#so he probably fights more often and longer than sans

[yunhobug]

San SFW Alphabet

Choi San x Gn!reader

w: spelling errors probably🤧

requested by anon!

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

THE MOST AFFECTIONATE

Probably the most affectionate out of the whole group aside from Woo

He just loves you, and needs to be with you/near you all the time

Always has a hand on you in public, especially loves when you link arms

a whole cuddle bug when you’re at home together

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Sannie is a cute best friend!

Definitely on the shy side at first, you most likely approached him first to start the friendship

He loves going on lunch dates

you guys have a note on your phones of places you’ve been and their ratings

this is a tradition you both carried into your relationship

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Cuddle bug!!

like i mentioned San loves to cuddle, it’s in his genes lol

he loves to hold you, whether it be on the couch, bed, and a small chair that he somehow squeezed you both into

it doesn’t matter

San is much more of a homebody than you expected and the cuddles just add to this side of him

He also loves when you comb through his hair while you cuddle

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

I think San would like to settle down but I honestly think that level of commitment scares him a bit so he takes things slowly with you.

I don’t think San would want to live together until you were married in all honestly

I think he’d be better at cleaning than cooking but he’s a quick learner and always wants to do a good job to impress you

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

Oh boy, this truly is so hard for him to do

I could see San trying to avoid the conversation as long as he can

So much to the point where you are kind of expecting it to happen with how the relationship has been going

This boy is so scared of your reaction he probably would want to do it over text or call before you yelled at him to tell you in person

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Like i mentioned in the domestic section commitment is a bit scary to him and he doesn’t like fast change

San would love to marry you but you’d have to play the waiting game with him

when i say the waiting game i mean it, He probably wouldn’t propose until at least five years into dating

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Really gentle emotionally, this is where his Cancer nature really comes out

He loves you and your emotions are also his

He feels just as deeply as you do, the type to cry with you just because seeing you so upset breaks his heart

Physically, he try’s his best but he’s a bit clumsy and accidents happen

loves to play fight with you

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Loves hugs, especially when you initiate them first

it warms his heart to be held and to hold you

Loves to hug you in public, like amusement park couple style

just loves to show you off as his partner

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

This takes some time, San is really good with other people’s emotions but tends to struggle to express his own sometimes

He knows he loves you but it may take him a bit longer to verbalize it

definitely shows his love through actions before telling it to you

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Oh boy, he’s one of the most jealous members

(followed closely by Seonnghwa, yunho, and Joong)

San has a Leo Venus and Scorpio mats meaning he is incredibly proud you’re HIS partner

Loves to show you off, brags about you day and night, and he’s going to make sure every knows you’re spoken for

When he’s jealous, he’s going to make a dramatic display to show the person who you may be talking to that he’s your boyfriend

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

INTENSE

i’m gonna be honest, it’s messy. Sannie loves to make out with you, he prefers to kiss you over breathing

lots of tongue, he likes swapping spit, he also doesn’t want any space between the two of you

also loves morning kisses before you both get out of bed, he also ignores your protests about morning breath

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He enjoys kids a lot! He thinks they’re super fun

but

I think this would be the farthest stage to get to with him, even after getting married he wants to wait for a while

He wants to make sure his kids grow up with the best life they could possibly have and if it takes 10 years to get there he’s gonna wait 10 years

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Energetic?

you’re surprised how much energy he has

San won’t get out of bed for awhile but as soon as he’s up, he’s up

Loves to do a morning routine with you, even if it’s now 1pm

Likes to cook with you, shower together, pick each others outfits, and do your hair together

He’s literally obsessed with it

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

While mornings can be chaotic nights are the opposite, with the rare occasion of the night time roomie zoomies

He loves to cuddle up into bed with you while you play games or watch a show together

Sometimes he plays games on the computer late into the night, is always apologetic to you when he comes into the bedroom late and night to cuddle you

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Like i mentioned above, He’s a really empathetic person and good with others emotions but not as much his own

San will take awhile to open up to you, but as soon as he does, the flood gates are open and he’s suddenly spilling every little thing about himself

It may overwhelm you but it’s just because he trusts you so much

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

it takes a lot to anger San but sometimes his job can become too much

The members have said that San is the scariest when angry, he knows this and tries his best to be calm headed with you

he’s careful to never take things out on you, just give him some space and alone time and he’ll come back to you after some time sulking and looking for cuddles

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

San is good at remembering the big things, birthdays, anniversary dates, etc

but he may forget some of the small things like favorite flowers or food preferences

He’s really good at remembering your fashion preferences though, he loves buying you clothes so it’s important to him to remember those details

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

If he has to pick one memory that he appreciates the most it would have to be the first Christmas you celebrated together

Not only was it your first christmas together but it was also the first time he met your family

They welcomed him with such open arms, his nerves about the day melted away the second your mom sent a smile in his direction

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

So protective!!

ties into the jealousy aspect, he loves to be your help, but he also wants to feel protected from you

in his eyes when you’re safe it means he’s safe

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He tries a lot, and the amount of effort he puts in doesn’t change, not matter how long you’ve been together

He definitely puts more time into dates and experiences over gifts though

he jokes that spending the day with him is a gift within itself

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

I do believe that San’s emotions could get the best of him, he may close himself off and rather than tell you what’s going on he pulls away instead

When San’s really upset he may be a tough shell to crack

This happens less the longer you’re together, he needs to fully trust you to be able to stay together for a long time

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He thinks about his looks more than he thinks he should in all honesty

He likes to look good for you and loves when you compliment him, he wants to hear praise from you

Definitely takes more time to get ready in the mornings just to put a little more effort in

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

I honestly really struggled with this one

I want to say yes and no but i lean more towards no

San has a strong support group around him and I think he could recover from the relationship if you guys broke up easier than others

On the other hand this man literally adores you, he would walk to the ends of the earth if you asked

His sun, moon, and stars

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He loves to play games with you, especially super smash bros

You like to have tournaments to decide who’s in charge of certain household tasks for the week

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

I don’t think San would like someone who was sloppy

He has a certain image of who he wants his s/o to be and i think he would prefer someone that keeps up with their appearance and hygiene

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

CUDDLES YOU ALWAYS

Literally you will never get away from this man

Loves to hold you to his chest, bundles up in his arms

San also sleeps forever, like a cat

#honeyslibrary #ateez #ateez reactions #boyfriend ateez #ateez scenarios #ateez x reader #Choi san #choi san x reader #San #san x reader #san imagines #san reaction #san headcanons #choi san imagines #choi san reactions #choi san scenarios #san scenarios

[monstrouslyobsessed]

—blur the lines (between fiction and reality)

 I heard you're open for 5 headcanon requests on your post, can you do a headcanon about a yandere story that involves around Vincent Valentine falling in love with the female reader from the real world and trying to get out of dirge of cerberus and into the real world —anonymous

tw / tags: sfw, gn reader, death mentions (aerith’s), obsessive thoughts, general yandere themes featured character(s): final fantasy 7′s vincent valentine, minor appearances of yuffie, cloud, and marlene minors dni.

—note: hm took some thinking for this one until i saw a series done by @/writingforatwistedworld about self-aware au’s and decided it just might work for the old boi in red. that said, this is super tame, so don’t come in expecting any spice. vincents too sweet anyway (unless he merged with chaos, thats a whole diff story lol).

》after what must have been several hundredth reset, vincent soon figured out that he was living a scripted life. —tragically, only he realized it. —or perhaps his friends and allies were living in denial. —which is probably a bliss to have.

》often, the world would alternate between several different...atmospheres. one where everything begins with a certain blond mercenary (og ff7) and one that focuses on the aftermath (the film, advent children), and there was one where he plays the major role in (DoC). —there were several more, but they were fairly rarer than the rest that he could barely remember as he hardly played a role in these. —all were painfully distinct.

》vincent was realistic at the worst of times, at least toward himself. —it became easier to disconnect himself from his emotions —and from others too. —whenever one passes from a grueling battle or something had gone terribly wrong, time would reset and correct everything to the script only the creator could read.

under the cut due to the length!

》he no longer felt any drop of sorrow for aerith’s deaths —she always came back with the hard reset from the beginning. —he lost feelings for the woman who birthed sephiroth. —it was hard realizing that the woman you loved was all but responsible for everything, choosing the coward’s path and not staying and fighting harder to ensure that her own son would have a decent childhood. —after what must’ve been 100+ resets, he started hating her too. —wishing that he never tried to help her and to leave things be.

》perhaps vincent would’ve lived a normal life —...sans being a hitman thing for the notorious company he was employed to, perhaps. —but he wouldn’t have to live with too many voices in his head, clamoring for deaths and bloodshed. —testing his sanity. —if he hadn't fallen in love with that pitiful woman and became that fucking bastard of a doctor’s test subject, he might’ve been a married man and have children of his own years later down the road. —an ordinary dream, but it was his dream. the dream that he knew he couldn’t attain, not by normal means.

》he had one normalcy though, that remained consistent throughout the resets. —you. —sometimes, he’d see your face —or, rather, your ghost. —it was hard to describe, but you were always looking on, being a specter and usually having some kind of odd looking device in your hands (console controller of your choice). —you usually sit either on your bed or a lounging chair (or so he thinks, he could only tell by your position).

》he couldn’t make out most of the details —you were semi-transparent, nothing more than a faint outline. —but vincent knew you were there. —watching him. watching everyone.

》initially, some odd resets ago upon his enlightenment of becoming self-aware, your presence disturbed him —now, your constant presence comforts him. —it helps that unlike him and the others, you were always looking a little different each reset. —that you weren’t following any script but your own. —you broke monotony of living the exact same script every reset. —is it really so far-fetched that he’d grow obsessed with you?

》he paid attention to every little detail. —in the beginning, you were hard to make out but after so many resets and his growing fixation with you, you were practically in front of him. —that you were right there, as tangible as he is. —you were within in his reach, yet when he pretended to close in to pick up an object, he swept his golden claw swept through your body and it phrased though, he cannot touch you. —he cannot hold you. —yet. 》vincent started listening too. —you were all silence to his ears, even though he saw your lips moving. —now he knew your name, your every word —your habits. —you mutter sometimes, usually complaints but also critiques. —it was through you he realized he was a fictional character in some sort of video game series.

》it was a bit of blow, because vincent always felt alive. —but the resets made sense. —how often had you played his game(s)? —...had you ever seen him as a real person?

》he always wondered. 》vincent wished he could touch you, that he could hold you in his arms. —but that was a hopeless dream, wasn’t it? —especially when he was nothing but a finite series of codes and  numbers. —all of his dreams were hopeless.

》but something changed. —he saw you sobbing, barely touching your controller. —and he couldn’t move an inch from where he was. —you controlled his movements after all.

》why did you weep so? —fire consumed his heart and his skin blackened from the rising influence of chaos inside him. —who hurt you? —vincent never realized he moved against his codes, closing in to your balled position.

》his hand still phrased through you though and a stark frown formed on his pale lips. —all the characters he was surrounded by, hardly responded to his strange behavior though, stuck in the loop of their static animations. —one or two remarked on his off-ness though, yuffie in particular, but did nothing to stop him when he reached out for something invisible. —“huh, is something there, vinny?” he heard yuffie asking.

》"it’s nothing.” vincent recalled saying, shaking his head, but he was still staring at you. —those were unfamiliar words in his usual dull script, vincent later realized, when you rose your head confused. —you yelled out in shock, scrambling backward from how vincent took up the majority of your tv screen, boring holes in your face (it feels like). you never moved him? —the video game had to be glitched.

》or maybe you moved the thumbstick on your controller without realizing. —deciding to blame the foreign lines upon unknown triggers you never found until now, you took in a shuddering sigh. —wiping away the tears from your eyes, you resumed your playing, ignoring the text messages on your phone where it broke news that you didn’t need. —you needed some distractions.

》for a moment, vincent refused to move and you rose your brows in bafflement. — “is this thing on?” you smacked on your controller. —his staring was kinda creeping you out. —he (probably) wasn’t your most favorite character in the ff7 series, but you’ve found him a very compelling character. sure, the plot in vincent’s game was shite but its gameplay was, while not groundbreaking, great for its time. —you played his game often, as a good stress reliever. it helps that vincent was an eyecandy for the main character in shooting game too. —you played so much of his game that you knew every line and action by heart, so the way vincent was staring at you was...a little scary.

》had his animations ever looked so...realistic before? —before you could dwell on it further, the game unglitched itself and the character in red followed your movement inputs albeit with a good delay. —o...kay, that was weird. —the game was old though so you shrugged and paid the weirdness no more mind.

》but...since then, things started getting a little...weirder. 》vincent would turn his head to you often, or the camera anyway, and stare. —there were a lot of input lags too, though he never got injured by enemies somehow. —and sometimes he...did things on his own without your commands too. —casting fireballs when you meant him to aim and shoot his iconic three barreled gun. —granted, that was a far better decision than yours because of the explosives nearby and took all the surrounding enemies (you...forgot those barrels were there in the first place, truth be told).

》and lately... — “huh?” you blinked at the subtitles on the screen. “are those new voicelines?” —you remembered no character saying anything new. —it was only vincent who started saying unfamilair lines. —“enemies overhead.” “you missed several items 7 yards behind me.” “the turret!” “watch out, enemies incoming from the right” —“i trust you.” —why is the video game character talking to YOU?

》o...kay, maybe you should play another game. —or get a new console. —the cd hadn’t had a single scratch on it though. —you decided you were still in the mood for ff7 and resumed a savefile for the original ff7 game.

》but...even the weirdness persisted through there too. —in battles, he always turns his head to follow you/camera awaiting for your inputs. —when you tried to swap him out to another character, the option turned grey and vincent straight up refused to be removed. —and hell, you even had to play as vincent instead of cloud of all things. —did you trigger something somehow that enabled vincent being playable?

》 “what the fuck is going on with vincent?” you said aloud, baffled by yet another brand new scene with vincent you knew never occurred in the game nor was it even coded in. —you should know, you’ve enjoyed far too many playthroughs, a bunch of videos on the game hacking investigations (the discovery on aerith being initially planned to be alive to the end was startling), and played a bunch from the beginning to the end yourself. —for whatever reason, vincent confronted hojo by...himself. —no cloud, no tifa, no barret, no character but vincent and hojo. —....he shot him pointblank in his forehead.

》what the fuck? —this was well before hojo’s boss battle of all things too! —vincent’s blocky model turned up to you (seemingly) and his dialogue popped up in the nostalgic blue rectangular. “nothing’s wrong with me, —.” —you yelled, tossed up your controller, and ran.

》it could be an elaborate prank set up by those you’re close to. —but all of them were wise not to tamper with your games in any shape or form. —nor do they have any skillset to mess with the codes of either games with vincent in it. —plus, it was all too timely, and you knew you never input your real life name in the game. ever. you kept true to the characters original names in every playthrough in the classic game.

》how did vincent know your name?

》it took you a while to return to the room, sneaking over to shut off your console you earlier abandoned. —you glanced to the screen and blinked at the scene of vincent resting against a bookcase, seemingly sleeping. —...you don’t really remember him even having any idle animation in the old game, or that he’s even playable at all outside the rpg battlefields. —weirded out, you shut off the console and decided you needed a break from playing ff7 games for a while.

》it was some months ago when the oddnesses with vincent’s character in both games happened. —after playing other games, you decided you were probably going a little loopy after having a bad day while playing the ff7 games. —still, you weren’t in a mood to play either games, but you missed ff7 anyway. —you thought rewatching the film, advent children, was a grand idea.

》the plot wasn’t the best, but you loved the animation and all the tiny details the animators and artists implemented. —you lost yourself in the film, not batting an eye when vincent first showed up in the intro marlene narrated or how he glanced up his gaze to you little funny. —though it had been a long while since you’ve played this flim so you didn’t think about that unfamiliar detail. —it was when the next scene of where marlene confronted cloud with vincent that things got...weird again.

》“been a while, — .” his red eyes slanted to you, ignoring cloud and marlene’s confused looks. —okay, yep, something is haunting your ff7 collections. —you were given no time to run though, not this time, when vincent reached to your screen. —you squawked out a cry when something distorted outside your large screen. a golden claw grappled on the black frame of your television and then...

》he came out like sadako from the ring series, only —he was reaching out for you.

》before you knew it, you were tightly in his arms, his armored claw uncomfortably jabbing your back. —vincent nosed in your hair and inhaled. saying nothing at all as both of you kneeled on the floor. —you trembled in his embrace, confused. shocked. —did a fictional character literally just...came alive in front of your own eyes?

》 “finally,” vincent sighed, combing through your hair, “i have you in my arms.” —perhaps, this time, his dreams finally came true.

—end

#my writing #headcanons #headcanon #reader insert #sfw #vincent valentine #vincent valentine x you #you x vincent valentine #vincent valentine x reader #reader x vincent valentine #ff7 #Final Fantasy 7 #yandere final fantasy #not my character #gn reader #yandere #yandere imagines #yandere imagine

[meganechan05]

Judge and Bailiff - Chapter 4

Because AO3 is down, imma have to post this brand new chapter here so ENJOY! (￣▽￣;)

Edit: it's back up lmao

Don't worry. It's fluffy and cute and very much RitaMoru being an old married couple.

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

Rita groggily woke up, only to find themself in their bedroom. They tried to push themself up, feeling their arms grow weaker with each movement as their vision was still blurry from suddenly collapsing outside the courtroom. A pair of hands quickly grabbed their shoulders, making them turn to find Morfonia.

"Morfonia...?" They began to cough, their voice hoarse and their throat extremely parched.

"Don't push yourself. The physician said you have a high fever." She helped her King sit against the backrest. She then handed Rita a mug of warm tea. "Here."

They took careful sips, allowing the warm tea to soothe the pain. They let out a small sigh, only to shiver when the warmth quickly faded. Morfonia quickly moved to put the mug back onto the nightstand so she can tuck Rita in, only for the Judge to fight it.

"I'm fine."

"You're not. You have a dangerously high fever, passed out in the middle of the castle, and can barely keep yourself up. Even Himeno said to keep you in bed when she called."

"She called?"

"Something about patents and using Gokkan's tunnels to Bugnarok to make deliveries. I already handled it." She waved her hand as if to wave it off as something they shouldn't worry about.

Rita looked at their retainer, perplexed and also surprised to hear her taking action. Morfonia noticed and looked away.

"She said it was urgent and you're in no shape to do anything so I used my right as your successor to take charge. Nothing wrong with that, right? You always told me to in case anything happened."

The Judge could only look towards the ceiling at this, knowing she's right. They did always have backup plans written out in case of emergencies. Moreso after the first Bugnarok attack as they weren't sure what could happen when the Kings were fighting. They were just taken aback since Morfonia had a tendency to avoid work as much as possible.

"The trials?"

"You already finished investigations and wrote down your verdict so it's more of confirming it in court. Why? You wanna postpone?"

"Postponements would only keep those possibly innocent in prison longer than they should." They began to get up again. "I'll just give my ruling and-" They were pushed back into bed by their retainer.

"I'll handle it. And if you keep moving around trying to work while resting, it will only keep you sick longer which means more work for me to do. So stay in bed."

"It's fine-"

"It is not. Don't make me cuff you to your bed, Rita."

Rita glared at their retainer, only to lay down with a small huff. If there was anything on the list of pros for Morfonia, it would be that she tends to keep her word. But sometimes it could be a con in Rita's book for situations like this.

Morfonia pulled the blanket up to cover her King. "Just rest. The more you rest, the faster you can get back to work." She grabbed Rita's Caliber and Hotline before leaving, knowing the Judge would grab them at any moment.

Curse her.

~~

"Hm? Rita-san's out sick?" Gira asked as he was reading over paperwork.

"According to Morfonia-sama, they've caught a cold so she will be taking care of everything."

"Do all attendants do that?"

"It often depends per country. Had you not become a traitor against your brother, you would have been his temporary replacement should he have fallen ill since you were next in line for the throne. Not only is she Rita-sama's retainer, Morfonia-sama is also the successor to Gokkan's throne."

"I didn't know that. Then I guess I shouldn't cause problems for them. Knowing Rita-san, they're probably stressed from not being able to work."

"A decision to strengthen relationship between Shugoddom and Gokkan?"

"Something like that. I do owe them for when everyone faked my death." He checked off the list in front of him before signing papers. "I just hope Morfonia-san will be okay with that."

