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#you should've see the whole scene
watermelinoe · 4 months
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like yes totk is technically much darker than other zelda games, but is there any emotional weight to it? when the plot consists of these out-of-context cutscenes that you can collect in any random order at any point in the game (or not at all) with zero impact on the plot or link himself? somehow the silly toon zelda game managed to make toon king daphnes of hyrule's sacrifice more heart-wrenching than king rauru of hyrule's, and the toon guy was literally a boat for most of the game
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tenok · 8 days
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#I want complaine not only about bad takes in this fandom but also about theories that just!! so!! stupid!! but also I'm a good person that#doesn't shit on other people's fun#so I mostly suffer in silence#and block people in bunches#'you see! this theory absolutely doesn't take agency from character and doesn't minimize emotional impact!'#says person about theory that roughly summariasized as 'Crowley AGAIN knows more than Aziraphale and it's all so SAD because if only#Aziraphale knew he wouldn't make this desicion!'#I want to scream#somehow it also never about what kind of monster Crowley would be to willingly hide memories Aziraphale supposedly erised and never gave it#back in whole four years they had before season two#like. maybe not be a cowards and embrace 'I was a pussy and somehow didn't get a courage to RESTORE MY FRIEND'S MEMORY with some kind of#VITAL INFORMATION that could've IMPACT HIS LIFE OR DEAT DESICIONS#and now he's in place where he could be abused erased or killed and IT'S MY FAULT' angle hmmm?#at least it could've made it interesting#but noooo#also how the fuck them kissing in 1941 should've impact Aziraphale's desicion anyway I can't get logic behind this theories#(the angle with 'memories are not about some stupid kiss but about what Crowley saw in heavens' could've work but like first: Crowley didn'#saw anything Aziraphale won't hear from Metatron in next scene or can extrapolate using base logic#and anyway if Crowley wanted to use it as argument he like. should've start with it and not with 'blah blah you're an idiot we should run#from earth'#AT BEST I could've get behind him giving Aziraphale some kind of weapon or possibility of safe out or like. hell's fire to self destruct as#last resort. but memories? and especially Aziraphale's memories??)#anyway yes it's me being a hater. I just have no place to vent about it but I sure hope that no one that likes this theories will see it.#you do you!!! but I hate it so much!!!
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depressed-writer9000 · 6 months
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I knew it was gonna happen and was still flabbergasted when it did
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dirkxcaliborn · 7 months
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I'd have to say one of the cutest, novel moments in a romance manga I read recently was when one of the characters noticed the other's behavior and thought it seemed like the other character had feelings for him, but then he told himself off for making assumptions about other people's feelings lol
#coyo speaks#it just felt like something you don't see very often#especially just like... where it's not a moment of him being all cool like I know you're in love with me yada yada#but that very grounded moment of like recognizing the signs but not wanting to make assumptions#I think the only thing I'd really criticize about that manga is that I don't think the sex scene was necessary#it's not that notable ig while reading it#but if you think about it for too long it happened way too early in their relationship#for context the one who caught feelings was a cat who ~wished to be human~#but like... he's been human for like a few months at MOST#He just has a lot less understanding and reference than your average virgin#and he wasn't the one who initiated and he seemed confused the whole time#idk I just feel like a character who has ZERO frame of reference for how relationships work should've properly taken things slower#although that's framed weird bc like I said it's not him that pushed things that fast#and I think it would be different if he was the one who initiated things where like maybe he doesn't really understand it#but he wants it whatever it is#I just really think he should've been setting the pace as the one with the least experience#as it stands I don't feel like he even knew enough to know what he wants#so for someone he has such strong feelings and trust in to be like 'I'm going to show you something good'#he's not very likely to contest that... if his partner says it's good and he can't really figure out his own feelings#then obviously it must be good regardless of how he feels#thinking that hard about random single volume BL manga is never going to turn up great results tho lol
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teagrammy · 1 year
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People who advocate for Alicent taking Lucerys' eye and actively say Rhaenyra's kids were less worthy of the throne for "not being pure Targs" or being bastards... Do you hear yourselves???
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britneyshakespeare · 1 year
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i have to be honest. i was filling in for a third grade book club this morning and i read up to the first seven chapters of the book (which is where they were) while i was on my half-hour break and i was thinking. man i do not agree with some of the messages in this book lmao.
#third grade angels by jerry spinelli#the cool teacher character tells them they're ALL responsible because two kids ripped up a woman's hat#fighting over who would give it back to her so they could be 'angels'#i get explaining intervene-when-you-see-something-wrong to children#but literally what could a child have done to intervene that wouldnt escalate that situation with their classmates?#tales from diana#there are some interesting messages in the book. i dont love the writing style (I GET IT'S JUVENILE ON PURPOSE it just bothers me lol)#(it's not the age demographic that it's clearly targeted to that bothers me. it's the tone. it tries to be cool in some weird ways)#(cant really explain wo going into page specifics... take my word for it it's weird)#but one of the things about being an adult working w children is telling them to mind their business sometimes. lmao#like if two children are getting into an argument--even if one child is clearly instigating it--you want the ADULTS to handle it or#for the kids themselves to work it out. you don't want to expand the situation outward. bc usually the kids aren't mature enough to handle#it on their own. understandably!#and these quarrels often end up distracting the whole class and you want to prevent THAT just as much as the quarrel itself.#but the whole class in that book scene was either fighting to do this woman a favor or just ignoring it#and ignoring it is frankly what they should've done#just let the woman pick up her own damn hat#idk it's a weird book#unrelated but on recess duty one of my after school kids from last year told me how much she misses me :'''''')#i miss them all too. my after school job was awesome. it didn't have enough hours to justify doing it forever but i loved it#my boss was a pretty good man too#he's retiring at the end of the year + so is one of my coworkers who i talked to today on recess duty#it was also nice to catch up w her. love talking 2 sherry.
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apricotesque · 1 year
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i deserve multiple awards for being able to sit through midge's storyline in this season actually!
#not to be dramatic!! but!! my god . . .#her writing regarding her feelings towards shy up until his wedding was. STUNNINGLY inconsistent idk#like everything from her revenge monologue to her anger and bitterness towards him except for that?? one singular scene#where she cries upon finding out about his wedding?? and idk maybe the purpose of that scene was probably to illustrate that despite#her resentment she still feels remorse for him but the way it was executed in the context of the rest of the plotline just felt#really out of the blue#and the way she acted at the wedding . . .#i will admit her apology towards him in the bathroom went a lot better than i thought it would? like it felt more resolved than i expected#but i honestly still struggle with how to perceive her apparent anger at him beforehand#i feel like it rests on how midge's “i was angry you left us on the tarmac because i wanted to apologise to you on the plane”#is meant to be intended?? if it was supposed to be seen as some kind of 'plot twist' like gasp she was angry bc she didn't actually get to#express her regret and explain herself towards him!! in that perspective the execution still felt. kinda poor#if it was supposed to actually be expected (although that's. probably unlikely) the execution also felt. quite poor 😭😭#god i don't know but i did still get the feeling that the gravity of the situation should've been reflected on more instead of focusing#on how bitter midge felt towards him the whole time#like. she TRULY fucked him over lmao i really have no other way of saying it she really messed him up#a very soft part of me wants to see it positively resolved in some way at least in the next season#but also at this point i have lost QUITE a bit of faith in the writing 💔💔#anyhow. idk. rest of the season was fine ig?? still processing but hey i discovered 'someone to watch over me'#ella fitzgerald's cover is very lovely :'')#the marvelous mrs maisel#na.txt
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lover-of-mine · 4 months
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People that want Leah and Walker to dye their hair have never actually touch their hair and it shows , I love dying my hair but I understand the amount of works it is and the fact you hair never truly comes back to the way it was and these are kids ! Why would you even think about wanting to make them do one potentially damaging to their hair when we actually have stories of young kids actors that as adults say they regretted doing stuff to their hair and also walkers curls and Leah braids are so beautiful, when she had the ponytail and pigtails there wasn’t a more annabeth look than that
Honestly tho, I don't think people realize that if they dyed Walker's hair, they would've probably be dyeing it every 2 weeks because of how light his hair is and how the roots would look, and that would be so damaging to his hair in the long run. And people are arguing that since Leah already had braids in, they could've used blonde braiding hair to make her blonde, but there is no point in making that, her braids following her natural color look perfect with the character. She embodies Annabeth so beautifully, her hair color should be the least of people's worries. And the way there are people who are mad they didn't put her in grey contacts too, like, do yall not realize you're actively telling a CHILD she shouldn't look the way she does??????? I knew I would be wanting to fight strangers on the internet over the trio but OH MY GOD
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inafever · 9 months
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On how much Aziraphale has learned since season one:
This is about character development. Inside of a story, everything that happens, happens for a reason. It's meant to tell you something, to teach you or the character of your story, something.
So if the story continues and your character repeats the same mistakes again you know that they are bound to be doomed this time, and even worse the audience is going to certainly lose respect for them, cause they have made the same mistake twice, they haven't learned anything, they're gonna do it again another time, they don't deserve a happy ending. (yes I'm talking about good omens here) So you don't do that to a character that matters to you and you respect even the tiniest bit.
A Lot of us here are thinking that this is what has happened to Aziraphale's character at the end of season two, that he has done it again, repeated the same mistake again and has left Crowley to join heaven and it's been because of reasons like wanting to change Crowley (not true, see this post), still believing in heaven's goodness (not true at all), not being on the same page with Crowley (I'm gonna talk about this one especially in this post) and such likes. But these are the things he should've known better about after 6000 years and all the events that we've learnt about especially throughout season two. (It seems to be rather the whole point doesn't it?)
But we all seem to rather believe that he's made that mistake again nonetheless. so what we're doing here is trying to find reasons to justify the mistake and somehow make the reason behind the wrong actions something relatable to ourselves so we can forgive him when the time comes.
In fact I don't believe that he's made a mistake. for Aziraphale's character to be redeemable, what he has done, must be the only option that he's had for saving them both. I don't care what kind of situation could have resulted in him making this decision, but the only reason, the one and only reason, must be his love for Crowley. Otherwise it'll prove that he hasn't learnt his lessons or doesn't love Crowley enough to make a compromise, and in both cases, he's not worthy of love. He won't earn his happy ending by being tortured and feeling sorry and doing the apology dance for Crowley if he's hurt Crowley out of selfishness and stupidity again
But I'm sure he'll earn his happy ending and I'm sure he's learnt his lessons and it's too late for him to have unlearned them all in a matter of a few seconds. (He is an idiot but he's not stupid) and it's mostly because of this, that I believe the reason why he made that decision, must be very different from what it appears to be on the surface.
Anyway, this post is about what Aziraphale has learned and how he's changed.
