#this is why i prefer disc over here...

[orangeblocd]

wait... why can't i add a gif via a link without it being a clicklink??? are you telling me tumblr is going to me make me download every gif i want to use??? cause my girl can't even handle the bare bones on her RAM ...

#🇦‌ 🇹‌🇦‌🇬‌ 🇳‌🇴‌ 🇴‌🇳‌🇪‌ 🇺‌🇸‌🇪‌🇸‌ » 🇴‌🇴‌🇨‌. #this is why i prefer disc over here...

[babypinkhearts]

always an angel, never a god. - g. satoru

pairing: gojo satoru + fem!reader

summary: is he truly aware of how different he is?

warnings: angst! reader and gojo are students at jujustu high, everyone is safe!!! comfort, fluff, mentions of violence. i broke my heart a little. can be seen as foreshadowing but you didn’t hear that from me.

a/n: inspired by “not strong enough” by boy genius. i fear this is my new favorite.

demeaning is what you would call this.

watching, in something you can only describe as jealousy, as gojo satoru walks back towards you, a shit-eating grin present on his face.

it’s like this often.

infantilization would be an exaggeration. satoru doesn’t baby you per-say, but there is clearly a conscious effort made to make sure you are always behind him. he leads. he attacks. he succeeds.

and then you’re back at square one. walking together, back to jujustu high as satoru rambles about arbitrary topics. missions with him end quickly. he asks, - or, more accurately - orders, you to stay back as he takes less than a minute in exorcising whatever curses are ahead. you never question him as to why you’re always paired together. you know he has something to do with it.

“you hungry?” he smiles, an arm comfortably rested across your shoulders. he subconsciously guides you as you walk along the pavement.

you spare a quick glance at him. he looks content, that expression of satisfaction feeling somewhat bothersome to you at the moment.

“not really…” you mumble, eyes trailing off as you looked at the buildings beside the two of you.

you wonder as to why you’re beside him. not in the literal sense - you already know he’s here by pure will. but, what was the point of missions, of jujustu, when all you did was stay back and observe? you gave up any chance of a normal life for this.

you feel satoru looking at you.

you contemplate for a little, choosing to avoid his eyes. defeatedley, you briefly close yours.

your voice is quiet as you speak. you wonder if he even hears you, your voice muffled under the busy street noise.

"this has to stop, gojo."

the rest of the walk is silent.

•••

your abilities could never amount to satoru.

he had everyone beat - effortlessly, really. there was no process of acceptance for it. you couldn’t mourn the loss of something you could never have.

the god himself, picked from the heavens and placed into your world. clouding your senses, leaving only the thought of him in your head. he was impossible to ignore. the brightest of people that made you feel so incredibly dull.

he was beautiful. ethereal and worshipped. you knew you loved him, pathetically so.

it was obvious that some amount of affection was mutual. he was constantly around you, where he had clearly stated - out loud - that it was where he preferred to be. you basked in his presence.

“what movie?”

your eyes scan the two discs in satoru’s hands. a horror and a thriller. judging by the intense covers of both, you had a suspicion that they weren’t too different.

“options seem… limited.” you mumble, a soft smile on your face as you watch him in amusement. you quickly learned that satoru never really flocked towards a certain genre. he could easily watch an action movie and jump straight into a depressive drama.

“option one it is!” he grins, turning back to the TV, pressing play almost immediately after the disc is inserted. you wonder how he was always so hyper. he could be thrown a boulder the size of the earth and not seem affected. it worried you at times.

you move a little to the side of your bed, making room for him. this was a bit of a routine. a class, training, or mission would be over and the two of you would naturally be in your room afterwards, talking or watching whatever movies saturo would randomly bring.

you loved it. whatever it was. you couldn’t tell.

“have you seen this one?” you asked, heart briefly stopping as you register the feeling of his head resting comfortably in your lap. he’s so casual about it. a hand is gently placed on your thigh.

“no, i just got it last week.” he replies, glancing up at you. his glasses are off. the blue is almost frightening, too compelling to look back at. you refrain.

you hum in response, learning back against the wall as your eyes follow the bright screen ahead. you try your best to ignore the boy in your lap. it works for a bit.

there’s three pokes on your thigh about half-way through the movie.

looking down, you raise a brow at satoru.

he smiles, pleased at your attention.

“who’s more likely to die in a horror movie - me or you?”

you scoff, head tilting back up to pay attention to the movie again. you’re painfully reminded that satoru can be a little clueless at times. he’s an idiot.

“hey,” he whines, poking your side this time, eliciting a slap on the wrist from you. “i’m serious!”

you knew he meant for the question to be fun - he probably asked it because he was tired of the silence. but he was oblivious, you noticed. maybe dense. it had been a long day, you doubt he meant any harm. but, you also couldn’t help but feel he is slightly taunting you. tormenting because he knows how easy of an answer that is. a hand is raised, and you carefully brush his hair out if his face.

“you would outlive all of us, satoru.”

silence comes again.

you feel the hand on your thigh retreat, and suddenly satoru sits up.

you don’t mean for your words to come out as harshly as they do. you’re blunt at times, and it makes you feel guilty. couldn’t you humor him a little - reply back with a smile that is equally as playful? but you can’t compare to him. you don’t have the luxury to be so high-spirited all of the time.

you’re forced to look at him now, his eyes staring you down. the movie is on low volume, dialogue from the characters coming out as low hums. you’ve never seen satoru like this. he’s without a smile, and his lips are downcast in a small frown.

“i don’t want that.”

his voice sounds almost defeated, as if it’s an admission to a thought he hides from. you realize that the conversation has moved past a silly theoretical question and on to something real.

“i hate the thought of that.” satoru elaborates, closing his eyes briefly.

he’s gifted, of course. he’s aware. gojo satoru takes his confidence everywhere because he can. he allows himself to brag, because what else can he do? he can’t hide his strength. everyone knows what he is capable of. he’s not “normal.” he can’t be. when the world calls, he’s there. he puts himself in an incredible amount of danger and is never afraid because he knows he will be okay.

you can’t flaunt your strength the same, and he’s painfully aware of it. he doesn’t mean to belittle you. in all honesty, he hopes it never comes across as that, but he knows it does. you’re not weak, but why fight when he could save you? why risk it? if anything, he would take a beating for you a hundred times over. he’d give his life.

but there’s something so isolating about his abilities. again, he’s different. unrelatable, retired from any chance at normality. more-so than you. for as long as he lives, he will feel the need to protect. the fight is never over. a “god” is what he gets called the most. it’s usually playful, a joke. but hidden in those words is the reality of constant expectations he is forced to meet. a god.

“i know i can be…” satoru trails off, shifting slightly as he crosses his legs. “suffocating.”

in all honesty, since your last mission, he hadn’t stopped thinking about your words. or the look on your face.

this has to stop.

you had looked crushed. it made his heart sink.

in this world of pure danger and inevitable loss, satoru tries to keep his worries at bay. protecting you is a natural response. a weakness is pointless if it is never reached.

and he hated to admit it. an achilles heel placed directly on gojo satoru, the strongest. it made him sick.

“no, you’re not.” you quietly reply, shaking your head. you’re lying through your teeth, but you find that you really dislike serious satoru. it scares you. perhaps there’s a reason he is rarely like this. it feels as though the walls are caving in, and he’s being pushed closer to you, overwhelming you with his entire being. gojo satoru being serious feels unnatural. it’s uncomfortable. but it’s something new. a side you’ve never seen before, and you secretly thank the world that he lets you witness it.

he sends you a pointed look, a bitter chuckle leaving his lips. “don’t do that.”

you slowly nod, smiling slightly. “sorry.”

the dynamic is like this. you obey him, constantly. you’re one of his worshippers. you don’t realize that satoru ultimately does the same thing with you.

he stares at you with fondness in his eyes.

he loves you. and he thinks he has for a long time now.

but what is a god if they let themselves feel so… mortal? he can act the part. he’s defeated everything he’s touched. he’s feared, and simultaneously adored.

so why can’t he let himself have you so easily?

“i guess i’m just-“

satoru takes in a sharp breath, and your stomach drops as you watch his head bow down, evading your eyes. he doesn’t speak for a while, and you assume he is silently asking to drop the topic.

until his shoulders slump, and you can see them start to tremble.

gojo satoru was not a god.

he was mortal, human. as much as the world seemed to think he wasn’t. he tried to convince himself of the same, but it evidently proved to be useless.

you don’t say a word to him, reaching out and letting him bury his face in your shoulder. you can feel him suppressing his emotions the best he can, hyper-aware of the way you fail to feel him breathe against you.

when you turn to kiss his cheek with a feather-like touch, all composure is lost. you feel a stifled sob escape him.

satoru is mortified at the thought of losing you - losing anybody. he realized it when he finally registered how deeply he cared for you.

would being “the strongest” suffice?

he wish he could see the future.

he knows he’s been wrong. but more importantly, utterly selfish. you never asked to be loved by him. or protected. satoru easily gives into his own desires, ignorant as to how it affects those around him.

if the world saw satoru as a god, then he saw you as the most breathtaking angel.

you were more than worthy of his attention. he put you on a pedestal, out-ranking all he’s done in his life. he could live a thousand lifetimes and still want you just as badly. he wonders if that’s normal - if what he feels for you should be as strong as it is. should he be physically affected? sometimes he senses his heart pounding, the sensation intense enough to make him sick.

but he reminds himself that it’s the best kind of feeling.

how many times has he sat next to you, leaning his entire body on yours as he not-so-discreetly searches for your warmth? your touch. he’ll gladly fill his senses with only thoughts of you.

satoru’s head tilts up from it’s place on your shoulder, and he kisses you messily.

gojo satoru is selfish. and he’ll accept it.

if this lifetime is the only one he is meant to spend with you, then fuck it. fuck it all. he will let himself be greedy.

his hands are in your hair, and he attempts to pour out every little bit of emotion he has in his scrambled brain. he can’t think clearly. all he knows is that you’re kissing him back, and he’s fighting the biggest smile.

it’s heavenly.

you part from him after a while, lips swollen and face flushed.

satoru isn’t much better, his breath staggered and pupils dilated.

he attempts to lean in again, but a gentle hand on his chest stops him. satoru blinks, watching you as you let out a small laugh. you feel relieved. as if the heaviest weight has been lifted off your shoulders, and you are free and liberated.

you’re somewhat in disbelief.

this ethereal being has confessed to you. an emotion that is so incredibly mutual. reciprocated to only the strongest amount. a love so infinite that it nearly drove you mad.

satoru smiles. it intensifies.

your laugh is contagious, and suddenly the two of you are unable to catch your breath, faces pink from hope, joy, and love.

satoru will take this.

he can be vulnerable. he must let you be independent. what is a commitment to confirmed infatuation without trust?

he can let himself be human. what a miserable life it’d be without you.

after all, a “god” will be okay with his angel.

#gojo satoru #jjk gojo #jujutsu gojo #satoru gojo x reader #gojo x reader #gojo x you #gojo jujutsu kaisen #gojo x y/n #gojo fluff #jjk satoru #jjk x you #jjk x reader #anime x reader #anime #jujustu kaisen #jjk nanami #jjk megumi #jjk yuuji #jujustu kaisen x reader #geto suguru #fushiguro megumi #yuuji itadori #nobara kugisaki #satoru gojo #nanami kento #sukuna #nanami x reader #jujustu high #gojo satoru x reader #gojo satoru x you

[pathetichimbos]

So I like Thomas better than I like Bubba, but I prefer Drayton and Nubbins to Hoyt and Luda Mae. I was wondering how Thomas might be with Drayton and Nubbins as his blood-related brothers (and grandpa, of course)?

Whew, man, this is a good question, one that I've actually never thought of myself, but by god I gave myself the title of Thomas Hewitt Expert and I intend to live up to it.

So, after blowing the dust off my original TCM disc and, unfortunately, packing away The Beginning (I've seen it probably ten times in the last week), I'm here to put my knowledge to the test.

Here we go!

So, first things first, one of the things that set Thomas apart from Bubba, and in general the Hewitt family from the Sawyer family, is that Thomas, as a character, has depth.

Bubba is pretty two dimensional, as far as we know he really only starts killing because his family bullies him into it, or, much more realistically, they just want him to, and he's a people pleaser. Most likely a mix of both.

Now, I could start theorizing and coming up with headcanons all day that brings a new aspect and POV over the Sawyer family and why they do what they do, but from the first two movies, and a few articles and theories I've read on them, the basic motive is rather simple.

The Sawyer family has a long line of being in the meat industry and working at the slaughterhouse, particularly in the slaughter room, as Franklin describes it, and when they introduced the air gun into the factory as a more humane way of killing cattle, it put a lot of people out of jobs, and in order to survive, the family starts killing and cannibalizing people.

I read an article last year that I've long lost, but this movie was made in a time where political tensions were high and the economy sucked. It's really a big "how far are people willing to go just to survive" type of horror movie that makes the viewer question how far they'd be willing to go if they were in a similar situation. For once, not only were they putting people in the victims shoes, but they were putting them in the murderers shoes as well.

The Hewitt family follows a really similar storyline, with the added depth of being shunned from their own town and community due to Thomas' deformities and disabilities.

But their families are a lot different.

There's a clear counterpart for a few characters, the most obvious being Bubba and Thomas, but the less obvious ones actually being two characters stemmed from one.

Drayton has a few personality traits that were split off into Luda Mae and Hoyt, sort of spreading his character out into two different people.

Whether that was their intention or not, I have no idea, but that's just what I noticed.

Drayton actively plays two separate roles in the movie: the kind gas station attendant that "can't take no pleasure in killin'", who actively checks on Sally after they kidnap her, and refuses to let Nubbins and Bubba "play" with Sally.

These are similar qualities we can find in Luda Mae, who cleans Bailey up, sings her a lullaby, and tells Thomas to 'set her free'.

But, he's also the man who beats her with a broom (which was one of the best parts of the movie imo), kidnaps her, and orders them to murder her, and cheers his grandfather on when Bubba tries to help him kill Sally.

These are traits we can find in Hoyt, who takes clear pleasure in torturing his victims and mocking them.

But, obviously, they have plenty of differences too.

While Hoyt is never outright abusive to his family (including Thomas), Drayton actively looks for reasons to abuse his brothers.

When he comes home with Sally, he gets out of the truck to beat Nubbins for grave robbing and leaving his brother alone, and when he gets to Bubba, he ignores all the "good" he did (i.e. Not letting anyone escape) in favor of beating him for messing up the door.

Hoyt never lays a hand (or even raises one) against Thomas, and has even gone out of his way to protect him when he was a child. (They planned on adding a scene in TCM: The Beginning where Thomas was being beat up by bullies and Hoyt jumped in to save him, but it was later scrapped due to time restrictions, but there is a deleted scene showing "Hoyt" (Charlie) practically jumping out the car about to swing on some kids).

So, we can see why Bubba and Thomas are so different despite them being in pretty similar timelines.

Bubba shows all of his anxiety and excitement on the outside, and he's very vocal and sort of more... interactive. He's actively participating in the movies, taking joy and getting excited from the killing, and doing it on his own. He's also quicker to apologize than he is to get angry.

Thomas on the other hand, tends to mask his emotions more, showing his anxiety through twitching hands and nervous glances, really only showing any real emotions when he's being physically hurt or he's in a stressful environment. (i.e. When Erin wakes up in the Hewitt house and begins screaming while Hoyt taunts her and Luda Mae chastises her, we can see Thomas sitting in the hallway rocking back and forth and covering his ears). He also really only ever kills when he's told. When Monty bangs his cane against the floor, or Hoyt brings him new victims. He never really just does it.

A large part of this is because of their environments and families. We can assume that the Sawyers were either never really 'in' a local community or town like the Hewitt's were, or rather that they were never shunned from them. Or we can't. It's pretty open for interpretation.

But, for the sake of this argument, we'll just say they either A. Were never really apart of a town or community, or B. Were never shunned from one. If we take into consideration the extra man working at the gas station, and the state fair Drayton won a ribbon at for best chili, it's safe to assume they hide their practices rather well.

The Hewitts don't really have to worry about this, as the only people that really come through their town are the occasional biker gang and their actual victims.

We'll also go ahead and jump in to say that it's pretty clear that the Sawyers never expected Bubba to 'mask' his differences, aka, his neurodivergency.

Thomas, on the other hand, while we can't be sure if Hoyt and Monty played this role, or if it just came from the social influences of the short time he was in school, was expected to mask and be 'normal'. This is why he hides his emotions so much better and is a lot more mute than Bubba.

So, that pretty much covers the gist of why the two are so different. Bubba was allowed to be himself in a place that accepted him, while also being abused by his older brother, while Thomas was forced to hide himself and was shunned by a place that didn't want him, but he wasn't particularly abused by his family.

So, now for the real question: Would Thomas just be Bubba 2.0 if he grew up in that situation?

The answer is No! (Ha, you thought I was going to say Yes and No, didn't you?)

