#i took this idea i will admit however i couldn't get this concept out of my head so i'd like to formally apologize

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 177

Chapter 177: "Mother"

This chapter.. this damn chapter never fails at getting me emotional. I'm still so very upset that Isabella dies this way too when we had other characters such as Emma and Barbara also get impaled by fierce demons and survive with their scars, so why not my queen huh?? I know there's that whole neverland fairy tale idea where adults aren't allowed there, which would've been an interesting concept for our series given the several adult deaths we had already, but that would've cancelled out some of the oldest Goldy Pond kids who are already older than 18 at this point. However, with how Emma phrased the new promise to allow all humans raised as food to cross over into the human world, there wouldn't have been any issue. Isabella could've easily joined them then, like c'mon Shirai, couldn't ya at least let these kids have one parent join them, please? They already lost Yuugo and Lucas, we didn't need to add another!

As if stabbing this woman wasn't enough, this bastard goes on to taunt her, saying that she'll never make up for her past mistakes no matter how hard she tries. First off, to hell with this guy. Secondly, that's such nonsense. I know this moment is supposed to be seen as "Isabella's big redemption moment," but it totally didn't need to happen this way. I'm gonna sound like a broken record when I say this, but this woman's redemption arc started way back when she first admitted defeat on the wall while watching her precious children escape GF. From gathering the ropes they used so the demons wouldn't know which direction they ran, to secretly planning an entire uprising within the farm system in hopes to one day assist her children when they returned. She even used her newfound power as Grandma to help spare the lives of other children at GF by lowering the amount of harvests that took place. Granted, walking the children to their deaths as caretaker and her treatment of Ray are certainly her biggest flaws that can definitely outweigh all the good she's done during those several years as a mother, but again, it's not like she truly wanted to act that way! It was her job; a job she only took because she valued her own life so much (& honestly, I would too), but she excelled at it for their sake. She's renowned for being the best for providing such high quality meat to the farm (which sounds bad when ya think of them as food, I know), but it means her children were raised with such rich emotions and were able to reach a reasonable decent age because they knew what happiness and love felt like and she did everything within her power to keep them alive as long as they possibly could. So to hear this demon make a statement like this just irks me because while it's true this one mama bear moment may not be enough for Isabella to be redeemed fully, it completely disregards every other motherly act she's done for her children over the years.

Literally the only positive I can take away from this highly unfortunate demon encounter is how damn strong and determined Isabella is. The fire in her eyes and the intense grip she has on this demon that straight up prevents it from moving to hurt Emma or the other girl.. aahh it's such a badass moment! What a queen!

Every single time I come across these panels, all I hear in my head is that Mushu quote: "You missed! How could you miss? He was three feet in front of you!" Seriously though, I can understand with how quick everything happened and the intense new threat could've caused Ray's aim to be off a little, but my boy, this could not have been a more worse occasion to miss. I don't wanna say it because it'll be so mean but s2!Ray could've done better.

Bro I remember so very clearly when a couple panels of this chapters were first teased before the official release (& yeah I was a complete mess back then too), but when this panel was going around, it was cropped short to where Ray wasn't seen at all, so people were going nuts about where he was, why wasn't he also surrounding Isabella, if his hatred for her really went so deep to not wanna be near her while she's at death's door, etc. It was kinda wild and absolutely made me anxious, but thankfully the panic was short lived when the full page was available. Sorta. I mean, it's still not a pretty panel, seeing my favorite villain minutes away from losing her life, but at least Ray is present along with all the other GF kids.

Seeing Isabella being more concerned about everyone else aside from herself after a serious stab wound.. what a bittersweet "like mother, like daughter" parallel.

Crazy how Krone's actions and words lead the kids to believe Isabella's intentions were just as heartless. Yeah both ladies wanted to survive and would choose to achieve that by any means necessary, but at least Isabella cared for the well-being of her children. That's already a whole lot more than what your typical mom or sister is capable of.

Having this panel placed in the middle of all the heartbreak is very much appreciated because I definitely need some adorable flashbacks to make me feel a little better before diving right back into my puddle of tears. Seeing her smile and laugh alongside the trio is the most adorable thing, especially that head pat she gives Emma. Also love that reference to ch95's extra page where Gilda was working so hard at the shelter that a sleepy Chris mistakenly called her "mom." Oh, my poor boy Chris.. he's gonna have so many things to catch up on once he wakes up and learning about Isabella's death ain't gonna be easy.

Say it louder, sweetie!!! And most definitely repeating myself once more by saying that I'm so glad the second season animated that panel of Isabella hugging the trio despite this chapter's events not happening.

I love this idea of Isabella & Yuugo being the "what if" versions of the kids. Isabella's situation could easily be applied to any of the girls, though most people associate it with Emma which is fair, just as we usually make the connection of Yuugo to Ray due to them both witnessing their family getting killed and all that time they spent alone, whether it be physically, mentally or emotionally. All three honestly.

Seeing all the children beg Isabella to hold on, along with them confessing how much they love her.. oh my goodness, I think so often how thankful I am that this scene wasn't included in the anime because seeing the pain on their faces is hard enough already, imagine how loudly I would sob if I heard the emotion in all their voices.

Oh, if any version of her lullaby played here, my heart would shatter. I already feel close to tears. She probably dreamed of hugging all her precious children and openly declaring her love for them once more without any fear of what the farm system might do to her and/or them, and now that Isabella finally gets that chance, she has such a thankful smile on her face and I'm happy she gets to experience these warm feelings one last time.

I dunno about anyone else, but this chapter always feels like a "try not to cry challenge, level: impossible" for me. Doesn't matter if they added in this cute scene of her hugging the trio with such a beautiful smile, my heart is still in pieces on the ground. I'm the one who needs the hug!

Favorite panel/moment:

If you haven't learned how much I love Isabella, Ray and their complicated mother-son relationship yet, then I haven't rambled on long enough. But yes, as much as her death absolutely wrecks me, I'm relieved it allows us to get one final interaction between her and Ray. By now we have a pretty good grasp about Ray's feelings towards Isabella, so the fact he kept his distance this entire time until she called out for him is so sad. We can't really tell if he rushes to her side or if he takes slow steps, but what matters is that he didn't deny her request.

It means so much that this moment is just between the two of them too. Sure it was undeniable sweet to see all the children cry and huddle around Isabella, but she and Ray have such a deep history so they deserve one last scene together. Although it's a very fragile relationship, that doesn't prevent her from giving him a personal apology with the very last bit of strength she has. Aahh, how terrible she must be feeling right now, thinking back on all the times she wasn't allowed to show him the same level of affection as a mother would normally show her son or for making his life such a living hell. She could've very well chosen to be angry at herself here or let the pain show on her face, and yet she chooses to smile instead. Not a smug or confident one Ray's probably used to seeing her use, but a gentle one that really conveys how strong her regrets are.

Having her last wish being for Ray to protect everyone is so perfect with how it shows that right til the very end, Isabella's children have always been her top priority and she'll always think of them first. It's also sweet that she wants Ray to hold onto this promise because us readers already know how committed Ray is to providing for his family and keeping them safe. Hell, his compassion and protective instincts were on full display last chapter when he jumped in to shoot at that demon bastard and when he accepted all the moms and sisters to join the kids in the human world back during ch164. Those were such great opportunities for Isabella to witness just how caring her son really is and how much he's grown. I'm certain she's so proud of him. To this day I still wish Isabella had actually spoke that "I love you so much" to him, but I know she was steadily growing weaker by the minute that even speaking or seeing clearly was becoming a challenge for her. The nice thing with Isabella though, is that she doesn't really need to say such words out loud for Ray or any other child to know how true her feelings are, as Emma confirmed earlier during her moment of reflection, that Isabella's actions speak far louder to the point where everyone was able to recognize how strongly she loved them all. What completely breaks me about this entire chapter though is seeing Ray finally breakout into tears as he holds onto his mother's hand. This boy just found out his mother was alive, along with becoming their enemy once more, saw her betray their common enemy in order to assist the children, which sparks his discussion to forgive her and wish for her to join him in the human world, only to realize that won't happen as she jumps in to protect one of his best friends and ends up critically injured all because he failed to killing a demon. That is so much to experience all in one day. It's a miracle he kept his emotions in check to begin with, but now he's hit with the realization that he's losing his mother for good and.. damn it 'yall. Can we please give my boy a break?? And my queen too while we're at it?? Both of them seriously had two of the worst experiences in this world and instead of having them reconcile and build a better mother-son relationship in the human world together, we gotta make them suffer once last time, huh?? Fucking hell man.. I said it way more than once and I'll say it a million more times up until I'm on my own death bed, but the decision of having Isabella stay alive is by far the absolute best thing to come out of season two.

I want to wish their moment was lasted longer than a page and a third, but I'd probably never recover from all the emotional damage if their tearful goodbye had more focus. AAhhh.. seems like I should've wrote out a lot more considering the amount of time I spent on this chapter and how passionate I get about my favorites, but ya know, the emotions are hella strong today.

#the promised neverland #tpn manga #182daysoftpn #chidoroki used chatter

[ponreviews]

Itaewon Class: The Ultimate Revenge

Categories: Drama

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Synopsis:

Park Sae-ro-yi had every reason to want to seek revenge on the massive corporation Jangga, as he was sent to prison after they messed with someone dear to him. What better way to take down the biggest in the food industry than opening a competing restaurant in the alleys of Itaewon? With the help of the friends he meets along the way, we see just how far Sae-ro-yi is willing to go.

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Review:

If you asked me at the beginning of the drama, "Is Itaewon Class a good k-drama?" I would answer "YES!" with no hesitation. However, by the end I do not feel the same way. To start, the story has a great concept. Sae-ro-yi's father worked for Jangga, and he was killed by the eldest son (Jang Guen-won) of the CEO of Jangga (Jang Dae-hee) in a hit-and-run. Considering the already soured relations between Sae-ro-yi and Guen-won, things escalated when Guen-won wasn't punished for the crime and instead Sae-ro-yi was convicted for assault and attempted murder when confronting Guen-won. Instead of wanting to kill the two men responsible for his father's death, he chose another path of revenge, free-market competition. By opening up DanBam in Itaewon, he begins his quest for taking down Jangga by becoming their biggest competitor.

Sae-ro-yi easily became a favorite MC for me. I can easily say, Park Seo-joon did an amazing job with his character. Sae-ro-yi is kind of aloof, but he's educated. Yes, he didn't finish high school, but he had time in prison. He used that time to learn business so that by the time he got out, he would be prepared to open DanBam. Of course, it isn't perfect, hence Jo Yi-seo coming in. She was also one of my favorites early on. She's very blunt and strong-willed. I wish I could say that this is true through to the end, but unfortunately, I can't honestly say that now. Frankly, the two rival women in this series both annoyed the hell out of me by the end of it. Maybe part of it has to do with the age gap between Sae-ro-yi and Yi-seo, but most of it is how little Yi-seo develops in the story. I think if the drama didn't push the romance plot so much, the two main women wouldn't have been so annoying in the end.

I really wish that I can say I like the story too. I can say that the concept is there. It's why people want to watch it in the first place, but as the story progressed, it kept getting messier. On one hand you want to have a messy story. The drama is what everyone craves hence "k-drama," but like our bedrooms, we want an organized mess. Itaewon Class deviates from the organized mess to a junkyard, especially once the time skip hit.

If I didn't hate the story before, the time skip really did it for me. While the concept was impressive at the start, the execution especially towards the end took a nosedive. I cannot look you in the eye and say Itaewon Class is even a 7 because of this. I really wish I liked it, but all the little things add up. Of course, I will explain more of why I feel this way.

As I already mentioned the female leads are not characters I would root for. I've talked about the age gap briefly between Sae-ro-yi and Yi-seo, but it's not the only thing about their relationship that makes me uncomfortable. In fact, both Yi-seo and Soo-ah remind me of someone I know in real life in their own ways. Long story short, this girl is keen on the idea that she doesn't like my friend romantically and would rather keep things platonic. However, at the same time, she actively flirts with him when they're together and sees every girl he's friends with as competition and actively tries to keep him away from other girls. Now, the last part isn't like Yi-seo, but you can't deny that she did have Geum-soo wrapped around her finger. Soo-ah on the otherhand, fits that description to the T. She could never admit herself that she fell for him until it was too late. She led him on and couldn't accept it when he moved on.

It's hard to root for characters who remind you of toxic people in your life. Whatever redeeming quality they have is down the drain when you have a comparison like that. Of course, my opinion on the two women is just my own, and the reasons are specific to my experience (or more specifically, my friend's). My other qualms aren't as specific though. One thing that the show is prided on is the representation of the characters (a black korean man and a trans woman). While it's nice to see, the characters become tokens for their demographic.

The scene where the DanBam group tries to enter a club is one scene that felt really out of place. It's great that issues like racism and transphobia are being addressed, but it feels tone deaf. To-ni's character was unjustifiably prohibited from entering the club because he was black. Yi-seo was also not helpful in the situation as she sided with bouncer instead of To-ni (one of many reasons why I couldn't get behind her character). Even when apologizing it didn't seem genuine. Sae-ro-yi retaliated by tagging graffiti on the club wall calling them racist. Other than that scene, the only other relevance is the grandma admitting she was racist and didn't approve of his father seeing his mother because she was black. To-ni has such a small subplot that it barely has any significance to the plot and makes his character just a token black guy in the show. Every plot point surrounding his character points to him being black, and it just didn't sit right with me.

Then there's Hyeon-yi. Her character is handled a little better than To-ni's but similarly, it doesn't sit right with me. I was confused at the start because I knew from the beginning that she was a girl, but everyone else was referring to her with "he/him" pronouns. When it came to them running into her at the club looking very femme, the shock of her being trans didn't hit as hard. The narrative that she's trans felt forced. When she was absent from DanBam, it was explained that she had transitioned and was in recovery. However, when she came back the only thing that changed is her fashion sense. Suddenly she was able to afford luxury clothes that made her "look convincingly feminine." The way the story handles her character is messy. Honestly though, the fault would pretty much lie with casting and costume design. Granted, the actress, Lee Joo-young, is not part of the blame. She did her best to represent the character well, and in fact, Hyeon-yi is my favorite character despite my misgivings.

Still, casting chose someone who isn't trans to play a transgender woman in Itaewon Class. While there is the argument that this would mean actors would need to be out of the closet before getting casted into trans roles (completely valid btw), it all comes down to the environment in which trans people are not being fully accepted. We can go back and forth saying that Korea is still working on their ignorance when it comes to this topic, but regardless of their intention, it needs to be addressed, if not as critique, hopefully a lesson for future Korean adaptations/productions and the representation of LGBTQ+ stories. Sure it will take time for transgender people to be able to express themselves more openly in a country that's still very traditional, despite their modern practices. Creating the space that allows them to be themselves will open opportunities to accurately portray their experiences in Korean media rather than cis people picking at only what they know and filling the spaces with assumptions.

If anything, I still applaud the story for addressing issues like racism and transphobia in Korea. Without even an attempt, we wouldn't even talk about it on any platform. There's room to grow, but Itaewon Class is on the bottom of the progression ladder. The only thing we can do now is hope that it can get better from here. Unfortunately, it doesn't change my overall opinion of Itaewon Class. The main women are irredeemable in my opinion and we're talking about the same story that has Jang Geun-won and Jang Dae-hee.

#ponreviews kdramas #itaewon class #spoilers

[legacyofacat]

[12] Nimbus Try I: Arpeggio of Hurt Steel

Kongō lounged on her pagoda, half sitting half lying on her side, enjoying the wind and looking at the sketch she had pillaged.

Well, theoretically she hadn't even remotely stolen anything, but having it felt like the most illegal thing ever and she had killed people.

She also didn't feel any kind of remorse for said killings, but an immense amount over that piece of paper.

Suppressing a heavy feeling, she looked down from her viewpoint to watch Zeitwächter and Churchgrim play together, the ball jingling with every push or kick, and let herself fall on the side again.

This sketch… couldn't stay with her. Guilt was a pretty new feeling, but she already hated it.

She hated the entire concept of Mental Models the same amount as she did the first time she had gotten one and when losing Maya tore her heart apart – even if that had been for different reasons each time – as she did now.

Feelings, in short, were more work than they were worth and if she could go back to never having felt them then-

…Then she wouldn't.

Kongō wanted to scream. In frustration.

Instead, she rolled on her back and covered her eyes with an arm.

Why was this so much anyway? A piece of paper with biro ink on it should neither stress her out so much nor occupy that much processing power.

The jingling of the ball stopped, then it continued after a few minutes. Must have gotten stuck somewhere.

Kongō knew that she couldn't just give the paper back; Zeitwächter was very sensitive and, while hiding it, would most likely feel a bit hurt.

She looked at the sketch, really looked at it.

It was a very nice dress, she wouldn't mind wearing it at all with a few changes, so what could they be? 

Shorter sleeves would be a good thing, the top needed a few changes as well, though she couldn't tell which just now, and maybe different shoes.

Was that enough to warrant a giving back? Damn, hopefully it was.

A few hours later, when Churchgrim and Zeitwächter were done playing and relaxing in the shade, wind playing with fur and hair, Kongō jumped down from her pagoda, on Zeitwächter's deck, petted the dog and held the sketch out to the battleship: "Not now, but I would like a few changes."

Zeitwächter's face had already been glowing with a smile when she felt the other come over, but now it somehow brightened even more: "Okay! Why not now?"

Kongō nodded towards the dog lying on his side as if shot and then looked at his sister, who didn't look a lot better, pointedly.

"It's fine it's fine!", she began heaving herself up, "I'm a Fog ship, after all, I don't get physically tired and my mind needs something to do!"

First of all, that's not how that worked – the Fog's energy was insane but it wasn't endless – secondly, the Fleet of Masks curse, nanomaterial errors, had seemingly caught up with Zeitwächter's left knee and engine and her processor was concentrating on fixing those; it wouldn't mind a goddamn rest.

However, one had to credit her with a big processing power and also admit that she was more than annoying with nothing to do.

"Stay down, I'll bring your things", Kongō was already on the move.

"It's fine, I can just make-"

"No."

Annoying idiot, Kongō thought, who makes new things out of nanomaterial when they're having problems with them!?

Zeitwächter, obviously.

Suppressing an eyeroll or two, the blonde went into Zeitwächter’s bridge-turned-office, got the first paper and pencil she saw and returned to hand them over, both Mental Models sitting and leaning against the battleship's superstructure.

"So, what changes do you want, Kon-chama?"

She repeated her thoughts from earlier, Zeitwächter nodding along and eyes already cross-referencing the sketch, Kongō and her ideas.