I have made a post about their moments of conflict from both season one and two, it's here and you can look it up. This is where you begin to understand how Aziraphale has changed since season one because these are his dialogues after he's had a fight with Crowley in the bandstand, season one:
"even if I did know where the antichrist was I wouldn't tell you we're on opposite sides"
"friends? We're not friends. We are an angel and a demon. We have nothing whatsoever in common. I don't even like you"
"there is no our side Crowley. Not anymore. It's over"
And then there's season two, when they disagree on what to do with Gabriel, Aziraphale is the one to point out that they both rely on the life they've built together
He's asking him to help him take care of Gabriel together and in response Crowley leaves
In the final scene he asks Crowley to come back to heaven
"work with me" "We can be together as Angels, Doing good" "I need you."
He says anything he can think of literally to convince him to stay with him and it doesn't work
We start from "we're not friends" and arrive at "work with me. we can be together"
Even if we don't know the reason why he's insisting on taking Crowley back to heaven with him, this is an Angel that has picked up the pace. That wants them to be an us. No matter what.
But these are only a few dialogues. I think there's more than that. I think the show in five and a half episodes (out of six) has tried its hardest to make the point quite clear about how Aziraphale feels about Crowley (or how strongly he feels those emotions). all through the way he looks at him and through his gestures and soft touches from time to time
I'm gonna make another post of those moments separately and I'm gonna link it to this when I do.
update: (here's the post. not just average moments of Aziraphale looking cute, it's something about the way he looks at him)
And I'd like to even compare those wishful glances to some of those from season one, but I can't, cause they are nonexistent in there.
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kleewie · 3 months
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i don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you (and i)
summary: dating tip? just don't. for celebrities, romantic relationships are absolutely forbidden. the slightest hint of one could ruin your career. but are you even listening to the lecture? doubt it, 'cause you're doing the complete opposite. (alternatively, a celebrity au featuring secret relationships.)
→ featuring: childe, & ayato (you can really tell who my faves are)
→ warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, slight cursing, established relationship, mentions of alcohol and drinking, tension, actual cursing, unreliable reader pov, gender-neutral reader (i apologize if i missed things, i haven't proofread it yet)
→ a/n: so, hi! long time no see? i was pretty stressed with college and well, i'm back! i began writing this last year and finally got the courage to finish it. but here it is and i hope you enjoy it :> please let me know if you like it <3 it really makes my day!
credits to @dumplingsjinson for the prompts!
beware, lengthy post ahead! more under the cut!
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the debut.
“forbidden?” you repeat.
“absolutely forbidden!” your manager says. “a rookie with no fanbase? a scandal will ruin your reputation! you're absolutely forbidden from dating anyone.”
you sigh. he's being too overdramatic.
you will never be in a relationship, you're absolutely sure. how can you? with no time for yourself as it is, dating someone with the limited hours you already have sounds impractical.
besides, you're too busy training and practicing for auditions.
remembering it now, you want to laugh.
i told you so, your thoughts chastise.
god, you should've listened.
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childe, the actor
“that's a wrap!” the director cheers.
your eyes glisten as you hold back tears. it's embarrassing, you think. so damn embarrassing.
you've been repeating the same kissing scene multiple times now. obviously, the director cheers for finally completing the take and not because you did a good job.
childe pats your back. “you did great,” he says, with a smile.
but you know the gesture so goddamn well. the same nonchalant cold grin he throws at everyone that he now directs at you? oh, he's angry alright.
for what reason? who knows. you're too busy wallowing in self-despair over how terrible your acting is.
the scene is supposedly simple. it involves the second lead, who happens to be you, confessing their love to the leading man, resulting to a spontaneous kiss.
yet, you're fumbling over the lines, acting so out of character, tripping over set, incorrectly initiating the kiss at awkward angles—the whole time-wasting squander.
“what's going on?” childe eventually asks, once he arrives at your shared apartment. his bag drops to the floor with a flop. “you're acting strange. the entire crew sees it, i see it, the director sees it—what if he decides to fire you? what will you do then?”
you swallow dryly. you left the set early hoping childe's hectic schedule prompted him to forget the whole issue. yet, here he is finally bringing up the conversation after what feels like a month's worth of tension.
as you sit on the sofa chair, your fingers massage the bridge of your nose. breathe in, breathe out. you repeat. don't cry. you try to calm yourself down as a sob tries to break through.
eight months, you've been a couple.
but, there are some things you're afraid to say.
each year, the biggest tabloid newspaper in the country releases an article on celebrity dating scandals. a month ago they released one single page article about a popular actor dating a newbie actress. it barely had any juicy details, just a simple paragraph of a somebody dating a nobody.
yet, it did not end well for them. and you're terrified; for when it could happen to you.
you imagine it. dozens of messages and multiple missed phone calls on your cell as your name becomes the next talk of the town. the headline reads: revealed! a nobody actress, the second-lead from the northland bank saga currently dates the nation's boyfriend, childe!
it terrifies you. you could lose your job. lose what you love doing the most. and you could get tossed aside like an old sweater under someone's bed, left to rot and decompose.
so, yes. you hesitated earlier at set because you don't want anyone to connect the dots. to look at the kiss between you two and notice something amiss. to speculate that there's more to your relationship than what meets the eye. to realize you look at him as more than a co-star. to see how much you're in love with him. to realize the both of you are dating.
“it's not easy.” you say, releasing a sigh.
two years you've been in the business. rookies barely get any roles as it is. being in a well-received rendition of an old romance drama is a once in a blue moon opportunity and you can't risk someone finding out about your relationship.
“camera shy? no—you've kissed heaps of actors for that school drama.”
you mumble, “two people aren't heaps of actors, tartaglia.”
“then what is the problem?”
childe saunters to where you sit. he leans towards you and presses his palm on the head of the sofa, trapping your body between his and the chair. childe's eyes meet yours and you instantly look away.
he knows you well enough to comprehend that look on your face. the way you hide your clammy hands behind you, the manner of your eyes staring only at your feet, how your body tucks itself into the corner of the seat.
“me?” childe whispers.
he places a hand under your jaw. his thumb softly pushes your chin upwards so your eyes meet his.
“why?” he pleads.
“you won't understand.”
“i will if you tell me,” he says, holding your gaze. seeing how you relentlessly persist on keeping your mouth shut, he shakes his head. “oh, please tell me.”
you hesitate. you tell him and then what?
you could say: hey, childe! i'm afraid of our relationship being discovered. i'll be hated by your fans. you'll be constantly drained by my crying and whining. your reputation would take a hit regardless of how popular you are and—and then he'll finally realize how exhausting and annoying it is being with you.
your self-deprecation loves to pull you deeper into its sapping embrace. you're nothing, it mouths. childe would dump you and find some other actor or actress to date. god. it would be so easy. with his popularity, good looks, and charming personality, he'd find a better and talented rising-star the moment he chucks you out the front door.
so, you shake your head firmly.
“tell me, please.” he whispers.
you cross your arms, and look away.
“are you sick?”
you shake your head.
“somebody hurting you on set?”
again, you shake your head.
childe pauses, “...do you have feelings for someone else?”
“no!”
“then what is the damn problem?”
“nothing!” you exasperate, furrowing your brows together.
childe takes your reluctance as distrust and it ignites his irritation. do you not trust him? is he that insignificant to you? what are you hiding? hell, did you fall for the main lead of the show, zhongli? or do you not love him anymore? god, he can feel himself suffocate in resentment.
is he so unimportant that you'd prefer to keep the problem to yourself? it makes his blood boil; how he'd do anything for you, but you'd rather keep it to yourself and suffer alone.
“tell me.” childe scowls as he watches your lips quiver.
you keep your mouth firmly shut.
“fine, hold your tongue.” he sneers, “i understand. i really do, baby. it's not about the cameras, the flashing lights, the audience.”
childe brushes his lips against yours, “you wouldn’t kiss me like that in public, though, would you?” he releases his hold on your chin and his sharp eyes meet yours. “it’s only behind closed doors when you care to act like we’re each other’s.”
with a hooded jacket in one hand and a face mask in another, childe swiftly leaves the apartment with a slam of a door.
leaving you alone with your wretched thoughts.
more under the cut!
despite walking out the flat hours ago, childe still reverberates jealousy and anger; pure envy at how normal you act around everyone else yet, around him you're too guarded; and angry at himself for saying those awful words to your face.
he smacks his forehead on the steering wheel. childe acknowledges how childish he's been acting. you aren't ready to talk, and he shouldn't be forcing you to speak out your difficulties.
surely, the stress is piling up on you. he knows the hours you've been working on set, memorizing lines, practicing moves—again, he thumps his head on the wheel.
stupid, he curses. control your damn temper next time.
he reaches for the box of blueberry cheesecake on the front passenger seat. subconsciously, he drove two hours (and back) to the bakery's main branch as its side branches were sold out of your favorite cake. and he knows how much you love the pastry.
however, his body slouches in the parked car outside the apartment. the long drive works miracles with his anger, but the courage to actually walk inside and apologize never comes.
the ding of a text draws his attention. ‘go inside and beg for forgiveness, brat.’ yoimiya, a fellow actress from the same company as him, says. the woman is always in the loop and well-informed.
a shiver goes down his spine. if you told yoimiya about the argument, he's absolutely sure you're furious. you'd only speak to her as a last-ditch effort; knowing her personality she'd pummel him to bits while you watch.
as a result, he stands inside the apartment, one hand knocking on your bedroom door. however, instead of tasting blood, he hears your stifled sobs. the abrupt sound convinces him to turn the knob and enter the room.
the illumination from the hallway brightens the bedroom, shining a bit of light on your face. you lay on the bed with your knees to your chest, with a blanket over your waist. your reddened cheeks and tear-stained eyes makes his stomach churn.
“please don't cry, baby.” childe cooes, kneeling by your bedside. he leans over you, his fingers gently grip your cheeks. “i'm so sorry.”
the sudden apology sprouts pools from your eyes. his thumbs brush the water off your face and softly says, “i shouldn't have said—please, don't cry. it's my fault for taking my anger out on you.”
“i'm afraid of losing you,” you whimper. “if they find out—oh god—they'll tear me apart. i'm nothing compared to you. i'd lose everything. i might even lose you—”
“never, i will never leave you. no matter what happens,” childe interjects.
you furrow your brows, sobbing. “i'm no one—too difficult,” you hiccup. “you'll throw me away. i'm too whiny and too draining. if they find out... you'll see all the comments about how ugly—”
“breathe, baby.” he settles himself on your bed and softly places you on his lap. “you're gorgeous. you're not draining, and frankly, you're cute when you whine.”
you bury your face into his neck and continue, “i'm serious, childe. you'll get exhausted. the articles will talk about you too!”