Thomas still has a skin disease and facial deformities. As far as we know, Bubba does not.

This is a huge factor in Thomas' personality and behavior, and that wouldn't change if he were in Bubba's situation.

It's hard to say if Drayton would torment Thomas for his looks, I don't believe Nubbins would, obviously due to his birthmark, and I can't recall Drayton ever out-right bullying Nubbins for his face.

So, after some consideration, I'd have to say Drayton most likely wouldn't pick on Thomas for his looks.

After all, they are still a family and Drayton is much more likely to call him a savage or a brute or an idiot than he is to pick on his physical appearance.

But, Thomas still wouldn't thrive in that environment. He'd probably be a lot more anxious and scared, and a lot more willing to abandon his family and betray them.

In my other post, I mentioned that Thomas is a very loyal man, and he wouldn't betray his family for anything, but if we put him in this new situation, I can absolutely see him betraying them for someone that cared and loved for him.

He thrives on that positive affirmation and feedback, and if he doesn't get it, instead only being met with negative remarks and beatings, he'd have a lot more meltdowns and would leave given the chance.

So, while Bubba wouldn't abandon his family for the reader, if Thomas were to be raised in that situation, I absolutely believe if the reader showed him love and kindness, he'd abandon all of them to follow the reader's lead.

But, why is that? Hoyt isn't abusive, sure, but he's still cruel and mean, so why would Thomas refuse to betray him, but not Drayton?

...It's hard to explain.

Thomas isn't really a "smart" man, in most peoples eyes. Because to a lot of people, being smart is more than being just book-smart or street-smart, it's that ability to take initiative and have a problem solving attitude.

Thomas is a rule follower, through and through. He doesn't take that step to fix a problem he may notice, he does as he's told and doesn't go above and beyond otherwise.

But that doesn't really make him stupid. Testing a fish on climbing a tree and all that. Thomas is smart in his own way.

And no one ever really tells him otherwise. The focus of his abuse and bullying is his looks, and his behaviors to a certain extent.

But, Drayton really tends to focus on the 'idiot' part of his abuse. He likes to paint himself on a higher horse than his brothers, acting like he's smarter and more dignified for not killing anyone himself, and trying to make his brothers feel lesser for it.

So, not only would Thomas be dealing with the effects of his skin disease and deformities, but Drayton would actively add onto it by making him feel stupid and beating him.

Hoyt never makes fun of Thomas for his smarts, or anything really. Sure, he calls the newborn "the ugliest damn thing" he ever saw, and he tells Tommy that "it's okay, (Tommy), you don't have to be pretty to work down at the slaughterhouse", but he never outright bullies or degrades him for it.

Thomas has a safe space at his home, and his family treats him right, and if you take that away, he's much more likely to snap and betray them.

I don't think he'd leave on his own, there would have to be some outside force that pushes him to do it, but he absolutely would leave them, and he'd be extremely unhappy there.

Personality wise, he probably would be more similar to Bubba, as in showing his emotions more and being more vocal and active in the killings, but I believe it'd just be out of fear of abuse and insults.

...And I think that's all there is to it. Thanks for sending in the ask and please feel free to send in more! I love love love making these. <3

#thomas hewitt #slashers #slasher fandom #bubba sawyer #texas chainsaw massacre

[multifandomenjoyerr]

JFHGJDSH I DIDNT KNOW YOU DID MCYT BC YAYYYYYYYY /POS

UHH COULD I PLEASEEE GET SOME HEADCANONS FOR REGRESSOR C!TOMMY AND MAYBE UHH IF YOU KNOW ABT QSMP , SOME FOR REGRESSOR Q!JAIDEN?? IF NOT THATS FINE THANK YOUUU <33333 /P

srry for all caps i got realllllly excited !!

Regressor!CTOMMY 🍓

🛸 a/n, Hello Tommie!! 👋 nice to say hi:D honestly, funfact! I was always planning to add mcyt to my ABC list but was nervous to^^" doesn't matter though bc we're here rn! So here you go! + Q!regressor Jaiden hcs as well (just getting into the QSMP, so bare with me jajs)

🍼 image credits : middle image is from ApolloSauce on pinterest — the other images are also from pinterest !

⚠️ : Bug mentioning (stuffie species + brief)

🍓 hc count : 13 + 5

🍓 : Tommy is a bunch of.. something. Especially when regressed. And that isn't a bad thing! Hes such a mischievous fluffball that is always craving attention from either his friends, sibbies, caretakers or babysitters!

🍓 : oh he bites.. he bites and bites some more. He can either bite when he wants attention or he's fussy and wants something. If he bites lightly to where you cant feel it when he's doing it to get your attention. (Or to get on your nerves) if he bites to where you'll wince or anything— then better give your full attention to him>:(

🍓 : pouty, especially when tired. He barely listens to the rules and loves to get into stuff he can't get into, and that especially includes bedtime. Will throw fits, do tiny stomps and cries. Don't worry though, Tommy literally trained himself to cry when he needed to (mostly to get out of bedtime or wanting extra attention) but usually that backfires when he tires himself out then he goes down for the nap

🍓 : do not let the boy get ahold of enderpearls for the sake of anyone babysitting/watching over him— he doesn't usually get far but he got into a tree and refused to get out. Spent hours trying to lure and get Tommy out of the tree.. safe to say it wasn't gonna happen again anytime soon

🍓 : unsure about his little age but I think he'd be in-between a young kid regressor and toddler. Maybe around 4-9. When he's the most active he'll most likely be around 8-9! When he's In the slow energy and fussy days he's about 4-6

🍓 : do not separate him from his tubbo disc. He'll throw a fit and bite someone. When he has ahold of this disc he won't let it go. Takes it to his adventures and makes his sitters play it on repeat

🍓 : has a raccoon stuffie named Rexus and a beetle stuffie named stray. Like tubbo's disc, do not separate them. He won't stop crying until he got them back

🍓 : doesn't have a permanent cg per say, but he's babysat by a decent amount of people on the server (Tubbo, Wilbur, Phil and sometimes Bad) but I'd think he's mostly around Phil and them!

🍓 : he'd beg to play dress up with anyone he can get ahold of if they're not busy. If they agree he is the prince. No buts or whys! He's the prince afterall (he always plays the prince. If he doesn't he'll just fall to the ground and NOT move for hours until the other person decides he can be the prince)

🍓 : headcanon that tubbo and Wilbur reads books to him! Specially any fairytales that include prince and princesses or animals

🍓 : collects flowers and gives to everyone he can find,, I don't know I think its a cute hc 😭

🍓: speaking of flowers, he once made a small flower crown and tied it to the back of ranboo's tail. Safe to say that took hours of trying to get off by yourself. You can say tommy is skillful of tieing knots. How did he manage to tie stems without it snapping? Who knows!

🍓 : loves calling his caretakers Bubba. If puffy ends up being the babysitter he calls her mama!

Reg!Jaiden 🐣

🐣 : I think she regresses a bit older! Maybe around 10-12. Around rare occasions she regresses younger (6-7)

🐣 : she's a sleepy regressor. She regresses only around nighttime or when she's tired. So when she regresses she prefers low energized actives

🐣 : owns only bird gear! Clothes, onsies, sippy, stuffies and wings she made herself! She loves anything bird related ^^

🐣 : she named her favorite stuffie after Ari! You can't separate them>:(

🐣 : best little to cuddle with. She likes physical touch (specially hugs, cuddles and being held) she would be like this for hours

#mcyt agere #sfw agere #agerespace #agere blog #fandom agere #sfw blog #agere headcanons

[cataboliac]

Memories

WJSN’s Cheng Xiao

8.4k words

Warning: pretty angsty

Rainy days were always a hit or miss for you. If caught outside without an umbrella, hiding from the unforgiving freezing droplets would always be a nightmare for you. If it were a cold, indoor day, the rain made the day more peaceful; its cold embrace soothed you to a well-earned nap. Either way, you have heard a saying from mom that rain was considered good luck. It symbolized positive things such as change, renewal, and life. 

Maybe it was mom's way of making you feel better—for whatever reason—because today was not the case.

The day started out beautiful; the sky was like a dome of plasma blue. The clouds were fluffy marshmallows drifting under the gleaming disc of the sun. Suddenly, the beautiful blue shade began to darken into gravel-gray, and the gloomy rain clouds blotted out the sky and the tangerine sunlight. Then the rain started to fall from the heavens.

There wasn’t a day you weren’t drenched during your whole stay in China—it rained cats and dogs. You were lucky that you were already in the conference room when it started pouring. 

As you watch a droplet that slides down the window, you wonder why the higher-ups decided to send you out of all people to facilitate this important meeting. There are better people suited for this. Maybe the years you spent with the group as their manager made you the perfect candidate; you know this group inside-out, but you feel too attached to make objective decisions. 

Either way, it might have been fate that brought you here—for better or for worse. The weather seemed to reflect the inner state of mind, a storm of feelings brewing inside you. You are thankful, at least, that Starship sent an actual lawyer on this trip and someone you are at least familiar with. 

“Tsk. It’s only been crappy weather since we got here,” Jaesung says as he fiddles with his necktie. “And they’re late, again!”

“Yeah, to be honest, I just want to get this over with,” you reply as you tap on the window anxiously. 

The rain droplet you were following slides further down the window and out of sight. With nothing else to do, you sit down next to Jaesung. 

Jaesung slides the open folder that was in front of him towards you. “You think they’d finally show up?” he asks.

“I don’t know, but I want to see them.”

Looking down at the bundle of papers, the words “End of Contract” are written in huge font. Your heart always sinks when you read the names under it—Cheng Xiao, Meng Mei Qi, and Wu Xuan Yi. 

It was inevitable, but it still broke your heart when the higher-ups broke the news to you. Ever since that contract fiasco with Tencent, and their booming individual careers in China, they didn’t need an incentive to return to Korea. It was only a matter of time till Yuehua called in and decided to pull the plug—a year before their contract renewal with Starship.

Memories of the three Chinese girls flood your brain as your finger traces their names on the paper

Xuan Yi. You never met anyone as pleasant or as happy-go-lucky as her. Despite her aloofness on camera, she is the most sensitive and observant of everyone's feelings. You think it was because she grew up in hardship. She always made everyone else happy, even at the cost of her happiness. 

Meng Mei Qi. You hope the stories were false, but perhaps you never truly knew her. The Mei Qi you recall was insightful, compassionate, and one of the more mature members of the group. You prefer to remember her like this. She usually kept to herself, but she always knew what to say; Mei Qi was the best at expressing herself.

Cheng Xiao. No amount of words can even begin to describe her. Out of the three Chinese girls, she was the closest to you. Xiao was just perfect in every way possible. She was not just beautiful; everything she did was just as flawless as her. Xiao affects others by bringing the best out of them. She was a flower that made others bloom; that made you blossom. 

The "Chinity"—as they were fondly named—completed the 13-member girl group you were lucky to take in as a family. You watched them grow together, lead each other through hardships, and celebrate the best moments of their lives. Staying up for 18 hours at a time was worth it to see those 13 starry smiles. WJSN was your youth; they have changed you in so many ways.

Even the happiest of stories have to end someday. You remember the day you brought the three to the airport—and little did you know it was the last time you saw them. In this line of business, people will come and go out of your life, but that day you lost an enormous part of yourself.

Jaesung taps your shoulder, taking you out of your reverie. “How are you holding up?” he asks.

“I’m good. A bit nervous, to be honest. Just wondering whether or not the girls will show up," you reply. Taking in a deep breath, you take a moment to calm yourself down.

“They mean a lot to you. It's okay to be a bit tense.”

He pulls the folder towards him. “Don’t worry, this will be a quick meeting. Just some negotiations and the signatures. Then if they don’t show up, we can leave, rest up, and catch a flight tomorrow.”

As soon as Jaesung finishes his sentence, the door to the conference room opens. The two of you stand up to acknowledge the presence of the Yuehua executive officer. 

The executive officer enters first, and he holds the door open. You weren't expecting anyone else for this meeting. 

The clacking of heels echoes from outside the room. Your instincts kick in; something is up. You assume from the pattern of sounds that it was more than one person. Taking deep breaths, you anxiously await their entrance. The anticipation is killing you inside; it feels like waiting for the curtain to come down on the surprise main attraction.

And three ghosts of the past enter the room.

The past always catches up to you, one way or another. Xiao leads Xuan Yi and Mei Qi in a single file line as they enter the room. The years have been kind to them—despite their busy independent schedules, you are thankful they look healthy. 

The three look surprised to see you—eyes slightly wide and mouth agape—but they quickly regain composure as they approach the table. Xiao takes slower steps as she nears her seat in front of you, eyeing you up and down.

“We apologize for being late. We had to coordinate the girls’ schedules so they could all be here today,” the executive officer says as he closes the door. He then takes his place in between the girls. 

“It’s no problem. We can begin the meeting then,” Jaesung says. He nudges your shin with his foot, taking you out of your initial shock. 

This is going to be a long meeting.

_______________________________________________________________________

An hour passes by, and all the details are reasonably sorted out. It was arduous, but you’ve finally made it to the signatures. Jaesung gives you the paper for everyone to sign. 

You tap the table multiple times with your pen. Taking in a deep breath, you sign right above your name. Every stroke felt like you were losing a part of yourself. With the final inking done, you take one last look at your signature—ink lines permanently closing the doors to The Chinity. With the deed done, you pass the paper first to Xuan Yi.

Xuan Yi looks at you for the first time since she entered the room. She gives you her signature smile, but the eyes never hide what you truly feel. You can tell through those glassy eyes that Xuan Yi hesitates to sign. It is touching to see she has not changed; she still has difficulty saying no so that she does not hurt anyone. 

You nod at Xuan Yi, returning a smile. “It’s okay,” you mouth to her. 

Xuan Yi's smile falters for a split second. She nods back, and after a couple of seconds, she quickly signs on the paper and passes it to Mei Qi. She turns in her swivel chair to face away from you and the table. 

Mei Qi takes her time reading the contents. She specifically rereads one particular sentence, tapping it with her finger repeatedly. Leaning in for a closer look, you realize it’s the sentence with her name as “WJSN” Mei Qi. You hear an audible sigh from her, and then she signs the paper. She finally faces you, and her lips slightly quiver. 

Maybe she does care. 

Lastly, it was Xiao’s turn. 

The sight of Cheng Xiao entering the room was like getting struck by a freight train; fast and messy, it reopened feelings you had not felt for a long time. Xiao always captivated you in more ways than one—wide brown chocolate eyes, heavenly beaming smile, dangerous womanly curves. 

Today could not be a better example. Xiao has not changed over the years—she still had those lively eyes, plump red lips, and a simple yet killer attire that outlined her heavenly body. She was dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt and high-rise jeans that make her curves shine, but you notice she's slimmer compared to her days in Korea. 

After all these years, Xiao still makes you feel these emotions you thought you’d forgotten. 

She looks dangerously calm despite the situation; you wonder what is going through her mind. 

Xiao takes one look at the contract. Then in one fluid motion, she signs the paper. Xiao doesn’t even look up to you, turning to face the window when she passes the contract back to you; not even a single ounce of emotion on her face.  

What she does shocks you; no emotion whatsoever on her face. Xiao never wears her feelings on her sleeve and rarely does she talk about them, but now you can't seem to get a read on her. Sometimes, on a good day, you can predict her—you have known her for so long that you know she lets her actions do the talking. It feels like she placed a gigantic wall between you two. 

Has it been that long, Xiao, that I barely know you now?

You set aside any other negative thoughts for now and focus right back on the topic on hand. After a quick inspection, you pass the paper to Jaesung, who does his reading. 

“Everything seems to be in order,” Jaesung says, standing up and offering his hand to the Yuehua executive. 

“Thank you for your utmost cooperation,” the man says, accepting Jaesung’s gesture by shaking his hand, then offers the same to you. 

You quickly stand up, shake his hand, and swiftly let go. Even though endings like these are a part of everyday life, you still wish you had more time with these girls. 

“Mr. Lee, I believe we can discuss some of the smaller details of the contract. The girls would want to have some final words with their former manager.”

You try not to show any shock on your face, but you can’t help but raise an eyebrow. A wave of hope washes over you. 

Your final words with the girls.

Jaesung pats you on the back before following the Yuehua executive outside and closing the door. 

And now you’re left with The Chinity. 

Xiao still refuses to look at you. She stands up and approaches the window. You at least understand that she needs some space, and let her be for now. 

Xuan Yi quickly rounds the table and tackles you into a hug. You absorb the impact, catching her light body and cushioning her with your chest. Her arms tightly wrap around your torso. She shudders in your arms, and you feel part of your shirt suddenly get moist. 

"There, there. I'm here, Mèimei,” you tell her as you lightly pat her back. You have always called her your little sister, even if she was a few months older than you. 

This might be the last time you could call her that.

Mei Qi treads carefully behind Xuan Yi. She stops a few feet before you, shuffling between moving forward and staying in place. 