"Ok…", Zeitwächter said more or less absentmindedly, laying the foundations for a new sketch and then handing the pencil off to Kongō, "what do you have in mind for those sleeves?"

Kongō took the pencil slowly, not entirely sure yet, and sketched a shaky sleeve.

Well, it certainly wouldn't win an art contest, but it got the idea across (the obvious difference in skill aggravated her, though).

The other treated it as a fully workable part of the future design and completely ignored how crooked it was.

"Something like that."

Zeitwächter beamed: "It's cute! It looks a bit like a fan. What about the top, Kon-chama?"

Kongō looked down at herself: "A… bit of ruche, maybe?"

She nodded: "Like this? Or do you want some more?"

"How would it look with a free back?"

"Oh! Good idea!", the artist sketched that out as well and then they had descended into a rabbit hole of different design ideas; cuts, patterns, lengths – you name it.

When they climbed out of their wild haze, they had easily crossed out, readjusted and scrapped at least ten different dresses until turning up at the final version which now was held by one of Kongō's and one of Zeitwächter's hands.

"The colouring shouldn't have taken that long…"

"Neither should have the patterns…"

The dress was a dark purple, back and shoulders free, chest partly covered by the "normal" fabric, the other part by a slight see-through fabric with dark patterns, one leg bared thanks to a slit, long train, arms decorated by intricate patterned fabric under slightly flowing sleeves.

It was quite the beautiful piece.

Zeitwächter looked at her friend, eyes still awfully bright: "Are you going to wear it starting today?"

"Give me a break", she waited out the snicker, "tomorrow."

Also, the sun had already mostly sunk down behind the horizon – the day was almost over already so it didn't really matter.

You want to show off, a traitorous part of her mind threw in, but it was petted, fed and tucked into bed patiently.

--

Start Last Next

Can also be found on:

DeviantArt Wattpad ff.net AO3

#aoki hagane no arpeggio #arpeggio of blue steel #蒼き鋼のアルペジオ #kongou #kongo #kongō #コンゴウ #fanfiction author #fanfic #try series #dog #Nimbus Try I: Arpeggio of Hurt Steel #arpeggio of hurt steel #nimbus try 1 #nimbus try i #tw: cursing #tw: language #aoki-hagane-no-arpeggio #zeitwächter #oc

[queeraak]

there seems to be some wicked confusion about this. gamzee makara is my intellectual property, AND ALL MINE ALONE. all of my headcanons are 100% legitimate, where as yours are all up and laughably fake. THERE’S NO FUCKIN ROOM FOR INTERPRETATION WHATSOEVER WITH GAMZEE. mother fuckin. MAKARA. not even a little bit. :o( to claim otherwise is MOTHERFUCKIN. BLASPHEMY. and also in VIOLTION OF MY LEGAL RIGHTS AS A FUCKIN ARTIST. i sure hope this clears things up. :o)

#homestuck #gamzee makara #seth.txt #i took this idea i will admit however i couldn't get this concept out of my head so i'd like to formally apologize

[lucidmagic]

My gay brain couldn't stop thinking of this so here you go:

Flower shop (Donna) and Tattoo Parlor (Reader) AU-- may likely expand on this in a later fic once done with Phyto's Guide, but anyway here are some ideas I have in mind to hold ya'll over until the next chapter:

Donna's shop is the best in the region, known for its beautiful blooms and healthy plants, it's been passed from Beneviento to Beneviento-- called Beneviento's Blossoms, and people of all walks of life order there for the magnificent flowers.

Everyone claims that Donna is a witch or the very least blessed with her talent to upkeep and maintain such bountiful blooms, even if they are out of season.

However, though Donna owns and operates the store, the face of it is Angie-- a short spitfire with vitiligo-- she often interacts with the customers and the delivery people. Some assume she is Donna at first meeting because of how present she is at the front desk.

How Donna lost her family is up in the air at the moment, but the initial thought was a fire or a sudden tragedy took most of the Beneviento's before Donna was 13-- also leaving her with a scar across the right side of her face. Idk yet.

Anyway, one day, Donna and Angie are opening in the morning and notice that the vacant shop across the street has finally been taken down the for rent sign, and a moving truck is before it.

At the end of the day, the new shop's sign is up and illuminated: Waning Moon Ink: Tattoo Parlor (name may change)

Angie is IMMEDIATELY ECSTATIC AND OVERJOYED . . . Donna not so much. New shop means new people and she has preconceptions that tattoo parlors bring unsavory individuals.

But as the day goes by and people are going in and out of the previous vacant shop, loading tattoo chairs, equipment, and computers, people start talking about the new shop, since it's a bit out of place for the area.

The Dimitrescu Daughters however are just as excited to see the parlor as Angie. They immediately begin hounding their mother for permission to get some.

It is with their and Angie's insistence that Donna gives the new owner a shop warming gift of some kind-- extending an olive branch. After a while, Donna relents and gives Angie instructions to give simple Mayflowers to the new resident.

Angie does and Donna is surprised that she is out so long on such a simple errand.

Angie finally comes back after several hours-- Donna not so hiddenly freaks the fuck out-- and just gushes about the new tattoo parlor and the new owner. Young, dashing, quick-witted, you name it Angie is happy to tell Donna all about them.

Anyway, a few days pass, and Donna is in the back watering and taking care of her flowers and Angie interfacing with the customers. It's a good, long day... until an unfamiliar name screeches past the door. Followed by Angie's incessant voice.

Curious Donna emerges from the back.... oh, there you are, charming smile, kind eyes, beautiful interweaving tattoos up your arms, and a few creeping up your neck....... Donna will never admit it but she was immediately intrigued by you.

Making sure her hair is covering the scarred part of her face, Donna silently comes up behind Angie, who is still talking wildly about tattoo ideas and designs. You're taking it in stride, listening to the newest retention of a skeleton riding on a flaming motorcycle, with a parrot on its shoulder and maybe a pizza in its hand.

You came by to thank Donna for the shop warming gift and maybe repay the offer by getting takeout or dinner-- it's only fair-- the Mayflowers are absolutely beautiful and surprisingly go along with the shop's interior.

...Oh so this is the mysterious owner you keep hearing about... it's her dark eyes that draw you in first-- they're a wonderful inspiration for some tattoo concepts

Angie introduces you two, though mostly you speak while Donna only nods and politely smiles. You remember vaguely that Angie blurted out about her employer being shy and quiet, so you don't blame the other woman for being so silent before you. Maybe if you gain her trust you can finally hear her voice.

So... it became a common occurrence: You visiting during the later hours of the Flower shop's hours, highlighting Angie's (and Donna's) days by your tattoo tales and clients. Sometimes you even help out in the back with some heavy lifting-- for some reason Angie doesn't suddenly want to do

But regardless it lets you and Donna share space and that's all you can really care about. You mostly just talk about nothing and everything while she listens and hums along in acknowledgment. It may be your imagination but sometimes you sneak glances at the other woman and you can swear there is a dusting of red on her cheeks when you heave a particularly heavy box or sack and have to roll up your sleeves.

Donna definitely doesn't stare when you remove some of your outer garments and she can see your intricate inked sleeves-- she definitely doesn't wonder if they go past ou shoulders and continue along your torso.

You specialize in cover-ups, self-inflicted scars, double mastectomies, burn scars, amputations, and other skin conditions, often at a discounted price because most people coming by your shop have been afflicted for so long so it's the least you can do to help them move past. Donna's respect for you skyrockets when you tell her.

Anyways, several months pass and it becomes routine that you visit at least once a week, either helping with some supplies or just stopping by to drop off some take-out and chat.

The shop gives you dozens of ideas for tattoo designs and often you find yourself sketching while Angie talks both your and Donna's ears off. Flowers are suddenly becoming a staple of your concepts.

(You definitely don't sketch out the flower shop's owner when she isn't looking-- nope you definitely don't)

....

I have other thoughts about this AU but maybe in a part two I'll elaborate hehehe

#my fic #fic ideas #reader x donna beneviento #donna beneviento x reader #AU #flower shop and tattoo parlor AU #donna beneviento #angie beneviento #angie the doll #re8 angie #re8 donna #re8 donna beneviento #donna beneviento x oc #phyto's guide #flower shop au #tattoo parlor au #my headcanons

[redphlox]

How Touya can be Saved

I’ve talked before about why I think Shouto will save Touya, and now I want to talk about how. No doubt saving the eldest Todoroki child will be a combined family effort, but I want to specifically talk about Shouto’s role in this because it will be the culmination of his character arc. I also want to tie in how Dabi can make himself seen and understood by crying tears of blood in front of his family. Finally receiving validation after desperately needing it his entire life will be the key to his salvation.

As of chapter 298, Shouto already empathizes with Touya; he feels Touya’s hate and even recognizes Dabi is the person Shouto himself was before the Sports Festival. Shouto is extending his empathy and understanding to his brother the same way he reacted to Iida during the Stain arc in chapter 53, “Todoroki to Iida.”

Having empathy for Dabi’s resentment is only the first step in reaching him, though. That shared rage doesn’t completely validate Dabi’s pain as an abuse victim, which is something Shouto has yet to recognize about himself. Shouto’s anger has always been about how Endeavor abused Rei to the point she had to be institutionalized and not how Endeavor isolated him, physically abused him, and robbed him of his childhood. Shouto probably hadn’t stopped to think about how the other Todorokis perceived their family situation because, like most families in this situation, no one talked about the abuse - Shouto even expresses surprise and agreement in 192 when Natsuo confronts Endeavor with the entire family’s pain. Shouto thinks back to the memory of wanting to play with his siblings and realizes that specific day didn't only stay with him but that his siblings remember it and were impacted by it, too.

Like Natsuo, Dabi knows the root cause of their family’s dysfunction was Endeavor, and while he had a problem with what he perceived as each individual member’s blindness to their abuse, he ultimately doesn’t blame the victims and instead assigns all the blame onto Endeavor. Even 10 years later, he still calls Rei ‘okaasan’, Fuyumi ‘Fuyumi-chan’, and Natsuo ‘Natsu-kun’ because he still cares about them and recognizes all of them as victims of a corrupt hero who never set out to be a husband and a father and only used them.

However, Touya's own victimhood has never been validated - in 301 and 302, it was seen that he was the scapegoat for his family, and no matter how much he tried to earn back his father’s approval or call his father out on his unfair treatment, no one was ever on Touya’s side. His mother told him to look away from his father as an example instead of standing up to Endeavor for herself and her children, and Fuyumi and Natsuo were too young to understand and couldn't relate to what Touya went through as Endeavor's prized heir. Touya needs validation that he was abused and neglected. He always has. He still does.

The person in the perfect position to understand what it’s like to be on the receiving end of Endeavor’s impossibly high standards, obsession with surpassing All Might, and quirk training is Shouto. But in order to fully empathize with Dabi and show his brother that he can relate, Shouto needs to acknowledge that he too was a victim. In 292, Dabi basically asks Shouto to validate the pain and suffering Dabi had just exposed in the battlefield, but his question still stands unanswered.

To reach Touya, Shouto also has to show Dabi what kind of person he is - as in, Shouto has to separate himself from Endeavor’s shadow and establish that he too has been holding Endeavor accountable for his actions. We as readers know that Shouto’s entire character arc has been about asking himself, “Who am I?” Often, children who grow up in abusive households struggle with their identity and Shouto is a perfect example of this. This is why he chose his hero name to be his name: Shouto. He’s learning who he is after years of trying so hard to not be his father and becoming exactly like him - cold, distant, tunnel visioned, hateful. It wasn't until he met Inasa that he realized this and wanted to right his wrongs.

Like Inasa, Dabi doesn’t know Shouto at all. Both Inasa and Dabi knew Endeavor and assumed Shouto would be just like him. Inasa had a valid reason to think this of Shouto of course, because Shouto was standoffish and dismissive during the UA entrance exams, but at the time of the provisional license exam Inasa hadn’t learned that Shouto had recognized this toxic side of himself and had begun working towards the kind of person he wants to be. Shouto had to show Inasa the real him, and in a similar way, he will have to prove this to Dabi. Dabi hasn’t seen Shouto struggle with his identity like we the readers have; Dabi only sees his usurper making headlines and willingly interning with Endeavor. He probably assumes Shouto is proudly training to carry their father’s legacy. Dabi isn’t privy to the nuanced relationship Shouto or their siblings have with their father. All Dabi knows is that Endeavor is seeing and paying attention to Shouto and Shouto seemingly submitting. Dabi has no idea THIS is how it really is:

Showing others who he is is a way for Shouto to process his own trauma and establish his identity. As the son of the #2 hero, Shouto has always had to prove himself to others - that he’s not his father. He’s even had to prove this to himself by accepting his fire side and making it his own in spite of his father repeatedly calling him a creation or a masterpiece. Not being like his father is such a defining trait for Shouto that he feels compelled to tell kindergarteners during the re-licensing exam his life story and his trauma. He literally bore his heart out to these kids because he knew he wouldn’t get through to them unless he was genuine. I think he’ll apply this concept to Touya, too.

The thing about Shouto is that, while he hasn’t reconciled with his own status as an abuse victim, he sees himself as a survivor. He sees himself as someone who managed through a difficult situation and wants to help others get through their struggles too. That's why getting through to these kids was so important to him, why he took it so seriously. These were problematic kids, and instead of calling them brats or trying to intimidate or manipulate them, he tries to get down to their level and relate. Notice he emphasizes how much he struggled in school at first, how his relationship with his father is strained - in his mind, it's something these kids may be able to relate to.

Shouto is someone who sets out to understand and make others feel seen and understood. It's what makes him kind. Shouto probably understands why his father abused the entire family - Endeavor's reasons don't excuse him or earn his children's forgiveness, but it's a reason that humanizes him to Shouto. He himself was a cold, bitter person who now believes people can change if given the right opportunity and self-awareness because this is a lesson he's learned from Midoriya and Inasa. This is also something Shouto can grant Touya: understanding, a listening ear, space to be wrong, and a chance to be seen.

Touya wanted and still craves to be seen, and he has to see in return. He has to realize Shouto isn't his father's puppet. He has to relate to Shouto much like Shouto is relating to him. Shouto will have to pull the same move he pulled on those kindergarteners and tell Dabi his struggles, and then show him he’s making his own path different from their father’s and that the family isn’t blindly following Endeavor anymore or letting him do what he wants. Natsuo has stood up to him, Rei has stood up to him, Fuyumi has admitted to herself she had been trying to play a happy family instead of fixing the internal mess - they as a family will have to show Dabi all of this, and he’ll have to wrap his head around it. He has to realize that his family is different from how they were 10 years ago. This is what I mean by allowing Touya space to be wrong - it’s okay for him to be wrong in assuming all these things about Shouto. Shouto won’t judge him for it.

I've talked before about how the narrative framing as of chapter 309 has set up that a person must express their feelings in a socially acceptable manner before they can be a candidate for saving, and that means crying. As soon as Midoriya saw a glimpse of little Tenko crying, he switched his mentality from "I'll never forgive you" to "I want to save that crying boy." When Toga ran away from Ochako crying, Ochako became concerned and curious. Following this pattern, it makes sense that Dabi also has to show his emotions, but it’s complicated because he can’t cry due to his burnt tear ducts. Every time we’ve seen him cry tears of blood, he’s been alone - he’ll have to cry in front of Shouto and the family for it to sink in that all of Dabi’s destruction and hate stems from deep-seated sorrow and feelings of abandonment. The family does not yet know how the fire that killed Touya started, and they have no idea that Touya’s emotions are linked to his fire and that he died because he was feeling overwhelmingly forsaken and sad. Once they find out, however, they’ll fully understand Touya (hopefully) and recognize they haven’t been understanding him at all. Saving Touya will be difficult because he has to be vulnerable and that's not something he's done as Dabi, but that's where the Todoroki family arc is headed: healing as a family.

As a side note: I’m not saying that the message the manga is giving is the correct one (how you express yourself shouldn’t be a determinant of the help you receive) but it’s what we have to work with. I also think saving Touya will be more complicated than this and will also involve Natsuo, but that’s a meta for another day! ;]

#bnha #dabi #touya todoroki #shouto todoroki #my meta #inasa yoarashi #bnha spoilers #Bnha meta #Mha #mha spoilers

[lepusrufus]

Double edged scalpel ch. 7

Ch.1 ch.2 ch.3 ch.4 ch.5 ch.6

Summary: in which Cassandra gets bullied and other sappy shenanigans

---

"Oh Nicole dear, so happy to see you again!" Duke's voice was cheerful as ever, tone masterfully crafted over years of being a businessman.

Nicole, taking small steps inside the ornate and now full of items room, greeted him with uncharacteristic giddiness.

"Duke! How's business?"

"Same as always, I'll be heading to Beneviento later tonight to deliver some tools for her," he took a long drag of his cigar and, noticing green eyes scanning over multiple items and said, "I also have your order."

With a childish grin on her face, she approached him, hands shuffling inside the small bag attached to her belt that all staff members had. She pulled out the money owed for her package and, in return, the Duke placed a decently sized box in her arms. With an oof she shifted it in a less precarious position, it's heavy contents seeming to plot against her small frame.

"Unfortunately I can't stay, duty calls. But thank you Duke."

"No worries, I do understand that your employers can be quite," he took another drag of his cigar, looking for the right word. "...demanding"

Nicole chuckled. That was one way to put it.

"Well until next time dear. Or if you find yourself in need of something else, I'll be here until six."

---

She was only wearing a long white towel when she heard a knock on the door. Assuming it was another maid, or even Anita inquiring about whether or not she'd be joining the rest of them for dinner, she opened the door just a crack.

It was a surprise to see none other than Cassandra standing there, her elegant frame in odd contrast with the modest corridor. She flung the door open, letting the brunette inside and took a quick glance down the hall, making sure no maid was on the floor after fainting due to fright.

"What are you doing here?"

"Aw, are you not happy to see me?" She was pouting, but her tone was joking.

Nicole rolled her eyes, but the small smile on her lips betrayed that she was indeed happy to see her. Cassandra only laughed instead, a beautiful melodious laugh, so unlike the dark cackles heard by prisoners down in the dungeons.

"Just sit down, I need to get dressed," Nicole pointed to the bed before moving to the small dresser and pulling out a clean uniform.

Cassandra went to sit on the slightly disheveled bed, eyes following the redhead's form as she let the towel drop to her feet and started to put on the various layers of her uniform. Then golden eyes darted to the box sitting on the bed. The tape sealing it had been cut not long after Nicole brought it back to her room to make sure all its contents made it safely. Not that she didn't trust the Duke, but postal service was postal service.

"What's this?" Cassandra inquired, trying to read the label but having no success as it had been scribbled over with a marker.

