room, trying to find any weapon as this monstrous creature prowls closer.

"No way out," he teases," nowhere to go." his stomach appendage slithers on the ground towards me, wrapping around my ankle. He tugs softly, allowing me to fight effortlessly. I cry out, jerking my leg towards myself. He laughs, pulling harder so I may fall onto my back. I claw at the ground, my nails bending backward as I try to find purchase.

"Please," I whimper, not knowing if I'm talking to him or a higher power. He steps between my feet, laughing as he leans down. I clench my eyes closed, bracing myself.

"No one is going to-," he doesn't finish. My leg jerks a bit but I remain still. A loud thud follows shortly after and a shout. I open my eyes slowly, looking ahead into the room with unease. Standing before me is a man, seething with fist clenched at their side. Beyond them is Rebel propped on his elbow, having been forced to the floor.

"What the hell," Rebel shouts. The man in the white shirt says nothing, merely glaring down at the …thing. Rebel gets up from the floor, his face forming once more into a hateful sneer. His stomach tentacle writhes in the air, threatening without action. The man takes a step back, looking over his shoulder briefly before keeping eyes on his opponent.

"Wes," I whisper to myself," what are you doing here! You have to run!" I try to warn him, clambering to stand as he faces the monster down. Wes remains still, waiting on Rebel.

"You wish to do this," Rebel asks. As Wes doesn't answer Rebel shrugs," Suit yourself." before anyone can react Rebel's tentacle shoots out and wraps around Wes's arm. Wes leans back, fighting against the grip. It's in vain as the limb pops and rips at the shoulder. I can see the light shine between the sinew trying to hold on but to no avail. It snaps, detaching completely into Rebel's grip. I don't have time to gasp before the arm wriggles and writhes, lashing out farther than I thought possible. The fingers spin into a single appendage, wrapping around Rebel's arm.

"What," I gasp, looking to Wes' body. Where his arm was previously is a mass of wriggling tentacles.

I can't process anything. Watching blankly as the two fight. The scene is straight out of a monster flick, reminding me of a movie that takes place in the arctic. The bodies morph and slash, normal proportions of a human being stretches and rips. Its something I know I'll never forget till the day I die, which I hope won't be soon.

The writhing mass I believe to be Wes grabs at two points on Rebel, lifting him up and pulling. The stomach gash rips loudly, some of the tentacles caught at the two points tear as well, popping as the tension relieves. Soon Rebel is torn in two, writhing and screaming. Wes keeps tearing, splitting the half into smaller halves. It's when the mess stops moving does Wes stop, standing above the destruction.

Everything is silent, only the sound of my panicked breathing is heard. I watch Wes, not knowing what is going to happen next. Is he going to turn to me next? Surely no one kills a murderer just to turn and kill the victim.

"Wes," I ask gently, stepping towards him cautiously. He twitches, his body snapping into place with shocking speed. I gasp, startling back. He looks over his shoulder, a bit of blood on his cheek catching the light.

"you ok," he asks.

"I gue- yea," I answer," a-are you?" he nods, turning fully to me. His shirt is covered in blood and rips, though no injuries of his own. As I curiously look for any bruises, cut, gashes, he walks over. He crowds me to the wall of wires, grabbing my arm and looking me over.

"He didn't do anything? When you were out of the room I quickly got in the vents and headed here. God, I was so worried when I didn't see him in the cafeteria," he sighs, dropping my arm and leaning his head to my shoulder. The concern is confusing. I awkwardly raise my hand to his hair, petting him.

"well, I'm fine now," I mumble, more worried about the alien resting against my body.

"Good," he nuzzles towards my neck, wrapping his arms around my waist to hug me close. My heart beats hard, my breath is shaky. I want to push him away, fight him off. Raising my arm I touch his shoulder, prepared to force him back.

"Wes," I start, a shakiness to my words.

"I won't hurt you," he mumbles," you are safe with me, B." he presses a kiss to my neck, tender and sweet. I stiffen, worried for a new reason. I wait for a reaction, wait for some more 'affections' that tell me his true intention. Instead, he just holds me. I fall for the charm, exhausted above all else. Falling lax in his hold, I wrap my arm around his neck and bury my face against his neck.

The crew search around the ship and soon come to Wes and me. They first see the bloody body, a true mess upon the floor, then us cuddling in the corner. Questions are thrown around before we are even taken back to the cafeteria. We answer, me doing most of the talking, telling them all about what happened. I leave a few details out, looking to Wes with concern. This crew has been on edge all week and will not take kindly to another alien aboard their ship.

With everything sorted out and the body launched into space things settle back to normal. We make way to heading back to base to finally put this behind us. It’s a lot quieter now as we all take the time to grieve and collect our thoughts.

I lay in bed next to Wes, laying shoulder to shoulder as we look to the ceiling. It's nice to finally have a moment alone with him, to ask the questions plaguing my mind since the fight. Yet, sitting here is all I can manage. We get some much-needed rest, seeking comforting in the other's company. Now, we lay here in silence.

"Wes," I barely whisper. He hums," you’re an alien?" it was a dumb question but I need to hear him say it.

He turns to me," Compared to you, yes." I nod, still staring at the ceiling.

"Why did you save me," I ask. He sighs, turning onto his side to look at my better.

"I like you," he shrugs," I didn't want you to be killed like the others, it felt like a greater loss than the gain of your death." I squint, snapping to him.

"What gain," I ask.

"Capture the ship," he answers," we stowed away when you all first departed. The supplies here would benefit my people but it's more along the lines of greed than necessity. It felt like an easy task."

"Wes," I nearly scoot away from him," did you kill my crewmates?" we stare into each other's eyes with great determination. Seeming to be a battle of wills, who will bow first to such an important question. He caves first, sighing as he twists back onto his back.

"yes," he answers simply.

"who."

"Not sure, I don't remember most of your names," he says," Rebel killed more people than me though, I got around five. I didn't have as much enjoyment as he did in the job. He was a true psycho, I was just a murderer."

His confession sits unwell in my chest. I want to run out of the room, not lay next to someone who killed my friends. Yet, I feel too exhausted. He saved my life, but that won't excuse him. It just numb. I feel him turn to me once more, I can't bring myself to look back.

"Say something," he requests. I sigh, closing my eyes.

"It hurts," I mumble. My heart feels like is being squeezed, like the weight of their death is sitting on my chest. Is it wrong to sit so companionly next to their killer? A change of heart cannot excuse the sins of the past. Either way, I can't ignore him or walk away. The trauma feels shared although it's not. He was there in the end, that should count for something.

"I'm sorry," he sighs," if I could take it back I would."

"I know," I say. We sit there, quiet once more. He watches me, I can feel his eyes on my face. I'm not sure what he is doing, checking my reactions, or finding joy in just looking to me. The chance of manipulation is there, though I can hardly believe he would do that. Just leave me to Rebel's abuse and there would be no need for trust-building. I don't know what to do.

"B," he breaks the quiet.

"yes?"

"can I touch you," he asks. My eyes suddenly open. I turn to look at him, confused at the request, and confused at the timid way he asked. He looks shy, worried at the potential of my response. It melts my heart, easing the grip the deaths have caused. I turn to my side, inches away from his face.

"Ok." Wes eagerly reaches out and touches my face. His fingers dance over my cheek, nose, mouth. He watches his hands with great interest.

"Soft," he mumbles. His fingers trail to my hair, grabbing a strand between his fingers.

As his curiosity is soothed he wraps an arm over my waist and pulls me close. I cuddle against his chest, resting a hand on his pec. As I sit there I notice he doesn't have a heartbeat. I hear nothing, not even the sound of his breathing.

"Wes," I start," what do you really look like?"

He shrugs," not like anything describable. I just mimic things, I don't really have a body."

"just a blob of tentacles," I jokingly ask. He snorts, squeezing me closer.

"Not too far off," he smiles," but I have more flesh than just a pile of worms. But for now, I look like this, this is my body." I pet his chest, trailing down under his shirt to touch at his stomach. He jumps, the muscles of his body flexing. The tips of my fingers gently glide over him, feeling the strangely rough skin. I slowly make my way up to his chest once more, laying my palm flat against him.

"This is you," I nod," alright." I fall lax once more to the bed, keeping my hand against him. It's quiet for now. The words rest in his head, seemingly accepted and approved of. It almost feels like the conversation is over.

"Do you hate me," he asks suddenly, saying it like he wasn't intending to ask. It's a question I've been asking myself. Could I hate someone who saved my life, tearing apart their partner in crime to protect me? I think the answer depends on what he is to do from now on. Would he leave to attack another ship or…

"Will you leave? Will you go to another ship and repeat what happened here," I ask guarded.

"No," he answers quickly," I cannot."

"Cannot or will not?"