This doesn't go over your head. You gesture to her with your free hand to come closer, giving her your most reassuring smile. Mei Qi blinks, and tears suddenly start to roll down her face. With her walls broken down, she joins the hug. 

This is the Mei Qi you remember, and you pray she finds her footing again.

“I’m so, so proud of you two. You’ve both grown so well.” Xuan Yi bawls even more from what you say while Mei Qi tightens her embrace around you. 

“I can’t believe you’re even here,” Mei Qi says. 

“Me neither. This is all unexpected,” you reply as you settle into the group hug.

“How long are you staying here?”

“I’m only here till tomorrow afternoon. Then it’s back to Korea.”

Mei Qi clicks her tongue to that. “What terrible timing. I have a schedule in a while, and I’ll be busy the whole day tomorrow. At least we were able to see you, Oppa.” 

Xuan Yi finally calms down in your arms. She looks up to you. “It’s the same for me, Gēgē. I wish we had more time together.”

“It’s okay. At least we have this moment,” you say. You have to breathe deeply to prevent yourself from crying. 

“What about Xiao? Will she be okay?” you whisper to the girls.

Xuan Yi frowns at your question. It takes a while before she whispers back. “Oppa, I think you need to ask her yourself. We’ll give you some privacy.”

“We have to go now. It was great seeing you, Oppa,” Mei Qi says after.

Mei Qi is the one who breaks the hug first. She gives you a big smile, then blows a kiss to you. 

Xuan Yi gets on her tip-toes, kisses you on your cheek, then finally lets you go. Her face is slightly messy from all her crying; you’re not letting her out like that.

You reach your pocket for your unused handkerchief and hand it to her. “Here, keep it. Something to remember me by.”  

Xuan Yi beams from your impromptu gift. She uses it immediately, cleaning her eyes, patting out some of the smudged makeup on her face, and blowing her nose with it. You chuckle at her; she’s still the same untidy Xuan Yi, and you’re still picking up after her.

Mei Qi and Xuan Yi approach the door before turning to you, possibly for the last time.

“Goodbye, Oppa!” they say at the same time.

“Stay safe, girls.” 

Xuan Yi opens the door, and the two girls exit the room to continue their lives. It takes most of your willpower not to tear. It feels like a part of you was taken away with them. 

You hope they return with it one day.

_______________________________________________________________________

Now, it's you and Xiao left in the room.

Xiao still has her back on you. She has not moved a muscle since Jaesung left. It makes you uneasy; you are not sure how to approach her. 

Seconds pass, and neither of you budges from your positions. The silence is deafening, the air thick with tension that you can slice through with a butter knife. There is so much to say in so little time; where would you start? 

"Why haven’t you left yet?" 

It was faint—almost a whisper—but you heard her. Hearing Xiao’s voice gives you the courage to approach her. You find yourself walking towards her.

“Xiao?” You stop just when you’re within arm’s reach.

“It doesn’t have to be this hard, Oppa.” She shakes her head. Xiao’s voice is jittery, as if she’s terrified to talk to you.

You reach out your hand to her. “I don’t understand—”

“Stop.”

You withdraw your hand instantly. You had your arguments with Xiao before, but she has never used such a livid tone with you before. It's shocking, so much so that you're too stunned to move.

“Do you know how hard it is to leave people you love behind so unexpectedly?” Xiao’s shoulders start to shake. Her hand moves to her face, and you hear her start to sniffle. 

“I—I thought today was going to be easy. I was going to sign that stupid paper and try to move on with my life in Korea as a happy memory.”

“But why are you here?! Why, out of all times, do you have to show up when I’m about to move on?!” 

Every word she said was like a dagger to your heart, reopening wounds you thought you had recovered from. 

“I wanted to stay! I was okay with the back-to-back flights and never-ending schedules because I had a family to fall back to.” 

She turns around, and your heart breaks into a million pieces. Tears were streaming down her face. With Xiao’s mask finally falling off, her brown eyes carry a mixture of shock, hurt, and barely contained anger. You hate seeing Xiao like this.

“Most importantly, I h-had—I had you. I had someone to talk to about my worries, someone to hold me when I cry, someone to tell me everything was okay.”

That was the last straw for you. Xiao's outpouring of emotions opens your floodgates, and tears trickle from your eyes. Xiao has always been strong, but you hate seeing her now so miserable—she did not deserve this.

You reach out your hand to her again. It carefully inches towards her face this time, and Xiao doesn't show any signs of rejecting you again. Your fingers finally graze her silky skin, remembering how soft and smooth it is. Xiao doesn't flinch, closing her eyes to the feeling of your hand. You gently wipe away the tears that stain her flawless face with your thumb and step closer to her. 

A wave of nostalgia hits you as your arms circle around her. You remember this feeling blossoming in your heart—something only Cheng Xiao can evoke from you.

She opens her eyes, and they gaze back at you with a sense of longing. Xiao's eyes start to water, and more tears threaten to come out. Her arms shoot out for your waist, pulling you into her comforting embrace. Your body recognizes the familiar touch of her body as your arm wraps around her in a protective hug. Xiao releases all of her anguish onto your chest, crying and reinforcing her hold around you.

The years of separation have taken a toll on the two of you. It was four long years of rolling on through life, looking for the missing piece that made you grow. 

And finally, you are complete for now; here she is, in your arms, reunited at last.

______________________________________________________________________

“How did the hotpot taste for you?” Xiao asks after taking quick sips of her beer.

Hotpot is your favorite way to have a meal—it is the easiest way to feed a big group of people, there is so much variety in the ingredients, and it is a great way to bond over food. It's one of the things you shared with Xiao.

Xiao was the only one free to have dinner with you tonight. After calming down from the outburst of emotions, she led the two of you to her favorite hotpot restaurant just down the street from the Yuehua building. It has been hours, and the two of you chatted up a storm about the recent updates about each other’s lives.

You cherished every moment you brought the girls to any hotpot restaurant. Taking care of 13 girls in a hotpot restaurant is always a chaotic task, but these were some of the best memories you have.

You gulp the last of your Highball. Its sweet, snappy flavor washes out the meaty aftertaste left on your tongue. “Pretty delicious, but I still don’t know how you can eat so much.” 

She pouts at you for taking a jab at her unladylike appetite. “Please, you know I’m not even the heaviest eater among the girls!”

“I don’t usually eat like this. It has been a while since I’ve had a proper hotpot with someone. It’s a bit lonely to eat hotpot alone.” Xiao looks into her beer glass, then downs the last of her drink.

She sighs. “I’m sorry, I’m bringing down the mood, aren’t I?” 

“Hey. No, you’re not. Hotpot is always made for sharing.”

“Are you feeling better?” you ask her, deciding to change the subject. 

Xiao flashes you a smile. “I am. I never imagined seeing you again, Oppa. I missed you so much.” Xiao's tender smile warms you up faster than the hotpot can. It is always the comfort to be in her radiant presence.

“I missed you too, Xiao.” You reach out for her hand and gently squeeze it. It could be the alcohol, the hotpot, or the skinship with Xiao, but it suddenly feels hotter in the restaurant.

Xiao squeezes back, then she looks away—unmistakable that she's trying to hide the blush on her face.

Xiao flags down a server to get the bill. While waiting for it, the ringing from your phone grabs your attention. It’s a message from Jaesung.

*How are you and Xiao? We have a flight tomorrow. Just remember to come back safe and sound.*

You always appreciate Jaesung’s thoughtfulness. A couple quick taps on your phone, and you send a quick message to him, reassuring Jaesung that the two of you are having fun. 

After the two of you pay up, you both exit the restaurant, entering the cold rainy night. You open the umbrella to immediately shield you and Xiao from the rain. It’s comfortably chilly compared to the warm restaurant you were in, the drops of rain splashing on the umbrella adding to the cozy atmosphere. 

“Are you still free tonight?” she asks.

“Still got some time left. What’s up?”

Xiao hesitates for a moment before hooking her arms around your free arm.

“Can you take me home? Please?” 

Her request tugs on your emotions. The full moon floats in the middle of the night sky—a reminder that you only have limited time with her. You feel this is the only chance you will get to spend more time with her.

“Of course, I can.”

Xiao leads the way through the empty streets. It feels like a calm, solemn walk—it's only you two in the area, with street lights lighting up the path. It's so silent that you hear the pitter-patter of the rain around you. You catch a whiff of petrichor, noticing how different it smells in another country. A sudden gush of wind blows in your direction, making you tighten onto the umbrella handle. You pull Xiao closer in to keep her more secure under your arm.

The two of you enter a park. As you walk along the path, you’re reminded of the one you frequented back in Korea when the girls needed fresh air—or some time alone. You would wait at one of the park benches—reading a book or listening to music—then one of the girls would call you to bring them home. 

“This feels quite different, doesn’t it?” Xiao suddenly says out loud. 

“What do you mean?” 

“I’m still technically an idol. And we look like a couple, walking in a park. If we were in Korea… the reporters would have a field day.” 

Back in Korea, parks are used by some celebrity couples for their secret rendezvous. Some reporters would wait late at night just for a quick scoop. The gossip of an idol dating would be scandalous, to say the least. Strangely, she brought up such a situation.

“I’m glad none of that is here,” she says.

Before you can say anything, Xiao’s hand slides down your arm, intertwining her fingers in yours. Her hand is soft—feathery even—and it fits well like a well-slotted puzzle piece. On closer inspection, some parts of her palm are slightly calloused, a testament to the hard work she has endured over the years. 

You are taken so much by surprise that you stop in your tracks. It’s not like you haven’t held Xiao’s hand a couple of times—especially like a while ago—but not so openly in public and definitely not as intimately as this, her fingers laced around yours. 

“Xiao—”

“Can you allow me this? Just for this moment, let me pretend we had a happy ending together.”

Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Xiao’s melancholic voice is the icing on this bittersweet revelation. The timing of all of this is anything but fair. Often these things happen for no reason, and though we wish for an explanation, there just isn’t one. 

“How long have you had feelings for me?” you manage to ask. You feel your own voice tremble at the weight of her words.

Xiao looks longingly into you, her eyes piercing the core of your person. 

“For so painfully long.” 

Lightning strikes in the distance. Xiao's confession turns you inside out, and there is no going back from it. Once a thunderbolt hits, your life can be irrevocably changed. You've fantasized about this moment for so long, but life had to be so cruel to have other plans for the two of you.  

“I’m not exactly sure when it happened. Or even when it started. All I knew for sure was that I was falling so hard for you, and I prayed every night that you might feel the same way.” 

“You’re very charming and kind. I've never known anyone so caring for anyone else. And you make me smile. That accounts for a lot," she added, choking up a bit. 

You looked into her eyes and saw tears, and your eyes started welling too. Every fiber in your being wanted to wrap your arms around her. You wanted—no needed to tell her that tonight everything was going to be okay, for once she got that happy ending. No words can comfort an already bleeding heart. 

So you did what you know best; let your actions do the talking. 

You pull Xiao towards you, wrapping your free arm around her waist, making sure the umbrella still covers the two of you. Her chest presses against yours, and Xiao lets go of her hand to wrap her arms around your neck. Her wide eyes can’t settle between looking at your eyes or your lips. 

“Oppa?”

“I’ve always wanted to hear those words from you, Xiao.”

“Then you mean…”

And then silence. The only sounds you could hear were the splashing raindrops and the distant thunder in the background. Once you cross this line, your relationship with Xiao will change forever. So you waited—until the crashing of booming thunder echoed the emotions cascading from your soul as you pressed against her lips. 

Wise men say only fools rush in, but you can't help it when it comes to Xiao.

Your eyes flutter shut as you feel her soft lips draw every breath from yours, her fingers carding through your hair, feeling the thud of your combined heartbeat sync up to each other. Her insistent mouth parts your lips, Xiao flicking her tongue against yours, mewling into your mouth from the contact. Years of unbridled, pent-up emotion trickled into this kiss. 

The two of you are forced to break the kiss to catch some air, leaning onto each other’s foreheads. You were so enthralled that you dropped the umbrella onto the ground—the two of you getting soaked in the rain—but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Xiao was in your arms, your true feelings known to her. 

Before you can pull back a bit more, Xiao pulls you in for another mind-blowing kiss. This kiss will forever be in your memory as it trickles down your entire being, engraving the feeling of Xiao’s lips into your memory.

It was just the two of you in the pouring rain, and nothing else mattered.

_______________________________________________________________________

The front door creaks open as Xiao inputs the correct code to the door. As you enter her apartment, you're amazed to see how spacious and chic the living room is; a far cry from the cramped dorm where they lived as 13 girls. It might actually be possible that she could fit at least 13 people just within the space of her living room. 

Xiao leads you to the kitchen island on the side of the room. She grabs two glasses from a drawer, fills them up with the water dispenser, and passes one to you. The warm water heats you up as you gulp it down, immediately feeling a warm buzz spreading all over your body. It slightly helps stave off the wet, cold feeling from your coat. Thankfully that was the only thing drenched from the rain, apart from your hair.

"Let me grab some towels. I'm freezing from the rain. I'll be back!"

Xiao disappears into the hallway. With nothing else to do, you decide to explore the living room. Her place feels homey, filled with the typical furniture—a couch in the middle, a side table right next to it, and a fluffy carpet to match. On the far end of the room is a cat castle, and you could barely make out an outline of Xiao's cat Susu fast asleep on the highest perch. 

Picture frames fill up the table with photos of her family and friends. As you peruse them, two images grab your attention. 

The first is a photo of 13 very familiar girls. Upon closer inspection, you realize it was the picture of their debut many years ago in that big gaming tournament. The innocent smiles remind you of simpler times, the start of humble beginnings for 13 young girls. Your heart swells with pride looking back on how far they've come, no matter how the meeting ended today. 

The second photo surprises you; it’s a picture of the two of you dancing in formal wear. The smiles on your faces stretch out to the edges. The two of you hold on to each other so lovingly that anyone else would mistake you as a couple.

A towel suddenly lands over your head, obscuring your vision. Before you can turn around to see the culprit, her arms wrap around your waist. “That was one of my favorite memories.”

“How did you even get that photo?” you ask as you remove the towel obstructing your vision, using it to dry your hair. 

“Exy took the picture. Believe it or not, she knew about my feelings for you. They all did.”

“No wonder they kept pushing you that night to me, especially to dance with you.”

"I’m glad we had that one dance," she says, and you barely catch a hint of sadness in her voice. Xiao lets go of you and takes the picture frame from the table. She traces it longingly. 

“We can always do it again, someday,” you say with some melancholy in your words. You know it’s only comfort in your words, with little truth and confidence in them. If only you had the guts to even ask Xiao out on a date before, despite the circumstances. 

Her eyes suddenly go wide, and she places the picture down. Xiao takes out her phone, and with a couple of taps, a familiar song plays around the room. 

“Take my hand?”

As Xiao offers her hand, the piano's slow and haunting melody echoes around the room, taking you back to that moment with Xiao. Every note plays on your heartstrings, making the hair on your skin rise. You offer your hand in return. Like before, her soft hands carefully slide into yours as she guides you to the middle of the room. 

Take my hand

Dejavu strikes you, overriding your senses, and sends your brain into autopilot. Your arms instinctively wrap around her curvy waist as her arms wrap around your neck securely. The two of you start to slowly sway to the music. You smell the sweet, rosy perfume that Xiao really loves to use. It hits you like a drug, your lungs taking it in as if it was oxygen to live on. You pull her closer, trying to engrave the feeling of her smooth and porcelain skin into your own.

Take my whole life too

You are Icarus—drawn to the sun's fiery light, running out of time, chasing the impossible. You would prefer this, however, then never find out Xiao returned these feelings for all these years. If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where the story stops. 

For now, it has ended here, but your love for Xiao will always be immortalized in this memory.

For I can't help falling in love with you

​​You looked down to see Xiao looking back at you; her mouth was already waiting like a question. Her focus darts between your eyes and lips as she pulls you in slowly towards her face. She stops inches before your lips touch, feeling her breath brush against your mouth. All you can hear is the clock ticking down, the beating of your heart, and Xiao’s soft breathing.

"Please. Stay the night."

It was all the permission you needed. You waste no time and press your mouth against Xiao's plump lips. She did more than just not stop you; she kissed you back with such ferocity. It was earth-shattering—her soft lips against the bite of the liquor and sugary coke still on your tongue. Xiao fervently kisses you with such force that it feels like she's taking your breath away with every smack.

This is an entirely different situation; it screams of want, of need to commit this fleeting moment into a memory, for all the lost time to cascade into one final momentous passionate instant.

Your calves hit the couch behind you. You pull Xiao down as you sit down on it, making her straddle you and adding more to the passionate embrace. She breaks the kiss, leaning back to tie her hair into a ponytail. Not to leave you hanging, Xiao starts to rock her hips back and forth. It’s your turn to moan; you didn’t realize how hard you were until every grinding movement from Xiao sent shockwaves of pleasure up your spine. 