Nicole stilled for a moment, hands frozen on her white button up. She cleared her throat and shyly admitted:

"Actually that's for you. Do open it if you want."

Cassandra's eyes widened, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. The gesture had really caught her off guard. She gingerly lifted the lid, inspecting it's contents for a moment and then hummed.

"And here I was thinking you like my hair. With how much you love to pull on it and all that."

Nicole, now fully clothed and sporting a deep blush, marched to her and plucked the two boxes of red hair dye from gloved hands. She placed them on her nightstand and, with her voice just slightly more high pitched, she turned to the brunette.

"Those are mine, I meant the rest of it." And, after a chuckle, "I mean have you seen my roots? They're horrible!"

Cassandra only gave her a deadpan look and, after a long moment, said: "I think your hair is beautiful."

She didn't wait for a reply, not that it would be anything more than a stammered mumble of course. Instead she chuckled and returned her attention to the box. She examined the rest of its contents and then gingerly lifted one of the few tomes inside. The cover was glossy and malleable, it's pages shiny and with a distinct typography smell to it. It was so unlike her other books, it's pristine white state making it feel extremely out of place in the castle. She glanced at Nicole inquisitively.

"I do appreciate the gift, don't misunderstand me, but surely you know there's a small bookshop's worth of medical books in this castle."

"With all due respect, from what I've seen most of them are at least somewhat outdated. Interesting, yes, but I thought you'd like to learn something more...modern." Then she pulled out another book. "This is the same one I used while studying forensic pathology. It would make teaching you some things easier. Uh… assuming you want that."

Nicole averted her gaze, suddenly unsure of the usefulness of her gift. Cassandra however grabbed her chin between two fingers and pulled her gaze back on her. She smiled, finding the shy demeanor beyond endearing.

"I'd love that."

A small smile appeared on thin lips and Nicole leaned in to kiss Cassandra. It was soft and short, but no less intimate than the deep kisses they shared so many times in Cassandra's bed.

They had to go anyway.

---

Let's go to the library, Cassandra said. It'll be empty, she said.

When Cassandra swung open the intricate door, only to find the other two sisters lounging on one of the couches, it's not like they could do a one eighty and leave the room. That would've been both impolite and highly suspicious.

Instead, Cassandra grabbed her arm protectively and led them to the reading spot farthest from the other two. They placed one of the textbooks on the small desk and Cassandra took out a notebook. This would've been a lot more fruitful with an actual body on hand, but there were still a couple days until the human flesh supply had to be replenished and Cassandra was beyond eager to start on some things. So, for now, they had to settle for theory alone.

It took all of five minutes for the other two sisters to make their way to their desk. Daniela had a giddy yet curious expression on her face, while Bela seemed as unreadable as ever, if not for a glint in her eyes that betrayed her interest.

"Whatcha dooooing?" Came Daniela's voice, who cocked her head not unlike a curious puppy would while looking at the book's contents.

"Working," Cassandra replied, a slight growl accompanying her words.

"Could've fooled me," Bela spoke from behind the youngest sister, eyeing the hand protectively placed on Nicole's waist.

Cassandra snapped her eyes at the blonde, looking ready to throw her notebook at her head but Bela ignored her sister's ire and addressed Nicole instead.

"What are you studying?"

"I uh- just some basic anatomy concepts. Thought it would be a good idea to start with the things that the older books in the castle don't cover."

Bela only hummed, grabbed an ornate chair nearby, and plopped herself at the desk, opposite from the pair. Daniela mimicked her sister, but instead chose to sit down right by Nicole on the small couch. It took more willpower than she would admit not to glue herself to Cassandra's side when Daniela's face came uncomfortably close so she could look over the book's diagrams. She stood still as a statue though. After a couple seconds of silence and Nicole trying to figure out what she was supposed to do, Daniela drew her head back, looking at her with what was possibly the most serious expression she had seen on the youngest sister.

"You do realize we're not going to hurt you right? How could we lay a finger on our dear sister's lover hmm?"

Nicole's breath caught in her throat. She wasn't sure if it was due to the word used to describe her or how Daniela apparently knew that she was utterly terrified of her. Cassandra sighed beside her and, seeming to at least partially read Nicole's thoughts, clarified:

"Your heartbeat."

Oh. Yeah. Yeah her heart was beating a million miles an hour. And apparently the other three vampiric occupants of the room were able to hear it loud and clear. It did very little to ease her mind.

"Please do calm down, it feels like someone is having drumming lessons. Bad ones," Bela complained, head resting in one of her hands like she was already bored.

"Then shove a sock in your ears," Cassandra snapped.

Bela simply leaned back in her seat and stretched her arms above her head. "And risk not hearing my beloved sisters sing along to some pop song?"

Cassandra shut her mouth, a blush now slowly spreading across her cheeks while Daniela burst out into laughter. Even Nicole couldn't help betraying the brunette and letting out a giggle.

"I didn't know you could sing."

"I can't."

"Au contraire dear Cassie! Should I remind you of the last time Dragostea din tei came on the radio? The pathos!" Daniela reached over Nicole's lap to lightly shake her sister's knee through her giggles.

Cassandra only let out a long groan, face now hidden in her palms. "I hate you both."

"Mhm, we love you too," came Bela's reply, accompanied by a chuckle.

Nicole couldn't keep a small laugh while she snaked her arm behind the brunette to show some form of support against the merciless assailants. Maybe not a complete betrayal.

The scene really had something deep within her heart aching beautifully. It reminded her of the countless times she and Alex would mercilessly tease each other, but still have each other's backs through thick and thin. And for this familiarity to come from people that any sane person would consider bloodthirsty monsters? Hell, maybe they should start considering her a monster too, for the only word she could use to describe them in that moment was endearing.

"So," Bela lightly clapped her gloved hands. "Now that your pulse isn't giving me a headache anymore, what are we doing?"

She had a confident smirk on her face, but her eyes betrayed curiosity. Same for Daniela and, although mixed with a hint of annoyance, Cassandra. She opened the book in front of her, one of general human anatomy, and decided that the digestive system would be a good enough starting point.

---

Their little impromptu lesson didn't last more than two hours. Two hours that proved to Nicole just how oddly human all three sisters can be. Of course she had gotten familiar with Cassandra, intimately so, but the other two still felt like two looming monsters hiding in the shadows. At least up until now.

Bela seemed oddly intrigued by Nicole's explanation, although unlike Cassandra, she seemed to view it more like a story than anything. Daniela seemed slightly more interested, asking questions here and there and even starting to giggle like a middle schooler when they got to the rectum section. That got an eye roll from the other two. Nicole just laughed, finally understanding Mrs Hawkins, her private biology teacher from before she was allowed to step foot in any public school.

After they were done, Bela simply stood up and bid them good night. Danila instead excitedly proposed the skeletal system for next time and picked up the books she abandoned earlier. Then, with a small tower of tomes she went through a door tucked at the very back of the room. Her study, Cassandra had pointed out as they made their way out of the library.

"I didn't know your sisters were interested in medicine too." Nicole kept her voice low, almost as if talking too loudly would disturb the shadowy hallways.

"More or less. Daniela likes it and has a bit of hands-on practice but she has her nose in romance novels more often than not. Bela finds it interesting but botany is what she really loves. That and classic lit." She added the last part with a grimace and Nicole had to wonder which author had offended her personally.

Before she could continue that train of thought though, her gaze moved to the windows, the cloudless sky beyond thick glass panels full of twinkling stars. Her mind kept going back to a few hours earlier and at what Daniela had said. Lover. Did Cassandra truly see her as one or was the youngest sister just being her over the top self. Did she see Cassandra this way? Nicole had not allowed herself to dwell on that up until now, the idea that the brunette saw her as more than an over glorified lab partner with whom she occasionally scratched an itch seemed almost laughable. But the small gestures of affection shown in ways Cassandra seemed to know best were undeniably there. And the familiar flutter in her chest at each of said gestures was also undeniably there.

"What's wrong?"

Cassandra's voice, accompanied by the slight echo through the empty hallway, snapped Nicole out of her thoughts.

"Oh um- nothing." She sounded as convincing as someone trying to sell you a fork while showing you a spoon.

And Cassandra didn't seem to buy it. She moved in front of the redhead, walking backwards with no concern over possible furniture to collide into along the way.

"You always get this… face when something's bothering you."

"I do not-" the indignation in her tone was weak, little more than an attempt to change the subject.

"Mhmm you do. You normally look focused. Kind of like, if someone tried to scare you by throwing an eyeball at you, you'd laugh." She would. "Now? Now you look like a rabbit that has no time to run and is just laying low hoping whatever's hunting it passes by."

Nicole shut up for a moment, only looking at the brunette in front of her incredulously. Maybe she was far more attentive than she gave her credit for.

"Uh. Just thinking." At a raised dark eyebrow, the no shit went unsaid, so Nicole tried to elaborate. "About earlier. When we were with your sisters and Daniela uh- Daniela called me your lover."

Saying that the words felt awkward on her tongue was close to the year's biggest understatement. It felt like pulling out teeth would be an easier task. Nicole had never been good with her words, having learned since childhood to keep her mouth shut. But the fact that Cassandra seemed to share her struggle brought some semblance of comfort.

"And?" As if they were talking about the weather.

"And… was she right in describing me as such?"

She couldn't help a small gulp when the brunette stopped walking, looking at her with a frown. Any sane person would be at the very least somewhat afraid in this situation. Sanity however was scarce these days as Nicole was afraid, though not of the bodily harm that may come from her inquiry, but rather of Cassandra's answer.

"Nicole, your tongue has been in my mouth." Amongst many other places.

The redhead's cheeks turned a slight shade of crimson and she mumbled for an answer. She wasn't sure how to tell her that sleeping together did not automatically make them lovers. But then again, Cassandra's thoughts remained a mystery more than anything.

Thankfully the brunette took the metaphorical reins of the conversation and stepped forward. She wrapped her hands around Nicole's arms, gentler than one would imagine possible from her, and bent down to whisper no more than an inch away from her ear.

"I'll have you know, I'm not particularly fond of letting anyone I don't deem important touch me. Especially not the way you do."

The words made something flutter in Nicole's chest, an unfamiliar and comforting warmth. Said warmth got chipped away at the slightest bit when Cassandra pulled back to look her in the eyes.

"Should I take it that it's not mutual then?" Cassandra's tone was nonchalant, almost as if she didn't truly care about the answer. She could keep doing whatever she wanted either way, afterall who was going to stop her? But to someone who got familiar with all her small quirks and habits, the waver in her voice was more than clear.

"No." The world slipped from her lips with no hesitation.

No hesitation, because the more she thought about it, and she didn't need to think a lot mind you, the more Nicole realized that she couldn't remember a time when she felt the way she did here. Sure the initial threat of death looming over her head was anything but pleasant, but once that melted into affection and nights spent in Cassandra's arms the thought of leaving didn't as much as graze her mind.

"No, no. It is," she repeated, more certainty making its way into her tone.

At that Cassandra smiled. A small, almost shy one would say if they knew her well enough, smile. Her shoulders seemed to lose some of their tension when she leaned down again, her lips stopping not even an inch away. Nicole wasted no time leaning forward, their mouths meeting in a kiss that mixed softness and need beautifully. Their lips slid against each other until, surprisingly, it was Cassandra to pull back and sigh.

"Come sleep, we have some cutting up to do in the morning."

Nicole frowned. "Tomorrow? Wasn't that supposed to be due in a few days?"

A devilish grin appeared on black lips, fangs shimmering ominously in the low light. "Bela caught a foolish man-thing sneaking around the forest on the castle grounds. She's really excited to turn this one into a nice steak."

The redhead only let out an oh in acknowledgement. Foolish indeed. At least they could finally put into practice a few autopsy tricks Nicole had been itching to show her.

She let herself be guided back to Cassandra's chambers and into her bed, that she had grown intimately familiar with. The last thing she felt before falling asleep was the brunette's cool skin, pressed against her own. A welcomed comfort among the myriad of soft pillows that surrounded them. Nicole wondered briefly if being undead meant it was hard to keep yourself warm, but the thought quickly slipped away as she fell into a dreamless sleep.

#cassandra dimitrescu x maiden #unhinged maiden™ my beloved #bela dimitrescu #daniela dimitrescu #double edged scalpel #fanfic #the dimitrescu daughters

[cr4yolaas]

— ghosting // timeskip ! ushijima x gn ! reader

.synopsis ;; ushijima doesn't believe in ghosts. he thinks they're a childish concept, a mere joke to poke fun at. he starts finally starts believing in them once you begin to haunt him every second.

.tw / cw ;; death , car accident mention , grief over a passed person , falling out of love / relationship falling apart , haikyuu manga spoilers

.a / n ;; wails i had 2 repost this bc the formatting wasnt right </333 . uhm n e ways i rec listening to ghosting by mother mother while reading :)

THE BED was cold again, contrast to the rays of summer heat that spilled onto your face, sunlit dust seeping in through the window curtains. your arm lay sprawled across the empty spot beside you.

ushijima slowly fell into a schedule of leaving early in the mornings, long before you awoke yourself, leaving you by yourself for the rest of the day until he returned in the later hours of the night. concern plagued your pretty little skull, infinite questions looping in your thoughts — such as how much sleep he was getting, if he was eating all of his daily meals, if he was taking care of himself properly.

or if he was noticing the growing distance between you two.

the imagery of his eyes that spilled with honey and the locks of brown hair that your fingers could sift through easily was beginning to slip from your head.

just who was ushijima wakatoshi?

it terrified you, the idea that the familiarity you once had with him was just barely there. his name no longer dripped from your tongue gracefully, no, you could feel your lips burn with every syllable. it made you ache, rotten wildflowers sprouting in your cracked ribcage the more you pondered over it. racing thoughts riddled your bones, fingertips picking at your lips as anxiety sunk into your flesh, and you could not help but overthink how close your truly were to him, how much you knew him, how much you remembered him.

you were once so foolishly confident that you knew him like the back of your hand. and that was the very thing that destroyed you.

the morning carried on as per usual, the apartment barren, lacking the figure you once admired oh so much. you stood at the kitchen, staring into the frozen depths of the fridge for god knows how long. the glass shelves were nearly empty once more.

a heavy groan escaped your chapped lips as you slammed the doors of the fridge shut.

routine.

a routine that had burned a sickening pit in your stomach, one that you despised with every fiber of your being but could not help but get accustomed to.

the plastic bottle sat at the gap between his lips, shallow breaths dripping from his tongue as he sat at the metal benches. practice had been exhausting, and that had been made clear with the way ushijima was drowning in sweat and the collective gulps as the team downed their water. the olive - haired man wanted nothing more than to return home and sink into the comfort of the bed and rest for once.

but he couldn't do that.

because you were right there.

the cheery voice from beside him strung him out of his thoughts, the question that fell from his teammate’s mouth making his skin go stiff.

“ how’re you and (y/n)? ”

a thin line formed on ushijima’s face as he considered his answer.

“ we’re good. ”

the lie slipped so easily through his teeth. he watched as the other hummed in response before turning away to speak with another person.

ushijima found himself growing tired. of what exactly, he didn’t know. the little red pin pointing at his answer sprawled about, spinning on the possibilities for what felt like forever. he could’ve been tired of the way you pampered him, or the way you spoke, or the way you smiled.

or he could've been tired of you as a whole.

the male shook his head as a ( rather stupid ) attempt at getting rid of the thoughts that plagued his skull.

you dropped your phone to your side as you heard the front door to the apartment click open, the familiar rattle of keys ringing in your ears. you lay there on the bed, suddenly feeling cold despite the thick blanket atop you, eyes burning holes into the ceiling. “ i’m home, ” called out the deep voice that felt so so distant. soft footsteps pattered against the floorboards, your form still as you waited.

and waited.

and waited.

a few seconds turned into five minutes, five minutes into thirty. you could feel your hands twitch under the fabric, legs urging you to get up for your own curiosity but alas, you stayed stuck to the bed, limbs hidden under the comfort of the blanket.

the soft wisps of afternoon bleeding through the window melted into charcoal hues. both anxiety and anticipation itched inside of you, stomach churning as you finally left the bed, the blanket hanging off of your shoulders.

there he lay, sprawled across the gray cushions, overwhelming sweat making his team jersey stick to his skin. you couldn’t help but feel jealous, envious of how peaceful he looked as he dissolved into the couch. you contemplated waking him up, telling him to rest at the bed instead so he had something softer to rest his aching bones.

but you couldn't.

for you knew you would only be gifted with the disgustingly cold spot beside you in the morning. and you didn’t want to face that once more.

and so, you retreated to the loneliness of the bedroom, leaving your lover ( ? ) to rest by himself. your chest ached as you quietly walked down the hallway, fingers grasping tightly at the edges of the blanket that adorned your shoulders, figure collapsing into the mattress and drifting off into a world of slumber.

this time, it was ushijima that woke up by himself.

his neck was sore as he lifted himself up from the couch, vision still a bit blurry. he stood in the doorway to the bedroom he once shared with you, the bed lacking you. an unfamiliar twist formed in his guts. the man furrowed his brows as he lifted up the neatly made blankets only to find it empty.

he didn't want to say he was nervous.

a slow breath left his lips as he ventured off into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

however, the moment he stepped in, closed himself in that tiled room, the mirror staring right back at him, the thoughts he once washed away returned to him, engulfed his being whole and drowned him in crashing syllables that he would’ve never guessed were his own.

the little cup that held both of your toothbrushes was still in its spot, the small towel you had delicately placed on the side of the sink remained, the cabinets still stuffed with different products. nothing changed.

so why did he feel as if the room was suffocating him?

you weren’t there, no, you weren’t anywhere near him, and yet, at the same time, you were everywhere around him. your presence became so dreadful, so sickening, leaving a bitter taste on his tongue.

he did not need you anymore.

and this time, he was not afraid to admit it. to who, he did not know yet. but hopefully to you.

the phone felt so small in his palms as he dialed your number for the umpteenth time, his hand nearly going numb from the vibrations as he called repeatedly, only to be left with no response. ushijima’s head pounded with passing time, his leg bouncing up and down while he sat down on the couch.

after what might’ve been the twentieth call, the man sat back and groaned, throwing his phone to the spot behind him as he squeezed his eyes shut. slight irritation molded into bubbling anxiety, his breaths rhythmic yet uneven as he tried to steady himself.

eventually, he felt small vibrations at his side, his ringtone echoing in the room. he quickly picked up his phone only to find a number that wasn’t yours written at the top of the screen. hesitantly, he answered the call, lifting the device to his ear to listen to whatever the caller had to say.

