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schizoidcel · 6 months

Note

I have an idea for a scenario.

Pomni x reader where Caine realizes that that girlfail has a massive crush on reader and attempts to wingman lmao.

Creating dumb situations and little adventures meant to encourage feelings to bloom, but he sucks at creating any sort of romantic atmosphere lol

He is just stressing poor Pomni out more.

# POMNI x READER WITH A WINGMAN CAINE ☆

LMFSAAOAOO I LOVE ALL THESE POMNI ASKS this is absolutes hilarious

︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶༉‧₊˚.

🖤 SCENARIO !!

warnings :: A VERY stressed out Pomni. Also not proofread urm

synopsis :: Pomni has had a crush on you for awhile, and this crush keeps growing bigger and bigger. Pomni dosen't really do anything to get together with you, instead just admiring you from near and afar, but a certain showman will not let this slide.

Pomni and you are currently talking in the hallway, both of you on the way to the main stage.

..Really, a blind person could see the way Pomni looks at you. You can see in her eyes just how much she admires you, looking at you like you're some kind of goddess or saviour.

And unfortunately, someones hundreds of eyes was seeing this.

"POMNI!" "UWAAHH???" Pomni shrieked and threw herself back, accidently hitting your side. "Ah- Sorry- Wait- CAINE WHAT THE F#()<;|<?!?" Pomni yells, clearly pissed Caine came out of thin air like that. She could've gotten another panic attack if she werent already so used to him popping out of nowhere left and right.

"Apologies Pomni, dear!" Caine is quick to apologize, though whether he will do the same 'mistake' again or not is something that isn't clear.

Pomni shakes her head, quick to calm down, as she dosen't want you seeing her quivering like this. "It-It's fine... What is it now? You're not gonna put me in... You know..." She questions, still traumatized from the entire knife action.

"The what?" You ask Pomni, and she jerks up. "Uhmm.. Well, you know.. One time -" she was about to explain what happened to her to you, but Caine interrupted her.

"Oh, goodness no! Well, if you miss it so much, we can redo it one day!"

"I don't-"

"Well, what I have planned today is an TOTALLY. EXCLUSIVE. ADVENTURE!" big ass words pop out of nowhere, then there is a slight pause.

"...Just for you two!"

"Wha- Wait, what? O-Oh god, oh god no, Caine- Caine please, not again." Pomni begs, already knowing what's about to happen. If she will truly be stuck in an adventure with you, she will either :

Stutter non stop

Blush non stop

Get overstimulated

Possibly 1 meltdown

And she wants NONE of those things to happen while she's near you.

You touch Pomnis shoulder in an attempt to calm her down, but instead she just seems to freeze in place. Uhh... Mission accomplished?

"It's ok, Pomni, I'm positive we'll have fun!"

No response.

'Is she ok ??' You think to yourself.

"Oh, you'll have lots of fun! And figure lots of things out, get it? Figure things out?!"

"..."

Caine just giggles. He really dosen't even want to ADMIT that that was a shitty pun. Can it even be considered one?

Eventually though, his laughter dies down, and he regains composure. "Well then, have fun!" "W-" Pomni didn't even get to start her sentence as you two immediately got transported into some... Uh... What is this.

"Oh god- Oh god oh god oh god oh god please.." you couldn't even describe how Pomni looked like in that moment, though speechless and baffled would fit pretty well.

Well... You kind of felt the same. Why exactly are you two in a very cramped and isolated 'Tunnel of Love' ride?

Pomni goes up to you, "[name], I swear- I-I totally don't know whats going on!" She obviously did, but she looked like she was exactly one wrong thing happening away before having a breakdown, so you decided to play along with her.

"It's fine, Pomni. Let's just get in the ride and see what this has in store for us." You step towards the boat. Once inside, you gesture Pomni to sit next to you, so it can start.

You swear you saw her mumbling lots of stuff while being really out of it. Infact, she still seems abit out of touch next to you, if not even more than before she sat down on the boat.

The ride begins, which lets out a quick shriek out of Pomni. "...Sorry..." You obviously saw how embarassed she was, you giggled at her cuteness and reassured her that it's not that big of a deal.

The ride was quiet at first, but there was some really weird stuff that you passed by that you and Pomni occasionaly made comments of, and that ultimately led to a conversation sparking between you two.

"Look at that small thing!" Pomni points towards something that looks like a small figurine of a yellow female robot. "That'd fit just perfectly in your room." you tease her, and shes quick to respond "H-Hey..! No way, it'd fit in Gangles much better!" she giggles, and you can't help but giggle with her.

Though as soon as both of you had stopped laughing, the rides atmosphere changed completely.

And I mean that word for word, it looks more like some kinda haunted house now.

Pomni gets nervous fairly quick, as she is not good with handling things that go by fast. "What... Huh? It-it was bright and pink just a few seconds ago..." Pomni says, comparing the darkness and colorlessnes from this part of the ride to the part you two just were in.

"Maybe this is the adventure? Or... This place is the haunted part."

"Ha-Haunted place?!" 'Oops. shouldnt have said that.'

"Oh, I mean it in a symbolic kind of way! I don't think this place is actually haunted!" You tried to lead Pomni away from the idea that this place is haunted, she didn't believe in ghosts in the real world but 'Since this is a digital world, everything can exist here..!' ...You remember her telling that to you.

"Who knows, [name]... This p-place is full of weird freaky things..." She says, you can't really tell if her tone is annoyed or frightened.

You decide to look around the tunnel you're in right now, to see if there is anything. "Well, I don't think something will show up, and besides- Oh. Wait, Pomni!"

You nudge her abit. She snaps back into reality, only to stare on the arm nudging her for awhile, before snapping back into reality again. "H-huh? What is it?"

"Look over there!" you point towards to what seems to be like the ending of the ride.

"Oh..! The ride is about to end?.." Again, you can't tell if she is dissapointed or not, what is with this girl today?

The cart comes to a spot, and you help her step out of it. "Looks like this wasn't really an adventure at all. ...But, I do wonder why it's like, literally pitch black here, yet I can still see you clearly." You ponder, realizing there wasn't even really a floor that you two stepped on, it's just ...black.

"Oh, maybe it's like a- uhm- video game thing! You know, how sometimes you still see your character even when you're in a very dark place??"

"You played video games?" You ask, genuinely suprised.

"W-Well, used to... Couldn't really anymore because of my job..."

"First thing we do when we get out is search for a new job for you." You 'declare' in a way, Pomni has been telling you how her job stopped alot of new stuff she wanted to try out, how she couldn't do it because all it's been doing is eating away at her.

Pomni blushes abit, "O-Okay!" she almost yells, as if you were a sergeant and she was a soldier in an army.

"Woah there girl, let's calm dowwnnn..?" you were about to say, but something kind of appeared behind Pomni. Some kind of, eyes monster. ...Wait.

Pomni noticed your change in tone, "W-why are you looking behind me like that? If you're a-about to prank me, don't! This isn't some kind of ho-horror film!" she yells, obviously distressed.

"Pomni, we're running away right now."

"What?"

"Pomni-"

"WH-WHATS BEHIND ME??"

"Just-" you grab her hand,

She quickly takes a glance behind her, and yells just as fast "OH MY F()|<<!\|# GOD???"

"S#!|^, OKAY GO GO GO!" you quickly tighten your grip on her hand and run like hell, the abstracted monster just barely missed a hit on Pomni.

"WHY? HOW? THIS IS A DEATH SENTENCE!! HE WANTED TO KILL US, WHY ELSE WOULD HE BRING US TO THE LAIR OF THESE THINGS??" Pomni just kept yelling out stuff either similar to that, or something completely off topic, because you swear you heard her shit on Jax and Caine.

You're pretty out of breath already, even though you two are still running, so you can only attempt to say something over her breakdown. "Pomni- Let's, let's just- Calm down for now, put your distress into your legs, not- Not your mouth." Pomni was quick to shut up and nodded at you, doing what you said.

... She's faster than you now. Damn this girl has issues.

You two, thankfully, arrived back at the start. "Yknow, I just- I just realized we didn't even have to run this far." You say, still out of breath. You and Pomni decided to sit on the ACTUAL floor this time to catch a break. "They're- they're too big to fit through the tunnel."

Pomni looks abit paralyzed at this, "Son of a-" But, before she could start cussing, Caine appeared again. "No cussing!" "Waahh..?!??" Pomni stumbled back, again, she'll probably never really get used to this.

"I see you two survived! And? Did you two bloom?"

"...What do you mean bloom? -We almost, like, died or something!"

"Caine, you're just stressing me out more like this." "Oh, Pomni! Don't say that, it hurts!" Obviously it didn't.

"Look- " He takes Pomni by the shoulders and makes her face the other way from you, the two look like they're discussing how to defeat some kind of evil antagonist.

You just looked at the two with a deadpan expression as they seemed to fight over something. Pomni, once more, looked like she was one wrong step away from a panic attack. You heard stuff like "This will NOT help!" or "You're crazy!"

Eventually though, Pomni turned back, facing you again. She seems to be stressed out about something. "[name]- Look- Whatever happens next, it's because of Caine." "...What."

And just as soon as you said that, you two were in a completely different room. It looked like some kind of fancy dinner place. There was a table with professional looking cutlery infront of you, the plates contained steak with vegetables and potatoes. The table even had candles. The walls, for some reason, were full with red curtains. The floor was red aswell, and both of you even got different outfits.

"Uhm... Is he trying to couple us up?" You ask, looking around the room.

Pomni almost jumps out of her seat. "N-No way..! He's just, uhm... Messing with us..?" She gives up trying to lie when she saw that smirk on your face.

"Pomni, be honest... Do you like me?" Oh. Poor girl. Don't do that.

She just sighs and looks down, "Yeah... I like you." she looks back up, avoiding eye contact. "That's why Caine kept putting us into adventures together, and... Urhh... Did that..." She had a flashback back when you two were talking normally, and suddenly, out of nowhere, Caine decided that it would be a good idea to poof out a kiss cam out of nowhere.

"Honestly, what was he thinking..?" She cringes at the thought. If what he was trying to do is create romantic atmosphere, then 'romantic' has a VERY different meaning in that vocabulary of his.

You chuckle, "That was pretty bad, wasn't it? But, I'll be honest, him doing all of that made me notice how you looked at me at times when we were conversating, like today."

Pomni turns red, definitely out of embarassment. "Yknow... I thought I'd be having another panic attack or something, but I'm still having fun talking with you, even after you know that I romantically like you."

"Well, I like you too!"

"...Huh?"

"I like you too, Pomni."

"..."

"P-Pomni?" you see her falling out of her chair, she probably fainted from being too overwhelmed.

"...Oh dear."

Meanwhile, Caine looked over you two like some kind of proud father.

"Hahh.." he wipes a fake tear away, "Looks like it worked after all! Wait, what am I saying? Ofcourse it did!" He says, proud that his 'mission' was a sucess.

︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶༉‧₊˚.

ׂૢ་༘࿐ Thank you for reading! ♡

Bye I went cray omg 😭 I love writing Pomni like how she is in the german dub. Hope I fulfilled ur wishes anonsie 🌚

#pomni x reader #tadc x reader #the amazing digital circus x reader

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yrrtyrrtwhenihrrthrrt · 14 days

Text

One thing I like about Nimona that I haven't seen brought up yet (and maybe I'm alone here) is that Nimona becomes more sympathetic to the audience at the same pace that she becomes more sympathetic to Ballister (kinda long analysis below sorrys)

Like, I know not everyone agrees, but on my first watch of the movie, I found her downright annoying for the first like, quarter of the film. I don't find her annoying upon rewatch at all, I absolutely adore her, but the first time I watched it I reacted with a similar distaste as Ballister-- not because she was a shapeshifter or queer, obviously, but because she appears completely tone-deaf to Ballister's situation when the man is experiencing probably the worst thing anyone could imagine, she jeopardizes his reputation even more by pretending to be him while menacing the public, constantly undermines his efforts to minimize harm and clear his name, and just does as she feels without regard to others.

Then you start to learn why she acted that way, just as Ballister does. You (and Ballister) start to see that his efforts are in vain, that trying to minimize harm or clear his name doesn't work in his favor and is impossible to achieve, and Nimona knew that all along so of course she didn't care! She's seen this film before enough times to stop taking it seriously. If the outcome is always the same, why not have a little fun with it?

Her whimsical mannerisms start to look less annoying and tone-deaf and more powerful and brave (that she could be so determined to be herself despite everything). She starts to look less carefree, and more jaded. You realize that she's only carefree because it hurts too much to care.

And Ballister's line "Let's break stuff" is the turning point where we see that she (or rather, the Institute) has taught him to embrace chaos and be himself, because they're not going to listen either way.

And the subsequent scene, where Ballister offers to take her away from the walls and she says "No, this isn't right, we have to take the Institute down" shows that Ballister taught her to care again because he proved that people can change. They both had an important lesson they needed to learn from the other, basically: "Don't expect the system to work in your favor but don't be a doomer about it either" lol

And it hurts when Bal turns on her because you can kinda see where he's coming from, it would make sense that a lonely, lonely creature would possibly sabotage someone else hated by society so that they could finally have a friend. It would explain why she acted so cavalier about his reputation, constantly threatened people and undermined him, made them both out to be far more villainous than they were. She was acting out of indifference, but it came across to him as malice, and while we the audience know that obviously the eponymous character isn't a twist villain, Ballister wouldn't, and further, how much easier would it be to believe that this one person double-crossed you, rather than to believe everything you ever knew was a lie? So he turned his back on her.

And he, and the audience see what a huge massive fuckup that was.

What I like is you don't even NEED her backstory to sympathize with her, and neither did Ballister. This isn't a case of "character was unbearable for the entire time but they have sad backstory so they're now likeable I guess Snape). She was already sympathetic and likeable. We already understood her. The backstory was just extra context, nothing more, and that is fucking excellent writing.

We slowly learn to love Nimona for herself at the same rate that Ballister does, rather than being irritated wishing she was something else. And I absolutely, absolutely love that. She doesn't "become" more likeable, you learn that she was likeable all along.

#nimona #ballister boldheart #nimona 2023 #nimona analysis #nimona movie

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emeritus-fuckers · 6 months

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Hihi, what are you thoughts on the papas' s/o saying "let's get matching tattoos" and it being one of their lyrics? I didn't find if this had been done before so sorry if it has

Hope you like this :) I love this idea and it just makes me want to get a tattoo more (but I'm not at all good with needles lol) so I am gonna live vicariously through this :D - Nyx

Papas reacting to s/o wanting to get matching tattoos of their lyrics

Primo

As you ask him he pauses mid sip of tea and places his cup down. "Interesting idea amore."

"I havn't had a tattoo in years" he says with a wistful smile. "Why not! Lets show them I'm not too old for something new!"

He is flattered when you explain you want one of his lyrics even after all the music that has gone after him. He thinks you have very good taste to prefer his songs best.

All in all he thinks its an excellent idea he has a skip in his step on the way to get the tattoo and even more so on the way back.

He insists on opening a really special old bottle of wine he'd been saving to celebrate.

Secondo

You expected him to be slightly more enthusiastic but he just grunts his agreement.

That is until he gets drunk at a party later and then he is wrapping you in his arms and placing kisses all over you. He tells you it's a brilliant idea and he can't wait to share this bond with you!

He is not at all shocked or surprised you wanted his lyric. Well of course you did.

He is very supportive of you as you get the tattoos. He is also really good with the aftercare post tattoo.

He makes sure to look after you first then himself.

Terzo

He squeals at the idea and then hugs you tightly.

"Yes amore, a thousand times yes! I eh cannot think of anything better no? Everyone will see how much their Papa adores you and how much you love me!!"

He is also delighted you chose one of his lyrics (had you not he might have turned into a little bit of a diva).

He holds your hand tightly while you get the tattoos done. "It's looking really good amore, not as good as you though." he grins and kisses the back of your hand. He's hoping to kiss the pain away and take your mind off things.

He then goes back to the ministry and insists on showing everyone. He also runs to his brothers saying "Hey stronzo look how much my beloved loves me!! They have one too!!" he then drags you over and asks you show them your tattoo. He is very happy.

Copia

He makes happy rat noises "I would be honoured cara, I think its an excellent idea. Sì, its perfect"

He finds it hard to believe you want to use a lyric from his song, to have it permantly on your amazing body.

His whole face lights up when he finally does believe it. "I am the luckiest man alive to have you" he says with a grin leaning in to kiss you.