“articles, mhm. they're just articles.” he hums.
irritation begins to set in. was he this clueless? you release another sob, “they're not just articles. they'll nitpick every single thing you do! oh—look at this newbie getting together with childe. oh, they suck at acting! why is childe even—”
childe gently places his palm on your neck, coaxing you to meet his gaze. “are you talking about the tabloid from last month?”
you sigh, “what else am i talking about?” and instantly you sense his laughter resonate. “are you laughing?”
“you're adorable, baby.” he breathes, nuzzling his face on your neck.
“you're making fun of me! what the hell, childe?”
he releases a sigh, pausing his laughter. “the tabloids every month. they're paid. companies pay them to talk about their idols for publicity.”
your face contorts into confusion, “who would willingly—they talked about lumine all month because of the article! you know she's my favorite actress. why would they willingly put her on the spotlight like that?”
“publicity, baby.”
you shake your head, “it makes no sense.”
“oh, it does.” childe hums. “of course, they'd seek permission first. it boosted views for her drama, didn't it? lumine did say she got extra for the views and switched apartments.”
“yeah, wait—you knew this whole time and didn't bother to tell me?”
he chuckles, “that's what you get for keeping these things to yourself for a month.” he squeezes the bridge of your nose.
“you're terrible.”
“love you too, baby.” he teases, “and besides, if a tabloid threatened to do something—” his thumb gently traces the skin around your neck. “—i'll keep you safe.”
a soft smile graces your features. “...i'm just not ready for anyone to find out. yet, anyway.”
childe hums, “we'll do it on your terms, okay? whenever you're ready.”
“sure, i guess you can keep me for a while longer. until you throw me away and find the next rookie to—”
childe's soft laughter sparks a flutter in your stomach. he would never do such a thing. the moment he first laid his eyes on you on set, heard your beautiful laugh between takes, listened to your jokes while practicing lines, and god, seen your angelic smile? the things he would do to keep you as his.
“never.” a cheeky grin appears on his lips, “i'll take care of you.”
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bonus: five years later
your phone rings. the vibration continues on and off, signaling multiple inbox messages. you swipe your phone to see texts from several of your close friends.
‘i know you told me you were okay with it, but i didn't think he'd try to do it so soon. i tried but he's too hardheaded.’ says yoimiya.
‘congratulations! when's the wedding? i'm kidding. don't kill childe.’ says thoma, an actor from your same company.
‘sorrows, sorrows, prayers.’ says venti, your current co-star.
you even receive a message from childe himself.
‘good morning, baby. i'm completely fault-free. simply honoring your wishes as a devoted fiancé should.’
attached to a message was a link to a video entitled: please don't kill me honey.
you click the link.
the video's blurry, as if taken by a cellphone. you recognize thoma as the person videoing the whole scene, as he turns the camera to face him before focusing it on a woman—seemingly a fan of childe. she wears merch from his most recent drama.
a fan goes on stage chosen by a random lottery draw. the said fan wins the chance to interview childe, who was the guest of the day for talk show, and ask one question.
the girl hastily walks on stage, holding a microphone given by staff.
“um. hello, childe!”
the audience screams as the huge video screen focuses on your lover's face. he waves a quick ‘hello’ and the crowd yells louder.
the girl hesitates, “are you dating anyone right now?”
childe twists the microphone in his hands. “hm? right now... i'm not dating anyone.”
the crows sighs in relief, utterly happy their favorite leading actor continues to be single.
but you see the outline of a smirk flashing on his face, and you instantly know there's a deeper meaning to that sentence. “but, it's difficult to say... since we're not really dating as of the moment.”
quietly, you hear the voice of yoimiya whispering, “don't do it.” the camera now focusing on her, trying to get herself on stage. thoma flips the camera around to face it on himself, waving a hello, apparently enjoying the drama. he then focuses the camera on the wide screen, featuring childe's face.
to add mayhem into the mix, childe continues, “i don't think being engaged to your partner falls under dating. we're way past that.”
the interview ends with the audience screaming their lungs out in disbelief, while childe's laugh resonates the whole auditorium.
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ayato, company director
“oh, them?” ayato's steady gaze meet yours, pressing his lips in a tight-lipped smile. “they're a friend of mine.”
friend. it echoes in your mind, repeating incessantly. friend. friend. friend.
dread creeps into the pit of your stomach akin to a quick flick of a lighter. after all this time, your stomach lurches. is that all he thinks of you?
god, you need a drink.
the businessmen before you smile, prompting you to return the favor. subsequently, you humbly introduce yourself as just an ‘actor in the industry’. and they laugh. of course they do.
who wouldn't know you? a multi award-winning movie and television star with piles of nominations. so modest, they say. so kind, they praise. you grin, the smile not reaching your eyes, thanking them for their compliments.
but you're so accustomed to their fake smiles, ingenuine flattery, and sweet talk; you never truly know what's actually honest and real—eyes flickering to your azure-haired partner—no, who's honest and real.
you swallow the thought down.
as if aware of the invisible daggers thrown his way, ayato's gaze meets yours. his lips are pressed firmly together, eyes devoid of warmth.
not now, his expression conveys.
you narrow your own eyes, irritation burning through your corneas. as much as you want to start an argument in front of his investors, you agree to his silent insistence. after all it's his gala; one he's tirelessly prepared for over several months.
so you bite your tongue and smile: one honed by years of acting—fake yet strangely genuine.
it's not strong enough. you say, sipping wine with shaky hands. earlier, you left ayato to his fellow businessmen using the excuse of needing a bathroom break, a reason to which he obliged.
you stare at the elaborate party before you, wishing you could go home. the gala swiftly dissolved your social battery, aided by forced mingling and bitterness. a friend, your consciousness repeats. always a friend. so you sit on a chair by the wall, sipping drinks like water.
suddenly, the hairs of your neck stand on end. you sense his presence behind you, prompting a glance through your peripheral vision.
“careful, darling.” ayato's says, tone smooth yet laced with warning. “i'd rather not have you collapsing. your lovely face wouldn't compliment these filthy floors.”
you tense immediately, shoulders stiffening. “reverting back to pet names, i see?”
ayato's hand now rests on your shoulder, his thumb brushing your soft skin. “what seems to be the issue? i doubt it's due to the eight glasses of wine you've consumed in one sitting.”
you roll your tongue in your mouth, practicing the words. let's break up. you bite your tongue. let's see other people. besides, he wouldn't care would he? it's not as if he's been acknowledging you as someone he's been dating, has he? hiding your relationship from his business partners is one thing, but concealing it from closest friends? his family? that's an entirely different matter altogether.
a friend, he says to his business partners.
a star from the company, he answers to his closest friends.
a companion, he whispers to his family.
you're sick and tired of it. all of it.
raising the wineglass to your lips, you drown the drink in one go. you raise two fingers signaling the waiter for another drink.
ayato sighs and you think you feel his hand on your neck tighten, ever so slightly. “you've reached your limit with wine, dear.”
soon, the waiter arrives with three more glasses on his tray. ayato's disapproving glare compels the waiter to scurry across the ballroom floor, steering clear of you.
you click your tongue and begin, “who says so?”
“your fiancé,” he mutters, voice dripping with venom.
you immediately scoff. “sure. for your sake, i'll pretend you mentioned that earlier.”
before ayato could retort, the presence of another individual calls his attention; his younger sister, ayaka.
“brother, the sangonomiya heir's requesting your presence.”
he sighs, irritation etching his features. yet, you blink, catching a subtle shift in his expression—seemingly twisting from annoyance to something resembling relief at the mention of sangonomiya's name.
you swallow the bitter thought.
“watch them for me, could you? i'd rather not have them find a server willing to disobey my instructions and serve them a drink,” ayato whispers, his tone betraying a hint of tension that doesn't go unnoticed.
ayaka nods. her consent prompts the older brother to depart, heading towards the misty rose-pink heir who stands at the opposite side of the ballroom.
ayaka says the inevitable, “you should let him know it bothers you.”
“...i'm not sure what you're referring to.”
her gaze follows yours, observing the giggling and cheerful countenances of the kamisato and sangonomiya heirs. they seem to be enjoying their time together. as always, you remark.
“they're just close friends, you know.”
you click your tongue. “like how him and i are just friends?”
ayaka sighs, understanding your implication. “you know what i mean.”
sangonomiya's hand on your partner's shoulder elicits an exasperated sigh from you. “thoma told me they were to be married if i wasn't here.”
“the man always running his mouth—” she takes a calming breath before continuing, “—but brother's very fond of you. i'm his sister, i should know.”
“then how come after dating him for five years, he still calls me his friend.” you pause, a hand sliding into the right pocket of your outfit. you absentmindedly play with the engagement ring inside. “i'm his fiancé, aren't i?”
“he has his reasons. petty reasons.”
you bite your tongue. or he's embarrassed of you.
you met the kamisato company heir two years after your debut as an idol. as you shifted towards acting, you developed a close relationship with his sister, a seasoned actress from the same company. eventually, she became the bridge that strengthened the bond between the two of you.
you dedicated yourself nonstop, evolving from a rookie actor to a multiple-nominee and winning star; all in the pursuit of being able to openly show off your relationship with ayato without it tarnishing your reputation.
however, when you're prepared to finally reveal your relationship, he isn't.
and it leaves you wondering, is there someone else?
you mean, you're hesitant to doubt the love of your life. but considering he's kept your relationship a secret from everyone for years, it's obvious he's adept at keeping things hidden.
even from you.
and the thought sours your mood.
excusing yourself once more to use the restroom, using the premise of consuming ten glasses of wine, you bid adieu to your favorite kamisato (at the moment). you instead head towards a secluded balcony away from prying eyes.
you stare at the garden below. your eyes quickly blink back the tears threatening to fall. not now, you hiss. don't do this to me, not right now.
“i assumed you would have retreated to your room by this point.” his voice murmurs, unnervingly composed.
you turn around to see your partner holding a glass of wine. his features remain blank, inscrutable.
maybe it's because of all the wine you've been drinking. you can't seem to tell between what's real or not.
“what did you discuss with kokomi?”
“i wasn't aware you were both on a first name basis.”
“answer the question.”
he smiles, “business as always.”
you huff and wrap your hands around your arms. “of course. just business.”
ayato immediately picks up the anger in your tone. he lays his palm on your forearm, gently pulling you towards him. “look at me,” he pleads, with a subtle trace of irritation in his voice.
you turn to look at his face, eyes glaring.
“i felt your glares the entire night.” he begins.
you shrug, smiling innocently. “...what ever do you mean?”