He bumps his head to mine," will not." I look to his eyes, feeling the sincerity in them. It's odd seeing such feeling on someone previously so blank.

"Are you going to stay and work?"

"Is that what you want? For me to stay and work with you," his fingers twitch on my waist, his nerves shining through.

"With me or without me, I'd like you to work," I answer. He grips me a bit tighter, his lip twitching near disgust.

"I rather work with you than anyone else," he says. I pet at his chest, soothing the ire he seems to try to hide.

"Ok," I nod," if that's what you want then you can work with me."

Reaching that agreement I lull back into the security he gives. I feel like falling asleep, relishing in the warmth of his hug. I allow myself to stop thinking, ignoring any ideas and doubts that try to pop up. My eyes slowly fall until I'm nearly asleep.

"Do you hate me," he asks again, his low rumble forcing me back awake. I keep my eyes shut, snuggling closer to him.

"No," I say firmly," I don't hate you." he hums, cradling me with a kiss to my forehead. I bite back a smile, not ready to give him the satisfaction.

"Thank you."

We fall asleep once more, ignoring the lingering issues and just feeling some sort of peace.

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

Yep, I wrote this. It is 100% for me and I stand by this garbage fire, it will keep me warm in the winter. It was so fun writing this trash heap that i may write another with a far more aggressive Imp who has a soft spot for his crewmate.

Won’t count to my weekend post cause this was thrown together at 2am.

Check out my Archive | Masterlist | Main Blog

#among us #comfort #red is sus #exophilia #Monster #tentacle monster #The thing reference #monster boyfriend #two imps #Enigma-IM

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royallyprincesslilly · 4 years

Text

Title: In The Act {3}

Chris Evans x Famous OFC Cassia Drake

Warning: Plot, Cursing, Plenty of Words

Word Count: 5.5k

Summary: After the release of your hit movie “Roman Holiday,” you’ve become Hollywood’s new “It Girl.” Everyone wants a piece of you. While at a Hollywood event, you get pulled into an epic selfie similar to the one from the MET Gala with the megastars of Hollywood. The next day all anyone can talk about is this epic picture but not because of the star power in it, but what was happening in it.

Note: Yep, another one.

**Loosely Edited/Proofread**

**Heavily Interactive**

Thank you guys for reading!!!! If you enjoyed this please LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG. 😊 ❤️❤️

Previous Chapters: 1 | 2 |

Thank god for slow mornings. You couldn’t think of the last time you were able to wake up without Pieter either standing over you or walking into your bedroom. He was the only one your mother trusted with you, and he just so happened to be a big shot entertainment manager. When you told your mother that you intended to pursue a career in acting, she was livid. She went on a tirade of the number of black actresses who either had to do questionable things to even have a minor break and those who just were used and turned away. She stressed the vast inequalities in the entertainment industry and worried for your mental and emotional health in the cruel industry. She didn't want you anywhere near the entertainment industry. She wanted you to fall into her second career field and be a lawyer.

It took months of you doing it on your own before you got your first role, it was small, but you played the shit out of the third black friend to the white lead actress then did it again and again and again. After your fourth role, your mother came around and brought Pieter into the mix. You knew of him from the industry. He’d been in a few tabloid magazines standing next to a few actresses. Your mother introduced him as her school friend from back in the day. You wanted to question her, but you knew better than that and just accepted the story she fed you. You always suspected there was more to it. The two of them sat you down for three hours to have a meeting on your goals with the industry.

After you went on and on for an hour, they went on and on for the next two outlining what needed to happen, how you needed to take things seriously, and put thought into the roles you auditioned for and so on. By the end of the meeting, you were on information overload, and that was when your mother told you the only way she’d be okay with you in this cutthroat town was if Pieter managed you. There was nothing in you that wanted to say no, so you said yes. That was two years now, and it had been a rollercoaster from the beginning.

Once in your kitchen still in your bra and panties, you perused the shelves in your fridge and took out the huge fruit salad you found there. After smelling it, you settled that it was still good and hopping onto the kitchen island and turned on the TV. As you ate, you flipped through the channels determined not to go to anything that required a brain cell. After a few moments of searching, you decided to finish the episode of Castlevania you’d started weeks ago.

You got lost in the lore of the Dracula themed animated series and the deliciousness of the fruit you were eating. You’d tuned everything out so well that you didn’t even hear anyone approach.

“Cassia!”

“What!”

You looked back to see Tiffany with her head poked around a corner looking at you.

“I think you’re gonna want to come out here,” she said with a look on her face you didn’t recognize.

“Uhh—why?”

“Just come look.” With that, her head was gone. Sighing, you pressed pause on the show, hopped off the counter, stabbed a piece of honeydew, and walked to where she’d disappeared. When you walked out of the kitchen and down the hall to your foyer, there sat a rather large floral arrangement.

“What the fuck is this?”

“What does it look like?”

“Flowers,” you answered before you shoved the fruit in your mouth to stand beside Tiffany.

“Duh.”

“Who are they from?”

You both stood there, just staring at it. They were gorgeous.

“I don’t know. I have been trying not to grab the card,” tiffany added. You looked at her; there was a wide ass grin on her face.

“It’s probably from Vouge thanking me for the photoshoot yesterday,” you surmised as you approached the arrangement. The scent of roses was powerful but not overwhelming.

Grabbing the card, you glanced at the front to see your name written across it. You didn’t recognize the handwriting. When you opened it, you scanned the words written, expecting to see “thank you.” Instead, you saw the words, “I’m sorry.” Bringing the card closer to your face, you read the words. Each word you read, your eyes bugged out even more and more until your jaw had dropped.

“What? Who’re they from?”

“Not Vouge.” Tiffany walked to you and took the card from your hands and read it aloud.

“Cassia, allow me to begin by extending my most sincerest apology to you for first my behavior the night of the fashion event and second the position I have put you in with the press. I am embarrassed and ashamed of my actions and behavior,” Tiffany began before she looked at you with eyes wide.

“Is this who I think it is? Oh my god, Cass!”

She dropped her eyes back to the card and continued. “I am embarrassed and ashamed of my actions and behavior, and I deeply regret them. I am very sorry, and I want you to know that in no way did I mean to objectify you or your body. I have two sisters and a strong Italian mother, and I was not raised that way at all. I hope that you can forgive me and my actions and not hold it against my family. Please accept these flowers as a token of my most heartfelt apology. Sincerely Chris Evans,” Tiffany finished with the squeal of his name.

“Oh my god! Cass!”

You’d been frozen in place for the last two minutes as she read the card. There were a plethora of things running through your head. One of which was the number of formal words he’d used.

“Oh my fucking god! Cass, is this his handwriting? It looks like it could be, it’s legible. Oh my god.”

You heard Tiffany reread the card, and as she did, you turned back to the flowers and observed them. You took notice that the flowers were all in your favorite colors. That made you wonder if he knew your favorite colors, or this was just a florist’s decision.

“Why are you so quiet? Why aren’t you freaking out?”

“Do you think he knows my these are my favorite colors?”

Tiffany looked back to the arrangement then let out a “hmm.”

“Do you think he specially researched you in order to send these? It is possible. this card sounds like he put a lot of thought into it.”

You took the card from her and reread it for yourself. She was right; the handwriting wasn’t horrible, by no means was it gorgeous, but it was nice. You began to wonder if he had, in fact, written it himself.

“Are you going to reply?”

That was the million-dollar question. You didn’t see a need to. Even if you did, what what you say? Thank you, Mr. Evans, for apologizing for looking down my dress. Though I enjoyed the attention, and I am flattered, It was highly inappropriate? Somehow that didn’t seem right.

“No need,” you answered before you walked away toward the kitchen and your fruit salad.

“What!”

Tiffany’s footsteps were loud as she trudged behind you.

“Why wouldn’t you reply? This could be one of the cutest meet-cute stories for your grandkids.”

“Oh my god, Tiff, grandkids? Are you insane right now?”

“Girl, don’t even try and lie and say you don’t think the man is fine.”

“I never said he wasn’t attractive.”

“Attractive? Cassia Anjelique Drake, you know you a damn liar. The man is more than attractive. He is gorgeous,” Tiff corrected.

“And he knows it, Tiffany. You can tell. I bet part of him thought he could have gotten away with x-ray visioning me, and no one would have called him out for it.”

“Cass,” Tiff began before you cut her off.

“—We’re not responding,” you finished turning back on Castelvania.

You knew Tiffany did not approve and also knew you hadn’t heard the end of it. You tried to focus on the show, but it was useless. Your mind only wanted to think of one thing—or person. Chris Evans.