He makes sure to check all the reviews and find the best tattoo parlour. He is really supportive during it, he talks you through it and holds your hand.

He then spends the night afterwards lying with you and gazing at the matching ink. He kisses you softly and strokes your hair telling you how amazing you did today.

Old Nihil

He doesn't always hear what you say but at the mention of his song he suddenly sits a little straighter and his eyes almost seem to clear.

It brings back a glimpse of the man he used to be.

"Ooooh sibling, this is perfect" He full on grins and pulls you into his lap. "I am so glad to have found you. Now I am old enough to not mess this up."

He kisses you and tells you how happy he is to make his love for you permanent like this.

The entire time he's getting the tattoo he is just gazing lovingly at you and smiling. You are his whole world.

Young Nihil

This is the best day ever, I mean ever. He is so happy about this, his lyric, on your body forever!!

A way to remember the romance you two shared for the rest of your lives. A tattoo is forever, but you worry sometimes about Nihil, after the whispers you heard.

"Babe" he cups your face in his hand seemingly reading your thoughts. "I will never make that mistake again and this can be my way of showing you that." It's true you do see a different side of him, the man completely fell for you and shows you a depth to him that no one else gets to see.

He is a bit of a baby when they do the tattoo, it's more you supporting him through it.

But he is so happy when it's done and he insists on going out and drinking to celebrate. Also in his mind to help the pain "Honey come on it will help, I'm sore and you must be too"

Written by Nyx

Taglist: @ivyanddaisies @copias-fluffy-asscheeks @lunarsromantichomicide @randodummy @tuttifuckinfruttifriday @calliedion-dungeon @nuntia @dio-niisio @mamacarlyle @firefirevampire @mybotanicaldemise @emo-mess @natoncesaid @sirlsplayland @ouijaboardemo @lightbluuestars @igodownjustlikeholymary @thatoddboy @strawberriiblossoms @dark-angel-is-back @randominstake

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wayfayrr · 7 months

Note

for some reason i've had another idea for a request LODGED in my damn brain ever since i wore my platforms the other week: [they are comfy to me, and the heel isn't very high, just the platform adds like- 4inches lol] someone who has tall ass shoes, and nobody notices until they take em off or something and suddenly they're shorter it sounds bad, cause why would someone be wearing platforms, but i swear i can run in em. [took some trial and error though....] also its just really goofy.

No because I'm just as stubborn with platforms the thing that gets you is stairs. I'm not entirely sure if I've mentioned it on here, but I'm a firm believer that Hylians are short. Time is seen as tall because as far as Hylians go? He is Twilight is seen as monsterously tall. Which mixes into your other ask as well - seeing as Time is fairly average height when compared to humans with Twi being tall even to humans (he grew up with humans so he adapted just a lil he's got a much higher milk tolerance sfvgf) but only Twi really knows this seeing as he grew up in ordon with humans and honestly? Means he has a reason to reach out to the reader in the first place, explaining most of the differences he noticed growing up between him and the rest of the villagers It's not the most but really at that point it's helpful to know anything. and it gets him closer to you which is what he really cares about honestly I write the chain as yandere's most of the time really, but this scenario where he's reader's best hope and they naturally get closer to him? I could see it happening really it's because he can't have a repeat of midna someone from another world stealing his heart and leaving him forever ha nope

As for platforms? that'll be fun to explain to them >:) this turned out a little bit more Twi centric than I meant for it to be but it was so fun to write and flowed so naturally !! <33 [masterlist]

“[Name]? We’re about to have breakfast, you’ll probably want to come get some before we leave the inn. Time’s saying that we’re going to be walking a lot today”

“Hm? Yeah I’m coming wild.”

His eyes looked as if they were about to fall out of his head when I opened the door. Is there something off about my appearance? I’ve just woken up I guess so maybe I just look a bit dishevelled, but after travelling with them this long? Would that really be enough to set them off like this?

“You’re shorter! Are you alright? Twi said humans are way different compared to Hylians but I didn’t assume he meant you shrink sometimes! Come on we need to go show them to know if you’re gonna be okay.”

“Wait no wild I-”

There isn’t even time for me to argue my own point with how fast they’re pulling me over to the others, his strength is impressive even for hylians I’ve been told and that isn’t something I’ll argue with. But what is he on about me ‘shrinking’? I haven’t changed height at all… He’s never seen me without my platforms. That’d do it.

“TWILIGHT! [NAME] SHRANK. IS THAT SOMETHING HUMANS CAN DO? ARE THEY GOING TO BE ALRIGHT?”

“Wild really I’m going to be fine. If you’ll just let me explai-”

“YOU CAN SHRINK? Why didn’t you tell us [name]?”

Now winds come over - great. I’ll have to count on Twi’s glare being enough to give me time to speak.

“Wild what are you on about humans can’t - oh. You did shrink. How did that happen?”

Bingo. Now I can hopefully clear this mess up somewhat.

“I didn’t shrink. I’m just not wearing my platforms. They add to my height when I wear them, I didn’t realise this was the first time Wild’s seen me without them. Their worry was pretty cute though.”

“So you didn’t shrink..? Can I try them on?”

“Nah wind, not only are they my only pair of shoes but I think you’d break your neck if you tried to walk in them.”

He really does look kind of like a cat when he pouts, you’d assume he’s just had a lemon slice shoved in his mouth rather than being told no for his own safety. It’s nice to see that despite having to become a hero at such a young age he still acts his age.

“Then how do you wear them? You’ve been walking them for so long without issue?”

“They’re your only shoes?”

“Yeah they are Twi, there’s no issue either wild. They’re comfortable to wear and I’m used to them anyway”

Twi looks as if he’s gearing up for a lecture if the look on his face is anything to go by, the very same one that’s a warning for wild when he’s done something questionable. A short sigh, a shake of his head and it quickly softens up into some sort of lovestruck expression.

“Darlin’ It isn’t that that I’m worried ‘bout. It’s not a good idea to only be travelling with a single pair, what if they get damaged or lost? I’ve got a spare set that should fit you, you can have them.”

“You don’t have to go that for me twi, I’m sure theres somewhere here I could just buy a pair.”

“It really ain’t an issue. It’ll save you breaking in a new pair so it’s for the best really.”

There’s more to what he’s saying I can feel it, but I can’t bring it up around the others like this so answers will have to wait.

“You don’t wanna eat while you’re, only wearing a pair of socks you? Let’s go and get them for you quickly.”

His hand is so much softer than Wild’s and his touch is more tender and is that? Oh, he’s blushing, there really is something more to this isn’t there; does he like me or something? The walk to his room in the inn isn’t long, shorter than the one to my own.

“Give me a second darlin’ and I’ll get you them.”

“Of course, I’m not gonna get mad at you for taking too long to get me a gift. Seriously though, thanks for this link.”

If I thought he was red before he’s downright glowing now, his face from the tips of his ears to the lowest part of his neck that I can see have gone crimson red. Matching how his rummaging through his bag has gotten ever so more frantic, his patience for finding the said boots for me gone like ashes in the wind. Then before I know it a pair of leather boots are being thrust into my arms by someone who can only really be described as a blushy mess at the moment. It’s cute. He’s cute.

“They’re wonderful thank you again Twi, really.”

“You can ah - You can call me link when we’re alone together like this darlin’.”

“If you want me to then link. I’ll just put these on then we can go join the others, hopefully, they’ve saved us some food.”

These are so soft, are they lined with something? They have to be right? It feels like some kind of fur, they should be nice to walk in so I can save my platforms some wear. It makes a lot of sense to try to keep my belongings from home safe, just to have some memories to look back on.

“Hey link, mind me asking what they’re lined with?”

“Wolf fur darlin’”

“Is it your fur?”

How is it possible he’s gotten even more red? Answers my question though. Why would he give me something lined with his own fur?

“I - That doesn’t bother you does it?”

#he's so soft fr #love me some twi #yandere linked universe #yandere link x reader #yandere twilight #yandere linked universe x reader #yandere link #soft yandere #link x reader #linked universe x reader #lu twilight #moss✦writes #moss✦answers

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yayakoishii · 7 months

Note

Before I send my request your way lemme tell you how much I loved reading your recent Sanji Fics!! I enjoyed them a lot!!

And as for a request, I don't have anything specific but a vague scenario in my head. The strawhats dock at a lone mysterious island. And they as usual disperse off to do their own things when Sanji happens to stumble upon the reader. Perhaps caught in some trouble, going around with a hidden identity? I'm sorry this is cringe. But it's been in my head for a while now. Whether this ends up interesting you or not, I just wanted you to know, it's been a lot of fun reading you! Have a good day! Or night :D

Unfortunate Encounters | Sanji x Reader

Fandom: One Piece

Pairing: Vinsmoke Sanji x Reader

Word Count: 5,997 (that's practically 6k)

Genre: Light Fluff, more Angst, happy ending ofc!

Warnings: Plot heavy, light swearing. Slightly ooc crew maybe? I'm still new to writing for OP, please excuse any mistakes!

A/n: First off, thank you so much for the sweet words anon ;-; they really made my day <3 As for the request, this was not cringe at all!! I got super into it and I had like 3-4 mental drafts of how this fic could go (the og ending was even more angsty lol, but I decided to cut back...) I may have focused too much on the 'lone, mysterious island' part because this was more plot heavy than romantic. The inner plot writer in me emerged because of your prompt; I'm not a romance writer so I struggle with that in this fic >< However, I did enjoy writing it so I hope you enjoy this one too! Thanks for sending such a fun request ❤️

also available on ao3!

The log pose had brought them to another island, but even before they had touched down, Sanji could feel something was up with it. The island just gave off some vibes he couldn't place and he wasn't one to chalk it off to a mistake. His intuition told him something was going to happen here.

"There doesn't seem to be a town here," Nami frowned, looking at the island. All they could see for miles and miles was a dense tropical forest, with trees that seemed larger than their usual size. When they got off the Thousand Sunny, Sanji realised that it was too silent. There were no sounds of birds or any animals that he could hear from the shoreline. "Be careful, guys."

They decided to separate and cover the island quicker. The log pose needed time to reset and it was a curious little island anyway. They could cover it within a day, maximum. Something in Sanji's gut twisted in protest but until he could explain it, there was no way he could stop the chaotic crew. So he let it be and started hacking a path to somewhere.

The trees were dense and the forest was dark, lit up on random intervals by sudden sunbeams that looked like nature's spotlights. Sanji hummed to himself as he studied the plants around him. He walked for a while, noting all the things he could use but not picking anything because the island just rubbed him off the wrong way. It felt dangerous to pick any part of it.

Sanji walked for a while, pausing only when he felt he had heard something – something that sounded like a rustle of leaves, but he couldn't sense a person. He couldn't sense anything but the wind, a gentle breeze drifting through the trees. Strangely, he had not yet come across any of the other Straw Hats either, even though he had been walking for well over an hour and the island wasn't that big in the first place.

There was another rustling, but this time, Sanji could feel a presence. Multiple ones, to be precise. He tensed and cautiously moved aside the curtain of vines blocking his views. The clearing revealed in front of him shocked him– it was like all the animals of the entire island had gathered in one place. And they were all looking at something that he couldn't see.

The moment he stepped in, the animals all turned to him, some of them baring teeth or growling and it was so much sound after so much silence that even Sanji couldn't help the shiver running along his back. A human shout of, "It's okay guys! I'm okay now!" distracted the animals and they turned back to whatever– or rather, whoever, they had been looking at.

Sanji held back, not quite sure what to make of the whole situation, until he heard a barely audible, "Disperse."

Almost like a flip was switched, the animals scattered and Sanji was left incredulously staring at the vines in the middle of the clearing, from where a figure gracefully jumped down. You straightened up and patted at your hair to check for any stray leaves or twigs before you walked over to him.

"An intruder?" You asked, smiling amusedly. "Been a while since we had one."

"That's a harsh word, beautiful," Sanji couldn't hold himself back from calling you that way, after he had gotten over his shock enough to note your features.

"Would you prefer 'uninvited guest'?" You cocked an eyebrow, not cutting eye contact as you straightened out your clothes.

"Ah, you hurt my poor heart," he said, a little bit dramatically as he leaned closer but still at a respectable distance. "Am I unwelcome in your home, goddess of these woods?"

"Wh-?" You couldn't help the chuckle that left your lips at his words. "You're quite something, alright. And as fun as you are, you really are unwelcome here, sorry."

"Why?" Sanji asked curiously. The entire experience felt like some weird fever dream to him, and he couldn't quite make head or tails of anything that was happening but the one thing he was sure of was that there was something about you that piqued his curiosity in all the ways.

"You can't stay on this island," you shrugged and walked past him, expecting him to follow you. Sanji did not fail, falling in step behind you as you started walking somewhere. "2 days, that's all you get. Any longer and… well, it's better if you don't find out."

"Alright, then I guess I'll let my crew know," Sanji sighed, figuring he wasn't getting any more out of you after seeing your guarded expression. The moment he finished his sentence though, you froze in your step and turned around to face him in horror.

"Did you just say… crew?" Your voice sounded a little hoarse and Sanji paused, looking at you in concern. "Please tell me your crew is not on the island."

"If I said that, it would be a lie, sweetheart," Sanji's brows furrowed even as he said it. Something was wrong. Your expression melted into one of full-blown panic, anger and horror.

"Not again!" You cried, burying your face in your hands.

"What's wrong?" Sanji would really, really like some answers today. The entire day had been confusing and eerie vibes and the growing chill in his stomach was now an unnecessary addition.

"What's wrong," you snapped, looking wild and terrified for a second, "is that your entire crew is fucking loose on a cursed island! If they do not get off this island in 3 nights, they will turn into animals and never, ever turn back to humans."

Sanji just stared at you for a few seconds before he dropped the unlit cigarette he had pulled out of his pocket. You were pacing around in circles and he had so many questions that he didn't even know where to begin.

"Then I'll just tell them when we all meet back?" He said unsurely except you turned to face him with eyes full of unshed tears.

"That's a great plan," you said a little sarcastically, "except for the part where this island is cursed and anyone who isn't an animal can't find their way out. Ever. They literally cannot find the way back on their own."

Sanji's jaw dropped. He stared back at you in equal parts horror.

"This has to be the Moss Head's curse spreading," he whispered to himself.

Half an hour later, the two of you were making your way through the dense foliage, exchanging questions and answers– although Sanji was the one doing the asking the most.

You had calmed down after finding out that the crew only had 9 members. You could probably find 8 people in less than 3 days. The island wasn't that big.

Sanji's first question was about how you weren't affected by the curse.

"Because I'm not fully human," you had replied off-handedly and not offered more. It only added to your mystery but despite all your secrets, Sanji could somehow feel inside him that you weren't a bad person. You were going out of your way to help out so that their crew won't turn into animals– if the curse didn't affect you, then you could have very well done nothing.

Then he asked about the other things on his mind. Were the animals in the forest also humans? To his horror, you had replied with a sad yes.

"The log pose doesn't take pirates to this island much," you had explained as you expertly and gracefully made your way over the thorny plants and overgrown roots. Your movement was almost like a mystical dance and Sanji couldn't take his eyes off of it, thankful that you were walking in front of him and couldn't see his ogling. "It's rare but it happens sometimes. Mostly single man boats tossed through storms end up here, but there's been two small crews who came here after me. There were already some animals on the island before though, and I'm pretty sure they were once humans too."

"And there's no cure for this?" Sanji swallowed, his heart hammering from a weird mix of fear, nervousness and excitement.

"Nothing as far as I know," you confirmed, pausing to close your eyes and feel something. "That direction, I can sense someone."

You ran over without waiting for Sanji and he was left to catch up by taking long strides. Before he could show himself though, he felt the presence close in on you and automatically moved in to defend you. His boots rammed against the blunt hilt of a familiar katana.

"Love cook?" Zoro's eyes widened in surprise and he immediately tucked his swords back in. Sanji ignored him in favour of ensuring that you were okay. He found you staring behind him curiously at Zoro, as if the swordsman fascinated you. It didn't mean anything, but it left him feeling a little irritated at Zoro. "Who's this?"

"Um." Sanji realised he had never asked you for your name. Or given you his.

"Inconsequential," you waved it off. "It's not like we're to know each other longer than a day or two. Let's just go and search for the rest. Blondie here can explain everything to you on the way."

"Sanji," he blurted out, reeling back when he saw your surprised face. "Forgive my insolence, sweetheart. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Vimsoke Sanji."