“don't toy with me, darling.”
as he enunciates his answer, it's as if the final thread of your patience snaps. does he still continue to feign innocence and lie to your face?
last month he proposed and you were overjoyed. you then expected a shift in your relationship; the final unveiling of your engagement to the public. you gave him your permission, a definitive “i'm ready for everyone to know.”
yet thirty days later the engagement remains concealed leaving only a few of his friends (thoma) and a few family members (ayaka) knowing about your updated relationship.
if it was the ayato from two years ago, he would be delighted—ecstatic even—to reveal the truth. he might have used the gala today as an avenue to scream to the world, this person and i are in love.
but he didn't.
so the weight of your feelings began to drag you down; it almost feels suffocating in a way. as if a ribbon labeled, he's ashamed, tightly winds around your insides, intricately tying them all together into a sophisticated bow sowing distrust whispering; he's hiding something.
your suspicions, coupled with his frequent visits this month to the sangonomiya estate, fueled your frustration until it erupted. if only he ceased pretending innocent, perhaps you would able to smile through the whole facade.
if only he didn't ask.
“i'm not naive. if you developed feelings for kokomi then you shouldn't have proposed.” you snap. “was it out of pity? did you feel so damn guilty that you chose to go through with the engagement instead of being honest about your feelings?”
ayato furrows his brows, mouth tightening in anger. “what are you talking about? i discuss private affairs with kokomi. business affairs.”
you laugh; one infused with irritation and disbelief. “don't tell me then. keep your stupid secrets.”
“do you want me to jot down a damn list detailing every single thing i do in a day?” he growls. “i won't divulge company secrets just because you feel like throwing a tantrum.”
your hands drift to the tie around his neck, tugging the crooked tie straight. “no. go ahead and keep your secrets.” you pause and roll the words with your tongue, “you're clearly very good at keeping secrets. you’ve kept me—us—as a secret for so long, so of course you’d be good at keeping fucking secrets.”
anger flares across his face. “you desired our relationship to remain a secret, and i respected your wishes.” he sneers, “i wanted to let the damn world know how much i'm in love with you yet, it was the opposite of what you desired.”
ayato releases his grip on you and strides back into the ballroom, but he halts right at the door to the balcony. “so don't dictate when i should reveal the truth simply because you've grown sick and tired of keeping me as your dirty, little secret.”
he finally departs; and you stay, tears pooling, with a profound ache in your heart.
ayato waltzes around the room in a nonchalant dance; yes, good to see you. he lies. how's business? he couldn't care less. enjoy the party! no, he wants everyone in the damn room to feel his wrath.
although he yearns to set the entire ballroom ablaze, ending the party prematurely would be ill-manned of him. so, ayato continues being a gracious and honorable host.
but he feels hollow. he envisions himself freezing the entire room in an icy gust, everyone turning into statues. he wants to sprint back into your arms and plead for you to listen.
he doesn't understand what came over him. why he lost his temper like that. typically, he'd manage your outbursts with composure and understanding. what happened? he doesn't know.
he attributes his outburst to the mounting pressure. the chronic lack of sleep and continuous exhaustion coming from his title as heir. perhaps it's the truth gnawing his skin; despite his powerful position atop the company, it can easily be ripped away with the flick of a wrist.
instead of spending time with his fiancé—he doesn't know if he still deserves to call you that, you probably threw away his ring the second he left the balcony—yet here he is, engaged in conversations with business associates he cares little about.
“brother?” ayaka calls. she finds him leaning against a railing of stairs. “i closed off the gardens.”
ayato swallows. he last saw you sneaking towards the grounds. “they're still on the grass?”
“yes.”
“they'll catch a cold.”
“they will.”
he glances at his sister. “they think i'm unfaithful.”
“i know,” she says matter-of-factly. “have you offered them any evidence to convince them otherwise?”
ayato stays silent.
“i know you care about them, brother.” ayaka sighs, “however, surprising them with a specially crafted ring and being petty when your entire relationship is at stake may not be the wisest move.”
he sighs.
“most especially if they suspect that your frequent visits to the sangonomiya manor are fueled by romantic feelings for its heiress, and not for their own wedding ring.”
after a while, ayato spots you lying on the grass in a starfish formation, having finally swallowed his pride. his eyes glaze over your features: red eyes, cheeks marked with tear stains, and an exhausted expression.
“can we talk?” he begins.
you spare a quick glance before turning your attention back to the night sky. “there's not much to talk about.”
“i'm not cheating,” he asserts.
“i know.”
“do you know, or have you resigned yourself to not knowing?”
“hm,” you hum. “a part of me entertains the thought of you cheating. yet an even smaller part absolutely knows that if you were truly cheating, you'd be more discreet. who, in their right mind, would inform thoma that you visited her manor?”
he chuckles, a laughter-less sound escapes him. “i understand i've been secretive. you have every right to assume i'm up to something indecent. but i have my reasons.” ayato confesses, kneeling beside your body. he places his hand inside his suit pocket, pulling up a black small box.
you instantly sit up. “you're horrible,” you cough, eyes widening as he opens the box to show a ring. “this entire time you were—god.”
“i placed a special order,” he mumbles. “i visited each day to ensure it was flawless, right down to the smallest details.”
“i'm so sorry.”
“don't be, love.” he breathes, “you had your reasons, and i was insistent on keeping it a surprise.”
relief floods your features. “good,” you whisper before tears well in your eyes.
the sound of your sobs breaks his heart. he immediately wraps his arms around you, brushing his lips on your cheeks.
“i'm sorry, darling,” he murmurs, kissing the skin above your brow. “i'm sorry for worrying you.”
“goddamn sadistic,” you sob. “you knew i was freaking out, but you just watched!”
he grins, “i have to admit, you look cute when you're jealous.”
a groan escapes you. “don't make me throw away both rings.”
“is that so? i should've ordered twenty spares.”
“no.” you scold.
“oh? look at my darling, so jealous,” he smirks, nuzzling his face into your neck. you then feel his lips press into a straight line. “you're not something i would ever try to hide. i would never be ashamed of our relationship.”
you laugh, “prove it.”
your smile faces seeing the smirk on his face. in that exact moment, you know that kamisato ayato, the preposterous god in human flesh, plans to do something grand and explosive to prove you otherwise.
“do not.” you begin, “we've talked about this. you cannot—you absolutely will not bribe the government to declare our wedding date as a national holiday!”
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bonus: ten minutes before the clash
“is it getting warm in here, or am i sensing the intense gaze of your loving fiancé on me?” kokomi laughs, sipping a glass of champagne.
ayato takes a peek, and he chuckles upon seeing your irritated and jealous expression. “they certainly are.”
“please do not involve me in your lovers' quarrels. everyone knows we're just close friends.”
“they do.”
“have you told them?”
“...it may have slipped past my mind.”
kokomi shakes her head. “sadistic.” she slips a black box into his palm. “clear it up. i do not want to be murdered by your future partner.”
ayato glances at you from across the room as you engage a conversation with his sister. “mhm, i could, but their jealous expression is too endearing.”
“sadistic,” she repeats. “absolutely sadistic.”
he chuckles.
“also, kazuha mentioned that you've been referring to them as your companion. correct that.” she continues, “and stop calling them your friend!”
“they asked me to when we started dating.”
she rolls her eyes. “you're so petty. stop trying to provoke them!”
“anyways, everyone knows we're engaged,” he corrects. “their whining face is the cutest.”
“sadistic.”
“kokomi?”
she tilts her head and hums, “yes?”
“ever wondered how much it costs to propose a national holiday?”
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author’s note: lmao. so in this modern au ayato actually succeeds in turning your wedding date into a national holiday. the government actually appreciates his donation because a.) they always accept goodwilled (lmao) funds and b.) ayato's an important pillar to the gov and they don't want to upset him 'cause petty rich boy tantrums tilt the economy (how sadistic).
so, ayato's the heir of the company where you are employed at as an idol turned actor/actress. kokomi is the heiress to a big jewelry corporation. lmao they were both engaged together when they were like five but they instantly broke it off because well, they both threw five year old tantrums.
plus thoma telling you that they were to be engaged was just a fact he blurted out when you asked about kokomi (he manages to omit the five-year-old part because he's careless + he didn't think it matters because anyone can tell ayato's intensely in love with you)
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rpclefairy · 5 months
Text
𝐁𝐆𝟑 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.
a selection of lines from the various companions' banter quotes (not cut scene dialogues!) from baldur's gate 3. these are generally spoiler free and non context specific so they can apply to different settings and dynamics! feel free to change names and the like to customize the prompts.
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“Death can't have me. Not yet…”
“Calm yourself. There is plenty of me to go around.”
“Realmspace is vast. Countless worlds to be mapped, kingdoms to be conquered.”
“I have missed this. The adventure. The danger. The kicking of butts!
“Let me guess - you need something.”
“Such attention.. I never realised I was so popular.”
“Let's cook with fire, baby.”
“Do you intend to vocalise every thought?. Or just the most obvious ones?”
“Wherever we go, ye gods let there be something green.”
“Careful, or I will take your toy away from you.”
“Watch your elders and learn.”
“Perhaps try attacking the enemy?”
“So much we don't know, lingering in the furthest reaches of existence.”
“All the world's my stage and you're just a player in it.”
“The shadows are my friend.”
“Yes, yes, have your fun. It isn't you they're trying to kill.”
“Feet planted firmly on Faerûn, please.”
“Admirable stamina, yet terrible priorities.”
“Well you certainly have the 'omnipresent' part down, don't you?”
“I am ready, whatever may come.”
“My faith protects me.”
“Need a throat slitting?”
“Death greets us all - but not today.”
“You need my expertise?”
“Can you feel death's cold grip?”
“So many stars, so many mysteries yet to be discovered.”
“Death comes quietly.”
“And I thought we were going to be friends.”
“Locked tight, but there must be some way to open it.”
“No, you can't die. Get up, damn you!
“You had my attention, now you have my fury.”
“From silence to suffering.”
“So many worlds out there. You'd need a thousand lifetimes to see them all - more.”
“I hope this is important. For your sake.”
“Let them gaze deep into their own abyss, and wonder just what it is they are trying to achieve.”
“I ought to just burn this whole thing down.”
“We have slightly more pressing matters to attend to.”
“You have still have time to surrender.”
“Every kicked buttock, another step on the path.”
“Weave save me. I can't take much more…
“You are right to fear me.”
“Let me look around. Might be something that'll help me crack this thing.”
“Incredible, to think how many worlds exist beyond this tiny speck within a speck I call home.”
“I really wish I could cast a Hold spell on you.”
“I can fawn over my face later.”
“Ready for another round?”
“Keep your blade close.”
“I can't unlock it from here, but there must be a switch or a button somewhere…”
“No, that's not moving. There must be a way to open it somewhere.”
“Battle favours the fearless.”
“Sleep with one eye open, evil. Maybe both.”
“Gotta be something around here to unlock this thing.”
“Why do beautiful people taste better?. It hardly seems fair on the ugly - they have such wonderful personalities.”
“Oh, calm down. I'm happy to see you too.”
“Just go for the Magic Missile and fire away. Never fails.”
“Still standing, no matter what you heard.”
“Enough waiting. I crave blood.”
“Hang on - I won't allow this. You aren't dead, go it?”