Your day was just for meetings. Pieter had set you up with six meetings for the day. The first three were about movie roles he thought would suit your brand. They were all varying roles, one the lead in an action flick, another the love interest in a rom-com, and the third in a sci-fi type dramady. He said the worst thing in the world was being typecast. With Roman Holiday being a romcom, you knew he’d want your next role to be on the far opposite side of the spectrum.

The roles sounded exciting, and the scripts intrigued you. When they began talking about the expected salary for the films, you were impressed. They were practically throwing their money at you. You couldn’t believe the money actors actually received for a few months of work. Yeah, the schedule could be daunting and preparation never ending, but millions of dollars for maybe five to six months of work was just fine by you.

After the three movie meetings where you agreed to take the scripts and reread them before you got back to them, you moved on to a meeting with your team to discuss the next three months for you while going over the last three months. This happened quarterly, and you found the meetings insightful. They kept you on track with your goals and kept things in perspective. Your mother always said you are only as good as a capable team around you.

Your team comprised of your agent, Eduardo, whose job was to hunt down all the roles he could for you and field calls and interest from anyone and everyone in the business. Second, your publicist Julez, her domain was everything concerning your PR. Her job was to make sure that everything about you in the public remained favorable. She was good at what she did, and took her job seriously. Then was your lawyer, Martin, who was the second-best entertainment lawyer in the business. The best as far as you were concerned was your mother. His job was to keep everything legal and make sure no one tried to take advantage of you business-wise. Fourth, was your accountant, Greg. He was your money man. He made sure every cent you agreed upon with your contracts, was sent to your bank account and that every dime in your account was accounted for at all times. He even helped you invest that money, so it always grew. Then came your part-time stylist, Frenchie. Her job was to keep you looking incredible when she was needed. Finally, there was Pieter who oversaw them all. Tiffany nicknamed them Star Team, in honor of your name.

Though you’d learned to listen and follow along when they talked, you had to admit most of the information was boring to you, so you often drifted off. You never felt guilty about it because Tiffany was always recording the meetings and inventorying them for you if you needed to reference them later.

“Okay, is that all?” Pieter looked around at their faces around the conference table.

“One more thing, Julez began. “Have you decided how you’d like to move forward with eh-em, Boobgate?”

The murmurs around the desk picked up before Julez went on. “The media seemed to love your snarky, comedic comeback, Cassia. They are now doing most of the work for us by calling you good-spirited and easy-going for shrugging it off. A lot of the comments since are in good fun. I don’t see anything negative to come through, so I’m going to say we’re staying in good parameters. I have noticed though a great increase in searches about you and your overall name being mentioned. People love talking about you and Chris,” Juelz finished.

“Why wouldn’t they? They look gorgeous together,” Frenchie added.

“That seems to be the overall consensus. It is fascinating even those in his fandom do not seem to be spinning this negatively, which is always a concern with him and his team,” Juelz informed.

That was not news to you. When you had yet to make your big break, you followed celebrity discourse, and the Chris Evans fandom was insane. It seemed any little thing set them off, and once a fire was sparked, it would burn for weeks. With your rising fame, you worried about things like that on your end and being swept up in someone else’s insanity.

“So let’s leave it there. Let the media run with it where they will. We’ll do and say nothing on it. We’ll let this work for us,” Pieter finalized.

Everyone nodded before he called an end to the meeting, and everyone began to leave the room. Before you left, Pieter took the time to remind you about your last meeting of the day and share the news about a few other side projects he’d been working on for you. He shared that within a week or two, he hoped to be able to share the full news but that he was excited at the turn talks had taken today. You were curious but knew if you asked him to elaborate, he would only shoo you away, promising it would be a good surprise. He had your mother’s trust and had earned yours, so you allowed him to keep his secrets—for now.

After your last meeting, you found yourself home alone before midnight. This was the first time you'd been able to get any alone time. As you made it in your bedroom, you realized the flowers were now perched on your bedside table. They were even more beautiful in the glow of the moonlight that was shining through your balcony windows. Tiffany must have sent a message to the housekeeper to move them there.

You took up the card and reread it, all the while smiling. It was a sweet apology note and a kind gesture. You were surprised Julez didn’t bring them up in the meeting until it dawned on you that either she didn’t know which meant they came directly from him and not his assistant or team or she didn’t want to put you on the spot. While she technically answered to Pieter, she knew your money was what paid her salary. That meant you and her had an understanding about your PR needs. You liked discretion on things that no one else needed to know. This—you didn’t want Pieter knowing about. There was no need for him to know. It meant nothing.

The next day before you left your house, there was yet another bouquet and the card that accompanied it read; “Just in case you didn’t believe the first card I sent with the first arrangement I wanted to double down to make sure you knew that I am very much sorry.”

Tiffany didn’t say one word, all she did was give you a look, and that one look said plenty of things in one. “Heifer, you better reply to that man and live your life while swinging from his chandelier butt ass naked.” You had no intention of doing anything that look said.

The next day, another bouquet was waiting for you. this card was a little more amusing. “The first bouquet I could say you possibly didn’t receive. I know your life is busy, and anything can happen, but the second one, eh, less believable that you didn’t get no matter how much my pride is screaming at me that you didn’t just to save face. This one, I am sure you got, I had my assistant take care of it and attach a delivered and received receipt. So you responding is a purpose thing, and that makes me think I fucked up really bad, so bad that flowers won’t fix it, and you don’t forgive me. So I propose an alternative option. Allow me to apologize in person and explain myself. You pick the time and the place, and I’ll show up.”

When Tiffany saw this one, she lost her shit. She went on a full twenty-minute speech on why you should respond and accept his proposal. She went through exhibits A to Z as to why this was a good idea. She conveniently skipped the letter P knowing damn well the only thing you both could think of was Pieter. You knew that if he knew about any of this, he would flip his lid. When she included in her argument that you could make all of his dreams come true that he’s had all his life but was too afraid to inquire about.

