#unrelated I have to come up with more casual outfits for them

[inafallsaway]

Monkey marriage

#OK BUT LISTEN #I hc wukong having an awful signature #I just think it’s funny he just scribbles and puts a peach and calls it a day #he’s so silly I wanna squish him #lego monkie kid #lmk #sun wukong #six eared macaque #shadowpeach #gay monkeys #husbands now #my art #unrelated I have to come up with more casual outfits for them #rather than just #hoodies lol

[braimin]

Need you to write more on Sanji in heels after the time skip because you are SO RIGHT!! literally speaking what I’m thinking

I'm so glad you agree bestie ✨ I was honestly kinda worried that other people wouldn't agree so it's nice to see there are other Sanji in heels enthusiasts !

The girls from Momoiro designed his shoes and he left the island with like four pairs of them. Iva wanted him to be able to walk in style no matter what outfit he wants to wear. One of which is almost an exact copy of Iva's boots, just in black. Sanji hates that they're actually the most comfortable pair because that means he's matching Iva when he puts them on and he wears them often. Then of course, he has a pair of stilettos. He doesn't get to wear them often though, they aren't something he wears when they're out at sea because why wear them when no one else is gonna see them ? So he really only puts them on when they hit a port that very obviously has a lot going on (so he can show off and look pretty for the ladies).

The other two are brown and blue (because you need to be able to match your heels to any outfit, duh Sanji). The brown pair are dark leather and they're like those lace up pirate boots. The other ones are really dark blue pumps and they're his most casual pair. All of them are steel toed and have a reenforced heel because of all the jumping and stuff.

This had me thinking about his the outfits he's worn and sometimes he has like the worst sense of fashion. That boy is a disaster when he's not wearing a suit. That's why Iva made his shoes in the 'universal colors' so they'll go with what ever atrocity he comes up with. He still wears his usual flat shoes on the ship a lot because it's easier to be working the sails with them. But when Nami is confident there's gonna be good weather he'll wear them. He is banned from wearing them with shorts though. Zoro really like seeing likes seeing his legs; and Luffy would like to have his lunch on time but that's hard to do when Zoro keeps cornering Sanji in the galley's storage room.

(Also this is unrelated, but do y'all remember Sanji's belt chain ? I wish he would wear that more often, I really miss it.)

#sanji #one piece #zosan #Should i tag that ? #It's not really super relevant but just to be safe I think #Save me Sanji with a belt chain #Sanji with a belt chain save me

[puppygirldanhowell]

Hand. the. headcanons. over. NOWWWWW.

AAAAA AKSBWKBDEK🫡🫡🫡

pearl is the second person lapis has ever fallen in love with (the first being peridot), and the first person to ever have an even half healthy mutual relationship with (can go into more detail on the issues of her and peri w in the universe in my head but this isnt the ask for that JSBSJS)

lapis would be the first person that pearl falls in love with that is completely unrelated to rose (ie doesnt remind pearl of her)

i dont think they would ever fuse tbh unless it was some kind of dire emergency. lapis didnt have to worry abt that w peridot since peri was avidely against that for herself, but tried to make herself for pearl. it did not go over well

pearl absolutely infodumps to lapis all the time. pearls the talker lapis is the listener (not always ofc, but)

lapis would have sm fun w the ungodly amount of water that makes up pearls room

they cuddle and nap together sometimes<3 pearl doesnt as often as lapis, but will whenever lapis has an especially hard day and needs the closeness + escape

they absolutely lose track of time talking abt how much they love steven JSBSKS

they have plant children together absolutely. huge plant mom(s) energy

to be honest i do not see either of them as the jealous type, and i think theyd absolutely use eachother as therapist/free ears to talk about all the fucked shit theyve gone through

they get together after lapis comes back from the moon, i personally hc that she briefly lives at steven's house between the barn being destroyed and little homeworld being built

pearl LOVES to keep her hands on the small of lapis' back. or just wrap her hands around her at all (she loves all the exposed skin from lapis' outfit lmaoo)

pearl is sooo the gift giving type w how she can keep and treasure things in her gem, she totally gets lapis copies of camp pining hearts and they watch them together to bond<3 (i think this would be early in their relationship, when theyre still learning to be friends and pearl is trying to make up for the mirror thing)

lapis's love language is physical affection (smth that gets supressed pretty heavily from all the trauma), so when she's comfortable enough she is ALL OVER pearl sldbslnw

honestly i think they would be in a sort of semi open relationship. i think that would be good for both of them to have like. casual mates and such since they both (pearl especially, obviously) dedicate themselves so entirely to one person (this might be projection for lapis so correct me if im wrong there LMAO)

going off the last one i dont think theyd ever rlly call themselves like gfs or anything. theyre just in love<3

#HIIII I HOPE THIS SUFFICES ANS I LOVE YOU FOR LETTING ME TALK ABT THEM AKDBDLBWKE #anon #asks!!! #ash is mentally ill #steven universe #su posting #lapearl #pearlapis #lapis lazuli #pearl #pearl su #lapis #lapis su #lapis lazuli su #su

[unknownarmageddon]

(proximity) genuinely, i've been thinking about cross being a major nerd, right? like, he ditched all his interests when the world ended, but before it did, he was like, interested in and exploring whatever he could, and he had like, a bunch of niche and specific knowledge because of it, right?

well, i wanna think that, like the guitar thing, most of those skills and interests were just kinda sacrificed, though every now and then, something would come up and be unusually helpful, but for the most part, the old cross is just kinda. dead.

and killer is over here ressurecting his ass

that being said, and moving on to something that's entirely unrelated tbh, i was thinking about killer like, doing his thing, scavenging, snooping around and shit, and he comes across a fancy ass shop with rich people clothes and shit and he like

being the closet diva that he is, starts picking through the place with the idea of surprising cross with a nice afternoon of Pretending Things Are Okay, featuring Nice Clothes and he ends up spending so long in there that cross comes looking for him, worried that killer is stuck or under attack or something

and he walks in on killer holding some weird [slightly moldy and decayed] dressy outfits over himself in front of one of the changing room mirrors and he's like

"what are you doing."

killer EEPS and drops the funky clothes and spins around to be like "W- CROSS-- Haha, hi, what, uh. What are you doing here-," as if he weren't just holding, idk, a wedding dress or something

and cross is like.

(LOUD STARING)

and killer is progressively getting mildly embarrassed because i mean cmon, he was check-in out some clothes and then his boyfriend?? partner???? companion???????? just shows up outta nowhere, bro's embarrassed

"UH."

he just like, kicks the clothes he was holding away from himself and tries to casually be like "Don't worry about it." and cross just like, comes over and picks up the discarded clothes and examines it with mild interest.

"...Do you. Like this?"

and killer just kinda gets a bit more embarrassed and makes a bunch of noises, like the kind where someone asks you something and you try to say a bunch of shit at once and it just comes out sheepish sounding like "ehehhh yeaaaa im phfsphshshaha yanno" and you shrug, sort of, but you just scrunch up your shoulders and wave a hand around like that'll help you catch a good excuse to say

that's what killer does and it's totally incomprehensible and cross just snorts and tosses the clothes thing back to killer [i keep going back to it being a sun dress, like a really bright colorful thing, though not as colorful as it used to be, but color nonetheless] and he like, leans against the wall and is like

"You wanna try it on?" and killer just kinda makes another bunch of syllables because he doesn't know what else to do and cross is like, mildly amused and he's gotten more relaxed at this point, so he's doing some joshin', and he like, mildly eggs killer into trying the clothes on

anyways, me thinks that they'd totally break into some fancy clothes store and try shit on for fun and it's totally killer's idea, but cross eggs it on (sorta)

i'm getting more and more deviated away from the og perception of them, but listen man, i just like the idea of killer finding something colorful and getting attached to it or something

maybe he has like, a bunch of strips of fabric that he tore from all kinds of colorful clothes and it's all stored in his backpack so when any of his clothes rip or something, he just patches it up with the fabric

i wanna believe that he has some yellow duck patterned fabric patching up a hole on his backpack, and it's one of the first things that clued cross in to killer's very very self-indulgent behaviors

on like, the reread of this, i have realized how mildly unintelligible this is and i hope it makes sense cackles

OOHH OH I LOVE THAT Killer would he would obsessed with that

Killer would so find colorful stuff and get attached to it so true. Like he just has so much random junk (/lh) like that in his pockets

Going back to the Pretending Things Are Okay thing I’m like. Imagining them being in some big abandoned partially destroyed mall (which was where the fancy clothes store Killer found was at) and so after their whole little fashion show thing they start rummaging around mostly for usual resources but along the way they just end up messing around like you would at normal mall. Like they find some definitely barely edible food at what remains of the food court and Killer finds a small bit of a candle and they set up their own little version of some stereotypical date setting. Which they never acknowledge as that or a date because of course they wouldn’t. And they just kinda sit there on raggedy blankets eating off a mostly broken crate they found somewhere, gazing out a massive hole in the wall like it’s a starlit window while everything’s lit by the sickly flame of a barely holding on candle. But they still talk and make conversation and maybe even laugh a little even though it’s really not that different then their every other evening by fires hunkering under bits of destroyed building, but to them it’s different cause it’s like. They can escape for a bit.

and maybe the whole time Killer’s wearing that off color, tattered yellow sundress Cross walked in on him admiring, even though he eventually changes back into his normal clothes for the sake of practicality but damn did he hate to have to leave that dress behind. And maybe he tears off a bit of its fabric to shove in his pocket and take with him, as a little reminder of their time at the broken down mall or something.

ANYWAY that was an unintentional tangent lmao Everything you said is so true and so real I love it

#I didn’t answer this one privately on accident let’s go /silly #answering asks #chair asks #chair!! #apocalyptic kross au #both you and deni have so many good ideas for this AU I really wish I had more to contribute ftfhth #but so many of mine recently have to be like. Art for me to convey it well enough #though I am rereading my answer here and realizing I managed to pull that from somewhere and convey it decently. Still #Cross x killer #Also fairly unrelated but you said Killer’s backpack I think #Which he doesn’t have he just carries stuff in his pockets fhfhf #which makes me think Killer sneaks his pieces of fabric hoard into CROSS’S bag #so Cross is like looking for supplies and he just comes across these colorful bits of fabric Killer shoved in there

[nicnacsnonsense]

Things which do not necessarily indicate Stede was a bad father pre-canon:

Mary commenting that the kids are adjusting better than expected to him being gone — These kids have gone from living in a household with 2 miserable parents to one with 1.5 (granting a half point for Doug) happy and fulfilled parents. Something like that is going to have a hugely positive impact on them, even if they are missing their dad.

Alma angrily telling Stede she doesn’t want his moldy old food — A bit of a gimme, but obviously this could easily be a reflection of Alma feeling angry and betrayed by his one genuine bad dad move of leaving after previously having been a good dad.

Louis asking him who he is — Look, Louis is a little kid. If he did forget Stede, that doesn’t have to mean anything deeper than little kids forget things a lot. But it’s also possible he does remember Stede and he’s just confused because he doesn’t understand a lot of the way the world works yet. Picture little Louis sitting there at the table like the woman with the complicated math equations meme thinking to himself, Mom is my mom. Mom loves Doug so Doug is my dad. But I remember playing with this person and that he used to live in our house all the time too like a dad. But a person can only have one dad and Doug is my dad so… “Who are you again?”

Mary telling Stede to play with his kids — Yes Mary’s tone is annoyed here, but let’s be real; when your relationship with someone is as bad as Mary and Stede’s was, they don’t actually have to be doing anything wrong for you to be annoyed with them. From what we can hear of the kids, they seem to be having fun and entertaining each other just fine. There’s no clear and definite indicator that Stede is doing anything wrong by having been reading in that particular moment rather than playing with them.

Stede playing pirates with the kids when Mary said not to — Mary says playing pirates will give the kids nightmares, but we have no idea of how rational this belief of hers is. It’s possible she’s entirely right and playing pirates always causes nightmares. But it’s also possible the kids have nightmares sometimes for unrelated reasons and Mary has just come to the incorrect conclusion that it’s caused by playing pirates presumably because it’s a game she doesn’t particularly approve of regardless. We also don’t know how they actually started playing pirates; was it Stede’s suggestion or did the kids beg and plead and insist they didn’t care if they got nightmares until Stede agreed?

Stede never read bedtime stories to his kids/played any games with them other than pirates/tucked them into bed and gave them gentle forehead kisses goodnight/any other random thing someone wants to assert Stede didn’t do — Jesus. We never see Stede going to the bathroom either, are we assuming that means he doesn’t poop? I’m am begging everyone to stop casually asserting that Stede never did x with his kids without any evidence to back up why they think he didn’t do whatever it is.

Things which indicate Stede was a good father, actually (again, aside from the whole leaving thing; bad move there, Stede):

The way he treats the crew, especially in the first episode — He reads them bedtime stories! The whole flag making scene was basically kindergarten arts and crafts! Stede treats his crew the way you would expect a good father to treat his kids. Obviously this doesn’t prove that he actually treated his own kids that way, but that seems a way more intuitive assumption than thinking this is all new behavior from Stede. Especially given that reusing pre-existing scripts and patterns of behavior even when they don’t particularly fit in the new situation is something Stede is known to do.

The way the ship was outfitted — Stede originally designed the Revenge under the assumption his family would be there with them. And the inclusion of things like the children’s stories, the rec room, and the jam room show that he was actively considering how to make shipboard life fun and engaging for his young children.

Ed building a pillowfort — Admittedly this one is tenuous, but I swear I’ve connected the dots! From what we see of Ed’s childhood it seems doubtful he had any experience with building pillowforts. One thing that might explain it would be if Ed learned from Stede who in turn got his practice from playing with his kids.

Stede playing with his kids — Honestly I could write thousands of words (tens of thousands maybe even) on this scene alone, but I’m trying to keep this brief (well, briefer) so let’s just hit the highlights. Stede is reading at the dining table, the same room everyone else is hanging out in. Upon (presumably) hearing Stede agree to Mary’s request that he play with the kids, Alma and Louis try to sneak up on their seemingly oblivious dad — in particular note how comfortable and confident of her welcome in Stede’s space Alma is and the look of anticipatory excitement on Louis’s face — only for Stede to suddenly lunge out to try to “get” them, which at some point evolves into a game of pirates. We see that the kids love playing with their dad, something that happens frequently enough that an announcement that he is going to is not treated as something particularly noteworthy and he is instead pulled into their game in an apparently natural and practiced way. Furthermore, by reading at the table instead of whatever study/library he must have, Stede is making himself present and available for his children even when not actively engaging with them, something he is in part able to do because he does engage with them often enough that they don’t feel the need to demand/beg for his attention whenever he is physically present.

Alma giving Stede the petrified orange half — The orange is a metaphor for Stede’s heart, so leaving half of it with Alma and Louis while taking the other half back to sea when he leaves is a metaphor for him still loving and having a connection to his kids even after he leaves. But most importantly Alma is the one who did this; she came up with the idea on her own, then of her own volition went and found the orange wherever Stede last had it and broke it in half to offer to him. Despite her anger at him leaving the first time and her understanding why him leaving this time is for the best, she is still proactively reaching out to tell him she wants to maintain that connection with him.

#ofmd #stede bonnet #alma bonnet #louis bonnet #oh I have so many long metas to work on so let’s just knock this one out real quick I said #we’ll do it as a bulleted list so it’ll be short I said #two days later…

[skypied]

sorry this is from a few days ago but i still wanna do the ask meme ;3

🤡✨🧠🎢

(I love the perpetual 3-5 business days ADHD delay on both our sides<3) read moreing bc I refuse to shut up<3

🤡 What’s a line, scene, or exchange you’ve written that made you laugh?

A lot! A lot of the time writing is providing entertainment for myself, and I often make myself laugh tbh! But I have no clue if anyone else finds it funny, mostly bc what feedback I get on things being funny often differ from what I laugh at 🥴 the one I can point to (and will again later in this post) is the goat-wrestling scene in always be this close. I also think all the banter in Morning Routines is funny. There's a shit ton of fun stuff in my wips, but I'm coming back to those.

(unrelated, I just discovered I've on two different occasions, months apart, written the exact same line of dialogue, which is Alberto saying "stop complaining and put your dick in my mouth". The more you know)

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

ouhhhhh uhhhhhh I think I'd say dialogue is one of my strong suits... I think? It's what drives most of my writing, and, while I feel like I'm always making the boys more and more OOC with every iteration, I guess that's one of the things that makes people find my fics in character. Maybe??? I dunno??? (honestly this is the worst kind of question bc for all I know I'm WAY off base). When I first am able to suppress my shame, I think the porn I write is fun and hot (but, y'know, it's 100% self-indulgent and to my tastes since it's a drop in the ocean from my personal spank bank, so again, nervous to state it for a fact)

🧠 Pick a character, and I’ll tell you my favorite headcanon for them.

given how I've rotated these blorbos so relentlessly in an endless drier for 14 months, there are sooooo many, and very few that are fixed in stone tbh. I more go through phases with headcanons, tbh! and I'm getting sleepy, maybe I'll come back and do a separate post if I remember anything special 😴

I can share that one of my current headcanon obsessions is Alberto in a skin tight short tennis dress though. I have this one in mind, bc that was the one that inspired it when a friend of a friend borrowed it to wear and he's a short'n'stout king who's dummy thicc and looked absolutely incredible wearing it. Hopefully I might draw and at some point post ... maybe in a sketch dump along with the two-three other pieces that are just "Alberto on his knees, thighs spread, soft lil tummy out, in cute outfits" hehe

🎢 Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

I think always be this close with the Alberto almost getting himself severely damaged in a goat-wrestling match is the wildest. The rest of my fics are either just shameless porn or shameless fluff or writing-for-writing-practice's sake - I rarely write any plots or scenes that get wild. Honestly babe my wildest rides are still wips 😭 and I can't decide on just one so this is almost a ranking

#1 is probably the "discovering Luca's dick glows under the blacklight when they're getting nasty in a club bathroom" which also includes Alberto joking about Luca being into scat (or maybe it's on the cutting room floor) and jokes about dolphins being depraved creatures and Luca's dick trying to fuck Alberto's ear and Luca having a laughing fit over Alberto looking like he's playing a flute while sucking his dick and Luca delighted to discover Alberto likes having his mouth stuffed with his tail. this fic is honestly like 80% done and has been for almost a year, I'm just eternally struggling but I did my once-every-four-month casual perusing and re-discovered that it's a lot of fun and I wanna finish it

the also-80%-done "Luca tries casting himself in a porn" fic. It got away from me and now includes smut and is, oops, 12k. It's not as overtly wild, but I think it's funny, I think it'll be finished soon-ish, and I hope y'all will find it funny, too. If nothing else, laugh at me pls<3

the one doc just titled "train wrecks" which is 3am, Luca in the club spotting Alberto and going

Luca pretends he's so blackout drunk he's forgotten where he lives so Alberto will take him home, and the rest honestly is just the dumbest banter. Highlights include likening Alberto's dick to a Christmas present, joking about Luca time travelling to groom Alberto to give him even more daddy issues, Alberto calling Luca a bird furry for leaving old food bits in his mouth during makeouts, and a lot more that'd take too much context to explain. but besides being a lot of dumb funny shit what I like about it is exploring the kind of surprising honesty and delightful rudeness you get with complete strangers. I think my fav moment is them small talking to get to know each other more, Luca talks some about his mom being overbearing and a pain in the ass, then when Alberto talks about his parental situation Luca just goes "fuck you, you can’t let me complain about all that stupid shit and then tell me that" and, after Alberto tells details about his dad and Luca offers sympathies, Alberto in return goes "no, fuck you, that sympathy is for your own bad conscience, not me". This one is a lot less finished, due to being mostly dialogue, and needing three sex scenes (and counting maybe???) written out lmao

sandbox is pretty much eternally on hold, but some out of context highlights include:

Alberto's literal "anyways, here's Wonderwall" moment

everyone calling Luca a slut

Giulia calling Alberto "young dumb and full of cum

Luca repeatedly having to tell Alberto off for quoting memes in bed

Alberto's graphic Shrek t-shirt collection

Luca skipping class to suck a guy off during a matiné showing of a war drama

Lorenzo giving Daniela chlamydia when they were young

Luca accusing his parents of being in a swingers arrangement with Giulia's parents

Alberto: recites Luca's Starbucks order - Luca:

(that's not a joke btw it's literal actual canon)

okay I'm done will sleep now ty for letting me ramble @ u ! 🥰

#skypieposts #skypiechats

[vixenpen]

Dabi smut with a teacher. Like in some quirkless au or something (He’s scarless but hella pierced and tatted), he had to pick up kid!Shoto one day and he sees his hot black teacher (Sis got thickness and curves for days, even in simple clothes) So he consistently picks up Shoto (even when he doesn’t have to) just to hit on her and when he finally scores a date with her, he’s at his limit after seeing her in casual wear and how amazing her personality is.