"Well, Sanji," you smiled at him, already walking like you knew where you were going, "get your friend to join us and follow me."

Gladly, his heart answered for him.

✿

You knew this was a mistake. It never ended well when you met other people and liked them. And as you collected more of the Straw Hats, you couldn't help but like them all more and more. You knew this was a mistake, but you couldn't bring yourself to regret it because you knew that if you didn't help them, they would be cursed too.

You had eventually acquiesced and given them your first name, careful not to offer your last name in case any of them recognised you. Zoro seemed to be staring at you quite frequently, but maybe it was just a Straw Hat thing? Sanji had been staring at you the whole time too. Or maybe you looked hideous and they were all politely staying quiet. You didn't quite know, but the thought of looking terrible in front of them (in front of that beautiful blonde boy) was a little mortifying to you.

All those thoughts took a backseat though, because you were on a mission. By the time evening rolled around and the sky had turned to pitch black darkness, you had found a cyborg and a rubber man called Luffy, who was the captain of the ship. He didn't really feel like a captain, or somebody who commanded everyone, but the Straw Hats didn't seem like a typical group of people. They were… unique.

"Let's stop for tonight," you said after assessing the darkness. Of course, you could see everything clearly even in the darkness, but they didn't need to know that. The less they knew about you…

"Shouldn't we keep going?" Zoro asked, looking around.

"Trust me, we're better off waiting the night out," you answered, already settling into the clearing for the night. You had to get a fire going and find food and there were things to be done.

"So I can't eat the animals?" Luffy pouted for the fifth time, asking the same question.

"No, Luffy," you sighed, waving a stick at him. "They might look like animals, but they are people. Please don't kill them or try to eat them."

"They won't attack our crewmates, would they?" Sanji asked, looking worried. You finally managed to light a fire and carefully structured a ring of stones around it to ensure it won't get out before answering.

"The curse lets them have their brain for most of the time," you fidgeted on the spot. "But sometimes, if you harm them, or if they get really hungry, or, y'know… their animal instincts kick in and then they are more animal than human. But it's rare, and won't happen if you don't harm their survival."

The crew fell silent and you watched them whisper amongst themselves a bit. They probably wanted to talk things out, so you got up and said you would go grab something to eat.

"Please don't leave this clearing," you warned them as you walked away. "Finding you again would be so much trouble."

You heard footsteps following you though and turned around to find Sanji trailing behind you.

"Sanji?" You asked, confused. His tall, lanky figure in the forefront of the golden orange light spilling from the fire you started was a picturesque scenery that left your heart thumping a little louder than usual.

"Would you be okay with some company?" He asked quietly. "I'm a chef, so I could probably help you gather some food."

"Alright," you nodded. The two of you walked a while in silence until you found the spot where there were a bunch of large fruits and flowers that you started gathering. Sanji observed what you collected in the little moonlight that was shining through the trees, but you could see him struggling.

"You can see in the dark?" He asked after a beat of silence.

"Mm," you were exhausted from the day. Lying and avoiding things was tiring as it is, and you really weren't in the mood to play the game. If Sanji knew who you were… would it really be that bad? He had been kind so far, always at a respectable distance but with honeyed sweet words that tugged at your heartstrings. You had never had anyone flirt with you, but Sanji was the first. And it left you feeling giddy and warm, the attention he gave you without losing any of the respect and your need for secrecy. If he knew… would he hate you?

Sanji didn't say anything for a while, just offered up his arms for you to stack all the food you had collected.

"Who else is remaining?" You asked, finding the silence was eating at your insides. You had spent so long in silence. And now that you had people around again, you wanted to make the most of it before they had to leave. Just for a while, you could forget and pretend that you're one of them. Just for a while.

"Nami-san, Robin-san," Sanji said, "Brook and Chopper. Wait, Chopper!"

Sanji clapped his hands like he had just thought of something. You looked at him curiously.

"Chopper is a reindeer," Sanji said hurriedly.

"You have a reindeer in your crew…?" You were confused. The Straw Hats were definitely one of a kind, alright.

"He ate the Hito Hito no Mi so he can talk and walk," Sanji explained. "He's our doctor but that's not important right now. He's an animal, right? So he wouldn't be affected by the curse?"

"Highly likely that he isn't," you confirmed.

"Which means he must be the only one back on the ship," Sanji murmured to himself. That's one person (animal?) less to search for, you mused. "He must be scared."

"I hope he's okay," you said quietly. The animals on the island knew each other well. If Chopper ran into them… You didn't really know what would happen. Animals could be scary when they were territorial.

The two of you finished collecting as much as you could carry and walked back, and you asked Sanji to tell you about their adventures. He indulged you, colouring a vivid and humorous picture of the crew in the short while it took you two to get back.

You came back to find Zoro sleeping on his side while Luffy was springing around in the clearing, howling about being hungry and crying for Sanji. Franky sat against a tree, fiddling with something on his body that you didn't wait to see despite your curiosity.

As Sanji started portioning the food to serve to everyone, you stood back and watched the crew interact quietly. It was strange, how at home you felt with them despite not knowing them– but you attributed it to your loneliness.

Even if you wanted to be one of them, you could never curse them like that.

The next morning, you found Nami at the top of a tree. You had seen her when gathering some flowers for breakfast, asleep. You decided to get Sanji to recognise her before you woke her up and got her down. Seeing Sanji fawn and fret over her made you insanely jealous; but you forced it down under a smile and led them back to the camp that had already been cleared up.

You gave the crew a few minutes to catch up and celebrate before you started the search again.

"So…" you searched for a topic as the six of you trudged through the forest. "A reindeer, a cyborg, a gum man, an ex-pirate hunter… Who should I expect next?"

"A skeleton!" Luffy excitedly yelled as he swung past you on the vines, nearly making you stumble from the shock.

"A… what?!" You turned to stare at Sanji in shock, who just smiled softly and shrugged.

"Brook is…" he explained the whole story without getting tired and you couldn't help but be fascinated by everything. The more you learned about them, the more they intrigued you, the more you wanted to beg them to let you join them. But you didn't let those thoughts come to life in words, just helping them find the said skeleton from where he was surrounded by some of the island's animals growling at him.

"Down, guys," you shouted and the animals immediately backed off, all staring at you with innocent eyes that made you huff in laughter. "Don't pull that on me, I just saw you. I know you mean well but it's a little scary when you're surrounded by animals."

One of the deer whined and bumped its snout into your hand. You could feel the Straw Hats staring as you petted it and whispered it to leave the skeleton to you. When the animals had dispersed, you shot a grin at Brook.

"Hi there!" You held out a hand, "It's my first time meeting a skeleton!"

Once the pleasantries were out of the way, you started covering the northern part of the island. It was the only place remaining, aside from the centre. You found Usopp and Chopper there, the two of them hugging each other and bawling.

As it turned out, Chopper had in fact gone back after finding nothing on the island only to find out that no one else had returned. So he had stayed the night in the ship and then came back in search of the others even though he was scared.

"That was very brave of you," you patted him on the head. The reindeer blushed and glared at you.

"I'm not pleased by that at all!!" So he said, but you could see the smile on his face. With almost all of them collected, you started your way to the centre of the island when you heard the clouds rumble.

The sky was full of grey clouds and you were ready for rain, since this was the season on the island.

"There's an underground cave near here," you told the crew as you led them through the thick canopy of trees. "I usually go there when it rains so let's wait it out before we search for… Robin, was it?"

Zoro grumbled something about constant waiting but you chose to ignore it. You knew this island better than any of them. Rains were harsh and the droplets were like bullets on the skin. You couldn't find Robin on the way to the cave but when you reached its opening which looked like a hole in the ground, surrounded by overgrown grass, you felt a presence inside.

The last Straw Hat member was inside the cave, much to all of your relief. This time, you truly stepped back and let the crew reunite, feeling like a true outcast for the first time. Your time together with them was over. Once the rain was gone, they would be out of here and you would be alone again.

Except Sanji turned to you and offered you his hand to invite you into their awkward group hug that Usopp had initiated. You didn't want to intrude but they all looked at you with similar grins and smiles and you couldn't hold it back. You joined them, savouring your first hug in years.

✿

As it turned out, the runes you had found on one of the walls of the cave actually had some sort of meaning that Robin had been able to decipher in the while she had spent in the cave. She had apparently found the cave the previous night and stayed in, then worked on the runes in the morning when she found them.

"It's about a curse on this island," she explained. "Like (y/n) already told us, if anyone spends 3 nights on this island, it turns them into an animal forever. There's a piece of it missing at the end, but the last line says 'the answer lies in the satisfaction of life and a prayer answered'."

"What does that mean?" you asked, confused.

"I'm not really sure," she admitted, running her fingers over the runes. The whole crew mulled over the words as you waited for the rain to stop. You didn't join into the conversation, just letting your mind work quietly with their suggestions as background.

Satisfaction in life… A prayer answered… None of it seemed to make sense. The Straw Hats didn't need to help the animals out, but they were still trying to figure it out. The crew was clearly good at heart and you were glad that you helped them out, even though you would only be left with hurt after they were gone. That pain was worth it.

A squirrel scampered up to you while you listened; the rain outside seemed to be slowing down. You knew the squirrel was the girl around your age who had ended up on the island after a shipwreck. You scooped her up and let her sit on your hand, where she tried to shake off the water from her soaking body. The water sprinkled onto you and you let out a fake indignant "hey!" that made her laugh. Not that you had ever seen squirrels laugh, but you could always understand the animals on the island.

"We found something here," you said quietly to her, bringing her close to wipe off some of the water from her body. "It could be an answer to turning you all back to humans."

She tilted her head and stared at you.

"But none of us understand the riddle," you continued, feeling apologetic to them. You had been the only person on the island who was unaffected by the curse, so you felt like it was somehow your responsibility to help them all turn back. And yet, you had failed at that over and over again. Saira, as the girl's name had been, simply shook her squirrel head and placed a tiny paw on your chest where you had tucked her close.

"It's alright," you could hear her saying in your head. To the others, it probably sounded like a bunch of squeaks. "It's not that bad. I long gave up hope of turning back. Being a squirrel is not that bad. Being able to spend everyday with you who looks out for all of us… I'm happy. All of us are."

Your chest swelled with the emotions and for the first time in a long while, tears streamed down your cheeks. You had held it all in for so long, not wanting to burden the helpless creatures that always kept you company. But knowing their faith in and love for you made your insides warm.

"All we want is for you to be happy too," Saira continued, turning her head to look at the crew. You glanced at them, noticing that Sanji was looking over at you two. "I know you. Go with them."

"I can't," you said in a choked whisper. "Even if they let me, I can't do that to them. I'm not… I'm a curse, Saira. I can't risk it."

The squirrel looked at you helplessly as you cried a little more. Eventually, you wiped away the tears and let your eyes shut to listen to the pitter patter of rain outside. Saira scrambled off your body and over to Sanji, who had watched you the whole while but hadn't heard what you had said.

When you opened your eyes, the rain had stopped. You looked around blearily, and found the Straw Hats all lying around, looking upset.

"You guys should have woken me up when the rain stopped," you said, rubbing your face as you stood up. "Come on, you must be missing your ship, yeah?"

"(Y/n)," Sanji started, looking a little nervous. You looked at him quizzically, but Zoro spoke up before he could say what he wanted.

"Or should we say Kuroneko no (Y/n)?" The familiar words made you freeze in horror. "Harbinger of Death? A 30 million bellies bounty."

"That's…" You took an involuntary step back, bumping into the cave wall. They knew. They knew the secret you had tried so hard to hide. They knew… and they were still looking at you with badly hidden curiosity and grins. None of them looked scared, or upset anymore, like they had been when you were asleep. "I'm… I don't want to lie. That's me. But I swear, I'm not going to do anything. I mean, I don't even actually do anything, all of those incidents just happened–"

"(Y/n)," Sanji placed a hand atop your head, effectively stopping your rambling. You looked up at him, afraid to see him look at you differently, but if anything, his eyes had only become softer. "It's okay. I wish you had told us before, but we get it."

"You do…?" Somehow, it felt too good to be true. People were usually upset when others lied and kept secrets. The secret of who you were could essentially have been a matter of life or death. Kuroneko no (y/n), or rather, Black Cat (y/n) was a name based on your Devil Fruit powers that let you turn into a cat. But they were also a result of you being the only survivor in 4 separate incidents– the annihilation of your home island, the mass genocide in a war town country and the two small crews you had once been a part of. Every single time, all the people had died and you were the only one alive left behind. You had never belonged anywhere, so how could you believe now would be any different?

"It must have been very lonely," Robin's sorrowful eyes reflected that she understood you on some level. You didn't know what to think or feel, unwilling to let yourself hope for anything beyond acceptance.

"It was," you admitted, more to yourself than to them. You had never let yourself truly dwell on the thought, but you had been so, so lonely. "I won't stick around for long. I'll take you to your ship and you'll be free of this island's curse, and of my own. So if–"

"Your curse?" Sanji looked at you, confused.

"It's not exactly a curse," you hesitated, "but there's nothing else I can call it for why… the people I care for end up dead."

"That's not true," Luffy frowned, walking over to you. "Everyone here is still alive. Everyone on this island is alive, we are alive. You are not cursed."

"You were like a blessing in disguise," Usopp said from where he stood, not looking you in the eyes. "I was of course not afraid at all, considering my heavy list of achievements, but you brought us all back together."

"I'm…" you didn't know what to say, feeling overwhelmed.

"You're not cursed, sweetheart," Sanji gently held up your hand, squeezing it to comfort you. "You just had a string of… unfortunate events."

Sanji's struggle to find the right term made you let out a small giggle. Maybe you should extend a hand. Maybe this time…

"Maybe I'm not cursed?" You said hopefully, looking up into his clear blue eyes. Sanji nodded, carefully tucking back a lock of hair behind your ear. The action made you flush, suddenly realising the proximity you two were in.

A flash of light startled all of you and you turned around to find Saira, the human, standing in the place of where the squirrel was. The girl was staring at her own hands and body, like this was a dream. You blinked, unable to believe your eyes either.

Outside the cave, you could hear shouts. Human shouts.

"What just-?" You ran out to find the people who had been turned into animals were back to human. "How…"

"Satisfaction of life and a prayer answered," Robin's voice from behind you was startling. You turned to look at her, and she smiled down at you. "Perhaps the answer was just for the animals to be happy with who they are, with no regrets."

"Then… Then why didn't it change them back before?" You said, voice barely above a whisper.

"Perhaps their prayer wasn't answered back then," she placed a hand on your shoulder and patted it. Did she mean that it only happened now because your one wish through life had been answered? To be free of the curse you had…

With much enthusiasm, the crew got out of the underground cave and everyone was celebrating. The sight of everyone back made you feel like this was the happiest day of your life. You participated in it, letting yourself enjoy the moment without worrying or thinking of anything.

The sun was already setting when the party started and it went on for hours as everyone laughed and danced and ate. (If you were fascinated by how much Luffy could eat, you kept it to yourself to be polite.) It was probably getting close to midnight when Sanji sought you out to where you were sitting by yourself and just watching everyone with fond eyes.

He didn't say a word at first, just sat down next to you. At that distance, you could feel the warmth of his body and you subconsciously leaned closer to the source. For the first time in a long while, your heart felt at peace.

"How did you end up on this island?" Sanji's question made you look over at him. He wasn't demanding an answer, just looking down at you with deep blue eyes that seemed to flash golden as they reflected the bonfire.

"I was on the run from the Marines around a year ago," you hummed, feeling safe and comfortable enough in his presence to finally talk about yourself. After years of not being able to share anything with anyone, it felt freeing to tell him something even as simple as this. "I had just escaped the battle between the crew I was in and this one big pirate ship that I don't even remember anymore. I was wounded but I reached this island on a small boat somehow with a half broken log pose. I shifted into my cat form, which looks less like a cat and more like a black jaguar if anything, to ensure that no one recognised me– because my full transformation is not known by the Marines. I stayed in that form for quite a while, too scared and shaken at that time to turn back into human. Only after a few days of exploring the island did I realise there are no humans here.

"I thought… if there was any place I could not affect anyone with my curse, it would be here. Away from any humans who would get affected by it. At that time, I didn't know about the curse. Looking back on it, I suspect that maybe the curse never affected me because I was in my animal form for 3 nights. Or maybe it was just because that form is like my second skin. I was never disappointed or dissatisfied with it. I only found out about the curse after Saira came on the island and turned into a squirrel. And then two other pirate crews."