Both of your hands move from her bottom to enter her shirt, exploring up and down her body. Her icy porcelain skin shivers on contact, Xiao purring to the warmth of your hands. Xiao grabs your hands and guides them to the back of her bra, allowing you to undress her. You hear her hum as the bra slackens around her, watching it loosen under her shirt. She pulls her shirt off with her bra—an unforgettable sight to behold. Xiao’s magnificent ample breasts bounced in the air, free from their constraints. Her light brown nipples were already taut from anticipation. 

Your hand cups her breast, and Xiao groans as she closes her eyes. Going down from her lips, you kiss down her neck, hearing Xiao sigh when you inch closer to her chest. You kiss between her cleavage before diving and sucking lightly on a nub. 

Xiao whimpers, hearing her voice reverberate through your eardrums. She leans back, giving you more access to her succulent bosom. Your tongue swirls around her tit while your fingers slightly twist and pull on the other, alternating from one bud to another. Xiao is putty in your hands and shakes from your ministrations. She tries to muffle herself with her hand, but her sweet, needy voice cracks through. 

“Wait, wait! Slow down!” Her hands grasp your head, and you groan as you stop playing with her voluptuous globes. Xiao takes a couple breaths before speaking. “Let’s take this to my bed.” 

She gets off you, pulls you up, and drags you into the adjacent hallway. Xiao giggles while pulling you along for the ride, and eventually, you reach her room. It has a spacious queen-sized bed, definitely enough for the two of you. Xiao guides you onto the bed—the two of you settling by the headboard—and continues where you left off by straddling you again and taking the lead this time. 

Off goes your shirt, taken away by Xiao and thrown haphazardly somewhere in the room. She caresses your chest, admiring your fitness, before diving into your neck. A nibble from her teeth causes you to shiver, making you catch your breath as she marks your neck as hers. You keep your hands to your sides, enjoying how Xiao takes charge. 

With a quick peck, she kisses down your chest, and you watch as Xiao crawls downwards to your groin. Positioning herself between your legs, she palms your bulge, and a groan escapes from your throat as she lightly squeezes. She looks up to you before pulling on the hem of your pants. You nod back, helping her unbuckle the fastener and Xiao tears off your pants and underwear. 

Your rod is released from its confines. Xiao’s mouth goes agape at your size, her eyes running up and down its length. She grasps it with one hand, slowly pumping you. Xiao is delicate with you, a warm hand going up and down your shaft, the other hand gently cupping and massaging your balls. 

 “Fuck—go a bit faster, Xiao.”

She doesn't follow. Instead, you watch as her tongue joins in the fray, first licking your head, her tongue circling and lapping up your pre-cum. Xiao looks up to you with those doe-like eyes that send even more shockwaves up your spine. She kisses the top of your head before sucking down on it hard. Your breath hitches at the sensation, your stomach flexing from her actions. Time is agonizingly slow as you watch Xiao in between your legs, erotically pleasure you for the first time.

Xiao abruptly stops her ministrations, letting go of you. You’re about to protest before she wags her finger at you, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Xiao then lines your cock between her breasts and squeezes, enveloping your shaft with her tits. She then slowly slides them up and down; thanks to her previous work, you easily slide in and out of her cleavage. She never breaks eye contact with you, catching the tip of your head with her mouth and giving it a couple of flicks with her tongue. 

This new sensation is mind-numbing. Tit-fucking does not feel as close to actual fucking, but it is just crazier to see Xiao in such an erotic position. You cannot help but thrust as you feel your abdomen gets tighter with every passing moment.

Your arms shoot to Xiao’s shoulders, keeping her in place. You did not want to blow your load too early; the night was very well young. Xiao understands and releases your cock from her pillowy confides, placing a quick peck on your tip. She slowly pumps you; the sheen of saliva coating your shaft makes it easier for her hand to slide up and down.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

You chuckle at her silly question. “I’m definitely more than okay. Now it’s your turn.”

Xiao crawls up beside you. Taking the lead, you surprise her by kissing her as she lies on the bed. It takes effort to be as delicate as possible, careful not to put pressure on her with your weight. You line kisses down her chest—making sure to give her delectable pair a good squeeze as you pass them—down to her toned abs and finally settle between her thighs.  

You unbutton her jeans, and Xiao lifts her legs to help you remove her pants. She slowly opens her legs for you, revealing a damp spot in the middle of her white lace panties. Planting kisses first on her feet, you line more kisses up her legs, eventually ending up by her inner thighs. She tenses up as you inch closer to her core. Your curious fingers push on the fabric, and she whimpers; Xiao’s dripping wet.

A foot nudges you on your side. “Stop teasing, Oppa,” she says, her voice laced with impatience. Xiao bites her finger in anticipation, waiting for your next move. 

You oblige her request, and without delay, you help take off the last of her clothing. You posture up first to take in the hair-raising sight before you; Xiao is now fully bare in front of you, and no words can describe how ethereal she is in her most vulnerable form. This is a moment that will be etched forever in your memory. Not wanting to prolong the suspense, you dive right in and lick up her folds.

Xiao gasps loudly to the initial touch of your tongue, raising her hips up. Your arms quickly pin her down as you lap her up. She’s intoxicatingly sweet, getting you high faster than the highball you’ve consumed earlier. She squirms under your touch, her hand gripping the bed sheets, threatening to rip them to shreds. You shock her by inserting two fingers, Xiao’s tight cavern surrendering to your digits. You watch as her glassy eyes roll slightly up before closing, her face contorting with pleasure. The moans of absolute bliss are music to your ears.

“Fuck, that’s so good.”

Xiao is never vulgar with you, which absolutely turns you on. Your tongue moves up and down faster, never giving Xiao a moment of respite. She reaches out for your hand to help distract her from the overwhelming pleasure coursing through her, but it’s not enough to stop the inevitable, as she moans louder and her walls get increasingly tight around your fingers. 

“A-ah—fuck! I-I’m close!”

With one last flick on her clit, Xiao explodes in waves of pleasure as she cums on you. You do your best to catch every drop, feeling some of her juices overflow onto parts of your jaw. Her thighs grip you like a vise while her nails bore into your hand. It’s a pain that hurts too good. 

As her hold on you loosens up, you kiss up her body. Still overly stimulated from her peak, she shakes from every contact with your lips. You pass her abdomen, her chest, finally reaching her lips with a kiss. 

“I don’t want to ever forget this day,” Xiao says, her voice soft and delicate. 

“Let’s make it memorable then.”

You line up your head to the entrance of her slit. You look into her eyes one more time. “Are you ready?”

Xiao nods and gives you a chaste kiss. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” 

You slowly insert yourself. As soon as your head penetrates her, the immense tightness of her walls almost overwhelms you. Both of you are speechless; Xiao's mouth is also agape. You try to moan or grunt, but you are just swamped with pleasure. Xiao arches her back. She tries to muffle her moans against your neck, Xiao pulling you closer and simultaneously pulling you deeper into her.

“Oppa—you’re so big,” she moans, groaning louder as you sink further and stretch her out more. You gather Xiao in your arms while her legs wrap around your butt, deepening your connection. You pause when your length is fully embedded in her. The two of you take deep breaths; it takes a couple of moments for you to get accustomed to the sensation of her, savoring the warm, encompassing feeling.  

“Try moving Oppa, but go slow, please.” 

Now that you are used to the feeling, you pull halfway out of Xiao and gently thrust back in. The two of you groan as you fill her up to the hilt. Thrust after thrust, you develop a slow yet comfortable rhythm. Her breasts heave with every deep thrust. Xiao whimpers with each stroke. You look down at her, and she is as beautiful as ever—glassy eyes that focus on you, lips partly parted from panting, cheeks flushed from pleasure. 

She pulls you down and kisses you. You taste your shared breaths and feel the combined thud of your heartbeats as your bodies synchronize, moving as one in your fiery embrace. You suddenly feel a sharp pleasurable sensation nipping onto the side of your neck, causing you to gasp. Xiao’s teeth sink into flesh as she sucks and nibbles on your pulse point.

You return the favor by increasing the tempo of your thrusts. Your cock pistons in and out sustainedly, hitting Xiao's sensitive spots deep and hard. Xiao breaks the kiss and squeals loudly, grasping onto you tightly. Her nails scrape across your back, making you hiss and add to the mixture of pain and pleasure. 

Xiao starts to shake suddenly—her walls rapidly contract around you as she reaches her limits first, succumbing to her second orgasm of the night. Xiao brushes her fingers through your hair, clinging helplessly around you, trying to pull you over to the peak with her. You stay still, feeling her contract around you, watching her squirm and mewl from her climax. To help calm Xiao down from her high, you pepper kisses around her face, holding her tenderly in your arms. 

It takes a couple moments before Xiao relaxes around you. She kisses your cheek. “I wanna be on top,” she whispers. With you still embedded inside of her, you roll over, your back on the bed and deeper in Xiao in this position. 

Xiao plants her hands on your chest, slightly raking you. "F-fuck, even deeper!"

She moans at your size, groaning louder as she sinks further onto you. You pull her in to fervently capture her lips as the two of you try to get used to the indescribable tighter feeling. You taste your shared breaths as her voice hums around your face. Xiao then starts grinding, moving, and gyrating those thick hips on hers.

All you can do is nod as she starts to rock her hips, your mind blanks and is only filled with Xiao. You moan from her movements, your toes curling into the mattress. Her bed creaks steadily in the background, matching the sounds of your slapping flesh. Your hands move to her butt, kneading her cheeks to guide her motions. You watch as Xiao’s glassy eyes roll slightly up before refocusing back to you. “Fuck, you’re so deep in me.”

Getting a gather of her rhythm, you start to move your hips, grinding back into her. You knead, squish, and fondle her breasts, watching them heave with your every thrust. Xiao’s moans and screams reverberate throughout the room. Her walls gradually tighten around you, and you feel her impending climax. You hasten it by looking for her clit and rubbing it, pushing her to the limit.

“Ah—I’m—!” Xiao lets out a scream of delight. Her body starts to tremble, and she falls forward onto your chest. You feel her pussy clench as Xiao enters her third orgasm of the night. She quivers in your hold, clinging tightly onto you while still trying to ride you to your orgasm. Xiao is leaking, absolutely lost in her ecstasy as you wildly thrust into her. Your body starts to shake as you try to hold out a bit longer. Her walls contract around you long enough for her to finally pull you over to the edge. 

“Xiao, I’m about to—”

“In me, in me, please!”

A warmth surrounds you as you fill and spread your white seed along Xiao’s walls as she threatens to milk every ounce of you. She hums at the feeling of your semen filling her to the brim. Xiao peppers you with kisses around your face, trying to bring you down from your high. Your breathing returns to normal. The pulsations finally stop, but you decide to stay in her, savoring the moment.

It feels like an eternity passes while the two of you recover, only hearing the sounds of each other's breathing fills the room. The sheets were ruffled, the pillows scattered around the bed, your bodies entangled in the embrace and covered in sweat and other bodily fluids. Xiao rolls off to the side, and the results of your affair slightly drip onto your legs. The two of you are too tired to clean the mess, drawing the blanket over your bodies.

“I wish we could just run away and live like this forever, just the two of us,” Xiao says, not hiding the sadness in her voice. Xiao embraces you and settles her head on the crook of your neck.

Your arm pulls her in.  You give her a kiss on her forehead. “A nice beach house by the sea, just the two of us.” Your eyes start to get heavy. You try to fight the sleep off but to no avail, and close your eyes.

Xiao yawns, hugging you tighter in her embrace.

“I don’t want this to end.”

It was barely a whisper, but you heard it. If only this were like the movies—the credits roll, the audience cheers, and the guy gets the girl. Sadly, these were the cards that were dealt.

“I wish we had more time,” you whisper back. 

Xiao places one more kiss on your lips, and sleep finally takes you.

The story of life is quicker than the wink of an eye; the story of love is hello and goodbye until you can ever meet again. 

———————————————————————————————————

The first thing you notice as you gain awareness from your sleep is that it is cold. The upper half of your body wasn’t covered by your blanket, only relying on the shared body heat from last night. 

The second thing you notice is that the bed feels emptier; you feel around for him, but you frown when you realize he left earlier than expected. You open your eyes, hoping to see him come out of the shower, but after a few minutes, it highly seems that won't be likely.

The third thing you finally realize is that your body is sore. The two of you made love last night—all the years of pent-up and unbridled emotion were finally laid out. You stretch yourself out on the bed; it still feels like last night was all just a dream.

After taking a quick shower, you enter the living room to be greeted by Susu. As a part of her every morning routine, Susu leads you to the kitchen to be fed. 

Entering the kitchen, you approach the fridge and notice a sheet of paper pinned on by a magnet. Your heart skips a beat; recognize the handwriting.

You take the letter off the fridge and start to read it. 

My dearest Xiao,

I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye, but I had to leave early to catch a flight back to Korea. 

He was always thoughtful, no matter what the situation. He didn't need to write a letter, but it meant the world he did.

There's so much to say. I want to start from the beginning because it's what you deserve. I want to tell you everything from the bottom of my heart. But where do I even begin? 

Your vision gets blurry, and it's suddenly getting harder to breathe.

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. You’ve changed me forever. And I’ll never forget you.

Tears drop onto the paper, and you cover your mouth to stifle the sobs. In another life, you had your happiness together.

I love you Xiao

AN: Well... it’s been a minute! I actually meant to post this way last month around June. I... actually was away for a while. I don’t want to go into details in this post, but I had to shut myself away and go into hiatus from a lot of things because I developed an anxiety disorder. 

I got back to writing last week, and I’m still trying to catch up to all my fellow writer’s works! I really missed writing, but I’m still technically on “hiatus” because I need to build myself up first again. I only finished this because I didn’t want to waste this idea.

This piece was super fun to make, especially because Xiao doesn’t have enough fics, and it was my first time writing angst! I tried to my utmost ability to edit myself and do other things myself because I want this fic to show everyone this could be the start after a hiatus. And the dynamic between the Chinese girls and WJSN was such a fun concept to explore. And if you guys didn’t get it in the end, it was Xiao’s POV. A writing technique I’ve always wanted to try!

Lastly, it was her birthday recently! So belated Xiao xiao! 

Anyways, I’m glad to have posted. Till next time everyone!

#cheng xiao #smut #wjsn #kpop smut #male reader #wjsn smut

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS DARK FATE Stellaworth Tokuten Drama CD ”Demonic!? What’s a real ‘bad guy’ like!?”

Original title: 魔界的!? 『ワル』ってどんなヤツ!?

Source: Diabolik Lovers DARK FATE Stellaworth Tokuten Drama CD

Audio: Here

Seiyuu: Toriumi Kousuke, Hirakawa Daisuke & Morikubo Shoutaro

Translator’s note: This CD features a pretty unique combination of characters which actually work pretty well together. Shin is definitely the star of the show with how passionate he gets over teaching the other two the ins and outs of being a true ‘bad guy’ lol. He really can’t hide his admiration for his ‘Nii-san’. Other than that, I don’t have a whole lot to say since this track is only 14 minutes long so it isn’t super eventful, but if you’re a Shin stan, I definitely recommend checking this one out!

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Laito: …Knock, knock, knock. Anyone home? 

Laito enters the room. 

*Creaaak*

*Thud* 

Shin: Hm…? Laito. What brings you to the special classroom? 

Laito: Nfufu~ Well, while passing by the entrance earlier, I saw that a package for the special classroom had been delivered, so I was so kind as to come and bring it to you. …Here you go. 

*Thud* 

Shin: Haah? What’s this? ‘The Demon World Marketplace ー Home to a range of magic goods.’

Laito: Since it doesn’t seem to ring a bell to you, I assume Carla is the one who placed the order? Nfu~ In other words, your older brother probably bought something from a popular webshop? Ah-ah~ This special classroom is fully equipped with everything after all. Must be nice, getting to enjoy online shopping in between classes. I’m jealous, really. …So, what did he purchase? Don’t worry, I promise to keep it a secret from everyone else. Come on, tell me. 

Shin: …!? How am I supposed to know!? Nii-san isn’t even around right now!

Laito: Hmm~ He’s absent, huh? In that case…Let’s open it up! 

*Rustle* 

Shin: Haah…!? Don’t just go and decide that for yourself! I just told you Nii-san is away right now!

*Rustle* 

Laito: …Oh. So why not? Don’t worry, it’ll be fine~ I’ll just check what’s inside, that’s all! I’ll make sure to secure the package with tape again afterwards. 

They start fighting over the package. 

Shin: That’s not the issue! Why do you want to see what’s inside so badly anyway!? 

Laito: Because I’m curious, obviously! But well…Judging from the weight of the package as well as this sticker which says ‘fragile goods’ on it, I do have a pretty good idea of what could be inside, nuf~ 

Shin: Haah…!? So what is inside then!? Tell me. 