I LOVED this request. I had so much fun writing it and the details were amazing! I hope you enjoy

Hot For Teacher (Dabi x Black Reader) Quirkless AU

“Ah, come on kid,” Dabi sighed, expelling a stream of smoke as he waited at the curb for his baby brother to get out of school.

He rolled down the window to air out the car and watched the stream of middle schoolers burst through the double doors and head to their respective busses or cars.

“Shooo,” Dabi groaned, “where are you? I got shit to do, kid.”

He enjoyed hanging out with his youngest sibling, and he had no problem picking the kid up, but he also had a business to help run. If he didn’t get back to the shop in an hour and a half like he’d promised Hawks, he’d get an earful about responsibility and time management and blah, blah, blah.

He leaned back in the driver seat, deciding to give Shoto another fifteen minutes before he texted the kid.

Just then another wave of kids exited the building, Dabi’s bright blue eyes scanned them before landing on the finest woman he’d ever seen in his life.

Her cream colored silk blouse popped beautifully against her rich brown skin and a pair of slacks hugged her wide hips. Her makeup made her dark eyes sparkle and red lipstick painted her pouty mouth.

Dabi sat up, turquoise eyes running up and down that beautiful body of hers as the sexy teacher strutted past to talk to parents and wave good bye to students. When she turned around, his eyes slid down to the fattest ass he’d ever seen and he licked his lips.

Damn it must be hard as hell for her students to concentrate in class.

She turned again and began walking back towards the school. Fuck! If he didn’t stop gawking he would miss his chance. He couldn’t let that happen.

Holding his cigarette between his lips, Dabi quickly stepped out of the car and took leggy strides to catch up with the teacher.

“Excuse me.”

She turned around, her big dark eyes landing on him. Immediately Dabi knew she was sizing him up and wasn’t impressed. She gave that same disapproving teacher look Fuyumi gave whenever she was put off by someone.

Regardless, he flashed her his most charming smile. He may not be a goody two shoes like these other khaki wearing dads out here, but he knew he looked damn better than any of them.

“Sorry to bother you ma’am. I was just hoping you could help me out.”

“Sure,” she smiled back, showing off a pair of pretty white teeth. “Let’s start with that cigarette. It’s against our school policy to be smoking on the premises so if you could.” She cocked a brow expectantly.

Dabi cocked his own pierced brow back in response, but quickly stubbed out his cigarette on a nearby janitor’s cart and threw it away in the accompanying trash can.

Her smile widened. “Great. Now, how can I help you?”

Dabi chuckled. “Well, ya see, I just got this new phone and cleared out all my old contacts. Ya know, new year, new me and all that,” he shrugged, “anyway, my contacts are pretty empty now. So, I was wondering if I could get yours.”

She let out a little snort of amusement.

“That’s your pick up line? How many Girls have had the misfortune of hearing that one?”

“You’d be the first,” Dabi smirked back. “Figured the usual ‘hey beautiful, what’s your name’ line wouldn’t exactly help me stand out.”

“Trust me, you don’t need help standing out.” She replied, eying him again.

“Then that means I’m ahead of the game, right?” He held out a hand, “I’m Dabi.”

Tentatively, the teacher shook it. “Ms. Y/n.”

“Ms. Y/n, huh...” Dabi repeated slowly, his eyes ran over you with a barely masked longing. “Not ‘Mrs’?”

“Not yet.” You replied.

“How soon are you looking to change that?” Dabi asked, his smirk growing a bit smaller and more intimate.

“Who said I was looking to change it at all?”

“Certainly not me,” he replied, “that’s why I asked. I would love to talk more about how much you don’t want to change it over dinner sometime though.”

You fended off a smile. You were not about to give this over confident asshole any encouragement.

“Sorry, but I make it a point not to date my student’s parents.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m not a parent then.”

“Oh? So you just like to stroll on the campuses of random middle schools and hit on the teachers for fun?”

Dabi chuckled again.

“I’m here to pick up my little brother. Ah, hell, speaking of which, I actually could use your help with that. Kid hasn’t come out yet and I’ve already been here over half an hour.”

Your pretty face immediately crumpled with worry.

“What’s your brother’s name?”

“Todoroki Shoto.”

“Oh!” You looked surprised. “Shoto. I think I saw him headed towards the baseball field. I think the team has practice today.”

“Dammit! Really? Well, I better go say hi to the kid anyway. You mind, uh, leading the way?”

“Sure.” You shrugged.

Turning, you took the lead and guided Dabi towards the baseball diamond behind the school. You could feel the man’s eyes on your ass the whole way, and couldn’t help but put an extra switch in your hips as you did. Much to his appreciation.

You had to admit the man was fine as hell. The black undercut with lines cut in the side, his multiple piercings and even the colorful tattoos you saw peeking from under his fitted black tshirt were hot as hell. However, you had long since given up on bad boy types. You preferred nerds. Still a little light flirting wouldn’t hurt anything, right?

“There he is.” Dabi stated once the two of you verged on the field. He held up his hands to his mouth and called out: “Yo, Sho!”

The boy looked up, heterochromatic eyes widening in surprise.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had practice today you little half and half?”

“Why don’t you ever check mom’s texts?” Shoto shouted back. “She told you to come later.”

You snickered as Dabi pulled out his phone and checked his text messages.

“Huh. Well I’ll be damned.” He muttered to himself. “Alright, kiddo, I’ll be back in an hour!”

“Can you stop shouting and leave now?! I have to concentrate.”

Dabi laughed before turning back to you.

“Anyway, thanks a lot for your help Ms. Y/n.”

“Just doing my job.”

“Still, I would love to thank you properly. Maybe over coffee.” He said, sounding hopeful.

“Before it was dinner.” You quipped, playfully.

“I know. I‘m just planning for future dates.”

You giggled, shaking your head. “It was nice meeting you, Dabi.” With that you turned and strutted off.

“I hope you know I’m gonna keep trying until I get a yes or no.” He called after you.

As you entered the school’s back entrance you could hear Shoto shouting: “Can you please stop hitting on my teachers? I have to see them everyday!”

Unfortunately for Shoto, his plea seemed to go in one overly pierced ear and out the other because almost everyday since then, Dabi made it a point to stop and talk to you when he came to pick up Shoto.

“Hey there, Ms. Y/n. My contacts are filling up fast. You sure you don’t wanna reserve a spot?”

“Sorry Dabi, but my no dating policy extends to immediate family members as well.”

“I hated to cancel our reservations, but you’re left me no choice, Ms. Y/n.”

“Nobody told you to make reservations, Dabi.”

“Dinner was lonely the other day. If only I had a beautiful black queen to keep me company.”

“I’m sure There are plenty of black queens out there that would have loved to accompanying you to dinner.”

“Yeah, but they wouldn’t have been you.”

Dabi was unrelenting. Always complimenting how amazing your outfits looked on your skin tone, how flattering your make up was, or if you wore a new hairstyle or new jewelry.

You couldn’t lie. The attention was both flattering and refreshing. Since becoming a teacher, you usually only got hit on by studious academic types. Attractive yes, but straight laced and all the same with their game

Unfortunately a disturbing amount of married dads also tried their luck with you.

But Dabi was different.

He may have been a far cry from your usual type, but he was always perfectly respectful and even funny. Not to mention he was much closer to your own age than other men that came on to you.

He must have started bribing Shoto for help or asking him about your interests too. Because sometimes when he would see you, he’d have a new book to give you or your favorite iced tea from a cafe you always frequented. Which, admittedly, was pretty damn cute.

The tatted up alt boy was actually growing on you. So one day, when both of you least expected it, you finally agreed to give him your number and go on a date.

That was the first time you ever saw him straight up smile. Not smirk or grin. He actually beamed. Just like a little boy who’d been told he could have a puppy.

Ok, ok. You admit it—he was cute.

Hopefully, that charm would extend over to dinner.

When the big date came, Dabi cleaned himself up. Opting out of his usual dark attire for a deep blue fitted Ralph Lauren polo and skinny khakis. He even took out some of his piercings in an attempt to look more presentable. He thought he cleaned up pretty nice if he did say so himself, but it was nothing compared to what you strutted in wearing.

Dabi had gotten used to your stylish but conservative work attire. He was so used to your hot teacher look, that he forgot you probably had some regular clothes in that amazing wardrobe of yours.

And damn did you pick out the most show stopping dress you had. You wore a wine colored dress that cut low in the front showing off those juicy tits of yours and stopped above the knee. The heels you wore made your thighs look even yummier and your ass was jiggling out of control with every step.

Down boy. Down boy. Down boy.

He scolded himself.

“Well, don’t you clean up nicely, Dabi?” You teased.

“I’m Touya tonight, beautiful.” He struck a pose like a GQ model. You laughed. “Dabi was that guy that kept hitting on you, Touya’s the guy that’s gonna try not to screw it up.

“Oh,” you ran a manicured finger along his solid chest, “well, I agreed to a date with Dabi, but I guess Touya could be fun too.”

Dabi licked his lip, and your eyes fell on his tongue piercing, hungrily.

“Depending on how well the night goes, you might see Dabi come out later tonight.” He replied, suggestively.

You rolled your eyes, but could feel your cheeks (and your pussy) warming.

“Boy! Come on.”

Dabi as Touya opened the door to the restaurant and ushered you inside.

The restaurant he took you to was definitely a high end place; complete with soft candle light, a jazz quartet, and a maître d’.

The chemistry the two of you had definitely translated over dinner.

Dabi was just as funny as he always was and he was genuinely interested in getting to know everything about you. He hung on to your every word about the funny things your students did in class. He enjoyed hearing your college stories. He even knew some of the books you enjoyed reading and could talk literature easily.

You discovered that he was the co-owner of a tattoo and piercing shop. He was the oldest of his siblings. And he enjoyed traveling and learning new things.

Dabi enjoyed vibing with you. He loved that your personality and sense of humor was just as amazing and substantial as that body he wanted a piece of so bad.

Dinner rolled into drinks and lasted well into the night. By the time the two of you were done it was damn near four A.M.

From that night on, you and Dabi became practically inseparable. He picked you up from school right along with Shoto for dinner after work, swung by with coffee, bought you any and everything you wanted (he does come from money after all) and after a year of dating, you became more than just a ‘Ms.’

Pt.2

#dabi x black!reader #dabi x reader #flirting #first dates #bnha fluff #my hero academia #bnha imagines #bnha #bnha scenarios #my hero fanfic #bnha headcanons #dabi scenarios #touya todoroki #mha headcanons #black writers #curvy reader

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Long Live the Queen

“A special spell”, as @panacea-wishes would say, but this time for the Sorceress herself!

***Warning: Mild chapter 5 spoilers!***

Imagine this...

Any affair hosted by Pomefiore was sure to be an opulent one—but today, the dormitory was decked out even moreso than usual. Decorations dripping with gold, tablecloths of shimmering silk, gourmet catering, a private orchestra, and immaculate outfits for each attendee... No expense was spared for the special occasion.

You were but one face in that shining sea, dressed in your finest garb—the only outsider invited to join the festivities. To your left and to your right, strangers in long robes and ties drifted about. They moved so fluidly, cutting across the polished floor like swans upon a lake of glass.

You shifted your feet uncomfortably, feeling a bit out of place in such a glamorous space. You took an anxious sip from your flute of sparkling apple juice. Bubbles danced up and tickled your nose as the beverage went down.

“Did you hear?” a nearby mob student said—not to you, but to a few of his friends. “Schoenheit-sama will be interning with Potions & Lotions, that famous skincare company from the Land of Pyroxene.”

“I heard, I heard! He’s going to be working with their prestigious Research and Development deparment, isn’t he? His proficiency in magical pharmecuticals will serve him well there.”

“Amazing, as expected of Schoenheit-sama! He makes me proud to be a student of Pomefiore!”

You took another swig of your apple juice, trying to avoid eavesdropping. But your curiousity got the better of you, and the mob students’ words floated over yet again.

“What of Hunt-senpai?”

“I heard he will be interning at a detective agency in Pyroxene’s capitol! He was scouted by the police chief himself for his eye for detail.”

“Wow... I hope we’re able to get fancy internship offers like that when our fourth year arrives.”

That’s right. People are moving on. Growing up. Advancing in the world.

Good for them.

You took a third sip—this time, the juice was somewhat bittersweet. Your eyes flitted about, seeking a familiar face, not gossip, to latch onto. Luckily for you, you did not have to search for very long.

“Your attention, please.” A clear, commanding voice announced—and at once, the orchestra silenced. All heads, including yours, turned to the peacock throne at the head of the room.

There stood Vil, in all of his beauty. Today, he wore a form-fitting suit, woven in the colors of green, blue, and violet—the colors of a peacock. His golden hair was up, held in place by a jeweled pin with feathers that jutted out. Vil’s eye makeup mimicked the colors of his suit, cool hues flaring out and making him seem even more bold and imposing than before.

He nodded in satisfaction at those in attendance. “Thank you for being here for the ascension ceremony this evening. As you all know, I will soon be departing to complete an internship—as will your vice-dorm leader, Rook. Therefore, the time has come to crown a new queen for Pomefiore. He will be responsible for selecting a new vice-dorm leader... as well as leading you potatoes to greater heights.”

A mob student before you started to clap. Then a few others joined in.

You wondered if you should set down your class and join in the applause, but Vil was quick to bring a hand up. The beginnings of clapping ceased.

“Hold your applause for your new dorm leader,” he insisted. Vil raised his voice. “Epel Felmier.”

“Yes.”

You swallowed hard at the mention of his name, at the swell of his soft voice.

He stepped up from the crowd, which parted to make way for him. Epel had grown several centimeters in the past few years, now only a bit shorter than Vil. He maintained the delicate beauty he had held in his time as a first year, those wispy lavender locks, long lashes, and full lips. But his eyes—they had sharpened into sapphires circled with makeup moonlight, and he walked with a newfound confidence.

Pomefiore’s dorm leader uniform fitted his new form well. Flowing cloth cascaded over his long arms and legs, and formed a train of fabric wherever he walked. Click, click, went his boots, the cords that bound his waist falling in time with his steps.

All that he was missing was the coveted crown.

“Vil-senpai.” Epel stopped before his dorm leader—soon to be ex-dorm leader—and knelt.

“I am entrusting you with the safety and the security of Pomefiore’s students—and the dorm’s future,” Vil declared, chin raised. “Are you prepared to take on the responsibilites of a dorm leader?”

“I am,” Epel replied with quiet conviction. “I swear...!! I will lead Pomefiore to greatness, just as you and Rook-senpai have before me.”

“Hmph. Don’t let me down, then.” Vil smirked before turning and calling out, “the crown.”

Rook, in a violet suit and crimson bowtie, approached with a plush cushion—and upon it, an intricate crown. The same crown Vil had once worn himself, wrought of gold. A sword piercing a heart as the centerpiece.

The huntsman kneeled, bowing his head and holding out the cushion to his queen. He didn’t need to look to know that Vil had nodded to him before plucking the accessory up.

“With this crown, I pass the torch to you. With this crown, you are Queen undisputed.” Vil recited, raising the glittering diadem over Epel’s head. He brought it down upon the boy’s hair. Gold dug into lilac locks, finding a new home nestled on his head. “You may now rise.”

Epel slowly stood—his back to the crowd, to you. He lifted his head and looked Vil right in the eyes.

Sapphire and amethyst colliding.

“May you carry on the unrelenting efforts of the Beautiful Queen in my place.” Vil took his junior by the shoulders and spun him around. “Pomefiore—your new dorm leader, Epel Felmier.”

The crowd erupted into applause and whistles, cheers and elated well wishes. You, too, were swept up in the frenzy. What little remained of your sparkling apple juice had been set aside in favor of clapping.

Clapping, clapping—one palm hitting the other in rapid succession. Hard, loud. Until your hands were red and swollen and raw.

Raising a dainty hand, Epel waved back.

“... Hey.”

You jumped at the familiar voice that greeted you as you picked up a new flute of apple juice. You dared to look—and there was Epel, in his full, regal dorm leader regalia. Crown and all.

“O-Oh... Hey!!” you stammered, trying to play off your nerves (and failing). “Nice party, huh? Thanks for inviting me as your plus one... I don’t think I’d ever be invited to a shindig as fancy as this one if it weren’t for you.”

Epel offered a gentle smile. “I wanted you to be here. I should be the one thanking you for coming.”

“Of course I’d come. I wouldn’t want to miss your big coronation,” you reached out to give him a playful shove on the arm—but paused midway and let your arm fall. It wouldn’t be appropriate to act so casual with a dorm leader, you scolded yourself.

“You’re all grown up now, Epel,” you whispered, clutching a hand to your chest. “Congratulations, Mr. Pomefiore dorm leader.”

“Ah, well...” Epel rested a hand on the back of his neck. “It’s a new title, but... I like to think that I’m still ‘just Epel’, the Pomefiore student. I’ll always be that farm boy that tried to pick a fight with Vil-senpai—Great Seven knows how many times.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’ve come a long way since your first year. Especially during VDC—you shone really brightly on that stage.”

“That’s true, but I’ve still got a long way to go. Vil-senpai helped me to realize that.” Epel glanced to the surrounding Pomefiore students. Eating, chatting, laughing. “I just hope I can live up to the legacy he left behind. It’s some pretty big shoes to fill in.”

“You’ll do just fine. You always do,” you reassured him with a pat on the shoulder—before quickly jerking your hand back.

Too familiar, too causal.

Epel raised an eyebrow. “Is... Is something the matter? You’ve been a little jittery all evening.”

“I...” Your voice trailed off as soon as you gazed into his curious blue eyes. Like the ocean, welling up with sincerity. You couldn’t lie to him—you just couldn’t. “I’m just worried that we’ll grow apart now that you’re a dorm leader.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Because!” You gestured vaguely to the celebration. “A dorm leader has more important things to do than hanging out with people like me. You have students to lead, events to plan. I... I think I’d only get in the way of your progress.”

“... Don’t say that,” Epel pleaded, suddenly grasping your hands. “Please, please don’t say that.”

You stared at the contact—where his hands met yours. “I... I don’t understand...”

“I couldn’t have made it this far without your support, either. You picked me up when I was down, and you cheered me on when I was at my lowest and about to quit.” Epel’s delicate featured hardened—from glass to diamond. “So don’t ever say those awful things about yourself.”

“But... You’ve made it so far, and I’m still—“

“A farmer never forgets his roots,” Epel said mysteriously, a finger taped to his lips, “and it’s not just me. We all flower one day. You may just be a late bloomer—but when you finally do bloom... I bet you’ll be the prettiest apple blossom in the whole orchard.”