“ hello? this is um- ushijima... wakatoshi, right? ”

the voice wasn’t yours. “ yes. who are you and why- ”

“ (y/n) is in the hospital right now, are you able to come over? ”

the saline - coated walls danced around him as he sat outside your room, face uncomfortably blank. he could hear the rushed murmurs of the nurses through the walls, the sound scratching at his ears, a frown pulling at his lips.

he was concerned, yes. but not enough.

clock ticks grasped at his skin as he waited for, seemingly, an eternity. quiet voices dissolved into nothing, only the occasional clicks or soft rings of metal audible.

ushijima pulled himself up the moment one of the nurses emerged from the room. he noticed the way their knuckles were white from the tight grip on the clipboard in their hands, the grimace on their features more than obvious.

a shake of the head.

ushijima wakatoshi was left by himself quicker than he had hoped.

the apartment was far more empty than he had expected.

devoid of the emotion you poured into it, of the smallest bit of warmth you gave off, of you.

he stood in the dark, the tidbits of moonlight peeking through the curtains illuminating his worn face and the eyebags that it adorned.

he wasn’t sure if he was to be sorrowful or angry or pleased. all he knew is that you were gone, too soon.

the man found himself cascading towards the floor, knees hitting the wood below him as he came to terms with the fact that he wasn’t ready for it, wasn’t ready to let you go — the same way you weren’t ready for the car that raced towards you, the very car that took you away.

ushijima walked around the apartment for the last time that day, stopping at the bedroom to soak in just how neat it was. the bed that you had once buried yourself in was made perfectly, despite your rants before about how you were too lazy to fix up the sheets, to which you’d leave your past lover to do it himself.

he couldn’t breathe within the walls of what he previously called home, no, you filled up too much space, your absence only making you more and more present in the apartment. whether he’d be brushing his teeth or preparing lunch or going to bed, you were always there, always staring, always watching.

always haunting.

he made the final decision to move out.

his bags were already packed, the thought that his being only amounted to a single large suitcase nearly making him laugh.

the moment he stepped out the doors, he was so sure that he’d be freed, that you’d be dusted off his shoulder once and for all.

but you were still there, clinging onto him even as he got into the taxi, even at the train station where he was preparing to head to his hometown, even when he sat in the bustling train.

he knew he was never ready for you to leave.

#ouchies #haikyuu #haikyuu!! #hq #haikyuu oneshot #hq oneshot #haikyuu fanfiction #hq fanfic #haikyuu angst #hq angst #haikyuu ushiwaka #haikyuu ushijima #hq ushijima #hq ushiwaka #ushijima haikyuu #ushijima hq #ushijima angst #ushijima oneshot #ushijima x you #ushijima x reader #ushijima x y/n #wakatoshi ushijima #ushijima wakatoshi #ushiwaka #ushijima imagine #ushijima #hq wakatoshi #haikyuu wakatoshi #wakatoshi x reader #wakatoshi x you

[rosiehufflepuff]

Headcanon : Hufflepuff -fem - and Slytherin(or DRACO ) go to book fair in muggle world

Hufflepuff ran to Slytherin in excitement almost tripping over million of stuff -SLYTHERIN!!!!!!!!!-

Slytherin almost having a heart attack watching Hufflepuff running to him -DUMMY U ALMOST BROKE EACH PART OF UR BODY NOW!!-

Hufflepuff shoves a poster in the boy face. Explaining how she got  it from her half blood friend however as soon as he saw it , the expression changed to disgust in a sec - …….muggle …….stuff?- -NOOO IT ISNT ANY MUGGLE STUFF ! IT IS BOOK FAIR!!-

Hufflepuff kept whining to Slytherin about how it is amazing !! And how they need to go !! Cuz all the book they dreamt of , was there !!!

- Hufflepuff ….you wanna me to go , wait In line …. and rub elbows with muggles …?!! Aho .. UNFORTUNATE.....I DONT DO THAT !!- waving Hufflepuff away as he talked with full disbelieve 

Frowning at Slytherin who was admiring his thousands something Galleons rings in his fingers , she gets hit by idea !! grinning as Cheshire , she opens her mouth with the most wicked thing that can hit her fav Slytherin - oooookay as you wanna ….I’m going to ask Gryffindor to come I’m confident that he would love it soooooo much -

Knowing the impact of the word “ Gryffindor “ on the boy , she speaks it out as his blood boils and his eyes shot up large , NAH UH !!! NO WAY HE IS HANDING HER , ON  A BLOODY GOLD PLATTER TO THIS ANNOYING “STAR KID “ !!!! 

-NO I CHANGED MY MIND !!! - smiling cheerfully more than she should be , she learned that her fav Slytherin wouldn’t take the concept of Gryffindor replacing him , now with determination asking about everything , they settled about “ the mudblood event “, according to the dramatic boy words .

The next day they go to their meeting area ( where no Slytherin can see cuz “ the status “ ) , as Huff reaches ,she drop her jaw at the Slytherin , she can’t help but stare at his attire

-are you done staring? - Slytherin couldn't help but  rub his face in attempts in  trying to cover his blush at her gaping -what the hell…… are you wearing ….? - the Slytherin blinks at Hufflepuff , what kind of concern is that ???  - uhhhh…..clothes ??-  

as cunning as Slytherin can be , he is not reading between the lines as the girly hoped so -ummm but it is just a book fair …that is kind of fancy... Don't you think?? -

Slytherin couldn't help but roll his eyes hard, that he swears to merlin !!! that he almost saw his brain at the word “ fancy “ , him going to the muggle world doesn’t mean he need to look unpresentable !!!

 He sigh as he explains to Hufflepuff how that is not fancy and that is ordinary

Hufflepuff blinks non stop looking at the definition of a “ ordinary look”  of the boy in front of her, then she shifts her eyes at herself and her very casual outfit

-we look as odd as night and day …- Hufflepuff whispers to herself however the words didn't pass the strong ear of the boy in front of her  , leading to sharp scowl at the words ..........at how she thinks of them with this huge contrast , he despises that !! “-are we going or not - by this words , Hufflepuff and Slytherin go to the Muggle world .

As both are waiting in line , million of adoring eyes is staring very hard and non stop at the wealthy blonde boy in full black , all this happening next to our Hufflepuff , she couldn't help but think  -wow I feel like  I’m standing next a celebrity .....the whole realm is staring ...- as she took a fast glimpse to the icy Slytherin next to her - i feel like a standing mosquito next to a butterfly ............ or would it be Scorpio though ..............GAH!! still TT -

 Hufflepuff couldn’t help but think of that ! ....merlin … she swears she saw people are flushing red just by looking at the Slytherin!!

Slytherin was getting so fed up with these gazes by the minute passing, no matter how much he bloody glared , they didn't stop , in the very unlikeness , they seemed to like it !!!  what is wrong with these mudbloods!!!  

.........but he kind of liked the attention…… he wont admit it tho... but still it was his time with Hufflepuff !! FUCK OFF !!

As they enter finally….. to Slytherin knees ……they almost fell off…. …. the warm female grabs his hand saying she doesn't wanna lose him in the mid of the moving crowd, very oblivious to the effect that she has on his heart doing “all odd stuff “ according to him, he has to visit a healer about that issue ….

Hufflepuff can’t stop running around the store going all wild and jumpy about all the books she is seeing from continuing of books either her or Slytherin has or new one she heard about -SLY DID YOU SEE THAT !! -SLY U NEED TO CHECK THIS !!”

on the other hand sly was just keeping eye on her while checking slowly the shelves himself , giving her a hum from time to time , as he tries to find anything he likes  .

finding a book with weird cover , he starts to run his gazes through the first pages of his new found treasure , knowing that he got at least something from this mud blood world ,  his eyes look up for his Hufflepuff .

-Hufflepuff I’m getting this book - as he searches with his gaze range , his intense eyes couldn't find a trace of her , almost giving him a minor panic attack , he calls for her again .

panic and anger at himself taking over , He storms to the nearest worker and grab them by arm giving them a glare with venom dripping with each word -look here I had a girl with me and she is gone ! ........I swear if you didn’t find her I’m going to show you what a bloody nightmare really Is .......that you wish you were-“

 before continuing the venom , Hufflepuff warm voice cut Slytherin icy tone , and also probably saving the worker from getting a scare or hexed .

Slytherin turns to Hufflepuff as he calms down his panic ,however his emotions of being upset speak up in form of -where were ya ?!!” with a sigh , the girl in yellow  explains that she told  him that she is going to bathroom but it seems that he didn’t hear , 

her eyes moves to the worker that is being held as prisoner by the Slytherin , you request him to leave the poor worker arm as people started to group up to attend the drama  ,  giving the best Hufflepuff smile she can, apologizing to the worker saying that her friend wasn’t used to going out much , excusing herself as she dragged the Slytherin to corner in the dark till the heat of the mummers go off

-why are you apologizing!! You did nothing wrong !!- -SHHH-

after some time of both sitting in the corner and calming Slytherin anxiety , both went to collect the the chosen books and as they are walking out

-see I came and behaved too , now u will read me the book I chose !! - Slytherin teases Hufflepuff as she rolls her eyes - yeah except you almost gave a heart attack to poor Muggle ! You will read it yourself !!- as she walk before the Slytherin sulking behind

——————

HIIIIIII!! So this my first time ever doing something like that !! I could not decide on draco x hufflepuff or slytherin x hufflepuff!!so both I guess ?!

#draco malfoy x hufflepuff reader #draco x hufflepuff!reader #slytherin x hufflepuff #harry potter #draco x you #draco fanfiction #draco malfoy #hufflepuff aesthetic #huffleproud #hogwart houses #hogwarts #slytherin aesthetic #sorting ceremony #slytherpuff #hufflerin #ravenclaw #gryffindor #huffpost personal #hufflepuff #slytherin #slytherpride #draco fuckingmalfoy

[jaythelittlegay]

Photographer Megumi x Model Yuji AU

➳ CAPTURED HEART

Click, click, click.

"Alright, these seem pretty decent. You can take a break while I go through the pictures." Megumi informed the peachy haired model as he lazily made his way to the laptop, loosely gripping the camera from its sling strap as it slightly shook with each step blue eyed took.

"Thank you for your hard work, Megumi!" Yuji smiled at the photographer, his loud but cheerful voice echoing in the empty studio.

"Yeah, it's my job after all." Megumi reminded while he connected his camera to the laptop before he continued talking dryly, pressing his lips to a thin line to suppress the forming smile. "We still have photoshoot to do, so please make sure to be here within 45 minutes."

"Don't worry! I got this~" Yuji laughed, leaving the studio to get some food suitable for his diet.

He didn't really do dieting quite often since he worked out ever day to keep his body shape; but, this time was an exception, due to the criticism he received after the hiatus he had taken. Yuji was hurt by the comments he saw, but knowing that famous people had no time to relax from society's eyes, he shrugged it off. He didn't hide a lot from media as well; he was indeed one of the most honest and genuine models you could see. He had tons of articles about rescuing or helping people, another reason his popularity heightened. Which is why Megumi was take aback when he first saw Yuji, as he thought the model would drop the nice and polite act.

Megumi chose the pictures he liked, moving them to another folder to discuss it with the model once he came back. Megumi truly felt weird about the model: he actually had never taken pictures of models.

The young professional photographer was known for his photobooks consisting of unique and creative scenery, contemporary works as well as each of them had different concepts, usually related to feelings. He had gotten job requests from models all around the world only to reject them all that he didn't do portraits nor any photoshoot related to humans.

Models would fake the emotions Megumi wanted to portray in his photobook and he detested the idea of having an artificial expressions in his works. Until, Yuji had contacted him. He was going to reject him once he saw the email with Yuji's portfolio attached to it. He didn't even want to check the portfolio however the caramel eyed boy's email had caught him off guard. He apparently was a big fan of Megumi. He had asked whether it would be alright to, at least, watch Megumi work even if the photographer refused to work with him. Megumi got curious of the boy and the moment he checked his portfolio, he was stunned. For the first time, he found someone who could reflect the emotions. Those poses and expressions...just a touch away. Megumi could feel what Yuji did. The boy was a pure artwork in the photographer's eyes, although, he refused to say it out loud.

After their first photoshoot was published and got a lot of attention from the public, Megumi lost his interest in photography. It was confusing and weird. He couldn't create emotions through sceneries anymore; he felt useless as though everything had lost meaning. Yuji on the other hand would always contact him like a friend and blabber about random topics comfortably with him. It almost felt like one sided talk he was having with Megumi but both of them were fine with that. Unadmitted, Megumi enjoyed his company. His stories were intriguing for the latter. However, the lack of motivation in Megumi wasn't unnoticed. Yuji was so concerned about Megumi that he canceled the show he had and visited the sleep deprived Megumi, He forced the words out of Megumi's mouth, he had already created a soft spot in Megumi.

"You have to open up so we can find the cause, Fushiguro!"

"There's nothing to talk about, really." Megumi sighed, feeling guilty once he saw the concern filling Yuji's eyes.

"Are you sure? Are you being honest with me, right now?" Megumi stayed silent, not daring to stare at him. Yuji gripped his hands and pulled him closer, lifting his head by his chin with the other hand.

"Don't hide anything; your face is saying it all." The photographer felt his cheeks heating up as Yuji stared only and only at his deep ocean eyes and caressing his cheek.

"I'm sorry...I just can't find...any motivation to work. That's the problem." Megumi blurted, defeated by the puppy look Yuji f=gave him. Indeed Yuji already knew his place in Megumi's life.

"Hmm...must be hard on you...but don't you worry! I have an idea!" Yuji offered to model for him in order to find what was causing his distress.

Megumi's mood lightened up the moment they started the shooting. He was having fun taking his pictures, as Yuji radiated happiness through his angelic smile plastered on his face. Yuji was really talented with helping people; he was just like a medicine. He wasn't the smartest but his ideas always had a solution underneath them. Or maybe Megumi was exaggerating it. Either way his impact was really big on Megumi and people around him. A trait to be jealous of; not something Megumi wanted on himself but wanted Yuji to be al cheery next to him. He found it quite ridiculous but he couldn't hide the thought from his actions.

"You seem pretty happy and motivated to me!" Yuji laughed, looking through the pictures with Megumi.

"It's because you are with me, dummy." Megumi scoffed and slightly pushed Yuji.

Realizing Yuji was the only thing he wanted to capture with his precious camera, he only worked with him to a degree he released several photobooks which only included Yuji's pictures. Their bonds growing tighter and closer, Megumi felt as though he was incomplete without the model in his life.

"I think this picture looks good! What do you think?" Yuji exclaimed, pointing at a picture where his lips are curved upwards more than usual, shining like a sun.

"No." Megumi frowned, moving the picture to another folder.

"Eh?! Why?" Yuji asked, confused.

"Because I don't want to share how you shine when you smile with others. This is mine." Megumi proudly said, forgetting about who was next to him.

"Err, I mean y-you don't look...good here...haha..." Megumi raised his voice as he realized what he had said but it was too late to erase the smug smirk plastered on the model's face.

"Well, I'm all yours." Yuji open his arms, as if proving his own point before embracing Megumi, refusing to let go but the photographer didn't protest, instead, he came closer and hugged him back.

They never confessed any feelings, just to keep whatever relationship they had, scared of being rejected or maybe they were already aware of what was going on.

Megumi and Yuji would visit each other frequently, meeting in either of their houses, Megumi bringing him lunch during his breaks, partying and going on dates without admitting it was a date; otherwise why would you buy flowers for a friend?

Megumi smiled at the memories flooding at the back of his head as he sighed, checking the time; Yuji was, again, late. Megumi tilted his head once he heard the door being unlocked. He sighed and stood up, approaching the door.

"It's been an hour and a half. Any excuses?" Megumi sternly said, trying to hide his smile as he waited for another adventure that happen while Yuji was on his way. He would always find a person to help and prioritize it more than his actual job. He would totally forget about it and if his manager got mad at him he would defend himself by saying 'They needed my help.'

"Well...not really, hehe sorry." Yuji awkwardly chuckled, scratching the back of his head with his right hand and hiding the left behind his body.

"What was it this time, then?" Megumi watched the boy push him inside and kick the door shut as he moved closer to him.

"It's your birthday, Megumi." Yuji smiled at the photographer who had forgotten about it. Yuji handed Megumi the blue roses and wrapped the blue yang necklace around Megumi's neck as Yuji was already wearing the yin on his own neck. He continued:

"Aside from giving you a gift and eating a cake, how about I take you on an actual date to make us official?" Yuji pulled frozen photographer closer to himself by the waist, locking lips. He held him firmly yet so gentle as if he was scared to break the latter. Megumi wrapped his hands around Yuji's neck and kissed him back, tears of joy staining his porcelain face. Megumi opened his mouth giving enough space for the model to get in. Yuji couldn't get enough of the soft cloudy lips biting his, leaving traces of pleasure. Time lost its meaning for them, they were unable to see anything but themselves. Nothing mattered if they could be together in this world. But, they had to break their affectionate kiss once they were both out of breath.

"Sure, why not?" Megumi laughed, accepting the offer as he hugged Yuji one more time.

posted this on ao3 but also wanted to share it here! enjoy :)

#jujtsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen megumi #megumi fushiguro #yuji #jjk megumi #jjk anime #itadori yuuji #itafushi #jujutsu kaisen fanfic #jujutsu kaisen drabbles #jujutsu kaisen imagines #itadori x fushiguro #itadori yuji x fushiguro megumi #jujutsu kaisen au #jjk au #jjkdaily

[its-sixxers]

A Show

Delphine suspects the Thalmor are close to discovering what little remains of the Blades, and with the help of the Archmage both Tandreth and Idunn obtain invitations to the Thalmor Embassy. They’re tasked to obtain any intelligence they can find, but as ever things run out of their control - this time, however, not in the way they expect...

(Tumblr doesn’t do ratings but would call this a tentative 18+. Sorry kiddos.)

"You've killed over a dozen dragons, and shoes are what you faint at."

Proudspire Manor's usually chilly interior seemed hotter than ever, Idunn's cheeks flushed and nerves rattled. Tandreth stared at her with a raised brow, his attention directed at her feet and the heeled silk shoes upon them. He wore a plainer pair with an even higher incline (to show her it could be done, he said) and had watched her pace around the room like a newborn foal for the past half hour to no improvement.

Idunn had felt despair and shame - at all of it, not just the shoes. The dress she wore was far too fine, too pretty for someone like her. She felt ridiculous and out of place, and the task that lay before her was something that was so out of her realm of expertise she had to place all of her trust in Tandreth. It was enough to make her want to throw up, but her frustration was such that she couldn't explain it to him. Instead she had collapsed onto a nearby bench and let her head fall into her hands.