You allowed her to go on her rant but still decided against responding or meeting him.

~~~~~~~~

-2 Days Later-

“So Cassia, everyone wants to know about this picture that is still the talk of the town. You haven’t made a statement, Chris hasn’t made a statement. What gives?” Ryan Seacrest’s question had you giggling.

“Nothing gives, Ryan. Not everything needs an explanation. Sometimes as humans, we have to learn to be okay with what is,” you philosophized.

Silence stretched for a full ten seconds before everyone around you busted out laughing, including yourself.

“Wow, I almost fell for that,” Ryan added, making you laugh louder.

“Darn, I almost got away with it.”

“You would have if I really didn’t want an answer,” Ryan slid in.

“Ah, everyone wants an answer, Ryan. I don’t have an answer to give.”

“You weren’t there?”

“No. It was my twin sister, Alicia.”

Another long stretch of silence filled the room. You could tell they were trying to figure out if you were telling the truth. “See, you guys are easy,” you teased, making them laugh again.

“So, you’re really not going to make a statement?”

“I went to an event and met a lot of cool people and had a great time.”

“Did you and Chris Evans leave together?”

“Not at all.”

“Did you exchange numbers?”

“Nope.”

Another silence befell the room, and you knew they didn’t believe you. For the next five minutes or so, you finished the interview while keeping tightlipped about the hottest topic. When you left, you were met with the paparazzi yet again, who were shouting new questions.

“Cassia, are the rumors true?”

“What rumors, guys?”

“That you’re in a relationship with Captain America himself.”

You tried to hide your shock before you quickly spoke.

“Who said that?”

Tiffany snorted beside you, no doubt thinking of her favorite gif.

“It is all over social media,” one of the paparazzo informed.

“That’s news to me,” you finished as your security got you to your truck. Before you got in one more question was screamed at you.

“How’d it feel to have Captain America checking you out?”

You couldn’t hide your smirk this time, and it was a smirk that only got bigger and bigger. Before you cheesed like a full-on idiot, you ducked in the truck.

“Your smirk said it all,” Tiffany said as you facepalmed.

After a quick trip to the market for some essentials, you made it home to finish reading the scripts you needed to have done in two days. When you walked inside, you ignored the second bouquet of flowers, Chris sent you the day after the first and went upstairs. Once in your bedroom, the third bouquet he sent yesterday caught your eye. The first one was a shock, the second a surprise, the third confusing.

After your shower, you walked back into your bedroom to find another bouquet that wasn't there thirty minutes ago. You knew they were from him. This was now amusing. What was his angle, you thought to yourself as you crossed the room to the flowers. Taking a deep whiff of them, you moaned. You loved the scent of Gardenia. They always put you in the frame of mind of romance and sensual rolls in bed. With that thought, you paused. Was he trying to tell you something?

Grabbing the envelope, you noted it was a lot bigger than the cards that accompanied the other bouquets. Once opening it, you saw a sheet of paper that felt heavier than standard paper, and with it came what you now knew was his handwriting. “Okay, after thinking about this for the last week trying to figure out what it is about me that you don’t like or won’t even entertain. Let’s start with the massive elephant in the room; I’m white.”

You had to laugh out loud for that. After almost a full minute of laughter that made you have to sit on your bed, you continued. “I know a major turn off, and unfortunately, it’s not something I can change. However, I can assure you that though I am white aesthetically, I am not fully white in any other department, and yes, that includes dancing.”

Again you laughed, dropping onto your back while flailing your legs in the air. He was on a roll; you thought before you continued. “Second, it must be you’re not into white guys. For that, the only thing I can offer is I’m not against wearing a paper bag to hide the fact that I am, in fact, white. It would be a case of none are the wiser. If, however, your gripe with me is my behavior from nights before, I promise I’m not a sleaze twenty-four hours of the day. I am capable of looking directly into your eyes for an entire conversation, I promise. Let me prove it to you. 424-947-5639.”

Your jaw dropped. Chris freaking Evans just gave you his phone number. You couldn’t move for the next ten minutes. You just sat there in a stunned stupor. You couldn’t believe this was real. Half of you was fangirling because hello not too long ago; you were a fan. You still were. The other half was freaking out because Chris Evans just gave you his phone number. Was he just being friendly, or was he shooting his shot?

MSG: Question.

MSG Tiff: Answer for two hundred Alex.

MSG: How does one shoot their shot?

MSG Tiff: What? Cass, has it really been that long since you’ve made the first move?

MSG: Do you know who you’re talking to? I’ve never made the first move. That is beside the point. I’m not talking about me shooting my shot. I mean when someone shoots their shot at you. What exactly does it look like?

You saw the bubbles knowing she was probably writing a long ass message. Almost a minute later, the message came in.

MSG Tiff: Uh, were you not present at the Laker’s game when the Sixers were in town, and Jonah Bolden stopped the game to come over and shoot his shot?

You laughed. You hadn’t forgotten that, mainly because it was everywhere the next day. The two of you talked for a few weeks, but your schedule and his had things fizzling real quick.

MSG: Yeah, but he was black, Tiff.

That was when the facetime call came in. you rolled your eyes but answered it. “So are we asking what it looks like when a white guy shoots his shot? Is that to lead me to think you mean a particular America’s ass?”

“Oh my god, Tiff. Just answer please,” you pleaded with exasperation.

“I need to know who first. White guys shooting their shot do not come in one size fits all. So who?”

Rolling your eyes again, you told her and prepared for the scream. It was as loud as expected.

“Okay, I knew he was feeling you. A man doesn’t look at any ol breasts like that,” Tiffany joked before she continued. “He looks like he could have game, but it could be cheesy game. Did he send you more flowers?”

You turned the camera to the new bouquet, and she melted. “Oh my god, those are to die for. They just get more and more beautiful. He definitely put research into this one. you love gardenias.”

It was true, and the thought had crossed your mind. When she asked what the note said this time, you read it to her. It had her laughing just as hard and long. When you mentioned that he ended it with his number, she screamed again.

“Call him!”

“No!”

“Cassiopeia Anjelique Drake! The man has shot his ultimate shot,” Tiffany shouted, using your entire full name.

You rolled your eyes and dropped back onto your bed.

“I can’t call. Pieter will freak,” you excused.

“Fuck, Pieter!” It came from the depths of her soul, you could tell. “This is your life, your pussy!”

You face palmed yourself again. She had to go there.

“I’m serious. I know you’ve heard the rumors from that comedian he dated, and he swears his fingering is accurate, and you have seen his beard. A man with a beard like that is good for one thing.”

You screamed and died again. She was in prime form right now.

“Cassia.”

Groaning, you sat up and sighed out. “I gotta go Tiff, I’m supposed to have a video conference in ten minutes, and I’m sitting here in a towel. I’ll call you later.”

“When you call me, you better be telling me that you talked to that man,” Tiffany shouted out as you were ending the facetime call.

You quickly got yourself together, and presentable then made it to your office to prep for the conference with the scripts. Seeing how far behind you were with the scripts, you show the participants a quick email to push it back by a few hours. Then you buckled down to actually get some work done instead of thinking about the real reason Chris Evans had a beard.

Two hours later, you were on the conference and going through the script line for line, film direction after direction. If one script would have taken an hour to go through, then three took you triple the time. By the time you’d finished for the day, you were all talked out, exhausted, and starving. Glancing at your phone, you saw missed calls from Tiffany and your mother and groaned at the fact that it was after one in the morning. If you’d have known following your dreams meant bye-bye to normal sleep hours, then you may have thought twice.

With the craving for the most unhealthy crap raging within you, you got into your car and went for a drive. While the time meant not many were out, you knew anywhere in the heart of LA would be a mistake. You drove half an hour out of the way to Pasadena to the burger spot you found by accident. It was no Shake Shake, but it offered two of your favorite things in one place, Burgers and Pies.

As you walked inside the small shop, you smiled, grateful it was practically empty. You walked to the back of the retro style burger joint and sat in the last booth. Deciding it was safe to drop your disguise, you took off your hat and sunglasses and took a deep breath of the glorious smell of burger and pies. You weren’t waiting long before a waitress came over with a note pad.

“Welcome. Can I take your order?”

“Yes, the Big Ben burger with the works, please.” She looked at you like you were insane.

“Are you sure? That’s a big plate,” she warned. You smiled and nodded.

“Oh yeah. I haven’t eaten all day,” you assured.

“Okay. How would you like it?”

“Very well done, please.”

She nodded as she jotted your order down. “Anything to drink?”

“Ginger Ale with a lemon slice, please,” you finished before she nodded and walked away.

You really liked this place. It was one of the few places that still had a jukebox. Digging into your purse, you pulled out a quarter then walked to the device that wasn’t too far from the booth you’d chosen. As you perused the selections of old and new music, you tried to gauge the mood you were in. It had been a while since you were able to sneak away on your own. You were in the mood for some relaxation but a bit of fun. You tapped in the key combination and turned the knob, and waited for the tune to play. When the oldie by Rihanna “Pon de Replay” came on, you began flicking your hips from side to side until you began winding it. You heard the distant ring of a bell that signified someone else had entered the restaurant, but it didn’t register, you were too into the song.