"That must have been hard for you," Sanji's voice was quiet but there was no way you could miss the low timbre of it over the excitement all around you. Not when it was the same voice that set your heart off; you wanted to hear everything he had to say. Wanted to know him more and more, as much as he would let you. "(Y/n)-chan."

"Mm?" You turned to look at him, breathless at the proximity from where you could no longer smell the perfume he smelled of the first time you met. The smell coming off him now was something purely him. It was a little intoxicating when coupled with the warm atmosphere and the gooey feeling in your stomach.

"Would you… like to join us?" Sanji seemed a little nervous asking you that. The question gobsmacked you and you stared at him. He… wanted you to join them? As a part of the crew? "I asked Luffy and he said that if you want it, then he's all for it."

"Sanji…" you bit your lower lip, unsure once again. Even though you felt free of the curse, the mentality couldn't be erased in a day. The what ifs, the fear, the apprehension was all still there. "What if we're wrong, though? What if I really am cursed and this has just been a really long build-up to something worse? I might be a risk to your–"

"You're not," Sanji interrupted you for the first time since you had met. The quiet but firm determination blazing in his eyes surprised you. "I believe in you. (Y/n)-chan, if you would let me, I would gladly prove it to you by staying by your side for the rest of your life. I'll stay alive and well, and show you that it's not your fault. I'll be by your side to the very end, so place your fears in my hands and… trust me on this, even if you don't trust anything else."

That little crush you had developed on him at the start seemed to blow up in that moment into a gigantic furnace of emotions. He was ready to take the risk of death, and saying every word with such sincerity that any inhibitions you had went out the window. You couldn't stop yourself from wanting him any longer– he was like the sun, taking your world by storm.

"Really?" You didn't realise when the tears started streaming down your face until his gentle hands came up to wipe them. "You'll stay?"

"I will," and that genuine sincerity was something you couldn't help but believe in. "I will be there for you, as long as you need me."

"Sanji." His name felt both urgent and at ease from your lips.

"(Y/n)-chan," he whispered, voice open and vulnerable again. "Do you… want to be a part of the Straw Hats?"

You swallowed and wondered if you really deserved this much happiness after everything. Yet the moment you looked into his eyes, you felt like there was nothing you could do but be a moth chasing the sun– running after something that you knew will only end up in flames.

"I do."

°•❀•°

#one piece #one piece x reader #one piece fanfic #one piece imagines #one piece sanji #op sanji #vinsmoke sanji #vinsmoke sanji x reader #sanji x reader #sanji fanfic #sanji #black leg sanji #angst with a happy ending #light fluff #plot heavy #or as heavy as it can get in a 6k fic

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herarcadewasteland · 6 months

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Spin, Dare, Hide.

A/N: The full first chapter of SDH! I'm back to being motivated so you get the full chapter after so long lmao

-18+, slight violence, swearing, jisung is a little shit, ateez kinda yandere towards the end

-ateez x reader, mentions of skz because Han Jisung is your bff

1 of 2 (We'll see how much more I write from today onwards)

this is TWELVE of 14 pages i have written lol... not edited or re-read

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Spin the bottle, hide and seek and truth or dare. Three separate games Jisung had decided to combine for a game he called SDH. Spin, dare, hide. The way it worked was a little too complicated for your liking, your head going blank as you listened to him explain it eight times over. You spin the bottle, the person it landed on is the seeker. You must do a dare they ask you and then you hide. You get a minute to hide. After that minute is done, your seeker has a time limit of 3 minutes to find you. If they find you, they do what they want with you. If you aren’t found, your past seeker spins the bottle and whoever it lands on swaps out and becomes the seeker. The game continues like this until either one person has not been found by anyone or the hider is found and “dealt with”, as Jisung phrased it. The only limit to the game was the extent of pain you could put a person through with your dare. You couldn’t ask your daree to hurt themselves or anyone else in an extreme fashion. The most you could ask would be a spank or a small slap on the face, even a slap on the wrist, forehead flicks included. That limit extended to the “do whatever you want to them” prize for finding the hider. The only pain you could inflict was determined before the actions were taken and done safely with consent.

It was something you had played with Jisung, Chan and Hyunjin before, but sitting on the floor, listening to Jisung explain it all to Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho, you wanted to be anywhere else but there. The confusion on their faces was visible, Jisung cackling as he explained the pain limits set in place. Feeling a gaze on you that you knew wasn’t Jisungs, as he was busy staring down Yeosang who had a small blush covering his face, you turned to look around. Looking past them all, you landed on Wooyoung. His gaze was… intense. He was always the flirty one but the look in his eyes was determined. Almost like he was taking the challenge of the game personally. When you met his eyes though, they cleared and he smiled at you brightly, a small one tugging at your lips in response until Jisung smacked you on the shoulder.

He was still rambling about the game and you vaguely heard a question directed at you, just nodding along as you got lost in your thoughts. It wasn’t until you heard someone choking on their drink and Jisung shouting at you in pride that you snapped back into reality and looked around the group in confusion. The reactions were different, but each man now had a darker look behind their kind eyes. Mingi had been the one to choke, his face beet red as he smacked his chest. Wooyoung sported a massive smirk, looking eerily close to the joker smile. Hongjoong was watching you look at them with curiosity and the others were all just slightly red in the face. San was the only one you could really tell what he was thinking. His lips parted as his breathing picked up, his legs crossed and he stared at you with darkened, hooded eyes. It was clear he was imagining what he could do to you if he found you but a sharp nudge from Seonghwa on his side made him sit up, his previous state gone entirely as you watched him with wide eyes.

Jisung caught your attention again, his eyes as wide as yours as you looked at him with so much visible confusion.

“What?”

“Did you even hear me?”

“Oh.. no… Was I supposed to? You were explaining the game. I know how it works.”, you raised an eyebrow at Jisung.

He only answered with a laugh, his arms wrapping around your shoulders as he continued to explain the little details of the game he created. He gave you no indication of just what you had agreed to when you were zoned out, his attitude more cocky than usual as he held you to him tightly. You huffed in annoyance and confusion as you sat, waiting for the explanation to be over. It took Jisung about three more minutes to finish explaining everything, questions answered and players ready.

“Okay, someone grab a bottle! It’s time to play~”, Jisung cackled and rocked with you in his hold, your eyes rolling at his maniac-esk tendencies.

“What did I agree to? I think it’s against the rules for me not to know.”

“Wrong! I made the rules, so for you, sweetpea, it’s not gonna harm you.”, Jisung planted a loud kiss on your cheek and you grunted, shoving him away to sit on the floor in front of him.

Yunho came back into the room with a bright smile and a half empty bottle of vodka in hand, followed by Yeosang who carried a bowl of snacks to the couch to share around. You accepted gratefully, munching on a small handful as everyone got settled in a circle, Jisung excluded. You called him a traitor as the last two settled down fully, the back of your head being smacked.

“Okay, now. Let’s start with a simple round of Truth or Drink. Don’t answer the truth and someone knows you’re lying, you drink. You get away with a lie and that’s that. Got it? Good. Jongho!”, Jisung pointed at Jongho as he shouted his name, the change in volume making you jump slightly against his legs, to which he laughed.

A simple hum answered him, Jongho leaning forward in his seat as Jisung copied him. His eyes darted down to you briefly before Jisung hummed obnoxiously loud, his eyes trailing back up to meet Jisung’s.

“Do you know who has the biggest dick?”

“Yeah.”, Jongho scoffed and turned his gaze to Seonghwa, “Hyung, did you eat my lunch yesterday?”

Seonghwa had the decency to look ashamed, his ears flushing red as he covered his mouth with his hand. He simply nodded and sat up straighter, staring daggers at Wooyoung who cowered away slightly.

“Did you take my Star Wars Lego and re-gift it to me during the holidays?”

Wooyoung choked on air, his eyes widening in fear as Seonghwa stood from his spot, rage seeping from him as he made his way to the frantically mumbling Wooyoung. Hongjoong stopped them quickly but when Wooyoung muttered a small ‘yes’ before he booked it outside, Hongjoong had no hope against the force of angry Seonghwa as he barrelled after the culprit.

You sat in your spot, lips pressed together to stop the laughter from spilling through as Jisung cackled at your back, San looked unbothered, almost like he knew about the occurrences. The others looked slightly concerned for Wooyoung as scared screams from Wooyoung echoed as Seonghwa shouted profanities at him. Snacks were passed around as the chase continued outside and was soon forgotten as you ate, conversation flowing naturally until Seonghwa burst through the door with Wooyoung, a harsh grip on his ear as he dropped him where he was sitting previously. He retook his own seat, San patting his thigh comfortingly as Seonghwa huffed in anger. You let out a small giggle, the despair in his actions pulling it from you before you could stop it. The glare was turned to you quickly and you muttered apologies and bowed your head to him repeatedly, his glare leaving his eyes soon after as he calmed down fully.

“Oh Jisung~”, Wooyoung called out to your friend, “Have you kissed Y/n?”

Gasps filled the room and your jaw dropped, staring at the cocky look on Wooyoung’s face as he sipped his drink. Jisung hummed and ran his hand over your hair, your head shaking in response to the question before he grabbed the sides of it to stop you.

“No, but I can.”, he emphasized his point by planting a kiss on the top of your head, your jaw snapping shut as you punched Jisungs legs where you could reach.

“OK, since I asked someone already, San. Would you kiss one of the people beside you?”

You watched as his head turned to either side, glancing over his friends before he nodded, “Yeah. Probably would.”

A few cries of shock followed his answer, the two to his sides blushing red as they stared at the carpet below them. You smacked Jisung’s leg again, hand reaching for the snacks as the questions were passed between the rest of the boys. Soon enough, after a few angry chases through the backyard and a few insults here and there, your name was being called by Yeosang. You met his eyes easily, head tilted in question as you swallowed the mouthful of Doritos you had been crunching.

“Would you make out with anyone in the room…minus Jisung?”, his eyes were curious as he held your gaze but you could feel the weight of the others’ darkened eyes on your frame as you thought for a moment.

With your eyes steadily on Yeosang, you licked your lips slowly, still thinking before you no longer had to, Yeosangs answering lip lick solidifying what you were, in all honesty, pretending to think about.

“Yes. In a heartbeat.”, your face lit up with a blush as they groaned, some shifting in their spots as others hid behind their hands to save face in front of you.

“So why don’t you?”

“What?”, your head snapped to Jisung, a smirk playing at his lips as he watched the panic course through you.

“Make out with one of them. I dare you.”

“This isn’t the game, Jisung.”

“Good thing a preliminary game of spin the bottle is next then huh?”

You groaned and smacked him, running your clammy hands over your face as you huffed out a breath of pure tension, “I think we get that you smashed together some games and forced us to play it for your pleasure.”

A few laughs greeted your ears, Jisung’s angry huff reaching you between the laughs before you had a smack landed on the top of your head. You groaned a little and rubbed your head, glaring up at Jisung from your spot.

“Unnecessary!”

“Shut up. Fine, we’ll just start the game. Since our dear Y/n decided to ruin our pre-game, she’ll spin first!~”, Jisung pushed you forwards slightly, your hands catching you as you fell forward.

You sat upright with a huff and shook your head, reaching for the bottle that Yunho still held. The level of vodka in it had dropped and you raised an eyebrow, his sheepish smile answering all your questions. You let it go and set the bottle in the middle of your circle, sitting on your knees at arm’s length away from it, you grasped the body and spun it. Watching it spin, your heart rate picked up, the bottle slowly coming to a stop as you stared at it. You didn’t want to look away from it, if it had landed on him, you knew you would be found and there was no telling just what would happen.

You felt all their gazes on you as you stared holes into the bottle, the neck pointing somewhere to your front right. A throat clearing made your shoulders jump, your eyes flicking away from the bottle in the general direction of Jisung behind you with a glare. You took a deep breath, staring at the bottle still. Exhaling sharply as you glanced up to meet your seeker’s eyes, you froze. You were fearing being seeked out by Wooyoung but seeing Hongjoong staring you down, head tilted down slightly and to the side as he smirked, his tongue peeking out between his teeth as he watched you, you knew you had been afraid of the wrong person.

Red rushed over your face, a sympathizing chuckle coming from someone to your left and as you glanced over quickly, you were surprised to see Yeosang smirking at you in a similar way. The blush heated your face quicker, your cheeks burning as you glanced back at Hongjoong, who had shifted to kneel in his spot between Mingi and Jongho. You met his dark eyes, his head tilting further in silence as he picked up on your spike of fear.

“The captain first. How fitting! Now, you have to give her a dare! She can’t say no.”, Jisung interrupted your staring contest, your fear dying in your chest slowly as the look faded from Hongjoong’s face.

A bright smile pulled at the captain's lips as he watched you closely, his hands clasping together on his thighs as everyone sat in nervous silence.

“I dare you…”, Hongjoong met your apprehensive gaze as his darkened once more, Jisung at your back oblivious to the look as he flirted with San, “I dare you to go the rest of the night without your shirt on.”

Cat calls echoed around your head, your eyes widening as you held his gaze once more, his smile dropping into a smirk in a split second as you shook your head.

“That’s unreasonable. I’m not-”, your denial was cut off by the sound of fabric ripping, your eyes darting down at the sudden chill on your torso only to see your shirt in two halves hanging around your hips.

You gasped in shock, one of your favourite shirts ripped so easily but as you looked to the side to see Jongho and Yeosang with similarly hovering hands, you saw red.

“What the fuck?! I get this is a game to you all but I take destroying my possessions very seriously! So if one of you wants to stop and fucking think about how much I enjoy my possessions, that would be great!”

You were fuming. Your fists clenching as your chest heaved, eyes squeezed shut in anger while you tried to keep the tears away. Silence followed your outburst, gazes set on your form as Jisung rubbed your bare shoulders.

“Well? Is anyone gonna say something? Anything to let me know that you aren’t complete assholes?!”

The continued silence made you huff, your eyes snapping open only to make eye contact with Seonghwa who was now kneeling in front of you, eyes darker than the night sky and swirling with an emotion you couldn’t quite place as his hand shot out to grip your chin between two long fingers.

“I’d watch how you talk to us if you want to make it out later.”, his voice was deeper than you had ever heard it, rivaling Mingi’s as he leaned forward to whisper darkly in your ear, “You won’t be walking out of this house normally anyways, don’t make it worse for yourself, pet.”

He pulled away abruptly, his harsh grip leaving your face as it heated rapidly, his eyes brightening as he took his previous spot. All eyes were on you as you inhaled shakily, your eyes clearing of the anger that was previously swirling in them and instead fogging over in a headspace you never thought Park Seonghwa would be able to induce, even if just slightly as he promised you your demise.

Jisung cleared his throat sharply, smacking his hands down on your shoulders. You jumped in your spot at the touch, your mind miles away from the current situation until that moment as Jisung began rambling off the rules again.

“One minute to hide, as soon as you leave the room, Y/N, it’ll start. Hongjoong you have three to find her. You fail, you spin and swap out. Then it starts over until we either run out of men or our dear hider is found.”, Jisung made eye contact with everyone in the room, making sure they nodded before he slapped you over the head, “Get a move on! We only have so much time.”

You nodded slowly, avoiding the eyes of everyone as you stepped to the edge of the living room, your legs hesitating mid-step as you glanced back at Jisung for reassurance. Seeing his answering nod at your gaze, you sighed lowly and booked it from the room, your steps echoing as you clambered away from the heavy energy. Jisung’s shout for the timer starting had your heart quickening as you looked into every room you could, eyes searching for that perfect spot you knew no one would look in.

You even considered the trash can in the kitchen before you heard low laughs coming from the room across from it, looking up to see San watching you. The darkness in his eyes had you sprinting from any room even remotely close to the living room, your hands shaking as you considered just jumping in the shower or the linen closet and praying that whatever Hongjoong had planned for you was innocent and painless.

You figured that closets, under beds, in the shower or behind curtains would be searched first, followed by behind chairs in corners or large piles of blankets or clothes, your mind racing with thoughts on how you could possibly hide in a way that would ensure you would be free to win the game and have the boys fight it out as they hid amongst themselves. Jisung shouted ‘20 seconds’ into the house, the slight murmur from the group dying down slightly as you froze, head turning around the room frantically.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck. Hide goddamnit!”, you scolded yourself, scanning every last corner of the room before you came up with a plan.