~~

Morfonia stretched after leaving the courtroom, having finished all of the trials for the day. "Mou... I don't know how Rita can handle rowdy prisoners like that..." she whined, recoiling from the nasty comments thrown from guilty prisoners.

Not her fault they've committed crimes with evidence to prove it. Rita already had the paperwork documenting everything as well as audio recordings when investigating. No one could really fault her for her King's decisions.

"Sounds like you have it rough."

She turned to find Himeno. "Ah. What brings you here?"

"To check on Rita, of course. While your physicians are adequate, the least I could do is do a check, myself, to make sure a fellow King is okay."

Morfonia backed away, glaring at the Queen in suspicion. "Nothing else?"

"Why would there be anything else?" Himeno fluttered her lashes in innocence.

"Knowing you, there could always be something."

Himeno furrowed her brows at the accusation. "If you're referring to my selfishness, you do know it goes both ways, right? If Rita's healthy, they're the only one I can trust to give fair rulings to people. A change in power is too tedious even with Gokkan's Neutrality. So. Where are they?"

Morfonia eyed the woman before sighing. "If they get angry, that's on you."

She led her to Rita's quarters where the Judge was still asleep, a plush Moffun wearing a face mask in their arms. Himeno then noticed what looked like a handcuff connected to the bed post at the footrest.

She turned to Morfonia. "And that?"

"Ah. I caught them trying to get out of bed between trials. I did warn Rita I'd cuff them to bed if they tried to get out and work."

Himeno tried to hold back a laugh at this. Of course they would. She took off her backpack holding her medical supplies before going to work. Checking Rita's temperature and breathing pattern.

"Rare to have them fall sick."

"Scared the Shugods out of everyone," Morfonia said, folding her arms. "Injuries from battles or tough cases, we can expect, but not a cold."

"Even more surprising since they can walk outside in those clothes. Don't they know it's freezing out?" She put away her equipment. "Have they've taken any medication yet?"

Morfonia hesitated. "They didn't want to."

Himeno rolled her eyes at this. "This stubborn idiot." She shuffled through her bag, taking out a box and what looked like jelly packets. She handed them to Morfonia. "Good thing I packed these if they're going to be stubborn. Just give them one packet of the medicine. If they get fussy about it, bribe them with the jelly."

Morfonia looked at the packets. "These are safe for them to eat while sick?"

"Common practice in Ishabana when a child refuses to take their medicine. Guessing since Rita rarely gets sick, no one would figure out the Chief Justice hates medicine."

"Just don't tell the other Kings," Morfonia said with a pout. "Imagine how angry they'd get if they found out you know about that."

"Whatever you say. But it looks like you have everything handled. Just keep me updated as they get more rest, okay?"

"Sure."

The Queen of Ishabana took her leave, only for Morfonia to sigh. "To think the others would be that worried." She couldn't help but to smile as she set everything onto the nightstand. "But it means Rita's being friendly with them."

"I'm not."

She nearly jumped out of her chair when she heard Rita's voice, turning to her King to find them awake. "R-Rita?! How long were you awake?!" She exclaimed as the judge sat up.

"Somewhere along the lines of being called stubborn." This only made them cough, their voice still hoarse.

Morfonia gave them their cup of water. "Then you heard everything about the medicine?"

Rita quickly turned away at the question, not wanting to look at Morfonia in the eye.

"Rita. It would be a pain if you don't take it. And no screaming or it'll make your throat worse." She heard Rita click their tongue in annoyance. "At least take it so Himeno's visit wouldn't be for nothing. Even bringing you a jelly drink since you're so picky." She waited until Rita held out their free hand, allowing her to place the packet onto their palm.

She watched as Rita slowly opened up one end before staring at the packet. Shugods, she wanted to record this moment to laugh at later.

Imagine the Immovable King being afraid of taking their medicine.

Rita quickly poured the contents into the mouth before drinking the water, their face scrunched up. They heard Morfonia hold back a laugh which prompted them to glare at her. But the two knew each other long enough that said glares don't really mean anything.

"Good judge~ You took your medicine~" Morfonia teased, handing their King the opened jelly packet.

"Speak none of this to anyone," they mustered out before taking a sip.

"Whatever you say~"

#yeah. i hc Rita as one of the types to almost never get sick #theyd probably see signs of a cold and go “no” and just will it away 😂 #if anything they're taking care of Morf more so this is the rare instance Morf takes care of Rita #yes #my canon #kingohger #king ohger #ohsama sentai kingohger #rita kaniska #rita kanisuka #morfonia #ritamoru #ritamorf #little bit of himerita 😗 #maybe himemorf as Team “Babysit Rita” 😂 #now i wanna see a HimeMorf version of Buddy Daddies if they're gonna take care of Rita 🤣🤣🤣 #oneshot #short one shot #make it canon toei! #MAKE THE YURI THROUPLE CANON

[navree]

Wait what happened to Bruce wayne

In...In general or?

Listen, a lot has happened to Bruce Wayne, this is a character that's been around since the 30s and has Peter Parker levels of "writers will not allow you to be happy for longer than two minutes" syndrome so he has suffered more than Jesus by now, but I'm assuming this is in response to this post about Bruce and his bad track record of movie theaters.

So, for the only person I have ever met who does not know this story (no shade anon, this is like finding someone who doesn't know about Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, I feel like Howard Carter discovering King Tut's tomb, I love it), when Bruce Wayne was eight years old, he went one night with his parents Thomas and Martha to go to a movie, at a movie theater in their home city of Gotham, which is like what conservatives think San Francisco is in terms of crime and quality of living (I'm of the belief personally that more projects should actually use SanFran as a filming location for Gotham but that's a rant for another time). After the movie, while leaving to go home, they take a shortcut through an alley in a rough part of the city known as Park Row (soon to be colloquially renamed as Crime Alley), where they are confronted by a mugger who wants Thomas's wallet and Martha's pearl necklace. In the chaos, the mugger ends up shooting Thomas and Martha dead and fleeing into the night, leaving little eight year old Bruce Wayne standing alone in an alley with the corpses of the parents he just witnessed get full murdered right in front of him. In most iterations of the story, the killer is never caught and the justice system in Gotham is so laughably awful that this moment is what drives Bruce to become the Batman in order to deal with the crime that the police really are not equipped to handle and make sure no one ever has go through what he went through that night ever again. It's a formative event in his origin and left him with a host of psychological issues that make him impossible to handle, and I imagine also that a healthy wariness of movie theaters is probably one of them, cuz trauma is whack like that.

(you know, this story gets retold often enough that the punch has kinda left it at this point but that is a very horrifying thing to happen to a small child, Bruce's ten million issues in his head make a lot of sense if you try to imagine something like this happening to a real kid)

Other things that have happened to Bruce Wayne, because a lot has happened to Bruce Wayne (this is not a comprehensive list I'm very sure I'm missing four dozen other traumas):

His Batman training was very intense and included some stuff that definitely wasn't good for the psyche

It's implied in a comic (I don't know if they've ever done anything with this since) that he might have been molested as a child by a teacher??? DC between this and Dick and Jason and Barbara we really need to discuss your habit of having the adult members of the Batfamily be victims of assault, it's weird at this point

He's never had a relationship that's ended well, and he's been in a lot of relationships. Best case scenario, they leave him. Worst case scenario, they die. Because everyone in this man's life dies

Case in point he had a girlfriend who I think got her throat slit in front of him and I don't know if we've heard from her since so she might have been full on murdered in front of him too

His close friend and civilian partner in crime fighting, Harvey Dent, was attacked and disfigured and the trauma of that and other elements of his life turned him into a supervillain who keeps trying to kill Bruce now and no matter how many times Bruce tries to help him the cyclical status quo nature of comics means he never gets better and these two are dancing a miserable dance of pain and lost friendship

He and his first son spent years on the outs and full on not on speaking terms

His pregnant long term partner faked a miscarriage of that baby and then immediately left him in order to raise the baby herself and not tell him for ten years (I don't know how canon this is anymore but it is a story that happened)

His second son was tortured and murdered at age fifteen by his greatest nemesis via extended and brutal beating with a crowbar and subsequently being blown up as a direct result of Bruce's actions (I know Jason doesn't blame Bruce and what happened wasn't his fault but there is a line of culpability that can be drawn)

Bruce found said second son's body in the wreckage after having arrived seconds too late to save him and the entire event fucked him up so badly that he was actively suicidal and dangerously close to killing people for months

That second son came back to life and made it clear that he doesn't hate Bruce for the things Bruce hates himself for, but in fact hates him for not doing the one thing that Bruce cannot do (killing the man who murdered him). It's very tragic, we all cry about it

His greatest nemesis also attacked his friend, the police commissioner, and his son's girlfriend, the police commissioner's daughter, as part of their cat and mouse game

He thought that his closest maternal figure since the death of his mother full on let a child under his care die of her injuries from being tortured in order to teach him a lesson

He was presumed dead while actually being trapped in the time stream for a really long time and nobody knew about it

He got left at the altar by his fiancée

His fourth and youngest son was killed (for five minutes but it happened) by being stabbed in the chest at the age of, like, twelve

His best friend died on live television which, combined with the ongoing trauma of his second son's murder, sent him into a slow motion psychological breakdown

After being kept awake for, like, three days straight in order to fight every supervillain ever (including a guy who makes him hallucinate his greatest fears) he is beaten to a pulp in his own home by a man on steroids and has his back literally broke in half like a Pringle

His greatest nemesis planned a massive attack on his entire family (which includes at least two people who have been very intimately personally scarred by this guy and what he did to them) in order to physically torture them and psychologically break them, which they all believed is Bruce's fault because he kept a secret from them and it broke their trust in him for a long time

His first son also got shot right in the fucking head, which resulted in him losing all his memories and rejecting the family for like two years (Ric Grayson my nemesis)

His longtime father figure and the man who raised him and loved him following the traumatic murders of his parents was killed and is currently dead

A longtime childhood friend of his secretly hated him the entire time and also attempted to psychologically torment him for days in a convoluted supervillain plan that fucked up another of his relationships and also increased his paranoia

A group of his superhero allies, including people he's known for nearly all his life and people he considers genuine trusted friends, decided via popular vote to forcibly wipe his memories in spite of his protestations (the mindrape also made his paranoia worse, and he's very paranoid)

Really he's paranoid, has OCD, severe control issues, horrible PTSD from a myriad of other things, a tragic inability to communicate, and this routinely strains his relationships with the people he loves, including and most especially his children who have all full on hated him at one point in their lives in spite of how much he loves them

A secret cabal of evil rich people who control Gotham are obsessed with him and trapped him in a labyrinth to drive him insane and also might have either killed his brother in utero or are being run by his brother who is secretly alive (this is up for debate) Thing is this entire story is kinda stupid and has a lot of problematic implications and only has one good moment, which is the ending of Red Hood and the Outlaws #9 so shrug dot emoji but it is part of the canon

Really a lot of his supervillains are obsessed with him and kinda wanna fuck him, which isn't good for anyone's mental health

He's been to Hell a few times

I think he's currently trapped in a nightmare realm as of the writing of this post, or dealing with a nightmare realm, I haven't had the opportunity to read DC Knight Terrors yet but I believe that's what's happening

He's been to multiple different universes and in them he's either a complete monster or the murders of his parents (and possibly his second son) are a fixed point in nearly all of these universes, which just has to suck to know

Worst of all, he's been around for nearly one hundred years and has spent most of those hundred years having his character misinterpreted in almost every way it possibly can by people who don't know a thing about him, Bruce honey I'm so sorry

You know, what hasn't happened to Bruce Wayne at this point.

#personal #answered #anonymous #batman #bruce wayne #'what happened to bruce wayne' how long ya got how much time do we have #this really does validate every single one of those movies that keeps on retreading the death of batman's parents #i'm missing so much from this list but i slept weird so here #an explanation of bruce wayne's origin and a very non comprehensive list of his other traumas

[mediicusvitae]

@muselexum​​ said: ❛ you shouldn’t be out here by yourself. ❜ //from Rayleigh :3c

The mangrove trees of the Sabaody Archipelago towered in the sky, lit by moonlight. Bubbles popped high above. The air was crisp and fresh, the scent of soap omnipresent, no matter how many beer bottles and cigarette butts littered the grass. The Polar Tang anchored in a secluded patch of mangroves to avoid attention, though it was a longer walk to the bustling center. After the Headquarters' base had been moved to the New World, the Navy's influence had weakened and the Sabaody Archipelago became even less safe and more difficult to protect. Freed from any government regulation or central authority, the worst of the worst found solace here. Pickpockets grabbed at anything that flashed and the bulge in your pants was more often than not a dagger. One wrong move, one glance to the wrong person, and a blade would be at your throat.

The first twenty-nine groves were a lawless area where pirates and bounty hunters ruled ruthlessly, expanding their empires of crime, the thriving slave trade supported by no other than the Tenryuubito themselves. Lamy made a face. She faintly wished for Mugiwara to return so that he could punch some more of them, calling forth another insurrection against heaven in the spirit of their troublesome bloodline.

Lamy had heard the stories about what had happened on that fateful day in the Auction House a few years ago. Penguin and Shachi were prone to overblow details while recounting events, but it matched with what Bepo and her brother had told her. She wished she'd been there to witness the chaos. But Mugiwara wasn't the only D. who seemed to attract trouble, Lamy thought sullenly. Of course the crooks of Sabaody weren’t brazen enough to try anything funny with the rest of the Heart Pirates in the vicinity, let alone the Surgeon of Death, but they were taking advantage of the late hour to make their own play for potential new black-market 'goods'. Regardless if they had recognized her wanted poster or not, they had spied a woman on her lonesome and decided that they could overwhelm her with sheer numbers. “Why don’t you come with us?” The leader of the gang inquired, and she heard the subtle, mocking threat beneath his courteous tone. The glow from the lantern flickered over the gleam in his grey eyes and the slowly forming smile. “I'd rather not,” Lamy replied conversationally, eyes scanning for the fastest escape route. She could probably take them in a fight, but it would be a hassle, and she'd prefer not turning her evening stroll into a bloodbath if it wasn't necessary. His gaggle of followers snickered.

“Just for an hour, or two... I'm not a fastidious man.” Lamy made a face as if she had just bitten into an unripe lemon. Yuck! Her finger curled around the trigger of her concealed flintlock pistol as he leaned even closer, one eyebrow twitching. Hadn't her brother complained about the near empty state of their morgue? A gust of wind swept past her, making the loose bangs that fell from her hair clips dance. Suddenly, the man's grey eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his mouth went slack. Lamy watched on as his knees buckled, as did those of his companions, and suddenly they were all dropping around her like flies. She blinked, dumbfounded, surveying the carnage. A figure melted from the shadows then, drawing her gaze. Rayleigh sauntered toward her like a stray alley cat, keeping one of his hands in his pockets as he greeted her with a cheerful wave. “You shouldn’t be out here by yourself,” he chided gently, though there was a gleeful twinkle in his eyes.

“Ray-san!” Lamy exclaimed in surprise, relieved to see a familiar face in this sea of ill-intentioned strangers. She quickly skipped over the unconscious bodies littering the ground, stepping atop the oily leader's crotch for good measure. The Dark King gave her a charming smile as she reached his side, politely offering his elbow for her to take. He presented himself as an ordinary, unassuming ship coater, but behind that mysterious little smile and provocative humor slumbered a power that could wipe out armies with a single glance, befitting for somebody who had 'Right-Hand Man to the First Pirate King' written in his résumé. Conqueror's Haki wasn't like Observation or Armament. It wasn't something a normal person could learn — It was something you had to be born with, and Lamy felt fortunate to be under his protection. He asked her if she was hurt, and Lamy temporarily managed to pull herself out of admiring the flex of his biceps brachii—had he always been this ripped?!—to shake her head. “No, no... thank you for your help, Ray-san,” she smiled brightly. “What are you doing out here this late, if I may ask?”

#{ Dark King in shining armor 😩✨ } #{ The Hearts are having a collective aneurysm somewhere off-screen agshdjdkssgdhjdjfhs } #{ thanks for sending!! >:3c } #muselexum #Verse { submarine's smile. } #{ ic. } #{ asks. }

[valleyrunearchives]

Weightless (The Leap of a Jade Rabbit)

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Fandom: Boku No Hero Academia/My Hero Academia Pairings: Aizawa Shouta/Yamada Hizashi Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Chapter 38/?

Midoriya Izuku stopped believing in heroes when a tragedy occurred in his life. When at the tender age of 11, he lost everything that was everything dear to him, everything that was worth living for. Yet he doesn’t give up. He can’t give up. He decides to make a choice instead. No longer will he stand around and wait for the heroes to arrive while a crime goes down. He’ll be his own hero and a hero to those who are just like him. Those waiting for help that will never arrive. In order to do that, though, he’ll have to fight to survive and lie through his teeth. It won’t be so bad!

After all, it’s not like they can bring him in for vigilantism and Illegal Quirk Usage when he doesn’t even have a quirk, right?

Previous | First | Next

Click here to Read on AO3!

“Your luck fucking sucks, Nerd,” Katsuki tells Izuku after the greenette gets through telling his adventure of the week to him, Eijirou, and Tenya (who started joining them at Izuku’s invitation).

“I totally wasn’t aware of that, Kacchan, thanks,” Izuku replies sarcastically.

“Seriously, bro, how is it that you got kidnapped by a pro hero to avoid being kidnapped by a villain?” Eijirou asks, still confused a bit by how that makes any sense. 

“I concur!” Tenya adds, throwing up a sharp hand movement, “How any pro hero could possibly come to the conclusion that that is the best course of action should have their license re-reviewed! A minor was in danger and that was his best thought on how to fix the situation?!”

“Look, I kind of get it but that doesn’t mean I like it either,” Izuku shakes his head, taking a sip of his coffee, “He did apologize to me. I didn’t accept it. I don’t forgive him for it either, I really don't. But I do get why he tried to save me the way he did. So I guess I’m a little grateful. If it wasn’t for him, I probably would be strapped to some lab table somewhere right now being experimented on by a crazy person.”

“True,” Eijirou scowls with the begrudging acceptance.

Tenya nods, “And at least, Shouta-san and Hizashi-san were swift enough to put together a search and rescue team.” 

“Yeah. They really fucking care about you, Nerd,” Katsuki says before adding near silently under his breath, “I’m glad.” 

Tenya, not hearing the end part, immediately went to bat for Hizashi and Shouta. Understandable. They were two of his brother’s best friends. Katsuki just rolled his eyes at the tirade now leaving Tenya’s mouth. Izuku just smiles fondly and whispers quietly back to the blonde, “Thanks.”

Katsuki’s response was a sniff and a small, almost imperceptible nod. Katsuki language for, “yeah of course. You’re welcome.” Eijirou grins at him, already having picked up on how Katsuki speaks without talking. He wasn’t fluent in it yet but he was for sure learning that body language and actions spoke louder for Katsuki than actual words did. Tenya didn’t know that yet but he would probably also eventually pick up on the fact that Katsuki often means more than he says. Izuku has good friends.

“Where’s that chick you met the other week, by the way?” Katsuki asks, still ignoring Tenya’s lecture on treating Izuku’s foster parents with respect, “Did you forget to send her a damn invite, Nerd?”

“No. I did invite her. She said she couldn’t afford the train ticket this week either. I think she was disappointed about it too…” Izuku said sadly. 

Katsuki rolls his eyes, “Why not just fucking ask your foster dads to cover a ticket for her? I’m sure they would.” 

“Oh, no! I couldn’t possibly ask that of them! They already do so much taking care of me,” Izuku declines immediately, hands flailing in front of him.

“Yeah because they’re damn well supposed to. You know? As your fucking foster dads?” The look Katsuki gives him is nothing short of deadpan.

“Regardless,” he presses firmly, trying to get his point across, “It just wouldn’t feel right to ask them to pay for a train ticket every week just for Uraraka-san to come down to meet you guys and then visit us!”

“Izuku-kun, you know money is no issue with Hizashi-san and Shouta-san, correct? Bakugou-san is correct - though I loathe to admit - that both would be willing to pay for a ticket for her if it would make you happy,” Tenya gently informs him.

Katsuki flips the youngest Iida off for the comment about loathing to admit he was right, which Tenya immediately scoffed in affrontement at. Izuku looks down at his shoes as he thinks about that statement. Sure, they really probably wouldn’t mind if he did ask. But it just didn’t feel right to him. Especially with all that they’ve done for him already. 