Your cheeks flamed. He laughed, giving your hand a squeeze, and pulling you close to him. You fell against his chest—sturdy and secure and warm—and glanced up at him in shock.

“What are you...”

“Dance with me,” Epel suggested with a light-hearted smile, “and I’ll show you that you’re worthy of this queen.”

The orchestra had started up again, the strings to a new song flowing like water. Turn, twirl, dip, went the pairs on the dance floor, in time with the music. All of this, set in golden lamplight.

Outside, the sky was a dark blue, the starlight reflected in his sapphire eyes. And here he was, offering his outstretched hand to you.

He was still the same sweet, loyal Epel you had always known. The same young man that set your heart aflutter, whether he was soft-spoken or brash. He was both—just as he was both a dorm leader and your beloved.

You melted, and your hesitation dissipated like the winter snow.

You slipped your hand into his and beamed. “Long live the Queen.”

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst x reader #Epel Felmier #Epel Felmier x Reader #Vil Schoenheit #disney twisted wonderland #Reader #self insert #imagine this #twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland headcanons #twisted wonderland scenarios #something no one asked for #IKEMEN EPEL................... #THE POWER OF IKEMEN EPEL #spoilers

[ddarker-dreams]

Purgatorio. Yan Giorno x Reader [COMM]

Warnings: Stockholm syndrome, descriptions of anxiety, briefly implied suicidal thoughts.  Word count: 3.2k.

Cold droplets of water run down the curves of your face, falling into the sink with a hushed splash. 

The faucet runs in the background. For how long, you do not know. Time doesn’t move and neither do you. Everything is still -- too still -- lending to the impression the only person in this world is you. In a way, that conclusion is close to the truth. This would be paradise, meticulously crafted for your confinement, boasts a modest population of two.

Your hands grip tightly onto the edges of the countertop, knuckles going white from the vise-like grip. The pain you should feel from this tight hold goes unnoticed. Each forced breath is shakier than the last, betraying the intention of steadying your heaving chest. You lift your head. In the mirror, staring back is a figure that faintly resembles your liking. A version that would deceive anyone else into believing it to be you. On a surface level, they’d be correct. None of your features have changed drastically. The eyes that are staring back, though glassy now, are the same eyes you’ve always had in color and shape. 

Shaky hands take liberty in splashing water towards your face. With undeterred focus, you direct the water mostly towards your lips, frantically dousing them. Once is nowhere near enough. Twice, three times, four times; nothing can wash away the faint tingling that haunts. This doesn’t deter you. In a trance-like state, you try to wipe yourself clean of impurities, hoping to be pure as freshly fallen snow. The fabric of your shirt is as drenched as you are from the frantic efforts. Thin material clings to you, as does the hair on either side of your face. 

You turn the faucet off. 

Sinking to the ground, you wish your legs wouldn’t betray you as they do now. It’s a miracle that you even managed to make it here on your own strength. The remnants of your energy have bloomed and withered away, your body no longer capable of supporting its own weight. Tears join in a union with the tap water. It comes out at once. Sobs wrack throughout your body, your shoulders shaking and head hung low. There is but one question that haunts your mind. A question that can no longer go ignored, but when answered, will change the trajectory of everything you’ve come to known. Everything you’ve taught yourself to cope and survive.

When did you stop hating him? 

There’s no singular moment that carries the answer, preferable it may be. It was an unobtrusive, slow yet steady descent into apathy. Giorno cornered you, yes, but that was the extent of it. He backed you up against the cliff and stopped there. It was your decision, and yours alone, to make the blind leap. Searching your memories, you look to find the day your animosity faded, your sense of self dying alongside it. 

Was it the strained yet casual talks in the morning? The luxurious gifts of diamond-studded jewelry, luxurious outfits, and exotic flowers? When you no longer flinched when overheating his approaching footsteps? Maybe it’s all of that, and more, times you couldn’t bring yourself to acknowledge yet. All you know is that somewhere along the line, the flames of your disgust flickered, leaving no signs that it ever even existed but ashes. Without noticing what you were doing, your fingers travel to your bottom lip, eyes closing.  This would be what served as the final nail in the coffin. 

The evening had been a normal one. 

Normal. That you had described it that way should’ve served as an omen. It had been just after an uneventful dinner. Giorno promised to take you on a walk through the outdoor gardens, an invitation not so easily rejected. Most if not all of your days were spent in the confines of four walls. The moon, which had just taken the place of the sun, illuminated winding cobblestone paths. Shrubbery of every kind sparsely decorated either side, a visual delight, pale moonlight casting an ethereal glow on each branch. You trailed behind Giorno in a silence he allowed. Lost in thought, taken with the beauty of nature. 

It was you who broke the silence. A foolish mistake. “Giorno?”

He turned and looked at you, slightly taken aback that you called for him so easily. That had to have been one of the few instances where his name left your lips, a sweet sound he committed to memory. Mundane as it was for you, Giorno interpreted it as something greater, a welcome evolution. He nodded to signal that you hold his undivided attention. A thought that was on your mind surfaces. 

“I’ve been thinking about… things I can do,” you licked your lips, tentative. Giorno eyed your body language closely, and you felt the weight of his stare. “Gardening is what I always come back to. I’d like to grow something, as a way to pass the time.” 

Your sentence died out toward the end and turned into a whisper. What a difference there was in your posture compared to his, you noticed. He never doubted himself. Never showed signs of apprehension, always crystal clear on the decisions he needed to make. Where you trod lightly, he went forward with confidence. Silly as it may be, you envied that aspect of Giorno, an aspect that elevated him to a place just out of reach. You wondered if showing more conviction would get you the results you wanted from him. 

“I’ll have it arranged so that you can. Was there something, in particular, you’d like to grow?” Giorno asked without missing a beat. Your heart leaped in your chest, encouraged by how well he received your request, and in record time too. It should’ve served as a premonition. At the time, you were more than pleased, and subconsciously took a step towards him. A step closer to your undoing. 

“Well, it’d need to be in season… maybe carrots and cauliflower. I’d like to plant things that I could cook later.” 

“That’s a good place for a beginner to start. Though I must admit, I never took you for someone who’d be interested in gardening. What brought this on?” 

It’s no use. Giorno, tactful as he may be, could see through you as if you were glass. You shifted your weight from one leg to the other. Lying would serve no purpose, he’d notice it. The truth is a frightening concept. How he might interpret your words left room for anxiety. You knew that standing there with sealed lips would be incriminating, and rushed out an unfiltered answer. 

“I want to go outside more.” 

He peered down at you through thick, blonde eyelashes. Giorno took a step closer to your person, and he frowned at the way you flinched from the sudden movement. The interaction left a bitter taste in his mouth that he sought to be rid of. To understand and deal with a person are two sides of the same coin, both a talent he’s cultivated well. Giorno’s calculating eyes met yours and never left. 

“[First]...” your name rolled off his tongue like silk, smooth and deceptively soft. “I’ll see what I can do to make it work. You know I’m partial to anything you ask of me.”  

Giorno’s tenderness was palpable, and you ate it up. The illusion of freedom blinded you to reality. He raised his hand and hovered it right above your cheek. Giorno awaited your reaction and tested the waters. When you offered no signs of resistance, he cupped your face. You noticed how his fingers trembled. This unabashed affection was the first of its kind. New to you and him both. You stared up at him, as your heart hammered against your ribcage. A touch that should’ve made you recoil did nothing of the sort. You welcomed it and treasured how human it made you feel. 

The change had been so subtle, that you missed it in a blink of the eye. His face grew closer. You could catch the different notes of his signature cologne -- sandalwood, leather, spice -- and the coarse texture of his suit which rubbed against your skin. Giorno was so near, that you felt his warm breath against your face. He looked at you through lidded eyes and sought to close the gap between you. Your mind was a flurry of thoughts and emotions, muddled by the unexpected events. For all of Giorno’s shortcomings, he had never touched you so boldly until then. And you had never let him. There you stood, frozen like a statue, allowing him to do as he pleased. 

His lips met yours. 

It didn’t register at first. Everything had happened so fast, that your mind struggled to keep up. Giorno’s kiss was chaste, a method to test the waters. To test you. He tasted of the Tartufo di Pizzo he ate earlier, rich and saccharine. When was the last time you were this close to another? That you felt a human’s loving touch, basked in the warmth of their body? You can’t remember for sure. It must’ve been a long time ago, a time before Giorno Giovanna. The moment ended as soon as it arrived. At your lack of reciprocation, he went to pull back. God, it would’ve been so simple if that’s how it ended. If that served as the final chapter. All you had wanted was to feel human again, not like a glorified prisoner in gold bars. That’s the only plausible reason, right? The meager distance between you two was closed again, though it was your lips that met his. Giorno let out a noise of shock, an emotion you were never able to draw out of him until then. 

Where he had been soft, you were unrelenting. You kissed him with primal urgency and wove your hands into the strands of his golden hair to pull him close. Giorno was more than pleased to let you do so. The initial stupor wore off, and he matched your fervor with equal tenacity. You’re not sure what exactly was on your mind then. You didn’t know why you did what you did, other than to distract yourself for a moment. How gratifying it had felt then. Giorno held your face in one hand, while the other traveled down to your waist. That eager touch served to pull you back into reality. Almost as if the clock had struck midnight, the spell was broken, and you were left with the undignified truth.

You realized what you were doing. Who it was you had just been kissing, and you staggered back. Eyes wide as a doe, unsure of who the blame was to be placed upon. Giorno had to choose to loosen his grip on you, and you felt every ounce of his hesitance. Those all-knowing, omniscient eyes opened, clearly perplexed. His eyebrows furrowed and lips parted to speak. Before he had the chance to question you, you scampered back into the house. Giorno stood there and watched you depart. His soul stirred. It could’ve been your imagination, but you swore you saw a flash of gold behind you. 

Which leads to now. 

Seasons change, as do feelings. A fickle thing emotions are. They take the form of liquid, reshaping, and redistributing themselves according to their environment. Never did you envision your loathing transforming into… no, you won’t say it. You can’t. Plans for the rest of the day are up in the air. Maybe it’d do you some good to get rest. Holding this thought in mind, you will yourself to get up, legs unsteady. You make your way out of the master bathroom that connects to your private suite, a luxury that Giorno bestowed. Each step feels heavier than the last. A King-sized bed awaits, silk linens dipping underneath your weight. Sleeping forever sounds lovely right about now. How can you ever face him again? What does he think of you now? Worst of all, why do you care? Throwing yourself onto the bed, you shut your eyes, willing your mind to go elsewhere. Anywhere but that disaster earlier. The chance to do so never comes, much to your chagrin.

There’s a knock on the door. 

You freeze, assuming the worst. Heart pounding violently, you search for an explanation, that might explain the person at your door. Maybe it’s the mouse-like staff that tends to Giorno’s estate in the shadows. Rarely do they interact with you, likely at his behest, though it isn’t impossible he’d send them to check up on you. That hope melts when a deep, composed voice speaks up, a voice that you know too well. 

“[First]? Are you decent?” Giorno probes, his voice muffled by the closed door. You glance down at your outfit, knowing he’ll have a fair share of questions at your current state. It’d be easier to avoid the confrontation entirely. Easier, but not plausible, you bitterly think. Lord knows he has eyes everywhere. Lying to get around this might serve as a point of contention in the future. So you sigh, swallowing down the lump in your throat. Straightening your shoulders, you place your hands on your lap, hoping to appear somewhat collected.

“Yes, I am.” You confirm after a moment's deliberation. His response is immediate.

“Can I come in?” What an amusing question. Giorno could do whatever he pleases, having the locks to every room in this estate on his person. It’s you who is subject to his every will and whim, you who doesn’t have a true choice in the matter. A thin veil of courtesy hides the viper who waits to strike at your heel. Might as well get this over with, you decide. It’s either now or later.

 “You can.”

Giorno opens the door at your confirmation, and you hear the keys jingling like funeral tolls. He’s well put together to the point of frustration, hair set in place perfectly, suit without a wrinkle. You sometimes wonder if Giorno Giovanna is even human and not a deity. Unfortunately, you’ve yet to conclude and are leaning towards the latter. As you expected, his eyes temporarily wander to your soaked appearance, lips pulling into a tight frown. It takes a moment to realize how he might interpret this look. Not to say the thought has never crossed your mind, but he doesn’t need to know that.

“I… I, uh, wasn’t trying to drown myself,” you stutter out with an unconvincing smile. He looks to the ajar bathroom door, and back to you with a raised eyebrow. You clear your throat. “You can check yourself. I was freshening up in the sink.” 

“I’ll take your word for it.” Giorno exhales, adjusting the cuff of his suit. He looks around your sparsely decorated room. Any onlooker might wonder if someone lives here at all. The room is immaculate, no clothes were strewn about, not an item out of it’s assigned place. You realize it’s been a long time since Giorno’s been in your room. Months, even. When you were first brought here, he’d explained to a distraught you what was happening. Speaking about protection, your well-being, how he could take such excellent care of you. At the time the grave words didn’t sink in. You had no idea what turbulent future awaited you then. Is Giorno thinking the same thing? If he is, he doesn’t mention it, returning his focus to you. 

“About earlier,” he pauses when you wince. Giorno gives you a second to gather yourself before continuing. “I wanted to apologize. It was inappropriate of me to assume your feelings.” 

Assume your feelings? What does he mean by that? The confession stuck out like a sore thumb. You uncross and cross your legs on the other side, unable to sit still. Sure, you’ve grown to be passive in his presence. Even you can acknowledge this. That’s all it is, passivity, not… acceptance. Or worse, reciprocation. Months of combative behavior taught you how exhausting hatred is. Giorno proved that no speech, act, or plead of yours would sway him. You’d have better luck convincing a brick wall. This wording troubles you greatly, and Giorno picks up on it.

He continues. “I misinterpreted your body language and acted without thinking. I saw what I wanted to see.” 

Giorno doesn’t make mistakes like that. He’s many things: your kidnapper and sole provider, a merciless Don to those who stand in his way, and a man borderline capable of reading the thoughts of others. You can’t picture a world where Giorno slips up in reading other’s moods. What point would there be in lying to you about this? He saw what he wanted to see, this line repeats in your mind like a mantra. There was an undeniable reason for its inclusion. To make you feel better. An out, a silver lining to keep everything as it was. Giorno didn’t make an error in his judgment, you realize, face paling. I… I do love... 

“That’s all I came here to say,” Giorno informs, observing how your face twists from your thoughts. He knows it’s due to him. “I’m sorry for disturbing your evening.” 

It feels like arctic water is crashing down on you, frigid and fraying your nerves. Giorno pivots on his heel and turns to leave. You know you should let him. Taking this outstretched hand would be simpler, likely even better for your sake. It’s painful how your stomach churns, how every breath is more difficult than the last. This anguish is a deeply rooted one. Too personal and oppressive to withstand any longer. Let him leave, you think. Just let this be over with. 

When have you ever listened to reason?

“Giorno,” you call to him, as you did earlier, voice somehow more delicate than it was then. He turns around, face never betraying his thoughts. Giorno’s impossible to get a read on. Clenching the frame of your bed, your gaze drops to your lap. “You… you didn’t misinterpret anything.” 

Blood rushes to your cheeks, and you bite your lower lip. “What I mean to say is… it’s fine.” 

You gather enough fragments of confidence to raise your head. Turquoise eyes, rich and expansive as the Tyrrhenian sea, pierce through with an intensity Giorno’s never used on you. Your mind goes blank, and you forget how to properly breathe. He breaks the stun-lock first. It’s rare that you ever see a genuine smile on Giorno’s face, but there’s no denying this one is. He’s quick to cover his mouth with the back of his hand. You feel an odd sense of loss at this.

“I’m glad to hear it.” With that, he retires for the evening, bidding you a final goodnight. Giorno closes the door silently to not disturb you. As per the routine, you hear locks going into place, one after the other. You lose count. Footsteps echo down the hallway, signaling his departure. You’re doubtful Giorno himself is going to sleep, he’s a willing victim to late nights, and can only assume he wanted to offer you time to think.

So you are left here on your lonesome. 

Not quite in heaven, and not quite in hell. 

#giorno #Giorno Giovanna #giovanna giorno #giorno x reader #yandere giorno #JoJo's Bizzare Adventure #jojo's bizarre adventures #yandere jojo x reader #yandere jojo's bizzare adventure #yandere jojo's bizarre adventure #yandere jjba #yandere jjba x reader #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere scenario #vento aureo x reader #yandere vento aureo #my stuff #commissions

[xaphrin]

[Adult Nonsense Ahead]

“You’re a terrible dancer, did you know that?”

Raven’s face fell and she looked back up into Damian’s face, her lips tugging down into a frown. “I don’t see what that has to do with anything? I’m not here to show off my dancing skills. We’re here to catch a ring of black market smugglers.” 

“I know.” Damian loosened his tie and walked into their luxuriously outfitted room, looking at ease in a place like this. He stood by the window, his eyes flicking across the scenery. To anyone else it would have looked like he was admiring the wild, mountain countryside, but Raven knew he was calculating a hundred different scenarios all at once. Outside, snow ticked against the glass, thin light from the nearby town lighting up the Alps in the distance. 

He cleared his throat and glanced back at her. “But you make it so painfully obvious that this is not your world.”

She sighed and sat down at the edge of the bed, kicking off her too-high heels and glaring at him. “And what do you propose we do about it? The six hours of crash-course etiquette obviously did nothing to help - at least according to your standards.” 

His lips twitched and he took a step towards her, his eyes searching her face. “We’ll have to train you more.”

“Not tonight.” Raven fell back against the bed, feeling the soft covers mold to her curves. She sighed as Damian knelt between her legs, his thumb digging into the pad of her foot. A low moan escaped and she felt his lips glide up her ankle. It was like her body was lighting up, nerves catching on fire, and she moved restlessly against the covers as his fingers slid beneath the hem of her dress. “...again?” 

This had been going on for weeks now - a silent agreement that they could use each other for release when they needed it. It was casual and easy, and Raven found herself an eager and willing partner more and more. Damian was… talented in bed. He was damned good at making her feel like her whole soul was shattering with every pass of his fingers and mouth. Not to mention he was… gifted. The first time they slept together, Raven wasn’t sure he was going to fit, but hell… it was amazing.

“What happened on the plane wasn’t enough.” 

Raven felt herself flush as she remembered his hands on her skin, shoving her leggings down her legs as he pinned her against the bathroom door. He had been restless and desperate, his mouth muttering words into her ear that didn’t quite make sense, but made her burn. She could feel herself grow wet, and she moved restlessly against the covers again.

He hooked his fingers in her panties and dragged them down her legs with a low growl. “I’m anxious, and you… calm me.” He pushed the skirt up to her waist, smirking as he took in the sight of her. “You’re wet.” 

Raven sat up and moved to take off her dress, but Damian shook his head. 

“No. Keep it on. I can’t wait.” He pulled her to the edge of the bed, standing up between her legs. His hand wrapped around her wrist and he pulled her to her feet, spinning her around so that she was draped over a table by the window. With swift hands, he unfastened his trousers, and Raven felt his kick open her legs, the head of his cock pressing against her. 

Her eyes fluttered and she looked out at the dark shows of the Alps as he entered her in one, swift movement, sighing with relief as he buried himself to the hilt. His fingers found the shoulder of her dress and yanked it down, freeing a breast. Raven whimpered and pushed back as his fingers toyed with her nipple, rolling it and pinching it so hard it made her want to scream. Behind her, she could feel him start to move, dragging himself out slowly before slamming back into her. A gentle pull and a demanding push, over and over until Raven was clawing at the expensive wood underneath her, desperately needing to come. 

“Harder.”

He growled and shoved her dress higher. “What was that?”