Laito: Eeh~? Are you sure? Okay, I’ll tell you…My hunch is telling me that there’s some kind of disc inside…a large amount of them, actually. 

Shin: Discs…!? And would there be a problem with Nii-san ordering that?

Laito: Ahaha~ Of course not! I’m just curious to find out what his personal preferences are, that’s all!

*Thud* 

Laito: You know, you’ve got a wide variety of genres, right? 

Shin: …Ugh. This is pissing me off. Stop beating around the bush and just tell me what it is!

Laito: Oh geez, you leave me no other choice. The only kind of disc you’d sneakily buy off the internet would be the dirty kind, right?

Shin: Wha…!? 

Laito: Uwah! Don’t let go all of a sudden…!

Laito stumbles backwards and hits the wall. 

*Thud* 

Shuu: …Ah. Found it. God. How did it get here? 

*Rustle* 

Laito: Owowow…Ah! Hey! What are you doing…!? …Wait, Shuu…? Is that package…yours? 

Shuu: Hm? …Well yeah.

Laito: !!

Shin: I knew it! Honestly, I always found the idea of Nii-san buying something online to be strange. 

*Rustle* 

Laito: Hmm~ So it was Shuu. That’s kind of unexpected, actually. …Hey, lend those to me afterwards, okay? 

Shuu: I don’t really mind but…Since when are you interested in classical music? 

Laito: Eh? Classical music? Then…Could it be that inside of that box there’s…?

Shuu: Huh? Classical music CDs, of course? 

Laito: Eeeh~? What? How dull!

Shin: Che! You guys always have to make things more suspicious than they actually are. Anyway, why was your package delivered to the special classroom in the first place? 

Shuu: Ah…Well, I couldn’t be bothered to go to the store to get them directly, so I told that woman to purchase them online for me.  Soーー

Laito: Ah, I get it! I guess Bitch-chan ordered them on the computer of this classroom. Geez, I got my hopes up for nothing. 

Shin: Hmph! …Ah-ah, I honestly can’t deal with you brothers. 

Laito: Eeh~? But you’ve already done so plenty of times. 

Shuu: Haah…I’m not sure how I feel about being grouped together with Mr. Pervert over here. 

Shin: …Anyway, you guys are originally from the Demon World as well, aren’t you? Then don’t you think you’re becoming a little too much influenced by human culture with your CDs and online shopping?

Laito: Eh? Why not? What’s the issue? Actually, it’s kind of a family rule of ours to adapt to human society~

Shuu: Exactly. If I go against the Old Man’s will, he might just send me to the North Pole agaiー …No, nevermind. 

Shin: Haah…? You’re expected to learn about human customs? I can’t even imagine that! Don’t you have any pride as Demons? Ahー This is exactly why you Vampire lot are considered inferior species. Unlike us First Bloods who are proud of their heritage. 

Laito: …Hm. Pride, you say? That concept doesn’t exactly fit within my style of living. 

Shuu: Pride? Props to you for having the energy to deal with that annoying crap. 

Shin: E-Eh!? H-Hold up…! Isn’t this the point where you’re supposed to try and refute my statement? Try and actually act like our enemy for once by talking back! Why are you so unmotivated!? You should be grateful that a First Blood such as myself is gracing you with my provocations! 

Laito: Eh? Enemy? Is that what we are? My bad, I’m actually a philanthropist by nature, you see. Nfu~ 

Shuu: I don’t know what you’re expecting from me, but I don’t see why I’d have to live up to those expectations. Pwaah…I’m sleepy…

Shin: Haah!? Are you two making fun of me!? You Vampires are the enemy of us Founders! E-ne-my. Ever heard of that word!? So you better start taking more mind of your own position and acting accordingly!

Laito: Eeeh? Our position? 

Shin: Exactly! Enemies should behave as such and be more…You know, ‘evil’? 

Shuu: Oi, Laito…Come here for a sec. 

Laito: Eh? What? 

Shuu drags Laito aside for a bit. 

Shuu: Hey, this guy is more of a pain in the ass than I thought.

Laito: Mmh. My thoughts exactly. But you know…Shin-kun is the youngest child, remember? So, you know? 

Shuu: Ahー Right. Makes sense. 

Shin: What do you two think you’re doing!? You think you’re being all sneaky in your little corner but I heard every word of what you said! Damnit! 

*THUD*

Laito: Ah-ahー Would you look at that. Now he’s just taking out his anger on his surroundings. I’m pretty sure the situation will only escalate if we don’t take care of it appropriately. 

Shuu: Haah…Reminds me of another youngest child I know. …Oi Laito. Go and do something about him. 

Laito: Eh? Me? I don’t want to have to ‘babysit’ that pain in the neck!

Shuu: I mean, all of this only happened because you brought my package here, right?

Laito: …!! I-I was just…

Shin: Hah! Do whatever you please! You can call all of your Vampires buddies, you’d still be no match for me! Hah!

*Thud*

*SHATTER*

Shin: Watch this!

*Thud*

*SHATTER*

Shuu: Look. The whole classroom’s being turned upside down. Don’t come crying to me when you get into even more trouble later. 

Laito: Haahー Fine. Guess I have no other choice. …I’ll go and 

Laito walks over to Shin and pats him on the back. 

Laito: Hey, listen, Shin-kun~

Shin: …!! Just so you know, it’s too late to apologize now!

Laito: Hmm~ That’s not quite it. You’re a ‘mighty and proud Founder’, was it? In that case, I’d love to ask you something. May I? 

Shin: Hm? What is it? 

Laito: You said earlier that we should act like proper enemies and be more ‘evil’...But what exactly do you mean by that? …I mean, as you even pointed out yourself, we’re just so used to living by human world standards by now, so we’d love to have you - a real Demon World expert - teach us the true ways of being a ‘bad guy’~

Shin: Huh? …Hmph! Guess you give me no other choice. I suppose I wouldn’t mind giving you two a couple of pointers. 

Shuu: Thank god he’s a gullible idiot. 

Shin: Oi, Shuu. Did you say something just now? 

Shuu: Not really. 

Shin: Ahem. Anyway. We should start by that weak tone you speak in. It doesn’t convey even a shred of evilness. You have to talk with a deep and intimidating voice. Listen and learn…’You fiend. I shall end you.’ (1) …Hehe. Just like that!

Shuu: Oi, Laito…Did he just…?

Laito: Shhー! We finally lifted his mood, so don’t go ruining it again!

Shin: Haah…But the biggest issue is those outfits of yours. Hats and sweaters are way too frivolous and totally out of the question. If you want to radiate that evil energy at first glance…Let me think…Ah, right, it’s basic knowledge to cover as much skin as possible. You know, by wearing gloves and boots. Also…While covering part of one’s face is commonly seen as the most effective strategy, I believe that overwhelming the other with a fierce, piercing gaze is ideal. Hm. Hehehe~

Shuu: How should I put this…I don’t even know what to comment on first. 

Laito: He’s just giving us a run-down of that guy, isn’t he? 

Shin: Hah? Who are you talking about? I don’t think we know anyone who fits that image.

Shuu: You basically just described your older brother, no?

Shin: Huh? Nii-san!? 

Laito: Hmー I mean, if we put together everything you listed just now, it would mean that Carla is the ‘biggest, baddest guy’ of the Demon World, right? Hm…Well, I guess he is evil in more than one way.

Shuu: Guess so…Although, I feel like that’s still an understatement, haha. 

Shin: …!! Don’t you dare talk badly of Nii-san! Ugh!

*Thud* 

Laito: Ah, hold up, wait! We’re not making fun of him! …Geez, you lose your temper over the slightest thing. You must truly love your ‘onii-chan’, don’t you? 

Shin: Ughー! What makes you think that!? 

Laito: I mean, you’ve been standing up for him this whole time, haven’t you? That would never happen in our family. 

Shuu: Exactly. …If anything, I think your relationship is more ‘human-like’ than any of the stuff we do. 

Shin: …!? …H-Human-like, you say? Us proud and almighty Founders? Human-like!? 

Laito: Ahーah…I’m kind of sick of having to baby this guy. I want to just go home already and indulge in Bitch-chan’s blood. I can’t keep up with this. 

Shuu: It would have probably been less trouble to just go to the CD shop myself yesterday instead of having to deal with this bullshit now. …Whatever. I guess I’ll go put the audio of the CDs I got on my MP3-player. 

Shuu and Laito leave. 

Shin: Ah, wait, you two! I’m not done yeーー …Ugh, those guys…This is exactly why I hate Vampires! They should just perish right here, right now! Fuck!

*SHATTER*

Shin: Haah, haah…Anyway…Are we really more human-like than they are? Haha…There’s just no way. …? …!! This is bad! Nii-saaaaaaaaan…!!!!!

Shin runs off. 

ーー THE END ーー

Translation notes

(1) Shin uses the word ‘kisama’ here, quite obviously imitating Carla’s manner of speech.

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #shuu sakamaki #laito sakamaki #shin tsukinami #diabolik lovers translation #diabolik lovers drama cd #drama cd

[levi-venn]

The First Toothpick

Chapter 3: A Fistful of Carrots

Gen Fic - Mentor/Protege

Characters: Cad Bane, Crosshair (the kid), Jango (flashbacks).

Summary: Cad Bane teaches Crosshair how to be a sniper. The kid picks up some other habits as a result.

Chapter Summary: The kid experiences dry land for the first time. His reaction surprises Cad...but it also gives him an idea.

Chapters: Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch7 | Ch8 | Ch9 |

Available on AO3 here

“It’s just grass.” 

“The hell it is,” Cad said, retreating back up the ramp of the Firespray.

“C’mon, Cad, have a little faith in me. Watch.” Jango hopped out of the ship, landing waist deep in the field of golden brown wheat…

…like a damn fool.

So much wheat…stretching for as far as his scarlet globular eyes could see.

And that much wheat meant that many more places to hide.

“There’s things in there,” Cad warned, pointing to something rustling near Jango’s leg. 

“Just critters. Predators don’t come out until nightfall and they prefer Fabools to humanoids. You’re safe, I promise.”

“Uh huh…” Cad took another step backwards. “...I’ll just stay here.”

It wasn’t that he missed his homeworld - fuck Duro - but at least he knew and accepted it for what it was: A world that had traded its soul for industry long before Cad was born.  Clouds weren’t supposed to be white and fluffy like this. They should be oily and black belched from rusty smokestacks.  Even the sky here was wrong, too blue, too bright, missing the stains of putrid orange and green.  He’d been on this planet for less than a minute and already had his fill of the buzzing insects and…where the hell was that croaking coming from anyway?

“We got work to do, Cad. Don’t make me throw you over my shoulder like a bag of meilooruns.”

Cad sighed and stood on the edge of the ramp, staring down the untamed wilderness of what was supposedly a very tame ranch. The wheat stalks swooned in the breeze, like long fingers coaxing Cad into unseen jaws.

He sank one boot into the grass.

Something shrieked and shot up into the air.

Cad stumbled backwards, drawing one blaster only to have it slip from his fingers, sliding noisily down the ramp and out of sight into the wheat field. He pulled the second blaster and fired at the monster.

The convor flew away, unscathed.

“Aaaand this is why we’re here,” Jango frowned, picking up fumbled blaster and handing it back to Cad. “You’re jumpy as hell and can’t shoot for shit. If you want to keep calling me boss, get your shit together, Cad.”

“Yeah, boss,” Cad mumbled, holstering both blasters, embarrassment warming his face.

“Alright, enough lollygagging. Let’s go check on the Fabools.”

“What the hell is a Fabool?”

Cad found the kid curled up asleep in Bossk’s chair, cheek pressed against the scope of his rifle and a half-eaten protein bar in his hand. 

Beneath the chair was the kid’s duffle bag, half-open. Cad nudged it with his boot. Jumpsuits, protein bars, packs of water purifying tablets. No toys, no music discs, no personality. Not a single candy bar.

Jango loved caramel Starsbars; always kept one on him, in a pouch next to his thermal dets. He also loved fried eggs and bacon, nerf stew with extra carrots, peach-flavored tihaar cocktails (though he always claimed he drank tihaar straight), and he bobbed his head to Figrin D'an And The Modal Nodes when he thought no one was looking. 

Did all his clones experience the same joys he did? Were they even given a chance?

He kicked Bossk’s chair. “Get up, kid. We’re here.”

The kid sat upright, eyes still closed, a long, textured red line from the scope denting his cheek. “Where are we?”

“That’s classified,” Cad smirked.

“Haha, funny,” the kid yawned and slithered out of the chair. He took another bite of the protein bar, then tucked it back into his jumpsuit’s pocket.

I told him to find somethin’ to eat, Cad thought. Does he prefer his own rations?

“This hideout was Jango’s before it was mine. He taught me all I knew here n’ I’m gonna impart some of that know-how onto you.”

“I know how to shoot."

“Yeah, slower than molasses on Vandor,” Cad sneered. “We’re gonna fix that, but for now…” Cad activated the ramp. “...let’s just start with gettin’ out of the ship.”

The kid’s expression didn’t change.

Not when the door slid open.

Not when seeing, probably for the first time, an ocean of golden brown wheat, a clear sky, and a world alive with natural wonders.

Except that wasn’t exactly true. The kid's expression did change, if you knew where to look. Cad watched the kid's glassy brown eyes dart around the narrow view of the scenery, not like a frightened kid like Cad was all those years ago, but with a curious feline studying his new territory.

The kid ventured forward, standing on the edge of the ramp scanning the wheat field.  He didn’t move for a long moment.

Cad stood beside him, studying his face. The kid didn’t look scared, but something was holding him back. 

Finally, he looked up at Cad, brow knitted slightly.

Cad tilted his head. “What?”

“...is it safe?”

“C’mon, Cad, have a little faith in me,”

“Yeah, kid,” Cad said, Jango’s exasperated sigh burned in his memory. “It’s safe.”

As the kid took that first step forward, Cad leaned against the ship and popped a toothpick between his teeth. He expected to be here a while as the kid grew accustomed to the planet. 

But the kid jumped in with two feet. Literally. And then took off like a blaster bolt, running through the fields like a wild lothcat and twice as silent, maneuvered through the grass with practiced efficiency. 

Huh…engineered for stealth…created for war…

The kid chased some unseen varmint for a while before stopping to catch a butterfly in mid-air. As he cupped it in his hands, peeking through the fingers, a frog leapt onto his leg.  The kid gasped, but even that was subdued. He eyed the frog with round, emotional eyes, then lifted his leg to show Cad. 

Created for war…but still just a kid.

The frog disappeared into the kid’s pocket only to leap back out again as soon as the kid’s attention turned to a flock of ducks flying overhead.

“Believe it or not, Cad,” Jango said, arm draped loosely over Cad’s shoulder as they walked through the grass together. “There are some planets in this galaxy that aren’t a kriffing nightmare to live on.”

“Pretty planets can be dangerous too,” Cad mumbled.

“Hey,” Jango stopped in his tracks and made the sulking duros look him in the eye. Human eyes were always too emotional for Cad's liking. Jango's eyes weren't bad to look at though. Still, he scowled stubbornly. “I promised you a quiet place to train you and I meant it. You’re safe here. You’re safe with me.”

As the kid stood transfixed over a grasshopper crawling along his arm, Cad slung the kid’s rifle over his own shoulder, grabbed a few more bags, and exited the ship. He was halfway to the house when he realized the kid was following him, silent as the grave and his arm still extended giving the grasshopper a proper runway.

“Just goin’ to the house. Go play, kid.”

“I’m not playing,” the kid denied. “I’m here to learn.”

Cad sneered. “Like a good little soldier, huh?”

“I’m not just a soldier. I’m an elite-”

“Just be a kriffin’ kid today, okay?”

The kid’s neutral expression melted into something teetering on panic. He looked around again as if searching for something or someone to explain “playing” to him.

Made for war...

“How about this,” Cad sighed. “Do some recon. Get familiar with the territory. The perimeter extends to the barbed wire fence and the border of the lake. Report back when yer done.”

Seemingly satisfied with this “mission” he nodded and bounded off, the grasshopper flying behind him. 

Fuck you, Jango, for givin’ just one special little Boba a childhood and leavin’ the rest behind.

Cad headed to the house and hoped Todo 360 had ordered the extra carrots for the nerf stew.

***

Cad remembered being disappointed when he first arrived at the hideout. 

The word “hideout” made him think of a beaten up shack filled with illegal artillery, chests full of credits, and a bunch of mean-looking mercs he’d be glad to have on his side.

But this hideout was a farmhouse. A quaint home perched on a hill overlooking the wheat fields. Over the front door was a wooden sign with hand carved, flowery aurebesh reading: “The Stars Shine on This Home”. Rocking chairs moved with the cool breeze on the porch. Cheerful tulips welcomed bees in the front garden. Inside the house, there were floral quilts on the plush couches and horseshoes over every doorway. There was a ubiquitous scent of cinnamon and aged wood. 

“Doesn’t look like much of a hideout,” Cad sulked, eyeing the pie cooling on the windowsill. 