“Bro, why not just ask and offer to pay them back?” Eijirou suggests, “If they say that you should, you do some odd jobs to pay them back. If they say not to worry about it, then you know you can treat it like a gift. That was you’ll at least have asked and offered an out for yourself to not feel guilty over.”

“That’s… actually pretty smart, Eiji,” Izuku smiles at the red head, “Alright. I’ll do that. Maybe by this time next week we’ll actually have a meeting session between you guys and Uraraka-chan!”

Eijirou cheers in excitement while Katsuki and Tenya just silently agree with him. Tenya speaks up again after a moment where they all pause to take more sips of their coffee, “I’ve been meaning to ask by the way; what of your aptitude test? Has Nedzu-san gotten back to you with the results?”

“Not yet,” Izuku shakes his head, “Shouta thinks he’ll get back to us by the end of this week. Hizashi says that he’s fairly certain Nedzu-san had it graded by the end of the day I took it but is keeping it quiet to build suspense. Knowing Nedzu-san and his vindictive streak, I think he’s right. But I don’t know who he’s trying to build suspense for; myself or Hizashi and Shouta.”

“Both, probably,” Katsuki chimes in, “I know he kept the whole damn reason about why he was investigating Aldera from me until the very end to build suspense. He probably also purposely made sure to tell me at the end of the school day because he knew I would get fucking pissed and come find you.”

“Especially since he did it on a Tuesday,” Izuku says conspiratorially, mind putting puzzle pieces together, “He probably found out from the street cameras that I was meeting up with you and Eijirou. My guess is it happened right after he figured out my identity from them.”

“You know he found out about it through the street cameras?” Eijirou asks, glancing at one he can see out the window of the coffee shop.

 Izuku rolls his eyes at that, “It’s Nedzu-san. He’s the smartest being in the world. It would be more surprising to me if he didn’t have every camera in all of Japan hackable at the touch of a button.” Katsuki grunts in agreement with that statement.

“Note to self: be sure to be on my best behavior when in front of street cameras,” Eijirou mumbles to himself. Izuku giggles at that. He’s probably not wrong about that though. Especially if he was thinking of going to UA for high school; Wouldn’t do for the principal to know all of your secrets before you even arrive there. Probably doesn’t help that both of your friend’s foster dads work for said principal by teaching at the school either. 

It brings another thought to his mind. UA.

It was his dream school when he was a child. The best of the best heroes graduated from UA. But what about now? Does he still dream of getting in? He could always do the support course. Or even just the general education course. Is that what he wants though? 

Is UA still his dream even if it’s not the hero course?

He supposes he’ll have to think about it a bit more deeply. Maybe talk with Shouta and Hizashi about it. No wait. He should actually talk to Nemuri-san about it. He thinks she would be more partial to helping him fully think it over than his foster dads trying to get him to go to their alma mater. Well… one of his foster dads. Hizashi’s the only one who would really push him to go to UA. He’d probably cite things like how amazing he’d be and how smart he is and how great he’d do. But he doesn’t need that right now. He needs to figure out if this is something he would want or if he needs to leave that dream in the past. 

Regardless, he’ll worry about it later. For right now, he’ll just enjoy the time he’s spending with his friends.

#bnha #bnha fanfic #bnha fanfiction #mha fanfiction #mha fanfic #vigilante izuku #izuku midoryia #iida tenya #kirishima eijirou #bakugou katsuki

[munsontm]

❛  what  a  plot  twist  you  were  .  ❜ — steve

Four years of his life had been devoid of intimacy. All he'd known during that period was fear and sadness infested with blood drenched horror. Hope had slipped from his fingers, like water down the drain, gone somewhere he could never retrieve it from again. Then when Steve appeared before him, illuminated by the high summer sun. He looked almost ethereal despite all the grime and general apocalypse grossness that clung to him like a second skin. Eddie thought he'd been dreaming. Steve was dead. He'd told himself night after night that Steve was dead. He didn't want to think about him suffering what the world had become with his helpful and kind nature. The thought that someone would take advantage of that, of Steve, and that his life might have ended in the worst way possible. Yeah, believing that Steve died quickly, that he was at peace, kept shreds of Eddie intact.

And then Steve rescued him from the wilds, pulled him back from the brink of madness without a thought that it might end up being Eddie that took advantage of him. Even Eddie didn't know if he could or would. The time apart had changed them; the world had rebuilt them as different men. But it became apparent that the love they once shared had never left. He knew because Steve wasted no time telling him that and didn't stop saying it every day. And it mattered when he didn't say it back. He saw it in the depths of his love's hazel eyes, hardened though they were from the life dealt to them. The sadness crept into them like an infection, different to the one running rampage around then. This disease killed much slower, eventually breaking the heart entirely.

Why didn't he say it back? The thought occurred to him constantly. He felt it. He hadn't forgotten what loving Steve felt like. Once upon a time, Eddie had wanted nothing but love and affection after being starved for it during much of his childhood. Meeting Steve that one rainy evening in San Francisco on a blind date changed his life forever. But something else had to come along and change it even further, huh? Maybe he no longer trusted himself with Steve's heart. People often referred to him as trouble as a kid and a teenager. Said that he was no good, a scourge on society, according to one old lady. But those words stuck and turned relevant more than ever when Steve stood across from him, gentle fingers reaching to touch a tiny scar accumulated on his jaw from a fight of life and death. He wanted to tell him so much, say that maybe he wasn't good for him anymore, too damaged--- possibly inhuman and that the old lady had ended up being right in the end. But he knew Steve wouldn't hear a word of it. The lover in him always won.

Instead, it was Steve that spoke, coincidentally, about when they first met and those few first interesting dates of theirs while his sweet touch continued to caress the scar ever so gently. He'd forgotten many of the small details of those memories; living on the edge without respite would do that to a person. But they slowly started to come back as the other man kept talking, and Eddie pushed his jaw into Steve's hand, allowing himself the moment of peace, lost in better times. He smiled when called a plot twist, knowing that Steve the prep hadn't expected to have a metalhead on his hands during the first date and that feeling had been mutual. They were each other's plot twists, neither expecting love from someone so different to themselves. They fell fast and hard without regret and without apology. Love had infested them so quickly, burrowed itself into every part of them, and there was no cure for that, even if one or both of them wanted it. Eddie hadn't.

"I remember you choking on pizza." He said suddenly, head snapping up to look at Steve with wide yet warm eyes. "It's probably the least hot you've ever looked---but I didn't care. I still wanted to go on a third date with you. And that was nothing compared to the time you drank too many cosmos, then puked, then kissed me." A silent pause swept over them, and Eddie smiled again, just a tiny thing. "But it was too late. I was in love with you with no intention of letting go. Just like I don't want to now." A shaken breath forced its way out of him, and his jaw trembled as tears gathered at the corners of doe's eyes, finally spilling over when he spoke again in hushed tones. "But I'm scared, Steve. Fucking terrified. Before, I knew me...I knew who I was. I knew every damned part of me inside and out, top to bottom. But now? I don't know a fucking thing about me anymore, so I don't know if this Eddie is good for you anymore. I might just make things worse for you."

Then as if he might somehow make things worse at that very moment, Eddie pulled himself away from the loving embrace; he felt cold. It'd taken them months to get to this point, and here he was, ruining it as expected, being the freak everyone around them believed him to be. No good for Steve. No good for them. God, what he wouldn't give to go back to the night with the pizza challenge or the cosmo kiss. There he could feel like himself again and not like the hopeless ghost he feared he'd become.

@harringtontm

#ship. whenever i’m alone with you; you make me feel like i am whole again (harringtontm) 🎸 #harringtontm #v. the gore of the land feat. harringtontm. #ur welcome

[saellefanwork]

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕋𝕚𝕞𝕖

Reminder: This Demon Slayer fic is rated Mature (adults only) for canon-typical violence and eventual suggestive or explicit sexual content

Return to Chapters List

Chapter 23: The Lord of Demons

The battles persist within the Infinity Castle until the collapse of the demonic dimension. The ultimate confrontation against Kibutsuji Muzan himself unfolds on the surface, beneath the shroud of the night sky. Will the Kisatsutai manage to restrain the formidable demon until sunrise?

Author's note: Only one more intense and harrowing chapter to go through after this one, then the following Arc will be dedicated to soothing our troubled hearts, I promise :'D

Trigger warning: Graphic violence, characters deaths, monstrous forms, abundant bloodshed, and dismemberment :')

The loss of your katana was a heavy one. The blade had been forged especially for you by your father, so it held inestimable value to you. Its impeccable craftsmanship, familiar length, and weight were irreplaceable. The Nichirin steel had reshaped itself to fit to your abilities a long time ago, coloring itself in blue and silver shades. You had managed to borrow the weapon of a fallen Slayer, probably a Water Breathing user judging by its indigo shade. While it was quite similar in proportions, the feeling was different. You and the katana had to adapt to each other, and time wasn't on your side for this adjustment.

As you and Kyojuro relentlessly followed Kaname through the labyrinthine maze, cutting down the lesser demons standing in your way, the crow kept you updated of the ongoing situation by relaying information transmitted from Yushiro's talismans.

"Agatsuma-san has defeated Upper Moon Six!"

You raised your eyebrows, pleasantly surprised. You wouldn't have bet on the blond's remarkable feat, even though Tanjiro had often spoken highly of his courage and hidden talents. The former coal burner had an uncanny knack for reading people's hearts and assessing their potential better than anyone you knew.

"Kamado-san, Tokito-sama, Tomioka-sama, and the Shinazugawa brothers have defeated Upper Moon One! Unfortunately, Tokito-sama didn't survive his injuries, and the Shinazugawa brothers are no longer fit to fight," Kaname cawed shortly after.

You cast a worried glance at Kyojuro, who noticeably slowed his pace upon hearing the news, clearly in shock. His expression was tinted with sorrow at the sad news of the youngest Pillar's death, but his resolve quickly overcame his grief. Your other friends had survived for now, and the Upper Moons were falling one by one. There weren't many obstacles left between the Kisatsutai and Kibutsuji Muzan. Despite the losses, a fervent hope still burned.

As you battled another wave of demons, Kaname continued to flood you with news from your colleagues' rapidly unfolding battles. One piece of information hit you particularly hard:

"Tamayo-san has been completely absorbed by Kibutsuji, who wiped out Team 1 to regenerate from his injuries. Hashibira-san and Tsuyuri-san have managed to stop Team 2 just in time before they could be killed."

A lump formed in your throat. While you wouldn't call Dr. Tamayo a friend, she was a precious ally that you had known for years. Her treatments had saved your life on numerous occasions during your tenure as an independent demon hunter, and her guidance had been instrumental in many of your missions. Thanks to her, you underwent the transformation that, in turn, saved Kyojuro's life. Her role in the battle against Muzan had been pivotal for centuries leading up to today.

You had always wondered why her gaze carried such sadness, and now, that mystery would remain unsolved. However, there was no time to dwell on the loss; the dead had to be put aside once more.

"Are you all right, Kanoko?" Kyojuro inquired, glancing back at you.

He found some relief in your nod. Tamayo's death affected him too, for more self-interested reasons. He worried about the cure she was supposed to craft to restore your humanity: did she and Shinobu have time to create one for you? Did the one they developed for Nezuko prove effective? Despite his anxiety, he couldn't broach the subject with Kaname; the crow was already stressed and overwhelmed with information due to the talismans.

"Kanroji-sama, Iguro-sama, and Himejima-sama are currently facing Kibutsuji Muzan! Yushiro is engaged with Upper Moon Four. He's trying to manipulate her powers!" the bird suddenly reported, diverting your and Kyojuro's thoughts.

The Infinity Castle shifted violently at that moment. Entire sections of its architecture collapsed or went erratic, and the overall structure appeared to ascend, almost as if it were returning to the surface – was this dimension situated underground? With no time for contemplation, both demons and Slayers suddenly found themselves under the threat of deadly, impredictible corridors.

"Kaname!" Kyojuro's alarmed cry pierced the chaos.

You redirected your gaze upwards, but it was too late. The crow had been struck head-on by a wall propelled randombly by the Blood Demon Art gone wild. His bloodied silhouette descended in a whirl of black feathers. Swiftly sheathing his katana, the Hashira intercepted the falling crow before he could reach the ground. You came to a halt nearby, assessing the injuries of your little companion. Blood seeped from Kaname's beak, and his neck appeared broken. His tiny body was still, showing no signs of life.

Shock and disbelief painted Kyojuro's features as he gently cradled the lifeless crow in his hands, pressing his fingers against the small form, seeking any hint of a heartbeat. In vain.

You watched the scene sadly. Kaname appeared so small and vulnerable, nestled in the large, calloused palms of his master.

"Rest well, my friend," Kyojuro finally whispered to the lifeless bird, gently covering him with one palm.

The voice of the Rengokus' heir was so sorrowful that it broke your heart. You knew of his deep affection for animals, even though his father despised them and forbade their presence on their property. While Kisatsutai's crows were far from typical pets, for the Flame Hashira, Kaname's presence must have fulfilled a childhood yearning for a loyal and affectionate companion. You recalled the special care he provided the bird, sharing snacks with him and helping him tend to his feathers after grueling missions. His crow had accompanied him for years wherever he went. Losing him was akin to losing a dear friend, or even a family member.

"I'm sorry, Kyojuro..."

Your childhood friend shook his head, silently acknowledging that there was nothing you could have done, and gently placed his feathered companion's body on the ground. Carrying the dead was a luxury you couldn't afford in the midst of this rampageous battle.

The ground quaked violently throughout the Infinity Castle, and shoji doors flung open in every direction. The very fondations of this world appeared to crumble.

"I believe Upper Moon Four has been defeated!" you shouted over the tumult. "The entire structure is collapsing!"

As you spoke, a door suddenly yawned open beneath your feet. The scenery disintegrated, hurling you to another location amidst the deafening chaos. Something struck your head, and your vision momentarily blacked out. When you blinked a few moments later, you found yourself buried under a pile of debris. Sharp pain seared through your leg, likely crushed under a part of the crumbled structure. Drawing upon your demonic strength, you managed to free yourself entirely.

The ruins of the Infinity Castle lay beneath the night sky. Wood fragments, torn washi paper, and occasionally broken pieces of stone or cement littered the area. Beyond the wreckage stretched an eerily silent forest. Nothing stirred around you, and the air was devoid of any sound. Scattered among the ruins, you spotted lifeless bodies, but there were no signs of survivors.

Panic threatened to consume you, but then, to your immense relief, you spotted Kyojuro's fiery mane emerging from beneath a fallen beam. With a grunt of effort, he pushed the debris aside. In addition to his earlier injuries, he now bore multiple bruises, and it was evident that at least one of his fingers had been crushed, rendering it useless.

A crow you didn't recognize quickly found you. "Caw! Kibutsuji Muzan and the Hashira are locked in combat a few kilometers north of here!"

You muttered a curse under your breath. It seemed your duo hadn't resurfaced in the right place. Gathering your breath, the two of you began to run in the indicated direction. You could tell from his slower pace that Kyojuro was exhausted, and you hated that there was nothing you could really do for him.

Upon reaching the battlefield, the sight that unfolded before your eyes momentarily made your heart skip a few beats. Broken blades and tattered haori were scattered all around, a dim moon hanging low on the horizon casting an eerie light on the scene. Puddles of blood gleamed under the night sky, reflecting the stars in an otherworldly scene that was simultaneously breathtaking and horrifying. The pungent smell of hemoglobin and death, however, served as a stark reminder that this was no mere painting, no matter how unbelievably dark it seemed; it was a dreadful vision that would undoubtedly haunt you for the rest of your days.

At the center of the battlefield, the Lord of Demons himself loomed in his true form. His long, ghostly white hair was swirled sinisterly around him, and his bare body was adorned with rows of lethal teeth, ready to bite and consume his adversaries. A multitude of hideous protrusions on his back surged and writhed, aiming to pierce the remaining warriors who valiantly struggled to contain him until the first rays of dawn.

His attack speed was astonishing, surpassing even the formidable Upper Moons you had confronted. Each strike he unleashed seemed to carry a poisonous effect, as evidenced by the festering pustules disfiguring the bodies and faces of your comrades.

An hour and a half left until dawn.

Drawing in a deep breath, you and Kyojuro joined the battle, fighting alongside the Water, Serpent, Love, and Stone Hashira. You couldn't help but notice the concerning absence of Tanjiro, who was supposed to be with the group that had taken on Upper Moon One. However, there was no time to dwell on his whereabouts.

You immediately channeled your Breathing techniques, manipulating time's flow around you relentlessly, aiming to hinder Muzan's movements and support your brothers and sisters in arms. Nevertheless, it soon became clear that your side was not holding the advantage. The human fighters were weakening, succumbing to exhaustion, their injuries, and the debilitating effects of the poison. As for you, you mentally cursed the absence of your trusted katana, still adapting to your new weapon. In addition, while your demonic regeneration allowed you to endure the rigors of battle better than a human, a gnawing hunger was gradually beginning to overwhelm your consciousness. Thankfully, the Wind Pillar's absence spared you from the irresistible allure of his blood.

During the heat of the battle, Chachamaru intervened and provided antidotes to the fighters present, causing the grotesque flesh protrusions that had been afflicting everyone to recede significantly. Tanjiro's friends and Shinobu's tsuguko Kanao quickly joined the fray, utilizing Yushiro's talismans to become invisible. Their strategic move impressed you, and you also surmised that the allied demon couldn't be too far away.

An hour and three minutes left until dawn.

Although slowly, the clock continued to tick inexorably. A glimmer of hope ignited in your heart. One hour... it felt achievable. Together, you and your comrades could make it, even if it meant sacrificing your lives to succeed.

Blood-red eyes with feline pupils locked with yours, and the intense gaze sent shivers of terror coursing down your spine. You struggled to recall a time when you had felt such unrelenting fear from a demon, not even when your own grandmother had tried to consume you. What made this experience even more unsettling was the uncanny sense of familiarity that emanated from Muzan, requiring extraordinary willpower to resist his influence. This was probably because Tamayo had incorporated some of his altered cells into your body. Under his piercing scrutiny, it was as though you were defying the ruthless authority of a parent.

The constant use of your lineage's abilities seemed to irritate Muzan. While he was keeping his other opponents at bay with his biokinetic powers, he turned his attention toward you.

"Well, well, aren't you Nagase Kanoko, the last demon hunter of your lineage?" Your sworn enemy inquired with a hint of condescension. "I made a grave mistake several years ago by assuming your grandmother had taken care of eliminating you before her pitiful demise. I should have probed her cells' memories and conducted a more thorough search of the area. Time Breathing has always been a thorn in my side. I admit I held high expectations for transforming someone of your lineage into a demon, but your grandmother proved to be a dark disappointment. It appears she lacked potential, unlike you. You're a splendid demon, Kanoko. However, there is one thing you still lack: obedience."

His pupils narrowed into thin slits as he fixed his gaze upon you, and it felt as if lightning had struck you. Your sword slipped from your grasp as you brought your trembling hands to your head, your expression contorted in horror, your breathing began to wheeze. Although you heard voices around you, their cacophony was drowned out by a pervasive presence that was invading and seizing control of your mind.

"Annihilate these feeble swordsmen! Devour them! You're hungry, aren't you?"

You collapsed to your knees and curled into a fetal position, your head pressed against the ground. You felt your horns tearing through the flesh on your forehead, and your fangs elongating. Blood spiked into your veins all across your body as you tried to regain control of your focus.

"It was a Demon Slayer who took your grandmother's life, without any effort to save her first. Do you remember that?"

The reasoning behind this statement was deeply flawed: your grandmother wouldn't have met her demise if it weren't for Muzan or one of his six apostles turning her into a demon in the first place. Nonetheless, these words rekindled a spark of pain you believed you had overcome. Was this the power this ancient monster held over his creations? The ability to manipulate even the subtlest resentments, amplifying them into a raging inferno of hatred, threatening to consume you entirely?

Your eyes shifted to Kyojuro, who was not far away. The look on his face was one of sheer horror, and it was evident that you no longer resembled a human. His expression mirrored the one he wore when he witnessed your last intervention near the Mugen Train and your subsequent loss of control. Strangely, his shock did not unnerve you; instead, it stirred a dark excitement within you, akin to a predator savoring its prey's despair. Saliva drooled from your tightly clenched jaws, and bulging veins snaked across your face, now adorned with two ominous black horns. The conscious part of you, struggling futilely against the raging beast within, was rapidly receding.