Grabbing pants from the closet, you stuffed them haphazardly with pillows, standing them on shoes behind the curtains before closing them to create a space of darkness, Jisung starting a countdown from 15 seconds as you frantically stuffed another pair of pants to hold with you for your plan.

“3!”

Your hands shook as you closed the door to the room, body pressed against the wall as tightly as possible to minimize the obvious gap when it opened.

“2!”

You held the pants and shoes in one arm, tucked against your chest as you covered your mouth with the waistband.

“1!”

You heard shuffling from downstairs, your eyes closing as you tried to control your breathing.

“Ready or not, here I come~”, Hongjoong’s voice carried up the stairs as he climbed them steadily, “I’ll find you sooner or later, bunny. You can hide, but you can’t run.”

The sharp edge to his words made you clam up, your hands slipping slightly and causing your elbow to knock against the door lightly. You gasped as quietly as you could, free hand clamping down harshly on your mouth as a shadow filled the doorway, the hallway light only silhouetting his figure as he opened the door. He swung it open slowly, his hand splayed on the wood as you waited for it to collide with your body. The hit was far from obvious as he left it to rest just centimeters from your body, his eyes narrowed and predatory as you shook slightly.

The curtain rings did you a favor, sliding slightly to adjust to the positioning and drawing his attention from the other side of the room. His smirk grew noticeably in the darkness of the room, the hallway lights seeming to glint off his canine as he stalked towards the curtains, his eyes trained down on the set of shoes just barely peeking from behind them.

“Oh little bunny. You could’ve at least tried to get away~”, his smug look was wiped from his face as he violently pulled open the curtains, the noise allowing you to slip out of the room as Jisung shouted ‘2 minutes left’.

The door creaked slightly as you snuck out of your spot, Hongjoong freezing as you booked it. A cruel laugh filled the air moments later as the sound of a door slamming shut took over the house. Shivers went down everyone's spines at the following laughter, his words making you stumble as you ran into the library room that was really just a desk and a few bookshelves.

“If I find you, little bunny, you’ll wish you never ran. I’ll make sure of it. You’ll make such a pretty bunny for us, covered in our marks and drenched in our cum.”

He made no indication that he heard the door to the room squeaking but as you slid between the shelves on the wall of the door, your stuffed pants casting a shadow under the desk for him to see as he swung the door open fully, a mocking click of his tongue following, you knew he had heard it.

“Oh bunny. You should’ve been quieter. Maybe then you would have had it easier.”, he stood still in front of the desk, his shoulders lifting with his heavy breaths as he stared down the top of it, “But poor bunny thinks we’re dumb-”

“Hey Captain! 10 seconds!”, Jisung shouted up the stairs.

“Your tricks may have worked, but whoever is next will not be as accepting of your tricks.”

“Game!”, Jisungs shout startled you slightly, Hongjoong leaving the room before he paused.

“Your little games will get you hurt, bunny. I’d be careful.”, he growled his words at you, fingers tapping against the bookshelf you were squished between as he left the room.

You sighed in relief, slipping from your spot to breathe properly for a minute as you gathered your decoy, going back to gather your other one as Jisung shouted up to you that you have some extra time as the bottle spun. Your hands steadied quite quickly with the news, your hands working double time to stuff some more pillows into pants, placing one behind the curtains again, another in the shower, replacing the one under the desk and shoving one under a bed. All that was left was you, Jisung’s call of your official time starting putting the shake back in your hands.

You had one minute to hide again, your decoys calming your mind slightly until you ended up in front of the locked door at the very end of the hall. The red light that was usually on in the room was absent for now as you stared at it, a call of 30 seconds shaking your mind as you turned away from it, stumbling into the closest room you could reach.

You looked around frantically, eyes finding the doors that led to a small balcony quickly. You huffed but gave in, opening the doors with a huff. You could hide behind chairs, the giant potted plant or you could stand on the edge and pray no one walked out. SIghing heavily, you pressed yourself against the wall beside a large plant right by the doors. A faint shout of Jisung’s voice told you that the new seeker was out and searching for you. Opening doors slowly sounded less muffled as he approached the room you were in, his voice muffled while he searched for you. The door to the room opened slower than the rest of the doors, the slow squeak of the hinges making you cringe as you pressed yourself against the cold wall.

“I see you know what you’re doing. I don’t appreciate these little games you think you can get away with, doll. When we find you, you will regret it. Mark my words. If I don’t ensure it, then I know for a fact that the others will when they find out your little mind games. Jisung forbade us from telling the others what happens on our hunts…”, a door slammed open, “So you’re safe with your little decoys until someone doesn’t fall for them.”

The growl his voice took on was bone-chilling, the anger and anticipation behind it making you shiver more violently than the cold breeze had been, your entire body tensing as the patio doors opened one by one.

“You’re lucky my time just ended, doll. A shame we don’t get to play just yet… I’ll have my chance with you and by god will you regret everything.”, his head poked through the doors, making eye contact with you immediately and you whimpered.

The smirk on his face was nothing less than cruel as he watched you shiver, your eyes wide as he watched you until you gasped, fully registering your situation. You shook your head, hands waving in front you as you stepped back slightly.

“J-Jongho no, t-the time ended!”, your voice trembled as he watched you panic, an easy smile replacing his smirk.

“I’m aware, doll. It’s best you come inside for now if you keep planning to hide out here. You’ll get sick.”, he tugged you inside, his large hand warm against your smaller one as the warm air of the house washed over you.

“Thank you…”, you murmured as Jisung shouted for Jongho again, his heat disappearing back downstairs to spin the bottle as you warmed up slowly.

The minute it took for the bottle to land and Jisung to shout up to you felt like ages, your last decoy being replaced under blankets on a bed. Your brain was short-circuiting. You had no idea who was next, it could be Wooyoung, it could be Seonghwa or it could be Yeosang. Either way, you were terrified of those three for the moment as you slotted yourself under the bed the decoy was on. It was a dumb spot and you would be lying your ass off if you said you couldn’t hear past your own heartbeat for a few seconds as footsteps trailed up the stairs, oddly heavy for any of the boys.

The sound of two doors swinging open at once sent alarm bells off in your head again as you picked up on two separate footstep patterns entering rooms opposite your hiding place. You had closed the door to be extra safe, leaving the door to the room of your last hiding place open just to throw them off. Regret filled your panicked being as you watched four shadows extend from under the door to the room you were in.

Of course they sent up two and of course Jisung allowed it. Why wouldn’t he? He was always rooting for your failure in a best friend way, just as he was always trying to get you laid. Maybe that was his plan with this godforsaken game, you thought. The door opened slowly with an extended creek sending shivers down your spine as you indirectly met Wooyoung's dark gaze from under the bed, San’s sharp eyes scanning the room slowly, gaze just as filled with a promise of danger.

Watching San’s arm lift to point subtly at the decoy on the bed, you let out the smallest whimper you could, hands clasped over your mouth and nose to hide your heavy breathing as they approached opposite sides of the beds.

“Oh princess. You could have hid so much better!”, San’s voice was overly cheerful as you watched his foot tap in eight counts.

“Unless our little baby just couldn’t wait to be found~”, Wooyoung's voice matched San’s cheerful tone as he added to the teasing.

The swoosh of blankets covered the noises of shock they no doubt made, the muted thump made your heart race, knowing they wouldn’t leave the blankets on the floor to sweep up the dust of the day. The veined hands gripping the pile confirmed your thoughts, a slight peek of hair nearly exposing your spot as they bent to pull the covers over the decoy. They whispered to each other, the annoyance hidden in their tones now present as they scanned the room once more before they left with heavy steps.

Their posture screamed disappointment but being under the bed stopped you from seeing the small smirk shared between them as Jisung called time moments after your door closed. The silence and heat building in the room suffocated you slowly, your hands fumbling with the door until you were able to breathe in different air, your mind racing at the possibilities of them sending up another group of two, maybe even a group of three if Jisung was feeling like causing more chaos.

The troublemakers next call of your time had you rushing into the bathroom, hands fumbling with the decoy to chuck it outside, no longer caring if it led whoever was next straight to you. You were flustered, scared and becoming increasingly panicked at what the others were planning as they sent away each seeker. A heavy set of footsteps trailed slowly up the stairs, your mind jumping Yunho as the stairs creaked under the weight of whoever was ascending. They had to be larger than Hongjoong or Yeosang, their stature a little too small for you to believe it was one of them making their way up

. Your thoughts came to a sudden stop as you heard a mumble, his deep voice chilling you to the bone as you realized it was probably Mingi who was now searching for you. You weren’t afraid of Mingi for the game, but he was observant when he needed to be and he needed to be, so you were concerned. Your hands trembled as you flattened yourself against the bottom of the tub, the showerhead staring you down threateningly as the sound of his footsteps got closer.

The panic clouding your brain hid the change in heaviness of the steps, the lighter tone of the voice responding to someone you could only pray was downstairs, but hearing no shout from Jisung at that moment, you just knew they had sent up an overly coordinated pair. That, or they walked so slowly up the stairs trying to match their steps that they lost all of their time, Jisung’s voice shouting ‘5 seconds’ confirming your running thoughts as 3 separate voices began complaining. You could recognize the tones of Mingi, Yunho and Yeosang. A shiver traversed your spine as you realized that Yeosang could have found you in that moment, their overly careful planning to walk up the stairs saving you for one last round. Saving you for Seonghwa.

Sitting up in the tub, you couldn’t help but think that maybe leaving you to Seonghwa last was on purpose. The feeling he gave you before, surrounded by the other boys in the circle only spelled danger and dominance. You were terrified of it. The sharp change in the way he acted towards you to how he acted on the regular like a Care Bear murdering a child. Unexpected and completely out of the usual character you were used to. Your mind raced at the hiding spots you could get away with, mentally checking off places you hid decoys or hid for the others until you reached the small office room in your pacing, Jisung’s delayed call of your start time only fueling your fear knowing that Seonghwa had probably asked for his call for your time to start later. Letting you sit in your panic, letting it build slowly for him to make it burst when he began his hunt.

HIs confidence was overwhelming from that one non-verbal cue to you and you knew he would find you, probably paid off Jisung to let the guys tell him where you were so he could narrow down your location. He was already in your head and Jisung had just called your start time, your hands shaking as you closed the office door slowly so the hinges wouldn’t creek as they did when Hongjoong had followed you into the room previously.

Your decoy sat under the desk still and you sighed, deciding to hide between the shelves on the far right side of the room, the desk nearly perfectly parallel to your small hiding spot. Hongjoong’s mocking call of ‘ready or not, here he comes’ did nothing to help your nerves, your hands sweating against the dark wood of the bookshelf in front of you, your ears straining for any sound of Seonghwa that you couldn’t find.

He was deadly silent climbing the stairs, no doors squeaked as they opened (if he opened them) and you were trembling as the door to the office slowly swung open. The large, veined hand on the wood was the only thing giving away his presence until he stepped into the room, eyes fixed on the desk with an intensity you never saw in his eyes. His lips curled at the shadow under the desk, his head tilting as his tongue poked out to run over his plush bottom lip.

“I appreciate your commitment to the decoy under the desk, pet. It’s clever. For dumb little girls who don’t know when to give themselves up.”

His voice was deep again, eyes never leaving the desk as he approached it, hands slamming down the surface. He hung his head slightly, his fluffy hair dropping to hide his eyes from your fearful gaze.

“I’ll give you a choice, pet. You come out of your own free will, walk downstairs with me in that pretty little bra and we go easy on you.”, he scoffed out a small laugh, his hands drawing your attention as he reached into his pocket, a small pocket knife glinting in his pretty hands, “Or~ You don’t. I pull you from that pathetic little hiding spot and drag you down those stairs where you get used by us until you can’t even lift a finger. Jisung was a good little boy…”

The silence made him hum, his hand flipping the knife open and closed over and over with a steady click. He laughed mockingly as the silence carried, your stubbornness amusing him as he tilted his head.

“He was too easy for San to seduce. All it took was a few touches on his thigh, some compliments and he was caving, telling us all your dirty little kinks. Yeah he gave us everything we needed to know. And then he left!”

His cruel laugh made you tear up. Of course Jisung caved to San’s false advances. The fucker probably took the car too, not even leaving you a text to explain how he fed you to the wolves. You were drawn from your angry thoughts towards Jisung by the rough scrape of the blade on the wooden surface of the desk.

“I’ll give you… one minute. You had a minute to hide for us. You get a minute to decide how good you want to be for us.”, He was standing up straight again, his fingers drumming the desk as he put the knife away.

The silence was only broken by his drumming and a slow, mocking countdown to your inevitable demise, his voice deep but airy as he counted to your end. Your heartbeat was rapid in your chest and you could swear if Seonghwa was silent for even a second, he’d hear it pounding against the wood of the bookshelf. Your thoughts overwhelmed your awareness of your actions, your breathing getting a little out of hand with your increasing heart rate as the countdown dropped to ‘5~’ and suddenly stopped.

By the time your mind caught up with the lack of counting and the heat of the darkened eyes suddenly on you, a harsh grip was on your hair, pulling you from your spot roughly. You hadn’t even seen him move, your legs buckling at the sudden motion, causing you to stumble into Seonghwa’s chest, his eyes beating down on the top of your head as you pushed away from him slightly to get some space for your racing thoughts to calm. You had no time to begin to calm yourself as his soft lips brushed your ear teasingly, his voice nothing but a growl as he whispered to you.

“Run for me now, pet. Let’s have some fun~”

Your mind ran blank as he nudged you towards the door, your feet carrying you faster out of the room, your panic leading you to the bathroom once more, closing the door with much more force than necessary. The coldness of the tub stole your breath as you laid down again, the reflection of the showerhead letting you see the door open slowly just as every other door had. The image was too distorted for closer objects, a slight blur showing you Seonghwa’s figure walking further into the room but not allowing you further sight on him. You closed your eyes, trying to calm your breathing and your heart to listen to his movements.

Hearing none, just a slight shuffle you were sure you made, you opened your eyes just in time to see his large hand twisting the cold water tap for the shower. You gasped at his hand, his dark eyes peeking around the curtain just as ice cold water poured down onto you from above, your eyes closing as you shrieked at the cold, hands raising to try and block some of the stream. They were soon tugged down though, a new face hovering above yours as you thrashed about in the tub, heart racing as you glanced up.

———

part 2

there’s just something about cruel seonghwa that gets me going istg

#herarcadewasteland #fem!reader #ateez au #ateez fanfiction #ateez x reader #ateez imagines #ateez fic #reader insert #hongjoong x reader #seonghwa x reader #yunho x reader #yeosang x reader #san x reader #mingi x reader #wooyoung x reader #jongho x reader #mentions of skz #han jisung x reader #yandere ateez

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possiamo-andare · 2 years

Text

Crazy For You: Steve Harrington

Steve Harrington x Reader

MASTERLIST

word count: 3.1k

summary: Steve's been acting weird and Robin wants to know why. Little does she know, it's not something that's got him acting so weird, but someone.

a/n: literally wrote this in two days so I'm sorry it's so short lol but I hope you enjoy! no warnings, just straight up cheesy fluff <333

When Steve enters Family Video that morning, Robin instantly knows something is wrong. He’s smiling, for one, and it’s not one of those fake smiles he gives Keith when he needs something from him. It’s a smile that reaches his eyes and flares out around the creases of his face. It’s a smile that tells Robin everything - Steve is really happy today.

Steve’s not an entirely miserable guy. When he’s out with his friends he finds himself more happy than not (as long as Dustin doesn’t do anything to annoy him), but when Steve enters the doors of Family Video, something instantly changes within him. It’s like a new part of his brain is unlocked once he’s inside and he’s unhappy. He rarely smiles, if only just for the customers, and Robin can tell he’s counting down the hours until he can leave. It’s not the best job in the world and it’s definitely not something he saw himself doing, which is something Robin completely understands. So, she tries to joke around with him and annoy him just enough to entertain him throughout the day.

Today, however, Steve didn’t seem like he needed any help with that. He seemed to be enjoying his time at Family Video just fine. This frightened Robin. Steve complained to her about their jobs endlessly and to see him in such a jovial mood really creeped her out.

At first it was the smile that was plastered across his face when he entered. Robin uses the term smile very loosely. It was more of a shit-eating grin or a beam of sunlight casting from his face. She eerily watched Steve confidently walk past the front desk, nodding happily to Robin before greeting Keith. This frightened Robin even more. Unless it had to do with his breaks, Steve rarely interacted with Keith. He pretty much steered clear from Keith. But today Steve shook his hand and even offered to help him rearrange the adult videos in the back corner of the store - a task he had always forced Robin to do.