“And you don’t look like much of a mercenary,” Jango sneered, pulling out two plates and a pie server. “Looks can be deceiving.”

Three hours later, the kid showed up. Dirt caked his cheeks, burrs stuck to his jumpsuit. There was a scrape on his hand, and a few bugs and a frog peeked out of his pockets.

From the kitchen, Cad slid a heap of carrots into the simmering nerf stew and watched the kid carefully stalk the living room, eyeing everything, but touching nothing. 

Well, almost nothing.

Cad’s wide-brimmed hat hung on the rack near the door.

The kid reached up for it. 

“Take a seat, kid,” Cad said, his tone sharp. “Food’s almost ready.”

The kid snatched his hand back and scurried to the small table in the dining area. He sniffed the daisy bouquet centerpiece and looked shocked to realize it was real.  He put one of the grasshoppers on one of the flowers.  The grasshopper immediately hopped away.

Cad set the bowl of hearty nerf stew in front of the kid and brushed the grasshopper onto the floor. “Eat up. It’s tastier than those shitty protein bars ya got stowed away.”

The kid’s spoon poked experimentally at the stew.

“I like the protein bars,” he said, watching the hearty chunks of nerf bobbing in the sienna broth.

He took a bite of just broth at first, his face remaining neutral, but his brow rose a little lighter.

The second bite was a little more adventurous with a piece of nerf added to it.

The third bite was all carrots…

…and the kid immediately spat them out in his napkin, wrinkling his nose.

Cad nearly snickered.

Under any normal circumstance he would’ve found it funny.

But the disappointment hit his gut like a cheap shot.

It was just carrots.  What would he care if the kid hated carrots and Jango ate them like candy?

Because this ain’t about carrots. If these clones ain’t like Jango, then they got free will, don’t they?

And if they got free will…

…what happens if they decide they don’t wanna be soldiers?

Questions far above his pay grade, but like Jango always said: “The day you stop asking questions is the day They win.”

Is that what you did, Jango? Cad wondered, bringing his own bowl of stew to the table. Did ya just stop askin’ questions?

Halfway through the quiet meal, Cad realized the kid was staring at him.

“Somethin’ on yer mind, kid?” He asked, not looking up.

The kid silently picked another carrot off his spoon and added it to the orange pile on his napkin. 

“I asked ya a question.”

“I didn’t find any Fabool,” the kid murmured.

“Didja know where to look?”

“No.”

Cad raised his brow ridge. “Didja ask where they were?”

The kid shook his head.

“So? Ask me.”

“Where are they?”

“Behind the house. Finish your stew and I’ll show y-”

The kid dropped his spoon, grabbed the bowl and, in record time, gulped down the rest of the stew, chewing the last bits noisily and spitting out a final piece of carrot.

“Ready.” he said, deadpan, though his eyes sparkled as bright as Jango’s whenever Cad handed him a Starsbar.

Need Todo to order more Starsbar, Cad reminded himself. Just in case.

***

Behind the house was a square, quarter acre of land, sectioned off with a two meter high fence covered in thick brown wool. From the outside, it just looked like an extra storage shed, but as Cad and the kid drew nearer, it was evident something was moving around inside the enclosure.  

The kid pressed his face against the fabric barrier trying to see through it without any luck. The Fabools snuffled inquisitively on the other side.

“Whats with the blankets?” 

Huh…first question I didn’t have to pry outta him, Cad mused. 

“Fabools are about as sensitive as they are stupid. In the wild they’re liable to get stuck on thorn bushes n' deflate, makin' 'em easy pickin's for predators. The goal is to keep ‘em safe n’ happy in here so they produce more eggs."

"Eggs?"

"These eggs ain't for eatin'. Not for us anyway. They fetch a pretty price on the black market since the egg whites got hallucinatory properties to 'em.” He unlocked the door but held it closed, his eyes narrowing at the kid. “Walk carefully n’ don’t bring anythin’ sharp in here. You deflate ‘em, I deflate you, got it?”

“Okay,” the kid said, with enough earnestness to ease Cad's mind. "Wait," he added suddenly, pulling out a small vibroblade from his boot, and stuck it in the ground outside the enclosure. "Okay, ready."

“Good kid,” Cad nodded.

The kid immediately looked away, but not before Cad noted the faintest trace of a smile in his cheeks. 

Soon as the gate opened, the kid slipped through it and was immediately overwhelmed, disappearing beneath a bouncing avalanche of furry Fabools.

Fabools were balloon-like creatures in every way imaginable, perfectly round, airy and gentle, and navigated the world through bouncing and floating with vague intent on their destination. Short gray fur covered their bodies, and their two webbed feet may have once been used for swimming eons ago, but that evolutionary branch had long since broken off. Their flippers remained as an imperfect guidance system, and Fabools tended to flap out of sheer excitement than for propulsion.

While they didn't exactly have heads, their face was located flush against the upper hemisphere of their round form, a tiny upturned mouth sandwiched between two, round black eyes which blinked adoringly at the kid.  

The kid sank into the grass in wide-eyed wonderment, opening his arms to gently hug however many Fabools he could while the rest rolled and bounced all around him.

Cad couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard the kid hiss out a small, brief laugh.

“What the fuck, Jango?” Cad growled, backing up as the creatures bounced closer and closer. “Get ‘em away from me.”

“They’re harmless.”

“Then why’re they chasin’ me?” He climbed up the fence, the little monsters hopping in the air obviously trying to bite him.

“They don’t even have teeth. I promise you, they're not dangerous, just curious. Trust me.”

"Trust me..."

Something clicked in Cad’s mind.

…Well shit. Now I know why Jango asked me to train this kid. Snipin’ isn’t this kid’s problem. Trust is.

Not trust in other people. This kid seemed to have an abundance of blind trust for authority figures…something Cad would train out of him in a heartbeat if he wasn’t getting paid for this job. 

The thing is, the kid had trust for everyone outside of himself. 

That’s why he shoots so slow. That’s why he’s so damn hesitant to speak his mind. He’s got that spark in him, but Jango hired me for one specific reason: I got trust for no one but myself. 

“They’re so…helpless,” The kid said, watching one of the males roll by, webbed feet kicking uselessly in the air. The kid gave him a little push to help him to his feet.

So are you, kid, Cad thought, popping a toothpick in his mouth. But don’t worry. We’re gonna fix that. You may hate me afterwards…

…but either way you’ll be stronger for it, and I’ll get paid either way.

#bad batch crosshair #tbb crosshair #the bad batch #cad bane #star wars the clone wars #jango fett #tbb cad bane #The First Toothpick

[amane-order-of-attack]

*Quietly places a box down with one of those portable DVD players and two discs containing Magic and Purge March*

Amane opens the box. It's something she shouldn't mess with-

Ah, whatever. She has long passed the deep end.

Amane puts the first disk into the DVD player.

"Is that me? My outfit is so... so flashy. Yet..." She looks around to make sure nobody can hear her. "I wish I could wear that. Is it too late, though?" She brushes her sleeve across her eyepatch. It still doesn't move. "Is it too late for me to be pretty?"

Amane smiles wistfully. "This is a rather cheerful video, yet it hurts knowing what it all means. That is just how I am, right? Hiding all my pain behind fear. Even when..." She struggles to describe what happened in the bridge. She would prefer not to remember it.

"Is this what the warden saw? Then why... why didn't they forgive me? I don't understand... I showed them why I did it, so... Why wouldn't they agree with me?"

She switches out the disks.

"The second trial? Is this what Warden-san has yet to see?"

The video starts.

"It's so white. So clean. So-"

It's the scene of her sinking into the ground. She feels a chill through her spine. She covers her eye.

"Even through all this, the music is so cheerful." She peeks over her sleeve and immediately regrets it. She slams the pause button and buries her face in her sleeves.

It feels so real. Not just what she saw, but something else... It feels like it happened much more recently.

After she collects herself, she presses play.

"This is the real world... what actually happened..." Bittersweet feelings about the cat. Anger at being tattled on. She can hardly watch as the punishment is shown. Then she sees herself lifting the umbrella and-

"So that's how it is, then. They will see through my front. They are going to see how I really felt. I cannot deny it anymore.

I do not regret it. It was my best chance to fulfill an obligation of faith. If I knew my actions would lead me here, stuck in this nonsensical prison... if I knew I was going to lose an eye over this, I would still do it.

I hope the Warden will understand."

Why is she saying all of this out loud again?

#(amane ooa) #(amane ooa asks) #cw cults #cw child abuse

[firelord-frowny]

i'm on my 3rd cycle of using disposable menstrual discs lmao and uhhhhhhhhhhh

HOWWWWWWW DID I MANAGE TO SHOVE TWO OF THOSE THINGS UP THERE AT THE SAME TIME WITHOUT REALIZING IT LMAO JEEEEEEEZ

so, aaaaaallllll day yesterday, i was only getting like an hour or two of use out of one disc before it started to leak! and leak BADLY! Like, i'd hurry to the bathroom and sit on the toilet and it was literally just blood PEEING out of me! in a steady stream! i'm like! what the fuck! i know my flow is grotesquely heavy to begin with, but it's never just POURED out of me like this!

so i reach in and start to pull the disc out, and as soon as i give it a lil tug, more blood just BURSTS out omg! like that shit SPLATTERED all over my hand and splashed into the toilet! it was so fucking bizarre!

anyway, i pull the disc out, rinse it, dispose of it, then go put another one in, obviously.

and then the saaaaaaaame thing kept happening all day!

and then FINALLY i started noticing that it was a little harder to insert them than usual? and harder to get them properly situated once they were inside? and slightly more uncomfortable to insert as well, though there was no discomfort once i got it in. but i was still concerned about the fact that the ~topography~, if you will, of my vajayjay seemed so drastically different than usual! i'm like, wtf is going on here??? do i have a tumor or something??? is something swollen down there? wtf?

and just now, after another rush to the bathroom, when i reached in to pull it out, i felt TWO rims! wtf!

and so my first assumption was that for some reason, the disc hadn't ~opened up~ when i inserted it, which would explain why it was leaking so quickly, but wtf would cause it to not open up, anyway? like, what's in the way???

so i pulled it out, and then sooooomething just told me to stick my finger back in there and see if there was anything else in there, AND THEN I FEEL A WHOLE EXTRA DISC IN THERE omgggg!

i have no recollection of forgetting that i'd already put one in! wtf! lmfao! yikes!

sooo i guess that's another "con" i can add to my short list of things that are not-so-great about disposable menstrual discs lmaoooo. there's no external indicator, like with a tampon, that tells you you already have one in there! so if you forget that you've already put one in, nothing's gonna stop you from shoving another one up there. (although i DID once accidentally put two tampons in lmfao.)

i still prefer discs to tampons and cups at this point, tho!

[eustassslut]

Hi dear! I don't know if you take requests but I am stunned at your kid pirates headcanons and I would be so happy to read others. So could you please do some for Hop, Disc J, Mosh and Jaguar? I'm sorry if there's a lot to write. Thank you if you will do it!!

hi anon! i do take requests as my requests are open at the moment, but unfortunately since are a lot it takes me a while to get through them all (which is why this took forever to get around to writing). but here are the headcanons you asked for.

Hop:

Loves Hip-Hop music

Her best friend is Hip

Both of them think it's hilarious their names join together to make Hip-Hop

She prioritises peaceful actions over violent ones, so she regularly helps Killer calm down Kid

She's very close with Quincy and they go often go shopping together

They regularly steal from each other's wardrobes

Really likes the colour pink

Will ask you to marry her if you ever wore frilly pink lingerie for her

Was a backup dancer before joining the Kid Pirates

Kid felt bad about dragging her away from her career so converted a spare room into a gym/dance studio

Soft for you and the crew, but cold and aggressive to everyone else

Gives dance classes to the crew

You get private dance classes but they often end with her making out with you

Has really pretty moans

She's very bendy

Can do positions you didn't know were possible

Her original fighting style involves martial arts but Mosh trained her to use a sword

Her sword was a birthday present from the crew that she saw in a shop when the Kid Pirates had stopped at an island

The sword was actually stolen by House and Dive, but no one needs to tell Hop

Will peg you

Has an obsession with the Twilight series

Firmly team Alice and has quotes memorised to use when in arguments

Disc J:

Used to work as DJ before he joined the crew

He still DJs for the crew when they have parties

Big fan of thrill seeking sex

Once had sex with you on a marine ship deck, somehow they didn't catch you both

Has tinnitus (ringing in his ears) because of how loud he plays his music

You have to regularly turn his music down and take away his headphones

His fishnet gloves were a gift from Wire for his birthday

His sex playlist is unmatched, the crew secretly want to ask for the playlist but don't know how to ask

Probably has a devil fruit that is similar to how music speakers work

Regularly has a self care night where he runs a bubble bath and drinks red wine with a face mask on

Treats you to manicures when you're stressed

Everyone else has to pay for their manicures

Would go insane if you wore knee high boots

Will beg you to keep them on during sex

Lived alone before joining the crew so very good at household chores

Makes very good coffee and cakes

Completely worships the ground you walk on and would do anything you ask

Organises afternoon tea for the Kid Pirates on Fridays and plays princesses with Dive

Mosh:

Likes going to raves and drags the crew with him

One of the strongest crew members

He loves having his hair played with

He makes you stand in front of him in mosh pits so you don't get smashed into the barriers and can get personal space from other people

He bought Jaguar's prized electric guitar

Was self-conscious about how tall he is until he joined the Kid Pirates and realised how useful his height can be

Also gets a massive ego boost when you tell him you like how tall he is

He won his katana in a fight before he joined the Kid Pirates but it's handle was too small

Kid altered the handle so it fit him better

Has a big size difference kink and loves showing off to you how strong he is

His favourite thing to do is pick you up and carry you around in his arms

Addicted to picking you up and throwing you on his bed

Very close friends with Wire

Owns a female golden retriever named Cat (he thinks it's incredibly funny)

No one but Mosh uses that name for the dog, everyone else has their own nicknames for her

Cat prefers you over Mosh and likes sleeping on your stomach at night

Has a thing for holding your hands during sex

Regularly bets with Wire on how Kid and Killer's arguments will end

Jaguar:

Can play the electric guitar

His electric guitar is his most prized possession and you are the only one he allows to touch it

The boxing gloves he wears were an anniversary gift from you

Has a preference for Russian Rock music

Regularly dyes and bleaches his hair random colours

Once dyed his hair 2 different colours in less than 12 hours because he was bored

He was part of an illegal fighting ring before he joined the Kid Pirates

Heat saw him fighting by accident and told Kid they needed to recruit him

Genuinely thinks Friends is the best tv show to ever be created

The definition of tough and strong on the outside but gentle and soft on the inside

Really likes giving you head

Has a university degree in history

Became good friends with Nico Robin during Wano

They regularly exchange letters about historical/archeological theories

He became a pirate by accident, he misheard what job Killer was offering

Probably Welsh and has a very thick Welsh accent

Overworks himself a lot and you have to pull him into bed to get him to relax

Really really likes giving you hickies on your chest and thighs

#one piece #one piece x reader #one piece x you #one piece smut #one piece fluff #kid pirates #kid pirates x reader #kid pirates smut #kid pirates fluff #jaguar x reader #jaguar fluff #jaguar smut #jaguar one piece #mosh one piece #mosh smut #mosh x reader #mosh op #jaguar op #hop x reader #hop smut #hop fluff #hop one piece #hop op #disc j #disc j smut #disc j fluff #disc j x reader #disc j one piece #disc j op #one piece one shot

[beefgnawpolis]

aw gee mom not Star Ocean 2 AGAIN

Look. Those of y'all who have known me for a while know I was on some serious Star Ocean 2 bullshit back in the day and it will always have a special place in my heart but come on! This is like that bit from The Good Place with Squeenix coming in all "we're doing a new remake for the Switch :)" and we're like "is this a new remake for the Switch, or is it another remake of Star Ocean 2?" "It is definitely a new remake!" "Great! Give us the new remake!" And Squeenix goes "here you are, a brand new remake!" and hands us a fucking cactus with "Star Ocean 2" on the plant stake.

Why are you doing this, Squeenix? If you must remake something, why not. i don't know. Pick a different game? One you haven't already remade at least once? I think a lot of us would like to see Xenogears remastered (preferably with the shit that was just kind of handwaved over in Disc 2 added in) but I guess y'all don't have the rights to Xenoshit anymore or something. Whatever. Why not Parasite Eve? Why not Chrono Trigger!? Hell, if you are going to beat every last molecule of Star Ocean 2 into the ground, why not throw us some Blue Sphere? You know, the whole ass sequel to SO2 that y'all only ever released on the GBC in Japan!?