"He's the one who took everything from you!" Muzan's persuasive and authoritative voice hissed in your mind.

With a ferocious leap, you lunged at the Flame Pillar before he could react, propelling both of you against the adjacent building and causing its wall to crumble.

"Rengoku-san!" "Rengoku!" cried his friends from behind, but none could intervene as Muzan now demanded even more of their efforts, having managed to eliminate two of you in this manner.

Amidst the rubble within the ruined building, Kyojuro and you tumbled across the floor. The Hashira's skull violently struck a jagged rock, momentarily blinding him with pain. Despite the agony, he managed to hold on his weapon and immobilize you, wrapping his legs around you and pinning your arms under his armpits. Despite your immense strength, he was capable of executing more advanced ground techniques than you could think of in your current state.

After an arduous struggle, Kyojuro had finally managed to pin you to the ground beneath him. He held his katana firmly against your throat, all the while maintaining his strong grip on you.

"Please, don't make me do this, Kanoko. I'm begging you," Kyojuro implored, his voice laced with distress like you had never heard before. His hand trembled, and in his one remaining eye, you could see the glint of tears that threatened to fall.

Unexpectedly, the sight of the glistening gold and ruby hues in Kyojuro's teary eye seemed to trigger something deep within you. You had never, ever witnessed Kyojuro cry, not even once. He rarely allowed himself to show any vulnerability, given his role as the pillar of his family and one of the Kisatsutai's too. The weight of countless people's expectations rested on his broad shoulders, and his unyielding strength was a defining aspect of his identity.

The salty droplet splashing onto your cheek down to your lips. The bittersweet contact briefly dispersed the malevolent fog clouding your mind.

"Kyo... juro..." you murmured, your voice trembling, your gaze distant.

While keeping the blade against your throat, Kyojuro nodded gently, his expression still etched with deep pain. As you appeared to regain some semblance of composure, he, on the other hand, was still grappling with the shock of the recent events. Both of you breathed heavily in the tense silence that enveloped you. Seeking solace, he leaned forward, resting his forehead against yours and briefly closing his eye. You could feel more tears dripping on your face, and you raised a trembling hand to touch his blood-streaked cheek.

Just as your fingers were about to make contact, a flying syringe pierced your neck, injecting something that promptly caused you to lose consciousness.

Kyojuro turned his head swiftly, ready to react to the new threat. As someone approached, he saw that it was Yushiro, who had the limp body of the young Kamado slung over his shoulder, either unconscious or dead.

"Don't worry, Flame Pillar. It's just a calming agent concocted by Tamayo. She's weakened, which is why it worked, but she'll regain consciousness soon. I'll keep an eye on her and Tanjiro. You should return to the battle; the others need your help."

Kyojuro, his emotions still raw, wiped away his tears with his gakuran sleeve and reluctantly stepped away from your side, knowing that he couldn't afford to linger. He returned to the battle, his heart heavy. Unfortunately, during the time when you and he had been engrossed in your battle, the remaining fighters had been overwhelmed. Obanai had met his end, his throat gruesomely torn apart. Even with Tanjiro's brief resurgence in the battle half an hour before sunrise, their combined efforts couldn't make up for the loss of their fallen comrades. They were being overpowered by the relentless strength and power of Kibutsuji.

Your demonic instincts alerted you to the impending dawn, prompting you to open your eyes and seek shelter. You quickly realized that someone had already pulled you behind the ruins of a solitary wall for protection. As you peered over the obstacle, you were greeted by an even more devastating sight than before. In addition to the earlier casualties, the lifeless bodies of Mitsuri and Obanai had been added to the grim tally. Tanjiro's friends were still alive but incapacitated, receiving care from some Kakushi. The lifeless forms of Tanjiro and Giyuu lay near you, while Yushiro hovered over the youngest Demon Slayer, a look of deep frustration, if not desperation, etched on his face.

"What happened...?" you whispered, your face drained of color.

"Muzan just escaped. The Flame and Stone Pillars pursued him, attempting to corner him before sunrise, but... I doubt they'll reach him in time. They're in no condition to fight anymore."

Your eyes shifted from the remorseful demon to Tanjiro, whose condition seemed even more critical than before. Tamayo's assistant was working diligently to revive him, but Tanjiro's entire left arm, shoulder included, was missing. His once gentle face was so horribly disfigured by the poison that even the antidote couldn't restore his original appearance. The boy had also lost an awful amount of blood, and such severe injuries were typically fatal. He appeared a lost cause to you.

Seated between you and Tanjiro was Giyuu, heavily leaning against the wall. He, too, had lost one of his arm, amputated above the elbow, and a massive, deep bite wound covering his entire torso had been tightly bandaged. His feverish look, pallor, and labored breathing indicated he was on the brink of death. The dark, resigned expressions on Yushiro's and Giyuu's face confirmed your worst fears.

The sun ascended, illuminating the battlefield, marking the end of the battle. The winter sky was clear and bright, and under different circumstances, it would have been a beautiful morning to start a new year. The crows that had been observing the fight from afar returned, and their dejected appearance told you all you needed to know: Kyojuro and Gyomei hadn't succeeded in stopping Muzan.

"We have lost," Giyuu murmured.

The defeated look on his face made your heart ache, tightening your throat with sorrow.

"This is all my fault," you thought sadly. You couldn't help but wonder if, without your presence, they might have achieved victory.

Your mind drifted to your and Kyojuro's deceased friends, as well as the members of the Corps whose names you didn't even know, who had perished today, many of them without ever reaching adulthood. You thought of the generations of demon hunters, and other independent warriors who had bravely confronted Muzan, including your family. All the innocent civilians who had lost their lives or loved ones, those who had been injured or had their lives forever altered. Kyojuro...

The weight of all these sacrifices was almost unbearable. A millennium of lives cut short. You couldn't let all of this be in vain. You had to do something, anything.

Giyuu's deep blue eyes bore into you, examining your expression, and he nodded slowly, understanding your determination.

"... Kanoko… you're planning to... go back in time, aren't you?"

"I'm not sure if she can," Yushiro somberly interjected. "If she tries, it may well be her final attempt. I didn't tell the whole truth to the Flame Pillar; the injection wasn't just a sedative, but a prototype of the serum prepared by the Insect Pillar and Tamayo to restore her humanity. We were supposed to use it only as a last resort to prevent Muzan from taking control of her, given her usefulness as a demon. Her body might resist the antidote for a while, but she'll weaken rapidly until she can't use her Blood Demon Art at all anymore."

The weight of the news pressed down on you heavily. More than anyone else, you longed to return to your human self, but the timing couldn't have been worse.

"I believe I can still do it. I just need to act quickly," you declared, your fists clenching as you summoned your willpower, careful not to dig your nails into your palms deeply enough to draw blood yet.

Giyuu shifted slightly in his seated position, drawing your attention back to him before you could proceed.

"I know that using your powers might have long-term effects on your health... but I won't allow you to make that sacrifice alone, Kanoko. You can drink my blood. Take it all if you need to. It will grant you strength and might slow down your transformation. I won't make it out of this anyway. If... I die again, in your new timeline, I want to say... that I'm grateful to have met you. I hope that you and Rengoku survive, so that someday your descendants can witness a better world... Could you... please deliver this for me?"

He retrieved a blood-stained letter from his uniform pocket, bearing Shinobu's name.

You paused for a moment, your hand halfway to accept the farewell gift. Then, you closed the Water Pillar's fingers around the letter meant for the Insect Pillar, your grip determined.

"It's not necessary, Giyuu... whatever is in this envelope, I'll ensure you can personally deliver it to her under the light of a new dawn, in a world free of demons. Your sacrifice won't be in vain. I promise."

Still holding his hand, you carefully drew nearer to him. He slowly turned his head to grant you access to his throat, his labored and irregular breathing signaling the gradual ebbing of his life. You obliged by lowering your lips to his feverish skin. A fierce battle waged within you: your human consciousness vehemently resisted the urge to drink his precious blood, finding your own actions utterly repulsive, while your demon instincts demanded payment for your powers. The bitter truth of having to cut short the life of one of your dearest friends to achieve your goal weighed heavily on your heart. Would there ever be redemption for your soul after such an act, alongside your other sins? Yet, like everyone else present, your existence depended on the sacrifices of others. Nothing could be done without getting your hands dirty; maintaining an unsullied karma had never been an option for you.

Giyuu opened his mouth, as if about to say something important, but your fangs pierced his throat, extinguishing his voice forever. As soon as you punctured his artery, the Hashira's blood flowed into your mouth. Struggling to contain your tears, you swallowed the bitter draught and clenched your fists, your claws piercing your palms and releasing the full force of your Blood Demon Art.

This Arc is very hard to write because of its action-packed nature, and I haven't planned the scenes thoroughly before working on them. I enjoy writing battle scenes though. Koyoharu Gotōge-sensei has done such an exceptional job with their fight scenes, it's hard to compete.

Modern Era secret: I actually contemplated creating a voting pool to let you decide who would die in this Arc, LMAO. But then I thought it might be too cruel. But fun. But still, too cruel. I've made the decisions on who will live or not now. It seems like I'm heading to hell all by myself XD

Next chapter: "Setting our hearts ablaze!"

#rengoku x reader #rengoku x oc #rengoku kyojuro x reader #kny x reader #demon slayer x reader #demon slayer oc #reader insert #rengoku kyojuro #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #demon slayer fanfic #fanfiction #ao3 fanfic #time travel #fix it fic #demon reader #demon oc #demon hunter #kny angst #kny spoilers #demon slayer akaza #akaza #kny akaza #upper moon three #muzan kibutsuji #kibutsuji kny #kny rengoku #demon slayer rengoku

[fairest]

Killing Child at Zoo

There’s little hope. Although I heard Eileen Myles writes a big novel. I often return to them in moments of world fury. In the opening essay from The Importance of Being Iceland, Myles talks about how music can “circulate melancholy” more effectively than writing. When I was 25, Jeff Tweedy told me I wanted

a good life with a nose for things fresh wind and bright sky to enjoy my suffering

so that’s what I aimed for. And that’s what I got.

I keep seeing religious people. The Amish on a casino bus. The Sunday suits in the Naf Naf Grill. A man stops me outside Buffalo Exchange and asks, “are you Jewish?” I used to think, I’m only culturally Jewish? Now I think, I’m Jewish ungenosideickally?? There’s this billboard on I-55 that says, Cultural Jews got sent to the gas chambers, too. La-dee-da.

Outside the police station, a huddle of migrants. Casualties of Operation Lone Star. The older kids compare scooters, the babies wear candy cane jammies a month early. The parishioners cook the food. The lines get longer. The mayor has to do something. With good works, without weapons, Chicago fights the war brought to us by Catholic Charities of San Antonio.

A tart espresso from a suburban coffee bar. The Persian and/or Israeli girls I lusted over in the Best Buy walk out with a TV on a dolly. I stood behind Chromebooks to get a better view of their outstretched necks, gold earrings, furry purses, the heavy sweats tucked into Uggs. The daughters of Zion are haughty, the prophet Isaiah wrote, and the Lord will discover their secret parts. The scribes probably got hard every time they recopied those words. I know I do.

Out here in Niles, all is mall. I could start 200,000 wars. The local businesses shed hours, raise prices, clean Uggs. The diner says OPEN on its curbside sign, as if to remind customers and also the staff. Niles reminds me of “Hot Rotten Grass Smell,” the opening track on Wednesday’s Rat Saw God, and this Hopperesque lyric of Karly Hartzman’s:

neon sign at the nail salon turned off and the streetlights turned on.

I get back in the car singing a different song. The song that drove her crazy in 8th grade.

At the playground, I’m thinking about Billy Woods and his kid, the last verse on Maps. Woods sings, of his child, “Anything at all could happen to him.” There’s another Woods verse, in this warm vein, on the new Armand Hammer:

I write when my baby's asleep I sit in the room in the dark I listen to him breathe I walk 'em to school, then the park Hold they little hands when we cross the street I think about my brothers that's long gone and this was all they ever dreamed People I lost to COVID-19 but it ain't do a thing to the fiends.

I chat with a Dad whose wife is boring, and he’s also boring, and I don’t remember their names but I remember his wife’s extreme bob. What did the children do before they had these leaves to roll around in? I’m only good with the names of people I love. One day I’ll forget those, too. If I learned how to pronounce Fyodor Dostoevsky, I can learn how to pronounce…

In Washington D.C., residents are stealing toilet paper. This is the closest drugstore to the Catholic University of America, where this week, at the Novitate conference, intellectuals fulfill their contractual desire to discuss René Girard. The bill says, We Buy Diabetic Test Strips, the title of the new Armand Hammer. I wonder if any of the Novitate participants will end up at this black CVS and scurry back to the white light of Catholic University plenaries, to speak coldly about desire.

Our D.C. hosts, like most petite Romans we know, work for the bomb makers. They tell us this neighborhood is killing trees to build townhouses that start in the low $800s. The death of the trees fucks with the runoff from the storms, Kate says, giving us grape leaves, and the storms worsen every year. Kate’s into trees. Her cheeks the color of the Japanese maples that stretch over our courtyards back home. Because of the Israel-Hamas war, Kate isn’t quite speaking to her parents. Or her sisters. Or maybe even herself. Betsy and Kate met on Birthright. I like to think they kissed the same Egyptian dragster.

In the Naf Naf Grill, Diana tells me all the “stuff in the Middle East” made her want to watch Schindler’s List. The “stuff in the Middle East,” I say, picking sumac onions out of my falafel bowl, makes me want to watch Lars von Trier’s Nymphomaniac. Particularly the scene when Charlotte Gainsbourg wraps herself in Saran to stop masturbating. When I see Netanyahu, well, at first, he looks exactly like Putin. At first, he looks like Patrick Bateman, when he kills the child at the zoo, because Bateman, like Netanyahu, is “unable to maintain a credible public persona.” At first, he looks like Charlotte Gainsbourg masturbating herself out of plastic. At first, he looks like Yul Brynner’s hardened heart. At first, he looks like the toilet paper when it’s still got a little bit of shit on it. At first, he looks like Biden’s unwaxed floss with little bits of hot dog in it. I watch The Godfather. Find a shrink-wrapped copy at Rattleback Records, the Coppola restoration. Biden and his cronies are like Don Zaluchi in the meeting of the five families. They want to “control war as a business. Keep it respectable. We would keep the [drug] traffic,” Zaluchi says, “in the dark people, the coloreds. They're animals anyway, so let them lose their souls.”

A date with Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. I photograph Betsy and Leo in front of a spray of pink and purple balloons. I say, three separate drink cups. I say, the popcorn already has butter on it. I’m cold because I’m still sick. Unproductive coughs.

In the theater, Leo whispers in my ear, “Is Taylor Swift still alive?” How easy it would be to take my child’s life. How quickly he would disappear. Taylor Swift, though, will not disappear. Then again she’s a woman. Anything could happen to her. She’s one of Bob Dylan’s “six-time losers” hanging around Matthew Gasda’s theater. She’s Gasda’s “Big five novelist with a forthcoming debut (typically less daring than her conversation).” Or, as Swift herself puts that, “the jokes weren’t funny I took the money.” Even at this late date, running across the stage. A goddess of forms and surfaces. Like the star in Ariana Reines’s poem, “Mistral”:

Don’t you see That between the people who want To be machines and the machines That want to be people women Are still, still at this late date Running?

On the plane back from D.C., I’ll read Sam Kriss’s laborious (in the sense of, “requiring considerable effort and time”) article about René Girard. I like to read Harper’s on planes because the altitude makes me dumb. I’m a frequent flyer. I’m a lifelong subscriber.

To Harper’s, Christian Lorentzen posts a letter from Rome. He informs us, “Nothing matters.” Another Catskills Gaza one-liner. On the ground, I read his pitchy (in the Myles sense that “writing for pay is a little ‘pitchy’”) piece on Don DeLillo. The Bookforum pages, soaked in Canh Chua Tom broth, lay flat on our kitchen island. What is the systems novel? Is it polytheism? “The war over the appropriation of Jerusalem is today’s world war,” wrote the prophet Derrida. “It is taking place everywhere, it is the world, it is the singular figure of the world’s ‘out of joint’-ness today. The three messianic religions embroiled in rivalry are directly or indirectly mobilizing all the powers in the world and the entire world order for the ruthless war they are waging against one another.” Leo sees the picture of Don DeLillo in a pink button-down and asks, “Daddy, is that’s you?”

In the intro to Pathetic Literature, Myles writes that art is something with “secondary meaning.” We locate that meaning at the National Gallery, when I open the roof patio door and Betsy spots Katharina Fritsch’s Hahn/Cock. How could she miss this ginormous blue chicken. It reminds her of her father, who died suddenly. She breaks down for what feels like an hour. Enough time for me to run out of cold breath making sure Leo doesn’t break anything by Robert Indiana. Katharina Fritsch couldn’t have known her chicken would offer my wife the release she’d been searching for all morning. In the art game, you can’t distribute “secondary meaning” evenly, and every player rolls for broke.

Walking in Bowmanville, at an unemployed hour of afternoon, the child’s dress reminds me of some modern wing painter. The blues could be Kandinsky, the powdery reds Belle and Sebastian. The child gathers orange and gold leaves in a silver kitchen colander. The grandmother says, “Hello.” The thought enters my head that I can steal this child, murder this grandmother, kill the child, too, bury it by the Metra tracks. Nobody’ll find me. Circulate melancholy. It’s genre fiction baby killers get caught.

“Killing Child at Zoo” comes later in American Psycho. Patrick Bateman, “unable to maintain a credible public persona,” is sleeping in “twenty-minute intervals” after eating one of his impossible foods, a salad with “foie gras vinegar.” He heads to the Central Park zoo. The surrounding buildings, like Trump Plaza and the AT&T building, “heighten its unnaturalness.” After calling a bathroom attendant the n-word, Bateman sees a mother breastfeeding, which “awakens something awful in me.”

He perks up when he spots the child. Offers him a cookie. “But before the child can answer, my sudden lack of care crests into a massive wave of fury and I pull the knife out of my pocket and I stab him quickly, in the neck.” When the child’s mother, “homely, Jewish-looking, overweight,” finds her dying son, she makes a sound Bateman, if not Ellis, “cannot describe,” and this monotheistic sound is the sound in my head as I spare the grandmother and child.

Bateman reasons it away, typical for him, in one of American Psycho’s Victorian moments of accountability.

Though I am satisfied at first by my actions, I’m suddenly jolted with a mournful despair at how useless, how extraordinarily painless, it is to take a child’s life. This thing before me, small and twisted and bloody, has no real history, no worthwhile past, nothing is really lost. It’s so much worse (and more pleasurable) taking the life of someone who has hit his or her prime, who has the beginnings of a full history, a spouse, a network of friends, a career, whose death will upset far more people whose capacity for grief is limitless than a child’s would, perhaps ruin many more lives than just the meaningless, puny death of this boy.

In The Missing of the Somme, Geoff Dyer and chums do a car tour of the Western Front. They eat. Drink. Make jokes about Wilfred Owen poems. It rains. It’s cold. In Ypres, they stay in an “expensive cheap hotel” with “towels the size of napkins, burn marks on the dresser.” Dyer quotes the writer Stephen Graham, writing about the post-war Ypres of the 1920s, when “death and the ruins completely outweighed the living. It is easy to imagine someone who had no insoluble ties killing himself here, drawn to the lodestone of death. There is a pull from the other world, a drag on the heart and spirit.”

I could kill myself in Gaza. Are there reasonable flights? At first, Netanyahu kills comedy, like Kramer saying the n-word umpteen times. There were many words that you could not stand to hear,” Hemingway wrote of World War I, “and finally only the names of places had dignity.” To native English speakers, who rarely suffer but protest much, Gaza is a graffiti-sounding word, like Even or Once or demise stylized as Dmise. I saw Dmise above a Chinatown garbage can. At least we can pronounce Gaza, unlike Ypres.

No matter what Leo hits, I let him run the bases, get his home run. Then I get my chance at bat. But when I run around the bases, Leo just stands at 3rd base, waiting for me to come home. Before I can, he tags me out.

“I think my strategy is better than yours,” he says on the walk home. This is the first time I hear him use the word strategy and one of my thoughts is, post your child’s revelations online, like Don DeLillo wearing his pink shirt.