When you really got into it, you dipped it low as instructed and began singing along. That was when your entire body got into it, and you tapped into your own inner bad gyal. When you turned around, you yelped loudly, drawing the attention of the waitstaff to you. Before you stood the person, you least expected to see. The crooked quirk of his lip gave him the most roguish look you’d ever seen, a look that shouldn’t have turned you on the way it had—but it did.

“Don’t stop on my account,” Chris teased with an impossibly deep voice. It never sounded that deep in interviews, you thought to yourself before your teeth sunk into your bottom lip. His cerulean eyes fell from yours to your mouth, and you watched as his tongue slowly slid across his lips. Your nipples beaded painfully, and you didn’t need to look down to know that if anyone looked, it would be more than noticeable.

Why are you turned on right now, you questioned in your head. There was no logical reason for it. Yes, he smelled—incredible. There was no way anyone should smell that good; it was impossible. He smelled like fruits, sea salt, sunshine, vanilla, and a very appealing musk. He smelled like he took four showers a day and took pride in being groomed to perfection. The more you thought about it, the harder your nipples got.

“Cat got your tongue?”

Clearing your throat, it came out most exaggeratedly with a long high pitch. Chris’s brows wrinkled as he looked at you as if there might have been something wrong with you.

“Uh—are you okay?”

Instead of words, it was terrifying giggles that came out, making you sound like a deranged, cackling Hyena. The look on Chris’s face only became more concerned. You cleared your throat again this time more naturally and straightened your back.

“What’re—what’re you doing—here?”

“In a public restaurant?”

“Yeah, this public space,” you clarified before you crossed your arms over your breasts. “It’s mine.”

“Yours? You own it?”

“No, but it’s my secret place.”

“Ah, I see. If it was so much of a secret, then how did I find it?”

He was contesting you, challenging you. It was at this moment you got the vibe from him that he was the type of man who liked to debate, compete, and win. A man like that should have had your red flags blaring, but no red flags were waving. The only thing that was waving in front of you was a deep curiosity to know this man in a way that you hadn’t wanted to know anyone before.

Shrugging, you walked back to your table and sat. He approached you all the while, never taking his eyes off of you. You bit your bottom and tried to keep your thoughts boring. Before either of you could speak again, the waitress came back with your order.

“Big Ben burger with the works and fries and a ginger ale with lemon slices.”

When she put it down, she looked to Chris, who dipped his head low and pulled down his hat. The woman looked as if she might have recognized him, but she didn’t speak; she just peered closer. You cleared your throat and slid your plate closer. It was enough to distract the woman.

“Will there be anything else, honey?”

“No, thank you.”

“And you? Will you be staying or going?”

Chris looked to you with one eyebrow raised. Your eyes met, and you saw the question in them. It was a mix of a question and a challenge. He expected you to answer. It would give you the control of the situation, and it would also make it so you’d have to blatantly turn him down in front of his face rather than ignoring him as you’d been doing the last few days. You bit your bottom lip and took a deep breath. You had enough balls to turn him down right here. You’d done worse to other guys—a lot worse. The question was, did you want to do it to him.

When you locked eyes with him again, an amused smile spread across his lips. You bit your bottom lip again and sighed.

“He will be staying,” you answered.

The waiter looked to you then to him and nodded. Chris slid into the booth before you still keeping eye contact. The longer he looked at you; the more unnerved you became.

“All right, what can I get you sugar?”

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

***If you want to be tagged please SEND AN ASK SO IT WILL BE EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP TRACK OF. Thank you for reading!!!***

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

Tag List:

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#In The Act fic #Chris Evans #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans x reader #chris evans x you #chris evans x black reader #chris evans x ofc #black fanfiction #slow burn fanfic

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justthehiddleswrites · 3 years

Text

Nice Shirt | Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Summary: After two years of being in a relationship with Tom, you start to question whether you are putting your own dreams aside for this relationship. You make a hard choice but is it the right one?

Warnings: Implied Smut, Drinking, Bit of Angst

2016

Tom couldn’t sleep after comic-com panels. The adrenaline pumped through him, and he couldn’t sleep for hours. He tried to convince Chris Hemsworth to go to the bar with him, but he begged off.

“You can talk to your wife any time. But how often do you get to bar hop in Philadelphia?”

“Nah, mate.” Chris responded. “I am absolutely wiped. But go have fun. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Chris clapped him hard on the shoulder.

“Ehehehe.” Tom chuckled. “Of course. Brother.”

The two men parted with a hug, and Tom headed for his car.

“James…” Tom asked his driver. “Do you know any good bars?”

The man smiled in the rearview mirror. “How good?”

“The best.”

“I know just the place.”

You weren’t sure how you ended up at Frankford Hall, but here you were, beer in one hand, ping pong paddle in the other.

“Whoo!” you hooted as you beat the young frat guy on the other side of the table. “That’s how it’s done!”

Someone tugged on the back of your shirt, you spun wide, sloshing your beer. You weren’t drunk yet, but the buzz was flowing.

“JESS!!” you screamed. “You made it!”

You pulled your best friend into the tightest hug. She mumbled something against your chest.

“What?”

“I said…” Jess pushed off of you. “… we need to get some food into you.”

“Excellent idea.”

You linked arms and headed inside to order some food.

Tom reminded himself to thank James for the excellent suggestion. He never would have picked a biergarten for the night but with ping pong and authentic food. It hit the spot after a long day of photographs and signing photos.

“Hey!” a voice beside him cut through the din of the bar.

“Pardon?” Tom answered, turning to find you standing there.

“Nice shirt, Paul!”

“The name’s Tom.”

Your head ducked as you burst out into laughter.

“I was calling you Paul Bunyan. You know, the lumberjack. Plaid shirt.”

Tom glanced down, forgetting he had thrown on his well worn red plaid shirt.

“Oh, right. Eheheheh.” Tom gave a nervous chuckle.

The waiter plopped a plate in front of Tom. Bratwurst. Tom licked his lips and took a big bite, bits of sauerkraut falling to the plate.

“I like a man who can handle his sausage.” you flirted.

The waiter delivered your and Jess’s appetizers, laying the plates in front of you. Tom eyed your food while taking a big swig of beer.

“I like a woman with a big appetite.” Tom countered, turning on his stool to give you a once over.

“Good to know.” You licked your thumb after popping a bit of pretzel in your mouth. “How are you with a paddle?”

Tom choked on his beer. “I beg your pardon?”

You lifted your chin to the outside.

“Ping pong. What did you think?” You returned the favor of allowing your gaze to slide up and down his long lean body, lingering on some places more than others.

“No comment. Let me finish this beer and I will meet you out there.”

You grabbed your plates and headed outside.

“It is about time. I worried you got lost in there.” Jess grumbled as you shoved her food at her.

“Jess! You will never guess who I just ran into in there!”

Two Years Later

“What on earth are you doing?” Tom questioned as he viewed drawers opened and the closet door thrown ajar.

“Packing, Tom.” you sighed as you folded up shirts, deciding which ones to pack and which ones to leave behind. “That is what one does when getting ready to travel.”

“I thought we decided you weren’t going to take that job.” Tom sat down on the bed, jostling your suitcase.

Your hands gripped the once folded shirts.

“No, you talked to me for two hours about all the reasons why I shouldn’t move back to the States and then you changed the subject every time I tried to bring it back up again. But there was never any ‘we’ in this decision, Tom. I’m going.”

“Why?” Tom’s voice cracked. “I thought we… you were happy living with me here in London.”

You sighed as you shoved a couple pairs of boots into the suitcase. “I was.” Tom smiled a slight smile. “But I realized if I stayed here, all I would ever be is your girlfriend.”

“You make it sound like a prison sentence.” Tom mumbled.

“For me, it would be. I have dreams and goals of my own and no matter how hard I try, it would always be overshadowed by you. Or worse, pitied or given special treatment because of you.” You shoved the last of your clothes and pushed the lid down and struggled to zip the case closed.

Tom fidgeted with his hands in his lap.

“We could have talked about all this before you booked your flight. We can still talk about it, delay your flight.” His voice grew shrill. “We can make this work. Just don’t leave. Not like this.”

His hand slid over to grab yours. You sat down beside him, giving his hand a brief squeeze before extracting your fingers from his grip.

“My lectures start tomorrow.” A horn beeped. “That’s my taxi.”

Tom bolted to standing. “You can’t possibly be leaving now! Let me drive you to the airport. Something!”

You stood too. You rose on your toes. Your hands rubbed across the stubble on his chin and cheeks. Tom’s eyes squeezed closed at your touch and tears streamed down to your fingertips. You pressed your lips to his and sighed. Tom gripped your sweater like his life depended on it. The sound of the taxi honking again interrupted your embrace.