Then, towards the middle of her shift, Robin heard humming. At first she thought it was another customer or a fly. She would think that before thinking it was Steve. But alas, as she peered over from her position at the front desk over to one of the aisles, she watched in shock as Steve hummed a tune she was unfamiliar with. Then, a few moments later, as she was cataloguing some materials, she finally recognized the tune. Steve Harrington was humming to the tune of Crazy For You by Madonna. Her worry suddenly turned to horror.

The last straw came when his lunch break arrived. Steve always took the first break, basically forcing Robin to go after him. He had always begged to leave first because he couldn’t stand it in Family Video much longer. But, as the clock chimed noon, Steve offered the break to Robin first.

She stared at him for a moment too long and after the initial shock wore off, she spoke. “What’s up with you today?”

Steve frowned, his brows pulling together in confusion. “What’d you mean?”

Robin mimicked his frown. “What do I mean? Steve, you never offer me the first lunch break.”

“Yeah, I do!”

“Uh, no ya don’t. The last time I even tried to suggest I take the first break, you threw a hissy fit.” Robin explained, trying to convey her shock through the grand gestures of her hands.

“I did not throw a hissy fit.” Steve grumbled. Even though he was slightly annoyed, he was still ten times more relaxed than she had ever seen him.

“Fine, it was more of a tantrum, but I digress. You’re acting very weird today.” Robin eyes Steve closely and she realizes that this is the first time today where Steve looks slightly nervous.

“Weird? How am I acting weird?”

“Well, for one, you’re smiling.” Robin watches as Steve rounds the corner of the front desk and leans his backside against the counter.

“I smile!” Steve scowls, his arms crossing over his chest.

“Yeah, but not when you’re working here, and definitely not with Keith around.” Robin replies, her head spinning to the closed door where she knows Keith is.

“That’s not true!” Steve hisses, leaning forward to make sure Keith can’t hear him.

“Really? You don’t think you’re acting weird today?” Robin asks, and Steve shakes his head indignantly. A moment passes and then Robin asks another question. “Then why did I hear you humming Crazy For You by Madonna?”

Suddenly the scowl on Steve’s face turns to one of pure shock. “I don’t have time for this, Rob.”

He looks bewildered and Robin knows it’s because she’s getting close. This suspicion is only confirmed when Steve turns around and begins to grab a stack of movies that were waiting to be reshelved. Robin watches as he anxiously picks up the stack and makes his way around the desk and further away from Robin. Although the front desk needs to be watched in case a customer appears, Robin has more pressing matters to attend to which involve why her friend is acting so weird today. So, without thinking twice, Robin follows Steve into an aisle.

She watches him for a moment, and notices how strained his movements are as he shelves each VHS away. Robin wastes not even a moment before she is hounding Steve for more information. “I knew you were hiding something!” When Steve doesn’t respond, she continues. “You think you could keep a secret from me, Harrington? Ha! Think again!”

Steve rolls his eyes, grumbling something under his breath before speaking more clearly. “Leave me alone and just take your fucking break, Rob.”

“No way!” Robin shrieks. “Not when I’m finally onto something. So, tell me, Steve, what’s got you acting so weird?”

Steve shakes his head. “Buzz off.”

“Tell me!”

“No.”

“Tell me!”

“No.”

“Steve, tell me or so help me god -”

“Ugh, fine!” Steve finally yelled slamming the last VHS onto the shelf before turning to his friend with a menacing glare in his eyes. “But promise me you won’t tell anyone. I wanna do it when I’m ready.”

Robin nods emphatically. “Yeah, yeah. I won’t go gossiping to Dustin. I promise. Now, tell me what’s got you acting so weird.”

Steve sighs, running his hands through his styled hair before speaking. “You know that girl I was telling you about? Y/N?”

Robin smirked, slowly nodding her head. “How could I forget? She’s all you talk about.”

Steve scoffed. “Not true.”

Robin rolled her eyes, clasping her hands tightly and bringing them to her face. When she spoke, her voice was higher and the pitch was much more annoying. “Oh, Robin, what is a guy to do? She’s just so pretty and out of my league!”

Steve instantly caught on that she was imitating him. “I don’t sound like that.”

Robin smirked, her voice returning to normal. “Wanna bet?”

Steve rolled his eyes. "Do you want me to tell you or not?"

"Yeah, of course."

Steve sighed, already knowing he was going to regret everything. "Anyways, I've liked her for awhile -"

"I don't wanna stop you already, but I think like is under-selling it. More like obsessed." Robin interrupted.

Steve gives Robin a sour face. "I'm not obsessed."

"Really? Because I remember a time when she came in to pay a late fee and you had already paid it for her. You won't even get me, your best friend, a coffee but you'll pay the late fines of a girl you barely know!"

Steve cringes at the memory, knowing full well that it was very pathetic. Steve considered himself a smooth, chill guy when it came to chatting girls up but whenever Y/N was around, he seemed to act more like a bumbling moron. Robin had even once mentioned that she had seen him nearly faint when Y/N had lightly touched his arm. He knows Robin's probably being dramatic but he can't remember since whenever Y/N’s around, his mind goes on autopilot.

"The late fines weren't her fault and I felt bad!" Steve tried to defend himself but failed. He then took a deep breath and tried to reorganize his thoughts. "That doesn't matter! You're distracting me."

Robin snickered, relishing in the fact that Steve was annoyed. "Sorry - please continue."

"Well, you know how I was always saying that I wanted to ask her out but I was too nervous?" Steve asked enthusiastically. When Robin nods, he continues. "Well, I took Dustin's advice and I asked her out!"

Robin nods, her eyes narrowing. "And she said yes?"

Steve rolls his eyes. "Well, yeah. She said yes. We went out last night!"

Robin still seemed a little skeptical. "And she had a good time?"

Steve blushed slightly. "Uh, yeah. I'd say so."

Suddenly Robin's eyes widened. Her jaw went slack and a small chortle escaped her throat. "You slept with her, didn't you?"

Steve shook his head. "I'm not telling you that."

Robin wants to get more out of Steve and when she sees him begin to walk back to the front desk, she follows right after him. "You did, didn't you? Oh my God, Steve!"

Steve rolled his eyes, rounding the corner of the front desk and leaning against it again. "Robin, shut up."

"Well, I'll be the first to say I never thought you'd lock it down but good for you, dude! I seriously didn't think you'd have it in you." Robin slaps the side of Steve's arm, almost as if she's trying to congratulate him.

"Gee, thanks." Steve mumbles, truly regretting divulging any information.

"I mean, I didn't want to say it while you were pathetically pining after the poor girl, but she is way out of your league. I even told Dustin not to get your hopes up. But hey, I guess I was wrong." Robin smirked, her eyebrows excitedly moving up and down.

"You really know how to make me feel better." Steve sarcastically grumbles out.

"No worries. Anyways, where'd you take her?"

Finally, Steve smiled at the mention of his date. "We went to the county fair. Got her some greasy food and candy. Even won her a stuffed teddy bear. She was so sweet, and she had these gold earrings I couldn't stop looking at." Steve stops for a moment, noticing the weird look Robin was giving him. He clears his throat before continuing. "Anyways, my favourite part was when we were at the top of the ferris wheel and I could see all of Hawkins. It was kinda surreal because I realized that she was the only person I wanted to be with."

For the first time, Robin sweetly smiled at him. "That's actually really sweet."

Steve shrugged, standing straighter for a moment. "Then we went to get some late night food at Fran's. And that's about it."

"That's it?" Robin raised her brows, nudging Steve slightly.

Steve couldn't help but roll his eyes. "No, that's not it, but that's the end of the story for you."

Robin pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Since when does Steve Harrington not like to kiss and tell?"

“Since you became my friend.” Steve grumbled.

"Ah, c'mon Steve," Robin sighs. "Just tell me one more thing."

Steve sighs, nodding slightly. "Fine. Later, I asked her to be my girlfriend."

Robin's eyes widened. "Woah." Robin knew Steve's history and she knew that he only ever did that if he was serious about the girl.

"Well, don't look too shocked. She said yes." Steve smirked, looking very proud of himself.

Robin closed her mouth, trying to hide her shock. “Sorry, Steve, but I’m truly shocked. I seriously didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Thanks.” Steve paused, trying to control his cheeks from getting any more red. “It’s actually good that I told you.”

“Yeah? Why?”

Steve shrugged. “Well, you wanted to know why I want you to take the first break and now I can actually tell you. Y/N’s coming to pick me up so we can have lunch together but she’s coming later. So I figured you can have the first break. What’d you think?”

Robin smiled. She actually felt happy for her friend. Steve had been through so much and she knew he deserved this type of happiness. “I think I better take my break. You know, I gotta meet this girl. Maybe I could say hi to her today?”

Steve frowns, shaking his head almost instantly. “No way.”

Robin just cackles at Steve’s obvious horror. The idea of Robin and Y/N meeting, especially when his relationship with her is so fresh, frightens him to no end. He cares for Robin deeply - she’s his best friend after all - but Robin can be a little intense when she meets new people for the first time. Whether it be her chronic word vomit or her loud voice and large hand gestures, Steve is sure she will scare Y/N away and with that, any chance Steve has for happiness.

So, before Robin can dwell any longer on her terrible idea, Steve pushes her away from the front desk and forces her to take her break. Finally, after some more teasing, Robin relents and finally begins her break behind a closed door of the back room. This is the only time Steve lets himself relax all day. His mind has been occupied with thoughts of Y/N all day and he has found it hard to concentrate. When he was reshelving material this morning, he almost stacked every VHS in the wrong order because his mind had been distracted by the memory of Y/N’s laugh. This was just the beginning of their relationship, but he already had it bad.

Just when his mind finally begins to focus on the task at hand, Steve is interrupted again. He’s standing behind the front desk with his back to the front door as he updates some of the movie titles this week. As he is typing away, a voice speaks from behind him.

“Excuse me?”

He recognizes her voice immediately. He whips his body around forcefully as he’s confronted with the beautiful face he had woken up to this morning. “Hiya, stranger.”

Y/N giggles, trying to play along with his joke. “Hello, sir, I was wondering if you could help me?”

Steve has the goofiest grin plastered across his face. “Of course. What can I help you with?”

“Well I'm having this guy over and I really wanna impress him with the movie I pick.” Y/N begins, leaning forward across the counter just slightly.

Steve nods, leaning forward far more. “What's he like?”

Y/N shrugged, a lovesick expression on her face. “Well, he's got these brown doe eyes and this gorgeous smile. He's very sweet but very funny and whenever he's around I get this funny feeling in my chest, like a butterfly has caged itself inside me and is trying to get out.”

The way she describes him makes his heart flutter. “Seems like a catch.”

Y/N nods vigorously. “Oh, he is. But what I like most about him is how he treats me. I like that I can feel his eyes on me as I look away. I like that he always wants to make me laugh. I like that he is ready to lend a helping hand and expects nothing in return. I just really like him. So, what movie would you recommend?”

Steve pauses for a moment, tapping his finger on his chin in concentration before continuing. “I’d say … Rambo.”

Y/N snorts. “Rambo? Really?”

Steve shrugs. “It’s a classic.”

Y/N shakes her head at Steve. “Wow, Steve, we have a lot of work to do. Please tell me you’ve at least watched Clue?”

“Nope.”

She’s rolling her eyes at him but he swears his heart swoons. “Well, you’re gonna love it.”

“Is this, like, a requirement?” Steve asks. “As your boyfriend, I have to watch Clue?”

Y/N nods. “Oh yeah. It’s pretty much a dealbreaker.”

Steve leans forward over the counter even more, his face inches away from her own. “Wow, one day in and you’re already bossing me around, huh? What have I gotten myself into?”

Y/N nods, her nose lightly caressing his own. “Wait until you find out I’m only dating you for the discount.”

Steve chuckles, his lips now caressing her cheek as he speaks. “Don’t worry, I like to be used.”

And then her lips are on his own. It happens in a rush of a moment. Suddenly, and without hesitation, she initiates the kiss. His last words to her have sent her mind into overdrive and suddenly all she can think about is his lips on hers. Steve reacts almost instantly, wrapping his strong arms around her body and trying to pull her close. There’s an entire counter separating them but that doesn’t stop either of them. In fact, it only fuels their kisses.

Steve’s never felt this way when he has kissed someone. There’s so much emotion behind every action, he almost feels his heart explode. He knows his feelings are getting serious very quickly but this time, he’s not afraid. Steve’s free falling into her arms, and he’s absolutely okay with that.

Y/N pulls away from Steve, trying to catch her breath. “When are you free?”

Steve pouts, glancing at the clock. “Ten more minutes until Rob’s done with her break.”

“I wonder what we could possibly do in that time?” Y/N snickers, her lips ghosting Steve’s cheek.

Steve shrugs, his hands roaming her sides. “Oh, I could think of a few things.”

Y/N gasps, lightly slapping Steve’s chest. “Perv!” She rounds the front desk, finally standing with Steve behind the counter with him.

He knows she’s not allowed to do this since she doesn’t work here but he’s not about to complain. “I just meant you could help me catalogue some new movies!” Steve chuckles, trying to justify his flirty comment.

Y/N eyes him, a small smirk still on her lips. “I don’t know, Harrington. What do I get out of it?”

“Free lunch?”

Y/N smiles, finally nodding. “You got yourself a deal, Stevie.” She jumps up onto the counter, facing Steve, and she begins watching him type away at the computer. She knows she won’t be helping him with any of his work, but he’ll buy her lunch anyways.

As their chatter begins to shift from Steve’s work to Y/N’s, the door of the lunch room opens. Robin spots Steve and Y/N and for a moment, she can’t force herself to move. She just watches them together, both wearing the same goofy smiles. Soon, as she watches Y/N kiss Steve’s forehead, Robin begins wearing her own goofy smile. She’s never seen Steve like this and a warm feeling spreads throughout her chest. She’s beyond happy for her friend, especially after everything he’s been through.

Robin shakes her head slightly, almost in disbelief. Steve Harrington is absolutely crazy for Y/N.

#steve harrington #steve harrington x fem!reader #steve x reader #steve harrington x reader #steve stranger things #steve harrington x y/n #stranger things #eddie munson #steve harrington angst #steve harrington fluff

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valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn · 3 months

Note

I am really getting annoyed with people said "loki is just narcissistic person, strange is just arrogant doctor, Wanda is just selfish crazy", okey they are lie that more than that but somehow everyone forgetting that they have trauma and pain(not justify bad actions but still) and they keep insist that they need getting more punishment.

Then we have stark, yeah we know him and if someone say he is just arrogant selfish billionaire other standard will say he ore than that and they said stark didn't deserve punishment what he did , really?

I am have to say I have one fanfic not Wanda friendly but I take theme in MOM because how I hate Wanda in MOM (thanks Waldron make me hate Wanda) from all her on screen MOM is in my hate list.

Also you can see how many Wanda, loki and strange got punishment in fanfic rather than stark, they justify his actions.

They never cared to humanize Stark's victims. We just had that woman in CW who was written horribly and to make matters worse, Stark was framed sympathetically in that scene. Go figure! And of course that scene is followed by him claiming the entire team has to be """held accountable""" (not just him, the team) and when some of them push back he's shown to be the rational one. What a joke.

With that kind of absolute narrative protection, is it any wonder so many people claim he feeling bad for 0.2 seconds is enough?

Whereas with Wanda we know the names of the people she hurt, we heard them speak and explain how much pain they were in. (I always laugh every time I see someone claim WandaVision was on Wanda's side.. lol no).

In Loki's case, his whole past and characterization were retconned and simplified by Waldron and Feige, and those around him were framed in a positive light while he was shown as an evil character who will always have to be paying for his mistakes. Odin, Thor, Sylvie, Mobius... none of them are held accountable so the difference in framing is even clearer.

And with Stephen, he's so unlucky that he got his own movie taken from him and once again his story was simplified for some reason I do not understand. His pain, sacrifices, his story are an afterthought in MoM and ironically enough, he was written miles better in NWH than in his own film. And of course, we got other characters telling him he's evil, he's selfish, he's a villain, bla bla.

In short: he's defined (negatively) by others. Just like Loki. Ever see them defining or defending themselves? Nah. If they defend themselves they're "arrogant" and "narcissistic" 🙄

So I'm not surprised those three are treated like crap by the fandom while Stark is praised to the heavens and back.