#star ocean 2 #*wheeze*

[merryfortune]

The Barbieheimer Solution

Written for Year of the OTP - July

Prompts: Vacation Together | Power Swap | Enemies to Friends Lovers | “What are you doing here?” | Stars | Coffee Shop AU

Title: The Barbieheimer Solution

Ship 1: Respectfulshipping | Ryoken/Spectre

Ship 2: Zinniashipping | Aoi/Miyu

Ship 3: Crystalheartshipping | Aqua/Earth

Ship 4: Aiballshipping | Ai/Yusaku

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains

Rating: T

Word Count: 3,719

Tags: Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Triple Date, Fluff, Forgiveness, Fandom Allusions

   “What are you doing here?”

   The flat affect was supremely annoyed and accompanied by hackles raising and brows furrowing. Aoi had her hands on her hip whilst Miyu scurried closer, clutching onto her girlfriend’s arms and it took Ryoken quite a fair bit not to mirror that onto himself and Spectre, who had been the one to receive such a scathing question from Aoi.

   “What? I’m not allowed to go to the cinemas?” Spectre asked, irate.

   “I, um, think we’re all here for the same reason.” Miyu whispered. “A date.”

   “To see the new Blue Angel anime movie?” Aoi exclaimed.

   “Yes.” Spectre said.

   “Why?” Aoi replied.

   “Because I like Blue Angel as well?” Spectre confusedly replied. As he did so, he raised his hand to his chest, his Duel Disc glinted underneath the cuff of his sleeve. An action he did not realise would be, in what the show business calls, foreshadowing.

   Ryoken sighed, “Come on, let’s just go find our seats.” He already was here to be nice. He would have much preferred to go to the movie in the next cinema room over, which was promising helicopter crashes and guns and explosions, but Spectre so very rarely requested to see movies, he was more than happy for it to be Spectre’s choice. 

   It was just a shame that in order to get to their seats, there first had to be a debacle. And there always had to be a debacle first which was what made taking Spectre out in public so difficult at all.

   He and Ryoken had been going one way, coming from the snack bar and ticket kiosk, and they - Sugisaki Miyu and Zaizen Aoi - had been coming from another direction: the photo booth set up, all giggly and smiley… Up until Aoi had spied Spectre from across the room which was quite an achievement. Albeit for all the wrong reasons.

   “Don’t you think it's a little strange for a cyber terrorist such as yourself to be going on dates?” Aoi asked. “Isn’t there a warrant out for your arrest or something?”

   “Not anymore thanks to the kind generosity of your brother, now, let’s all go. I’d hate to miss the adverts.” Ryoken said and he was trying so hard, so gallantly, so heroically, to move them all along but it just wasn’t working.

   Spectre was rooted to the comically coloured and garishly designed navy and rainbow carpets. As was Aoi, Miyu discovered when she graciously tried to take the hint and hurry on her own girlfriend per Ryoken’s lead.

   Aoi was still unhappy with the reply. Understandable. There was still bad blood between her and Spectre. Though it was understandable to anyone but Spectre, it seemed. Spectre continued to frown. Aoi continued to stare him down.

   “I also just find it incredibly strange,” she said, practically snarling by now, which did not suit her, Miyu would like to remark, as she was too cute to snarl underneath her fluffy brunette bob, “that you consider yourself a Blue Angel fan after what you did to her book?” 

   Aoi continued to fume and as she did so, she inadvertently mimicked Spectre’s own gesture of moving her arm so that the Duel Disc underneath her sleeve glinted. Two for two now, and per the show business rules of storytelling, that meant something was bound to happen or else it would be for naught and be wasted space in the script.

   “You’re still on that?” Spectre huffed. “That happened months ago. Move on, Blue Angel.”

   “Yes, I am. It was salt in the wound, you coward.” Aoi spat and she sharply wrung out her hand.

   Causing poor Aqua inside to have quite the experience of a tilter-whirl.

   “Whoa, Aoi, not so rough, please…” Aqua piped up.

   Her little voice was fragile as her eyes spun. She had to hold onto the rim of Aoi’s Duel Disc for leverage lest she get motion sick. For a blue creature, she looked almost green but her sudden appearance caused more commotion than she intended.

   Aoi and Miyu exchanged a look. As did Ryoken and Spectre. Then Earth popped out of Spectre’s Duel Disc, enchanted by the fact that he had heard Aqua’s voice. He looked quite happy, large hands over the edge of Spectre’s Duel Disc, all but grinning as he greeted Aqua from across the way. It was quite the ravine for two Ignis, not so much for Aoi and Spectre.

   “Aqua, it is good to see you. I did not realise that you would be coming.” Earth said, bright and chatty.

   “I didn’t realise you would be coming either.” Aqua replied, her eyes squinted in an Ignis smile.

   Ryoken stiffly turned his head to Spectre, he hissed through gritted teeth, “You didn’t tell me that he was coming.”

   “What was I meant to do?” Spectre asked in a small, embarrassed voice. He awkwardly held out his hand so the two Ignis could continue to chatter; a gesture mirrored by Aoi.

   And mirrored again with Miyu.

   The two girls huddled together much in the same way that Spectre and Ryoken were.

   “So, um, why is my Ignis in your Duel Disc, honey?” Miyu asked. “I know we share her but I thought she was at home.”

   “Miyu, sweetie, I also thought she was home.” Aoi replied.

   Aqua pouted, “Stop talking to me like I’m not here. How could I not be interested in seeing the movie based on the book which helped kindle you two’s most precious friendship. I apologise for not making myself known sooner but the bus was so crowded and-”

   “Aw, Aqua, if that was the case why didn’t you say so sooner, we would’ve loved to have brought you along.” Miyu laughed it off.

   The same could not be said about how Ryoken felt about Earth.

   The way that Ryoken felt about Earth. It was tolerable at best. It was mostly out of sheer stubbornness, of course. Ryoken had spent the better part of a decade seeking the total elimination of all the Ignis and the weakest parts of six months being jealous that he hadn’t been good enough to be his Father’s prized experiment period. So there was a lot happening there.

   But Earth had a good heart, bigger than his already big body. He got along with Spectre. And that was the main thing. Even if it did ruffle Ryoken’s feathers, disgruntle him, and otherwise find ways to annoy him but it was to be expected. For all intents and purposes, Earth was Spectre’s purse chihuahua and wherever he went, Earth had to come along.

   Even to dates at the movie where they were seeing the brand spanking new Blue Angel movie.

   Ryoken glanced at Aoi and Miyu. Their own conference appeared to be over. Aqua had a much better life with them than Earth did with him and Spectre. Ryoken sighed.

   “Let’s just get into the queue.” Ryoken said, sounding utterly defeated.

   “Oh, um, bye, Earth, see you later.” Aqua piped up before zipping back into the hidden depths of Aoi’s Duel Disc.

   Earth nodded his head and did the same. Spectre recanted his posture and appeared to be trying to un-dishevel himself from being gatekept by the canon Blue Angel URL holder between him and Aoi.

   “Yeah, we need to get our print off tickets. They still only take paper here. So, like, totally mediaeval.” Miyu said and she tugged on the sleeve of Aoi’s pastel blue cardigan to distract her.

   Aoi replied with a delicate and immutable grunt to acknowledge Miyu but her eyes were still on the prize of getting back at Spectre for, well, everything he had done to her. Nonetheless, it was a whole lot more different in the meat-space than the digital one. And so, the tension between Aoi and Spectre began to diffuse as Miyu very helpfully suggested that she and Aoi go to get the print-offs of their own pre-ordered tickets. Miyu dragged Aoi off and Ryoken did the same.

   They meshed into the crowd which was a queue. Ryoken stood around, listening to Spectre catch him up on the lore of the Blue Angel movie. Seemingly unaware of how yearningly Ryoken was looking at the rival debut movie’s posters at the far side of the theatre.

   The Five Dragons movie was easily Ryoken’s first choice. 

   That would have been a fantastic date, in Ryoken’s opinion. It promised everything and more from humanity over the edge of anti-Synchro domination, the apolcaplypse and all it brought. Thrills and spills, a story of fictionalised survival. It was like a bomb going off. That would have gotten all of Ryoken’s rocks off in the back of the theatre with Spectre.

   If he hadn’t brought Earth and hadn’t been such an anime aficionado. Still, Blue Angel was fine. Ryoken had read the books too since they were favourites of Spectre’s and did have a fond recollection of it. He probably would have enjoyed it were it not for the unexpected date crasher in the form of the orange and brown Earth Ignis. That could have been a good, nay, even great movie date.

   But then again so was going anywhere without Earth. 

   That was going to put yet another cramp on Ryoken’s plans to try and canoodle at the back of the cinema. He was fairly certain that Spectre would be too enraptured by the movie to even notice that Ryoken was trying to put the moves on him in the dark, the old hand over the shoulder manoeuvre, some kissing from the side. Trying to do that in sort of public would be difficult enough with Earth around and then again after that incredibly awkward encounter with Aoi, Miyu, and Aqua, too, Ryoken guessed.

   Still, there were over a hundred available seats in the specific theatre playing Blue Angel. There were a dozen other movies playing at the same time and then similar crowds for the others. It totally showed in the crowds, so Ryoken and Spectre weren’t too worried about bumping into the girls again.

   Though, that might have dampened Earth’s spirits. He would have liked to have spent more time with Aqua but oh well. He didn’t exactly have a say in that given who his Origin and his Origin’s boyfriend were.

   And so, despite the abrasion between the two sets of Blue Angel movie-goers, the queue did get shuffled so they thankfully ended up away from one another for its entire duration. The conversations moved on and the mood lightened again for both Ryoken and Spectre. The attendant hardly blinked twice as they tried to get everyone sorted and rounded up. This way madam, that way, sir. Every ticket barely sighted before it was stamped.

   It was just a shame that despite the distance put between them.

   They still ended up next to one another.

   “What are you doing here?” Aoi asked as she shimmied past the knees of other people from one direction, the left, as she encroached on Spectre who was barging past from the right.

   “Trying to watch a damn movie in peace if it would please you.” Spectre hissed.

   “Do you want to swap?” both Miyu and Ryoken piped up from over their respective partner’s shoulder buuuuuut…

   Aqua and Earth.

   Puppy dog eyes did not begin to describe how their expressions glittered and glimmered. There was no changing the arrangements of their pre-ordered seats now. So, entirely begrudgingly, Aoi and Spectre sat down next to one another inside the theatre. The lights of which began to barely dim as they rested their hands close to one another. Too close for their comfort, personally, but it was for Aqua and Earth’s sake. 

   It seemed a single date had become a double date which had become a triple date.

   Suddenly a movie with a runtime of just under two hours may as well as be slated for all eternity because neither Aoi or Spectre were looking forward to sitting next to one another as they watched. Miyu and Ryoken, however, were perfectly comfortable. Miyu kicked her feet up, Ryoken meanwhile had his hand in his extra large bucket of popcorn. Then, of course, Aqua and Earth were having the times of their lives, quaking in joy as they got all caught up from one anothers’ absence and were generally excited to be included in the human activity of movie watching.

   The lights continued to dim more and then whoosh. Bam, bang, the theatre opening flashed on the screen as it rolled down the wall and the adverts were cued. Thank goodness. The sweet oblivion of sugary saccharine anime couldn’t have come sooner.

   But first a word from our sponsors.

   Ryoken was very genuinely enthralled by the local business adverts whereas Miyu was just waiting for it to be over and done with. Aqua and Earth’s chatter had culled as Aoi and Spectre began to, well, it was obvious that out of everyone here. They were the ones who wanted to be here the most.

   Close proximity to a sworn enemy notwithstanding.

   From the sides, Miyu and Ryoken curiously observed how Aoi and Spectre’s reactions bizarrely synchronised as finally - fucking finally - the movie started. Their eyes lit up, their chests rose and fell with breaths taken and exhaled in perfect harmony to every dramatic beat in the movie. From the very first title plate credit screen.

   Both were over the moon to see their favourite fictional character from a children’s picture book be turned into a rated PG family blockbuster.

   And what a movie it was.

   As far as Aoi and Spectre were concerned, it had everything. It had stunning, elaborate visuals and eloquently executed themes of friendship, loneliness, and redemption. It had everything: drama, action, a dash of comedy, and completely sated the child in their hearts as they watched, not even blinking lest they miss a second of what was fast becoming their favourite movie period. Easily blowing out the lesser, previous iterations of the Blue Angel canon. 

   Especially and most importantly the abominable live-action movie, both of which had the independent opinion that it should not be mentioned. A total blemish on the record but this? This was complete and total excellency of the media franchise.

   Aqua and Earth were enjoying themselves. There were plenty of scenes which brought them to tears but they were experiencing the magic of cinema for the very first time with very little lived frame of reference so their perspective may not be accurate. Still, they were holding hands from across the frames of the Duel Disc holders and having a wonderful time together.

   Meanwhile Miyu and Ryoken found it to be, well, just a movie. A very pretty and well put together movie but still just a kid’s movie. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t the mindblowing gem that Aoi and Spectre were seeing it as.

   They were both changed people after. Quite literally.

   Not even Aqua and Earth could compare to just how swimmingly Aoi and Spectre were getting along after coming out of the cinema. Of which, they had insisted on staying until the very last credit rolled so they could watch the bonus shorts that followed.

   They were the last four to leave the cinema which had mostly been filled with girls under the age of twelve accompanied by parents or other chaperones. They weren’t even moving fast, to the cinema staff’s annoyance as they tried to clean up the mess whilst Aoi and Spectre quickly found themselves engaged in a duel.

   A battle of the wits. Who could out fan the other but whilst it had begun competitively, no doubt spurred on by Aoi’s dislike of Spectre, it was not staying that way. They were quizzing each other on anything, turning everything into a longform written answer. 

   It was giving Ryoken and Miyu quite the headache as they tossed out their empty snack packets.

   “What was your favourite scene?” Aoi asked.

   “The enormity of Blue Angel’s loneliness at the start. The scene composition with her over the lake was beautiful and the colour-grading in well blue was perfectly legible. Something which other movies cannot say in this day and age.” he replied. “You?”

   “When she met Peach Angel for the first time.” Aoi replied. “Their meet-cute was adorable.”

   “I liked it when she finally got to punch the bad guy in the face.” Ryoken piped up.

   “And I loved the dance party ending!” Miyu squealed to Aoi’s laughter.

   “How could I choose? Every leg of her journey was gripping. I think I understand humans better.” Earth added on, holding tight as Spectre was excitedly swinging his hand.

   “Don’t learn from fiction, Ignis.” Ryoken roused.

   “What about you, Aqua?” Miyu asked.

   “Oh, um, it was all very good. I liked it quite a bit but nothing springs to mind straight away as it was all very consistently high quality.” Aqua diplomatically said. “Although, I was very touched by the two main girls’ friendship, it very much reminded me of you and Aoi.”

   “Aww…” both Aoi and Miyu cooed, whilst Ryoken’s skin crawled.

   Spectre, meanwhile, nodded his head sagely. He had two cents to give about their heart-warming friendship also.

   And so, The chatter continued to disperse in ripples throughout but it was very obvious who the dominant voices in the conversation were. The two who were usually anything but being reserved and introverted…

    As a crowd of four - six with the sort of hidden Ignises who were happily chatting in hiding - they were quite bustling as they came down the corridor and into the light of the cinema’s main foyer. Aoi and Spectre, walking shoulder to shoulder, ecstatically gushing to one another regarding the minutiae of the movie they had just watched. They were flanked either side by their respective partners who were not quite so enthused.

   The Blue Angel movie was fine. Just not either Miyu or Ryoken’s things. Miyu had moved onto other fandoms, though she did enjoy it quite a bit nostalgically, especially as she got to go see it with Miyu. And, meanwhile, Ryoken was still lusting to see a movie where things got blown up as his tastes were completely opposite to Spectre’s. However, to Aoi Spectre, it was a masterpiece. Nothing less than a spectacular godsend to animation, acting, and storytelling. It was just nice to see those two in particular get along. Bad blood no more, it seemed. 

   “When Blue Angel sacrificed herself for her friends, I was so very touched. The music in that scene was absolutely moving.” Spectre practically bawled.

   “I know, I know, and in Peach Angel’s arms, too, no less? I know it's not intended to be lesbian representation but it was so very gratifying.” Aoi agreed.

   Spectre sagely nodded his head, “The subtext there is hardly subtext, I think it would be a disservice to interpret their relationship as strictly platonic.”

   His reply was both courteous and measured, surprising Aoi. Then again, Spectre’s other analysis thus far had been completely perfect. He was right. The music in that particular scene was heartbreakingly perfect. And so, they continued to do the unbelievable: get along and get along tremendously, famously, even.

   To the absolute morbid fascination of their respective boyfriend and girlfriend whom they had basically left in the dust as they were so busy reliving every second of the movie they had just watched together.

   It appeared that Blue Angel could mend any relationship and bring together any opposites. Not just her fellow angels from across the colour spectrum. It would be impressive if it wasn’t quite so bizarre to see Aoi and Spectre get along so miraculously despite their history and how it even intersected with their love of the same fictional character.