You squeezed his shoulders hard. “I need to go. I will call you when I land.”

Tom nodded. He grabbed your suitcase and carried it to the door. You reached for it, but he held on.

“Please reconsider. I love you.” Tom pleaded.

“I love you too. But I love me more.” You kissed his cheek. “I’ll call from Philly. Take care of yourself.”

Tom bit his lip in hopes to stifle his anguish. He released his grip on the handle as he nodded at you. You kissed his cheek and stepped out the door. He stood at the threshold until you waved from the backseat of the cab.

Tom gave a tight smile and a small wave until you disappeared into view. Once the door clicked behind him, Tom crumpled to the floor, his legs ceasing to function. Bobby trotted over to check on him, and Tom burrowed his head into Bobby’s soft fur.

He sat there for 30 minutes until his phone rang. He sent it to voicemail. It rang again. This time he turned the phone off and chucked across the foyer. He dragged himself to the couch where he lay until there was a knock at the door.

He jumped to his feet and ran to the door, hoping you had changed your mind.

“I’m so glad you—” he exclaimed as he flung the door open.

“Glad to see you too, mate. Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Luke responded as a disheveled Tom met him at the door. “What the hell happened!?”

Tom’s face fell. “She’s gone.” he croaked out as he fell against Luke.

Luke stood bewildered as he walked Tom back into his house and hoped to unravel just what had Tom in such a state.

Three Weeks Later

It was Tom’s first time leaving the house since you left. Luke made sure he had groceries and cleared his calendar of what few things were on it.

Tom had been planning a surprise vacation with you. Which Luke had to cancel. And now Tom sat in a corner booth of his favorite restaurant waiting for Benedict to arrive.

“Shall I get you something to drink?” The waiter asked as Tom ignored the menu.

“A pint. And keep them coming.” he grumbled, not bothering to take off his sunglasses.

“Are you sure that’s a wise decision giving your current emotional state?” Ben’s voice questioned as the waiter walked away.

“Why the fuck not? I am in mourning.”

“It’s been three weeks, Tom. You can not continue on like this. Your liver will never make it.”

“Want to bet?”

“Your GP would agree with me. Nice shirt, by the way. You’ve got a real brooding lumberjack vibe going on.”

Tom glanced down at the red plaid and tears welled in his eyes.

“That’s what she said the night we met.” Tom’s voice cracked.

Ben’s face softened at the wreck of Tom. “I didn’t mean to hit a nerve. I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t know. I never wear the shirt any more. But I haven’t been doing laundry as much.”

“Or showering either.” Benedict takes an exaggerated sniff.

“Not helping, mate.” Tom shot daggers across the table.

“How can I help? I assume that is why I am here. Since you are not taking any calls.”

“I broke my phone chucking it across the room. Haven’t bothered to replace it.”

Ben pressed his hands flat. “You might want to get on that. Perhaps she is trying to call you. I was under the impression you were smarter than this.” He shook his head at Tom.

Tom perked up. “I hadn’t thought about that. Do you think she has reached out?”

“Well, you won’t know until you talk to her.” Tom’s eyes sparkled and sat up straighter. “There’s the Tom Hiddleston I know.” Ben smiled.

“Thank you, Ben. You are a loyal friend.”

“I’m your best friend. And I only want you to be happy. And as payment for my expert relationship advice, you are paying for lunch.”

“With pleasure.” Tom smiled for the first time in weeks.

Tom’s mood was short lived. He stopped by the store and replaced his phone. He listened to your voicemail from that day you left. And then nothing. Not a text, not a call. Radio silence.

“Hello, darling. It’s Tom. Sorry I haven’t called sooner. A bit of an accident with my phone. I would very much like to talk to you. To hear your voice. Call me, please. Any time, day or night.”

He sighed as he left the message and stared at the phone for the rest of the night. It didn’t ring.

Two Months Later

It was three months since you moved to Philadelphia and began your adjunct position at Penn. You only gained some semblance of normal in the past few days.

“And that is it for today.” You addressed the class. “See you on Thursday.”

The auditorium emptied quickly as students rushed to either their next lecture or something else to do. With a huff, you heaved your bag onto your shoulder and headed to your office on campus.

“Hello?” you answered your phone.

“Any word?” Jess’s voice asked on the other end.

“I told you. He doesn’t have this new number, and I lost his when my phone took a swim in the toilet.”

“Then email him.”

“If he wanted to talk, he would have called those first few days. He has moved on.”

“You are a stubborn ass. You just don’t want to reach out first and have to admit you made a mistake. That you still love him and still want him.”

“That’s not true. He’s busy. He has projects. He probably isn’t even in London right now.” you lied to yourself. You hated when Jess was right.

“Bullshit. You’re scared. Fine, don’t do anything and throw away the best thing that ever happened in your life.”

“Hey! This job is the best thing that happened to me. It moved me closer to you.”

“I would give up our weekly lunches to see you happy. Are you happy?”

You sat down silent at your desk. She was happy, she thought, right? That was the whole point of this. The move was meant to help her reach her goals. Everything felt hollow instead of empowering.

“Yeah, yeah.” you lied to Jess. “Of course, I’m happy. That was the whole point.”

“Still calling bullshit. Remember Jason is coming to pick you up for lunch tomorrow because I have that client meeting.”

“Thank you for reminding me. Bye Jess.”

“Talk to Tom.” she blurted out before you ended the call.

You laid your head on your desk and sighed.

The next morning dragged on. You loved teaching communication, but today your heart was somewhere else. Jess’s words weighed you down like an anchor.

“And what percentage of communication is communicated nonverbally?” you asked the class.

You scanned the room to find someone to call on. Out of the corner of your eye, you spied a red plaid shirt. Just like the one Tom wore at Frankford Hall years ago.

“Ah…” you lost your train of thought. You glanced again but couldn’t find the shirt again. “… yes?” you pointed at someone in the third row.

You spent the rest of the lecture searching the room for the owner of the shirt, but he had disappeared. You convinced yourself you imagined the entire thing.

“Let’s end class early. Enjoy it because it won’t happen again.” you announced.

The class cheered as they packed up for the day. You waited until the hall was empty just to double check for Tom.

“You are losing it.” you mumbled to yourself.

Tom convinced Luke he was ready to work again. Starting with some radio appearances in New York. Luke wasn’t convinced Tom didn’t have a hidden agenda.

“Are you sure you aren’t planning on taking a day trip to Philly to find her?”

Tom scoffed. “It’s over, Luke.”

Luke glanced at Tom askance but complied with the request. “Fine, but I don’t want to see a single story unrelated to these interviews in the papers.”

“Cross my heart.” Tom made an exaggerated “x” on his chest.

“I’ve heard that before.” Luke groused as he made the plans.

When Tom received his itinerary, he was grateful Luke left an entire day empty.

“You know me too well, mate.” Tom commented as he saw the handwritten note at the bottom:

Here is a good car rental company. It is just under two hours to Philly. Be safe and tell her you love her.

- Luke

Tom wasted no time to call the car company.

When he arrived on campus, it didn’t take him long to find your office. It was locked.

“Excuse me, do you know when the professor will return?” he asked a passing student.

“She is lecturing in Ames Hall. It's just down the corridor.”

“Thank you.” Tom took off.

He snuck into the back to the crowded lecture hall and listened in for a bit. He swore you glimpsed him. His stomach growled as he skipped breakfast to get on the road and he ducked out of the hall to get a quick snack.

As he headed back, he spied you outside your office. His heart leaped into his throat. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes in joy.

He stepped forward but stopped as a man approached you, and you threw your arms around him.

“Fuck!” Tom cursed as the two of you walked away. He collapsed on a nearby bench, uncertain where to go from here.

It was later in the day when Jason dropped off back at campus.

“Call him.” both Jason and Jess pleaded.

“Leave it be, you two. We have both moved on.”

“Is that why you swear you saw him in class today? Or that you haven’t even thought about dating since you got here?” Jess added.

“Goodbye you two.” You slammed the door and headed to pick up your things before heading home.

You noticed someone slumped over on a nearby bench. You stepped closer and noticed the red plaid shirt from earlier.

“Are you okay?” you inquired. “Tom?!”

Tom unfolded himself from the bench.

“Tom, it’s you! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in London?” Tears pricked the corners of your eyes.

“I needed to see you. To talk to you. To explain why I didn’t call.”

You crossed your arms. “I’m listening.”

“I was so upset, I threw my phone and broke it. I left you a message but didn’t hear from you. I figured you might have moved on, but I was willing to take a chance. But I see I was right.”

“How long have you been sitting there? Are you talking about Jason?” You hooked your thumb behind you.

Tom sighed heavily. “So that’s his name.” He took your hands and held them tight. “I should have fought harder. I should have listened more. I am so sorry that you ever felt you couldn’t pursue your dreams with me by your side.” His thumbs ran across your knuckles.

You spied the tears falling down his cheeks. You opened your mouth to speak, but Tom cut you off.

“I want you to be happy. Whether that is with me or not. But above all, I want you to be happy. And if that means I never see you again, then so be it. But know I love you. I will always love you.”

“Tom—”