Stephen, Wanda and Loki are not perfect. But the thing is... they don't need to be. In fact, they shouldn't be. That's what makes them so interesting, it's what sets them apart from the clear-cut heroes. What we should be getting about them is the why they're not perfect + the circumstances behind their actions and beliefs, those are crucial when it comes to morally grey characters. Otherwise we just end up with "they did x so they're y" bullshit writing.

#anti tony stark #doctor strange #stephen strange #wanda maximoff #loki #anti michael waldron

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chasedbyatlantic · 2 months

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comfort crowd, joel miller

masterlist summary: IN WHICH — joel miller shows you and ellie how to properly play golf, he's in it to win it - without a doubt.

warnings: post outbreak!joel, pre-jackson era!joel, female reader, no use of y/n, implied relationship, ellie being the comedic relief, these three being a happy and loving family, mentions of weapons, swearing. lmk if i missed anything!

wordcount: 2.7k

a/n ha..haha... (im in denial). guys i thought this was really funny and this was my brilliant idea. plz i hope u love it LOL. remember to like, comment, reblog and follow for more! xoxo.

—

You hated lawn chairs for as long as you could remember. The pain of your skin getting lodged between cracked pieces of plastic, your skin slipping and sliding off from the seat when there was just a slight temperature change, you could name five thousand different things. Yet, right now, those were the least of your worries. A nice lawn chair propped up at the top of a house, overlooking the entire street. You were far from complaining, Joel as well.

The two of you not only walked for the entire day without taking any breaks, but had to keep up with Ellie, your 'special mission'. The little girl, immune to everything, was the fastest and most talkative kid you had ever came across, apocalypse or not. You were hesitant at first, as anyone would be, but grew to trust the girl with your life. She did protect you a handful of times, your reflexes not as keen as they used to be.

The three of you were in South Dakota right now, your car breaking down in Iowa and having to walk the rest of the way to Utah. You knew the whole thing was sketchy after Boston, but Joel was set in his ways. You never questioned that man, you feared that he knew too well to put the three of you in a bad situation.

The three of you were in the outskirts of some suburban town, already done clearing the street. By the amount of runners, and the walls built around, you could tell people used to live here. Not many people, five or six people at most. This place had reminded you a lot of Bill's place, though, you weren't sure if that was a good thing.

You were ripped out of your thoughts when you heard Ellie's voice ringing through your ears. "Do you wanna hear a construction joke?" Your hand fell onto your forehead, blocking out the sun that highlighted your face too much for your liking. A small 'Leave her alone, Ellie.' was heard from behind you, Joel wanting you to go back and rest. "Awh, fuck you Joel- you ruined it!" Ellie had complained, which only made you laugh, "But, I'm still working on it, the joke."

You had actually laughed, despite not wanting to. Her jokes were so bad, if there was an award given to the worst jokes ever said, Ellie would win it by a landslide. "That fits him, ya'know." You nodded your head over to Joel, who had made his way in front of the two of you, and knelt down to search through his bag. Ellie rose her brow, giving you a questionable look. "He was a very good fixer-upper."

Joel cut you off, "A contractor." You had nodded your head at that, "The best one'n Austin that is." You had added to his comment, and he could only let out a laugh. Ellie had asked him what a contractor was, and he explained it as you shut your eyes and just- enjoyed the sun for a moment. It was hot as fuck outside, you didn't deny that, but not having to drag your feet across the hot pavement for the next while was so damn nic-

Splash. You yelped as your eyes shot open, scanning the surrounding area. You weren't sure if it were your survivor instincts, or this just really fucking pissing you off, but you were ready to pounce on whoever did this to you. In fact, you had taken out your knife that was tucked away in your waistband, the sunlight reflecting heavily off of the blade.

You turned your head, to see not only Ellie, but Joel laughing. Ellie was one thing, but Joel too? This had to be some inside joke or something, you thought to yourself. "I'm going to fucking kill you guys." You did everything in your power to suppress your smile as you stood up, put your knife back in your waistband, and launched forward. You grabbed onto Joel as he did nothing in his power to stop you, just standing there with his arms crossed and a smile to his face, but Ellie? Oh no, she ran back, and to the other side of the roof.

"Alright," You admitted defeat, "One's good enough for me, run away while you can, Ellie." This brought an even bigger smile to her face, she was having fun with this. Sometimes, you forgot Ellie was just a kid. Ellie didn't have a childhood, not whatsoever- the poor girl lives in the fucking apocalypse, for Christ sake. If she wants to have fun like this, let her. You had planned to talk to Joel soon about not dropping her off with the doctors in Salt Lake City, but who knew if he would even consider that.

The three of you played around for a while longer, careful not to get too close to the edge of the roof and have the possibility of falling off. You three were acting like a family, maybe not the sanest one, but a family. After these months out by yourselves, you may as well be family. You would take a bullet for Joel or Ellie, within a heartbeat.

"Alright, Joel." You had replied, "Whatever you say." He could only chuckle as he folded his arms now, leaning against the space beside the window. You had abandoned the lawn chair, and were now laying down right in front of him. It was uncomfortable for you, but he was definitely not complaining about you being there. You two weren't officially a couple, but you acted like it. Kisses being exchanged here and there, the occasional hand holding, sleeping in the same bed every night. You had claimed it was because it made you sleep easier, which wasn't totally wrong, but you knew Joel loved it.

"I'm tellin' ya'," He held his hands up un defense, "A degree in doodlin' was stupid, ya' could've saved a shit load'o money." You two were conversing about your lives before the apocalypse, school and what not. Ever since Ellie brought up the whole contractor thing, it had been on your mind. You met Joel when he and his brother Tommy (you think it was) had started to fix up your house, but the project never got finished due to- well, everything.

"'Kay, Mister 'I fix houses'. Not like I would’ve gotten a job, anyway." You could only laugh at this, "Plus," You added, "I only minored in arts. My major was environmental biology." Joel went back to crossing his arms, his brow cocked back. "My girl's a biologist, eh? Best get you to Utah too, ya' can help'n restoring the planet." He let it slide off his tongue so easily, his girl. It felt too innocent coming from him, knowing what he would use that little pet name for all too well. Though, you liked when he did that, he wasn't much of a PDA man so it was nice when the two of you were alone like this.

Speaking too soon about being alone, Ellie had popped back out of the window and basically gave Joel a heart attack. You brought your hand over your mouth to cover your laughs as Joel shot you a look, and Ellie yelling a quick 'sorry!'. Though, she was excited about something. "You will absolutely not believe what I fucking found while snooping around!" Joel turned his glare from you over to Ellie, "Ellie," He began, "You know what I told ya' 'bout lookin' in these homes." He set a rule with her at the start of this mission, that she would never explore more than they needed to. For example, in this house, he didn't want her to look around and find photographs of the previous homeowners and grow- attached, in some sort. You weren't really sure, you found the rule stupid.

"Doesn't matter, I was bored as fuck." She then tossed this case over, it landed in between of you and Joel. By looking at it, you would've assumed it was a guitar case, though, it was too skinny to be a guitar. Following suit, another smaller and more round case may it's way over, hitting the first and landing beside it. "Guess." Your eyes moved from the cases to Joel, having no clue what this could be. He shared the lost look, both of you turning your attention back to Ellie.

"Ugh, you guys are such grandparents." That had to be an insult, you thought to yourself. Joel, yeah sure, but you? No way. Before you had time to bicker with the girl, she reached forward and started to unzip the cases. You were pelted with small balls in a matter of seconds, not processing what they were yet. It was only after actually picking one up from the tens of them that were on your lap, that you realized what they were.

Golf balls. Ellie had found a golf set. Thank god for these rich South Dakota folk, for a nice and big roof, and now this. You hadn’t golfed in twenty years, so this was going to be so much fun. You looked up to see how Joel was reacting to this, he looked to be somewhat interested as well. "Alright, before we do anythin'," Joel started as he got up, "Clean these up and we'll do everythin' in an orderly fashion." Even if he was acting like an old man right now, he was your old man.

Ellie did so while Joel helped you up, a reassuring hand placed on the small of your back and the other intertwined between your fingers. You were surprised, this was the most affection he had showed you around Ellie. Though, you weren't complaining. After what felt like forever (once again, no complaints), he let go and Ellie turned in unison. "I have to admit this, nobody laugh. I have no fucking clue how to golf."

Before the man beside you had time to reply, you did for him. "Joel'll show you, he's the best golfer outta the three of us." You brought your arm up and rested it on his shoulder for a moment, before giving him a few reassuring pats on his chest. "Go get 'em, tiger." He was annoyingly staring at you, knowing this would only amuse you.

"Get two clubs, kid." He ordered Ellie, (gently) shoving you off of him. He shook his head at you, eyes lingering for a moment too long, before moving over to the edge of the roof. He would find a way to get you back, you could feel it. As Ellie searched through the bag to find the tallest club, you went over to find a few tees. Once the tees were in hand, and the case of golf balls in the other, you made your way over to where Joel was.

As you set up the tees and golf balls in an appropriate place, just on the edge of the roof, Joel started to explain this whole thing to Ellie. She looked mesmerized, the few times you turned your head to see this. Joel acting like a teacher and all to her was sweet, when he usually treated her like an adult. Not that Joel was Ellie's father by any stretch of the way, but it was nice she got to experience a father-daughter moment right now. It warmed your heart too much.

After Ellie was taught the correct form, Joel moved her in front of the tee and ball, helping her get the correct stance before swinging. It missed, by a foot. This sent you through the roof (figuratively, not literally), you couldn't help yourself. Ellie was a bright red from embarrassment as she cursed you out, and Joel couldn't help himself either.

Ellie swung twice more with added force each time, before successfully hitting the golf ball. it went flying, not far, but high. "Good job, kid." Joel congratulated her, despite just laughing about her misfortunes prior. You rose your hand up beside her head, she replied with a high five and you two giggled. Since Joel's job was done, he now picked up his club and went to the tee set up to the right of Ellie. You followed suit with the left.

It took you a moment to get back into the swing of things, the last time you had moved your body like this was- well, dealing with runners. After a swing or two, it came back to you like you had been playing golf for the last twenty years. Joel too, from the looks of it. He let out a complaint or two about how this would strain his joints, but you guys were planning on spending a day or two here anyway.

Eventually, the three of you had came up with a game. Whoever could punt their balls the farthest wins. It was simple, really, but there were little roadblocks in the way- cars, mailboxes, you name it. Ellie's golf balls were blue, yours were red, and Joel's were yellow. You had counted down from three, indicating when all of you could start.

Three. You placed your feet in the appropriate position, cracking your neck just a little. Ellie twisted the club in her hand, as if it were a pencil or something. Joel stayed calm, his club resting on the floor.

Two. You rose your club into the swinging position, focusing on the middle of the red golf ball right in front of you. Ellie took notice of what you were doing and copied the motion, she was eager to hit it on the first go this time. Joel slightly raised his now, still sluggishly moving.

One. You started to move your club to hit the ball, Ellie too. After both of yours were hit in sync, you could hear Joel's being hit after. Your eyes made their way over to him, to examine his strategy, he was still remaining calm. This annoyed you, to say the least.

The three of you went through thirty golf balls each, eventually punting at your own pace. You were the first to finish, feeling pretty proud of yourself of where the balls had landed. Ellie was next, she was proud too. After not golfing for her entire life, this looked pretty promising. Joel was last, no surprise to that. He took his sweet time and finished around five minutes after you and Ellie were done, only earning snickers from Ellie.

"Alright," You told the girl, "Go down'n check who made it the farthest." She obliged, a small 'yes ma'am' before taking off for the window. Your eyes followed her with a smile to your face, "Havin' fun, aren't ya'?" Joel asked. You turned back around to face him, "Not as much as you are, clearly."

He knew he was acting cocky, and was for the past little while. Though, since you definitely didn't seem to mind, he kept up the act. "Ya'know what would make this even better?" He asked you, shifting his weight from his right leg to his left. You tilted your head, indicating that you were waiting for a response. "A golf cart." Before you had time to slap him for his ridiculous request, Ellie was yelling something from down the street.

You averted your attention from Joel, and now at the girl. She was mouthing something, that only you were able to understand after she repeated herself four times. Joel. Joel had won, for fuck sakes. "Well, shit." Was all you could say. He, on the other hand, was ecstatic, the most ecstatic you had ever seen him. For a moment, while he acted like that, you enjoyed it. Joel was having fun, that's what had mattered- he had to let loose every once in a while too.

After a moment, he collected himself once again. The same grin plastered on his face, though, as he folded his arms across his chest and watched as Ellie ran back over to the house. Before she came up, he nudged your shoulder. "Today was fun, eh?" He asked you, which had earned your head nodding almost too quick as a response. "Y'ur a pretty good golfer too, I guess." He admitted. You could only laugh, nudging his arm back. "Not as good as you, Mister Winner. Ya' should've skipped contractor school and went pro golf."

—

comfort crowd, conan gray

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baskeigh-ball · 1 year

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this might be a stupid question but, what exactly did Splinter do to the MM!trio? you’ve mentioned in both Don and Leo’s redesigns (both of which look awesome btw) how they feel about his ‘past actions’

is it just referring to his neglect, or did something else happen?

sorry again if this is a dumb question, or if you’ve already answered this. im just confused jsjabjs

No worries, I've been vague-posting about it and never really explained so you're definitely not alone lol, explanation under the cut as usual (warning, it's a bit long)

So I'm very interested in the headcanon that Splinter went through depressive episodes while trying to raise the turtles, and as a result neglected them by being emotionally absent, which could be technically canon based off how they characterized him in early episodes and various bits of dialogue?

I don't wanna jump the gun and say it's true to the show but there's hints here and there that he wasn't the most emotionally present parent (the fact Donnie has never had positive reinforcement from an adult and never spends time with Splinter, the fact Leo assumes he's the least favorite, Raph's entire conflict in the season 2 finale being burdened with too much responsibility, Mikey basically being the family therapist in place of, oh idk a parental figure, etc). Anyways, canon or not it's a legitimate thing in this AU.

Once the trio was old enough to look after themselves, Splinter fully fell into his depression and barely did anything around the lair. He would go days without leaving his room, not eating or doing anything, practically comatose in bed. His depression definitely wasn't helped with the way he lost Raph right after escaping Draxum's lab. I said it once, I'll say it again: survivor's guilt is a bitch

But the longest (and last) time he ever did so was when the turtles were 9-10 (Mikey 9, the twins 10). He completely isolated himself and left them to survive on their own for two weeks. Which doesn't sound that long, but it wasn't like they had two weeks' worth of food stocked up, not to mention the necessary upkeep around the lair. Leo and Donnie made it work, all while doing their best to keep Mikey happy, but it really took a toll on their trust in Splinter. After that, Splinter slowly made a recovery and has spent years doing his best to make it up to them. Leo appreciates it, Mikey acknowledges it, Donnie ignores it. But even now, nobody has yet to actually discuss the incident beyond surface-level apologies.

All in all, the fam is Not Okay but refuses to acknowledge it. I don't wanna get into too many details though, because a bunch of this stuff is gonna be talked about in either the fic or comic parts as they come out. Hope this cleared up any confusion :]

#i have so many thoughts on how their relationships have changed in this au but i wanna hold off on the details #at least until it's revealed in the actual storyline #whenever that may be #rottmnt rant #mutant manhunt au #asks open

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riddle-me-ri · 7 months

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Omg I LOVED your recent Jervis fic!

If it’s ok, can I have the same prompt but with BTAS John and a gn reader pls?

A/N: sure thing anon! for context of the request, this is based on my BTAS Jervis fic; Cover Up, in which Jervis is trying to hide his blushing and growing boner...so here's that set-up with BTAS Jon! Also for added context, reader and Jon are still professors at Gotham University. And apologies again for the awkward ending. I didn't know how to make it end lol

Content Warning: mildly suggestive material (boners and physical closeness) but nothing explicit

Word Count: 854

BTAS Scarecrow x Reader - Accidental Contact

Sharing may be caring, but sometimes it is kind of awkward.

Especially sharing a laboratory with another professor. Especially if said professor was one you may or may not have a crush on.

Which was the exact issue Jonathan was experiencing.

If it were any other professor or faculty he didn't mind asking them to leave if he deemed it necessary. Jon didn't particularly mind if he came off rude or crass to others but he did when it came to you.