“Harder,” Raven begged. “Please.” 

His hand released her breast and tangled in her hair. “You want me to pull your hair, love?” 

Raven whimpered and nodded, secretly loving the way he called her love during sex. It was something he’d only started doing a few days ago, but even in their most depraved moments, it warmed her in a way she wasn’t sure if she wanted to explore. She screamed as Damian yanked her head back and angled her legs to drive himself all the way in. His pace was furious, fast and unrelenting, and it felt like time was stretched out for eons in front of her. She pushed back against him, gasping as fire started to lick over her skin, flames burning her nerve-endings until she felt stripped and raw. Pain and pleasure mixed together to form something heady and addictive, and she never wanted to let this feeling slip from her fingers.

“Come.”

Raven felt herself reaching for the highest peak of the Alps around her as she screamed his name as she tightened around his cock. Damian snarled out a string of curse words, the hand still buried in her hair tightening as he gave a few disorganized thrusts before tumbling over the edge with her. They were flying together, drowning in this feeling until it felt like they were made of glittering snow, fragile and melting. 

Finally Damian collapsed over her back and sighed, his hand releasing her hair. He nuzzled her neck and kissed down her spine. Silence settled over them both and Raven looked over her shoulder at his eyes, wild and desperate in a way she couldn’t quite place. 

“I should clean up.” 

He didn’t move, and Raven realized he was starting to get hard again. Insatiable. Damian pulled himself from her body and took a few steps back to the bed, removing the rest of his clothes as he moved. Raven ran her tongue along her lower lip and watched as he settled on the edge of the bed, his cock at half-mast. 

“I want more.” His voice was a demand, nearly bordering on petulance. “Ride me.” 

Raven shivered, but she stepped up to him, cautious. “What do you say?”

He smirked. “Ride me, love.”

Raven melted. 

#ADULT NONSENSE AHEAD #damirae #demonbirds #man I don't know #I just needed a break from editing

[rollingaroundin-bread]

Recently I decided that the fireside girls are phenomenal and deserve much more characterization than they got in the show. I’m very sorry for how long it took me so long to realize this!

Anyways to start off here’s some casual clothes since we never saw them outside their uniforms in the show!! Explanations for each under the cut as per usual! :D

~

Just a disclaimer that while I used every scrap of evidence I could find from the wikis and rewatching the failed pilot episodes that I did have to make some stuff up for these. In the future I hope to build on what the show gave us for more fully fleshed out characters but until then here’s a start!! 

Gretchen

I should let y’all know now that I did base their color schemes off of those in act your age! But I gave everyone a secondary color as well (if they didn't already have one)

Gretchen, according to the wiki is “Extremely Smart, happy” (extremely smart being unique)

She is also the only (known) one with the Saying A Word No One Else In The Room Knows Patch 

From that we can take that she’s in the same sort of archetype as Huey Duck, Violet Sabrewing, Frida (hilda), Clemont (pokemon xyz), etc. 

So I tired to base her outfit on them!

In this case it’s mostly Huey, Violet, and Frida because pokemon outfits follow different rules 

Violet and Frida’s outfits are more similar because they’re what I consider “comfortable” 

And while I love their designs I decided to go the other route!

The other route being Huey! Aka I wanted to give her a polo shirt skjdfhgk

Besides, for Gretchen’s age up design I think her outfit fits in the same category as Violet and Frida’s do! So we’ll get there eventually!

But anyways yes, I took the polo shirt from Huey then decided I should probably give her pants because she isn’t a duck where its socially acceptable to not wear pants sksajdhfgaks

So yeah a pleated skirt just seemed the right way to go yes? :D

Katie

Yes Katie is wearing crocs

Why you may ask?

BECAUSE WHAT ARE THOSE SUPPOSED TO BE OTHER THAN CROCS

LISTEN- I tried, I really did, to come up with something other than crocs

But I couldn’t hecking do it 

Well I couldn’t without ignoring this part of her character design which is 90% of what I have to go off of

Anyways from her wiki entry her personality is described as “Kind, helpful, cute”

This makes cute her only unique trait among all the fireside girls (except technically Isabella)

She’s also the only (known) one with the semaphore patch (that isn’t on her wiki but it is stated in bee story) 

btw this is totally unrelated to my design but I’m thinking what if Katie got into color guard when she’s older? skjdhfakasj idk I think she would like it

Anyways!! At another point in the wiki it mentions her “running gag” (running gag in quotations because it only happened once I watched the episode specifically looking for this) where she says/does unusual things to get a glance from the other girls

I’m taking that to mean she’s silly!!!!! 

Hence the crocs sksjdhfak

The overalls just seemed to fit her nature, and like I know Baljeet already has overalls but she’ll fight him for it k? skjhdsak

Milly

I’ll say here that Milly and Holly have the least characterization from their wikis which I’m very sad about

Okay so Milly’s  “Kind, helpful, Happy” (no unique traits), is bad with secrets (operation crumb cake), and has one more Help Thy Neighbor patch because she went back to Phineas and Ferb’s house after everyone left at some point

Unfortunately from first glance we don’t don’t have a lot to go off of character design wise with these

However!! I know another character who's bad with secrets, helpful, and wears a bow in her hair!! That's right- Webby Vanderquack (btw very sorry to anyone who hasn't watched Ducktales I’m gonna keep bringing it up because I love it a lot I’m sorry)

So I loosely based this design on Webby’s! Aka dress shirt thing (in this case, a blouse) and a skirt that I think is neat!! 

Webby’s design leans more into her nerdy side and so I made Milly’s lean toward sweetness!! (not saying Milly isn’t nerdy, there's just no evidence to suggest that she is so I didn’t lean into that) (also that would be too close to literally just drawing Webby’s outfit which I also didn’t want to do)

Holly

I’m restating that Holly and Milly get practically nothing from their wikis (Holly getting the least)

Like  “Kind, nice, helpful” -The P&F wiki on Holly

Go girl!! Give us nothing!!!!!

skjdjhf okay but actually there is exactly one thing we can get from the wiki

While she doesn't have any unique patches, if we look at my patch reference sheet below

You may notice that for all the patches that 3 people got; Gretchen and Holly have all four (Ginger being replaced with Adyson for the Rodeo Clown patch)

In conclusion: Gretchen and Holly are best friends.

Look I know I’m blowing this a little out of proportion, but they gave me literally nothing so I’m running with what I have

Anyways!! I’m taking Gretchen and Holly being best friends as Holly is also wicked smart!! 

So in conclusion that all adds up to I’m also making Holly’s outfit nerd-esq because I can

This time basing it loosely of of Satsuki from My Neighbor Totoro because she’s who I think of for an orange and yellow color scheme! 

(she also gives me Boyd (DT again) vibes from the color I chose for the shorts though haha)

Adyson

Starting right off the bat the wiki gives us “Sometimes comical, helpful, accident-prone, nice”

Accident prone gives us bandages

Adyson also has the unique patch of the appliance repair patch 

She also used to have the record patch for earning six patches in one day before Candace broke that record!

So I gave her running shorts and a sleeveless hoodie because I take that as she’s slightly sporty (athlesure but more casual)

Adyson was really much more straightforward than the others

I had an idea in my head that made sense so I went with it, y’know?

Ginger

okay but WHY IS GINGER SO TALL

I’m not even talking about how much taller I made her here because I was basing it off of the show!!! She’s stupid tall!!! 

And like I know Stacey and her mom are both tall so of course she would be too but LOOK AT THIS

I MEAN ?????? BRO-

Anyways moving on! :D

I REALLY liked her light blue and indigo color scheme in aya so I tried to keep that! 

I wish I could have incorporated a little more light blue but with the style of dress I went with that wasn’t really possible

Speaking of her dress!! Why’d I do that you may ask? 

I dunno I thought it looked cute! 

Listen- I love giving explicit reasons for each and every choice I make, but honestly there's usually a point where I have no ideas and go “eh its cute”

and thats what happened here! 

Thanks for reading if you got this far!!

If I missed some details or you have ideas please come talk to me!! I really want to do a good job for these guys (they absolutely deserve it) and could use all the help I can get! 

#fireside girls #the fireside girls #fireside girls troop 46231 #gretchen pnf #katie pnf #milly pnf #holly pnf #adyson sweetwater #ginger hirano #my art stuff #once again im mostly talking under the cut!! #I really want to do a good job for these guys so feel free to talk to me about them!! #also rip Isabella im sorry I didnt include you #to be fair she has plenty of characterization and plenty of yall love her #but shes important to these guys so she'll probably show up more as I continue with these guys!! #fun fact this all started because I was looking at the firestar girls designs for a personal project #and I wanted to see if there was more information on them for their personal wikis #which opened my eyes to how little these guys have on said wikis #which is a crime!! so once again sorry it took me a while but I care them and promise to do my best for my interpretation!!! #k I think thats it bye folks!! :D #phineas and ferb #phineas & ferb #pnf

[grigori77]

Summer 2021′s Movies - My Top Ten Favourite Films (Part 2)

The Top Ten:

10.  WEREWOLVES WITHIN – definitely one of the year’s biggest cinematic surprises so far, this darkly comic supernatural murder mystery from indie horror director Josh Ruben (Scare Me) is based on a video game, but you’d never know it – this bears so little resemblance to the original Ubisoft title that it’s a wonder anyone even bothered to make the connection, but even so, this is now notable for officially being the highest rated video game adaptation in Rotten Tomatoes history, with a Certified Fresh rating of 86%. Certainly it deserves that distinction, but there’s so much more to the film – this is an absolute blood-splattered joy, the title telling you everything you need to know about the story but belying the film’s pure, quirky genius.  Veep’s Sam Richardson is forest ranger Finn Wheeler, a gentle and socially awkward soul who arrives at his new post in the remote small town of Beaverton to discover the few, uniformly weird residents are divided over the oil pipeline proposition of forceful and abrasive businessman Sam Parker (The Hunt’s Wayne Duvall).  As he tries to fit in and find his feet, investigating the disappearance of a local dog while bonding with local mail carrier Cecily Moore (Other Space and This Is Us’ Milana Vayntrub), the discovery of a horribly mutilated human body leads to a standoff between the townsfolk and an enforced lockdown in the town’s ramshackle hotel as they try to work out who amongst them is the “werewolf” they suspect is responsible.  This is frequently hilarious, the offbeat script from appropriately named Mishna Wolff (I’m Down) dropping some absolutely zingers and crafting some enjoyably weird encounters and unexpected twists, while the uniformly excellent cast do much of the heavy-lifting to bring their rich, thoroughly oddball characters to vivid life – Richardson is thoroughly cuddly throughout, while Duvall is pleasingly loathsome, Casual’s Michaela Watkins is pleasingly grating as Trisha, flaky housewife to unrepentant local horn-dog Pete Anderton (Orange is the New Black’s Michael Chernus), and Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story) and Harry Guillen (best known, OF COURSE, as Guillermo in the TV version of What We Do In the Shadows) make an enjoyably spiky double-act as liberal gay couple Devon and Joaquim Wolfson; in the end, though, the film is roundly stolen by Vayntrub, who invests Cecily with a bubbly sweetness and snarky sass that makes it absolutely impossible to not fall completely in love with her (gods know I did).  This is a deeply funny film, packed with proper belly-laughs from start to finish, but like all the best horror comedies it takes its horror elements seriously, delivering some enjoyably effective scares and juicy gore, while the werewolf itself, when finally revealed, is realised through some top-notch prosthetics.  Altogether this was a most welcome under-the-radar surprise for the summer, and SO MUCH MORE than just an unusually great video game adaptation …

9.  THE TOMORROW WAR – although cinemas finally reopened in the UK in early summer, the bite of the COVID lockdown backlog was still very much in effect this blockbuster season, with several studios preferring to hedge their bets and wait for later release dates. Others turned to streaming services, including Paramount, who happily lined up a few heavyweight titles to open on major platforms in lieu of the big screen.  One of the biggest was this intended sci-fi action horror tentpole, meant to give Chris Pratt another potential franchise on top of Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World, which instead dropped in early July on Amazon Prime.  So, was it worth staying in on a Saturday night instead of heading out for something on the BIG screen?  Mostly yes, although it’s mainly a trashy, guilty pleasure big budget B-picture charm that makes this such a worthwhile experience – the film’s biggest influences are clearly Independence Day and Starship Troopers, two admirably clunky blockbusters that DEFINED prioritising big spectacle and overblown theatrics over intelligent writing and realistic storytelling.  It doesn’t help that the premise is pure bunk – in 2022, a wormhole opens from thirty years in the future, and a plea for help is sent back with a bunch of very young future soldiers.  Seems Earth will become overrun by an unstoppable swarm of nasty alien critters called Whitespikes in 25 years, and the desperate human counteroffensive have no choice but to bring soldiers from our present into the future to help them fight back and save the humanity from imminent extinction.  Less than a year later, the world’s standing armies have been decimated and a worldwide draft has been implemented, with normal everyday adults being sent through for a seven day tour from which very few return.  Pratt plays biology teacher and former Green Beret Dan Forrester, one of the latest batch of draftees to be sent into the future along with a selection of chefs, soccer moms and other average joes – his own training and experience serves him better than most when the shit hits the fan, but it soon becomes clear that he’s just as out of his depth as everyone else as the sheer enormity of the threat is revealed.  But when he becomes entangled with a desperate research outfit led by Muri (Chuck’s Yvonne Strahovski) who seem to be on the verge of a potential world-changing scientific breakthrough, Dan realises there just might be a slender hope for humanity after all … this is every bit as over-the-top gung-ho bonkers as it sounds, and just as much fun.  Director Chris McKay may still be pretty fresh (with only The Lego Batman Movie under his belt to date), but he shows a lot of talent and potential for big budget blockbuster filmmaking here, delivering with guts and bravado on some major action sequences (a fraught ticking-clock SAR operation through a war-torn Miami is the film’s undeniable highlight, but a desperate battle to escape a blazing oil rig also really impresses), as well as handling some impressively complex visual effects work and wrangling some quality performances from his cast (altogether it bodes well for his future, which includes Nightwing and Johnny Quest as future projects).  Chris Pratt can do this kind of stuff in his sleep – Dan is his classic fallible and self-deprecating but ultimately solid and kind-hearted action hero fare, effortlessly likeable and easy to root for – and his supporting cast are equally solid, Strahovsky going toe-to-toe with him in the action sequences while also creating a rewardingly complex smart-woman/badass combo in Muri, while the other real standouts include Sam Richardson (Veep, Werewolves Within) and Edwin Hodge (The Purge movies) as fellow draftees Charlie and Dorian, the former a scared-out-of-his-mind tech geek while the latter is a seriously hardcore veteran serving his THIRD TOUR, and the ever brilliant J.K. Simmonds as Dan’s emotionally scarred estranged Vietnam-vet father, Jim.  Sure, it’s derivative as hell and thoroughly predictable (with more than one big twist you can see coming a mile away), but the pace is brisk, the atmosphere pregnant with a palpable doomed urgency, and the creatures themselves are a genuinely convincing world-ending threat, the design team and visual effects wizards creating genuine nightmare fuel in the feral and unrelenting Whitespikes.  Altogether this WAS an ideal way to spend a comfy Saturday night in, but I think it could have been JUST AS GOOD for a Saturday night OUT at the Pictures …

8.  ARMY OF THE DEAD – another high profile release that went straight to streaming was this genuine monster hit for Netflix from one of this century’s undeniable heavyweight action cinema masters, the indomitable Zack Snyder, who kicked off his career with an audience-dividing (but, as far as I’m concerned, ultimately MASSIVELY successful) remake of George Romero’s immortal Dawn of the Dead, and has finally returned to zombie horror after close to two decades away.  The end result is, undeniably, the biggest cinematic guilty pleasure of the entire summer, a bona fide outbreak horror EPIC in spite of its tightly focused story – Dave Bautista plays mercenary Scott Ward, leader a badass squad of soldiers of fortune who were among the few to escape a deadly outbreak of a zombie virus in the city of Las Vegas, enlisted to break into the vault of one of the Strip’s casinos by owner Bly Tanaka (a fantastically game turn from Hiroyuki Sanada) and rescue $200 million still locked away inside.  So what’s the catch?  Vegas remains ground zero for the outbreak, walled off from the outside world but still heavily infested within, and in less than three days the US military intends to sterilise the site with a tactical nuke.  Simple premise, down and dirty, trashy flick, right?  Wrong – Snyder has never believed in doing things small, having brought us unapologetically BIG cinema with the likes of 300, Watchmen, Man of Steel and, most notably, his version of Justice League, so this is another MASSIVE undertaking, every scene shot for maximum thrills or emotional impact, each set-piece executed with his characteristic militaristic precision and explosive predilection (a harrowing fight for survival against a freshly-awakened zombie horde in tightly packed casino corridors is the film’s undeniable highlight), and the gauzy, dreamlike cinematography gives even simple scenes an intriguing and evocative edge that really does make you feel like you’re watching something BIG.  The characters all feel larger-than-life too – Bautista can seem somewhat cartoonish at times, and this role definitely plays that as a strength, making Scott a rock-hard alpha male in the classic Hollywood mould, but he’s such a great actor that of course he’s able to invest the character with real rewarding complexity beneath the surface; Ana de la Reguera (Eastbound & Down) and Nora Arnezeder (Zoo, Mozart in the Jungle), meanwhile, both bring a healthy dose of oestrogen-fuelled badassery to proceedings as, respectively, Scott’s regular second-in-command, Maria Cruz, and Lilly the Coyote, Power’s Omari Hardwick and Matthias Schweighofer (You Are Wanted) make for a fun odd-couple double act as circular-saw-wielding merc Vanderohe and Dieter, the nervous, nerdy German safecracker brought in to crack the vault, and Fear the Walking Dead’s Garrett Dillahunt channels spectacular scumbag energy as Tanaka’s sleazy former casino boss Martin, while latecomer Tig Notaro (Star Trek Discovery) effortlessly rises above her last-minute-casting controversy to deliver brilliantly as sassy and acerbic chopper pilot Peters.  I think it goes without saying that Snyder can do this in his sleep, but he definitely wasn’t napping here – he pulled out all the stops on this one, delivering a thrilling, darkly comic and endearingly CRACKERS zombie flick that not only compares favourably to his own Dawn but is, undeniably, his best film for AGES.  Netflix certainly seem to be pleased with the results – a spinoff prequel, Army of Thieves, starring Dieter in another heist thriller, is set to drop in October, with an animated series following in the Spring, and there’s already rumours of a sequel in development.  I’m certainly up for more …