“GODS, it's HOT in here!”
“No rest for the wicked, I see.”
“Better to hide than fight, sometimes.”
“Would that I could hide from you, too.”
“Are you feeling lonely, perhaps?”
“There is no right or wrong, only truth.”
“Battle is afoot - you can poke me once we are safe.”
“What good all this ethereal eladrin blood if I can still get pimples?”
“I should've been a drow. They have such stylish armour.”
“I am armed! Armoured! And entirely sick of your foolishness.”
“Let's have some fun.”
“War is an old woman's game.”
“No rest, be you wicked or wise.”
“I'm getting too old for this nonsense.”
“I would poke you back, but I fear that's what you want.”
“You have my attention - now do something with it.”
“You are insistent, are you not?”
“Do what must be done.”
“Your suffering will be spectacular.”
“Lest I sit down for a rest and not rise again.”
“Better to look evil in the eye. Even if it be very small.”
“I'm not built to crouch.”
“I think I could go another round.”
“Always the same old song.”
“Is perfection too much to ask?”
“Eyes on victory, tummy on dinner.”
“So many places to be.. and I chose Baldur's Gate.”
“I'm not opening that. Not from here, at any rate.”
“What is the point, if not victory?”
“Won't last much longer like this.”
“Let's hope the locals are friendly.”
“Let us show them how it's done.”
“Weapons high. Standards higher.”
“Must everyone be so exhausting?”
“What I would not give for a chunk of fresh honeycomb…”
“Which way to the nearest library?”
“Now this is my happy place.”
“Who shall I silence?”
“Stop, or die.”
“Wear your scars proudly.”
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animentality · 1 year
Text
You know that scene in John Wick 2 where he (John Wick) gets hit by a car and then he immediately fights the assassin driving that car, Cassian, and then they battle for like sixty minutes on the streets of Rome, shooting over cars, knife fighting, falling down a whole flight of stairs, and then grappling and grabbing each other on the cobblestones, yelling and grunting like a bunch of dudes having good old fashioned fun, and then finally they end up smashing right through a window and coincidentally landing in the assassin hotel "safe area" where they're not allowed to fight anymore...
and then they go and have a drink together?
I thought they should've fucked.
So I wrote a book about assassins who do that sort of thing regularly. Check it out here.
But I added what the scene was lacking, besides the fucking part...
Demons.
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The scene for anyone who doesn't remember or doesn't know it.
This book has:
an improbable amount of badass, LGBT, demon summoning assassins (the absolute best of the best being transgender).
a scott pilgrim style plot, involving one pansexual demon summoner having to fight all 7 of his exes for the sake of his newest contract.
a nonbinary weather controlling demon, trapped on earth. also, one of the exes.
a blind smartass with a nasty mouth and nastier eye-related powers.
a city on the brink of annihilation, trapped by forces unseen and unheard and unknowable.
the most bombastic and ridiculous magic system ever constructed by man.
and maybe...just maybe...an angsty gay time loop romance (the best narrative trope) but you didn't hear that from me.
It's dark, it's humorous, it's romantic, it's riddled with absolutely insane fight scenes, and most importantly...
It's unabashedly queer and unrealistic and silly and yearn-y.
And I'd really appreciate if you'd help an indie author out, with a sale or a reblog! Agents and publishers told me that it was too queer for regular audiences...and that the concept was just not very compelling.
They might be right, but it still had to exist. I still had to make it, anyway. You know. You have to make the art that you want to see in the world.
Anyway.
Sorry for the long post...you can check out my website for future releases.
And last thing: Character commission of the MC, our lovably slutty pansexual assassin Sebastián Monterey:
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And cheers! Sorry for the long post. Have a good night.
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astroboots · 10 months
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EVERY YOU EVERY ME: Issue #2
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Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x female reader
Summary: Your streak of bad luck continues as you find that the universe is not done putting you in harm's way. Luckily, you have grouchy Spider-man to save you.
Word count: 3,500 words.
Content: Slowest of the burn, near death experiences, the emotional whiplash of Miguel O'Hara being a rude bastard and a total softie.
Astroboot’s Masterlist | Series Masterlist | Spiderverse Masterlist
[Previous issue] [Next Issue]
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According to an article that ran in the New York Times: one out of every 40 New Yorkers will have a run in with a Superhero in the time they live here.
That might not sound like much, but considering that nearly 8.5 million people live in this city, it adds up to a lot of people. In fact, most in your friends circle have their own anecdotal story to tell.
I ran into Tony Stark at the Brandy Library and he asked me for my phone number. Bit of a sleaze but he bought our whole table a round of drinks.
Captain America landed on my Fiat on Manhattan Bridge. He dented the roof, but he was very polite about it.
Daredevil was hanging out at the fire escape ladder above the Meatball shop. Gave me tips on what to order.
It's nothing short of a miracle that having lived in this city for as many years as you have that this is the first time you've had a Supes encounter.
It'll be a great story to tell at parties. You fell out of the Chrysler building and were rescued mid-air. It blows all the other stories out of the water. Though, you'll probably leave out the part where he wished he'd left you to die.
You stare blindly at your computer screen. There are endless rows of cells on your excel sheet no matter how far you scroll. Uninterrupted numbers and reference codes for insurance claims that are waiting for your attention. But the numbers and letters all blend into an indecipherable sludge soup. All you can focus on is: 'I should've let you fall.'
Heat prickles your cheek, as you replay his words in your head.
What the hell.
That was entirely unnecessary.
You didn't deserve that.
Over the course of the last 24 hours, you've played the scene on an endless loop in your head, until the memory is worn and scratched like a used up VHS tape.
Did you do something wrong? You must've. Who has ever heard of a Superhero treating a civilian in this manner? You’re just a hapless innocent bystander who fell out of a building due to a supervillain battle they started. To blame it on you and then call it a mistake. Isn't that something a supervillain would do?
Gritting your teeth, you feel yourself seething of the memory of the windows next to you breaking and shattering out of nowhere as a bird-person villain with mechanical wings tumbled past you. Next thing you knew you were tumbling out the window. 
And then he saved you.
Did he mean to save someone else? Is that why he was so annoyed? But, you didn't see any other people falling from the building on your way down.
You replay the memory. Again.
The looming silhouette of his towering frame over yours as he sneered down at you.
He looked at you like he knew you. Like you had offended him with your mere existence. But you don't understand how. You've never met him before. Never met anyone who looked even remotely like him. You would've remembered a man with red eyes, they're not exactly common. Plus, you don't think you've ever met someone quite so tall. Your neck hurt with the angle you had to crane just to look at his face.
What could you possibly have done in your lifetime to piss off a Superhero you've never met before?
For that matter what Superhero is he anyway? You think back at the dark navy suit clinging onto every inch of skin, embellished by that bright angry red in the emblem of a spider.
Spider-man... 
Except Spider-man is known to be a swell guy with a great sense of humor. Not a rude asshole.
Aren't his colors inverted too? You pull up the browser on your screen and google "spiderman outfit". There's over 800 million hits. In all of them Spiderman's suit is primarily red with blue embellishment.
Whoever the guy is, you don't think he's your friendly neighborhood Spiderman that every New Yorker knows and loves.
With a hapless sigh, you click aimlessly on your screen, trying to look busy at work for the next twenty minutes until you can go on your lunch break. You go through the motions of your soul sucking tasks. Tagging each insurance claim into one of the following categories: approved/rejected/further missing information required.
Peering over your cubicle wall to the wall of windows, you spy the section that has been zoned off since yesterday. The broken window you were knocked out of has already been replaced, but there's still shattered glass and debris nearby.
Your stomach drops, the phantom sensation of the ground beneath you giving way. For a brief second you swear you can feel the weightlessness of soaring through the skies without anything catching your fall.
You stand up from your desk, solid ground meeting the soles of your feet to remind you where you are. 
The office.
There's a monotone drone of workers all around you grumbling and sighing just as unhappily. The quiet tip-tapping of keyboards of the working masses.
Is this the life you managed to escape death for?
Is this it?
It's kind of sad isn't it? You nearly died and lived to tell the tale, only to return to a life so unremarkable your brain didn't deign it necessary to provide you with any highlights (cause there are none).
The most exciting thing that has happened to you the whole of this year was being insulted by a grumpy superhero. The most you've wanted to live was during that span of ten seconds when you were falling out of a building to your death.
You glance at your clock, still 15 minutes before noon. You log out of your desktop anyway.
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You barely make it across the street from your office. The light is green as you cross Lexington Avenue when the screeching noise of tires tears down the street and rips through your eardrums.
A yellow taxi hurtles towards you at full speed. Through the car window separating you, the cab driver is staring up at you with wide-eyed horror. In that fraction of a second before the hard metal is going to collide and shatter every bone in your body, you only have one thought: Oh god, this is going to hurt.
Life doesn't flash before your eyes. All you see is the familiar blur of shiny blue and red.
Go figure that's the only moment extraordinary enough for your brain to think it's worth replaying before you die.
There's a blunt and forceful shove to the side of your ribs. Softer than you would've imagined a two tonne vehicle slamming into you would be. It doesn't hurt. It reminds you of that time you played football with your cousin and he body slammed you to the lawn. You've heard about this phenomena, the brain will try to protect itself by going unconscious if the pain is too extreme.
But there's no bright light, when you open your eyes all you see is the familiar shiny blue fabric.
A firm weight wraps around your shoulders, and you recognize this, the feeling of being held as you're pulled into their solid chest. There's not enough time for you to look up, you're slammed onto the ground, the solid warmth wrapped around you, absorbing the fall.
The pressure wrapped around you shifts then lifts away entirely. When you open your eyes for a second time, there’s no one there holding you. 
There's no one else there with you. Just the standstill traffic of cars and pedestrians gawking at you.
A concerned woman runs over to you, bending down to help you up on your feet. "Are you okay? That car came out of nowhere."
Your legs feel unsteady, wobbling as you put weight on it to stand up. 
“I’m fine, I think,” you respond, and look down on yourself. There are no scrapes, just a bit of dust on your work-attire from traffic.
"You're so lucky, Spiderman was there to save you."
You blink up at the woman in dazed confusion and it takes your brain a few seconds to process what she's telling you.
Spider-man...
In your mind's eye the flashes of blue and a vivid red invades your vision. It wasn't just your life flashing you by. Not just a figment of your imagination.
He was here. He saved you. (Probably not) Spider-man saved you (again).
A wave of gratitude washes over you. You take back every unflattering thought you had about the man not five minutes ago. Rude? Would a rude man save you, not once but twice in one day? No, of course not, you probably just misunderstood him, or misheard. After all, if he truly regretted saving you, he wouldn't have done it a second time... right?
--
When you get back at your desk, there's a post-it tacked to your computer screen, with an angry scrawl of a handwriting.
'Look BOTH ways before crossing!!!!!'