The wood next to her creaked as Tandreth sat next to her. "It's alright," he reassured her. "I can link arms with you and let you lean on me if you’re still having trouble.” A pause, then; “If you don't mind, of course." Taking a breath, he arched over to try and get a peek at her face behind her fingers. "You're certain you want to come with me?"

"Yes." Idunn replied quickly, lifting her face from her palms to look at his reassuring expression. Letting Tandreth walk into the lion's den on his own terrified her more than any mockery that could be levelled her way - she knew he was more than capable of slipping around unseen, but the concept of what would happen if something went wrong terrified her more than she was willing to admit. The reminder of the alternative soothed her wounded pride. She'd suffer being a freak, a joke, a mammoth dressed like a princess if it meant that she'd be present to tear his chains away herself.

Still, she wasn't used to being powerless. 

She was to enter the Thalmor Embassy in silks with nothing but her Voice to protect them.

"Then let's keep practising." Tandreth stood and extended his hand to her. Idunn marvelled at how graceful he was balanced on heels sharp and thin as knives. "You haven't ceased to surprise me. You'll be dancing in no time." A cheeky grin. "And if things collapse around us, I'd love to see you beat a Thalmor agent to death with your shoe."

Idunn winced at the idea of such violence. "Don't sabotage this."

"Never on purpose. If you ruin that dress the ladies of Radiant Raiment will kill me.” he replied with a widening smile. “But if things do happen to go wrong, it’ll be a lovely show.”

She slipped her hand into his, and he guided her through the motions again.

--

Thankfully, there was less walking in public than Idunn thought.

A carriage paid for by Tandreth's seemingly endless coffers of coin (so long as they were in Solitude, at least) took them to the embassy. Snow had begun to fall by the time they arrived, but the courtyard was mercifully small. The invitations Raansi had given them were exchanged, Tandreth apologized on his sister's behalf and Idunn did her best to look like an awkward scholar. At least there her nerves worked to her advantage.

On entering Tandreth led her to one of the reception hall's many pillars and instructed her how to lean upon it without making the action obvious. He'd fetched them both champagne flutes from a passing tray and studied their surroundings in the few minutes they had before their host approached.

Elenwen. 

Idunn had seen a decent amount of Altmer in her lifetime, killed her share of Thalmor agents, but the head of their operations in Skyrim was an altogether different being. There was something matronly between her sharp cut features, a deceptive warmth that made Idunn feel small and childlike in her presence. It took one flicker of the woman's gaze up and down Idunn's form to make her feel utterly insignificant and Elenwen the peak of authority.

Exactly what they wanted, according to Tandreth's plan. The dragonborn was supposed to be larger than life, an echo of Ysgramor and Talos, imposing and charismatic. Idunn, however, flushed on reflex and couldn't maintain eye contact in social situations. Combat was an entirely different story - but if things came to that, they were long past any need for pretending.

Elenwen's attention soon fixed on Tandreth. "I was disappointed to hear the Archmage could not make it," she began, tone viciously polite. "but I am pleasantly surprised to see the brother so few seem to know about. I confess you've piqued my interest far more than your sister has."

Tandreth smiled and bowed his head, the posture of his body subtly shifting to make Elenwen seem all the taller. Idunn watched him in his element, changing like a chameleon to please. It always unsettled her to see it - to know that Tandreth so easily became another person. "I beg pardon, madame ambassador, but I believe anything would be a more interesting alternative than my sister. Is her presence truly missed?"

Playful cruelty made Elenwen's golden eyes glimmer, her rigid posture relax. "You said it, not I. The Archmage specializes in scholarly discussions. Discussions that pale to those of Summerset, unfortunately."

"I've heard many things pale in comparison." Tandreth answered, his own eyes like rubies. "Perhaps I'll ask her if I might free her of this obligation more often."

"Perhaps you might." A pause, as Elenwen shifted to the order the conversation was initially meant to go. "Indoril Tandreth, yes? You hunt creatures to obtain reagents for your sister?"

"Yes. Ice wraiths, often."

"Lethal things. Especially so far north." Elenwen's gaze dragged down to Tandreth's hand, wrapped around his champagne flute - and his missing finger. “Frostbite is subtle, is it not?”

"A mistake I'll not make again." Tandreth shouldered the barb easily, and so Elenwen fixed her gaze at last on Idunn.

"You've brought a specimen of your own, I see. Nord? But not quite…"

"Signe Grass-Speaker." Idunn introduced herself using her mother's name, silently asking for forgiveness for it. "I'm a botanist."

"Versed enough in local flora to put a priestess of Kynareth to shame." Tandreth added, attempting to give the lie some credence with a dash of the truth. Idunn was well versed in what uses Skyrim's flora offered, and Signe had been a priestess of Kyne herself. "The Archmage allowed her to attend as an example to the other students that good behavior is to be rewarded."

Elenwen had the grace to keep the boredom summoned by the topic low key. "She is remarkably quiet." she observed, sounding as if an assumption in her mind had been confirmed. "I welcome you to high society, Signe. I hope your time within it is illuminating."

"Thank you, ambassador." Idunn said, forcing strength into her voice. Elenwen terrified her more than any dragon. Her weapon was her tongue, in a way Idunn was unfamiliar with.

"I must attend to my other guests." Elenwen announced, gaze already drawn to a new arrival. "Enjoy the party."

"I will." Tandreth replied with a smile that Elenwen returned before departing. When she was well out of earshot, he leaned over to whisper to Idunn. "I think she likes me."

"You were giving her bedding eyes." Idunn huffed, quaffing more of her champagne than was probably wise and feeling terribly sober despite it. "Of course she does."

"She likes me cruel." Tandreth sighed, mimicking Idunn's action in draining his own flute. "I don't want to think what she'd say if I pretended to be Telvanni. Get ready - I think I've found our way in."

The true test began.

--

Stealth was likely the thing Idunn was least capable of. Thankfully, Tandreth was a master at it - and they'd spent enough time in each others' company that they could communicate without words. He was able to instruct her while moving unseen himself, and together they made it to Elenwen's solar unseen. Tandreth picked the lock in seconds, and with a wave of his hand removed whatever traps on the door were present. What little magic he possessed was catered to burglary - to Idunn’s eternal consternation.

They made their work quick. Delphine's few contacts had been dropping like flies, a mole within her circle the obvious conclusion, and out of desperation she'd asked Idunn to raid the embassy for intelligence before Sky Haven Temple could be found by the enemy.

Tandreth was an asset, and Idunn felt horror to think of how she'd manage such a mission without them as she watched him pick the locks on various drawers and methodically sort through them - occasionally pocketing a ring or two, unable to help himself. Idunn wandered over to a nearby bookshelf, curiosity piqued by a collection of journals that stood out from the rest of the elegantly bound tomes.

The journals were leatherbound, single daedric letters imprinted on their spine that Idunn could only read thanks to her time with Tandreth. T, E, D, A, U. Idunn plucked the last journal from the shelf and flipped open the cover.

Ulfric Stormcloak, the title within read in Elenwen's elegant script. A hasty glance over the text made her heart skip a beat - it was a dossier, detailing the man’s activities and the Thalmor’s own plans for him, and she could only guess at what else she could find on closer inspection. Quickly she grabbed the rest of the thin journals and tucked them into the hidden pockets of her dress, silently thankful that Taarie had asked no questions as to their purpose.

Tandreth had done the same with several letters, and after one last investigation of the solar peeked through the door's keyhole to ascertain the coast was clear before guiding Idunn back the way they had came.

Things were going surprisingly well, Idunn thought once they had made it back to the main building of the embassy and could hear music drifting in from the reception hall. Even with her clumsy movements they’d managed to go unseen.

As if fate could hear her, a guard suddenly rounded the corner and entered the hallway they crept down.

There was nowhere to flee to in time - the nearest door was too far away, and there was no way to slip past the guard. Idunn was preparing herself to bodily assault the guard until Tandreth pulled her into a nearby shallow alcove to buy them a few extra precious moments.

"Do you trust me?" he whispered quickly. 

Idunn nodded.

"I need to kiss you." Tandreth explained anyways, and she didn't know if the way her stomach flipped was out of joy or terror. "We're close enough they'll think we're looking for privacy and not trespassing. They won't want to get in between us - not worth the indelicacy. Works every time."

Footsteps were nearing, and after another shaky nod from Idunn his lips were on hers.

It was a calculated display, one that made her chest hurt for the memories it dredged up. Tandreth's hands hovered just high enough above her body so as not to make contact, his mouth moving to suggest passion to an outside observer though his tongue didn't prod at her lips. 

Idunn tried to match the display, tried to make it seem real though she was never a good actress and even more unpractised in the realm of passion. Tandreth had said all the best lies held some truth, though, and so she betrayed herself by pulling from fantasies she'd never allowed herself to fully acknowledge. The fantasies of an idiot, of a girl hopeless enough to think that Tandreth of all people could ever see something in her.

Gently she wove fingers into his hair, his curls smooth as silk and fragrant.  Her fingertips graced his neck as she let them slip through his hair, and to her shock Tandreth moaned. Suddenly his body was nearly flush with hers, pushing her flat against the stone wall despite their difference in size.

The approaching footsteps were lost to Idunn, her mind repeating a refrain of it isn't real and drowning all else out. It didn't stop her from arching her back to press herself tighter to him, and he responded by placing his hands on her waist and holding her in place, as if afraid she’d pull away. Idunn gasped at his touch, certain that the noise she made was beastly indeed but he only took advantage of her open mouth to brush his tongue against hers.

It was almost shy.

He tasted sweet.

Dimly Idunn was aware of the guard halting nearby. Tandreth knelt slightly and she whined at the sudden break of contact until she felt his hands at the back of her knees.

He pulled her long legs to wrap around him as best they could with her skirts, and Idunn was awestruck at how her body responded by flooding with heat as if she’d slipped into a hot spring. She couldn't have enough of her body in contact with him - he was kissing her as if she were air, trying to swallow her into his lungs. She felt light as a bird, and she chased instinct, letting her doubts fall away. Every kiss reminded her of the glimmers of truth she’d seen in him, the moments of vulnerability that only her eyes were permitted to witness. The clipped noises he made reminded her of the chuckles he made like a secret, and soon it felt as if she was about to burst with the feeling that this - that Tandreth - was something she never wanted to be without. Before she could really think of what she was doing she pulled him close to her with her legs so their hips were flush.

Tandreth almost sounded pained judging by the choked noise he made, breaking their kiss to bury his face in the crook of her neck, her jaw resting in his curls. For a second she thought she'd done something wrong, but something firm pressed at the join of her legs and her entire body shuddered when she realized Tandreth was slowly grinding his hips into hers.

Idunn slipped her arms around his shoulders, holding him tight to her - he was shaking slightly, muttering incoherently against the silks covering her neck. She was dimly aware of the footsteps resuming at a hurried pace, continuing down the corridor. A door opened in the distance, then shut.

At the sound Tandreth froze, and together they were still and silent save for their heavy breathing. Then he pulled his lower body away from hers, let her legs slide back down to the ground. His hands slid  from her hips up to her waist - one fell away from her, the other stroking up to her ribs and down again apologetically. Then he pulled away from her entirely, raising his head to meet her gaze as he swept his hair out of his face.

He was flushed, eyes softer than she'd ever seen and looking between her eyes and her lips. She could see a smear of her red lip paint across the corner of his mouth and felt a momentary surge of pride at the evidence that something was real before he spoke.

"I told you. Works every time." he said breathlessly, still managing to sound aloof as ever. 

Idunn felt very small again, though she towered over a foot above him in her heels. The cold rushed over her again, the sweat keeping strands of hair stuck to her forehead now granting her a chill. Her skirts were crumpled, makeup smeared, and somehow she'd lost a shoe. Searching for it provided her a moment of wonderful distraction, keeping her occupied until she'd slipped her foot back into it.

Tandreth swallowed in response to her silence, and quickly turned his attention to checking their surroundings. Shame overwhelmed her again - the lives of others depended on them, he'd told her it was going to be an act, and yet she’d indulged herself foolishly. If the guard hadn’t bought it she’d have been too distracted to protect them, they could have been killed...

"We should go." she whispered, voice cracking halfway through. She wanted to throw herself into a snowdrift.

"Yes." he agreed hastily, so easily back to his normal demeanor. As if nothing had happened. 

They didn't speak until they were back in the carriage, the rest of the partygoers occupied and their absence unmissed. 

"I'm sorry." Idunn said quietly, watching the snow fall outside the window. "If I went too far -"

Tandreth interrupted her with a scoff, a laugh without humor. "You? Never. We gave them a good show. Got that guard hurrying away. For all the spying Thalmor aren't voyeurs. Pity. You're good."

Idunn let her forehead press against the cool glass and closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to return to her bed in Proudspire Manor and hide under the bedsheets.

"I believed it." Tandreth added, under his breath. She did not hear him.

#fanfic #oc: tandreth #oc: idunn / dragonborn #the one where they make out #the idiots at their peak #otp: starmarked

[ya-girl-mc]

Back Pain

Character: Oikawa Tooru × Fem Reader

Concept: Oikawa's been working a bit too hard lately. Y/N decides to reward his efforts with a massage, but she winds up getting turned on instead (smut with some fluff 👌)

⚠️ Warning: Sexual content (read at your own discretion)

A/N: Back at it again with a smut fic this time feat. our golden boi Oikawa 😏 Hope you’ll enjoy this one!!

☆☆ Another self-indulgent Haikyuu!! Fanfiction ☆☆

Y/N-chan! Was finally able to free up some time for the weekend. Want to come over? Friday night sound good?

I have the house to myself the entire weekend, btw 😋

Y/N re-read the message over and over again, her heart thumping in anticipation at the suggestive undertones it conveyed. It's been quite a while since her and Oikawa began dating, however, with the additional academic load that came with being a third-year student and with his responsibilities as Aoba Johsai's volleyball team captain, the couple barely had time to spend with one another, much to their dismay.

Jumping at the extremely rare opportunity to spend an entire weekend alone with him, Y/N momentarily shifted her attention from her homework and quickly typed up a reply, trying her hardest not to seem too eager at his invitation.

Okay, sounds great to me! Will let my parents know. See u Friday night 😊 Love you.

Hitting the 'send' button, Y/N leant back on her desk chair and stared at the night sky beyond her bedroom window, her thoughts now preoccupied with the prospect of finally spending some much-needed alone time with her significant other.

*****

Friday night came faster than she expected. After successfully turning in all of her weekly assignments and enduring an extensive parental discussion on sexual intimacy and the like, Y/N eagerly stood at the doorstep of the Oikawa residence, the remnants of "the talk" she had just received from her parents making her cringe. Having dated Oikawa for quite some time now, this was not completely new territory for her and while she appreciated their parenting efforts, the thought of them having been privy to her dating life had always made her shudder.

The door finally opened and before she could open her mouth to speak, a weary-looking Oikawa swiftly gathered her into his arms, ushering both of them into his home as he did. "Ahhh Y/N-chan, finally! What took you so long?" He whined, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

Reveling in the all-too familiar warmth that both of them had missed, she returned his hug with as much vigor. "Sorry, I got kinda held up back at home. Don't ask why."

Tightening his arms around his girlfriend, Oikawa brought his lips up to her ear, his voice dropping to a mere whisper. "I missed you, it's been too long."

"We see each other at school, Tooru," she teased, refraining herself from shuddering appreciatively at his hushed words.

Oikawa chuckled and lifted his head from her shoulder. Meeting her gaze, he smiled at her tenderly. "You know what I mean."

Despite the multitude of responsibilities he juggles on a daily, Oikawa does his utmost best to balance it with his relationship, yet there were still instances that neither of them could make time for the other. However, the perfect opportunity seemed to have presented itself with his parents embarking on an out-of-town trip for the weekend, and as it aligned with his scheduled day-off from his coaching duties at the Lil Tykes Volleyball Classroom, he was resolute on finally spending the weekend with her to make up for lost time.

And yes...he invited Y/N with every intention to show her just how much he missed her.

Leading her into his empty home, Y/N followed suit as Oikawa headed towards the kitchen. Observing him further as he moved about, she noticed something slightly amiss with his gait as he rummaged around to find her something to drink. "Hey Tooru, are you in any pain of some sort?"

"Well...a little," he admitted sheepishly as he handed her a glass of water. "I guess I was too excited that you were coming over, so I didn't get to properly stretch after training...my lower back kind of hurts."

Y/N sighed and shot him a narrowed look, recounting on all the times she reminded him to take extra care of himself. But, after hearing such an adorable reason, she couldn't bring herself to give him another long-winded lecture on the importance of self-care and instead, an idea came to her. "I think I might be able to help you out with that."

*****

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Oikawa watched as Y/N lit several scented candles scattered around his room. Joining him from where he sat atop his bed, she lit the last candle on his bedside table and shot him a gentle smile.

"Yeah, you've been working too hard lately. A massage is the least I can do for you."

The fragrance and gentle glow that emanated from the candles was starting to get to him, and while Oikawa admittedly thought of something naughty when she suggested to give him a massage, he felt himself starting to relax for the first time in a while. "Thanks, just when I thought I'd finally be able to spoil you, I ended up getting pampered instead."

"You need to let yourself be pampered every now and then. So anyway, can you take off your shirt and lie down on your stomach?"

Oikawa heeded her instructions and peeled off his shirt, providing her with a wonderful view of his toned torso. Now only clad in his boxers, Y/N immediately averted her gaze to stop herself from staring as she reached for a bottle of lotion. As Oikawa lay on his stomach, she couldn't help but marvel at the muscles that flexed on his shoulders as he readjusted his position.

Damn it, he's too beautiful, it's unfair. God, I don't know what I did to deserve a man like this but thank you so so much.

Finally composing herself, Y/N rubbed a dollop of lotion on her hands and proceeded to knead the skin on his back, applying an ample amount of pressure on his shoulder blades. As soon as she increased the pressure, he slightly flinched, causing her to cease her actions. "Sorry, did it hurt?"

Oikawa shook his head. "I'm good. Keep going."

Taking it as a signal to continue, Y/N began applying even more pressure as she moved her hands lower, her eyes transfixed on the smooth planes of muscle on his back. As soon as she reached the problem spot on his lower back, Oikawa grimaced. "Y-yeah right there. It really does kind of hurt so please be gentle."

"Got it." Heeding his instructions, she refocused her attention on his lower back, feeling just how tense his muscles were. After gently massaging the area, she slightly increased the pressure as she began using the balls of her wrists. All of a sudden, Oikawa let out an involuntary moan which caught Y/N off guard, her heart pounding rather intensely as her face began flaming up. Trying to purge the dirty thoughts that began to invade her mind, she steeled herself and continued the massage, and unfortunately for her, so did his moaning.