7.  BLACK WIDOW – no major blockbuster property was hit harder by COVID than the MCU, which saw its ENTIRE SLATE for 2020 delayed for over a year in the face of Marvel Studios bowing to the inevitability of the Pandemic and unwilling to sacrifice those all-important box-office receipts by just sending their films straight to streaming.  The most frustrating part for hardcore fans of the series was the delay of a standalone film that was already criminally overdue – the solo headlining vehicle of founding Avenger and bona fide female superhero ICON Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow.  Equally frustratingly, then, this film seems set to be overshadowed by real life controversy as star and producer Scarlett Johansson goes head-to-head with Disney in civil court over their breach-of-contract after they hedged their bets by releasing the film simultaneously in cinemas and on their own streaming platform, which has led to poor box office as many of the film’s potential audience chose to watch it at home instead of risk movie theatres with the virus still very much remaining a threat (and Disney have clearly reacted AGAIN, now backtracking on their release policy by instigating a new 45-day cinematic exclusivity window on all their big releases for the immediate future). But what of the film itself?  Well Black Widow is an interesting piece of work, director Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome) and screenwriter Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok) delivering a decidedly stripped-back, lean and intellectual beast that bears greater resemblance to the more cerebral work of the Russo Brothers on their Captain America films than the more classically bombastic likes of Iron Man, Thor or the Avengers flicks, concentrating on story and characters over action and spectacle as we wind back the clock to before the events of Infinity War and Endgame, when Romanoff was on the run after Civil War, hunted by the government-appointed forces of US Secretary of State “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) after violating the Sokovia Accords.  Then a mysterious delivery throws her back into the fray as she finds herself targeted by a mysterious assassin, forcing her to team up with her estranged “sister” Yelena Belova (Midsommar’s Florence Pugh), another Black Widow who’s just gone rogue from the same Red Room Natasha escaped years ago, armed with a McGuffin capable of foiling a dastardly plot for world domination.  The reluctant duo need help in this endeavour though, enlisting the aid of their former “parents”, veteran Widow and scientist Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and Alexie Shostakov (Stranger Things’ David Harbour), aka the Red Guardian, a Russian super-soldier intended to be their counterpart to Captain America, who’s been languishing in a Siberian gulag for the last twenty years. After the Earth-shaking, universe-changing events of recent MCU events, this film certainly feels like a much more self-contained, modest affair, playing for much smaller stakes, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less worthy of our attention – this is as precision-crafted as anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far, but it also feels like a refreshing change of pace after all those enormous cosmic shenanigans, while the script is as tight as a drum, propelling a taut, suspense-filled thriller that certainly doesn’t scrimp on the action front.  Sure, the set-pieces are very much in service of the story here, but they’re still the pre-requisite MCU rollercoaster rides, a selection of breathless chases and bone-crunching fights that really do play to the strengths of one of our favourite Avengers, but this is definitely one of those films where the real fireworks come when the film focuses on the characters – Johansson is so comfortable with her character she’s basically BECOME Natasha Romanoff, kickass and ruthless and complex and sassy and still just desperate for a family (though she hides it well throughout the film), while Weisz delivers one of her best performances in years as a peerless professional who keeps her emotions tightly reigned in but slowly comes to realise that she was never more happy than when she was pretending to be a simple mother, and Ray Winstone does a genuinely fantastic job of taking a character who could have been one of the MCU’s most disappointingly bland villains, General Dreykov, master of the Red Room, and investing him with enough oily charisma and intense presence to craft something truly memorable (frustratingly, the same cannot be said for the film’s supposed main physical threat, Taskmaster, who performs well in their frustratingly brief appearances but ultimately gets Darth Maul levels of short service).  The true scene-stealers in the film, however, are Alexie and Yelena – Harbour’s clearly having the time of his life hamming it up as a self-important, puffed-up peacock of a superhero who never got his shot and is clearly (rightly) decidedly bitter about it, preferring to relive the life he SHOULD have had instead of remembering the good in the one he got; Pugh, meanwhile, is THE BEST THING IN THE WHOLE MOVIE, easily matching Johanssen scene-for-scene in the action stakes but frequently out-performing her when it comes to acting, investing Yelena with a sweet naivety and innocence and a certain amount of quirky geekiness that makes for one of the year’s most endearing female protagonists (certainly one who, if the character goes the way I think she will, is thoroughly capable of carrying the torch for the foreseeable future).  In the end this is definitely one of the LEAST typical, by-the-numbers MCU films to date, and by delivering something a little different I think they’ve given us just the kind of leftfield swerve the series needs right now.  It’s certainly one of their most fascinating and rewarding films so far, and since it seems to be Johansson’s final tour of duty as the Black Widow, it’s also a most fitting farewell indeed.

6.  WRATH OF MAN – Guy Ritchie’s latest (regarded by many as a triumphant return to form, which I consider unfair since I don’t think he ever went away, especially after 2020’s spectacular The Gentlemen) is BY FAR his darkest film – let’s get this clear from the start.  Anyone who knows his work knows that Ritchie consistently maintains a near flawless balance and humour and seriousness in his films that gives them a welcome quirkiness that is one of his most distinctive trademarks, so for him to suddenly deliver a film which takes itself SO SERIOUSLY is one hell of a departure.  This is a film which almost REVELS in its darkness – Ritchie’s always loved bathing in man’s baser instincts, but Wrath of Man almost makes a kind of twisted VIRTUE out of wallowing in the genuine evils that men are capable of inflicting on each other.  The film certainly kicks off as it means to go on – In a tour-de-force single-shot opening, we watch a daring armoured car robbery on the streets of Los Angeles that goes horrifically wrong, an event which will have devastating consequences in the future.  Five months later, Fortico Security hires taciturn Brit Patrick Hill (Jason Statham) to work as a guard in one of their trucks, and on his first run he single-handedly foils another attempted robbery with genuinely uncanny combat skills. The company is thrilled, amazed by the sheer ability of their new hire, but Hill’s new colleagues are more concerned, wondering exactly what they’ve let themselves in for.  After a second foiled robbery, it becomes clear that Hill’s reputation has grown, but fellow guard Haiden (Holt McCallany), aka “Bullet”, begins to suspect there might be something darker going on … Ritchie is firing on all cylinders here, delivering a PERFECT slow-burn suspense thriller which plays its cards close to its chest and cranks up its piano wire tension with artful skill as it builds to a devastating, knuckle-whitening explosive heist that acts as a cathartic release for everything that’s built up over the past hour and a half.  In typical Ritchie style the narrative is non-linear, the story unfolding in four distinct parts told from clearly differentiated points of view, allowing the clues to be revealed at a trickle that effortlessly draws the viewer in as they fall deeper down the rabbit hole, leading to a harrowing but strangely poignant denouement which is perfectly in tune with everything that’s come before. It’s an immense pleasure finally getting to see Statham working with Ritchie again, and I don’t think he’s ever been better than he is here – he's always been a brilliantly understated actor, but there’s SO MUCH going on under Hill’s supposedly impenetrable calm that every little peek beneath the armour is a REVELATION; McCallany, meanwhile, has landed his best role since his short but VERY sweet supporting turn in Fight Club, seemingly likeable and fallible as the kind of easy-going co-worker anyone in the service industry would be THRILLED to have, but giving Bullet far more going on under the surface, while there are uniformly excellent performances from a top-shelf ensemble supporting cast which includes Josh Hartnett, Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice, Sicario), Andy Garcia, Laz Alonso (The Boys), Eddie Marsan, Niamh Algar (Raised By Wolves) and Darrell D’Silva (Informer, Domina), and a particularly edgy and intense turn from Scott Eastwood.  This is one of THE BEST thrillers of the year, by far, a masterpiece of mood, pace and plot that ensnares the viewer from its gripping opening and hooks them right up to the close, a triumph of the genre and EASILY Guy Ritchie’s best film since Snatch.  Regardless of whether or not it’s a RETURN to form, we can only hope he continues to deliver fare THIS GOOD in the future …

5.  FEAR STREET (PARTS 1-3) – Netflix have gotten increasingly ambitious with their original filmmaking over the years, and some of this years’ offerings have reached new heights of epic intention.  Their most exciting release of the summer was this adaptation of popular children’s horror author R.L. Stine’s popular book series, a truly gargantuan undertaking as the filmmakers set out to create an entire TRILOGY of films which were then released over three consecutive weekends.  Interestingly, these films are most definitely NOT for kids – this is proper, no-holds-barred supernatural slasher horror, delivering highly calibrated shocks and precision jump scares, a pervading atmosphere of insidious dread and a series of inventively gruesome kills.  The story revolves around two neighbouring small towns which have had vastly different fortunes over more than three centuries of existence – while the residents of Sunnyvale are unusually successful, living idyllic lives in peace and prosperity, luck has always been against the people of Shadyside, who languish in impoverishment, crime and misfortune, while the town has become known as the Murder Capital of the USA due to frequent spree killings.  Some attribute this to the supposed curse of a local urban legend, Sarah Fier, who became known as the Fier Witch after her execution for witchcraft in 1668, but others dismiss this as simple superstition.  Part 1 is set in 1994, as the latest outbreak of serial mayhem begins in Shadyside, dragging a small group of local teens – Deena Johnson (She Never Died’s Kiana Madeira) and Samantha Fraser (Olivia Scott Welch), a young lesbian couple going through a difficult breakup, Deena’s little brother Josh (The Haunted Hathaways’ Benjamin Flores Jr.), a nerdy history geek who spends most of his time playing video games or frequenting violent crime-buff online chatrooms, and their delinquent friends Simon (Eight Grade’s Fred Hechinger) and Kate (Julia Rehwald) – into the age-old ghostly conspiracy as they find themselves besieged by indestructible undead serial killers from the town’s past, reasoning that the only way they can escape with their lives is to solve the mystery and bring the Fier Witch some much needed closure.  Part 2, meanwhile, flashes back to a previous outbreak in 1977, in which local sisters Ziggy (Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink) and Cindy Berman (Emily Rudd), together with future Sunnyvale sheriff Nick Goode (Ted Sutherland) were among the kids hunted by said killers during a summer camp “colour war”.  As for Part 3, that goes all the way back to 1668 to tell the story of what REALLY happened to Sarah Fier, before wrapping up events in 1994, culminating in a terrifying, adrenaline-fuelled showdown in the Shadyside Mall.  Throughout, the youthful cast are EXCEPTIONAL, Madeira, Welch, Flores Jr., Sink and Rudd particularly impressing, while there are equally strong turns from Ashley Zuckerman (The Code, Designated Survivor) and Community’s Gillian Jacobs as the grown-up versions of two key ’77 kids, and a fun cameo from Maya Hawke in Part 1.  This is most definitely retro horror in the Stranger Things mould, perfectly executed period detail bringing fun nostalgic flavour to all three of the timelines while the peerless direction from Leigh Janiak (Honeymoon) and wire-tight, sharp-witted screenplays from Janiak, Kyle Killen (Lone Star, The Beaver), Phil Graziadel, Zak Olkewicz and Kate Trefry strike a perfect balance between knowing dark humour and knife-edged terror, as well as weaving an intriguingly complex narrative web that pulls the viewer in but never loses them to overcomplication.  The design, meanwhile, is evocative, the cinematography (from Stanger Things’ Caleb Heymann) is daring and magnificently moody, and the killers and other supernatural elements of the film are handled with skill through largely physical effects.  This is definitely not a standard, by-the-numbers slasher property, paying strong homage to the sub-genre’s rules but frequently subverting them with expert skill, and it’s as much fun as it is frightening.  Give us some more like this please, Netflix!

4.  THE SPARKS BROTHERS – those who’ve been following my reviews for a while will known that while I do sometimes shout about documentary films, they tend to show up in my runners-up lists – it’s a great rarity for one to land in one of my top tens.  This lovingly crafted deep-dive homage to cult band Sparks, from self-confessed rabid fanboy Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim), is something VERY SPECIAL INDEED, then … there’s a vague possibility some of you may have heard the name before, and many of you will know at least one or two of their biggest hits without knowing it was them (their greatest hit of all time, This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us, immediately springs to mind), but unless you’re REALLY serious about music it’s quite likely you have no idea who they are, namely two brothers from California, Russell and Ronald Mael, who formed a very sophisticated pop-rock band in the late 60s and then never really went away, having moments of fame but mostly working away in the background and influencing some of the greatest bands and musical artists that followed them, even if many never even knew where that influence originally came from. Wright’s film is an engrossing joy from start to finish (despite clocking in at two hours and twenty minutes), following their eclectic career from obscure inception as Halfnelson, through their first real big break with third album Kimono My Place, subsequent success and then fall from popularity in the mid-70s, through several subsequent revitalisations, all the way up to the present day with their long-awaited cinematic breakthrough, revolutionary musical feature Annette – throughout Wright keeps the tone light and the pace breezy, allowing a strong and endearing sense of irreverence to rule the day as fans, friends and the brothers themselves offer up fun anecdotes and wax lyrical about what is frequently a larger-than-life tragicomic soap opera, utilising fun, crappy animation and idiosyncratic stock footage inserts alongside talking-head interviews that were made with a decidedly tongue-in-cheek style – Mike Myers good-naturedly rants about how we can see his “damned mole” while 80s New Romantic icons Nick Rhodes and John Taylor, while shot together, are each individually labelled as “Duran”.  Ron and Russ themselves, meanwhile, are clearly having huge fun, gently ribbing each other and dropping some fun deadpan zingers throughout proceedings, easily playing to the band’s strong, idiosyncratic sense of hyper-intelligent humour, while the aforementioned celebrity talking-heads are just three amongst a whole wealth of famous faces that may surprise you – there’s even an appearance by Neil Gaiman, guys!  Altogether this is 2+ hours of bright and breezy fun chock full of great music and fascinating information, and even hardcore Sparks fans are likely to learn more than a little over the course of the film, while for those who have never heard of Sparks before it’s a FANTASTIC introduction to one of the greatest ever bands that you’ve never heard of.  With luck there might even be more than a few new fans before the year is out …

3.  GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE – Netflix’ BEST offering of the summer was this surprise hit from Israeli writer-director Navot Papushado (Rabies, Big Bad Wolves), a heavily stylised black comedy action thriller that passes the Bechdel Test with FLYING COLOURS.  Playing like a female-centric John Wick, it follows ice-cold, on-top-of-her-game assassin Sam (Karen Gillan) as her latest assignment has some unfortunate side effects, leading her to take on a reparation job to retrieve some missing cash for the local branch of the Irish Mob.  The only catch is that a group of thugs have kidnapped the original thief’s little girl, 12 year-old Emily (My Spy’s Chloe Coleman), and Sam, in an uncharacteristic moment of sympathy, decides to intervene, only for the money to be accidentally destroyed in the process.  Now she’s got the Mob and her own employers coming after her, and she not only has to save her own skin but also Emily’s, leading her to seek help from the one person she thought she might never see again – her mother, Scarlet (Lena Headey), a master assassin in her own right who’s been hiding from the Mob herself for years.  The plot may be simple but at times also a little over-the-top, but the film is never anything less than a pure, unadulterated pleasure, populated with fascinating, living and breathing characters of real complexity and nuance, while the script (co-written by relative newcomer Ehud Lavski) is tightly-reined and bursting with zingers.  Most importantly, though, Papushado really delivers on the action front – these are some of the best set-pieces I’ve seen this year, Gillan, her co-stars and the various stunt-performers acquitting themselves admirably in a series of spectacular fights, gun battles and a particularly imaginative car chase that would be the envy of many larger, more expensive productions.  Gillan and Coleman have a sweet, awkward chemistry, the MCU star particularly impressing in a subtly nuanced performance that also plays beautifully against Headey’s own tightly controlled turn, while there is awesome support from Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh and Carla Gugino as Sam’s adoptive aunts Anna May, Florence and Madeleine, a trio of “librarians” who run a fine side-line in illicit weaponry and are capable of unleashing some spectacular violence of their own; the film’s antagonists, on the other hand, are exclusively masculine – the mighty Ralph Inneson is quietly ruthless as Irish boss Jim McAlester, while The Terror’s Adam Nagaitis is considerably more mercurial as his mad dog nephew Virgil, and Paul Giamatti is the stately calm at the centre of the storm as Sam’s employer Nathan, the closest thing she has to a father.  There’s so much to enjoy in this movie, not just the wonderful characters and amazing action but also the singularly engrossing and idiosyncratic style, deeply affecting themes of the bonds of found family and the healing power of forgiveness, and a rewarding through-line of strong women triumphing against the brutalities of toxic masculinity.  I love this film, and I invite you to try it out, cuz I’m sure you will too.

2.  THE SUICIDE SQUAD – the most fun I’ve had at the cinema so far this year is the long-awaited (thanks a bunch, COVID) redress of another frustrating imbalance from the decidedly hit and miss DCEU superhero franchise, in which Guardians of the Galaxy writer-director James Gunn has finally delivered a PROPER Suicide Squad movie after David Ayer’s painfully compromised first stab at the property back in 2016.  That movie was enjoyable enough and had some great moments, but ultimately it was a clunky mess, and while some of the characters were done (quite) well, others were painfully botched, even ruined entirely.  Thankfully Warner Bros. clearly learned their lesson, giving Gunn free reign to do whatever he wanted, and the end result is about as close to perfect as the DCEU has come to date.  Once again the peerless Viola Davis plays US government official Amanda Waller, head of ARGUS and the undisputable most evil bitch in all the DC Universe, who presides over the metahuman prisoners of the notorious supermax Belle Reve Prison, cherry-picking inmates for her pet project Taskforce X, the titular Suicide Squad sent out to handle the kind of jobs nobody else wants, in exchange for years off their sentences but controlled by explosive implants injected into the base of their skulls.  Their latest mission sees another motley crew of D-bags dispatched to the fictional South African island nation of Corto Maltese to infiltrate Jotunheim, a former Nazi facility in which a dangerous extra-terrestrial entity that’s being developed into a fearful bioweapon, with orders to destroy the project in order to keep it out of the hands of a hostile anti-American regime which has taken control of the island through a violent coup.  Where the first Squad felt like a clumsily-arranged selection of stereotypes with a few genuinely promising characters unsuccessfully moulded into a decidedly forced found family, this new batch are convincingly organic – they may be dysfunctional and they’re all almost universally definitely BAD GUYS, but they WORK, the relationship dynamics that form between them feeling genuinely earned.  Gunn has already proven himself a master of putting a bunch of A-holes together and forging them into band of “heroes”, and he’s certainly pulled the job off again here, dredging the bottom of the DC Rogues Gallery for its most ridiculous Z-listers and somehow managing to make them compelling.  Sure, returning Squad-member Harley Quinn (the incomparable Margot Robbie, magnificent as ever) has already become a fully-realised character thanks to Birds of Prey, so there wasn’t much heavy-lifting to be done here, but Gunn genuinely seems to GET the character, so our favourite pixie-esque Agent of Chaos is an unbridled and thoroughly unpredictable joy here, while fellow veteran Colonel Rick Flagg (a particularly muscular and thoroughly game Joel Kinnaman) has this time received a much needed makeover, Gunn promoting him from being the first film’s sketchily-drawn “Captain Exposition” and turning him into a fully-ledged, well-thought-out human being with all the requisite baggage, including a newfound sense of humour; the newcomers, meanwhile, are a thoroughly fascinating bunch – reluctant “leader” Bloodsport/Robert DuBois (a typically robust and playful Idris Elba), unapologetic douchebag Peacemaker/Christopher Smith (probably the best performance I’ve EVER seen John Cena deliver), and socially awkward and seriously hard-done-by nerd (and by far the most idiotic DC villain of all time) the Polka-Dot Man/Abner Krill (a genuinely heart-breaking hangdog performance from Ant-Man’s David Dastmalchian); meanwhile there’s a fine trio of villainous turns from the film’s resident Big Bads, with Juan Diego Botta (Good Behaviour) and Joaquin Cosio (Quantum of Solace, Narcos: Mexico) making strong impressions as newly-installed dictator Silvio Luna and his corrupt right hand-man General Suarez, although both are EASILY eclipsed by the typically brilliant Peter Capaldi as louche and quietly deranged supervillain The Thinker/Gaius Greives (although the film’s ULTIMATE threat turns out to be something a whole lot bigger and more exotic). The film is ROUNDLY STOLEN, however, by a truly adorable double act (or TRIPLE act, if you want to get technical) – Daniella Melchior makes her breakthrough here in fine style as sweet, principled and kind-hearted narcoleptic second-generation supervillain Ratcatcher II/Cleo Cazo, who has the weird ability to control rats (and who has a pet rat named Sebastian who frequently steals scenes all on his own), while a particular fan-favourite B-lister makes his big screen debut here in the form of King Shark/Nanaue, a barely sentient anthropomorphic Great White “shark god” with an insatiable appetite for flesh and a naturally quizzical nature who was brilliantly mo-capped by Steve Agee (The Sarah Silverman Project, who also plays Waller’s hyperactive assistant John Economos) but then artfully completed with an ingenious vocal turn from Sylvester Stallone. James Gunn has crafted an absolute MASTERPIECE here, EASILY the best film he’s made to date, a riotous cavalcade of exquisitely observed and perfectly delivered dark humour and expertly wrangled narrative chaos that has great fun playing with the narrative flow, injects countless spot-on in-jokes and irreverent but utterly essential throwaway sight-gags, and totally endears us to this glorious gang of utter morons right from the start (in which Gunn delivers what has to be one of the most skilful deep-fakes in cinematic history).  Sure, there’s also plenty of action, and it’s executed with the kind of consummate skill we’ve now come to expect from Gunn (the absolute highlight is a wonderfully bonkers sequence in which Harley expertly rescues herself from captivity), but like everything else it’s predominantly played for laughs, and there’s no getting away from the fact that this film is an absolute RIOT.  By far the funniest thing I’ve seen so far this year, and if I’m honest this is the best of the DCEU offerings to date, too (for me, only the exceptional Birds of Prey can compare) – if Warner Bros. have any sense they’ll give Gunn more to do VERY SOON …