You stare at the note, and the way the word "both" is capitalized and aggressively underlined.
Rude.
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The universe is out to kill you. You're sure of it.
They say that death comes in threes after all. So no one can blame you for being a little bit on the edge after you've gone two for two within the time span of 24 hours.
You stay away from windows in tall buildings. You look both ways, twice, before crossing the street. You try to go straight home from work the minute you clock out from work, turning down any and all initiations with friends to go out after out of precaution. It's just not worth the risk.
And for a while it seems to work. For a while, there are no more incidents. A week goes by and your nerves start to settle and you are lulled into a temporary sense of security before it all goes to shits.
A ceramic flower pot on a windowsill tumbling off the sixth floor of a brown house by Chelsea that would have dropped on your head and split your skull if someone hadn't bumped into you from behind that you weren’t able to catch sight of.
A piece of scaffolding that comes loose and falls from a construction site in West Village as you happened to walk past, and would have been crushed under if you weren’t tackled away at the last second by someone who fled the scene before you could thank them.
A hot dog cart runs amok, hurtling downhill towards you between 184th and 190th street in Manhattan when the cart suddenly out of nowhere, against the very laws of physics like it’s being pulled by an invisible force and changes direction mere inches in front of you, hurtling through the air and crashing into the windows of a bodega instead.
Each and every incident leaves you with an ever growing sense of paranoia that this cannot be explained away by being merely pure bad luck. There are cosmic forces at force that clearly want you dead.
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On Thursday, there are leftover cupcakes from a client conference. Mary, the secretary in your team, boxes up four of them for you and tells you to take them with you, because, "you've had a rough week, toots."
It’s not a flattering assessment of you, but when you see your own reflection in the mirrors of the office toilets, you can’t help but think it’s an accurate one. You look rough. Eyes bloodshot with deep furrowed lines underneath. Your face is gaunter than you remember seeing it too. 
You take the cupcakes. 
It's the first good thing that has happened to you all week, and as small of a comfort it is, you take it as a win.
You eye the box from your desk the rest of the day, squirreled away in your tiny cubicle. You are determined not to eat one while at work. Because you'll be damned if Matt from accounting catches a whiff of your cupcakes and asks you to share one with him. You want to properly savor them in the comfort of your home at the end of the day.
But as often is the case when you have something to look forward to, the seconds, minutes and hours tick away with a reluctant drag as if time itself knew you wanted the day to end faster and decided it'd be fun to flip yet another cosmic middle finger in your direction. 
When it's finally time to end work, you get off your chair so forcefully it knocks it to the floor. You are practically jogging through the lanes of cubicles to get to the elevator, and nearly smack the security guard on the other side with how hard you swing open the front door. 
It's pouring outside, which, of course it is. You take off your jacket and cover your cupcake box with it, because you're not going to let the universe ruin the one good thing you've got going for you this week, as you run towards the station.
The moment you step into the damp and sticky station any remaining sense of joy in you evaporates. There's a hoard of tourists swarming the subway paying no attention to their surroundings. Tourists wearing their caps and backpacks and wheelies knocking over a 'Caution Wet Floor ' sign as they gather in a throng in front of the subway map, blocking the way as you hear the train approach.
It's not that big of a deal. A train comes every two to five minutes, and if you miss this one, you'll just get on the next one. It's not the end of the world. Logically, you know that. Emotionally and spiritually however, the world around you has just taken a little bit too much from you for you to concede to this minor little loss.
You are going to make this goddamned train.
Taking a determined step forward, you shoulder and push your way through the throng of people to fight your way to the front of the track.
You push a little too hard. Your feet skid across the slippery tiles, leg buckling from your own weight and you lose control, tumbling forward.
In your peripheral view there's a blinding light approaching. There's wind beating the sides of your face, and you can hear the screeching metal of the train right next to you. Your foot drops into empty space and you are falling into the tracks. 
Oh god why...
Why?
You just want to live.
The cupcake box flies out of your grip, splattered somewhere across the front pane of the train. There's a hard tug on your shirt as an invisible force you cannot see yanks you back, hard.
Your head whips back and for a fraction of a second, there are crimson eyes staring back down at you, you blink and then it's gone.
You land on your ass with a bruising force to your tailbone with a bone-breaking thud. The subway whizzes by with a demonic roar past you, inches from where you're sprawled on your ass on the dirty tiles of the subway station.
In front of your feet, there's a long streak of white frosting trailing down from your feet to the tracks of what looks like a crime scene.
Maybe it's the stress. Maybe you've just had a bad night of sleep (after many successive bad nights with little to no sleep). But something in you breaks at the sight of the frosting smeared across the dirty subway tiles.
Your eyes sting with exhaustion. Chest drawing in tight with a crumbling ache that makes you want to curl up on the cold tiles. You're just so tired.
There are people around you staring at you. No one in their right mind who lives in New York would sit on the floor of the subway.
But your legs are heavy and numb. You can’t move from the spot. Everything tastes like bile. You try to swallow and force it back down but it's no use, your throat has swollen shut. Your cheeks run wet and you press your palms to your eyes to make it stop but that only seems to make it worse. Snot runs down your nose and drips down your wrist. You're crying and you don't know how to stop.
Is this the rest of your life?
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In the morning, you wake in your bed with a sore ache that gnaws at your bones. Swollen eyes and a soreness that scratches the lining of your throat.
Your back hurts, and as you try to turn to your side to get out of bed a sharp pain surges up along your entire spine.
Fuck.
It's too bright. The sunlight is offensive. It stings your eyes and makes you sick to your stomach. You only have vague memories of how you made it back home. Feet shuffling through the subway in a daze like the walking dead.
God is that what you are? A dead man woman walking?
You crane your head and catch a glimpse of your clock on the bedside table. 9.13 You're late for work. But that's mind as well, you don't have it in you to make it in.
What's the point anyhow? You hate that place.
Besides, if the subway on the way over doesn't finish off the job this time around, then eventually a taxi will. Failing that the universe is probably going to send over a ninja assassin rat from the subway to come after your life.
There's a soft breeze coming in from the open window that grazes the back of your neck and you turn your head towards it. All you can see from your window is the brick wall of the neighboring building. Even though your apartment is on the sixth floor, you can't see a speck of the New York skyline.
Still the breeze is nice, though you don't remember opening the window last night. You never usually do. It is silly and paranoid. No human robber could possibly climb up your six storey building just to climb into your window and rob you. If they could, they’d find that there isn’t much to rob in your apartment, the most valuable thing you own is a complete Le Creuset Cookware set. 
Your eyes glaze over your work tote bag on the floor next to the window, drifting upwards and spot the pink box sat on the window sill and you stop. 
You didn’t put that there. 
You sit upright in your bed, setting your feet to the floor and force yourself to leave your bed as you pad over to the open window.
It's a fancy looking thing. Baby pink, and chiffon ribbon on its side. Wrapping your pinkie around it, you tug it loose. You perch your thumb against the corner of the lid when you stop.
It's not another one of the universe's assassination attempts is it? You're not going to open it to find a bomb ticking down are you?
You hesitate for another moment, taking a deep calming breath before you gather the courage to finally lift the lid. Inside, there is a gorgeous display of cupcakes adorned with white and pink frosting, topped with strawberries, chocolate shavings and on two of them there's mini macarons.
Way fancier than the day old Costco cupcakes you'd lost yesterday.
Picking up one, you take a bite. The frosting is light and zesty. The refreshing lemon melts on the tip of your tongue as the buttery cream floods your mouth with the rich flavor. It's the best thing you've ever tasted.
Lifting the box, you check the sides of it to see if there's any note left behind, but there's none.
Gladis Bakery. It's from a bakery you've never heard of before. When you google the name the place is outside of New Jersey, 58 minutes away and you would need to take a subway then switch to a tram.
There's no note attached, but you don't need one. The list of candidates who would be physically able to climb up six floors up the bricks of your apartment building to leave cupcakes on your window isn’t a long one. 
Something warm blooms in your chest at the thought, and your fingers linger on the top of the box, savoring the taste of lemon and sugar still lingering on your tongue.
You put your head out the window, not sure what you're expecting to find but find yourself disappointed all the same when there's nothing there. No people in the quiet street below, and nothing unusual above.
"Thank you for uhm... saving me,” you say into the silence with nothing but the traffic noise below to answer you. 
 “And the cupcakes," you add. 
There's no reply. 
~ To be continued.
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the-dixon-effect · 10 months
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The way back home
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summary: While out looking for Sophia, Y/N is attacked in the woods by a group of men. After managing to fight them off, she heads towards the farm and is noticeably... changed.
word count: 1.5k
pairing: Daryl Dixon x f!reader
warnings: blood, gore, weapons, fainting, usual twd stuff
Your ears were ringing and your vision blurred. Four bodies lay on the ground in a formation that was anything but neat. From head to toe, you were covered in a thick layer of red. Unbeknownst to you, who stood motionless in a bloody trance, you could've easily been mistaken for a character in a cheap horror movie.
You blinked, once, twice. What the hell just happened? You inspected the nightmarish scene and suddenly it was coming back. You had been searching for Carol's little girl... what was her name? Sophia, yes. The last thing you remembered was a dirty hand covering your mouth before you reached for your knife... and the rest was a blur. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that you shot two of the guys with your short-range pistol, one in the head and one in the neck. You scrambled for your knife, which should've been tucked away in its holster, but instead, you spotted it plunged deep into the skull of one of the sickos who came at you. There was a single body left. The largest of the four men bore a filthy grey t-shirt, camo pants and combat boots. You rolled his limp body over to discover a big pool of dark red blood. You had... you had slashed his neck open. Suddenly you felt a pit in your stomach rise to your mouth and- you were about to be sick.
After expelling the only energy you had left in your body, you realised at once what that familiar growling meant, coming from a few metres away. Shit, you thought, you had to get out of here now before the men you killed start trying to kill you again, in a much more gruesome way.
You ran and ran, and could only hope you were going in the right direction. Collapsing beneath a tree, you glanced at your clothes and noticed your loose white tank top was stained completely red. After a little while the adrenaline wore off, and your stomach hurt like hell. Lifting up your shirt, it revealed a nasty cut from one end of your torso to the other. Immediately, the pain spread throughout your whole body and the excessive bleeding was almost unbearable. One of the guys must have slashed at you with a knife in an attempt to get you off of them.
Your thoughts were fading away, and it was getting harder and harder not to pass out right there. Suddenly, you heard a faint voice in the distance.
"Sophia? Sophia!" You could barely hear the voice, let alone tell who it was. Hell, for a second you couldn't remember your own name. A man appeared in your sight, and you didn't know whether to be scared or thankful. Were you hallucinating? As he approached, you noticed that the man was wielding a crossbow... it was- it was Daryl.