It was definitely starting to get to Y/N as she felt an all-too familiar tightening sensation in her core. As Oikawa continued to express just how much he enjoyed the massage, she fidgeted uncomfortably and forced herself to divert her attention from the growing wetness between her legs.

Am I seriously getting turned on by this? God, how creepy of me! Although in my defense, we haven't had sex and/or gotten intimate in a while, so maybe I'm just backed up? Ugh come on, Y/N, concentrate!

Trying as best as she can to ignore her growing arousal, Y/N forced herself to continue with the massage, however, as soon as her hands began kneading his sides, Oikawa let out a throaty groan of pleasure. "Yeah, there. Harder, please," he instructed, seemingly oblivious to how turned on she had gotten, much to her chagrin.

Y/N bit her lip and willed herself to calm down, but as his moans intensified, her hands' movements gradually became sloppy as she began to succumb to her growing desire. Having decided that enough was enough, she ceased her actions and groaned in frustration, taking in a lungful of air as she pressed her forehead on Oikawa's back.

He shifted slightly and craned his neck, prompting Y/N to lift her head and fixate her gaze on his. "What is it? Are you tired?" The innocence was palpable in his tone, but unbeknownst to Y/N, Oikawa had already caught on to what has gotten her bothered; however, he wanted to hear her actually say it.

She shook her head in response, portraying just how turned on she was by pressing kisses across his back. "You seriously have no idea, huh?"

Oikawa continued to feign innocence, however, his heart began thumping uncontrollably at how even more irresistible his girlfriend had gotten when she was upfront about her desires. "What do you mean, Y/N-chan?"

Swallowing hard at how unbelievably sexy her name sounded as it left his lips, she began leaving a trail of love bites and made her way towards his neck. "Truth is, I'm feeling kind of hot and bothered over here hearing you moan like that." Her lips continued their path as they finally reached the spot behind his ear. Oikawa's breathing hitched as she whimpered, earning a shudder from him. "Tooru...please?"

It was definitely more than what he bargained for, and unable to stave off his own desires, Oikawa had her pinned her down in a flash, his brown eyes darkening with lust as he looked her up and down. "Sorry, Y/N-chan. But what makes you think that I wouldn't know what turns my girlfriend on?"

Her eyes widened as she eventually caught on. "You...you did that on purpose!"

Throwing him the harshest glare that she could muster, it only fueled his desire to take her then and there, yet he held himself back, well-aware that his patience will be rewarded handsomely. "Let me make it up to you."

Oikawa's lips immediately went for her neck, his fingers sliding up underneath her shirt to caress the bare skin of her stomach. He lightly trailed his fingers across her midriff, the subtle contact a stark contrast to the relentless attack his lips made on her neck. Moaning at the sensations she craved for so long, Y/N's hips bucked from the bed, allowing Oikawa to get even closer to her.

With her legs spread wide open, he shuffled closer and pressed his growing erection against her thigh, her cheeks immediately heating up as she felt how hard he had gotten. She begged him to touch her elsewhere, but he made no attempt in doing so, his lips and fingers still remaining in the same spots.

He's still teasing me...! The nerve of this - 

Thoroughly frustrated, Y/N lifted his head from her neck and glared at him. "Just kiss me, damn it!" She forcefully pressed their lips together, taking Oikawa initially by surprise, but he returned her kiss with as much vigor. She opened her mouth willingly, allowing his tongue to enter and explore the entirety of her mouth.

The sopping noises their kisses made and their lustful moans filled every crevice of his bedroom. As Oikawa ground his hips even harder against hers, he began nibbling on her lower lip, causing her to slightly wince and pull away. Both their chests heaved, and Y/N took the opportunity to scan her eyes up and down his body as she licked her lips appreciatively, the toned muscles adorning his torso a manifestation of years of arduous training and hard work.

"Now this is unfair," Oikawa stated, causing Y/N to shiver at how unbelievably sexy his voice had gotten. He began pulling at the jean shorts she wore, his eyes mirroring the insurmountable desire in hers. "Take these off. I need to see you."

She immediately blushed as he drew back slightly, his expectant eyes keen on watching her every move. She couldn't help but notice how he was being a tad aggressive than usual, not that she minded in the very least. Too abashed to meet his gaze, Y/N proceeded to slowly discard every article of clothing she had and Oikawa felt himself grow even harder as she eventually laid bare beneath him.

The adoration and tenderness in his gaze was palpable as he looked her up and down; he couldn't seem to get used to how simply gorgeous she was, and this was all for him - only him - to see. Her eyes were still downcast, well-aware at how intense he looked at her. "Y/N-chan," he called out gently and brushed his lips against her cheek in an attempt to get her to look at him. "What are you suddenly getting so shy for?"

"D-don't make me say it, idiot!" She practically yelled out, hiding her reddened face from view as Oikawa merely chuckled at her flustered state.

"Can I touch you? I can, right?" He whispered in her ear, goosebumps prickling all over her skin. Unable to respond, Y/N managed to nod as she finally brought up her eyes to meet his. The desire in them which reflected his own - he couldn't help but shiver in pleasure as well. "Good girl," he praised, smiling down at her affectionately.

Joining their lips once more, the kiss they shared was unbearably sweet, their lips moving ardently with one another. Oikawa's slender fingers began to explore the entirety of her body, marveling at how soft her skin felt. He moved his lips along the path his fingers made, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. Without heeding her any warning, he took one of her nipples in his mouth, the abrupt sensation a contrast to his gentle caresses, causing her to gasp. "T-tooru!"

Hearing her moan his name only encouraged him further as he brought up his free hand to toy with her other nipple. It was just too much, it felt too damn good that Y/N thought that she was about to lose it then and there, however, Oikawa was far from being done, his fingers eventually wandering down to her inner thigh. In anticipation for what's to come, she slightly raised her hips, granting him permission. At her gesture, he slowly slid one of his fingers inside, his eyes widening at how soaked she had become. "Did you like massaging me that much?"

Her fingers gripped his chestnut brown locks, the overwhelming amount of pleasure too great to bear as she struggled to reply in-between gasps. "C-can you blame me? It's been a while since we-"

"Yeah, I know. I could say the same." Slipping another finger in, Oikawa began stroking her insides, his lips once more joining with hers as he swallowed the high-pitched moans she let out. She was unbelievably warm and tight, the wetness that clung to his fingers making his shaft throb rather painfully. Fighting with the urge to simply put it in, he took his time to stretch her out in preparation.

His fingers' ministrations had only intensified as he eventually began caressing her sweet spot, her entire body beginning to shake at the relentless pleasure he gave her. Y/N's hips began to involuntarily thrust with his fingers' movements, allowing them to go even deeper.

"T-Tooru.. I'm close...!" She gasped out, her insides tightening further as he mercilessly stroked her harder. However, Oikawa abruptly retracted his fingers, denying her of her long-awaited release. Y/N looked at him incredulously as her chest heaved, her eyes welling up with tears due to pleasure and frustration. "Why did you stop?"

"Sorry. I'm sorry," he cooed as he smoothed her hair away from her face, his lips pecking hers gently. "I can't let you come, not just yet. I can make you feel good even more."

Oikawa's hushed words held so much promise for what's to come. However, still reeling from the aftermath of his relentless teasing, Y/N decided to retaliate as she reached for the waistband of his boxers. In one smooth motion, she slipped her hand inside and stroked his length, shivering in pleasure as she felt just how aroused he was.

"A-Ahh...no, Y/N-chan. Don't!" Oikawa whimpered, his head falling onto her shoulder to stifle the lewd noises he made. He made no move to stop her though, and hearing him gasping in her ear only encouraged her further as she was resolute on pleasuring him this time. Quickening her hand's movements, Y/N began pumping harder, Oikawa's hips involuntarily jerking towards her.

She could tell that he was close. His hands gripped the sheets tightly, his body beginning to tremble at the sensations she induced in him. Running her thumb across the tip, he groaned in response, his lips making their way to her ear. "I-I'm close. Please stop...!"

"I don't think you really want that," she retorted playfully, completely lost in her own passion as she witnessed him becoming undone. "It's fine. Just come, Tooru."

Her words seemed to have finally pushed him over the edge and with a few quick strokes, he finally came, spilling himself onto her hand. He looked breathtaking as he did; his usually tousled hair now disheveled, his eyes squeezed shut, and his bottom lip in his teeth as he tried to hold back the lewd sounds he was making. Seeing him completely engulfed in his passion was a stark contrast to his usual flippant persona; it was one of the reasons why Y/N truly treasured such raw moments with him.

Panting slightly as he came down from his high, Oikawa recollected himself and reached for a towel, hastily wiping her hand clean. "Seriously, my girlfriend is such a handful."

"I don't know if you intended that pun, but you're welcome," she cheekily responded, wrapping her arms around Oikawa and pulling him close to her. They shared a brief moment of much-needed tranquility, listening to each other's steady heartbeats as they held one another. "I love you, Tooru."

He had heard those words countless times now, yet it still managed to make his heart race, making it always seem like he was hearing it for the first time. "I love you too, Y/N-chan. But I'm afraid to say that we're far from done."

"I was hoping you'd say that," she giggled as she noticed him growing hard once more. Pecking her lips, Oikawa reached for his drawer and rummaged around for a condom. He grabbed one and proceeded to put it on, pulling Y/N up to a sitting position once he was fully sheathed. Leaning back on the headboard, he pulled her onto his lap, helping her adjust her position as she straddled him.

Oikawa grinned mischievously as he smoothed her hair away from her face, his hands proceeding to gently grip her waist to provide support. "You wanted to reward me for working hard, right? How about you be on top tonight?"

Y/N audibly gulped. His offer was definitely appealing, however, a thought had occurred to her amid her muddled state-of-mind. "Wait, how about your back? Won't it hurt more?"

"You're here naked before me, ready to take me in. I can't be bothered about something as trivial as that."

Oikawa's blunt statement caused her breathing to hitch, her heart close to bursting at the raw passion and need it conveyed. Smirking slightly at her flustered state, he leant back and looked at her expectantly, making no attempt to move whatsoever. It didn't take long for Y/N to catch on to what he was expecting her to do.

Ugh, he's really being a bit mean tonight. Well...no complaints over here, though.

Oikawa watched as she tried to position herself, her hands gripping his shoulders for support. Lifting her hips up slightly, Y/N proceeded to lower herself onto him, unable to control the moans that slipped from her lips as she slowly adjusted to his girth. He bit his lip as she continued to take him in, the breathtaking sight pushing him on the verge of coming once more.

Shit...this is too hot.

With a thrust of her hips, Oikawa finally entered her, both of them moaning in pleasure at the sensation of him reaching the deepest parts of her. Y/N panted, her hips shifting as she lets herself become accustomed to the intrusion of his length. It had been a while after all, and she still couldn't seem to get used to how he manages to fit inside her given his rather remarkable size.

"Ugh...shit. Y/N-chan, are you okay?" Oikawa gasped out, peering at her in concern.

"Y-yeah, give me a sec." She shifted about on his lap, allowing him to reach even deeper spots inside her. Urgently joining their lips together, Y/N proceeded to take the lead as she thrust her hips, both of them swallowing each other's moans. It was uncomfortable at first, but the pleasure of their joined bodies overwhelmed both of their senses. In-between kisses, Oikawa took the opportunity to take the sight of his significant other before him, his own eyes beginning to well up with tears at the passion and love he felt for her.

"Tooru...can you go harder too?" She whimpered, the movement of her hips becoming more urgent and abrupt.

There's nothing that he would want more than to abide by her request and make a mess out of her. But, gathering all the willpower that he could muster, he shook his head in defiance. "N-no, we haven't done it in a while, I don't want to hurt you."

Completely overwhelmed with lust, Y/N stilled her movements and whispered directly into his ear. "Yeah that's right, we haven't done it in a while. So stop holding back and compensate me for it."

It was all the confirmation Oikawa needed as he felt himself grow even harder inside her. Something snapped in him as he smirked mischievously, his hands gripping her thighs tightly. "Saying things like that to rile me up, what am I going to do with you?"

Y/N barely had any time to process his words as Oikawa pushed her down once more. With their positions reversed, he made no move to pull out as he lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist, allowing him to go even deeper than before. She yelped at the sudden sensation, her hands seeking out his neck to pull him closer to her. The overwhelming amount of pleasure had almost rendered her speechless as tears began to spill from her eyes. "This is what you wanted, right?" Oikawa questioned breathlessly, his hips snapping forward.

It was indescribable. Thrusting rhythmically, they succumbed to the passion as they continued to make love and pretty soon, Y/N felt her release fast-approaching once more. "T-tooru, I'm...wait!"

"Sorry, Y/N-chan. It's too late for that!" He increased his pace and began thrusting wilder then ever before, her legs tightening around his waist as her fingernails scraped across his back. It seemed like it hurt, but it only encouraged Oikawa further as he continued to make love to her relentlessly, showering her face and neck with kisses as he did.

They exchanged whispered words that affirmed their love for each other, and it wasn't long before he felt his own release building up as well. "T-tooru...!" She gasped, completely overcome with the ecstasy she felt. Gritting his teeth, he locked his gaze with hers and watched as she finally climaxed, her eyes squeezing shut as she thrust her hips along with his, riding out her release.

The sight of her coming undone below him, it was just too much. Oikawa gasped out her name as he did one final thrust, moaning uncontrollably as he felt himself coming as well. He couldn't help but collapse on top of her, the after-effects of the passion they shared evident in their languid bodies. He lifted his head and found Y/N smiling fondly at him, a dazed yet utterly adorable expression on her face. Returning her smile with a dopey one of his own, Oikawa proceeded to shower her face with kisses as he slowly pulled out of her.

As Y/N laid on his bed, her mind and body still reeling from the mind blowing sex they had just experienced, Oikawa grabbed some clean towels and proceeded to carefully clean her as he followed suit. He gently lifted and laid her next to him, throwing the covers over their naked bodies as they snuggled closer to each other. "Thank you, Tooru," she murmured appreciatively, his arms wrapping around her.

Despite their earlier passion, Oikawa couldn't help the feelings of guilt that started to well up within him. "Y/N-chan, I'm really sorry that I couldn't make enough time for you. But I promise that I'll keep on making an effort, who knows when we'd have another chance like this?"

Her heart clenched. She knew that his previous break-up was still fresh in his mind, and it was one of the reasons that drove Oikawa to near desperation in always making time for Y/N, fearing that she would eventually break up with him for the same reason. But, she didn't want that tying him down, especially seeing how much passion he had for volleyball and how much he worked harder than anyone else; she would want nothing more than to help him understand that.

Y/N reached over and tenderly swept his hair away from his face, his brown eyes wavering as they peered at her. "Of course there are times that I miss you. But you do your thing because you love it and you work harder than anyone else I know, so I just can't take that away from you. Seeing you work hard and do your best - if it makes you happy, then I'm happy too."

Oikawa's eyes widened as he digested Y/N's reassuring words, his heart overwhelmed with how much love he felt for her. "Y/N-chan..." He managed to choke out, completely at a loss on what to say.

I don't know what I did to deserve someone like her but thank You, whoever You are, for bringing her to me.

"But I swear to God, Oikawa Tooru. You better take extra care of yourself, alright? Or else I'm really going to kill you."

Oikawa couldn't help but let out a carefree laugh at her threat. Pulling his most precious person closer into his arms, he placed a gentle kiss atop her pouted lips. "Okay, okay. I'll keep that in mind."

#haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu #haikyuu oikawa #oikawa x reader #haikyuu × reader #haikyuu!! #smut #but with fluff #oikawa tooru

[simpcircus]

Accidental

Warning(s): cursing, fluff

Word count: 2.8k

A/N: Sorry for taking way too long for this request! I hope I don’t disappoint you too much, anon TT

“T’as d’beaux yeux, tu sais?” The flirtatious voice of a man you knew so well entered your ears from afar and you were trying your hardest to ignore the tinge of jealousy that was currently present in your chest.

Not too far away from you, there stood Polnareff in all his glory - shooting his shot with a bunch of young looking women using his flirty lines. Him being a smooth talker is old news and everyone in the team already knew how flirty Polnareff could be. His words are so sweet as if they’re coated with honey everytime he speaks, and his dazzling smile has never failed to charm you.

While you had to admit that you did fall in love with him due to his flawless outer appearance at first, Jean Pierre Polnareff is definitely more than his loud and silly demeanour. Time and time again, your assumptions about his personality were proven wrong as he kept showing new sides of himself to you. He’s an honorable man and despite his mild narcissism, you could tell that he means well. You also learn later on that Polnareff is a compassionate person and it only adds to his many charms.

It’s practically impossible for you to not fall in love with the frenchman honestly.

You had to hold back a sigh when you heard him shoot another flirty line to the girls. You’re well aware that jealousy is a disease, especially when he’s not even your boyfriend but you couldn’t help yourself. God you wished it was you instead that he’s flirting with because your feelings for Polnareff have started to become much more serious - to the point where he’s the only person you could think about nowadays.

It scares you on how much the Frenchman could affect your mind despite him not even trying.

With the scorching sun hanging in the sky above you, the level of your annoyance only accelerated the more you heard him flirting with those women. It was hard to ignore the bitterness in your chest and at this point, anyone can spot the frown on your face as you stared at the ground in silence.

“Are you okay (y/n)?” A gruff voice grabbed your attention, successfully pulling you away from your envy filled thoughts. Your eyes were quick to look up from the ground, only to see Mr. Joestar’s concerned face. “Ah, Joestar-san. I’m fine, don't worry about it.” Your lips quickly stretched into a smile to reassure him that there was nothing to be worried about and the man nodded. However, despite the nod he gave you, it was obvious that he’s not buying it - though the man didn’t want to be seen as intrusive, which was why he decided that it’s best for him to excuse himself.

Keeping your little crush for Polnareff to yourself wasn’t as easy as you’d expected it to be. While it was unnoticeable for the other crusaders at first,the extra observant ones like Kakyoin and Avdol were able to catch up rather quickly. It’s a relief that Avdol isn’t the type to focus on unimportant stuff like this, but Kakyoin seemed like he enjoyed teasing you about your crush for Polnareff. The redhead would give you knowing looks and you couldn’t do anything to stop him. 

“I take it that you’re bothered by something, but I wonder what could it be” Kakyoin instantly appeared by your side as soon as Mr. Joestar was out of your sight, the tone of his voice was showcasing his curiosity and concern. You weren’t sure if it’s the right choice to tell the crusader about your jealousy, especially knowing that Kakyoin will tease the hell out of you later on. 

Polnareff's flirting, your deafening silence and foul mood seem to give him an idea of what’s actually going on and you could almost see a lightbulb appearing on his head when he managed to piece everything together. Kakyoin’s violet eyes went back and forth between your sulking figure and Polnareff before he continued speaking. “I don't wish to assume, but is it about him?”