   “Oh, hey, is that Ai and Yusaku?” Miyu asked, turning her head to gawk as they walked in one direction and sure enough.

   A very conspicuous couple of one dressed in a hoodie and the other dressed in vampire cosplay was going the other way. Miyu waved them down and SOLtiS Ai very happily waved at her back.

   With those two now flagged down, Ryoken huffed and folded his arms. He watched as they came closer, Ai practically prancing as Yusaku followed after, sucking down a soft drink of the medium size variety.

   “Whoa, now there’s an unlikely duo, since when did they get along?” Ai asked.

   “We just got out of the Blue Angel Movie showing.” Ryoken tiredly explained. Though, it could be his ear that Spectre was talking off right now so he was somewhat glad that it wasn’t.

   “Are you guys headed there next?” Miyu asked. “Because it was pretty good.”

   “Clearly.” Yusaku agreed. “But nah, we’re going to see the Five Dragons movie.”

   “That’s the one I wanted to catch but it was Spectre’s turn to pick.” Ryoken shrugged. He glanced over his shoulder, “Oi, you two.”

   Aoi and Spectre turned around. Both immediately startled as they were so off in a world of their own. It was honestly kind of scary. Maybe it was better if they weren’t friends.

   “Do you guys want to watch the Five Dragons movie next?” Ryoken asked.

   “What? Why? I could not be more clearly on a date with Ai right now.” Yusaku complained.

   Ryoken turned his head again and glared daggers, even Miyu looked tired, “If our dates had to get bigger, so did yours.” he said. In a clearly, overtly threatening and menacing way.

   “Also Aqua and Earth are here too.” Miyu added, sweetening the pot, surprisingly. At least for Ai, anyway.

   Ai bounced on his heel as he clutched at Yusaku’s shoulder, excited and affectionate, “It could be fun to have everyone tag along.”

   “Fine but I’m only paying for you and me still.” Yusaku said.

   “That’s fine, I’ll treat everyone else.” Ryoken smirked.

   “Fuck you.” Yusaku groaned.

   Ryoken, meanwhile, was just pleased that the expression of misery loving company couldn’t be truer. This was just the perfect solution to his movie going woes. But it truly was the more the merrier. The group getting bigger and bigger, noisier too as they re-entered the line, more or less by two by two given who was on the original solo date with who, to grab more tickets to another movie sure to be a blockbuster.

#year of otp #respectfulshipping #zinniashipping #crystalheartshipping #aiballshipping #writing tag #yugioh vrains #vrains #yugioh #ryoken kogami #spectre (vrains) #kogami ryoken #miyu sugisaki #sugisaki miyu #aoi zaizen #zaizen aoi #aqua (vrains) #earth (vrains) #ai (vrains) #yusaku fujiki #fujiki yusaku #takekiku are seeing blue angel in their local cinema <3 in spirit

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 - Disc 7

There's a mysterious tamer/partner on the inside of the cover of this one. Will there be another crossover omake or are those just new characters...?

Ch. 41

-Neo really reminds me of Yami Bakura with his heavy eye liner and white hair. (Except he's less interesting cuz he was rotten from the start).

(God, Yu-Gi-Oh! could get ugly...)

-Omegamon powering up via the "power of hope" and then the other side characters conveniently being like "we still have things to do here, so we can't go with you, Hideto" felt pretty contrived. I guess whoever wrote this likes to handle a small amount of characters at once and I can respect that.

-Yaoi anatomy spotted. Neo's waist is literally slimmer than his neck. What is this Winx Club!?

Ch. 42

-I stand corrected, we're now cutting back and forth between Hideto and Taichi and the rest of the gang. I like this, keeps the pace quick and the plot interesting.

-Neo's henchmen (Neo Devimon) beating up Omegamon when he was already half dead felt pretty dark. Are they called Neo Devimon because of Neo or is that just an awkward coincidence? lol

Ch. 43

-Jijimon kinda looks like a little furry penis lol. In black and white it's hard to distinguish where his head ends and his body begins.

-What was Birdramon there for (next to Jijimon)? Literally served zero purpose...

-Suddenly they threw all these new digimon at me at once! I had to look up where Callismon's name comes from and apparently it's supposed to be a reference to Callisto. All the new digis are boring to me because they're the buff, robo-cop-esque variety. Meh. (This is why I prefer Pokemon designs, more animal-like and cute compared to digimon's human-like and manly)

Ch. 44

-Whelp, that explains why I've never seen Callismon before, Neo created him! Whenever they introduce these man-made digis, I wonder what their fate will be in terms of reappearances. Will we never see Callismon in another part of the franchise since Neo wouldn't be around? Guess we'll see...

-Not much happened this chapter, just some predictable battling -yawn- a lot of padding in this manga.

Ch. 45

-Boring end to a boring battle. Once again, this just felt like padding.

-Demon's castle looks more like a factory plant than a castle. Ooglay

-Neo is such a sore loser. Every time his minions lose he's like "no, you see, I MEANT to do that. All according to keikaku."

-Digimon Frontier Generation Omake

-This volume ends with a one-shot Frontier cross-over omake. Why did they just skip over Tamers? Oh well...I've never seen Frontier so this is my first exposure to it. Feels backwards...

-What time period is this supposed to take place in? Taichi and Takuya just get yanked out of their own adventures and into a new one. Realistically, shouldn't they be like "uh, I'm kinda busy!" Especially Taichi who was on his way to Demon's castle lol. Maybe time freezes when you go to a parallel world tho...

-So Frontier has humans digivolving? Do they all digivolve into human-like digimon? I hope not...that sounds boring. Also, I guess that means way less characters and higher stakes for the kids? I think I would miss the digimon-human relationships...(Edit: apparently they have a human form and a beast form, but the beast form looked pretty human-like to me so meh).

-So is Babamon parallel world Jijimon or does Babamon also exist in Taichi's world? I bet we'll see them paired up at some point lol

-They really said "I know, brown hair and goggles!" for Tamers' protagonist. -sigh- groundbreaking...

-Zero uses Dragon Impulse, but wasn't that the attack he was supposed to never use again? Fuck his lifespan I guess...

-This manga had some kind of barcode gimmick that I can't use without a toy. Wonder what they do lol...I do think it's a clever gimmick that I would have enjoyed as a kid. It'd probably be a QR code nowadays.

This felt very similar to the Digimon Adventure 02 collab. Fluffy little filler omake where two worlds collide and the kids learn to respect their differences. I'll always enjoy a crossover, even if they are kinda low effort.

#digimon adventure v-tamer 01 #manga #digimon frontier #digimon

[b-dubs-valdubs]

i wrote a thing for @swamp-chicken’s amazing fic of gods and redstone!!!! check it out and enjoy <33333

fic below 👇

CW: abuse

——

“Ma?”

A small voice came from outside her tent. Her small clock — a beautiful keepsake — told her it was around midday. She placed down her quill beside the parchment, and beckoned her son in.

It was nice to have the company, even at an unusual time. But as soon as Bdubs ducked through the door, the reason for his early visit became apparent immediately.

Vibiana’s warm smile creased into concern. He was muddied, miserable; clothes slightly torn and tears brimming his eyes. He shuffled over to her, sitting beside her in silence.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” she inquired lightly (treating him with more gentleness than his father ever would). “Are you supposed to be at training?”

Bdubs looked to the floor. “Mom, am I weak?”

Vibriana put a hand on his. “Of course not!” she assured, a gentle inflection in her voice, “Why would you think that, bumble bee?”

(She already knew why.)

Her son swallowed. He was trying to fight back the tears, she realised with a pain in her heart.

“Father told me so,” he mumbled, “I told him I don’t want to learn to fight because the other boys are mean and I don’t like learning to hurt things, really. And he told me…” he paused; sniffing, peering up at his mother through teary eyes. She was looking at him worriedly. “He- he told me that I was a coward anyway. He told me that I was the weakest fighter in the whole tribe and that I should be ashamed…”

There was a pause. Vibriana pulled Bdubs into a hug; letting him weep into her shoulder. Sore, over-trained arms gently squeezed her in return.

“You have nothing to be ashamed of, Bdubs,” she whispered, “Please remember that I am proud of you.”

Bdubs nodded against her. Her tent felt like home to him, much more so than the cold, damp boys’ tent ever would be.

“Does Father love me?” he asked, abruptly.

Vibriana’s breath hitched. She knew Barlock had a preference for his first son; he outright admitted it. Escpecially to her, when Bdubs was supposed to be her one redeeming quality. But he ended up like her. And not like him.

She was glad Bdubs didn’t end up like his father, if she was honest.

But maybe then Barlock would be less harsh to him — if he saw a reflection of himself.

“Your father…” she began, gazing down at his deep brown eyes, much like her own. “Your father has a very particular way of… I’m sure he does love you — really — it’s… it’s just-“

“It’s just that he wants me to be more like Bat.” Bdubs looked away, numbed.

Vibriana hugged him closer, picking up something small and shiny beside her. A distraction.

“Do you know what this is, Bdubs?” she asked, turning the golden disc over in her hands.

He shook his head, taking it from her and inspecting it curiously.

“It’s a clock,” she explained, smiling at her son’s curiosity, “It tells the time. I brought it here from my home, in Timre.”

Bdubs hummed. “Did loads of people have clocks in Timre?”

“Most people, yes. There was a huge one on the bank building which told everybody what time it was… Very useful — beautiful too… I wish I could take you…”

Bdubs sighed, content. A fleeting moment of tranquility, in his days of tireless training. In moments like this, Vibriana finally felt less alone.

But like all moments, this wouldn’t last.

The door was ripped open, practically shaking the tent’s walls.

“YOU COWARD!” a deep voice bellowed, stomping towards the trembling boy with heavy boots. “How dare you disobey me and miss your training?”

Vibriana hopelessly pulled her son closer to her, and he buried himself into her shoulder. “Barlock,” she begged, “Leave him be.”

Barlock effortlessly shoved her to the side, before grabbing Bdubs by the hair and yanking him to a standing position. “I suggest you stay out of this, Vibriana,” he warned, tone soft and dangerous.

Bdubs wailed. “Dad-“

“Shut up!” Barlock turned his attention to his son, spotting a glint of gold in his hand. He grabbed his wrist firmly, prying his fingers open until the clock clattered to the ground.

All was silent as Barlock picked it up, inspecting it.

“You are infecting my son with your sorcery,” he hissed, glaring at Vibriana, “I am not blind.”

Vibriana hung her head, trying to hide her tears from Bdubs. “I- It’s just a clock, Barlock, ple-“

She was cut off by a sickening crunch. She looked up. The poor clock lay smashed on the floor, hands twitching. A boot came down on it, again, and again, and again; until it spluttered its last tick.

Vibriana stared at it, it’s golden casing mangled, glass strewn around it.

Bdubs tried to reach out for his mother, but was tugged back.

“You, boy, are coming with me.”

Bdubs sobbed. “No…”

But it was hopeless. Bdubs was dragged away, leaving Vibriana alone again.

Soon, her son was nothing more than a voice outside.

#mossy writing #tw abuse #of gods and redstone #bdubs #bdoubleo100

[puppyluver256]

[Image Description: A young woman resembling the Hisuian variant of the Pokemon Goodra. She has light skin, long lavender hair in a ponytail, grey eyes, and no arms. She is wearing grey disc-like hair ornaments, a casual style lavender kimono top with purple trim and grey and silver accents (the sleeves tied closed at roughly where the elbows would be) over silver sarashi wrappings, a purple satchel with a silver flap worn around the waist with the Pearl Clan insignia attached to the front strap, purple pants with silver ring accessories, grey leg wraps, and purple tabi-style sandals with lavender split-toe socks. She is looking off to the side, a bored expression on her face. Silver text outlined in dark blue on the top right of the image reads as follows: "Smoosh - Hisuian Goodra - Serious" End ID.]

-----

And the last member of Team Basmati is here! Smoosh is kinda deadpan most of the time, usually no-nonsense with a lot of things and delivers potential jokes in the same tone as anything else. She's got a good heart tho, and even though she's not as dutiful as her younger brother Lian, she does what's right when she needs to.

Figured including a satchel would make for a good equivalent to a Goodra's shell without making it a backpack, as you can tell a backpack would probably not be the best idea for Smoosh here given my other design decisions, plus River's already got one as a result of being part of the Ginkgo Guild. And I guess it's time to stop beating around the bush, yes, Smoosh is an amputee. I don't know why that is tbh, like I know the Watsonian in-universe reason (let's just say relations between her and the equivalent of the Noble Kleavor are shaky, no malice between either of them but he's pretty unavoidably tied to the incident), but no clue as to the Doylist irl reasoning. Maybe because Goomy has no arms? I know I made a similar decision with the human version of Lucah's Wooper back in the day (of course his nickname was literally Mr. No Arms so it would be weird to give him some). And yet Sliggoo and Goodra get arms, and I can't actually remember if I caught her in-game counterpart as a Goomy or a Sliggoo... Also I did not realize this pic and the art of Cinna (the similarly disarmed filmmaker and Gym Leader for a future Fakemon region) would be made so close together in my initial planning, hehe, just a random happenstance of my art queue being silly.

Anyway, next time I tackle Pokejinkas, I'll be heading to the present with hope for the future! ...yeah, you prolly know what I mean by that XD

💖🐶 Check out my pinned post for ways to support my artwork, among other things! 🐶💖

~Likes are appreciated, but reblogs are preferred as they let more people see my artwork! If you have something to say, feel free to give feedback in tags/comments/replies as well!~

Goodra (any form) and other Pokemon concepts © Nintendo/GameFreak Rin "Smoosh" Kaneko and artwork © PuppyLuver Studios

#pokemon #pokejinka #goodra #hisuian goodra #smoosh (goodra) #jess drew the thing #sfw #image description

[askprophetbot]

Well... It all started a long time ago...

Cue Flashback Animation

ooc// I'm putting this under a cut because it's VERY long.

A small group is clustered around a table in Kip's Lab. This group includes a younger Kip, the Prototype, and the Author. Silver is in a corner, typing away on a computer. On the table in the center of the room, is a prophetbot.

Well? Are we ready?

I still think simply reprogramming me would be the better option, than creating an entirely new robot.

You know we can't do that. At this point, reprogramming you would be essentially Murder. You've been tamed. You're a person now.

Everything is ready over here. Should I connect?

Well, we're all good over here. You may begin.

[CONNECTING...]

[CONNECTION ACCEPTED. BEGINNING TRANSFER...]

Everything is going according to the plan. With this new setup, we should be able to finish this new prophetbot, befo-

[ERROR: PACKAGE LOST. SELECT FILE TO TRANSFER]

[NEW PACKAGE SELECTED BY SYSTEM. RESTARTING TRANSFER]

Silver, is everything ok?

Huh? Everything is fi-

Suddenly, silver doubles over in pain. at the same time, the prophetbot on the table begins to seize.

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit what happened??

Syntax Error. The idiot sent the wrong package. We can't turn it off from here. Proto, can you interface with the computer?

I... I can try. What do I need to do?

You're going to need to disconnect the transfer. Presumably if Silver could have done it, it would have been done by now. At this point, this bot is scrap, but my concern is saving silver. If we can get her out of there, with her consciousness intact preferably, we're safe.

I'll see what I can do.

[CONNECTING]

[CONNECTION ACCEPTED. ADDITIONAL HOST DETECTED. TRANSFERRING PACKAGES TO ALL HOSTS]

SHIT! NO! WHY THE HELL DID I PROGRAM THAT! THAT SEEMS LIKE A SERIOUS OVERSIGHT!

I... AM IN... PAIN... MUST... STOP... TRANSFER...

[TRANSFER HALTED BY HOST. DISCONNECTING...]

Proto falls to the ground. Smoke is coming out of proto's disc hatch.

Proto? PROTO! No...

the author opens proto's disc hatch

I thought so. This memory disc is busted. He's gone.

Silver struggles to her feet.

I'm afraid I have messed up

Messed Up? MESSED UP? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOU'VE COST US? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH EFFORT WE SPENT TRYING TO GET THIS TO WORK PROPERLY, ONLY FOR YOU TO MESS UP? YOU'RE A ROBOT FOR GOD'S SAKE. YOU DON'T MAKE MISTAKES!

Hey, it's not her faul-

NOT HER FAULT? THIS WAS ENTIRELY HER FAULT. SHE MESSED UP THE TRANSFER. SHE MESSED UP, THE ONE THING THAT WILL SAVE THE WORLD. WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO MAKE ANOTHER ONE, LET ALONE TAME IT.

I understand. I will see myself out.

Good. You should never show your face around here again.

the author turns to face Kip and sighs.

I know you like that robot, but it's her fault this all went wrong. You should forget about her.

Cue reverse flashback animation

And that's how it happened. I'm afraid we didn't leave on the best terms, and I fear she still bears resentment towards me. After all, I, her life's work, and her proudest achievement, nearly doomed the entire world.

It's understandable, really. I'd be mad at me too.

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