"Y/N? Shit, Y/N! Can ya hear me?" you looked up at him, and he could tell just by looking that you could barely keep your eyes open. "Hey, hey, it's alrigh', it's alrigh'. I'm gon' get you back and Hershel's gonna fix you up, I promise."
Hearing Daryl's voice was like a lifeline. Setting down his crossbow on the ground, he helped you up and held you with your arm draped around his shoulder. As you headed back towards the Greene Farm, warm sunlight began to filter through the trees. It felt like your brain was moving at a quarter of the pace it should be, and the sight of the Greene house in the distance, though beautiful, felt like a million miles away as you and the archer trekked towards it.
"Y/N? Oh my God, Daryl, is she okay?" said Andrea as the two of you approached the house. You were a frightening sight to see, especially for certain members of the group that hadn't quite immersed themselves in this brutal apocalypse.
"Rick! She's got a- a nasty gash underneath her shirt. Hershel better take a look at it."
Right in that moment you collapsed on the ground, falling limply out of Daryl's strong arms. The tall grass of Hershel's pasture enveloped your body, and you could no longer hear the great commotion that was taking place. Despite the incredible amount of pain you were just in, sleep was heavenly.
First came a flurry of voices. Then, the white ceiling appeared and several blurred countenances around the room. Strangely, you couldn't remember a thing about how you got here.
"D-Daryl? Where's Daryl?" you asked, innocently. Suddenly, every face in the room turned to look at you. You were pale, very pale, yet you sat upright in the makeshift hospital bed resting on your forearms.
Following a sudden rush of people turning to surround your bedside, you blacked out again.
"Everyone, I would strongly appreciate it if we could give the girl some space," spoke Hershel, calmly.
"Ya think I could stay?" said Daryl.
"Alright, then. Just don't make a big fuss."
This time, you awoke to a cool breeze through the wide open window and noticed only two figures in the room. It looked like... Daryl and Hershel?
Hershel approached you and placed a hand on your forehead, and though you felt extremely hot and clammy, he seemed to deduce that you were going to be fine.
The door swung open and in entered Shane, Glenn and Hershel's youngest daughter, the blonde one... Beth. That was it.
A wave of confusion passed over you suddenly, as if, in a second, somebody has swiftly erased your memory. "Wh- Where am I? What are you doing here?" You sat upright once more and removed the rest of the covers from yourself. Your eyes were wide and a little bloodshot, and your mouth was shaped by a distinct frown.
"Y/N, Y/N, it's alright. Daryl tells me something happened out in the woods. I just need you to tell me the story. It's okay." said Shane, leaning into you.
"What story? What happened?" Tears began to fill your eyes as you spoke and it was like your whole body was consumed in a state of fright. Immediately, you began to hyperventilate as images of mutilated bodies clouded your mind.
"What's happening?" said Beth.
"She's in shock. Everybody out!" announced Hershel.
When you awoke later, you got out of the bed in the back room and entered the living room. Everyone was gathered around, seemingly waiting to find out what on earth had happened to you. Daryl relayed the story countless times to the likes of Dale, Rick, Shane and Maggie. Just like before, they all turned to face you as if you were some lost child, or a deer in headlights. Daryl captured your eyes and noticed how they seemed... different. The same cheerful, good-spirited girl suddenly appeared before him, pale and cold, and with a new thousand-yard stare that didn't go unnoticed by a single member of the group. If they didn't believe how harsh the new world was before, they certainly did now.
"Y/N, sit down," said Dale. His manner was kind yet you couldn't help but feel threatened by anyone who tried to communicate with you.
"Tell us what happened," spoke Rick.
"I- I don't remember..." you declared. Your legs were shaking and you held you face in your hands as you wracked your brain for anything, any trace of a memory of the event that occurred earlier that day.
Bodies.
How many bodies?
"There was... four. Four bodies. Which meant... four guys, I guess?" you looked up at this statement, this time receiving several pitiful looks from around the room.
Shane was about to speak when Rick raised his hand slightly, "Let her talk."
"I don't know- I don't know! There was... blood, there was so much blood," you began, trying to muster up anything you could. "Please can I go back to bed?" At this request, Daryl practically jumped up from his seat to help you and guided you back to the bedroom to rest.
A heated debate had broken out in the front room. How many more of these men are there? Are they dangerous? Is she even telling the truth? For some members, they feared the worst and assumed that this incident would be the first of many to come, involving a new threat; people.
(one day later, at dawn)
You sat with Daryl on the white porch, facing the sunset behind the trees. The trees, in fact, that the two of you had ventured out of the previous day. Although you hadn't known him long, you decided that you enjoyed his company most of all.
"You know, I think I'm going crazy, Daryl," you said, somewhat wistfully.
"Oh yeah, why's tha'?" he drawled.
"I was just walking 'round here, over in the woods. Saw some freak stumbling around. Went to look a little closer, and this sicko was dressed up like some kind of corpse! You know, fake blood and everything. Guess he was just trying to scare little kids or something."
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ssahotchnerr · 1 year
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Everyone on the team receives an anonymous hand made Valentine’s card, except for Hotch. He tries not to show his disappointment and quickly walks away into his office while the team try to guess who has made then. Later in the day, when the others have gone home, reader knocks at Hotch’s office door, saying something like that they wanted to give him his card personally because it’s even more special than the ones for the team. And it’s an invitation to dinner.
something good
happy valentine's day pt 2! 🥰 cw; a touch of angst, alcohol mention, fluff!!!!
aaron should've known.
he was viewed as the boss, and that was that. merely a position of authority; not necessarily a colleague, and not necessarily a friend.
and it's always been that way. groups quieted upon his approach, eye contact was scarce amidst conversations- as if meeting his gaze would give him reason to absolutely rip them to shreds. by now, enduring so for years, he'd gotten used to it. he had to. so why should he expect to be treated any differently?
however, he refused to lie to himself, he'd give himself that. he didn't try to fight the stinging sensation in his chest, which had been present all day. it hurt, hearing and seeing the team gushing over valentines that had been placed anonymously on their desks that morning. trying to use their profiling skills to determine who had done such; penelope nearly stirred up a frenzy, morgan's laugh had rang loudly through the bullpen, everyone had compared the kind messages left for them.
meanwhile, aaron's desk had been empty. and he simply observed the joyful scene from the safety of his office.
whoever was responsible- the thought would've been nice, at least.
valentine's day was just like any normal day, if it weren't for the cards strategically placed amongst the desks, aaron probably wouldn't have even recalled the holiday to begin with.
that, however, was the lie. he knew what day it was. february fourteenth had been special, years ago. but now, it instead brought an impending sense of dread, one that was impossible to ignore; the reminder of yet another day spent alone. his night, when he finally made it home, would more likely than not consist of a glass of whisky and maybe a few episodes of law and order before crashing.
"hotch? you have a second?"
your voice caused him to lift his head, pulling him from his sea of thoughts. "yes?"
"i- um. wanted to give you this."
aaron's eyes perked up instantly, and a touch of embarrassment quickly swept through him. he felt childish almost, at his eagerness; the want to be included.
"i'm sure you noticed, the valentines." with the pink slip in your hand, you used to to reference the bullpen. "penelope wasn't very subtle about it."
"i did." aaron commented, hoping the blush present in his cheeks wasn't too visible. one of his eyebrows quirked up in question. "and they were from you?"
you bit down on your bottom lip, but the action didn't quite stop your smile. "guilty."
"well, that was very thoughtful of you. it lifted everyone's spirits, that's for sure."
"yeah i thought... i don't know. every day we come in to heaps of files on our desk, and aren't exactly doing jumping jacks at the sight of them. so i thought it'd be nice to have something different, for once. something good."
aaron's lips almost pulled into a smile, recalling the earlier antics and his next inquiry caused your cheeks to flush. "and you sent yourself one?"
"hey, self love." you were quick to quip back, laughing softly but with a shake of your head. "i was trying to be discrete. if i were the only one to not receive a card, that'd be awfully suspicious and defeat the whole purpose, don't you think?"
'if i were the only one', aaron's chest warmed. you hadn't forgotten him, there had been one with his name on it all along.
"but..." you adjusted your weight from one foot to the other, suddenly exhibiting nervousness. aaron recognized your small movement, knowing it as one of your tells. that, and your habit of chewing the inside of your cheek. "yours, i wanted to hand deliver."
aaron couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. "you did?"
"it's special. like you." you rushed out in a breath, and if aaron's blush hadn't been present before- it definitely was now. you handed the valentine to him rather quickly, before you could chicken out. "and i wanted you to know it was from me."
silence fell over aaron, feeling absolutely touched. he didn't know what to say.
"happy valentine's day." you gave him another smile, still leaving him speechless, and heading out of his office.
before you had fully exited the room, aaron opened the valentine. his eyes skimmed over your loopy handwriting- and the feeling in his chest intensified. the contents included you thanking him, for looking out for you and the team as a whole. you had emphasized how safe he made you feel, and how you felt extremely lucky to have someone like him protecting you in midst of the horrors you saw daily. he gave you a comfort you never thought possible, and you couldn't picture receiving so from anyone else. the ending however, made his heart skip a beat.
and whenever you're free- dinner? you and me?
he's always been drawn to you, in more ways than another, but he had never acted upon them. he couldn't quite figure out how to approach you like that, and he regretted every chance he didn't take. but now, you've given him the perfect opportunity.
aaron, paperwork completely forgotten and disregarded, didn't hesitate to go after you. "wait!"
you met his gaze as he exited his office- you had just begun collecting your things to head home. everyone else had already gone.
"yes?" a smile tugged at your lips, heart fluttering.
"i'm free right now. if... you are?"
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phoward89 · 25 days
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Based on this ask
WARNING ⚠️ Coriolanus Snow is his own warning, manipulation, Dark!Coriolanus Snow, Gave Coriolanus Snow a middle name for the sake of the last scene in the story
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Growing up, it was always Coriolanus, Sejanus, and you. You three were always friends. And then one day, Sejanus started to see you as more than a friend and admitted his crush on you, which caused you to become a couple. But while you two were navigating your blossoming feeling for each other, you remained close friends with Coryo.
Maybe too close, considering you did some things with him that you probably should've done with Sejanus…
In fact, Coriolanus was both your best friend and Sejanus' best friend. Which was both weird and awkward when it came to couple fights, since both you and Sejanus would run to Coryo with your problems about each other. The blonde boy always took your side though.
ALWAYS
But maybe that was because of how he felt for you…
And when Coriolanus was caught cheating to save Lucy Gray, who both you and Sejanus thinks he fell for (if you only knew who Coriolanus truly loved, you'd shit a brick), and sentenced to serve 20 years as a Peacekeeper, well your boyfriend, Sejanus, decided to enlist and go with him. That was a hard pill to swallow, but at least you're able to say your goodbyes to Sej. With Coryo, well, he was carted off after Dean Highbottom gave him his sentence. It was a damn miracle that Strabo Plinth, Sejanus' Pa, was able to find out what happened to Coriolanus and where he was being sent to.