‘Just how observant this guy is?’ A small thought echoed in your head as you could feel a drop of cold sweat went down your back. He figured it all out by himself and you didn’t even say anything that could hint about your feelings.

“Fine. It is about him.” The frown on your face deepened as you admitted to your feelings, and Kakyoin instantly gave you the smirk that you knew so well. It's almost like he's proud of himself for being able to guess your thoughts correctly. “Maybe you should just tell him about your crush, (y/n). How long are you planning to keep it to yourself?” 

Like hell you would.

“Non non non non non” You furiously shook your head at his suggestion, your arms were now crossed against your chest. “I would rather die than confess to him. Of course I didn’t want to die literally but you get what I mean.” Your face turned red at the thought of coming clean about your crush to the frenchman while Kakyoin let out a snicker out of amusement at your reaction.

"Even the way he speaks has rubbed off on you. Just how infatuated are you with him (y/n)?" You only glared at Kakyoin after his words but the redhead paid no attention to your silent threat.

Your friend parted his lips to continue taunting you but his words were cut off by some distant angry voices coming from Polnareff’s direction, and both of you were quick to turn to look at them. The women he was flirting with earlier looked unhappy while their mouths spouted appalling insults to the silver haired man.

“This guy really thinks he had a chance with us by relying on his shitty flirting skills. Pathetic!” 

“You think your hair is cool but it’s actually not.” 

“Your chance of getting into a relationship is probably as big as your non-existent eyebrows!”

The change in Polnareff’s facial expression wasn’t hard to spot. You were gritting your teeth while your eyes shot daggers at those women. 

“(y/n), calm down.” Kakyoin tried his best to keep your anger under control even though he’s well aware that his effort was useless. Your mood was already foul to begin with, so he wouldn’t be surprised if you do anything that could cause harm to the women. Their obnoxious laugh only fueled your anger and as soon as another insult left their lips, you started stomping your feet towards their direction. 

“Maybe you should mirror yourself first before approaching girls like us next time-” “The one who needs a mirror is you.” 

Your voice was stern as you spoke and Polnareff’s eyes widened after realizing that you came into his defense. All his life, the man has never thought there will be a day when the person he’s interested in would defend him against a bunch of rude women. It made his heart flutter and Polnareff was trying his best to keep his composure around you. Though, he had to admit that his current situation was kind of embarrassing.

“How dare you!” One of the women glared at you but you weren't intimidated at all. Your journey with the other crusaders to Egypt has led you to meet countless enemies who are stand users. With the way they're dressed - lacy overpriced dresses that hung on their bodies like table cloth, unflattering homemade curls with badly drawn eyebrows and unblended eyeshadow - you wondered what exactly Polnareff saw in them to make him want to flirt with them. A bunch of rude, unfashionable and obnoxious women wouldn't scare you.

"Hah! Looks like the guy couldn’t even stand up for himself. How sad!" 

It was the last straw for you, and your patience has finally run out, completely. As if a switch inside of your head got flipped by an unknown force, your cold eyes burnt with nothing but fury and you could tell that those women were greatly intimidated with the look in your face. They took a few steps backwards everytime you moved closer to them - while Polnareff watched in awe at how much power you have in scaring the group away. 

He instantly took note to stay on your good side.

"What rights do you have to freely insult him? Are your insecurities that bad to the point where you would settle for cheap insults instead of just politely declining his advances?" You were trying so hard to not yell out of anger. The amount of unadulterated rage you have for these women were forcing you to lash out, give them some good beating with your stand and create a scene, but the more rational side of your brain stopped those barbaric thoughts - constantly reminding you to keep your cool especially when Polnareff's around to witness your actions.

Their deafening silence gave you the green light to continue talking and defend the frenchman who has stolen your heart. "Haven't you heard? If you have nothing nice to say then it's better if you just stay silent. This so-called 'pathetic' man might look 'uncool' or 'sad' but that still doesn't give you the right to insult him." 

Polnareff wasn't sure if he should be offended by your words, or feel grateful that you're trying to stand up for him. Either way, his pride has taken a little hit.

"So you're defending him, yet your words implied that he is indeed, uncool and sad. Wasn't that a contradiction?-" "I'm not done yet!" 

Your fists clenched by your sides while your nails digged into the flesh of your palms. At this point, all your thoughts about Polnareff have spiralled out of control and words of appreciation on the tip of your tongue are threatening to spill out from your mouth. You couldn't bear the thought of letting other people see him as a terrible person when he's not. You couldn't bear the thought of letting other people look down on him just because of his flirting tendency.

"I obviously can't change your opinion towards him, but I'll let you know that you're wrong."

All your life, you have always held onto the whole 'opinions couldn't be wrong because everyone has different perspectives' concept. However, this time's an exception.

“This guy right here” You paused your sentence to point your finger at Polnareff, your eyebrows furrowed in determination to prove those women wrong. “He’s AMAZING” 

"He's more than how he appears. You probably think of him as a degenerate, but let me tell you again, you're wrong. He's great and he cares a lot for his friends." Your mind reverted back to the time when Polnareff risked his own safety just to save you. The enemy stand was too strong for you to defeat on your own, but you were still reckless at that time - which was why you were so quick to throw yourself into the battle despite all the warnings from the other crusaders. If it wasn't for him, you probably would have died.

"Polnareff doesn't deserve any of your insults! He almost got himself killed to save me, and I'll be damned if I say I didn't feel bad about it. All this time, I thought of him shallowly - just a prideful man who loves to boast about his abilities to literal strangers, but I was just as wrong as you are."

Polnareff stayed in silence as he listened to your words, his mouth slightly agape with shock. Butterflies fill in his stomach with every word of appreciation that leaves your mouth. Is this a dream? Or reality? He just simply couldn't believe it - his crush is speaking highly of him. 

"The more you know him, the more charming he gets and I'm happy to know him as the person he really is. There isn't a day when I would complain about our fated encounter. It almost felt like a blessing, even, to know Polnareff. Everything about him is perfect despite his flaws. If you couldn't accept someone's flaws and opt to insult them instead, then I would kindly ask you to stop and leave. Your negativity and audacity aren't needed here." 

It does feel nice to be able to speak out your thoughts.You had to mentally congratulate yourself for not completely losing your cool and still remain respectful while you were trying to defend Polnareff. However, those angry women seemed to target their fatuous insults towards you, but it was a relief that their attention wasn't fully directed towards the frenchman behind you.

"Look at them desperately trying to defend that walking trash." 

"They probably like that poor excuse of a man so much."

"Where has their taste in men gone to?”

With the level of your anger increasing again, your brain could no longer think rationally as you began verbally lashing out on them, the tone of your voice raising higher and higher the more you spoke. 

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you so idiotic that I have to repeat myself? I said, you have no right to insult people. Yet here you are, still running your foul mouths like it's the only thing you could do in your sad life!"

Their faces turned pale at your outburst and Polnareff was getting more and more worried for you.

"H-hey (y/n).. Let's just leave-" 

"No, Pol. I'm not going to let them get away - not after they've horribly insulted you."

You took one final step closer towards the group and they weren't moving an inch, as if you were about to end their lives in the most brutal way if they do.

"Jean Pierre Polnareff is a beautiful man inside out and it saddens me that your eyes have failed to capture his magnificence. He is the literal manifestation of art and inner beauty itself. Flaws or not, he's perfect in every way and I love him for who he is!"

And just like that, your biggest secret was no longer a secret. Polnareff was in utter shock, his eyes widened as he looked at you in disbelief. His face was covered in red; a rare shy response to your accidental confession - but you had it worse than him. The embarrassment you had for your own sudden, unplanned confession was unbearable and you wished you could just throw yourself deep into the depths of the atlantic ocean, never to be found again.

"L-let's just leave these two idiots, girls! We're clearly wasting our precious time here."

The women quickly turned to the opposite direction and left while grumbling about how scary you were, but you didn't pay much attention to them. Not when Polnareff has found out about your feelings for him. 

Other than embarrassment, there was fear present in your chest as you didn't dare to look directly at him. Your heart was pounding loudly as you stood there in silence, awaiting for Polnareff's response. After a long moment of speechlessness, the silver haired man finally cleared his throat to ease the tense in the air.

"Thank you for having my back, amour. Those girls are being mean to me for no reason!" Polnareff's tone was lighthearted as he spoke and you quickly shook your head. "I-it's fine. I'm just trying to help, that's all." You still weren't able to look at him in the eye and Polnareff took an initiative to confirm his suspicions about your feelings for him.

"Say.. (y/n), do you really mean what you said earlier?" 

A nervous laugh immediately left your lips as you rubbed your nape, your face still red from embarrassment. "Oh about the whole 'you're a great person and no one should insult you' thing? Of course! Insulting people is a bad thing to do anyways-" 

"(y/n), mon amour."

You froze as your brain finally comprehended the fact that he called you 'amour' and your face only got redder than before. Did he really feel the same? Does Polnareff like like you?

The dumbfounded look on your face only caused him to laugh, and you'd dare say it was music to your ears. However, a small sigh left his lips shortly after he was done laughing. "Though, this is a little unfortunate, cherie. I've made an extravagant plan on how I wanted to confess to you but looks like you've beaten me to it!"

"Wait- you like me too, Polnareff?"

Polnareff let out a playful chuckle before decreasing the distance between the two of you, and leaned in towards your direction. Despite his playfulness during the current moment, there was warmth and adoration in his gorgeous blue eyes as he looked at you. "What if I say yes? Will I get a kiss, ange?" 

You had no idea where your sudden surge of confidence came from, but it was surely useful for your current situation. Flashing him a cheeky smile to match his playful demeanour, you gave him a quick 'sure' before leaning into him and planted a quick yet sweet kiss on the corner of his lips, purposely missing his actual lips. 

Polnareff was the one left in shock and just when he was about to whine about your little kiss, you were already walking away with a giggle. "Come on, let's get going Polnareff! Jotaro's gonna get mad at us if we're late"

#jjba x reader #polnareff x reader #JJBA #jean pierre polnareff #polnareff imagine

[arthemis-forge]

Forbidden (Part I) F.W

Chapter One. “The boy of the train.”

Paring: Fred Weasley x OC/ Draco Malfoy x OC

Summary: Lyra Nightstar is the first-born child of Adonis and Hecate Nightstar. One of the oldest and most powerful pureblood families in the magical world. Betrothed since birth to Draco Malfoy in order to preserve the status of both families as well to protect their bloodlines. She is raised under a series of very extreme concepts and values. What will happen the day that her fiancé and family find out that she does not share these ideas and that she has fallen in love with a certain redhead blood traitor?

Settings: None 

Author’s note: 

Hello!

This is my first job in a very long time. I hope you like it.

Another thing, English is not my native language, so if you find any narrative error, it would be very helpful if you let me know to edit the work. It should be noted that some events from the original Harry Potter saga may be modified for the purpose of this story.

Without more to say I hope you enjoy the story!

Since the first moment I saw him I thought that he was the one. However, the day that I meet him I wasn’t that sure. For many years I lied to myself and burry the feeling that was blooming deep down in my heart.

True love it wasn’t a thing that I could permit to myself. Not when I was living in a racist pureblood family that would kill me first before seeing me marrying to a mudblood or blood traitor. And it’s not that I didn’t believed it wasn’t worth the sacrifice. But I couldn’t be that selfish. How could I have the audacity to put Fred or any of his family member in danger just because I loved him?

It was easier to stay with Draco…

September 1, 1991

I wasn´t able to sleep the night before.  I couldn't stop thinking about the moment when I would step on that train.

Even mom was a bit upset with me when she found out that I wasn’t able to sleep all night.

—Ly this is unbelievable!  Look at those eyebags babe… —

She said with an annoyed and worried voice while she was closing the door behind her.

—I’m sorry mom I couldn’t sleep. I was so excited for today…—

I confessed as I get up from my bed. Mom usually was love and caring woman, but in situations like this she could be a bit troublesome.

—Good morning little witch!  How are you feeling today? —

Dad exclaimed as he made his way into my dorm.

—Lyra hasn't behaved very well today. She didn't sleep all night long. Also, ly’s trunk is over there, love—

She smiled at him while she pointed to my trunk which was placed on my desk. Seconds later she hugged dad to steal him a soft and tender kiss.

In moments like this I wonder If I could be as happy as them with my fiancé Draco.

Time flew by. Even though we got up early and leave everything organized, it wasn’t enough for us. Luckily, we made it to platform 9 3/4 on time and we managed to catch up with the Malfoy family.

As we approach them, I could see in my dad's eyes that he was a bit worried.

—Good morning, Lucius. We are very sorry for not arriving on time. I hope you and your lovely family haven’t spent a long time waiting for us. —

He said with some fear in his eyes.

—Oh, don’t worry Adonis. We also just arrived a few minutes ago. Isn't it Narcissa? —

He asked to his wife while she nod with her head.

—Are you alright? I was so worried you wouldn’t made it on time —

I head a voice. It was Draco who was talking to me.

—Yes, don’t worry. It just that I forgot to bring Rhiannon with me. So, we had to go back for her…—

I said with a quietly voice as I pointed to my white snowy owl. Who was resting peacefully in her cage.

He only limited himself to smile at me with his flushed cheeks.

—Come on, let's go now. Let’s find a nice place to stay —

He took me by the hand waiting for our parents to help us with our things to finally board the train, however Lucius interrupted him.

—Draco don't forget that once you get on that train Lyra it's your responsibility. Take care and guide her. Don't let her hang out with the wrong people. Do as I told you. —

He said with a threatening tone of voice.

— Please take care of her for me. She is my greatest pride and treasure—

Dad confesses while he bent down to give me a forehead kiss. Seconds later I was hugged at the same time by my mom and dad.

—I will. I promise you Mr. Nightstar. —

Draco answered him with a firm voice full of pride.

And with that last, Draco and I left on our way to the train.

I must admit that I was very nervous, but the warmth of his hand gave me the peace and confidence that I needed.

We spent a few minutes touring the train, observing the cabins. It took a little longer than we expected but finally we found one booth who was still empty. Apparently, Draco preferred that we were alone instead that we shared it with anyone else. It wasn't something that bothered me but like dad said. He was the one who would guide me and see for me.

We were tired so we didn't talk much we fell asleep in a matter of minutes once we snuggled up and shared the sheet that Narcissa gave us to share on the way to school.

A few hours passed and hunger invaded me. I had heard from my parents that on the train I would always find a lady with a trolley full of sweets. So, without thinking twice I got up from the couch.

I tried to wake Draco to see if I could bring him something, but he was even more tired than me. So, I took my money and left with the intentions of still bringing him something. Maybe some green apple flavored sugar quills.

With some care I closed the cabin door and turned in search of a trolley. Luckily for me, 7 booths ahead was the lady who was solling the sweets.

But just before I walked away, I was stopped by a girl with tousled brown hair and deep brown eyes.

—Sorry for bothering you. I am Hermione Granger. My friend Neville just missed his frog. In case you get to see it please let us know. We are next to your cabin. —

She smiled as she greeted me with a somewhat friendly voice.

—Sure, Granger. I will let you know if I see it. See you later—

I smiled back and once I said goodbye, I began to look at the floor in search of that frog. I was so involved in that search that I did not notice that someone was also coming in my direction.

It didn't take long for me to bump into him and fall to the floor. A small groan left my lips as my purse was opened dropping all my coins.

—Oh dear… I'm so sorry, pretty. —

Said a voice of an older boy.

Once I looked up, I found myself with the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen in my life. They were dark brown. The boy himself was red-haired and his face was covered in freckles.

It was the first time I had seen a boy who was not Draco or someone of my family. The more I looked at him my heart raced. At this moment I had lost the feeling of space and time.

—Hey? you're okay? — he asked me while he help me to collect the coins in my purse.

—This is a lot of money for someone as young as your little one. Be careful next time. Keep it well, someone can steal it from you—

He smiled and laughed at me. Seconds later he ruffled my hair with his warm hand and walked away as if nothing had happened.

What was that? I wonder as I walked while I steal could hear that soft cute laugh that came from his lips.

The worst thing is that the boy behaved in a very nice way without caring about my clumsiness and I didn't even have the courage to thank him for helping me.

Something dazed finally made it to the candy cart.

—Good evening, can you give me two of the green apple sugar quills, a package of lemon drops and a chocolate frog please. —

That last one for the redhead that I forgot to apologize with.

—Of course, beautiful. 5 galleons. —

The woman replied as she was placing everything in a small paper bag.

—Thank you very much, have a good night. —

I handed her the coins and headed to the cabin where probably Draco was still sleeping.

My heart was still pounding as I opened the door.

—Oh, here you are, Ly. I was just going to get up to look for you. —

He said while he yawns. He looked fresh and relaxed.

 —I went for some sweets. I brought you some green apple sugar quills. Like the ones you always buy at Honey Dukes ... —

I answer shilly.

—Thank you very much, Ly. —

The blond boy smiled, embarrassed but somewhat excited about the detail.

—By the way, why does your face looks so red? Did something happen? Are you okay? —

#Harry Potter #harry potter fanfiction #fred weasly x reader #fred weasley fanfiction #fred weasley fanfic #fred weasley fic #fred weasley #draco malfoy #draco malfoy x reader #draco malfoy fanfiction #draco malfoy fanfic #draco malfoy fic #draco malfoy x oc #fred weasley x oc

[bltngames]

Gut Check: Sonic Frontiers

The clock has begun to tick. In the process of moving from my childhood home in Colorado out to Nevada in 2017, both Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces were released. I promised videos for both. The move, however, threw me off balance really, really hard. It took a long time to get settled. By the time I was rounding the home stretch on my Sonic Mania review, the "Plus" expansion for Mania was right around the corner. But with the way I produce these videos, redoing the whole thing for Mania Plus would have meant scrapping months of polish spent on editing and voice over and animation, necessitating two full-length videos instead. It was exhausting.

By the time I was in a position to talk about Sonic Forces, over a year had passed since the game originally came out. I couldn't just do a normal review video. The moment had passed. I had to do something more. I knew a direction I could move in, I had a bunch of ideas swirling in my head, but it was a matter of putting the puzzle pieces together in the right order so that everything made sense. That's harder than it sounds. At least three entirely separate scripts were started (and restarted), and tying all the disparate, big ideas together in a way that felt logical has proven incredibly challenging.

Now, my life is in a state of upheaval again, and last night Sega formally revealed Sonic Frontiers, the next Sonic game after Forces, slated for next year. And the clock is ticking.