I press Leo on his strategy. “Well, Daddy, your strategy is just, chase me. But you never catch up. My strategy is, stand and wait to get you out. My strategy is better than yours.” So my child does understand war.

Suddenly Zionist friends who moved to Townhouse, California. When will the suffering cease? The husband and I saw Father John Misty once. When Misty sang “Total Entertainment Forever,” which begins

bedding Taylor Swift every night inside the Oculus Rift after mister and the missus finish dinner and the dishes,

in Milwaukee, I felt the absence of the horns that play on the studio album. My friend didn’t. Not all of us circulate the same melancholy. Still, I miss him. I miss those abandoned futures.

#israel #Gaza #American Psycho #Bret Easton Ellis #Taylor Swift #Stuart Ross #OG #2023 #Ron Mueck

[au-ndertale]

i think papyrus should have control over the timeline. as a treat :)

After the monsters were sent to Alphys’s lab for her determination experiments, only Papyrus returned.

He went back to life as usual. Sans wasn’t going to say anything; he was just glad to have his brother back and completely back to normal. Don’t get him wrong, he’d’ve been fully willing to act as Papyrus’s carer in whatever capacity he needed to after everything, but...

That would’ve been work. Papyrus was completely fine. Better than fine, even. All the health issues the two of them shared; the low stats? Well, whatever Alphys did to him in that lab, it fixed everything.

The other Snowdin residents ask Papyrus about what the lab was like; how the other monsters that had fallen down are doing; if they’ll ever see thair familes again.

“I'M SORRY. I DON’T REALLY REMEMBER ANYTHING,” Papyrus lies.

Alphys is doing her best! And she helped him, after all. He won’t betray her secrets!

He might, however, make regular visits to the lab. Secretly! He wouldn’t want anyone to ask him more questions! But he brings stuff for the amalgamates; stuff that Alphys, as overwhelmed and guilt-ridden as she is, might neglect. Like food that isn’t dog kibble, and books that aren’t children’s comics, and puzzles!

Otherwise, life is normal. He asks that Undyne spar with him, seeing as he’s no longer as fragile as he used to be, so she won’t have to be so careful as to not dust him, now!

Undyne isn’t entirely certain as to whether it’s a good idea or not, but, well, Papyrus is very good at getting what he wants. He just talks a little bit about how cool Dr. Alphys is, and how she tested his increased capabilities herself, and Undyne’s raring to go.

The thing is.

The thing is, Papyrus is a pretty brutal guy. He was the weird kid, so he got picked on a lot, and ended up fighting back. To make up for how weak and sick he was, Papyrus hit hard, a lot, and often.

Basically, he was a tiny little bony beserker.

So, with Undyne, the spar starts fine. She takes a turn, he takes a turn. She turns him green, he turns her blue. He makes a boast, and she suplexes a rock.

He’s not sure how it happens. Maybe one of Undyne’s cool anime fighting lines crossed a line she didn’t know was there. Maybe Papyrus wasn’t as over it; wasn’t as in control as he thought. Maybe it was just the result of the two of them getting carried away, just like their cooking lessons. Two people who don’t have the good sense to know when to quit.

But a bone attack hits its target, and Undyne dissolves into dust.

It

It’s just...

Some of it is goopy and sticks together like wet flour. Papyrus doesn’t dare to touch it.

What’s he supposed to do?

What the hell is he supposed to do? He’s just killed the Captain of the Royal Guard. Not only is that murder, which is bad and wrong and awful and illegal, but it’s also probably some sort of treason! And how’s he supposed to become a guardsman now? He was only just beginning to wear Undyne down, and now-

Undyne’s dead.

And maybe she wasn’t his friend, but she put up with him. She smiled when she saw him in the street. She never got mad at him for being loud and rambunctious. Actually, she’d challenge him to become even louder and rambunctious-er! And that was enough for Papyrus to at least pretend.

He doesn’t want to move on from this moment. He doesn’t want to go on without Undyne being happy and safe and alive. He knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that he doesn’t want to live in this world.

The thought of killing himself crosses his mind. Of course it does. He’s thinking things like that. He’s thinking things that, in any other person, might equate to suicidal thoughts.

The thing is, the idea of death - of himself, dying or dead... It’s absolutely repulsive to Papyrus. It can’t fit into his mind. It’s the thought equivalent of putting two of the same ends of a magnet together. They just refuse.

So that’s what Papyrus does.

He refuses.

This world; this timeline, where Undyne is dead by his hand? It is wrong. It should not exist. And so, by Papyrus’s stubborn demand, it unravels around to him, back to before.

He stands opposite Undyne. The air smells of damp and moss. There is no dust in the air.

“Are you READY?” she shouts, summoning a spear to hoist above her head.

For a moment, Papyrus considers... Not doing that. Just leaving and getting on with his day. Maybe process the whole thing that just happened. Sit on the couch and get Sans to read to him until he falls asleep, even if he does read that stupid joke book. Come back to this tomorrow.

That’s stupid, though! He’s the Great Papyrus! He knows what he did wrong, and that means he can do better, this time. And then Undyne will be safe, and happy, and... Really impressed with how strong he can be!

He summons a wave of bones and matches Undyne’s battle cry.

And if anything goes wrong, well...

He can just try again, can’t he?

#ut papyrus #undertale #undertale au

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

𝐴𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑧: 𝑆𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐷𝑖𝑙𝑓!𝐴𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑧 (𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑)

Warnings/Disclaimer: NSFW content/Older Ateez but age differences is written withing legal boundaries. Also mentions of infidelity (which I don't condone, justify nor encourage), corruption kink and loss of virginity.

A/N: Also, Yeosang's reaction is a sneak peek at the Dilf! Fic in my w.i.p.

❥𝓚𝓲𝓶 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓳𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓰

It all started as a way to get a passing grade for the semester, but soon became a mission to get inside your professor's pants. You still remembered the unamused gaze he gave you when you first suggested you 'help' him out.

"Nice try Miss Y/N.... but perhaps instead of wasting time behind the bleachers sucking off the jocks' cocks, maybe dip your head instead into your books and study for once."

You couldn't believe he'd actually reject you. No man had ever rejected you, they always fell to your charms. Professor Kim was about to become your biggest challenge yet and you didn't mind. Besides, something about fucking an older man had you pulling out your trusted vibrator out so many times during the night. Kim Hongjoong was just so fucking hot and you desperately wanted him, even if for one night.

"Please Mr. Kim..... you know they say I give the best blow jobs here." You tried yet again one day when everyone else left.

"They? You mean horny 20 something year olds who bust a nut by just a booby pic?"

For the first time, his poker face finally had an expression in the form of a smirk.

"Honey, you're going to have to try a lot harder than that. I've had my cock sucked by countless women in all my years. Besides..."

Leaning closer to you, he reached a hand out so his thumb could graze across your bottom lip.

"What makes you think a pretty young thing like you can take a mature cock like mine? You've probably never even had one half the size of mine."

You let out an involuntary moan as you pictured just how well endowed your teacher was. Looking down, you noticed the obvious bulge he was donning and you wanted nothing more than to pull him out and suck him dry. It seemed he noticed since he sat back down on his chair. Gesturing for you to come over, you practically hopped over to him, letting him guide you on your knees as he began to take himself out.

"But do knock yourself out. I'm kinda curious to see what the newer generations do nowadays."

❥𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝓢𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝔀𝓪

Others would have complained and would be annoyed by the fact their new neighbors would have almost daily fights between them, typical marital disputes. But not you, you didn't mind hearing their screaming that was clearly heard through the walls. Especially since more often than not their fights would end in rough, angry sex that had you touching yourself at nights, a guilty pleasure you always looked forward to.

And you had been eyeing the husband from the moment the couple moved in. Park Seonghwa was everything you looked for in a man and even more. Handsome, mature, tall, well sculpted, responsible, sexy as hell and you knew for a fact he could definitely fuck. One day you knocked over at their door to give them one of them many pastries you'd often bake for your neighbors in the building.

"You know Mr. Park....if you ever get too frustrated with your wife....my door is always open." You boldly offered him.

He looked at you in shock but you sent him a reassuring wink before walking back to your apartment, making sure to sway your hips so he could have the image engraved in his mind. And boy did you rile him up. Now he couldn't stop thinking about you. You're all he had in his head. Now whenever he'd fight, he'd storm out and you'd welcome him, proud to get what his wife wasn't getting anymore. And you were hell bent on making sure you'd keep him to yourself.

"Cum inside me....fill me up." You told him one day.

He was so lost in his lust for you he didn't think he'd hear you correctly. Giggling, you flipped the position so you were now on top of him, bouncing yourself on his enormous cock.

"I'll give you what your wife won't give you. Knock me up with your babies, fill me to the brim. I wanna carry your kids in me." You ran your hands down your chest and placed them on top of your stomach to get your point further across.

Seonghwa was going wild by this point. He had wanted to become a father for so long but his narcissistic and conceited wife would not budge. Yet here you were offering him the one thing he wanted and he couldn't resist. Sitting up, he began pounding up into you with more intensity, sending you crying his name over and over again as his teeth began to mark your neck.

"Oh I'll make sure to knock you up babygirl. Gonna fuck my kids into you...fuck! You're going to look even more pretty carrying my baby in you."

❥𝓙𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓱𝓸

Yours and Yunho's relationship was rather.... unconventional to say the least. He ended up becoming your sugar daddy after you had auctioned off your virginity online cause you were a broke college student and you honestly didn't give a damn at that point. But it was you who were in for a surprise when you met him in the hotel room and he just handed you the money without wanting anything in return.

"Just take it and don't give away something so valuable away like that."

You were so stunned by his behavior and it honestly sent some weird feeling inside you.

"But what if I wanna give it away?" You asked before he could open the door to leave. He let out a deep sigh.

"Trust me, you don't." He insisted.

Biting your lip, you took in his height and built. You weren't going to lie and pretend you didn't size him up from the moment you saw him. He probably had a monster cock that could tear you apart and part of you wanted that. Plus he was probably experienced in making love to someone so why not?

"If it's with you I really do..."

He whipped his back at your words, about to scold you but his words got caught in his mouth when you began to strip in front of him before laying down on the bed, legs spread for him and anxiously waiting for him to touch you. He couldn't resist himself. He ended up pining your tiny and virgin body under him, tearing your hymen apart and claiming you as his. He made sure you were in no pain and he had you cumming more than once. You could say it was an amazing first time.

You spent the rest of the night talking, and you ended up spilling about your economic situation. Perhaps it was pity, perhaps he was high on having taking your virginity, or perhaps he truly felt something for you. Either way you agreed to be his sugar baby, and you don't regret it one bit. Not when you get to have his monster cock in you, and he's not complaining either when he gets to stuff himself in you.

"Fuck! You're still so damn tight my little one... just like the first time."

❥𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓮𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓰

He tried to ignore the sound of the shower right behind the door he was leaning in. He had to. He shouldn't try to imagine what was going on in there. But as his eyes closed, he couldn't stop picturing your naked body glistening as the water cascaded down your skin. His hand grazed over his erection, wondering if perhaps you were doing something similar.

Before he knew what he was doing, he slowly and quietly opened the door, the hot steam fogging up the glass doors to the shower but he could still make out your beautiful and young figure. He witnessed as your hand played with your clit, dipping inside your folds as tiny gasps and pants escaped your lips.

"Mr. Kang...." Hearing you murmur his name sent any self-control he had out the window.

He began to strip himself out of his clothes, very slowly and in silence so as to not disturb you. Besides you looked so pretty as you touched yourself, trying to get yourself off at the thought of him. Without taking his eyes off you, he slid the glass door and soon stood behind you in the luxurious and spacious shower. You jumped slightly when you felt familiar hands wrap themselves around your waist, fingertips digging into you. You could never forget his touch, you remembered how those hands felt when they once caught you and saved you from a nasty fall.

You knew it wasn't a dream or fantasy when you felt lips pressing open mouth kisses against the side of your neck and traveled down to your shoulders. You moved your hand away to allow the person behind you to take control, his long and slender fingers finally making your darkest fantasies come true as they penetrated inside you, moving back and forth in an effort to bring you into an orgasm.

Kang Yeosang's deep and husky voice breathed into your ear, sending shivers down your body.

"You don't know how long I've lusted after you..."

❥𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓷

With Choi San it wasn't you seducing him. It was letting him seduce you. Ever since he saw you walk in with your short skirt, applying for a part time job at his bookstore, he had been wanting you, craved your body. And honestly... you fed him in his game.

You would wear even shorter skirts, bending down right in front of him so he could get a glimpse at your scantily clad pussy. Or you'd constantly ask him for help in putting away some of the books that went on higher shelves just so he'd put his hands around you, which he'd often keep there longer than needed. And you loved it.

One day he had been frustrated by you past his limit. Throwing away all decorum, he came up behind you as you arranged some books. You let out a gasp when you felt his hands grope your breasts.

"I've been working you too hard my darling... maybe I should let you take a little break?" You became putty in his hands when he used his satoori tone with you.

You didn't stop him when he lifted your shirt up to your neck, nor when he pulled your breasts out from your bra cups. You just moaned with no shame as his fingers tweaked and pinched at your highly sensitive nipples.

"Fuck you have really soft and squishy boobs. It's like they were made for my hands."

Snaking one hand under your skirt, he was surprised to not only find out that you were practically dripping for him but you were not wearing any underwear that day.

"Shit darling, did you came here hoping I would fuck you?"

You threw your head back as he cupped your heat, rubbing at your clit.

"Yes! Please fuck me Mr. Choi! W-wanna get fucked by you." You begged him, pushing your ass behind you to grind against his very obvious bulge.

He was more than satisfied by your answer. Finally getting your consent, he no longer had to hold back. Freeing his cock which was leaking at the tip, he pushed your skirt up to expose your ass cheeks. Giving each of them a few slaps with his cock, he teased you as he rubbed his bulbous tip along your slit.

"Now my little apprentice, I'm going to show you how a real man fucks a little cunt like yours."

❥𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓲

Spotting exactly what you were hoping to find for the night, you approached the older male and sat in front of him. Giving you a little glance, he furrowed his eyebrows as he took in your countenance.

"Aren't you a little young to be in a club like this?" He questioned you.

"Trust me, I'm old enough." You boldly took the glass he had in front of him and took a sip before setting it back down.

He let out a tiny chuckle as you practically drowned almost an entire glass of straight vodka. You had guts, he was giving you that.

"Little lady I'm sure there are more young men your age scattered about waiting for a beauty like you to pay attention to them. So why not go find them?" He suggested.

You frowned at him, a tiny huff coming out from your lips.

"Guys my age are all idiots and little babies. Absolutely nothing fun about them."

You scooted closer to him, your hand coming down to rub at one of his ridiculous thick thighs.

"I prefer men who are more older and..... bigger." You made emphasis on that last word.

The male snorted as he let you continue your little game. He was actually pretty amused and flattered at having a young and attractive girl hit on him.

"Little lady as much as I'd love to take you back to my place and fuck you into my sheets, I'm warning you that I'm into more.... risque and exotic pleasures and honestly....I don't think an inexperienced thing like you could handle it."

The man, whom you soon found out was named Song Mingi peeked your interest even more as he confided in you that little detail. And you were more than happy to indulge in extremely naughty kinks. That's how you ended up in his bed, your hands and feet tied to each of the bed posts, blindfolded, gagged, nipple clamps adorning your perky breasts as your older lover for the night was continuing his abuse on your swollen and red pussy, drawing out orgasm after orgasm out of your body.

"Fuck! Holy shit!" He cried out, grunting in an almost animalistic manner as he pumped his cum all over your body.

Removing your blindfold and mouth gag, he looked for any signs of regret but was instead met with your fucked out face that held a tiny grin.

"Older and bigger cocks are indeed the best."

❥𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓰 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓰

Working as an exotic dancer, you met a lot of customers and got used to having regulars. But no one got under your skin or made you lose your senses like Jung Wooyoung. Usually you didn't give any special treatment to anyone unless it guaranteed more cash in your garter belt. But there was something about him that had you constantly looking over when he was there. Every time he was watching from the crowd, you made sure every wink, every lip bite or swirl of your tongue was directed at him.

You were thinking about giving up, since weeks passed and he didn't seem to make a move on you or on any of the other girls. Perhaps he was dragged there by his friends since he always sat there idly, no expression whatsoever. When you were told someone payed to have a private show with you, the last person you expected to see was none other than Jung Wooyoung himself, sitting on the couch, a glass of wine on his hand. Pulling out a large bill, he smirked at you.

"One hundred dollars if you take off that top."

His request had your legs wobbling. Since it was a rather fancy and elegant strip club, none of you ever actually stripped completely bare, only staying in scanty lingerie. But honestly, you didn't hesitate and let the top fall to the floor. You loved the way Wooyoung was eyeing your chest, tongue poking out to wet his lip. Reaching into his pocket once more, this time he produced even more bills and layed them on the table.

"500 dollars if you remove that lace thong."

Holy crap, you thought to yourself. That was a lot of money that you weren't going to refuse. And besides, you were already wet for the older man that you would suck him off right then and there if he asked you to, with absolutely no payment. This time his hand began to rub at his crotch. Unzipping his pants, he took his long length out which had your mouth watering and staring for so long that you didn't notice the even larger stash of cash he had taken out of his jacket which layed beside him.

"One thousand dollars if you hop your pretty ass over here and bounce yourself on my cock."

Not needing to be told twice, you practically plunged yourself down on him, not caring to take your time as you began to fuck yourself on his cock. The man underneath you was enjoying himself as well, the visual of your ass clapping against his hips driving him insane.

"Fuck! Yes! Just like that- oh god!"

You let out a yelp when his hand came down to slap your cheeks rather harshly, hips taking control as he rammed his cock into you. Through raspy grunts and growls, he made his final proposition to you:

"Your own place, monthly allowance and anything else you want if you leave this place and become my own personal fuck toy."

❥𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓙𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝓸

Working as the personal assistant for your father's CEO friend was not easy. Not because Choi Jongho was difficult, scary and begrudgingly agreed to have his friend's daughter work for him when she had no experience, but because the man was hot. You had the hots for your dad's friend and knowing you would have to be by his side for 8-10 hours on the daily both thrilled and terrified you.

"Can't you even work a simple printer? Seriously? How stupid could you possibly be?"

You honestly didn't mind his constant insults and degradation. In fact...that's exactly what you wanted, even more if he did it in front of others. Truth was, you did know how to work a printer and do other office related small tasks. You just chose not to just to have him yell and scream at you. His anger further fueled your sexual desires for him.

Eventually he ended up finding out what your little plan was when he chanced upon you sending a fax for someone, something he had always refrained from teaching you cause he thought you'd be too stupid to do.

"Why you cunning little vixen." He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he saw you, angry that a little brat like you was getting under his skin just to get a reaction out of him. He felt his palm start to tremble with an urge to bend you over and spank you into place.

Which he did end up doing, among other things in an effort to get you to behave or straighten up. But it never fully worked since you kept testing his patience, and he truly didn't mind. He liked your little game and he started to look forward to having his little vixen misbehave just to put her back in her place. And you lived for having him punish and degrade you.

"Look at you. You look like a common whore, letting me fuck her little hole as much as I want to."

You whimpered as his hand pulled your hair, making you lift your head and watch from the mirror as he fucked you from behind against his dresser.

"Maybe I should take a picture and send it to your dad. Let him know that his precious daughter is nothing more than a slut that likes getting her tight little hole fucked by his best friend."

You shook at his words, tears steaming down your face from the overstimulation he was putting you through. You absolutely loved it. Loved having him remind you of how wrong and sinful it was. Pressing your back against his chest, he wrapped an arm around your throat as he pounded his cock into you like the beast he was.

"But no... I won't do that. This will be our little secret."

Gifs not mine. Credit goes to their respective owners

#ateez #ateez reactions #ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #ateez smut #ateez fluff #ateez hongjoong #ateez seonghwa #ateez yunho #ateez yeosang #ateez san #ateez mingi #ateez wooyoung #ateez jongho #dilf!ateez

[shadowed-dancer]

How the anime enhanced the Touya mystery

Season 5 of MHA just finished adapting the Endeavour Agency Arc. While everyone has their own opinion on how the anime adaptation is doing, I wanted to take a moment to praise something that (I think) they handled really well: The Touya Mystery. Today we’re going to walk through how the anime handled this plot point, and why it worked so well.