“Have a wonderful life.” Tom leaned forward and pressed his lips to your cheeks. “Give me a call if you are ever in London.”

Tom turned on his heel and walked away.

“WAIT!!!” you screamed, and he stopped and turned to face you. You ran to meet him. “Did you mean it?”

“Every word. I have never lied to you.”

“Jason…” Tom turned his head away at the name. You grabbed his chin to have him face you. “… is Jess’s long-term boyfriend. He picked me up to meet her for lunch.”

Tom’s eyes widened as the words sunk in. “So…”

Your lips curled into a smile and your hands snaked up his torso, gripping the front of his shirt. “Nice shirt, Paul.”

Tom smiled back. “The name’s Tom.”

“Well, Tom. I think we should carry on this conversation in my office.” You tugged him along. “I think your shirt would look amazing on my floor.”

Tom smiled as you shut the door. “I only want to make you happy.”

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fanfiction #tom hiddleston fanfic #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston angst

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lobster-tales · 3 years

Text

Modern AU - Rangshi

Day 5 of Winter ATLA Femslash Week. This fic is available here on AO3.

Prompt: Bending or Modern AU

Kyoshi and Rangi arrive at prom, only to be accosted by bullies. Usually Kyoshi would back down, but not this time. Basically every American high school rom com.

CW: bullying, language, implied drug/alcohol use, blood

Warrior paint looked different on everyone. Tonight, Kyoshi’s took the form of bold red eyeshadow and heavy winged eyeliner. She stared at her reflection, counting the freckles. She could have put foundation on them, covered them up, but she had decided against it.

A voice came from downstairs. “Kyoshi! Your friend is here!”

She scrambled, rising so fast that she nearly knocked over the makeshift vanity. “Coming!” she called. Kyoshi bowed her head beneath the low ceiling, smoothing the folds of the green dress. She paused at the stairway of her attic room, doing a mental checklist of everything she needed. Kyoshi brushed a finger to her bare lips, returning to the vanity. She took a tube of crimson lipstick in her hands.

At the base of the stairs, Rangi stood at attention, her arms behind her back. She noticed Kelsang, Kyoshi’s adoptive father, staring at her, and nodded curtly. Kelsang stood behind the counter of his bakery, using a wet rag to wipe the same spot over and over. His shop was technically still open, but Rangi and he were the only ones inside. She stood out against the homely chairs and tables, with her neatly fitted suit and black topknot.

Kelsang cleared his throat. “So… You and Kyoshi are…”

“Dating, yes.” Rangi made quick work of conversation. “We’ve been dating for several weeks, actually.”

“Really?” Kelsang mindlessly wiped flour off his apron. “She didn’t tell me.”

“Well, I’m telling you now.” Rangi realized she was being too curt and decided to switch tactics. “I... like your bakery. Kyoshi brought me some of your red bean buns, and they were delicious.”

“Thank you.”

“Soft on the inside, but crispy on the outside. And the red bean paste was very…” Her mind raced as she tried to think of an appropriate adjective. “... Beany.”

To her surprise, the intimidating man began to laugh. “Yeah, you two are definitely a match,” he chuckled. “How did you meet?”

Before Rangi could respond, the stairs creaked. They both fixed their attention on Kyoshi. She slowly descended from her attic room, ducking under a beam as she did so.

Her dress was nothing spectacular. The glossy emerald fabric rose from her waistline, crossed over her chest. Sleeves sprouted from her shoulders, draping along her arms and gathering at her wrists. The only visible piece of her olive skin was her breastbone, but even that felt revealing to her. The skirt was designed to pool at the floor, but instead hung inches above her ankles. Kyoshi preferred it that way, in case she needed to make a quick escape. This sentiment was reflected in the practical, black flats on her feet, the only ones in her size.

Rangi’s mouth had dropped completely, her usually fierce face wracked with awe. Kelsang recovered from the sight before she did, and he stepped out from behind the counter. He embraced Kyoshi, saying, “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you, Kelsang.” Kyoshi returned her attention to Rangi, who had regained her composure long enough to stick out her arm.

“My… lady.” Rangi had never said those words in her life, but felt there was nothing more appropriate to call her date.

As Kyoshi took Rangi’s arm in hers, Kelsang snapped his fingers. “Wait! Pictures!”

The two girls groaned. Kyoshi tried to dissuade him. “Kelsang-”

“Nope. Against the wall, now.” He held up an ancient disposable camera. “Say cheese!”

Neither of them smiled. The light flashed, signalling their freedom. Before Kelsang could rewind the film, Rangi had dragged Kyoshi to the door. “I’ll have her back by 10, sir.”

Kelsang shook his head. “Actually, I’ll be leaving the shop at 8, so you should have her back by midnight at the earliest.” He flashed them a grin. “Have fun, you two! Enjoy it!”

Kyoshi tried to think of something profound to say, but only released a casual, “Bye” before the door shut behind them.

***

The girls basketball team had tried to recruit Kyoshi all through her first year of high school. At the beginning of her second, she had caved. She had arrived at practice ten minutes late, failed to dribble the ball, and missed eighteen shots in a row. After that, the team had quickly lost interest, and Kyoshi had never expected to set foot on the gymnasium floor again.

Until now.

Kyoshi and Rangi approached the throng of high schoolers, all dancing together in a sweaty mass. Kyoshi easily saw above their heads, and was surprised at how well the prom committee had decorated. A makeshift stage had been set up beneath one of the goal posts, silky curtains providing a backdrop. Christmas lights hung in waves against the walled bleachers. Every so often, a balloon would be punched through the air, and the dancers would throw their hands up to keep it airborne.

She noticed Rangi eyeing her, and returned her concern with a smile. Kyoshi was out of her element here, but she felt braver on Rangi’s arm. A few heads turned as they made their way along the edge of the group. Most of the glances were just that, and the dancers ignored her again.

Rangi led her to a seat near the side of the gym, leaning close to her ear so she would be heard over the pounding music. “I’ll get us some punch.”

Kyoshi responded with a nod, and her date disappeared. She leaned back in the chair, drinking in the sight of the dancers. Without thinking, Kyoshi tapped her foot along with the music, and briefly fantasized about pulling Rangi onto the floor.

A silhouette interrupted her thoughts. Kyoshi looked up to see three people stalking towards her like wildcats, blocking the bright lights.

“So,” Aoma said from the center of the trio, crossing her arms over her heavily sequined gown. “You decided to come.”

Kyoshi hesitated, but only briefly. “I did.”

On Aoma’s left, Suzu cocked a carefully filled in eyebrow. “And with Topknot.”

Kyoshi stifled a laugh, thinking of all the horrible names they had called her from their preschool days to now. It eased her to know that Rangi was too feared to be referred to as anything genuinely cruel. “Her name is Rangi.”

“Oh trust me,” Jae chimed in from the right. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his tuxedo. “We know.”

“We’re good friends with her,” Aoma said. A smirk played on her mouth. “Real good.”

On any other day, Kyoshi would have suffered their petty attacks silently. Easier to let them take out their feelings on her than to fight back. Neutral jing. But today was inexcusable. She rose to her feet, straightened her spine, and lifted her chin. Her gaze was neutral towards them, almost bored. “Are you now? Funny that she didn’t ask you to prom, then.”

Jae and Suzu exchanged worried glances. Aoma’s smirk dissipated, but she maintained eye contact. “Oh please, like she actually wanted to go with you.”

Kyoshi had thought her new armor was impenetrable. Turns out there was a chink in it after all. “What are you talking about?”

Seeing she’d regained the upper hand, Aoma eyes flickered. “So she didn’t tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

Aoma released a callous chuckle. “Come on, Kyoshi. You really think someone like Rangi would want to date someone like you?”

“An orphan,” Jae sneered.

“A poor orphan,” Suzu added eloquently.

Those were facts, and nothing Kyoshi hadn’t heard before. But Aoma was holding back something new. Kyoshi felt like she would have wrung Aoma’s neck to get the truth out of her glossed lips. Instead, she settled for a low voice. “What do you know?”

Aoma flipped her wavy hair over one shoulder, saying casually, “It was a bet, Kyoshi. We told Rangi that if she took you to prom, we’d pay her 200 dollars.” Her smile became vicious. “Of course, even that almost wasn’t enough to convince her.”

Her mouth felt dry. Kyoshi had grown accustomed to picking out Aoma’s lies, but this time, her face showed no tell. She was sincere, if not wickedly pleased with herself.

Tears sprang to her eyes, but she turned before they fell. She refused to give them more satisfaction. Kyoshi forced herself to relax as she walked towards the exit. As far as anyone could see, she was just going to the bathroom.

The school hallways held a different aura at night. There was no glaring fluorescence, no crowd of backpacks and sneakers. Her vision narrowed to the stairwell, and she shoved against the door so hard that the lip-locked couples within jumped.

She had hoped to be alone, but refused to back down from her decision. Kyoshi disappeared, past their staring faces, around the corner to the next floor. Before she reached the top step, tears cascaded down her cheeks. Kyoshi turned and perched on the stair, wrapping her arms around her knees.

She had to try and think straight. Focus. Aoma must have been lying. That was the only logical conclusion.

Her mind raced to that day, when Rangi first approached her in the library. Rangi had commented on the book she was reading. Now, Kyoshi couldn’t even remember what the book was called, just Rangi’s face, illuminated by the soft afternoon light.