(Sonic Frontiers, 2022)

Technically speaking, there's still not enough about Sonic Frontiers (teaser video link here) to really talk about (though I suppose the length of this article claims otherwise). Revealed at The Game Awards last night, all we got were some slow pans across an environment that looked like it was probably shot in-game, even though we never got to see Sonic move.

It's not the first time Sega has been cagey about showing a Sonic game. For Sonic Forces, Sega initially announced it as "Project Sonic 2017" a year prior, and spent months in total radio silence. That silence was only broken to debut a very brief gameplay clip, which looked deeply underwhelming – it showcased a game that was essentially just a less impressive looking version of Sonic Generations. Sega almost seemed to be going out of their way to hide Sonic Forces, sort of like it was a dirty secret. It was, of course, and moments like this were an early warning sign that something was wrong.

Circumstances are a little bit different this time, I guess. For one, as mentioned, we haven't really been shown any gameplay. We've been shown things that are probably in-engine, but we don't know what we're actually doing in this game just yet. And second of all, this is clearly a little different from "Sonic Generations, but worse." Sega's own press release for Sonic Frontiers explicitly calls the game out as Sonic's first truly open-world adventure, something that Sega has never attempted before.

(Sonic Forces, 2017)

Takashi Iizuka, Chief Officer at Sonic Team, is also on record admitting Sega may have jumped the gun teasing Sonic Frontiers earlier this year. It was a surprisingly candid admission, uncharacteristic of the hushed tones and marketing static that typically precedes a Sonic game. Despite that, they're still committing to the game releasing next year. Frontiers only just now finally got its title, and now they have the next 10 months to get it ready for manufacturing and shipping? That's not a lot of time, depending. Revealing a name like this is a confirmation that they are confident enough in this concept to see it to completion. Before this point, anything about the game could change, but now it's being set in stone. How much hasn't been made yet?

And then, of course, is the lingering specter of the worldwide pandemic. Covid-19 hasn't gone away – actually, it's mutated into several new variants. New lockdowns threaten the globe, in spite of the continually reckless push to reopen and stay open. The whole entire game industry is in for a long stretch where every single game coming out will have the shadow of quarantine hanging over its head, with developers working from home and meeting over Zoom calls. Right now, we're in the worst of it, with today's games coming from that initial adjustment period experienced in 2020. Even once the pandemic clears, it will likely be another two to five years beyond that before games are free from the strange new tribulations of remote work.

All of this is to say: we don't know enough about this game yet, so don't call it a comeback.

(Hedgehog Xbox 360 Tech Demo, 2005)

At first blush, what we're shown of the game gives me the vibe that Sega is trying to make good on that original Sonic 2006 Xbox 360 tech demo video from 2005. That video shows Sonic racing through a forest before diving off a cliff; a large, open world stretching out below him. A similar style of pseudo-realistic forest and cliffs are on display in the Sonic Frontiers teaser.

On principle, I used to be against the idea of an open world Sonic game. The mid 2000's were prime "open world fad." Everybody was doing it, whether it was a good idea or not. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater went open world. Platformers like Jak & Daxter went open world. Heck, even The Simpsons went open world. Grand Theft Auto was the hot new thing, and everybody wanted a piece. This gave us a lot of really boring open world games – like, can you honestly say you remember something like The Saboteur? Or The Wheelman, starring Vin Diesel?

Open world racing games in particular were a huge bore. The original 2005 version of Need for Speed Most Wanted was great fun for about two hours, until you realized how little there actually was to do in its lifeless world. I played it until I unlocked the second city and struggled to stay interested. It was a deeply repetitive game, and the same goes for a lot of open world racers of that era. But we're a long way out from games like that, and modern open world racing games, like Forza Horizon 4, have so much variety in them that they almost seem to have infinite content. I put more than 70 hours into Forza Horizon 4 alone, and probably close to 200 hours into the Forza Horizon franchise overall. The modern open world game doesn't have to be bogged down by tedious stretches of doing repetitive missions.

(Shadow of the Colossus, 2018)

Some might say another obvious point of inspiration for Sonic Frontiers would be The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and while I understand that, given the teaser's haunting piano music, closer inspection brings a stronger comparison to Shadow of the Colossus, personally. The mossy, sun-bleached ruins. The lonely shrines in the middle of nowhere. And let's not forget the teaser's final stinger – a towering robot, undoubtedly hundreds (even thousands) of feet tall, that slams a foot down in front of Sonic. That's a Colossus with a capital C, and that's all there is to it.

My primary concern is that this world does look fairly empty. For Shadow of the Colossus, that works. It's meant to be this cursed, somber corner of the world. The emptiness in Colossus is part of the game's narrative, part of its lore. Sonic games are usually cheerier and more idyllic than that. Even already, in terms of color palettes, Sonic Frontiers is obviously a more colorful game than Colossus. But most of what can be seen in these early screenshots and video is a lot of empty ruins, grassy hills, and the same kind of trees. Breath of the Wild has a very somber tone as well, but it fills its post-apocalyptic world full of towns, villages, and NPCs to talk to. Even Super Mario Odyssey centralized each of its open worlds around a village full of chatty characters, in spite of the Mario franchise usually being known for shunning narrative. Will there be enough to do in Sonic Frontiers? Again, they have 10 months, and we still haven't even seen actual gameplay yet.

(Sonic Frontiers, 2022)

One thing that cannot be argued is the reveal of Ian Flynn as the game's writer. Flynn is another Sonic fan out of the community, joining guys like Tyson Hesse and Christian Whitehead as people who grew up with Sonic in the 90's and eventually landed a gig working with Sega directly. Flynn got his start with fan comics like "Sonic: Other-M" (and that predates the Metroid game, kids) before being hired by Archie to right the ship on the official Sonic comics following the departure of the infamous Ken Penders. He now writes the Sonic comics for IDW, meaning he's been kind of building a legacy doing this sort of thing, and in my opinion he does it well. This makes Sonic Frontiers one of the rare Sonic games to feature an actual, dedicated writer, as opposed to a game developer wearing a writer's hat. Flynn's inclusion is nothing but good news, and fans have been campaigning for this for years.

Consider that your one ray of hope in a sea of uncertainty. I can theorize about Sonic Frontiers all day, about how empty the world might be, about how ten months isn't enough time to make a whole game, but the fact of the matter is, Sega is keeping Frontiers close to their chest and there's no telling how much they actually have planned for it. Or how far along the game itself actually is. Leaks earlier this year suggested Sonic Frontiers (then called Sonic Rangers) has been in development now for at least two years. It described an open world game where the shrines seen in these early screenshots and videos lead to brief Sonic-Generations-style boost levels. There is a game here, and one that's potentially pretty far along, but Sega is taking baby steps with it in a way that's suggesting uncomfortable uncertainty.

(Sonic Frontiers, 2022)

They could be building a sense of mystery, but if Takashi Iizuka is out there apologizing for announcing the game too early, it sure feels like they aren't leaving themselves a lot of runway to get this thing off the ground before their deadline. It may feel like a long time from where we're standing today, but Holiday Season 2022 will be here sooner than you think. For now, I suggest we keep our expectations in check and wait and see what the future holds.

#writing #sonic frontiers #sonic rangers #sega #sonic team #sonic the hedgehog #gut check #the game awards

[fitzs-trained-monkey]

Chapter Three: If We Have Each Other.

~When the world's not perfect When the world's not kind If we have each other then we'll both be fine. I will be your brother and I'll hold your hand. You should know I'll be there for you. I will always be there for you~

"Dude, we are in some serious jelly," I proclaimed as I paced around the small perimeter of the tree house.

"And that jam!" Isaac added from where he remained sitting at the table.

"Tight spot."

"Indeed!"

"Up a tree!" I supplied.

"Lost in the grass!" He offered. I swung around, shaking my finger at him.

"I'll tell ya what's grass, our- AAH FRACKLES!"  I had stepped on a stray nail in one of the floorboards. Hobbling my way back into my chair, I thunked my head against the table.

"But look at the bright side." Isaac leaned back in his chair. "Seeing as how our grand-theft-hairbrush is going viral and all, there is still a chance that me flipping the camera off could become a meme!" He pointed out. Slowly, I raised my head to stare at him.

"Are you kidding me right now?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Consider it, Marty! All it took was five years being dead and now I'm finally fulfilling my life-long dream! If I'd known it was this easy, I would have killed myself a long time ago and spared me all that drama and emotional damage," Isaac smirked. I shook my head, my gaze drifted back to the Vader figure and snow globe sitting side-by-side on the shelf.

"Please don't talk like that Isaac," I sighed. Isaac's face fell.

"Sorry, I-I wasn't thinking," He apologized. I nodded.

"It's okay." It wasn't, but what more could be said when you didn't want to speak?

"Hey," Isaac spoke softly, ducking his head to get me to look at him, "Even if things go sour, I'm gonna be here for you. Just like I promised. Through thick and thin, remember?"

"Through thick and thin."

Smiling weakly, I repeated our life long mantra. I took a deep breath and focused back in on the problem.

"Alright, man. We gotta figure out a game plan. That video is gonna bring every hunter and their mom up here to ice our, or my, gluteus maximus. And if they know about the minimart then they know about the hospital. So, what's our play?"

"Well, I say you use your Sweet-Talkin' thing and talk any o'those alcoholic weirdos out of it," Isaac suggested. I shook my head.

"Isaac, you know how much I hate doing that."

Although it was a tempting idea, that wasn't something I wanted to mess with. If you start playing with the dark things, the dark things start playing with you. That wasn't a concept I liked, but Isaac would never understand that.

"I'm just saying it’s an option! And an easy one at that," Isaac pushed. I glared at him.

"I'm not doing that."

"It might come to it, Marty. I'm just saying as a plan C it-"

"The answer is no! Moving on." My tone killed and buried the subject. Isaac raised his hands in surrender.

"Fine. But misinformation is still our strongest tool. We should use it. Tell anybody who asks that it was all done on a computer," He conceded.

"Alright, that's plan A. What's plan B?"  Isaac's face twisted in thought. I let him do any and all planning when it came to telling a lie because he was so much better at making it convincing than I was. Isaac was the king of spouting believable bull crap. In fact, he would have made and excellent demon. That guy could probably get an angel to sell its soul for a box of holy doughnuts. When the idea hit Isaac's brain, I could almost see a light bulb light up above his head. He leaned forward, exited.

"Okay, I got it. We make up some BS story about a gay black dude who got chopped up by the ferry or something and the hospital wouldn't help him because all the doctors were racist homophobes, and it was the 50's." He nodded at me very seriously. Like I said, Isaac was king.

"That's is the worst, most ridiculous and stupid story I have ever heard," I told him. Isaac's nodding grew more excited. "It's perfect. They'll buy every word. Just one thing though, what about the mini-mart?" I pointed out.

Isaac opened his mouth before closing it again. Then he opened it. Then he closed it. Open. Closed. Open. Closed. This happened several more times before he finally came up with something good.

"So, our gay black guy was also a nice hobo dude and after he died he started stealing crap to give to his hobo buddies." Isaac gave me a thumbs up. I nodded.

"Okay, sounds good, sounds good. How do we explain me?" I splayed my hands. Isaac huffed and rolled his eyes, leaning back again and tucking his hands behind his head.

"Well, that’s easy. The camera never even caught a glimpse of your face, so you're his anonymous theft buddy slash item distributer!" He explained. I grinned at my fantastic phantasmal co-conspirator.

"Excellent, and of course nobody knows who the thief is. Especially not, innocent little me!" I chuckled at his brilliance.

"Exactly!" Isaac smirked.

"It's perfect! Except one last thing. We're gonna need some eyes and ears in on this. Someone to alert us when someone fishy comes lurking about," I said. Isaac nodded seriously.

"You're right. But who can we trust around here?" He asked. I could feel the smile split across my face.

"I can think of only one man for this job. A man as trustworthy as he is slimy. A man scrubbed clean by his own filth. A man so wonderful, words do him no justice!" I declared dramatically. Isaac was confused for a moment before realization dawned. His face fell.

"Please tell me you're not thinking what I think you're thinking."

"I think I am." I grinned. Isaac just sighed.

"Marty, no."

"Marty, yes!"

- 45 minutes later-

"Yo! Danny, my man! How's life?" I called out. Dan-the-Dope-Man looked up from...whatever it was he was doing outside Copper Harbor's one and only pharmacy. The pharmacy which he, in fact, owned. Honestly, I didn't want to know exactly what he had been doing behind the pile of cardboard boxes that were stacked up against the moldy brick. I figured it was better if I didn't. Dan smiled a grin that was missing two teeth.

"Marty! My worst customer and only friend! Life's good!" He greeted me, kicking a few of the boxes over to hide whatever suspicious activity it was that he had been up to. He winked and walked over to me, pushing his absolutely disgusting blond hair out of his face. "But, you know, business is betta'," He concluded.

I could never tell how tall Dan was, in this form especially. See, Dan-the-Dope-Man was a shapeshifter, though of course, no one else in the town knew that. That's how he was the owner of the pharmacy as well as a drug dealer. His other form, Jonathan De’ Santos, was the tall, 40-year-old, honest-looking Hawaiian man that ran the pharmacy. In this form, however, Dan was a somewhere-in-the-upper-five-foot-range Caucasian guy from Brooklyn with a thing against bathing. He said that the grungy, sewer-rat look was better for his side business. I wasn't sure how much of that I bought, but then again, who's gonna buy drugs from the guy who's supposed to make sure you don't destroy yourself with them.

"I bet it is!" I said, taking a step back when he reached me because, like I said, the guy had a thing against hygiene.

"This is a terrible, terrible idea," Isaac muttered, leaning on the wall to my left. I couldn't reply to him because although Dan knew what I was he didn't know about Isaac. So all I could do was give him a rude gesture behind my back. He saw it and stuck his tongue out at me.

"What can I do fo' ya, Marty?" Dan always pronounced my name as 'Mawty' at least in this form as it had a Brooklyn accent.

"Well, o' Danny boy, I have some rather bad news to deliver," I continued, "There might be some hunters coming to town soon."

Dan frowned; his eyes narrowed at me as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Well, that ain't good. Whatt'id ya do, Marty?" He asked. Sometimes Dan could be like my older brother, even if he didn't realize it.

"Woah, woah, woah! Who said I did anything?!" I defended. Dan just raised an eyebrow.

"You're always showin' off and ya know it," He said simply.

"He's right, you know," Isaac interjected. I wished I could tell him to shut his eidolic cake hole. It wouldn't have made much of a difference if I could, as he would still have continued talking, but the principle remained the same. Isaac was annoying. He needed to shut his mouth now and again. But I couldn't say that right now because he was a flipping ghost and ghosts are invisible. Mostly.

Ignoring Isaac, I opened my mouth to try to argue with Dan but quickly closed it again when found that I couldn't, because he was absolutely right. Now, I couldn’t admit that to him because Isaac was right here and that would be saying that he was right about something, and that was a thing I would never hear the end of.

"In regards," I started again.

"You'd just say 'regardless'," Isaac chimed in. I had to physically bite my tongue to keep from screaming at him to shut up.

"Regardless," I corrected. Isaac chuckled. I really needed to get myself some iron gauntlets or something so I could give his apparitional arse an involuntary appendectomy. Or just an iron ring so I could punch him in the face.

"Regardless, it wasn't me. This time. It was some attention seeking moron with a computer. That combined with my little hospital trips and you get something fishy looking." I finally managed to finish my sentence without Isaac chiming in.

"Well then ya betta' keep ya head down, Marty. I don' wan' ya gettin hurt." A dark look crossed over Dan's usually upbeat face. "Or worse," He finished.

"I know Danny, which is why I need you to do something for me," I said. Isaac sighed and face palmed but I ignored it.

"What?" Dan asked.

"I need you to watch out for any newcomers asking weird questions. I've got a plan if any hunters get too close to us, I just need to know who and where they are," I told him.

See, the pharmacy, the mini-mart, the bar, and the barber shop all sat across from each other at a four way intersection. Thus, Dan would have an excellent view of any hunter's first two targets. The origin of the supernatural activity, in this case the mini-mart, and the bar. He would be the perfect spy. Dan looked at me strangely.

"Say, Marty, you ain't plannin' on gankin' any a' dose' suckas' now are ya?" He asked, caution evident in his voice. I sighed, shaking my head internally. This was just another downside of being what I was. Everybody thinks you're a murderer. Though I knew I was far from innocent, I had never killed anyone. At least, anyone who didn't deserve it.

"Come on, Danny. In all the time you've known me, have I ever, er, ganked anyone?" I asked him, spreading my hands as if to catch the obvious answer.

"Well, no. But people can change," Dan pointed out. I rolled my eyes.

"Dan, I'm not gonna kill anyone. There, ya happy?" I said, only mildly aggravated. Isaac decided it was time to speak up again.

"You may not. But I will. If it comes to that. I won't let anybody hurt you, Marty. Not again. Not when I can do something about it."

I knew he was saying this now so I wouldn't be able to argue with him. Then I would forget and if he did kill someone Isaac would say he'd said he would. I ground my teeth together and reminded myself that it wasn't going to come to that. I wouldn't let it.

Meanwhile, Dan thought about what I'd spoken aloud.

"Yeah okay, but if anybody comes sniffin' I'm skippin', kay?" He agreed. I nodded.

"Okay, take care of yourself, Danny."

"You too, Marty." I smiled at him and began to walk away. Isaac pushed himself off the wall and trudged behind me, complaining loudly.

"Make sure you take care of yourself too, Issac! I'd hate myself if anything happened to you, Isaac! I wouldn't be able to survive without you, Isaac! Thanks Marty, your friendship means everything to me!" He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Ugh! Why do I even bother?"

I smirked giving him the sign for 'I love you' behind my back.

"Aw shut up!"

But I knew he was smiling.

~So, I'm thankful for my sister even though sometimes we fight When high school wasn't easy, she's the reason I survived. I know she'd never leave me and I hate to see her cry. I just wanna tell her that I'm always by her side. I just wanna tell her that...

The worlds not perfect, but it’s not that bad. If we've got each other and that’s all we have I will be your brother and I'll hold your hand You should know I'll be there for you When the world's not perfect When the world's not kind If we have each other then we'll both be fine I will be your brother and I'll hold your hand You should know I'll be there for you.

I will always be there for you.~

Lyrics from: If We Have Each Other by Alec Benjamin

#jack kline x oc #jack kline #jack kline fanfiction #jack kline x reader #spn #spn fanfiction #superntural #supernatural fanfiction #dean winchester #sam winchester #castiel #alexander calvert #alex calvert #jensen ackles #jared padalecki #jack is baby #the writing gets better #jack kline humor #jack kline fluff #fluff #my name is cas and i write stuff #fanfic #thanks for reading #have a nice day