Proud to say this post is free of manga spoilers! Today we’re ONLY talking about the anime.

Intro: What is the Touya Mystery?

The Touya mystery is the ongoing mystery of what happened to the third Todoroki son. It is foreshadowed in seasons 2 and 4, but it exists in earnest throughout season 5. It is never explicitly stated, but is instead referenced in passing by the characters, allowing the audience to try and piece everything together until it is eventually confirmed.

Disclaimer

Obviously the manga has this mystery as well, but anime as a medium has certain factors that the manga simply doesn’t have. OPs and EDs are a good example, but there’s also the way hiatuses affect the way we consume the story, as well as how the breakdown of seasons clump certain storylines closer together then they were in the manga (compare 6 months to get through Joint Training in the manga, compared to 2.5 months for the anime).

I am also aware of the theories surrounding Touya’s potential connection to a previously established character. You’ve probably seen the theory at some point, but I won’t name names just incase some of you haven’t. Either way, this post isn’t about that theory.

Finally, I’m very well aware that most viewers may not have picked up on some of the stuff I’m saying. A lot of these points are minor details, and I don’t fault anyone for missing out on that. In fact, I’m sure there are some fans out there who never even realized there was a 4th Todoroki sibling because they just... didn’t care or pay attention. I’m going at this with the mindset of someone who is very, VERY analytical, not your average viewer who’s just here to enjoy the show.

The Set Up: Season 2

We are first introduced to the Todoroki siblings way back in Season 2, Episode 10 (Todoroki’s fight with Deku in the Sports Festival). During Shoto’s flashback, we are given this frame to introduce his siblings...

We have the white-haired brother, the red-haired brother, and the sister. In this scene, the red-haired brother fumbles his soccer move and ends up falling, causing his siblings to laugh. This added movement (which was never in the manga) causes the red-haired brother to stand out slightly more than his siblings.

Now, granted, I’ve seen quite a few people who didn’t realize these were Shoto’s siblings at first. They just thought he was watching his neighbours. That’s why, if their hair colours weren’t enough to clue you in on their relationship to Shoto, we meet the sister a few episodes later (Season 2, Episode 12).

She refers to Endeavour as “dad” which informs the audience that she is also Endeavour’s child, and is therefore Shoto’s sister. It then stands to reason that the two boys she was playing with (both of whom share their hair colour with her and Shoto) would be her brothers.

The Set Up: Shout Baby

Season 4, Episode 15 gives us a new ending sequence, Shout Baby, in which we see this...

Todoroki Family photos. On the left is a photo of Shoto on his first day of school (I double checked and the sign behind him indicates some sort of entrance ceremony). On the right, we are given a photo of the sister and white-haired brother as adults.

(Despite it not being explicit, you can tell that’s the white haired brother based on context clues. He looks so similar to the kid in the flashback that it doesn’t make sense for him to be anyone else. This is of course confirmed later in the season).

However, the red-haired brother is missing, which now launches the mystery of why. Why is he not in any of the photos? And then, as the frame pans down, we get this...

A torn, burnt corner of a photograph. For a while, I had some trouble making out what that blue stuff was in the corner, but a comment on Youtube helped point out that it is the exact same Sakura tree as the one in Shoto’s photo. You can even see the branch in the same spot.

So what does this tell us? Well, it’s the same place Shoto went to school, but the photo is burnt. Is it just a burned up copy of the same photo to symbolize how Endeavour ruined Shoto’s childhood? Or is it a photo of one of the other kids attending the same school, burned for mysterious reasons?

The actual answer is that it’s an Easter egg for manga readers who already know about the red haired brother but shhhhh we’re only talking about the anime right now.

The point is, we now have intrigue.

The Set Up: Season 4

Season 4, Episode 25 gives us our first full look at the Todoroki Family, with the siblings (sans Shoto) on a visit to their mom.

We get confirmation that the man in the photo from the ED is the white haired brother, and we learn their names as well, with the sister being named Fuyumi and the white-haired brother being named Natsuo! But, just like the ending sequence, the red-haired brother is missing.

His absence is never brought up, but this is only highlighted by the fact that Fuyumi teases Natsuo for not calling often ever since going away for college. His response ISN’T “aw come on, why do you only pick on me?” or “hey, at least I’m here! Unlike [red-haired brother]”. Instead he says, “aww come on, sis, I call you guys!”

No one calls attention to the fact that one of the siblings is missing. The red-haired brother is never even mentioned, which tell us as the audience that the characters know something we don't. Whatever reason they aren’t mentioning the 3rd brother is common knowledge amongst them, so there’s no need to bring him up.

But the anime ensures we remember that, yes, there IS in fact another brother. They replay the soccer flashback as Natsuo and Fuyumi watch Endeavour’s fight from their laptop, but we are also given this...

... Our second look at the red haired brother (played when Endeavour reminisces about his family). From this, we notice that the brother is significantly shorter than his siblings. It’s also worth noting that his bangs are in front of his face, meaning we never get a clear idea of his appearance (I’ll bring this up again later).

This episode also serves as the season finale, meaning fans were treated to an entire year of hiatus to theorize on the red-haired brother.

The Mystery Starts: His Name

Season 5, Episode 2 begins the mystery-of-the-missing-brother in earnest by providing us with this quote...

“Mom’s screams, Shoto’s crying, and what happened to our big brother, Touya”

Not only is this quote the first time the red-haired brother is being directly spoken about, but it also provides us with 3 pieces of information.

FIRST: His name is Touya. We now have something to call him besides “the red-haired brother”.

SECOND: He’s Natsuo’s big brother. At this point in the series, the age order for Natsuo and Fuyumi had not been confirmed in the anime, but we now knew Natsuo is either the second oldest child, or third oldest.

Touya being Natsuo’s “big brother” means Touya is either the oldest child, or the second oldest. But the fact that Natsuo says “our big brother” does seem to indicate Touya is the big brother to all of them.

This seems to be contradictory to the fact that Touya is just so small compared to his siblings in the 2nd flashback, but it’s certainly not impossible for younger siblings to outgrow the oldest.

(Yes I know technically their age order is revealed in episode 17 but I’m trying to walk through the experience live)

THIRD: We learn something happened to Touya. We don’t know what, but it’s implied to be bad. At the very least, it implies that whatever happened led to Touya no longer seeing his family.

The Mystery Continues: Quirk Singularity

In Season 5, Episode 3, the anime adds a fun visual while Deku explains the Quirk Singularity Doomsday Theory (the theory that, as quirks combine through generations, kids will end up with stronger and stronger quirks with bodies that cannot control them).

In the manga, this is just Deku talking to All Might, but the anime adds the same flashbacks Endeavour had during his Nomu fight for some visual intrigue. Not only does this flashback remind us that the Todoroki siblings exist, but it implies that they are somehow connected to the Quirk Singularity Theory (Shoto is shown as an example of how quirks combine to create stronger quirks, but perhaps we’ll learn some more about Touya to connect him to the theory as well).

The Mystery Continues: Touya’s Quirk

Season 5, Episode 7 gives us another flashback to Shoto’s childhood. Here, Endeavour comments on some very interesting details of Touya’s quirk...

“Touya was close. He had more firepower than me, but he had Rei’s weak constitution. He... was close”

It’s also worth noting that the English Dub of this scene has Endeavour end this line with, “He was close, until...”

So what does this teach us?

FIRST: The English Dub implies he was doing well UNTIL something happened. Was it the incident that Natsuo was referring to? Either way, it has once again created intrigue.

SECOND: Touya had a fire quirk, and it was even stronger than Endeavour’s (hey, look at that, kind of like quirk singularity, right? How the next generation gets stronger than their parents?).

Viewers may have been able to theorize that Touya had a fire quirk based purely on his hair colour (think of how Shoto’s hair represents which side produces which quirk) but this line gives us solid confirmation on his quirk.

THIRD: Touya “had Rei’s weak constitution”. Now, it’s debatable on what exactly a “weak constitution” means. Is this referring to his resolve? Was he too passive? Or is this referring to something else? (Perhaps Rei’s physical constitution?)

Well, wouldn’t you know it, but all the way back in Season 5, Episode 2 (the same one where we learn Touya’s name, go figure) we hear this exact phrase used in reference to the original OFA user... but ONLY in the English Dub.

Here’s what AFO says in the sub...

“My brother is frail”

...vs the dub

“My little brother has a weak constitution”

This gives us a direct reference point that a “weak constitution” in this series can be another way of saying someone is frail (and even if you don’t want to cross reference the dub and sub, OFA is portrayed as weak no matter what). This seems to tie in well with the fact that Touya was so much smaller and appeared weaker than his supposed younger siblings.

The Through Line: Arc Rearrangement

If you didn’t know, I’m here to tell you that the anime pulled a little sneaky on us manga readers by rearranging the arcs.

The manga originally went from Joint Training to (the upcoming arc) to Endeavour Agency, and while the anime has kept these events in the same chronological order, it changed the way they were presented to us. Endeavour Agency has been put first, which means we get more Touya information a heck of a lot closer to the rest of his reveals, compared to the manga.

Regardless of how you personally feel about the arc rearrangement, it works wonders for Touya’s mystery. Endeavour is sprinkled throughout many episodes of the Joint Training Arc in the anime, so it feels rather natural to go straight to the Agency Arc because Endeavour is acting as our narrative through line. He’s been a reoccurring presence, so it doesn’t feel as if he’s coming out of nowhere. 

The Reward: The Photo

If you’ve been paying attention to the clues the series has left regarding the missing Todoroki child, you are rewarded in Season 5, Episode 17.

The episode is rather... flashback heavy, but it does a good job reminding us of all the Todoroki drama before we head to the dinner. And at the end of the episode (literally the last thing we see before the ED), observant viewers who have been keeping track of Touya are rewarded when we finally get to see...

... Touya’s face. The first instance where it’s unobstructed. There he is. The missing Todoroki son. He’s so cute!

(Also yes yes I know his hair is now white and I’m sure that was very confusing for anime onlies. However, I promise it is the same kid.)

But, perhaps more importantly, we learn the implication that Touya is dead. His photo is on a shrine where Endeavour is praying, and the shrine seems to be set up in a child’s room that has remain unchanged (small shoes, a soccer ball, and toys on the bookshelf, all of which seem to be too young for any of the living Todoroki siblings). Suddenly it becomes all too clear why the family didn’t bring him up that often, and why Natsuo was so upset about “what happened to our big brother, Touya”.

The Tease: What Comes Next?

Season 5, Episode 18 leaves us with a teaser for the future of Keeping Up With The Todoroki's.

Touya’s death is confirmed, and we even learn a bit more on the circumstances surrounding it, as we learn Endeavour feels responsible for whatever happened. We also learned that Natsuo blames Endeavour, hinting that he certainly played some part in it.

However, all of these hints lead to a story for another time (more likely Season 6, to be precise). I won’t spoil what exactly happens, but I can confirm that we eventually see Touya’s death and the events leading up to it through flashback, and I’m honestly so excited.

Perhaps I’ll make a part 2 to this post when the anime gets to that point.

Hope you enjoyed!

#bnha #bnha season 5 #todofam #toya todoroki #touya todoroki #enji todoroki #shoto todoroki #natsuo todoroki #fuyumi todoroki #bnha meta #bnha season five #mha season 5 #mha season five #bnha analysis #if you liked this please reblog I've been working on this for forever #just had to wait for today's episode to finish it off

[xseaxwitchxkpop]

NSFW Alphabet: Sub!Sannie Edition

A/N: I've seen a lot of dom!ateez edition for this but not really much sub!ateez, so y'all know I had to do it lol. As always, take this with a grain of salt as I do not know the ateezers irl

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A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

Doesn't matter if y'all had rough and kinky sex or sweet and soft sex, this boy will always be blissed out when y'all are done. He needs all the sweet kisses on his cheeks, his neck freckles, knuckle kisses, and cuddles. Whisper praise to him and feed and hydrate him...and give him a bath if it was a particularly rough session complete with washing his hair.

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He's most proud of abs because not only would he be able to see (and feel) a tummy bulge with ur larger strap on/large dick, he also knows it earns him praise from you because of how hard he works for them. On you, he can't choose his favorite: he'd sway between your lips and the way they make him shudder, your fingers and the way they dig into his hips, and your legs that he could hold onto in missionary, whether thicc or skinny.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

He definitely loves to eat cum, both yours and his, but especially his when it's paired with degradation. He also loves the feeling of you cumming in his ass and it never fails to send him over the edge and wiped out so quickly...he will beg for this. If you have a pussy, make him eat you out after he came inside, it's one of his favorite things.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He's really private with intimacy and prefers not to show off...however, at least once, he would love nothing more than for you to take him in front of a camera and treat him as nothing more than a useless plaything for your pleasure, showing everyone that you own him and then gift the tape to his members...perhaps to lead them to a whole ass orgy where he gets absolutely destroyed by everyone on your command.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Contrary to popular belief, he's not as experienced as we might be inclined to believed. He's probably only had a couple of partners because he fell in love way too fast and might have messed around with a couple of members, but overall he's only kind of experienced. He knows what he's doing as a baseline, but it's also different for different people, so he quickly learns YOUR body and its responses.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

Honestly depends on his mood: if he wants it fast, rough, and completely fucked out it's doggy style hands-down; if he wants it slow and sensual, good old missionary with his legs laid over your thighs so he can squeeze them when the bedsheets aren't enough.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Most of the time, he likes to be more serious with sex because he views this type of intimacy as people sharing each other and putting utmost trust in each other but every once in a while he'll want soft, giggly sex where you two simply exist in a moment and in each other without the filth of kinky rough sex.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

I'm more than positive all of them, at the bare minimum, trim their pubes for logistical reasons but I think San probably just full on shaves down there as a matter of principle: if he likes you to be clean shaven down under, he'll put in the same effort for you.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

As I've said, he's a very intimate person, so he treasures every single moment every time you two have sex. No matter how far deep into sub space he gets or how severe his punishments, his heart will always fill up with joy and happiness whenever you two get intimate. He's also very possessive and he feels 1000x moreso when sex is involved which is why his orgy fantasy will be nothing but a fantasy for quite a while.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

He doesn't masturbate too often because the relief of the release is not satisfactory and he only really does it when it becomes an annoyance or interference in his daily routines. BUT. When he's on tour and finds himself on the rare occasion that he is aching for your touch, he'll take a pair of your used panties he snuck into his baggage and jack off in the shower to the thought and smell of you.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

This kinky mf will try most everything once. Some of his kinks include but are not limited to breeding (you breeding him and him breeding you, depending on if he's a service top in the moment), restraints (i.e., shibari, handcuffs), sensory deprivation (i.e., blindfolds), tummy bulge (in him), hair pulling, choking, cum eating, mommy/noona/hyung/daddy/master/mistress/etc., dollification, edging, pegging/anal play, biting, nipple play, and cock rings.

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

He prefers the bed above all else because it resembles a little nest of blankets, pillows, and plushies which makes him feel the safest in whatever the mood y'all have goin on. He is not, however, opposed to being railed on the countertop.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Hmmmm I think a better question is what doesn't turn him on. He's definitely a kinky fucker and a sex fiend, but among his top turn ons are ass groping, lip biting, hair tugging, and gentle pats on his lower back, especially if you're doing it to guide him somewhere. Also the Voice (tm), especially in public!

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Deliberately ignoring him, even if it is out of playfulness and teasing on your end. I don't peg him as an attention whore by any means, but he is very sensitive to being included/excluded and the like, so this would only genuinely hurt him, especially if you decide to drag it out for longer than a couple of minutes.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

This man LIVES for eating you out and/or sucking you off, whether that's a strap on or actual dick. It gets him going so much so please let him just go down you at any time, any day, nearly any where. He doesn't like receiving much because he doesn't get too much pleasure -- he doesn't make him feel subby at all and that's not something he particularly likes but if you really want to, he'll let you go down on him every once in a blue moon.

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

As emphasized previously, it very much depends on his mood, but he'll typically want fast and rough on his more stressful days and slow and sensual on his more "down" days when he needs to be reminded that he is loved for more than just his body, that he is more than just his body. The soft and giggly sex he'd want when he's in a very happy mood and just wants to share that warmth with you, the sweet thing.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

He's not really that into quickies, but if you want one or two, he's not gonna put up a fight lol.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Again, he'll do nearly everything once, so yes, experimentation/risk is the name of his game.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

During fast and rough intercourse, he could probably go three rounds with overstimulation but during slow and sensual intercourse, he could do a strong single round or a questionable two rounds because the slow and sensual one tends to be more emotionally exhausting than fast and rough for him.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Ofc the sweetheart owns toys! Miss Size Queen has his own dildos, vibrators, anal beads, handcuffs, and nipple clamps. Most of these things he uses on himself and his partner uses on him, but every once in a while the partner will use one or two things on themselves to tease and punish the poor boy.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

If he's being a brat, he will tease you to no end until you have his ass and remind him to behave. Most of the time, though, it's his partner that's teasing him and he might try to tease you back out of revenge. Keyword: try.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

San is loud as hell in bed and there is no convincing me otherwise. He will let out the most sinful moans, cutest little whimpers, and high pitched whines so muffle his mouth with your used panties/underwear or stuff his mouth with your fingers to decrease his volume. The only time he's not being loud is when he's so completely fucked out that all he can do is whimper, drool endlessly for your strap on/dick, and roll his eyes in the back of his head.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

He loves it when you make him cry from fucking him so good. The first time he cried from fucking was when you two tried out mirror sex and you forced him to look himself in the eye in the mirror and he was absolutely gone. This kind of fucking, however, leaves him kind of sore in the ass for the next couple of days so y'all rarely do it when he's working on promotions and a comeback so when y'all can do it...well, he won't be walking for a while.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

He's a little longer than average, but not by much; he also has average girth. This doesn't bother you, though, as you're the one fucking him most of the time and he knows how to use his dick, anyway, so it hasn't caused any problems between the two of you.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

He has a pretty high sex drive, so when you're not in the mood and he is, you indulge him in guided masturbation either with his hand or via plushie fucking. You'll also let him ride your thigh if you can handle that or give him a quick handy. However if you both have the same high sex drive, y'all gonna have a lot of sex at many times during the day.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He tends to fall asleep pretty quickly, passing out within like 20 minutes of y'all finishing. If, though, it was soft and giggly sex, he wouldn't fall asleep at all, he'd just snuggle into you and talk about cute things he saw that day or scroll through social media for cats or some cute shit because he's not really tired, just very warm and very content...dare I say, like a cat in the sun.

#ateez #sub!ateez #dom!reader #san #ateez headcanons #ateez imagine #my works #lemon hours #sub!ateez alphabet #sub!san #sub!idol #sub!kpop

[krabstick32]

Snow Melts Quicker in Water

Pairing: Giyuu x Reader

Synopsis: You and Giyuu fight, but things have a way of sorting themselves out. 

Tags/warnings: very light angst, mostly fluff, super light make out session uwu

a/n: thank you for requesting @aliaisreal​!! you’re super sweet, so thank you very much for your patience and understanding!! I hope the wait was worth it!! 🥺

Link to the ask: Request by @aliaisreal​

The best (and kindest) way possible people could describe Tomioka Giyuu was that he was like water itself.

Like water, he adapted easily and quickly, His movements were fluid and continuous, unstoppable in its actions like a waterfall spilling over a cliff. His voice was baritone, smooth, but held power underneath the surface. He flowed through any obstacle in his life as best as he could, and that rang true even to your relationship. 

While he thought that he mostly went with the flow, It’s been an entire week since your fight, and it’s been an entire week since he’s talked to you.

Admittedly, you two have fought before—minor little squabbles where he always took it upon himself to be the first to apologize. He didn’t like the idea of you upset, but now was different. This was probably the biggest fight he’s ever had with you, and as much as he loves you, he didn’t want to be the one to make the first move this time.

One moment, he came home to you, tired and ready to go straight to your shared room and drop dead for the next few hours, but in the next, the two of you were saying things that neither of you meant, arguing over something that should have been a simple thing. 

That night, the fight was so big that he ended up taking refuge in the butterfly estate. 

Well, given the injuries he got in his last mission, he was already going to go the next morning, but he was hoping to see you and rest first before anything else. 

Breathing out a sigh, he sits up from the cold hospital bed he’s been sleeping on for the past week, and reflexively brings a hand to the bandages around his stomach. He never did like fighting with you. It always left a heavy weight on his chest, and it always occupies his mind, resulting in him fighting slightly sloppier than he’d like.  