She pulled her knees to her chest, filing through memories of the last two months: late study nights, trips to the diner, anime marathons. The sound of Rangi’s laugh, the pressure of her lips…

Kyoshi heard the stairwell door open, followed by the scuffling of the couples. Only one thing could make them scatter so quickly.

“Kyoshi?” Rangi’s voice called. “Are you there?”

She said nothing, but her sniffles betrayed her location.

Rangi paused, then said, “I uh… talked to Aoma. She told me…” Rangi sighed. “I- I don’t know what to-”

“Is it true?” Kyoshi’s voice sounded colder than she intended.

“... Yeah. It’s true.”

Kyoshi buried her face in her arms, struggling to steady her breathing.

“But it’s not like that, Kyoshi! I promise, I never meant to-”

“Never meant to what?” Kyoshi stood, fueled by rage as she rounded the stairwell and pierced Rangi with her eyes. “To lead me on? Lie to me?”

Rangi climbed the steps towards her, hands out. “Please, don’t be angry, I didn’t-”

“Don’t tell me what to feel!” Her lip curled. “And don’t come any closer!”

Rangi froze. She was only a few steps away. At the close distance, Kyoshi could see the wetness in her bronze eyes, but found no sympathy within herself. “Kyoshi-”

“You know, Rangi, if you wanted to make fun of me, you could have at least had the courtesy to do it to my face like everyone else.”

This time, Rangi said nothing. She searched Kyoshi’s face, then silently knelt in front of her. “I’m sorry.”

Kyoshi’s fury softened at the sight. Her hands trembled, and she sank wearily onto the top step. “Why?” she said quietly.

“Because… I liked you.”

Kyoshi’s breath caught in her throat. Her shaking hands went still.

Rangi said, “You… you always said the right answer in class. Even though the teacher didn’t call on you that much. I would see Aoma picking on you, but you never gave in to her. Just stood strong and… grounded.” Her voice became quieter. “I… really admired that about you.”

Admirable. Kyoshi never thought anyone would describe her that way.

“I overheard them one day,” Rangi said. “Aoma and her cronies. They were talking about who they should place the bet with. I knew if I didn’t put myself in their line of vision, they would choose someone who would really hurt you.” She winced. “Though… I guess you got hurt either way.”

Kyoshi raised her head slightly, peering at Rangi.

She continued. “Everything I said was just to play along. I’d already decided that if you didn’t like me back, I wouldn’t even ask about prom. I’d tell Aoma the truth and threaten to beat her up if she ever pulled that shit again.” Rangi let out a harsh chuckle at the thought. “But then… you and I started hanging out. You were so interesting, and funny, and…”

“... Why didn’t you just tell me?”

Rangi looked at her, relieved to hear her voice again. “I should have! I know, but I wanted to wait until after prom. After I…” She ran her hand behind her neck sheepishly. “After I bought you a really fancy dinner.”

Kyoshi scoffed, but the sound held no anger.

“Look…” Rangi rose onto the top step, sitting beside Kyoshi. “I know… I know how bad they treated you. The way they still treat you. There were so many times I wanted to intervene, but I never did.” She grimaced. “I just walked by, left you to face them alone. And when I heard them talking about it… I thought of this whole thing as a sneakier way to fight. For you.”

“You don’t have to fight for me.”

“But I do, Kyoshi.” Rangi took her hand, bronze eyes gazing intently into hers. “And I will. Because you are worth fighting for.”

Kyoshi removed her fingers from Rangi’s grasp. Her betrayal was still too fresh. “I’m sorry, I just… I don’t know if I can trust you.” She averted her eyes. “How am I supposed to know that you’re not just saying this? That after tonight, you won’t just leave?”

Rangi paused, mind racing. She took a breath of finality, rising to her feet and outstretching her hand. “Come on.”

Rangi briefly returned to the gym, but rather than stay by the door, Kyoshi went to the bathroom to wait. She was surprised to see her makeup mostly unsmudged, save for a few lines. Kyoshi fixed her appearance as best as she could, exiting the bathroom to see Rangi leaning against the wall. Rangi took Kyoshi’s hand and said, “They’re meeting us after the next song.”

The front entrance of the school was unguarded. The concrete steps rose in a semi-circle around the doors, with a bronze statue of a fox, the school mascot, in the center. Kyoshi and Rangi stood behind the statue facing the school, spines straight, hands clasped.

Within minutes, Aoma, Jae, and Suzu appeared. They stalked towards them in their same positions as before, with Aoma in the center. She stopped several feet away, hands on her hips as she raised an eyebrow. “No… don’t tell me.” Her tone was more mocking than shocked. “Really, Rangi? I didn’t take you for the pity date type.”

Rangi’s free hand clenched into a fist. “It’s not a pity date, Aoma. Kyoshi’s my girlfriend.”

Aoma rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Your Stockholm syndrome isn’t my problem.” She snapped her fingers at Jae. “Here’s your money.”

Jae reached into his jacket, pulling out a short stack of 20 dollar bills. He tossed them on the ground at Rangi and Kyoshi’s feet. Kyoshi frowned at the paper. She should have felt humiliated, but instead she was disappointed by the small amount.

“Keep it,” Rangi spat. “That’s not why I asked you out here.”

Aoma’s concerned glance at Rangi’s fist did not go unnoticed by Kyoshi. “Then why are you wasting our time?”

Rangi squeezed Kyoshi’s hand once before letting go, reaching for the phone in her pocket. She opened a video, stretching her hand out to show Aoma. Kyoshi didn’t see the contents, but she heard loud music, a sniffing noise, and cheering. Aoma’s face went white.

“You… You wouldn’t…” Aoma said.

“Not cool, Rangi,” Jae growled, coming to Aoma’s defense. “We didn’t have to invite you to our parties.”

“Oh, but I’m so glad you did,” Rangi said sarcastically, swiping a few times on the phone screen. Another video began to play, and this time Kyoshi heard a crowd cheering the word “Chug!”, followed by a loud crash.

Jae’s jaw stiffened, but he kept quiet.

Rangi glanced at Suzu. “I got yours too; wanna see?”

Suzu’s face flushed. “No, I uh… I believe you.”

Rangi huffed victoriously, placing her phone back in her pocket. “Trust me, there’s plenty more where that came from. See, the fun thing about you three is that you like to brag. I have pages and pages worth of text conversations, about your parties, your exam cheat sheets, the bet-”

“Who cares about the fucking bet!” Aoma snarled, her usual aloof composure wrecked by anger. She pointed a manicured nail at Kyoshi. “You think anybody gives a shit about her?!”

“I do,” Rangi said in a low, threatening voice.

Aoma, empowered by her rage, said, “Just get to the fucking point already. If you don’t want the money, Rangi, then what the fuck do you want?”

“I want you to leave Kyoshi alone.” Rangi narrowed her eyes. “I don’t want you to hurt her ever again.”

Aoma scoffed. “So that’s what this is about.” She crossed her arms. “You know Rangi, I don’t get you. You were living the dream with us; you could have picked any tall girl you wanted, and you’re going to throw it all away for this freak.”

Rangi took a single step forward, but the action was enough to make the three bullies flinch. “Don’t call her that. See, that’s the kind of shit I’m talking about. Either that ends tonight-” She lifted her phone out of her pocket. “-or say goodbye to your trust fund.”

“You bitch!” Jae leapt forward, tackling Rangi against the pavement. She clung tight to her phone, sliding it towards Kyoshi as Jae grappled her arm. Kyoshi snatched the phone, looking up to see Aoma and Suzu prowling towards her.

Jae straddled Rangi, his legs pinning her arms to the ground, and swung at her face. His knuckles collided with her temple, and her head crashed against the concrete.

“Rangi!” Kyoshi moved to help, but Aoma and Suzu closed in, surrounding her.

Aoma hissed, “If you don’t give me that phone, Kyoshi, I will ruin your life. Your little girlfriend might need receipts, but I don’t. It doesn’t matter what I tell the school. They’ll take my word over yours any day.”

She could give in. Give them the phone, survive today. Kyoshi had faced the choice so many times before, and always chose neutral jing.

Kyoshi grit her teeth. “No.”

Aoma’s face contorted with fury, and she hurled her open palm towards Kyoshi’s cheek. Kyoshi blocked Aoma’s wrist with her own, delivering a swift punch to her diaphragm. Aoma staggered back, gasping for breath.

Kyoshi glanced at Rangi. Jae was now pinned beneath her, Rangi delivering one final blow before she stood. Jae scrambled to his feet, cowering behind Aoma. Suzu had disappeared, retreating to the safety of the school. Aoma’s breath came ragged, murder burning in her eyes.

“Enough of this.” Everyone’s eyes landed on Kyoshi, and she realized the stern voice belonged to her. She paused for a moment, but steeled herself and continued, “We’re done here.”

Aoma growled, “No, we’re-” but stopped dead when Rangi held up her fists. She pressed her lips together, shooting them each one more glare before she huffed. “Come on, Jae.” Aoma slunk back towards the school, Jae trailing meekly behind her as he muttered something about going home.

Before Kyoshi could move, Rangi was in front of her, checking her face. “Are you okay? Did she hurt you?”

“I’m fine,” Kyoshi said with a smile. Her finger traced Rangi’s swollen temple, causing her to wince. “Are you?”

“I’ve had worse.” Rangi frowned, murmuring, “I’m sorry. For everything. I know this was all… a lot, and I didn’t-”

Kyoshi cut Rangi off with a kiss. They relaxed for a moment, relishing in the warmth of each other. Kyoshi finally broke away, grinning as she pressed her forehead to Rangi’s. “Don’t worry,” she said, removing Rangi’s phone and a wad of cash from her dress pocket. “At least you made it worth my while.”

Rangi gaped. “But… You…”

“Come on.” Kyoshi took her hand, pulling her back towards the school.

“You want to go back in?” Rangi asked, trotting to keep up with her long strides.

Kyoshi had spent her whole life waiting and listening. Now, she was ready to act. “It’s prom, Rangi.” She smirked, kissing her girlfriend’s knuckles. “And I want to dance with you.”

#winter atla femslash week #rangshi #rangi #kyoshi #high school au #prom au #my fic #atla fic #femslash

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