1.  A QUIET PLACE, PART II – while UK cinemas finally reopened in early May, I was determined that my first trip back to the Big Screen for 2021 was gonna be something SPECIAL, and indeed I already knew what that was going to be. Thankfully I was not disappointed by my choice – 2018’s A Quiet Place was MY VERY FAVOURITE horror movie of the 2010s, an undeniable masterclass in suspense and sustained screen terror wrapped around a refreshingly original killer concept, and I was among the many fans hoping we’d see more in the future, especially after the film’s teasingly open ending.  Against the odds (or perhaps not), writer-director/co-star John Krasinski has pulled off the seemingly impossible task of not only following up that high-wire act, but genuinely EQUALLING it in levels of quality – picking up RIGHT where the first film left off (at least after an AMAZING scene-setting opening in which we’re treated to the events of Day 1 of the downfall of humanity), rejoining the remnants of the Abbott family as they’re forced by circumstances to up-sticks from their idyllic farmhouse home and strike out into the outside world once more, painfully aware at all times that they must maintain perfect silence to avoid the ravenous attentions of the lethal blind alien beasties that now sit at the top of the food chain.  Circumstances quickly become dire, however, and embattled mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt) is forced to ally herself with estranged family friend Emmett (Cillian Murphy), now a haunted, desperate vagrant eking out a perilous existence in an abandoned factory, in order to safeguard the future of her children Regan (Millicent Simmonds), Marcus (Noah Jupe) and their newborn baby brother.  Regan, however, discovers evidence of more survivors, and with her newfound weapon against the aliens she recklessly decides to set off on her own in the hopes of aiding them before it’s too late … it may only be his second major blockbuster as a director, but Krasinski has once again proven he’s a true heavyweight talent, effortlessly carving out fresh ground in this already magnificently well-realised dystopian universe while also playing magnificently to the established strengths of what came before, delivering another peerless thrill-ride of unbearable tension and knuckle-whitening terror.  The central principle of utilising sound at a very strict premium is once again strictly adhered to here, available sources of dialogue once again exploited with consummate skill while sound design and score (another moody triumph from Marco Beltrami) again become THE MOST IMPORTANT aspects of the whole production. The ruined world is once again realised beautifully throughout, most notably in the nightmarish environment of a wrecked commuter train, and Krasinski cranks up the tension before unleashing it in merciless explosions in a selection of harrowing encounters which guaranteed to leave viewers in a puddle of sweat.  The director mostly stays behind the camera this time round, but he does (obviously) put in an appearance in the opening flashback as the late Lee Abbott, making a potent impression which leaves a haunting absence that’s keenly felt throughout the remainder of the film, while Blunt continues to display mother lion ferocity as she fights to keep her children safe and Jupe plays crippling fear magnificently but is now starting to show a hidden spine of steel as Marcus finally starts to find his courage; the film once again belongs, however, to Simmonds, the young deaf actress once and for all proving she’s a genuine star in the making as she invests Regan with fierce wilfulness and stubborn determination that remains unshakeable even in the face of unspeakable horrors, and the relationship she develops with Emmett, reluctant as it may be, provides a strong new emotional focus for the story, Murphy bringing an attractive wounded humanity to his role as a man who’s lost anything and is being forced to learn to care for something again.  This is another triumph of the genre AND the artform in general, a masterpiece of atmosphere, performance and storytelling which builds magnificently on the skilful foundations laid by the first film, as well as setting things up perfectly for a third instalment which is all but certain to follow.  I definitely can’t wait.

#movies 2021 #werewolves within #werewolves within movie #the tomorrow war #army of the dead #Black Widow #black widow movie #black widow mcu #wrath of man #fear street #fear street trilogy #fear street movies #The Sparks Brothers #gunpowder milkshake #the suicide squad #a quiet place part ii #a quiet place part 2 #awesome sauce

[that-sw-writer]

Could you do 19 along the lines of proposing or getting married to Kylo? I think that would be so cute :)

19: “It’s always been you.”

Word count: 2017

Warnings: none, just fluffy fluff

“It’s always been you.”

"Get to the hanger, we're going away."  Kylo had burst into your office, and you looked up from your datapad - confused.

"Is the base under attack?"  You asked, assuming that he was telling you to evacuate.

"What?  No, I'm taking you on a trip."  He furrowed his brow.  He never had been the best at distinguishing between his romantic tone and Supreme Leader tone.

"Oh..."  You were surprised, it wasn't like Kylo to just drop everything and spring a trip away on you like this, "I have a lot to do."  You then awkwardly had to tell him.  Being one of his generals meant you always seemed to have a never ending stack of work to do.

"And it'll still all be here when we get back."  He moved behind where you sat at your desk and placed his hands on your shoulders, gently massaging them.

You leaned your head back against his stomach, and small smile settling on your lips.

"Okay fine-" You sighed in defeat, it hadn't exactly been difficult to convince you, "I'll go and pack."

"No need, I packed for you."  He said, very matter-of-factly.

"You packed for me?  You, the man who can't even unhook a bra?"  You raised an eyebrow in sheer disbelief, your mind immediately dreading what clothes he would have picked out.

"That's completely unrelated to packing clothes."  He snorted, "Just trust me, I've handled everything."  He reassured you as he withdrew his hands from your shoulders, which prompted you to stand up from your seat.

"Okay, if you say so."  You responded in a playful tone, "Can I at least know where we're going?"

"Nope."  He smirked slightly, and led you out of your office and towards the hanger.

The whole journey you continued to pester Kylo in the hope that he would give you some clue as to where you were going, or even better why he had suddenly sprung this trip on you.

Your relationship was no secret in and amongst the First Order, after all he was the Supreme Leader, who would dare tell him that he couldn't be with a high ranking general?  Despite that, the two of you never made a big scene when it came to your relationship.  You would enjoy your time alone together in your shared quarters, but when it came to work an outsider would never even know you two were together considering how professional you appeared to be.

"Why.  Won't.  You.  Tell.  Me.  Where.  We're.  Going?"  You pestered Kylo, who was sat beside you in the pilot seat, a knowing smirk settled on his lips as you prodded him between every word.

"Because.  It's.  A.  Surprise."  He mimicked you, "Just relax, my love."

You and Kylo had been away on trips before... sure they were diplomatic trips, but that somewhat counted.

A while later you came out of hyperspace, and immediately when the planet you were approaching became visible you were beginning to understand why Kylo was being so secretive.

"Naboo..."  You said under your breath, and a small smile formed on your lips.  It was so familiar, it was home.

Kylo wordlessly landed the ship, and you knew exactly where you were.  You were in the lake country, on the grounds of your family's second estate.  You had spent many happy summers there with your parents when you were younger.  But that had been a lifetime ago.

"Why are we here?"  You quietly asked.  The estate was well-maintained by a servicing team, but you hadn't been here since your parents had passed away.  Since you had enlisted in the First Order to escape the pain of being on Naboo alone.

"I told you, it's a surprise."  He told you as he lowered the ramp.

You inhaled the crisp, fresh air which was a welcome change from the artificial air aboard all of the bases.  Despite all the time you had spent feeling guilty about running from your planet, it was nice to be home.

When you had told Kylo about Naboo and why you had originally joined the First Order, he had confided in you and told you that his grandmother had once been queen of Naboo.  You recalled seeing her statue many times when you had been younger, she was still a highly respected name.  It was just something else that you had been able to bond over.

Your own grandmother had been a trusted member of the royal court, and that was a job that your mother had later inherited.  You grew up comfortably on Naboo, but had fled before your time to take up the mantle came.

Being at your old estate in the lake country was strangely comforting.  You had always assumed that coming back would only resurface the hurt of losing your parents, but being there with Kylo, knowing that you had even just a small sense of shared history, it made it all easier.

You barely knew how Kylo had tracked this place down, he must have done some serious digging.  But then again the Supreme Leader had all the resources in the galaxy at his disposal.

Service droids arrived to take your bags to the master bedroom, which had been made up for you both in advance.  In the meantime you gave Kylo the grand tour of the grounds and estate, although there wasn't masses to see.  You were the first people to actually stay on the estate since you had left years before.

"I forgot how hot it is here in the summer."  You huffed, wanting nothing more than to be out of your heavy First Order uniform.  It was built for the cold atmosphere of Star Destroyers, not the humid lake country.

"I had something made for you."  Kylo responded as you entered the master bedroom.

The room had a balcony which let the natural light shine in and illuminate the room, it made a pleasant change from the constant darkness aboard the Finalizer.

"You did?"  You turned to him, and he opened one of the bags he had packed and pulled out a gown.

It was a traditional Nabooian garment, a casual dress made of the lightest fabrics.  It was an array of blues from sea tones, to sky tones.  It was incredibly made and reminded you of dresses you had seen women wear when you were younger.  It was beautiful.

"It's gorgeous."  You quietly told him as you inspected the garment he held, and he breathed out a sigh of relief.

"So you like it?  The tailors spent a long time on it."  He suddenly looked extremely proud of himself.

"It's perfect, really."  You assured him, "I'll go and get changed."

You took the dress from him and went to the 'fresher.  You were relieved to let your hair down - both figuratively and literally.  The standard issue First Order slicked back hairstyle never compared to being able to wear your hair loose.

A while later you had emerged, carrying the bundle of clothes that had been your uniform.  You looked as relaxed as you felt.  You didn't realise how badly you had needed a break, and how much you had missed your home comforts.  Not to mention wearing colours other than black or grey.

"Kylo?"  You called, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Furrowing your brow you went out to the balcony and spotted him outside, stood looking out at the glistening lake.

Moments later you joined him, approaching from behind.  He knew you were there but didn't turn around.  He had shed the outer layers of his tunic and was left just in his black trousers and undershirt.

"I always loved it here."  You said, leaning against the wall beside him, "I used to swim in that lake when I was younger."

"It's peaceful."  He commented, turning to look at you but just as he opened his mouth to say something else, he shut it again, busy taking in your appearance.

"Wow."  He eventually said, his eyes trailing up and down, "You look incredible."

Your stomach did flips hearing him say that, of course he always made an effort to compliment you but Kylo was a man of few words.  The way he was looking at you now, was the biggest compliment of them all.  Amazing what a simple change in outfit and hairstyle could achieve - then again the First Order drab uniform and hairstyle wasn't exactly physically flattering.

"Thank you."  You eventually said, for both the compliment and the dress.  Turning back to face the lake momentarily you took in the picturesque landscape.  "So why are we here?"  You finally asked.  Of course you were thrilled with the surprise, but it still all just seemed a bit out of the blue.

"Because I thought you deserved a break."  Kylo mused, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to your cheek, "And..."  He trailed off, and you glanced over at him with a raised eyebrow.

"And?"  You prompted.

He inhaled a deep breath, "And I wanted to ask you something."  He reached down and took both of your hands, turning you to face him, "I wanted to take you somewhere that wasn't a Star Destroyer, somewhere that means something to both of us."

You remained silent, sensing that he had more to say.  You simply gazed into his brown eyes, they had softened and you loved seeing him in such a casual setting.  Being Supreme Leader was stressful, he needed this break as much as you did.

"You know I love you, and being with you has made... everything so much easier.  I don't think I could have done it without you."  He paused, and you were listening with intent.  Kylo usually expressed his feelings through actions, so to hear him verbally expressing his love for you had you practically melting on the spot.

"What I'm trying to ask is-"  He faltered, looking down at the ground for a moment as he regained his composure, "-will you marry me?"  His eyes met yours again, and now he seemed more confident in his words, "Because it's you Y/N.  It's always been you."

Your brain had barely begun processing the words, but your heart had kept up with every single one.  You broke out into an uncontrollable grin, a glaze covering your eyes as you fought back the emotional tears, "Yes."  You quietly told him, and you could see his face light up.

"Yes!"  You excitedly confirmed, louder this time.

Kylo said nothing, but his face was showing a rare smile - you lived for his smiles.  He simply drew you into his arms and lifted you off the ground briefly.

He soon released you and pulled back just far enough to look at you, his hands still secured around your waist.

"How long were you planning this for?"  You asked, reaching up to press a short kiss to his lips.

"Longer than I care to admit."  He let out a small laugh, clearly still revelling in the high of you actually saying yes to his proposal.

"It was perfect, Kylo.  I wouldn't have changed it for the world.  Naboo, the dress, everything."  You sighed, running a hand through his black curls, "I love you."

"I love you too."  His words were mumbled by his lips meeting yours again in a slow, gentle kiss.

You remained there for a few minutes, breaking occasionally for air.  But you were more than settled in his arms.

"So..."  You eventually mumbled, "How long until we're expected back on base?"  A playful smirk crossed your face.

"Two planetary rotations."  He responded, as if reading your mind.

"Well, let's not waste a second of it."  You took his hand and led him back indoors towards the bedroom.

After spending a few nights together on Naboo you no longer felt heartache thinking about it.  You still mourned the loss of your parents, but now you and Kylo had made happier memories in the lake country, and it wasn't your last visit.  Despite having an official First Order ceremony for your marriage, you also had a private ceremony right at the spot where Kylo had proposed, overlooking the lake.

In the years following, you and your husband made frequent trips to Naboo.  He would visit the statue of his grandmother and you would just enjoy the break from ruling the galaxy.  Being a general had been hard work, but being Kylo's Empress was even harder.

But you wouldn't have changed it for anyone in the galaxy.

#kylo ren x reader #kylo ren imagine #kylo ren x you #kylo ren x y/n #kylo x reader #kylo x you #kylo x y/n #kylo ren request

[shadow-scenarios]

Omggg how you wrote out my request certainly surprised me but I totally enjoyed what you did with it!! And you said that you'd love to write a second part? Well, may I perhaps request that? 👀👀 (P.S.: I'm really relieved that you liked the idea haha, I've been sitting on it for awhile)

Hey again, simulationone!! I’m happy you like the direction I look it in. I was going to have the Reader become Akechi’s Navigator but I think that was a better direction to take it. Also, I tried a different style with this one, so I hope you like it!!

I loved the idea, it was so unique! If you have anything else that you want to request, you’re more than welcome to. By the way, this is suuuper angsty. If you don’t like that kind of thing, skip this post!!

Link to Part 1 here!!

- Nexus.

Trigger Warning: Major Character Death ;; Blood ;; Violence ;; Injuries ;; Swearing

Dance With Justice [2] | Goro Akechi

Perhaps there was a reality where she never had to hurt anyone. A world in which the Phantom Thieves never existed & justice was never an issue. Everyone could simply be happy without any concerns. However, thus was not her current fate.

This was never supposed to happen. She was going to die here, stuck in Mementos until she bled out.

{ Sat, 23 / 10 / 20XX }

Akechi had laid the plan out to her on this day: He had been given an opportunity to meet with the Phantom Thieves at the Shujin Academy. In particular, there was a panel in which a Q&A style show was being held. All they had to do was attend & imply they knew the identities of the Phantom Thieves before he ‘ inconveniently received a phone call ’. Afterwards, the group would be forcibly assembled in the Faculty Room & there they would unfurl the evidence. The photos the both of them had gathered & the video of them disappearing into the Metaverse.

As a result, they would be forced to stop committing their crimes after they took down the Palace of one individual in particular: Sae Niijima. He did admit that he was afraid for the life of his colleague because she was investigating the Phantom Thieves. If they were the perpetrators behind the metal shutdowns, she might be targeted next because she was seen as a threat.

However, there was one thing they were not to be informed about. The additional plan to arrest their leader as a warning of sorts. Additional police forces were to be sent out into the Metaverse & they would corner him when he was alone. It was quite simple but effective. All they had to do was cooperate with them.

This was all communicated to her over lunch in the school rooftop & she nodded, steeling her resolve.

{ Wed, 26 / 10 / 20XX }

Alas, the school festival came too quickly. The first day was ‘ unimportant ’, according to Akechi { although he did look rather embarrassed when she asked what happened with the Phantom Thieves... }.

It was about 20 minutes before the panel was due to start & she had already taken a seat somewhere near the centre. People were already gathered at this point because the Famous Ace Detective: Goro Akechi was going to be answering questions. Frankly, she found it quite creepy the levels most fans went to in order to see him.

Eventually the debate began. Makoto Niijima, student Council President, was hosting & essentially demanded answers related to his detective work reguarding the Phantom Theives. It was immensely impressive how he managed to dance around the answers, giving something vague yet satisfying. Was this is the life of a celebrity?

The question about the identity of the mysterious group soon came up. As her cue came, she texted him & there was the sound of Akechi’s ringtone going off. Silence spread through the auditorium in a strange mix of disappointment & comedic timing. After making a remark along the lines of not wanting to be trolled online, he quickly requested that a break be tacked on.

Quietly, she moved her way across the row & slipped out before the crowd could congest any corridors. The PE Faculty Office was easy enough to find, with many students easily offering directions. Slipping in before anyone else, there he stood.

“ Akechi. Are you ready for this? There’s no going back after we present the evidence. ”

“ Of course. The Phantom Thieves are a menace to society & by getting rid of them, people will finally feel safe in Japan. That’s what you want as well, right? ”

“ Yeah. Murderers aren’t welcome. ”

Once they had all entered, she presented the photographic evidence & introduced herself. Ryuji was in shock. Makoto seemed to be struggling to process the information. Explaining how both herself & Akechi had met, she pressed onto the point: Sae Niijima. She had to be saved from the mental shutdown culprits. An agreement of sorts was made by their rather stoic leader Akira. They would all work together to solve the cases.

{ Wed, 16 / 10 / 20XX & Thurs 17 / 11 / 20XX }

After the initial investigation into Sae’s Palace, keywords & location, these were the days of infiltration, so to speak. The Casino of Jealousy was vibrant & full of money. Coins were messily spread around on every single surface, posters containing snappy tag lines about how winning was key to survival. It was all so decadent. Cognitive shadows lined up for a chance to participate in the game known as the legal system. What a sick way to look at justice.

Despite the crimes they had committed, the Phantom Theives were very casual. They showed no symptoms of guilt nor doubt & insisted on these strangely flashy moves such as the All-Out Attack or the Showtime, in which they would defeat a bundle of enemies all at once. Although they were powerful, did they really feel the need to show off that much?

The other problem was their leader, Joker. He was tenaciously gripping onto both herself & Akechi { or Crow, was it? She never understood the need for the ridiculous code names... } to remain on the front lines to see what they could both do. Despite having bounds of energy at the beginning & regular breaks, it was quite tiring to keep having to constantly battle. Perhaps that was why she ended up being held captive by a Shadow.