Maybe he should apologize? There was a pillar meeting later on in the day, so if he wanted to, he could. He usually did, within the day, but this was the longest the two of you were actively mad at each other. The two of you fought, but last night was the first time the two of you fought for that long.

But for once, he didn’t want to. For once, he wanted you to make the first move, and maybe, just this once he should. 

Giyuu breathes out a heavy sigh. He’ll just think about that later.

When Giyuu arrived at the Ubuyashiki Garden, he was thrown off by the fact that you weren’t there. He was further surprised when the Oyakata-sama came in, and there was still no sign of you.

Between the both of you, you were the early bird, and would usually be one of the first who arrived, if you didn’t come dragging him by his haori.

Your absence was rubbing him off the wrong way. He’s missed you a lot so he was really hoping to see you today, even if the two of you got into a fight.

While his facade was as perfectly emotionless and stoic as ever, his mind was spiralling deeper into worry. Why weren’t you here? Were you that mad? Were you so pissed that you chose to forgo the meeting because of him?

(Unbeknownst to him, his fellow pillars were looking at him. His face didn’t change, but everyone could see his worry clear as day.)

Oyakata-sama dismisses the meeting after a while, and everyone bows, leaving right after they were assigned with new missions and patrols. Giyuu only had to patrol his region in the evening...maybe he should go look for you?

On his way back to his estate to search for you, he passes by the butterfly estate and sees Tanjirou and his friends helping the girls hang the sheets. Well, it was more like Tanjirou was helping, while Zenitsu and Inosuke quarreled.

Tanjirou immediately notices Giyuu, raising a hand in greeting. He quickly hangs the bedsheet in his hand to rush over to the raven haired man. “Tomioka-san! How are you?”

“Hello Tanjirou.” Giyuu responds as the young demon slayer stands in front of him, adding, “I’m fine.”

“I’m glad! You seem distressed though, is everything alright? Are you worried about (F/N)-san?”

Giyuu doesn’t even try to hide it, simply nodding and feeling a little shy from how Tanjirou could easily read him. “She wasn’t at the meeting earlier. She’s usually there first.”

He places a hand over his chin and nods. “Oh, of course she’s not.”

That was news to him. “What? Do you...know where she is?”

“No…” Tanjirou responds, but his face immediately crumples in on itself, his eyeballs rolling back into his head. Both of them knew he was lying, but Giyuu still feels a little bad that he’s using the boy’s honest and earnest personality to his advantage.

Regardless, He gives the younger boy a look that has Tanjirou looking away abashedly. “I don’t think I’m supposed to say anything…”

“Tanjirou…”

It doesn’t take much for him to cave, and he sighs before telling Giyuu what he knows. “She went out for a mission. I thought you knew, but—” He cuts himself off when his nose detects panic and worry, the smell nearly taking over his senses. “—Ah! But don’t worry, Giyuu-san! This is (F/N)-san, I’m sure she’ll be fine!”

Oh, Giyuu knew you were strong and capable, but with a job as dangerous and unpredictable as theirs, so many things could happen. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to curse his pride. He should have approached you right after, he shouldn’t have let this go on longer than it should have.

The best thing he could do right now was wait for you, and apologize as soon as he sees you.

He hopes he gets the chance.

“You’re right. She’ll be fine.”

Tanjirou wasn’t sure who Giyuu was trying to convince.

As the Snow Hashira, people expected you to be cold, stern, harsh, and while it’s not completely wrong, you were one of the kindest out of all the pillars. You had a heart of gold that shone through and had a smile that could warm even the coldest of hearts. It made it easier for people to approach you despite the initial impression, but everyone found it ironic that the Snow Pillar was one of the warmest, kindest, most genuine slayer from the bunch.

You were proud of your work as a demon slayer—saving lives, and killing the very thing that brought you and so many others so much pain—but the fact that you and your friends walked hand in hand with death was… well, it was a lot to take in.

Death is, and never will be something you think you’ll get used to. It was always painful—knowing that you could have done something to help, or knowing that their death was beyond your power. Whether you liked it or not, it was one of those things that just happened. No matter how much you wanted cheat death, there was no stopping it—

Which was one of the main reasons why you got so mad at Giyuu when he came home to you all bruised and bloody.

Instead of going to the butterfly estate, it was normal that he’d come home straight to you after a particularly challenging mission, in which cases you’d do basic first aid before rushing him to Shinobu. There wasn’t any problem really. There were moments where you would come home to him in a similar state, where he’d be the one giving you first aid, and you were happy he trusted you enough to show you his vulnerable side.

But you were just so painfully reminded of how you became a demon slayer, of how your family sacrificed themselves for your escape. You could see that Giyuu was barely thinking of himself, often throwing himself in harm’s way just to get a mission done.

Seeing someone you love give such little importance to himself made you both sad and angry. It rubbed you the wrong way, and you couldn’t help but burst and get mad at him. The fight escalated quickly, and both of you said things you didn’t mean.

Looking back, it was a little stupid. You reacted irrationally and immaturely when you could have talked it out with him like an adult. You acknowledged that it was mostly your fault, and that you should have been the one to apologize, but you just couldn’t admit your mistake, seeing as you still agreed with how reckless he was being.

So you avoided him, devoting nearly all of your time to your missions.

A few days after you started avoiding him, Oyakata-sama sent for you and assigned a mission that needed an entire day of travel. There was a group of Tsuchinoto’s that weren’t doing too well, and it required you to dispose of the demon and help them in any way you can. While you took the job with no qualms, you were a little apprehensive. You and Giyuu still hadn’t made up, and this mission required at least three days, and that’s taking into account if everything went smoothly, which things rarely did.

It didn’t sit right for you to leave without seeing him, so the morning you planned to leave, you dropped by the Butterfly Estate to see him. You haven’t talked to him for five full days now, and while he didn’t talk a lot, you really missed his company.

You find him sleeping in one of the rooms. A small part of you was hoping that he’d be awake so you could talk a bit, maybe even apologize before you left, but he didn’t even move at all when you opened the door. Considering how much of a light sleeper he was, it was a little surprising that he didn’t stir at all when you sat by the edge of his bed beside him, but he was still recovering from the injuries of his previous battle, so it can hardly be helped. In fact, it worked in your favor, because he didn’t wake up when you pressed a small kiss to his temple.

Softly, you put your forehead against his and press a hand against his cheek, whispering as lightly as you could. “I’ll be going now, but I’ll come back. I love you.”

He was clearly unconscious, but the way he leans closer to your touch made your heart melt and butterflies flood your stomach. Even when you were supposed to be fighting, he could still make you feel this way.

It figures. Snow always did melt quicker in water.

You smile and push the stray hairs away from his face. You let your hand caress his cheek as you memorize his features as best as you could, leaving the room once you've realized that you need to go soon. Turning, you take one last look at Giyuu before closing the door as softly as you could—and coming face to face with dark red eyes.

You let out a small yelp, too late to realize that it was only Tanjirou smiling up at you in confusion.

“Tanjirou-kun! You surprised me!”

“Sorry about that (F/N)-san. I was on my way to check on Nezuko.” He laughs a little bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. He looks back up at you though when he realizes whose room you were coming out of. “What are you doing coming out of Giyuu-san’s room? Is there something wrong?”

Was there something wrong? Well technically there was, as you two were avoiding each other, but you brush off his concern, finding it a little awkward to explain. “Oh, no! Not at all, I just wanted to see him before leaving for a mission.”

“A mission?”

You nod. “Yes, I’m not sure of all the details yet, but it might take a while.”

“Oh, I see! Please take care (F/N)-san!”

“Thank you Tanjirou-kun, I will. Stay out of trouble alright?”

“Will do!” Tanjirou was quick to deliver a salute, making you giggle despite your heavy heart. Seeing one of the Kamado siblings always made you smile - they were too adorable for their own good.

As you were about to step out the hall, you suddenly remember something.“Ah, by the way Tanjirou-kun, Giyuu was asleep so I didn’t want to bother him, but can you not tell him that I dropped by?”

The young boy seems to be thrown off by your weird request, and tries to question you as politely as he could. You were still his superior after all, and a person he deeply respected. “Eh? Not tell Giyuu-san?”

“Yes.”

Tanjirou was apprehensive—he couldn’t lie for his life after all—but you must have your reasons, so instead, he resolved to just do his best. He was the eldest son! He could do this! “Oh, okay then, I’ll do my best (F/N)-san!”

“Wonderful! Thank you, Tanjirou-kun.”

When Tanjirou finally cracked and told Giyuu where you were, the Water Pillar waited as patiently as he could. He was known for his patience, and for his go with the flow attitude, but when it came to you, he wanted nothing more than to just rush by your side. When he discovered your mission, he was practically itching to run all the way over to you. You leaving for your mission before he nor you could apologize sat terribly in his gut. The only thing tying him down to his post was his sense of duty. He still had missions to attend to here, and unless someone could cover for him, or unless it was a terrible emergency, he couldn’t leave.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust you as a fellow pillar, but as your boyfriend, he was worried for you. Your fight left a horrible taste in his mouth, and he could never forgive himself if that was the last moment he had with you.

So instead, he sat patiently, going through routine and accomplishing his patrols and missions dutifully.

It wasn’t until a few days later when he learned of what happened to your party.

It was a lower moon, and while that would have been an easy job for you, you had five other slayers to protect and worry about. His crow reported that everyone was quickly brought to the Butterfly Estate, and that was the last thing he needed to hear before bolting from his estate and out to Shinobu’s.

“Where is she?”

Shinobu turns as Giyuu bursts through the doors, her smile as saccharine as ever. “Ah, hello to you too Tomioka-san!”

“Kochou, where is (F/N)?” Giyuu looked about ready to tear down the whole place to look for you, and Shinobu knew that. Regardless, Shinobu’s smile never wavers as she continues to tease him.

“Ara, are you worried about (F/N)-chan?” She continues, but for the first time, it eases him. Shinobu loved pushing his buttons, but she knew when to stop. If she was being like this, you should be alive, at the very least. She doesn’t motion or signal Giyuu to follow her, but he was quick to walk after the Insect Pillar, moving as quick and as fluid as flowing water.

Shinobu stops at a door, and slides it open to reveal you awake, sitting up on the bed. You seemed to be a little bruised and worse for wear with all the bandages and discolored patches of skin, but you were alive and you were breathing, and that’s all what matters to Giyuu right now.

From her periphery, Shinobu could see the relief on Giyuu, and as much as she liked pissing Giyuu off, she knows the feeling and backs off. There was always another time for teasing, she can do that later.

“I’ll leave you two be. Tomioka-san be careful of her injuries, alright?” As promised, the door slides back closed as Shinobu leaves you two be.

After a while, you pat the empty space by the edge of your bed, croaking out a short “Sit with me.”, before Giyuu moves to sit over carefully. When he was settled, his eyes roamed over your skin, quick to assess the number of injuries and thinking how critical and painful each one of them might be.

“Before you say anything,” You start, “I’m sorry.”

Giyuu’s thrown off and his eyes dart from the bloody bandage on your arm to your eyes. “What—”

“I was way out of line, and I overreacted. I was being petty in waiting for you to apologize first, but it should have been me. I’m sorry for overreacting…and for taking this long to apologize.”

“But it doesn’t mean that I'm sorry about everything else!” Because while you were aware you overreacted, it didn’t mean that your feelings came from nowhere. “I can see that I was wrong in the way I approached things but I meant every word when I said that you’re too careless! I hate seeing you in pain and you just reminded me too much of my family and I—”

He interrupts you by taking your hands. Lightly, he traces vague shapes onto the skin of your palm, the rough calluses on his fingertips a nice reminder that he was here, that he was alive, and that you were too. 

“I couldn’t handle the thought of you leaving me. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too.”

The two of you stay quiet, the weight being lifted off of both of your shoulders, until a thought occurs to you that causes you to pull away.

“But you’re not saying anything about your recklessness.” You point out, giving him a light glare, only stopping when a small smile curls around his lips.

He chuckles and the sound goes straight to your heart. “Okay, I promise to stop being too reckless.”

“You better keep that promise, or else I’ll hunt you down myself.” Smiling softly, you place a hand against his cheek and pull him closer. “I missed you.”

Giyuu hums against your touch and a week's worth of not seeing him drives you to press your lips against his mouth. He responds easily, shifting his weight onto himself and holding your body to lighten the strain on you. You hold onto the lapels of his haori as he deepens the kiss, and it was a good thing he was holding you because under normal circumstances, your knees would have buckled.

“(F/N)-chan! It’s time to change your bandages—” Hearing a foreign voice, causes the two of you to turn to the entrance— “Oh dear. I’m so sorry to interrupt!”—only to see Shinobu smiling at  the two of you like a cat that ate the canary.

“Sh-Shinobu-chan! It’s um...”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s exactly what I think hm?” Her smile seems to grow wider, and you feel your face burst into flames. She knew exactly what was going on. “But Tomioka-san, I never would have guessed! How bold of you to do such lewd things to an injured patient! Anyway, I’ll leave you two alone, I’ll drop by again later to change your bandages, (F/N)-chan!”

The sound of the door slamming shut signals Shonbu’s leave and both you and Giyuu were left staring at the space where Shinobu once stood.

Just when things were getting good.

“She did that on purpose.” You announce, and Giyuu nods sympathetically.

“She probably did.”

You sigh but then immediately flinch and clutch your side as it burns from the injury. Giyuu was quick to notice and moves right by your bedside, assisting you in lying back down

“Be careful. You’re mad at me for pushing myself, when you’re just as bad.”

“Hush, you should have seen how you were practically bleeding all over the place.”

“Hashira Tomioka-sama, can we plea—“

“No.”

It’s been two weeks since you left the Butterfly Estate, and as the Snow Pillar, you were well back on the grind patrolling and killing demons once you’ve fully recovered. The young demon slayers you saved though wish they could say the same. While you had some pretty critical injuries yourself, theirs were much worse, with all seven sporting broken bones, and other heavy injuries, but thanks to Shinobu’s medicine, they were on the road to recovery and physical therapy.

When the Oyakata-sama heard of the incident, he was quick to instruct someone to train the weaker demon-slayers.

Giyuu was more than happy to beat these slayers into shape.

Which led them here, Giyuu with a wooden sword in hand and a pile of sore bodies by his feet.

One such body groaned at the dirt floor as he clutched at the side Giyuu hit a little too hard. “We’ve already ran down the mountain, tried to dodge all of the deadly traps, and sparred with you. Surely we could have a short break, sir?”

Giyuu wanted to laugh at the naivety of these young slayers. When Urokodaki trained him and Sabito, they had it much worse, even being thrown down cliffs and waterfalls. And while Giyuu could say that Urokodaki was like a father figure to him, his training regimen was worse than any hell he could have experienced. But now was hardly the time to reminisce, he still had business to do.

He wasn’t one to intentionally intimidate others much, but he’s overheard plenty of rumors about himself. He’s heard that he’s one of the most…intimidating of the pillars, to say the least, and now, he’s not going to shy away from what could be an advantage to his situation.

Slowly, Giyuu walked over to the slayer and crossed his arms, looking straight through his eyes as he quietly spoke. “Your last mission was well-matched for someone of your rank.” He notes. “You hardly needed a Pillar for back-up, and because of your carelessness, she had to protect all five of you which landed the Snow Pillar in the butterfly estate. Now tell me, do you need a break?”

Despite Giyuu speaking in a voice no louder than a river’s burble, he could see the young man cower from slight fear before speaking in a shaky tone, “N-No, Sir!”

“I thought so.” Giyuu lightly clucked his tongue to himself before unfolding his arms. “Reset the traps and run through the mountain again. I'll let all five of you go for the day after.”

“Yes, Sir!” All five of them scrambled from their spot on the ground and scurried back up the mountain, letting himself feel a small morsel of sick satisfaction when he could hear the loud clacks from the traps and the pained grunts upon collision.

“I would say that it’s really nice that you took them in, but now that i’ve seen your face, i’m starting to think that this is on purpose.”

Giyuu was barely surprised to see the Snow Pillar herself right beside him like she was there the entire time. As pillars, both of you were faster and moved more efficiently than the average slayer, so you sneaking up on him was a common occurrence. You never seemed to get used to the opposite though, always claiming that he moved like a ghost.

“Maybe.” He shrugs, a little helplessly, tapping the wooden sword against the ground in a distracted fashion.

You laugh a nice tinkling sound he’s loves hearing, and he’s glad that you’re fine, and that the stupid little fight was resolved. He’s missed you a lot.

The two of you stood there together in silence, wincing when the sound of pained yelps travelled over from the small mountain Giyuu chose for training. A random conversation you had with your boyfriend suddenly entered your thoughts though, and made you wonder out loud. “Are you using the method Urokodaki-san used when he trained you?”

Nodding in affirmation, Giyuu hums in thought. “It was effective for me. And seeing how poorly trained they are from your previous mission, I thought that...” His train of thought short-circuited and was quickly derailed when you lean up on your tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his cheek. Giyuu’s ears immediately flush a deep red.

“You’re too cute, sweetheart.” You say, wrapping your arms around his neck. Seeing the ineffable Water Pillar flustered because of you was always a sight to behold. “Though, you didn’t have do thisfor me either.”

He turns his head away in hopes that you wouldn't see his face, but you simply laugh, and Giyuu feels his heart melt again. “They need to train more if they want to continue as slayers.”

You hum, letting your fingers sift through black strands of hair. “I know, I know, but lighten up, okay? Don’t be too hard on them.”

Giyuu nods as a reply and you place another kiss before pulling away. He wants to pull you back, but the trainees were already stumbling down the treeline, looking worse than they did a few minutes ago. Everyone was sporting new bruises and a few a lot of scratches, but seemed overall fine as they dropped down to the ground, panting for much needed air.

“All of you seem to be working hard.” You say in a kind voice, smiling kindly when their heads whip around to face you.

“Hashira (L/N)-sama!” They greet, scrambling to get up and drop to a bow in front of you. “We’re so glad to see you okay! Thank you for saving us!”

You wave your hand in front of your face, saying, “Oh, it was no problem! I’m glad all of you are okay.”

“All thanks to you. We hope you recovered well.”

“I did, thank you. Now stand up properly. Bowing for too long can’t be good for you all.”

One of them was about to open their mouth to continue the conversation, but Giyuu was quick to interject. “Alright, back to training.”

“Eh?!” All the trainees exclaim. It was clear that they respected the Water Pillar, but it was almost comical in how obvious the feeling of betrayal was in their voices.

“But we just finished!” A young girl among them who looked about ready to melt from exhaustion, points out. Another nods along, stating what Giyuu said earlier, in a hopeless fight for their much deserved break. “Tomioka-sama said we could go after!”

Oh, Giyuu is well aware of what he said. Instead of saying anything though, he feigns innocence, pretending he forgot despite having full intention of letting them go for the day.

He looks at the young slayers emptily, and responds in a deadpan tone. “Did I?”

Giyuu hears you sputter in laughter before punching his shoulder in a pitiful attempt to defend the poor kids. In both of your defenses, their faces were too funny not to laugh.

“Giyuu!”

#giyuu tomioka x reader #giyuu x reader #tomioka giyuu x reader #giyu tomioka x reader #tomioka x reader #kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #kny #kimetsu giyuu #kimetsu tomioka #kimetsu no yaiba giyuu #kimetsu no yaiba tomioka #giyuu #giyuu tomioka #giyu tomioka #tomioka giyuu #fluff #kny x reader #kimetsu no yaiba x reader #demon slayer x reader

[idw-sonic-fan-blog]

The Mandates

Just wanted to share my thoughts on the pro-ported mandates because they cast a shadow on this comic.

“Game characters cannot have relatives unless they were estabilished in the game canon, i.e. Cream and her mother.”

This one is understandable and you can blame Penders for this. Mind you that most licensed comics of gaming franchises don’t actually delve too much in personal family relationships or expand on them. So this is expected and honestly Sega should have put the screws on Archie decades ago about this.

“Game characters can not die. There are workarounds for this, such as being Mistaken for Dying or "Mistaken For Dead”

Again. Yes. Not a big deal.

“Game characters cannot have wardrobe changes unless approved. Chao Races and Badnik Bases has some characters (mainly the female game characters) wear different clothes for extreme conditions. Male characters remain the same.”