Jonathan didn't mind sharing the space, not just because of any sort of affection, mind you…you were respectful, quiet, and kept to yourself. Never pestering him, disturbing him…but you were quite the distraction.

"Umm, Professor Crane?"

Despite how soft and sweet your voice is it still jumped him out of his reverie.

He was hunched over the desk diagonal from you, tinkering away with chemicals in his own chemistry set he often brought with him.

"Y-yes what, what is it?" He asked after gulping some air.

"I hate to bother you but, would you mind helping me look over this formula? I'm…afraid I'm getting sort of cross eyed." You chuckle nervously as you rubbed your arm.

Anybody else he would have said no.

Anybody else he would leave with his eyes rolling, scoffing at them.

Nobody was worth his time…

"O-Of course–I mean I wouldn't mind at all."

He should have said no had he known what was to come.

Jonathan got up from his seat and rounded the desks and walked up behind you. He didn't mean to get right behind you, but he wasn't thinking all that clearly.

Also at the time the idea of getting closer to you was…exhilarating.

"Oh thank you, Professor! So I'm working on this new assignment for the students but I'm trying to get to…"

As you explained your objective, Jon tried desperately to pay attention.

He saw your equations and directions written in your notebook. He noticed the simple little error.

He could feel your warmth radiating from your skin.

Your fresh and light body wash softly filled his nostrils as his head loomed past your shoulder to look down closer to the paper he could already see.

Your soft rhythmic breathing that he tried to match his own to.

Jonathan could feel heat rise to his cheeks and his blood coursing lower causing something else to rise.

"Umm…Professor Crane? Are you okay?" You turned your head over your shoulder and noticed the professor growing red in the face.

Jonathan shook his head, once again trying to clear the lovestruck haze that fell over him. Yet his flushed cheeks and bulge remained.

"Um…erm…yes I'm–I'm fine.." He quickly stood back a step.

"Are you sure? Your face is red.." You mentioned your voice heightened in concern.

You were so considerate and oblivious…if you only knew that you were the cause of his flustered state.

"I assure you. I'm fine.." Jonathan deftly clipped the sides of his lab coat to hopefully deter any attention from his growing erection.

He cleared his throat before snatching the pen on the desk. "Um…you weren't entirely far off. These few numbers are off.."

The light bulb went off in your head when he saw him write out the proper formula on another sheet of paper.

Jonathan sighed to himself in relief. He got your attention off of him–

Until you abruptly wrapped your arms around his neck in a small grateful victory hug.

"You're brilliant Professor Crane! Thank you so much!"

After you said that you gasped and retracted your arms. "I-Uh-I am so sorry..I got excited."

That's not the only thing.

"Erm…I-I understand." Jonathan waved it off. He grabbed the seat at the desk next to yours to sit down as he felt himself get light headed.

You took a glance at the watch above the laboratory door.

"Oh wow! Look at how late it's gotten. I'm so sorry to keep you Professor and to take up your lab time…is there any way I can repay you?"

"No, no that won't be necessary…" He waved his hand nonchalantly. "I'm just...eh…glad to help."

"Well, if you change your mind I wouldn't be opposed to a coffee date one weekend." You offered with a soft smile.

"Have a good evening Prof-"

"Jonathan…y-you can call me Jonathan." He interjected. Jonathan wasn't sure where that came from, but he did long to hear you say his name and not just his title.

You nod with a noticeably wider smile. "Jonathan…have a good evening…I'll see you tomorrow. And please reconsider my offer…goodbye." You waved before walking out the door, your shoes echoing down the hallway.

Jonathan waved slowly back before swiping his face up and down his face once you were gone.

He wasn't sure whether he was exhausted from trying to prevent you from discovering his disheveled state or excited from the close proximity you shared earlier and the prospect of something more in the future.

Jonathan sighed as he got up and began retrieving his own things.

Lab time is over, he has other…issues to attend to at the moment.

#ri writes #btas scarecrow x reader #btas jonathan crane x reader #batman the animated series scarecrow x reader #batman the animated series jonathan crane x reader

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project-sekai-facts · 1 month

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VBS event teaser commentary

Sorry for not doing this last month. Again. Yeah I know I'm doing it just before the actual preview drops who even cares.

As per the norm, the teaser is just based on the jacket art so there's not a whole lot we can learn there. We know that cards are sometimes based on the song though, so maybe we can guess something there. Personally this gives me a retro nightclub sort of feel, and I'm kinda surprised they haven't done something like that with VBS yet, doubly so when you consider the Gekkou teaser had a very retro feel (I'm grasping at straws atp I've wanted this for two years lol).

Okay, so actual plot predictions time. I reckon this will be another POU or LUTF situation where the event focuses somewhat heavily on a side character. Ah, well, less so "I reckon" and more "Break Down the Wall foreshadows that this event will focus quite a bit on Arata and Souma". Based on bdtw, I think the event is going to focus on two things which heavily overlap with Toya's arc: Toya's feelings towards music, and getting Arata to rejoin the group.

The game has drawn parallels to the relationships between Akito & Toya and Arata & Souma since POU, with Toya outright quoting Kaito's statement from pou about their similarities in bdtw. Toya is able to relate to how Arata feels because their experiences with their partners are very similar. Akito and Souma are the ones who got Toya and Arata into the street music scene and shared their dreams with the other. Because of this similarity, Toya is able to put himself in Arata's shoes somewhat. I'm writing this very late so this is not clear what I'm getting at at all. Basically it's about partners. Toya is the best one to try and reason with Arata, and it's probably why this was his job given to him by Ken. R Sound Design says the song has a focus on relationships between the characters, so to say this will be a big part of the event is not a stretch at all.

(TL by pjsekai_eng)

And connecting to that: Toya (and Arata's) feelings about music. Toya's bdtw chapter also focused a lot on his feelings towards music, and how he'd grown to love it again thanks to Akito and VBS after his bad experiences with classical music as a child. Once again we're right back to the partners thing. Toya talks about his feelings towards music in woao as well, which also happens to be the event where Souma explains the story behind Gurney Flap's formation, and how he was able to get Arata to love music as much as he does. The key difference between Toya and Arata's stories though, is that Toya was able to move on from the past and his trauma. Toya seems to realise that Arata's past is affecting him in bdtw, and Taiga also pointed this out in lutf. While his relationship with his family is by no means mended, Toya was at least able to start healing with the help of his love of street music. On the other hand, Arata is very clearly still grieving the loss of Souma as his partner, and it's what's been holding him back this entire time. I could easily see Toya having a heart to heart with Arata in regards to their feelings towards music and their friends/partners. In a perfect world they do what they did in lutf where they explained a lot of the RADder backstory but for Gurney Flap this time, but I don't want to get attached to that idea. I think at the very least explaning what exactly happened to Souma could happen though.

Oh and on the off chance this ends up being An5, it'll be about her feelings towards Kohane. As in, her insecurities that have been showing up since Bout for Beside You about Kohane essentially becoming too good for her. Like with Toya this was heavily foreshadowed in her bdtw chapter and cards, as well as at the end of kiuan over a year ago. Combine An's grief over Nagi with her insecurities over Kohane and Kohane carrying Nagi's spirit in the sense of her singing, and you have an event story.

#sorry this is long i like arata but you already knew that #mod talks #speculation #vbs grief event 2 electric boogaloo

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raelle-writing · 2 months

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I’ve been seeing so many complaints about Jin not having enough backstory and that he’s too flat, and I’m curious to know your thoughts. I personally think he’s very developed and believe that a character should be able to stand by their current actions without needing flashbacks to explain them.

We know that he is a kind and gentle person who held (and still holds) idealistic notions, and that he effed up real bad with taking the video, and has been feeling guilty and haunted ever since. We know that he develops feelings deeply for people but always makes sure that they reciprocate. We know that he doesn’t like uncertainty when emotions are involved and wants clear communication and has a bit of a jealous streak. We know that when placed in physically dangerous situations, he will jump in immediately to defend and help people. We know that he loves photography and honestly a lot can be explained by his having an artistic soul.

I guess a recent example I’ve seen of a character that’s very developed with absolutely no flashback backstory is Tong’s character Hong from ManSuang. Obviously very different context and character but I loved how much we knew about his essence as a character and person without needing scenes about his childhood and how he grew up.

Anyway sorry for the length, and thank you for your wonderful DFF thoughts and analyses!

Thank you for sending this ask 💕 I've been thinking a lot about this too, honestly. I have some mixed, complex thoughts lol so let me try and explain them.

Firstly, I agree with you that we get a lot of Jin throughout his actions. I fully disagree with people who say that Jin is flat, or that he doesn't have impact on the narrative, or that he's a side character. Jin's always been a very central main piece of the plot. He's the everyman, reacting to the bullying the way most average people would. Acting selfishly and selflessly by turns. He's the catalyst that drove them into the woods. He's the only person who feels guilt and carries the weight of the past (among the bullies). He tries to be a good person, and fucks up bad by turns.

And as you said, we get tons of personality from Jin throughout his actions. He's naive and idealistic. He associates sex and feelings strongly. He falls hard and fast. He lives in a large house but clearly has no one checking on him when he comes home late or brings a boy over to stay the night. He shows signs of emotional neglect and unhealthy attachments. He has fits of anger which lead him to do bad things he feels awful about for years afterwards.

He calls himself a coward but when faced with a weapon he jumps in front of it to try and protect his friends.

There are a lot of shadows to his character that paint a full picture, to me. I don't find his character to be flat at all, in fact Jin is still one of my favorite characters because of all of this.

However, I do understand why people are disappointed. Because while we do see large pieces of Jin's character, when you compare him to characters like Non and Tee, where we see their home lives and motivations in detail, Jin definitely looks flat in comparison. I was also hoping that we'd get insight into Jin's home life and learn why he is the way he is, like we did with some of the others. And we didn't (and won't) get that. And that's definitely disappointing.

Especially since today, in a Space on Twitter, Sammon said she regrets not writing Jin in more detail and she views that as a failing. I think that's one reason people are being so negative about Jin's character right now.

BUT, I personally think people are entirely overblowing it all. Jin is a very interesting, complex, gray, sympathetic character in so many ways, even if we don't get that extra layer of depth. Especially given that one of the reasons we have less of Jin is because he does less terrible shit within the narrative as some of the others, I'm a bit 🤷🏻‍♀️ about it all.

Anyway! Thanks again for the ask, it was a good excuse for me to actually formulate my thoughts!

#dead friend forever #dff #dff the series #jin dff #dff meta #dff analysis #dff spoilers

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antianakin · 3 months

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@theneutralmime

Okay, we've got a lot happening here.

First, why do people demonize Obi-Wan keeping the truth about Anakin's identity from Luke. I'm probably not the right person to ask given that I'm not one of those people who demonizes him, so I can't speak to that mindset very well, but a lot of just feels like basic bad faith interpretations of Obi-Wan's motivations. Some of it might be the assumption that, if Obi-Wan or Yoda had just told him the truth, then Luke wouldn't have had to be told by Anakin himself and had that particular bombshell dropped in the worst possible way. Which, you know, MAYBE. But we also don't know precisely how Luke would've reacted to learning that information when he was younger or how that would've impacted his Jedi training, something both Obi-Wan and Yoda were fairly worried and cautious about. They're presumably TRYING to give Luke his best chance here. Of course then you have people claiming that Obi-Wan and Yoda lie because they don't CARE about Luke himself and only care about raising Luke as their personal weapon to take down Anakin and Palpatine, which is obviously ridiculous.

It's also just ignoring how much Obi-Wan DOES tell Luke. He explains a lot about what "Vader" did, how he was once a Jedi, how he betrayed them, etc. But he also talks about "Anakin" who he describes positively. He gives Luke the most complete and nuanced picture of Anakin that he can. Imagine Luke being told straight-up in this moment that his father is Vader. He'd likely never give Anakin a chance to be good at all because that information would, for good and obvious reasons, override anything positive Obi-Wan might have to say about it. But leaving that piece of information out allows Luke to continue remembering Anakin as a good person for a while longer, even after he meets "Vader" in person, so by the time he has to face this particular truth, he's in a better place to consider the ENTIRE truth rather than just get stuck on his first reaction.

And like you said, Luke himself clearly gets it. He's clearly not HAPPY about being lied to or the revelation itself, but he's not all that angry either and he gives both Obi-Wan and Yoda multiple chances to explain why they did it and their perspective on the situation without getting particularly accusatory.

So I dunno, maybe some people feel like Luke SHOULD be more angry than he is at Obi-Wan and Yoda and just project the way THEY would feel about the issue onto Luke himself. I can't say I don't do similar things myself. I often feel like people should be more angry at ANAKIN than they are in canon and like to just project that onto the characters when I can (like Obi-Wan, or Ahsoka, or Rex), so that I can explore the situation from that perspective. But, you know, Obi-Wan lies a tiny bit with the best of intentions and Anakin commits multiple genocides and enslaves multiple entire populations for several decades in a row, so I feel like one of these is more justified than the other lol.

I THINK what you're saying next here is that Obi-Wan might genuinely believe Anakin is dead, which... is likely only true for a certain amount of time. As per Disney canon, he discovers this 10 years after ROTS. Within Lucas canon, Obi-Wan is clearly perfectly aware that Anakin is still alive and out there since he discusses Vader pretty candidly as the person who betrayed him, so he knows that Vader and Anakin are the same person when we meet him in ANH. What isn't clear (if we don't take the Kenobi show into account) is precisely WHEN he finds this out, but he knows it by the time he's talking to Luke about it all. This isn't just a genuine misunderstanding on Obi-Wan's part.

As for whether I think things would've been better if he'd killed Anakin on Mustafar, I mean... yes? Kinda, yes. The thing about prophecies in Star Wars is that they tend to be kind-of nebulous things. Anakin IS the Chosen One, he absolutely is, but that doesn't mean he has no choice in his own fate. Anakin could, theoretically, defy that prophecy until the day he dies. Choice is really important in Star Wars, it's a major theme that Lucas chose to put in there, and so the prophecy is not DICTATING what Anakin ends up doing. Anakin was not always going to fall to darkness, the Republic falling to the Sith was not "meant to be" and neither was the destruction of the Jedi (if you've seen the Ahsoka show, you'll know that Filoni doesn't believe this and he's peddling a different story, so this is primarily within Lucas canon and the better shows like the Kenobi show). That prophecy isn't going to kill Palpatine, it isn't a guarantee of his eventual demise that the galaxy just has to wait long enough for. AT BEST, I think the prophecy is a guarantee that if ANAKIN tries to kill Palpatine, he will succeed. That's it. And I think he also has to be killing Palpatine FOR THE RIGHT REASONS or it won't work (for example if he's trying to kill Palpatine so he can become the Sith Master, he'll fail; it HAS to be done out of selflessness or the prophecy doesn't kick in). This also means that Palpatine could, theoretically, be killed by someone or something else. It's not IMPOSSIBLE for it to happen, just immensely more difficult and extremely unlikely.

All of this is to say that if Obi-Wan had killed Anakin on Mustafar, it doesn't like... doom the galaxy to be ruled by the Sith forever necessarily just because the Chosen One is now dead. It won't slow Palpatine down much, he'll still have the stormtroopers and the Inquisitors and people like Tarkin and he's still working on the Death Star. But it takes Vader out of commission, it's one less weapon of mass destruction on Palpatine's belt that he can deploy as desired upon the people of the galaxy. And it's one less threat aimed at the Force sensitive people of the galaxy. Palpatine can always pick another Sith apprentice, but they'd never be the same level of power as Anakin. So there's a lot of positives to Anakin being removed from the playing board a lot earlier, even if it means taking out Palpatine himself potentially becomes a lot more difficult.

That being said, it's a lot easier than when Vader is standing between Palpatine and the galaxy, so, you know, pros and cons there too. Not a single person is actually counting on the prophecy anyway at this point, so the changes are all fairly positive as far as the galaxy is concerned. But whether Palpatine would've actually ended up killed or not is entirely up to speculation. It could go either way, with Palpatine being more vulnerable and so he gets killed earlier, or with Palpatine being able to rule even longer than he does in canon. I like to think that Palpatine could be taken out by other means, even with Anakin out of the game entirely, that he's not incapable of being killed.

Also, there's nothing saying that if Anakin fails as a child of prophecy that the Force and the midichlorians couldn't just... try again and pick/create a new Chosen One as a reaction to Anakin's death.

#star wars #obi-wan kenobi #luke skywalker #anakin skywalker #sheev palpatine #palpatine

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