It demanded Yen & safety. It was not a substantial amount of money & the Palace’s supposed ‘ Security Level ’ was not particularly high. She had seen how Akira had been picking through remains of the corpses of these beings, as they contained Yen. For some unknown reason during the negotiation, he simply refused to part. Apparently Joker, the supposed leader of the just Phantom Thieves believed some money more important than an ally.

Even as the shadow tore through skin & left almost fatal wounds, it hurt more to reaffirm her belief that the Phantom Theives were merciless.

Waking up was a surprise to be sure. To be greeted by Akechi in the nearest Safe Room asking if she was okay? It was very much a shock. He offered to patch up the wounds that were unreadable by her own hands & scolded her for being so reckless on that battlefield. It was good that both Queen & Mona were on hand, otherwise she would have died. Despite the presence of the other members of the group, this felt like a rather intimate moment.

The two of them kept having these strange moments: Delicately & intimate but as though something was missing.

A touch that lingered for longer than it needed to; Comforting words on a cool evening when she felt upset; Sitting within close proximity despite there being more space for the two of them than needed. Small signs that seemed to be hesitantly trying to convey something.

Even now as she paused to take in his appearance, it was startling. Dressed up in his princely regalia that was his Metaverse outfit, he looked rather charming. With golden tassels & a red cape, something about him seemed to just ooze noble. Though at times he could be slightly extra with the poses he pulled, Akechi was kind.

That was why she never saw it coming.

{ Thurs, 18 / 10 / 20XX }

Signaling for a meeting, Akira explained that they were going to write & send the Calling Card today. The debate about where to send it was long, strenuous & boring. After they eventually decided to be direct by mailing it to the Niijima residence, everyone disbanded for the day.

Aside for Akechi, who invited her to play Darts in Kichijoji. What a strange request.

The atmosphere was actually rather calming. At night, there were few around to disturb them. Handing over 800 Yen to play, the game began. It was nice to simply be able to talk about something unrelated to the Phantom Thieves for the both of them & although Akechi’s aim was unerring, she found it rather difficult to hit the tiny target, let alone land it in a specific place to score as many points as possible. After a while & with some expert advice, there was definitely some improvement.

By the time night struck, she had barely noticed until he had pointed it out. Everything was moving so swiftly. Offering to walk her to the train station, he was ever so polite. Until it rained.

It absolutely poured down with rain as the two of them descended the stairs of Penguin Sniper. Luckily, she had packed an umbrella into a crevice in her bag. The detective next to her? Not quite as fortunate as he sighed. Feeling bad, she offered to share & he accepted with reluctance after realising that it was better than the alternative of running home in the rain.

Being this close was both enthralling & embarrassing. Something about being forced this close to him was killing her. Akechi seemed to be doing alright, staying underneath to avoid both his hair & briefcase from becoming drenched by the cascading water. After a while that was in some respects a long time but in others not long at all, they reached the train station, parting ways when they had a difference in train line.

She knew exactly what she was feeling: There was no use in denial. Repressing such feelings would be more painful in the end. However, now was not the time to tell him. Catching the Phantom Thieves & saving Japan was more important than a high school romance. Filing the secret away for later, it was kept close to her heart.

{ Fri, 19 / 10 / 20XX }

It was almost too easy how quick everything was to fall into place. Putting on her best acting face was difficult but it was a believable lie, especially when most of the stress was based around getting Joker out alive. All their valiant efforts were for nothing. Similar to a spider spinning a web to catch prey, they had fallen victim.

After facing down the shadow of Sae Niijima herself on this strange roulette like battlefield, her desperate desire to achieve victory at all costs was her downfall & as she fell to her knees, clearly defeated, Queen went over to comfort her. Skull took Fox with him to steal the Treasure & once they discovered the numerous police forces that had made their way into the Metaverse, everything was taken up a notch.

Whilst Joker agreed to take the Treasure, thus becoming a distraction, everyone else would take the time to escape back to reality. A makeshift plan but one that would work in both her own & Akechi’s favour. Dashing along the protruding walls of the casino was thrilling as the group moved in sync, grappling along & weaving through like a natural born instinct.

Inevitably, he was captured. The leader of the Phantom Thieves, put behind bars. People would be safe from the mental shutdowns, they would no longer have to worry about having a psychotic breakdown. Without the branch that held them all together, there were no roots. As to not arouse suspicions, everyone parted ways until Akechi stopped her.

“ I... Know it’s rather late & we’ve just been to the Palace but there’s something I need to warn you about in the Metaverse. Will you join me in Mementos tomorrow morning? Preferably before school, if that’s okay with you, ” was all he requested with a ghost of a smile.

“ Sure, I don’t mind. Is there something else dangerous I should be worrying about? ”

“ It’s nothing too urgent but I thought I’d bring it to your attention since we are working on this case with the Phantom Thieves together. After all, we still need to hold the others accountable for their actions. ”

With that, she left. Akechi had always been a reliable source of information, so why would he lie?

{ Sat, 20 / 10 / 20XX }

It was the early morning. Despite the cold, she was in warm spirits as she approached the Shibuya line. Waiting there for her was the Detective Prince himself. Overnight, there was a decision made that once Akechi broke this bad news to her that she would change the mood by confessing. After all, it would be difficult to keep under lock & key.

Fading into the background as other students filtered in, they talked for a short period of time before getting down to business. Typing in ‘ Mementos ’ to the MetaNav was easy enough & there they were, standing at the dusty entrance.

Together, they fought their way down into a few floors below the surface. Although it took longer for them to traverse these levels due to not having a method of transportation such as the Mona Car, the Shadows were easy pickings for the two of them. At least, that is what she thought until two laser blasts from a ray gun burnt into her back.

Standing over her was a very different Goro Akechi to the person she had preciously known. What was once a charismatic smile that could charm anyone become a psychotic grin that looks unnaturally wide. Though she had once thought of his eyes as a storm of emotions, worries about the future & the safety of Japan, they were most definitely a typhoon, pulling victims in to tear them apart without a trace of mercy. Even as he called her a blind fool for trusting him & berated her sense of justice, the burning pain of the wounds that burnt through the Metaverse outfit were clouding her vision. She could have sworn there was the sound of someone walking away but there was too many sensations for her to clearly tell.

No one was going to find a dead body in the depths of Mementos. She found it morbidly ironic that her last thought was that she would never be able to tell Akechi how she truly felt.

Word Count: 2.3k

Publish Date: 06.10.20

#{ crow } #{ oh boy did I want to name this Dance With Justice 2: Electric Boogaloo } #goro akechi x reader #akechi x reader #goro akechi #persona 5 royal x reader #persona 5 x reader #persona 5 imagines #persona #p5r #tw: death #tw: blood #tw: injuries #tw: swearing #tw: violence #{ why is this my longest work what the heck }

[khiphop-stories]

Getting Off The Wrong Foot

[Christian Yu | Chapter X]

Warning: This chapter is quite long, consider it a double update, since I suck at posting regularly lol. A lot of things happening in this chapter, I hope you like it! Feedback is always appreciated!  Stay safe and healthy guys!

Previous Chapters:

Chapter I | Chapter II | Chapter III | Chapter IV | Chapter V | Chapter VI | Chapter VII | Chapter VIII | Chapter IX

”So…what’s up Jay?” You mustered his face through narrowed eyes as your suspicion grew. It would be a lie to said you didn’t think this was weird. Jay had just appeared at your office without prior announcement and insisted on having lunch with you, so now here you two were — sitting across from each other and finishing the last bites of your meal, pretending like you didn’t just have a huge argument the other day. You talked about all kinds of topics like you always used to with the exception of one. But it was only a matter of time until one of you had to address it in order to sort it out. 

“I-I haven’t been a very good friend to you lately…I guess I’m trying to make up for it,” Jay stuttered as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He was never really a big talker. That’s why a lot of people always described him as cold and distant, sometimes they would go as far as call him rude. He found it incredibly hard to express his feelings or show his emotions, but he always tried his best with you. You saw his efforts, even just the slightest attempt was good enough for you.

“It’s ok,” you reassured him with a warm smile. 

“It’s really not. I was a little bit selfish,“ he let out a long sigh followed by silence. “What do you mean?” You titled your head, blinking your eyes at him confused.

“Honestly? I really wanted Kiseok and you to get back together. I wanted for all of us to hang out like we used to do. I missed having you around. That’s why I pushed you into forgiving him.”

“I don’t know if I can forgive him, Jay.”

“I know,“ he nodded his head. “You don’t have to. He hurt you. You have every right to be mad at him. I’m not gonna meddle in your relationships anymore.”

“Relationships? Plural?” You cocked up a brow at him. Jay had always been a rather nosy person, especially regarding your relationships. He always gave you dating tips and it was Jay who played cupid, when both Kiseok and you were too shy and cautious to make the first step, even though it was painfully obvious to anyone around you that you had feelings for each other. Jay hesitated a moment before answering.

“You and Christian…” 

“There’s no me and Christian,” you let out a brief chuckle in disbelief, rolling your eyes at him. Considering what had occurred in the past between them, you understood why Jay bore a grudge against Christian, but there wasn’t anything going on between the two of you. It was merely sex. “I’ve told you it’s not like that.” “I know, but what I’m trying to say is…I wouldn’t mind…even if it were like that.” “Thanks, but that’s not gonna happen,” you denied it without hesitation. You let out a brief laugh. Whatever Jay was insinuating was so unlikely that it sounded ridiculous to you. Christian had showed no interest in you and he made it clear that he wasn’t looking for something serious whereas you were still struggling to get over your ex.

“I saw him looking after you at the launching party.”

“So?” “Live was about to perform. There were some issues backstage.” “So?” You repeated even more impatient than before, not understanding what he was trying to get at. “He should have fixed the issue himself or at least waited for them to get fixed. He’s part of their crew after all, but instead he went after you. Because in that moment you were more important to him than the performance.”

“You’re reading way too much into it, Jay,” you laughed, gently shaking your head at him. 

There must have been a simple explanation for this, you thought. Christian probably went looking for me to help fix whatever issues they were having and then got entangled in a conversation with me and he simply forgot his initial intention - and there it was again and this time you even caught yourself doing it. Yet again you expected the worst of him. You treated him like a person who was unable to care and show affection. 

“Whatever, that’s not the point,” Jay chirped in. “I’m just saying…don’t hold back because of me. If you like him, just go for—.”

“I don’t like him…not like that” you cut him off immediately. 

“I’m saying, if.” “There’s no if,” you strongly denied again. 

“Ok fine,” Jay laughed at your insistence. “Then let’s just say, whatever you…want to do, I’ll have your back.”

~*~

[Time Leap]

Out of everything that had happened the other day at the Nike launching party, it were Christian’s words that lingered on your mind. No matter what you were doing, the things he has said to you just kept following you like a shadow. The worst thing of it all was the he was right and you caught yourself doing exactly what he had accused you of. The moment you had met him, you expected the worst from him. He could have been the kindest and most caring guy in the world, yet at the back of your head he would still be the heartless womanizer. He never did anything that would justify why you thought so badly of him. But you let the past you thought you knew about him define him. You let the rumors you had heard about him shape the picture you had of him. None of it was fair to him.

“Hey.”  

The surprise was written across his face, his eyes and mouth were frozen wide open. It took a second or two for him process what was right in front of him. “I didn’t think I’d see you again,” his eyes softened at you and the corners of his mouth curled upwards into a small smile.

“I-I came to return your jacket.” You lifted the brown paper bag in your hands up, before handing it to him. He pushed himself up from his chair and took it back into his possession.

“Thanks.” His eyes never left yours. He didn’t even break the eye contact to check the content of the bag. 

“You were right…I judged you.” You paused for him to say something, but he didn’t so an awkward silenced took over. He didn’t give off the impression that he wanted to break it, so you continued speaking.

“I guess it would be a lot easier for me if you were the guy from the rumors.”

“Why?” He furrowed his brows at you, the tone of his voice reflecting the confusion that was on his face.

“Then I wouldn’t get attached to you,” you told him honestly and it felt like you were stripping down naked. You had never showed yourself so vulnerable in front of anyone, not even Kiseok. You had always keep your pride and dignity with him, but standing here in front of Christian you tossed all of that away. 

“I don’t mind if you do.”

You cocked up a brow and eyed him with disbelief as a quiet chuckle left your lips.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“You think I’ll leave? Well, I’m not. Whether we fuck or not.”

“So, if I were to say that I…wanted to stop sleeping with you—“

“I’d still listen to you whine about Kiseok,” he added playfully, a smile played on his lips. 

“Why?” “Believe it or not, I care about you and by the way Minhee, you already ended it.”

“When did I do such thing?” You furrowed your eyebrows, pretending not to know what he was talking about. “When you were trying to be considerate towards Jay’s feelings.”

“Doesn’t ring a bell,” you shrugged your shoulders indifferently. Of course you remembered, after all you had replayed the conversation with him inside of your head again and again. However, despite what you had said, you weren’t ready to give up on your only escape from reality. Right now Christian was one of the few things that you looked forward to and kept you sane. You weren’t ready to deal with your feelings and broken heart yet, running away from your problems was way more appealing to you. “I guess you’re taking it back then?” Christian nodded his head knowingly as a teasing grin spread across his face. 

He took a step towards you, shortening the distance between the two of you. He stared deep into your eyes. He cupped your cheek that was slowly turning red. “Does that mean I’m still allowed to do this…” He grinned at you before slowly leaning into you. You shut your eyes in anticipation, allowing him to do whatever he was going to do next. His soft lips brushed against yours, gently and slowly. Like a tease he pulled away, before you could lose yourself in that kiss. You whimpered at the loss of contact and opened your eyes again.

“Damn you, Christian,” you cursed at him as you realized he was just teasing you to begin with. “The guys are gonna be back in couple minutes,” he confessed, knowing if he gave in to his desires now, the guys would probably walk in on you. Although he pulled back, his eyes were telling you that he wanted you, right then, right there. “That’s my cue.” “Can I come over later?”

You both felt the tension. Your insides craved his touch. You craved his touch. You nodded once, a slight barely noticeable nod as you didn’t want to seem too eager.  With a grin on his lips he gave you a quick peck before releasing your from his grip.

~*~

[Time leap]

Christian’s gaze cruised your figure which he had done before - multiple times even - and you got pretty much used to his unrelenting stare, but this time the look in his eyes was different. He wasn’t admiring you, it appeared as though he was in disbelief mixed with a little bit of confusion.

“Don’t get me wrong, Min, you look lovely as always…but what the hell are you wearing?” With a chuckle he shook his head at you while he was still mustering you with his eyes.

Your eyes trailed down your own body. You really liked the outfit you were wearing. It was simple and casual. You wore your favorite t-shirt combined with a skirt. Then your eyes darted to him, scanning him from head to toe. “Why are you so dressed up?” 

He was dressed in a white t-shirt - nothing out of the ordinary - but the black suit jacket, black pants, and dress shoes made it seem like he was starring in a James Bond movie. “I told you my aunt’s a little bit extra.”

You blinked at him confused still not understanding what he was getting at. 

“It’s a formal party, didn’t I tell you?” “Nope.” you shook your head. Even your makeup was kept minimal, reserved to a sweep of mascara. You thought it was going to be a casual party as most of the guests were either family members or people who were coming as a plus one.

“Sorry, my bad. Can you change?”

~*~

You changed into a simple black dress which was much more suitable for this kind of occasion and Christian seemed to approve as well. He stared at you, unconsciously biting down on his lips. 

You walked to the table where you had your makeup sprawled. It was probably not that good of idea to change into the dress before putting on your makeup, but you didn’t have the time to worry about that now. You didn’t want to be the reason Christian arrived late to his aunt’s birthday celebration. You never used foundation because lucky enough you were blessed with even skin. But you did put on some concealer to hide away blemishes. Then you applied brown-reddish eye shadows and black eyeliner. Since you had already layered on some mascara you skipped that step and finished with a deep velvety shade on your lips. Earrings were fastened to your ears, before you clapped your hands together in content. 

“Ready!” You exclaimed enthusiastically, but you received no response from Christian so you turned around to check what he was doing. You saw him sprawled on your bed, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. When you stepped closer you noticed that his eyes were closed. It didn’t even take you that long to get ready, maybe a good fifteen minutes, yet he had already fallen asleep. He must have really had overworked himself the past few days. You gently shook him by his shoulders to wake him up. 

Christian jerked awake to see your grinning face. He immediately squinted his eyes as he was still getting used to the light.

“Shit, how long was I out?” He asked you, panic spreading across his face.

“Not long, but if we don’t wanna be late, we should go now”

He was still staring at you, his breaths becoming heavy and irregular. He pushed himself up by his elbow and got on his feet. Then he wrapped his arm around your body and swiftly turned you around. Before you could even process what was happening you felt his soft lips pressed against yours. You melted into the kiss, allowing him to deepen it. But you quickly snapped back and jerked away.

“What the hell are you doing? We’re gonna get late,” you reminded him of the time, but he didn’t seem to care that much.

“What if we do?” He hummed against your skin and left a trail of kisses along your neck.

“I don’t half ass things, Ian. If I’m gonna pretend to be your girlfriend, I’m gonna be the perfect fake girlfriend.”

“I’ll be quick,” he negotiated. He had already unzipped your dress by now and he was about to tear it off your body. “Christian Yu,” you warned him sharply. “Zip it up right now!” “Fine,” he gave in defeated, a heavy sigh leaving his lips. He turned you around and brushed your hair to the side, so it wouldn’t get caught in the zipper. The fabric of your dress tightened around your body again, but he didn’t stop there. You suddenly felt his soft lips brushing against your shoulder blades as he left a trail of wet kisses. His hand that was holding your hair earlier travelled down to your breasts, giving them a little squeeze before he pushed his lower body against yours grinding on you. “Christian Yu!” You shouted at him in disbelief. “Sorry, got carried away,” he quickly let go of you holdings his hands up in the air. “But we are going to continue this later, right?” “Depends on how you behave,” you stuck out your tongue at him and gave him a wink.

~*~

During the ride, Christian prepared you for the meeting with his family. He gave you a brief summary of everything you needed to know. He told you to definitely avoid his aunt if possible, because she was the hardest person to fool. She was known to have successfully set up some of his cousins, so she knew at first sight if there was some chemistry or not. He warned you not to talk to her without him being present to guide the direction of the conversation and help you out if you were in a sticky situation. You also made him promise that he wouldn’t leave your side. A promise as it later turned out, he wasn’t able to keep.

“Let’s get out stories straight. We worked on a project together. I was attracted to you and asked you out on a date. That’s how we started going out.”

It wasn’t that much of a lie. You did work with him on a project and he did feel attracted to you physically, you just never developed feelings for the other. Christian believed the more he stuck to the truth the easier it would be to fool his relatives. You didn’t have to remember too many lies and you could also improvise if needed. “That simple?” You cocked up a brow. “Why? You wanna add something?” “It sounds so…not romantic at all,” you said playfully as a chuckle left your lips.

“Then…how about…I fell in love with you at first sight and knew straight away you were the one,” he came up with a different scenario on the spot. “Now that just sounds unbelievable. Let’s just stick to the first one,” you laughed. “Do I need to know something about you?”

“My family knows me as a family man, so try not be too surprised.” “You?” You raised your brows at him in disbelief, trying to picture it inside your head.He didn’t give off the impression of a family man at all. He seemed rather independent and distant. 

“And they don’t know that-“

“You sleep around?” You finished the sentence for him. “Yeah,” he nodded his head with an awkward laugh. “And they call me Rome. You should probably call be by that name too.”  “Why?” “People close to me always call me that.” People in his private circle all called him Rome. Christian was the name he used at work. 