This is a useless rule but whatever. I mean Sega, you are the ones putting bad wardrobe choices on the characters so again it’s whatever.

“Sonic can't be shown getting too emotional (i.e;cry)”

This is one that it complained about because it really wouldn’t matter unless it is called attention to. A lot of superheroes don’t cry. But that doesn’t prohibit them from expressing themselves. IDW Sonic has been sad. He has been pissed. He has been furious.

Is this not too emotional?

Is he not expressing himself appropriately?

I don’t even know why this is brought up. When in this comic has Sonic not been expressive or displaying the appropriate amount of emotion? When did Sonic needing to cry be necessary?

“Game characters cannot enter in a relationship.”

Oh GOD YES. Don’t threaten me with a good time.

“All major Character Development must be approved by SEGA.”

Yeah, of course. Let me remind you that Penders and Archie ruined any strand of trust Sega could have in comic media. They played loose at first and all of the sudden, they are involved in a lawsuit about characters in a Sonic comic that they didn’t even know about. They probably lost a video game business relationship because of it. If they want to be involved in the comics, fine. That means that they are now forced to World Build. They have to invest in it now and not just be like Lucas Films and let anybody do anything with their flagship title.

“Much like the post-reboot of the Archie comic, the words "Mobius" is banned—the planet is simply called "Sonic's World". Unlike the Post-Boot, which allowed the names "Mobian" and "Mobini", anything related to Mobius is banned in this comic.”

…Of course but how about you throw the writer’s a bone and I don’t know, name the fucking planet. If it is not Earth, give it a name.

“Sonic must always win at the end. Even if he and his friends are at the losing end in an overarching story (the Metal Virus arc, for example), they must come out on top when it concludes.”

I don’t even get this rule and the knee jerk hatred for it. Why even have it? Why even share the existence of this rule? Archie Sonic didn’t really lose too bad. It’s more on how you frame a victory. The fact of the matter is that Eggman is still actively trying to conquer the planet. Sonic stops him but Eggman still has control of land and has military installations all over.

This rule is offset by this. While Sonic can’t lose, Sonic can’t completely win.

“Characters and material from other licensed properties (Sonic the Comic, Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics), Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)', Sonic Underground, the OVA, Sonic X and the Paramount films cannot be used. This rule extends to characters and redesigns done by the current writers. The only exception is Sticks from Sonic Boom, and that's because she was created by SEGA themselves and showed up in non-Boom media, but any ideas regarding her use still need to be okayed by SEGA.”

First off I am glad that Sticks was spared by this rule and I look forward to her eventual inclusion. Second, again, this is not much of a big deal as it was expected. Sorry Freedom Fighter fans but honestly deal.

“Male characters, sans Eggman, can't wear pants, which was also a thing in the Post-Reboot, albeit never explicitly stated. The inverse is also true; female characters have to have some form of lower clothing.”

Okay this is a pedantic rule. It is so weird with how precise it is. Like…huh?

“Classic characters such as Mighty, Ray, Nack/Fang, Bean, and Bark won't appear in non-Classic issues, as Sega doesn't want Classic and Modern Sonic to mix.”

One of the most bullshit mandates fueled by the nostalgia boner fans created. Like this is stupid because Archie Modern Sonic has added more character and depth to all of these mentioned characters than any of the Sega Sonic games they appeared in which only amounts to 1 or 2 at most. Why neuter your own potential stories with this stupid limitation?

“According to Ian Flynn, a specific incident involving Shadow's characterization when he's exposed to the Zombot infection was written in a specific way because of Sega mandating that he be written as an "overconfident asshole rival" character, similar to Vegeta. He later followed up with an explanation that out of every character, Shadow has the most mandates and notes attached to how he's portrayed. According to the podcast, Sega says that Team Dark is no longer a thing. The three members are not a team and they have never worked for G.U.N.; Shadow also doesn't even consider them friends.”

This is my opinion is the worst rule. First it’s contradictory to the character Sega introduced us to. Stop trying to be like Dragon Ball for once and actually be your own thing. It’s one thing if we are changing it because Shadow was unpopular because of his personality. But no one likes this Shadow. People miss the somber but reserved Hedgehog that continued to fight in spite of the world betraying him. Hothead Shadow is a cheap Knuckles. And I don’t even understand why Shadow even has so many mandates when he wasn’t the most egregious offender. Knuckles was.

Also, Team Dark aren’t a thing and Shadow doesn’t even consider them to be his friends. First off that doesn’t even fly in your own games. Who outside of Sonic does Shadow interact the most? Rouge. They have teamed up and were a packaged duo since their inception. When Shadow appeared, Rouge appeared right next to him. If Rouge was in a game, so was Shadow.

Team Dark or just Rouge has fought alongside Shadow in every game they appeared in. Who else does Shadow talk to if not Rouge?

“Sega has stated to Flynn that only male hedgehogs are allowed to go Super with the Chaos Emeralds.”

Except in Sonic Mania.

“Ian isn't allowed to directly reference a game, since the comic is supposed to be its own thing.”

Okay. Not only is this rule stupid. But it’s untrue.

This references the end of Sonic Forces.

The first page of comic.

It has referenced Sonic Adventure, SA2, Sonic Generations , and Sonic Unleashed.

This referencing Shadow the Hedgehog.

I don’t believe this rule exists and even if it did, it is dumbest rule since the whole point of this comic is to base it off the games more. The dumbest rule.

“Knuckles is not allowed to leave Angel Island unless he has a very good reason to.”

For decades, people have complained that Knuckles routinely leaves the island. For decades. Now does this mean Sega is going to 1. Use Knuckles and 2. Amplify the importance of Angel Island and the Master Emerald? No. Again, this criticism should be levied at Sega because they often conveniently forget Knuckles purpose and just hand wave it instead of giving Knuckles more to do on the island like I don’t know, have other entities invested in attacking him.

In summary, here is what I think is going on. Do I think most of these mandates are real? Yes. Given what happened to Archie, I do think Sega is doing some brand alignment. I think they got the clamps on.

But what I think is going on is a Japanese cultural thing called Power Harassment. It is normalized abuse of power. Sega of Japan is normally laxxed about their brands. They don’t mind blatant rip-offs of their mascot nor do they get stiff about fandom creations or mods. The comic division, however, is getting tough love because not only did it cost them a publishing deal, but ruined a relationship with a high end developer. So the IDW writers and staff are being subjected to intentionally hypocritical rules and strict mandates that they know don’t make sense until they’ve shown to be obedient.

A lot of the mandates aren’t strict. But some are so asinine that I don’t think they aren’t aware with how stupid they sound imposing those rules. Like Shadow is the most narratively complete Sonic character and yet, Sega puts this tight mandate as if Archie Shadow was the most egregious thing. Archie Shadow was overpowered. He wasn’t out of character like Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails were. They can’t be that stupid or be that intentionally dense. So they want to see if the writing crew can follow orders. That’s it.

But that’s just my take.

#idw sonic #sonic the hedgehog

[free-pancakes]

Dreams and Nightmares

Summary: LeviHan Canon-Divergence fic

Hange barely survives the final fight against Eren, and is saved by inheriting the Beast Titan from Zeke Yeager in the end. However, the Scouts soon find that this would come with a heavy price--particularly at Levi's expense.

Chapter 8/? Chapter 7 Chapter 6 Chapter 5 Chapter 4 Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Chapter 1

crossposted to ao3 here: link

notes: sorry for such a late update. this also turned out much longer than expected. it's real fluffy though, and quite self-indulgent, but hope you all like it!

CHAPTER 8:

“Was he really that important to her?”

The words echoed in Zeke’s mind as he continued to watch the memory unfold before him.

Hange returned to the room with a steaming hot mug in her hand, and carefully handed it to Levi. She watched in anticipation as he took a quick sniff and sipped on the tea.

“Not bad,” he whispered. And at that, Hange’s face lit up, and it took all her might not to let out a loud “Yahoo!” in her excitement—she heard Levi was quite particular with his tea, and she was feeling absolutely ecstatic that he didn’t spit it right out.

Levi soon fell quiet, satisfied with the drink. Hange sat down at the desk right next to him, keeping him company as she scribbled away in one of her notebooks where she kept notes on her titan research, often speaking her thoughts out loud. While listening, Levi’s eyelids began to droop. To Zeke, he seemed... almost as though he was fighting sleep just to listen to her for a little longer.

The memory soon dissipated, Zeke finding himself standing in a new setting—a gigantic ballroom lay before him, the massive chandeliers glowing dimly above him, hundreds of people wearing ornate, traditional-looking suits and gowns. A sign by his side read, “Annual Sina Military Ball”.

Zeke walked around, trying to find Hange but instead found Levi standing alone, a small cloth bag in his hands.

“The previous commander?” Zeke said under his breath as Erwin and two others approached Levi, clearly teasing him.

“Guys, please. And Mike, shut the fuck up.”

“I’m just sayin, if she turns you down, you can join me. Open bar this year yknow?”

“Mike, stop stressing him out!” Nanaba replied, swatting Mike on the shoulder as he laughed.

Erwin stood behind Levi, grabbed him by the shoulders and gently pushed him into the crowd.

“Just go already, she’ll love it.”

As Levi walked into the crowd, the three huddled together.

“He’s hopeless isn’t he?” Nanaba sighed.

“Yup. Erwin and I will wait at the bar,” Mike answered.

Zeke walked behind Levi into the crowd of people, until he saw him hesitate before tapping the shoulder of someone in a long navy blue gown shimmering with gold. Big, beautiful brown curls turned to reveal... Hange?

Zeke’s jaw dropped—he barely even recognized her.

“Oh! Levi! Aw I’m sorry—“ She itched at the fabric on her side. “I wish they’d let me wear a suit or something to one of these things, all this traditional wear or whatever is too much, but I mean your suit doesn’t even look comfortable either! Man, I just—“

Hange paused as soon as she noticed the small cloth bag in Levi’s hands.

“Oh? What’s that! What do you got there?”

His heart was thumping so loud, he was sure Hange could hear it. He reached into the bag, to pull out a yellow hair clip—it was his mother’s.

Hange’s eyes grew wide and nearly sparkled in the low light, and she smiled as Levi pulled the strands of hair from her face, and held it up to the side of her head with the clip.

“Not bad,” Levi said under his breath, his heart almost stopping at how stunning she really was. Hange gave him a quick hug hiding the blush suddenly reaching her cheeks, and the hug sent Levi’s head spinning. She then reached out her hand—

“Levi, the orchestra’s playing my favorite! Let’s show them all what a proper slow dance looks like!”

Levi rolled his eyes, but took Hange’s hand, accompanying her to the dance floor.

Sand began to fall like a curtain in front of Zeke, wiping the scene away to the open sky, sun setting peacefully in the horizon above the water. The smell of salt tickled at his nose, and he stood ankle deep in ocean water. Young voices sounded from behind him.

“We probably should get going soon, right? The sun’s already setting.”

“Aw Jean, just let them have a moment. I haven’t seen them this happy in such a long time.”

“Sasha, Captain Levi never looks happy!”

“Connie shush! You can tell he’s happy underneath! Come on, just look!”

Hange and Levi stood knee deep in the water, and Hange held up a small, cream-colored conch shell. Levi’s face scrunched up in disgust as she held it towards him, but she pulled him close by the shoulder while trying to reassure him, and held up the shell next to his ear. Zeke waded in a bit closer to hear what they were saying.

“You can hear the ocean inside the shell! It’s something I read about once.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Come on, Levi! Just listen.” And when he finally did, his eyes lit up ever so slightly, his mouth just partially agape.

“So you’ll always remember our first trip to the sea,” Hange said. And before she could hand the shell to Levi, she dipped it into the water letting it fill up, and splashed him with what collected inside.

“What the hell, Hange!” Levi grumbled, kicking water back at her. Splashes back and forth escalated so much that they had gotten absolutely soaked—Hange laughed as she tackled Levi into the sea, the two coughing and giggling stupidly as the rest of the kids ran back into the water to join them.

Once again, sand whisked away the scene and Zeke was now standing in a balcony, overlooking a courtyard. He looked back to see what was going on inside—another ball? He then looked down to see Hange and Levi standing together out in the venue’s garden. They looked a bit more mature, older. And Hange was wearing an eyepatch—it must have been a different memory from before.

Zeke heard footsteps coming from the hallway behind him.

“I’m telling you, Mikasa, smelling someone’s hair during a hug means they love them!”

“I guess now that you say it, I suppose that could be true…”

The two walked out past Zeke, and leaned their elbows on the balcony together, looking down at the courtyard and garden. They gasped and crouched when they saw who was standing down there.

“I’ve never seen Sasha so nervous! She wanted to dance with Niccolo, so I took the hair clip off and put it on her—yknow for the confidence boost. I hope that’s okay, Levi?”

Levi looked at Hange, and tucked her loose strands of hair behind her ear. “I like it better on you, but I suppose Sasha needs it tonight, then.”

A new song echoed from the orchestra inside—Zeke recognized it to be the same from the earlier military ball memory.

Levi reached out his hand, just how Hange did before.

Hange giggled and grabbed his hand, pulling Levi close, practically in a hug as they swayed together. She leaned into him, her cheek pressed against his forehead.

“New shampoo, huh? Lavender—you know that’s my favorite, right?”

Jean and Mikasa heads snapped towards each other, their eyes locked and faces red in realization.

“Hange-san smelled his hair—“

Mikasa slapped a hand over Jean’s mouth.

“Shush, they’ll hear. Let’s go before they notice us—“

The scene quickly changed, and it was quite jarring for Zeke this time around.

He found himself staring into the face of his past self, sitting miles above Liberio inside the war balloon the Scouts had taken control of. This time, he could see the room where Hange and Levi walked off to after hearing about a fallen soldier named Sasha, or something like that.

Levi stared at Hange, in his eyes a mix of worry and anger stirring inside him.

“Stop looking at me like that, Levi,” she said curtly, clearly trying to hold herself together.

“Hange…” Levi urged.

He watched her hands shake as she reached into a first aid kit from her bag, pulling out a half used tube of wound ointment—the same one she had always used on him.

“C’mere,” she beckoned, and Levi obliged begrudgingly, letting Hange pull down his shirt slightly to apply the ointment to the lacerations on his shoulder. He watched Hange biting her lip—he knew she was holding back the tears, trying to “look strong” for everyone else, but he thought that was utterly stupid. She was allowed to have feelings… Commander or not.

“Hange…”

“I’m fine, Levi, would you stop pestering me already??” She barked back, though still maintaining her gentle touch as she tended to his wounds. She continued in silence until they landed.

Hange and Levi left the back room, standing together outside the door as the Scouts filed out with Zeke and Eren. Oyankopon nodded at them both, and left. Lastly, Jean, Mikasa, Armin, and Connie, holding Sasha’s body, all of them a tear-ridden mess. Both Levi and Hange saluted them as they walked past.

Hange started to follow behind them but Levi took hold of her hand. She didn’t look back.

“I’m okay, Levi. Really. I have to—“

Levi pulled her and ushered back into the room, now that everyone was gone.

“Go be okay in there for awhile. I’ll stand outside.”

Before she could protest, he gently closed the door behind him, and stood guard outside of it. He knew it was exactly what Hange needed.

From behind the door, there were muffled sounds of glass breaking, boxes thrown, and anguished wailing.

Zeke watched as Levi stood unmoving from the door his head down, biting his lip as a few tears ran down his face.

The memory faded and Zeke was now in a small office. Levi sat before him, holding a familiar cream-colored conch shell. He lifted it up to his ear, listening, and maybe, just maybe, a smile began to form on his lips.

A quick, loud knock on the door startled him, and he hastily shoved the shell into a drawer, slamming it shut.

“Levi, quick!”

He stood up frazzled.

“What’s wrong??”

“A camera, Onyankopon got us a session with a camera!”

“Hange… what the hell is a camera? And you know I don’t trust all these Marley things…”

Hange gave him a big pout. “Aww, Levi! Come on, it takes photographs! Like the one in Eren’s father’s notebook! The one of his old family?”

“My family photo…” Zeke thought, his own past memories now aching at his chest.

The memory dissolved, but the same scenery returned, unchanged. Yet this time, Levi was holding a framed photograph in his hand—a picture of him standing next to Hange seated, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. He looked tired, a light shade of purple hugging the skin under his eyes. But when Levi laid his eyes on the photo, his face lit up with a genuine smile as he stared.

Then once again, a quick, loud knock on the door startled him, and he quickly stuffed the photo into the backpack sitting at his feet.

“Hey, Levi! You busy?”

Levi stared back at Hange, both need and sadness swimming in his eyes.

“I know Levi… but I brought you a surprise!”

She pulled from behind her a white, spherical object, and held it out for Levi to see.

“A… baseball?” Zeke said under his breath, emotions tugging at his chest.

“Hange… this is the last afternoon we spend together just us—God knows long I’ll have to watch Zeke in the forest before I get to see you again…” He said, avoiding eye contact with Hange.

“Don’t you trust me, Levi?”

Levi continued to look down towards his backpack, fiddling at it with his foot, only stopping when he felt Hange’s hands on his cheeks, and a gentle kiss on his forehead.

“Do you really have to ask me that, Hange?”

She laughed, the sound of it bringing Levi comfort. She backed up and held her hand out towards him, a smile on her face, her eyes beckoning him to come with her. And of course, Levi sighed, and took her hand.

They walked outside, a clearing in the patch of trees next to the barracks.

“Here take this, they’re called mitts! Helps soften the blow when you catch, since the baseball is pretty hard.” Levi took one and wore it.

“So I read a bunch of different Marley novels, and for some reason, playing catch is such a common kind of bonding time? Between a parent and child, or between friends? A symbolic kind of theme, maybe? I thought it was fascinating!”

Levi looked at the baseball—“So what… we just, throw the thing back and forth? And what? We’ll magically become friends??”

Hange threw her head back and laughed. “Good one, Levi! We’re already friends! So, hm, how about we just throw it back and forth for now? If it gets too boring well, we could always just drop it. Sounds like a plan?”

As soon as Levi nodded, Hange grinned and ran a distance away. She waved to make sure Levi was ready, and lobbed the ball over to him, landing with a satisfying thump as it hit Levi’s mitt. He picked it up and ran his fingers over the red laces, and soon pitched it back to Hange a bit too far, so she ran and dove for it, catching it just before it hit the grass.

“Hange be careful!”

She laughed in excitement, and got up to throw it back.

Before long, they were throwing for hours, talking about anything and everything. Sharing memories that hadn’t been touched in years, laughing over inside jokes, the 104th kids, and their past, beloved friends.

Their voices began to fade, and Zeke strained to listen, calmed by how comfortable their conversation felt, comforted by the sound of the baseball hitting their mitts, back and forth.

Soon, the memory went black, a burst of light, and he was back.

Paths.

And there was Hange, laying down in front of him with her back towards him, the sand no longer black surrounding her.

“H-Hange?” Zeke asked.

Hange didnt’ turn around to face him.

“So, you saw all that then too, huh?”

“I… did. Sorry, they seemed like private memories,” he answered cautiously, careful to guard himself if Hange decided to fight him again.

“No harm, Zeke. Not like that was your fault.” She finally sat up, sniffling and wiping away residual tears.

“But we do have to thank Levi—he got us out of a potential mess.” She ran her hands through the sand, now colored a bright white. “Susceptible to our emotions huh. Could have been a disaster.”

Hange caught on quick, Zeke thought. But something she said bothered him a bit—

“What do you mean, thank Levi, though?” Zeke asked, genuinely confused as to how she thought he played any part in getting her out of the black sand ordeal just now.

Hange smiled, knowing exactly what Levi must have done. The box of things she had him pick up—he probably opened it.

“Not bad, Shorty,” she whispered to herself.

She laughed to herself again, but soon stopped as she saw Zeke holding out his hand in front of her.

“Are you… are you deciding to help me?”

Zeke’s chest tightened as he thought about all the memories he had just seen. He was angry at how much it moved him, both personally, and objectively—Hange and Levi had a history he never imagined existed between them, based on what he knew about them prior.

With his free hand, he pinched at the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He hated that he wanted to help. But he couldn’t deny it—he felt for Hange.

“Yeah,” Zeke replied. “Let’s figure this out, together.”

Hange grinned excitedly, and grabbed Zeke’s hand.

#levihan #levihan fanfic #levi ackerman #hange zoe #levi x hange #hanji zoe #dreams and nightmares #D&N #chapter 8