So, now, you're all alone. Well, not exactly since you do have your mother, Sejanus’ Ma, and the Snow's (Grandma'am and Tigris). But the fact was that you felt like you're alone. Your older brother's a peacekeeper that’s an officer in 12 and he promised you that he'd look out for your boys. For your best friend, Coryo, and your fiance (yes, Sejanus asked you to wait for him and gave you a ring).
You write to them all the time, call them whenever you can too. And every time the phone rings, you run to it like you're in a marathon (your mother just rolls her eyes at you and puffs on her cigarette from her spot on the tattered sofa) to talk to whichever boy was able to call. Sometimes it's your brother calling; he usually teased you for the deflated tone he gets whenever you always tell him, “Oh, Rein, it's just you.”
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Coriolanus was packing up his things, Sejanus' things too, since he was leaving. Headed to District 2 for Officer training. He figured that he'd hold onto his friend’s things until he was able to return to the Capitol to give them back to the Plinths. There was also a trinket in Sejanus' lockbox that you have him; Coryo knew he'd have to give that back too.
“Snow, I haven't told my sister about Plinth yet.” A voice rang out in the barracks accompanied by the sound of boots heavily hitting the floor.
Standing up and turning to look at your older brother, Rein, Coriolanus knowingly told him, “You want me to do it.”
“You're her best friend; was also best friends with Plinth, so I think the news about what happened should come from you.”
The platinum blonde nodded. “I'll tell her once I'm settled in 2; have a chance to use the phone.”
“They were engaged, you know.” Rein told your best friend, to point out how serious things were with you and Sejanus; how serious everything is now surrounding the topic of his death.
Coriolanus did know that, and he hated that. He hates how Sejanus slipped a ring on your finger; convinced you to wait 20 whole fucking years for him.
“Yes, I know.”
“Just, let her down gently about this. You're her best friend; you know how much he meant to her.”
“I'll do everything in my power to help her during her grieving period, you have my word.” Coriolanus assured your brother. And he meant it to, he was going to do everything in his power to help you; make you move on.
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It turns out that Coriolanus didn't get sent to District 2 for officers training after all, but sent back to the Capitol. Well, he was actually summoned back by Dr. Gaul herself. He had a private meeting with her and learned he was being honorably discharged and that Strabo Plinth was making him his heir all in the wake of Sejanus death. All because he sided with the Capitol, turned in his best friend as a traitor to the nation.
But, was Sejanus truly his best friend? No, not really. Now, you on the other hand…you're his real best friend. Oh, and you're also the girl he's going to marry now that your pesky fiance's out of the way.
So, after his meeting with Dr. Gaul, Coriolanus went straight to your apartment- on the 8th floor of his Corso building.
He hopes that your mother won't answer. Coriolanus doesn't particularly care for Helenium. Doesn't respect her despite the fact that she's your mother. Much to his relief, then the door opened you're the one standing in the threshold.
“Coryo! You're back?” You exclaim, jumping him and wrapping your arms tightly around his tall, sinewy body- as if he'll disappear if you don't hold him.
Coryo found himself relaxing in your arms as he wrapped his around you; pulling you tighter against him. He buried his nose in your hair, inhaling the smell of vanilla and…oh yes, how fitting, roses. Seems like in his absence you've missed him so much that you bought a new shampoo to remind him of you.
Don't even try telling him that Sejanus bought it for you before he left. He won't believe it. He's such a narcissist, obsessive, possessive bastard that Coryo will believe his own delusions before your truth.
Better get used to that, cause you're in it for the long haul now…
“Yea, I'm back, darling.” Coryo replied, relishing in your intoxicating scent. A scent that he'll have by his side for the rest of his life now.
Pulling back slightly and looking up at him hopefully, you ask, “Is Sej with you?”
Coriolanus' face fell (an act, feigning sadness- but you didn't know that) and he told you, “I'm so sorry, darling, but he's gone.”
“What do you mean ‘he’s gone’, Coryo?” You asked, desperately hoping that he didn't mean what you thought he meant. That your fiance wa-asnt dead…
“Y/N, little dove, maybe we should go inside; sit down.”
And that's when you knew what he meant by ‘hes gone’. Sejanus was dead and Coriolanus was at your door delivering the news because it'd be best if it came from him. Your best friend, Sejanus’ best friend, the man who understood how this would break you.
“No! No-no-no! No…” You cried. “He can't be dead, Coryo. I was gonna wait for him- he can't be dead! He promised me…”
“Shh…” Coryo wrapped his long arms around you, pulling you tightly to his chest; letting your tears stain his grey dress uniform. “I got you, baby. I got you.” He softly whispered.
You didn't even notice the new endearment that he just used for you. No, you’re too caught up in your grief that it went right over your head.
But now Coriolanus Snow, new heir to the Plinth fortune (unknown to you) is calling you baby. His baby. Oh, how you don't even stand a chance. He's already got you stuck in his web, the name baby is just the beginning.
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Coryo's been wiggling his way into your life under the guise of being your shoulder to cry on. He claims that the two of you can grieve together, since the both of you loved Sejanus in your own ways. You as a lover and him as a brother.
Yea…
Coriolanus loved Sejanus like a brother alright…
Like Cain loved Abel!
The more time you spent with the platinum blonde the more you grew dependent on him- emotionally. But you weren't aware that Coryo's become your emotional support animal.
No…
But your mother, well she noticed. She noticed and she doesn't like it. Doesn't think it's appropriate.
No…
Not with how you spend more nights with Coriolanus in his Penthouse then in your own 8th floor Corso apartment, or how you hang on every word; every move the platinum blonde man makes. No, your mother thinks you shouldn't be so dependent on the angelic looking devil.
But your mother's never liked Coryo. She's always had a bad feeling about him. The fact that he both looked and acted like his late father, General Crassus Snow, unnerved her. Made your mother dislike him; perhaps even fear for your soul when you're around him.
So, one day when you walk thru the door of your mother's apartment, Coriolanus right behind you with a couple of shopping bags in his hand (he'd taken you on a shopping spree to get a few things for the upcoming fall semester of the University. Yes, he convinced Strabo to pay for your tuition as well as his.) she rounded on you, not holding back her shame, displeasure, and disappointment.
“How can you just galavant around with the devil himself when you should be mourning? Mourning the very man that Peacekeeper Pete over here prolly had a hand in stringing up!” Your mother shrieked, waving her cigarette holder in your face as Coriolanus kicked the door shut behind you both with the heel of his black floor shines.
“Mother…” You heavily trailed off, feeling guilt start to weigh on your chest. What would Sejanus think right now if he saw you, only a couple months after his death, seemingly moving on with his best friend?
For fuck’s sake, you took off your ring last night, stayed the night with Coryo in his bed, fucked him too.
Gosh…you're such a bad person, aren't you?
And Coryo…taking on the burden of loving you can't be easy. Trying to fulfill some duty to his best friend. But your mother's accusing words- claiming that he had a hand in Sej’s death, hurt worse than if she would've stabbed your eyeball out with a fork.
Coriolanus' icy eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. He appeared at your side, shoving the bags into your hands, only to seethe, “Don't you dare shame us for healing and finding a shred of happiness during our horrible time, Helenium. We both loved Sejanus; both lost him.”
“Oh, yes, I can see that you're healing just fine. Is rolling around in the sheets apart of that healing process too? And don't deny it, my daughter wouldn't be so far up your ass and spending night after night at that penthouse of yours unless you're giving her a dicking.”
Your lips quivered and you started to cry. A down right ugly cry full of guilt. Your mother's words cut you right to the bone like a sharp blade.
Coriolanus, seeing you crying your beautiful eyes out, decided then and there to take you away from your mother's apartment.
Forever.
“You’ve gone too far, Helenium. Saying such vile things.” Coriolanus icily told your mother. Wrapping his arms around you, pulling you protectively into his chest, he tenderly told you, “You're coming with me, my darling. I'm not going to stand for you living in such hostile conditions with you mother.”
You felt so hurt by your mother's words that you just nodded into Coryo's chest, clutching the handles of the bags tightly, as he lead you out the door.
Your mother looked so furious, so betrayed. She also couldn't believe what just happened. That you let Coriolanus Snow manipulate you into blinding yourself from the blunt truth she was telling you. That you believed him when he painted her out to be the villain.
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A few months later a beautiful June wedding was held. Right after the end of the University’s spring semester. It was infact your wedding to Coryo, the man that had helped you heal and fall in love again. The man that had broken your wings by sending your fiance to the hanging tree, only to bury himself deep into your skin- making you dependent on him to the point that he set your broken wings; made you love him.
And when you walked down the aisle of the rose gardens Coriolanus had constructed in the park you both played in as children, well, not one of your remaining blood relatives were there. Your mother wasn't invited and your brother's invitation was revoked when he requested to bring his girl with him- a petite thing he met at the Hobb im District 12.
Coriolanus wasn't going to let your mother ruin his wedding day by objecting; he wasn't going to let your brother bring his ratty district whore to his wedding either.
No, his wedding to you would be flawless. Would be everything that he's ever dreamed of.
Too bad that you couldn't see how he manipulated you during your grieving state to fall in love with him. But did it really matter? You're marrying the man that loves you so much that he's both possessive and obsessive- to the point where he’d kill for you.
Well, he has killed for you. He sent his best friend to the noose in order to claim you for himself.
Isn't that one helluva deep running love…
At least you're marrying a man who's devoted to you, who'll take his vows seriously. At least he'll never forsake you.
But you love him too; even convinced yourself that you love him more then you ever loved your late fiance, Sejanus. You even believe that Sejanus was just puppy love, but Coryo's your true love. That since he was there for you during your grieving period, doing everything in his power to make you happy despite feeling the loss of his best friend, you believe he's the one that's love is eternal- burns bright for you.
If you only knew how bright, how hot his love burns for you…
Well…
It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you and Coryo are in love and swearing yourselves to each other in marriage. That he'll love you, cherish you, protect you; give you children that he'll be a firm, but loving father too- because they'll be your children. All that matters is the vows you swear to each other in front of the officiant (none other than Dr. Gaul herself), the rings (that had once belonged to his parents) that you slip onto each other's fingers, and the kiss you share when Coryo's prompted to kiss his bride.
“And now I pronounce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Coriolanus Xerxes Snow.” Dr. Gaul announced to the guests gathered around to witness you and Coryo’s marriage underneath a white gazebo with red, white, and pink roses entwining around it.
There's an old song from a pre-Panem band that goes:
… So take these broken wings
And learn to fly again
Learn to live so free
And when we hear the voices sing
The book of love will open up
And let us in
Ironically, it fits your situation with your Coryo perfectly.
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