“Anything else, Rome?” “That’s it.” ~*~

“Ok, here we go,” he took a deep breath, before he lifted his arm and pressed the bell. His hand was trembling a bit. You hadn’t seen him this tensed before. “Why are you so nervous?” You mustered his face. As though his nervousness was contagious you suddenly began to feel anxious too. “If you knew my family, you’d be nervous too,” he chuckled drily. His eyes flickered around the place and he couldn’t stand still. He rhythmically tapped his foot on the ground as you waited for someone to answer the door. Suddenly he passed the present he was holding from one hand to the other and held out his freed hand, looking at you expectantly. It took you a moment to understand what he wanted from you and it made you burst out into laughter. “Are you serious? You’re so stiff, it looks unnatural.” You said in between laughter. 

“Why? Real couples hold hands, don’t they?”

“You look like you are being held at gunpoint. Just act natural!”

“If you were my girlfriend, I would hold your hand.” “You’re sweating!”

As you were bickering back and forth the door suddenly opened, revealing an elder woman. Her skin looked youthful, it was obvious that she must have put a lot of effort on keeping her skin looking so smooth. If you had to guess you would say she was in her late forties, but she probably looked younger than her actual age. Some of her facial features looked similar to Christian’s. Considering those similarities it wasn’t hard to guess her identity. “Hi mum,” Christian greeted her brightly. She was ecstatic to see her son, the corners of her lips rose upwards into a big smile. Without further hesitation she pulled her son into her arms, embracing him with her warmth. He took his face into her hands, inspecting him closely. “You’re overworking yourself again, aren’t you?” She nagged worriedly as she saw the big bags under his eyes and he looked visibly more exhausted than the last time she had seen him. But that was partly due to him being sick last week. He hadn’t fully recovered from his cold yet.

“And you must be Minhee,” her eyes wandered to you. She gave you a smile that just seemed so genuinely sweet that an unexpected warmth rushed through you. You immediately felt comfortable around her. “Rome has told me so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

You glanced at Christian with a raised brow, wondering what he had told her. This wasn’t even a real relationship, why would he talk about you with his mother?

You were about to introduce yourself politely with a handshake as you were taught by your parents, but she was quicker. She pulled you into a hug, gently patting your back. 

“Come in, come in,” she invited you into the house. She linked her arms with yours and pulled you along while Christian was walking next to you. Your eyes travelled around the house and now you knew why Christian described his aunt as extra. The house wasn’t that big, but the interior made you feel like a princess in a castle. It was beautifully decorated with attention to every little detail. In the living room, where the live of the party was at, you could see caterers walking around in their black and white uniform serving finger food and drinks. There was a huge buffet on the table which was almost twice the size of Christian’s car. Next to it were piles of presents. Christian walked to the pile and left his own present on top of another, before he returned to you. 

His mother began introducing you to a few family members and you also met his aunt briefly, though she had to disappear shortly after to take care of a few things. You didn’t know how you got here as everything happened so fast. But along the way you somehow got separated from Christian and now you were surrounded by his too curious female cousins and their friends who were peppering with questions about your supposed relationship with Christian.

“We all wondered what kind of girl he would bring this time,” one of them said and if you were being honest, you didn’t remember her name. There were just too many to remember. “The last time he introduced a girl two us was over two years ago,” another girl said. She pulled you closer and pretended to whisper into your ear, but she spoke so loudly that anyone around you could hear. “And between us, we didn’t like her that much.”

You furrowed your brows unconsciously as you recalled something he had said to you when you ran into each other in the club. He had told you about a girl who was obsessive and controlling. You wondered whether it was the same girl his cousin was talking about.

“She was a total gold digger. I’m so glad he’s not with her anymore,” they all agreed in unison. 

“She bled him dry.”

At some point during your conversation one of the girls pulled you to the side. You remembered her introducing herself as Christian’s maternal cousin. She was a bit older than you and judging from the golden jewellery decorating her ring finger she was probably also married. She lowered her voice as she talked to you. “You know, Christian’s like a little brother to me. I’ve known him since he was a little baby. He might be a little reckless and dim at times, but he’s a good guy. He’s got his heart broken really badly the last time. Please take care of him.”

You nodded your head and promised to treat him well. You did feel bad for lying straight to her face when she had asked you for a favor in confidence, but since you had already agreed to do this for him you had no choice but to keep the act up.

“Tell me, is he good in bed?” One of the girls asked you out of the blue. 

Hearing that question almost made you choke on the juice you were drinking. You coughed out loud to prevent the liquid from entering your lungs. “Excuse me?” You looked at her appalled by her blunt manner. You had figured she wasn’t one of his cousins and was probably a family friend, but you still didn’t expect such a straightforward question about your sex life.

“Don’t mind her. She’s had a huge crush on Rome since forever. She still fantasizes about him sometimes,” her best friend excused her brazen behavior.

“Whenever I see him I get dirty thoughts. I can’t help it,” she shrugged her shoulders unapologetically. Her eyes were still resting on you as if she was still expecting an answer to her question. “The sex is good, thanks,” you replied shortly. A memory of Christian’s exposed body flashed in front of your eyes, you felt the blood rush to your cheeks, blushing uncontrollably. Shaking your head, you attempted to rid yourself of any dirty thoughts that were crossing your mind. “That good, huh?” She smirked at you content with the answer your body had given her.

This conversation was getting more and uncomfortable by the second. You nervously glanced around the room, hoping to find Christian somewhere so you could escape from this interrogation. You needed to get out of this situation. If they continued asking you that many questions, to most you didn’t know the answer to, your little act might get exposed. You found him sitting at the table with his uncles who were having a drink with him. He quickly caught your eyes that were desperately screaming for help. He signalled you that he was coming over, before he turned his attention back to the table, probably excusing himself. Knowing he would be coming to save you, you felt relieved. 

“Sorry, ladies. I’m afraid I have to steal my girlfriend back,” he apologised to the females in front of him as he held you by your waist. He pulled you close to him and led you away from them. 

“You’re family is quite nosy,” you told him playfully as you let him guide you to an empty table. He pulled out the chair for you and waited for you to take a seat, before he sat down himself. As always he behaved like  gentleman.

“I know, I know. Sorry for dragging you into this. They won’t ever let me live. That’s why I don’t bring girls home.”

“Except for one.”

His eyes wandered to you, the subtle surprise spread across his face. In that moment he seemed almost vulnerable. “How do you know?” His gaze lingered on you. The expression on his face appeared rather blank as though he wanted to hide his feelings from you. It was pretty obvious by now that this particular girl must have hurt him deeply.

“Your cousins talk a lot,” you chuckled lightly. Christian’s eyes travelled around the room without aim, avoiding your gaze. He was reluctant to reply. As you noticed how uncomfortable this topic was making him feel, you decided not to probe any further. It was none of your business anyway.

“I told you about the over-controlling girlfriend, didn’t I?” He then said much to your surprise. You nodded your head slowly.

“She tried to dictate my life and to some extent I let her. I thought the feelings were mutual so I tried my best to make her happy and be the person she wanted me to be. I later found out she only used me for clout. She wanted my connections to the industry, not me.”

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled under your breath as you didn’t know what else to respond to this. You couldn’t have guessed from his exterior and the way he was carrying himself. But it was self-centered of you to think you were the only one whose trust was betrayed, the only one who had been hurt. He was no exception to it. 

“Don’t look at me like that,” he chuckled affectionately. “How am I looking at you?”

“Like you’re about to cry.”

“I’m not!” You made a grimace giving him a punch for that stupid remark.

“How did you get over her?” “Sex. A lot of it.” “Of course,” you rolled your eyes at him with a laugh. “So you’re playing with people’s heart because you got your own broken?” “Nah, I don’t play them. I’m just having fun. I’m honest with them from the start. I make things clear from the get go. It’s not really my fault if they end up expecting more.” “Well, you’re charming, kind and you treat them well. You can’t be surprised they actually fall for you and want more, can you?” Christian anchored his attention on your face, his eyes unmoving lingering on you. He let the silence take over as if he was waiting for you to say something else. “What? Do I have something on my face?” You blinked at him confused, suddenly feeling self-conscious under his gaze. “What about you?” “What about me?” “Are you falling for me too?“ He asked, his eyes locked with yours. [To be continued...]

What do you guys think Minhee’s answer will be? Are they developing feelings for each other? Please let me know! Looking forward to reading your thoughts! 

#christian yu #christian yu scenarios #christian yu imagines #khh imagines #khh scenarios #khiphop scenarios #khiphop imagines #dpr scenarios #dpr imagines #getting off the wrong foot

[lnarizakis]

critical thinking | a. keiji

masterlist | cards against humanity x haikyuu!!

pairing: akaashi keiji x gen!reader

foreword: this is around 2k words and honestly I’m kinda proud of myself like i think this is the longest fic I’ve written on here!! I hope you guys enjoy hehe

look out for: no warnings!

PREFACE. The setting: Akaashi Keiji and (L/N) (Y/N), with a painfully obvious crush on the former, are studying in the library. It’s one of the only days where the setter’s not practicing hard for nationals after school. They’re not really aware of the time, but it’s probably around 4:30. The sun’s shining brightly through the window, hitting all the right spots on Keiji’s face perfectly. He’s such a gentleman for choosing to sit facing the sun. It’s awfully quiet in the surrounding air, but between the two of them hushed whispers fill the atmosphere. From afar, it could be assumed that they’re having a heated discussion about the literature homework in front of them, debating the true meaning behind the significance of the light in the character’s eyes, but they’re discussing something a little unrelated. Well, perhaps the concept of “true love” could have been branched out from how (Y/N) suggested that the light in the character’s eyes could have been lit up because of the love he had for the deuteragonist, so in a way they’re still discussing the literature homework. But, no. Not really. I mean:

“Wait, so you don’t believe in true love? Like, the kind where you look into someone’s eyes for the first time and think— ‘Wow. I’m in love with them,” blurted out (Y/N) in a hushed whisper, absolutely exasperated with the fact that Keiji outrightedly stated that he does not believe in true love. Well, as far as (Y/N) interpreted the words “I really don’t think there’s such thing as love at first sight” goes, Keiji does not believe in true love.

“No, you’re getting the two mixed up. The kind you’re thinking of is love at first sight, as I’ve previously mentioned. True love is something else. True love is…” Keiji thought for a minute. He stayed silent, wondering what true love really is. He tapped his fingers on one hand, and played with his pen with the other. The notebook underneath both remained blank.

“True love is critical thinking.”

(Y/N) sputtered out, “You thought for a good one minute, and all you could think of what true love is is critical thinking?! You weren’t critically thinking there, Akaashi-san.” Keiji chuckled. That was funny. He smirked, as he let his eyes bring themselves down towards his still-blank notebook.

“We should get back to work, (L/N)-san. We’re here in the library for a reason,” Keiji stated, as a matter-of-fact. Dejectedly, (Y/N) muttered out that he’s right, and they get back to work. They agreed to disagree with their previous argument, about the significance of the light behind the main character’s eyes, and decide to write their own answer in their notebook.

After a good fifteen minutes, (Y/N) let out a sigh as they dropped their pen onto the table. They stretched out their arms, cramped from being used to write several paragraphs of pure BS-ing. Impulsively, they suggested, “You think true love is critical thinking, huh? Is there any way I can show you that it’s not all that?”

Keiji thought for a couple seconds, then pointed his pen towards (Y/N).

“See? I had to think for a minute if you were asking me out on a date. Critical thinking at its finest.” Oh, how he loved to tease (Y/N). They playfully rolled their eyes. “But alright. I’m game. Convince me, with everything you can, that true love isn’t all critical thinking.”

ONE. The setting: Akaashi was in his room, staring at his closet. It’s a neatly done closet, with all of his clothes sorted by color. He had just come out of his shower, and he had just finished drying off. His hair was still a little wet, but since it’s several hours before his first date with (Y/N), it’ll dry beforehand. He just needed to find an outfit. He had planned on doing so last night, but extended volleyball practice called and asked for all his energy to be spent. Bokuto just had to get those cross spikes in before nationals. He couldn’t forget, like last time. That was… a little embarrassing, to say the least.

He pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans along with a gray sweater that he hadn’t worn since his first year in high school, but it seemed to him that his shoulders have gotten a little too broad to fit loosely into that sweater. Looks like it won’t do; he might feel a little uncomfortable with the snug fit, and (Y/N) might feel a little odd with his constant shuffling, attempting to stay comfortable throughout the date. Back to the closet those two went.

Oh my. Black joggers and a hooded sweatshirt. Absolutely not. It was too casual. Keiji imagined himself wearing that while (Y/N) was wearing the nicest thing in their closet (well, perhaps not the nicest thing, but something still pretty first-date nice).

Keiji found a pair of looser jeans— but what to pair them with? He found a collared shirt and a lighter-colored sweater to go on top. In the depths of his closet he also found an overcoat, as well as an expensive belt the third-years of his volleyball team bought him for his birthday. He would definitely look nice with this. But wait— what were they going to do again? Just a simple outing at the cafe, right? This outfit was definitely too fancy for something like this. He couldn’t simply wear something like this at a cafe like that. Nope. Definitely not. Back to the closet the whole outfit went.

He gave up. He decided to go with the first outfit, the skinny jeans and the sweater. He was going to have a collared button-down underneath. He thought this would be best. Definitely. No doubt about it.

—

Walking towards the cafe, Keiji felt more uncomfortable by the minute. He felt his pants were too tight, or his collar kept unfolding itself every time he moved his shoulders. He felt like a clown in a circus; with everyone staring at him as he walked by different people on the sidewalk.

When he opened the door, he found (Y/N) sitting at a table by themself. They hadn’t ordered anything yet, but they were on their phone. Oh gosh, they’ve been waiting for him. It was all because he spent too long finding an outfit to wear. He really shouldn’t have put so much thought into that outfit. It was so unnecessary to think that much!

“Hey, you.” It was (Y/N). They stood up from where they were sitting, and beckoned Keiji to come closer, as he was currently blocking the entrance. He followed the little hand wave, and profusely apologized for being late, to which (Y/N) replied that it was completely fine; they actually had just arrived.

“You look nice.” (Y/N) broke the silence once more. They scanned Keiji up and down, smiling softly.

TWO. The setting: The sun’s setting and the sky’s a really pretty purple and pink. They’re walking home after what seemed like their fourth or fifth date. They weren’t really sure themselves, since (Y/N) keeps spontaneously asking them out on several dates. So maybe it was even the sixth. But who was he to judge, because right at this moment he stood underneath a street lamp that shone a bright yellow light with the love of his life. He was so proud to call them his. What he wasn’t so proud of, however, is how they haven’t had one, single kiss yet. That’s a little embarrassing. However, right here, seemed like the best opportunity to share his first kiss with (Y/N).

Uh-oh. How was he supposed to kiss them? Does he… place a hand on their shoulder? Or does it go on their waist, as he leans in and softly kisses them? No, that didn’t seem right. Maybe he places that hand behind the neck and brings them closer to him? No, that didn’t sound right either. Where does his other hand go? Does he keep it hidden in the pocket of his coat, or does he hold their hand? You know, for support? Or maybe he uses both hands to hold them by the waist. That seemed like the best option.

But wait— how does he… lean in and kiss them? Does he do it slowly? Just quickly give them a little peck on the lips and look away like a tsundere? Oh gosh, his lips were chapped; maybe he shouldn’t kiss them after all—

He’s given no time to think any more before (Y/N) leans towards him and places their lips against his. The kiss was a little forceful, and he felt their teeth, but it was still nonetheless wonderful. Once they pulled away, Keiji softly placed the tips of his fingers over his lips, ghosting the touch of what he had just felt.

“You just… kissed me,” he stated.

They smiled a toothy grin. “I did. You were taking too long; you were staring at me like a dead fish. Critical thinking, aren’tcha? It doesn’t get you anywhere,” (Y/N) taunted.

THREE. The setting: (Y/N) and Keiji stood outside the door to the gym, hand in hand. It was some time after practice had ended. The former felt Keiji’s hand getting clammy and sweaty, a result of keeping their relationship hidden for so long. Currently, they were about to announce to Bokuto Koutarou, proud captain and ace of their volleyball team, also being Keiji's best friend and closest confidant, that they were dating.

What was he to say? Akaashi was to word it in the most precise way, or else (Y/N) would get the wrong idea about what they meant to him, and their relationship might be extremely damaged. Or Bokuto might think that Akaashi’s setting volleyball secondary on his list of priorities, which is extremely worrying as part of the starting line-up for nationals.

Right on cue, the doors to the gym swung open. It was Bokuto. His skin glistened with sweat, a product of his hard work. He gave a long sigh, exclaiming his thanks for the cold air outside. His eyes were closed. Bokuto opened his eyes to see his junior and someone else that he had never seen before holding hands. Akaashi looked worried, to which Bokuto expressed his concern with an “Oya? Akaashi, what’s the matter?”

“Hi, Bokuto-san. My name is (L/N) (Y/N), and Akaashi and I are dating. We just wanted to tell you that.” (Y/N) blurted out, and Akaashi felt his cheeks grow slightly warm because of the sudden outburst of their confession. To Akaashi’s surprise, Bokuto laughed heartily. The ace clasped a sweaty hand on the setter’s shoulder.

“Oh! I’m proud of you, Akaashi. You managed to get ‘em! You’ve been crushing on them since forever.”

FOUR. The setting: It’s late at night. Akaashi’s older now; he’s a little more experienced with all of this “dating stuff.” He’s getting the hang of it— well, he should be, since there’s a little black velvet box sitting in the drawer of his nightstand in his bedroom. Akaashi has his own little apartment now, and (Y/N) has their own. They haven’t moved in together yet. Akaashi’s ready to propose to them. He’s got the best plan ever. He knows exactly what to do. There’s nothing that can disrupt the plan. First, he’s going to walk over to (Y/N)’s apartment, and they’re going to spend the whole day together, out and about. He’s then going to treat them to a nice dinner, which once they’re done, he’s going to present to them the ring. It’s going to be beautiful and meaningful. Memorable, even. Or, well, it was going to be beautiful and meaningful.

“You can’t sleep?”

“No… I had a nightmare that you left me.”

“Okay, come over and we can sleep together.”

Akaashi hung up the phone. Around ten minutes later, he heard a knock at his apartment door, and there he saw (Y/N), cold and out of breath. He let them in, and he led them into his bedroom.

—

And so we have it: Akaashi and (Y/N) were lying side-by-side on his bed, neither of them being able to go to sleep. The former setter turned to (Y/N) and they replicated his actions. He stared into their eyes.

“You know I love you, right? I could never leave you,” Ever the stoic boyfriend. (Y/N) still smiled softly, though, knowing he meant every word he said. Despite his cold exterior, his eyes radiate warmth.

“I know. I love you too,” they whispered.

“I want to marry you,” Akaashi accidentally blurted out. His eyes widened, and so did (Y/N)’s. Oh God, did he really just say that? Did he really mean it? Of course he meant it, what was he thinking?

Still in shock, (Y/N) asked, “Wait, do you really mean it?”

“I just… said that, right?” Akaashi let their question slip in and out of his ear.

“Yes. To both questions.”

Getting out of bed, Akaashi lowered his voice as he asked himself as well as (Y/N), “You’re serious, right? This is super spontaneous…” He reached for the closed drawer of his nightstand, and opened it up. He grabbed the black velvet box and opened it. Behind him, (Y/N) was sitting up in bed, wondering what he was doing.

And there he was, inching his way closer to (Y/N), holding out their engagement ring, to which they held out their ring finger. He slowly eased the ring onto their finger, face flushed with warmth and love while doing so. He looked up into their eyes.

“Looks like I wasn’t critically thinking there. Thank you for teaching me what it means to love from not just the mind, but also from the heart.” (Y/N) playfully slapped him on the arm.

“Keiji, you’re supposed to say that at our marriage, not right now!”

#haikyuuwritersnet #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!! x reader #akaashi keiji #akaashi keiji x reader #cadekagi