#otherwise he wouldn't have been called a hypocrite

[letmereadinpeace4]

This is probably a controversial opinion, but Asmodeus and Beelzebub are evidence that if you are a pleasant enough person who mingles and parties with the lower class and doesn't say overtly classist stuff, people will let you get away with the bare minimum and give you a truly astounding amount of benefit of the doubt, even if you enable, maintain and benefit from an insanely classist system that massively and negatively impacts your partner, not to mention the people you're supposed to rule over.

[winter-snaps]

500 cigarettes. (pitcher x reader)

18+ MDNI

cw // forced intox? (if you count cigarette smoke at least) || overstim..? || suffocation || choking but not like that. but kind of like that || mentions of gagging but not throwing up, trust || canon typical imagery and violence || theres no explicit fuckin' nasty but i think whatevers happening in here is probably more erotic || innapropriate disposal of cigarettes || too much cigarette = penis imagery

he/she pitcher below, lots of my own headcanons. gender neutral (2nd person) reader

not proofread but im an english major so hopefully its readable. idk man

~2k words

You can't remember how you got them.

There are a multitude of ways to obtain cigarettes in the Sinyala facility. There's a very high chance that you stole them-- From one of your fellow captives most likely, from the cop if you're brave. There's also the chance that you managed to get them smuggled in, by sweet-talking a naive guard or haggling with the shadowy dame. You can't remember how you got them, it only matters that you have them.

Then you stare at the doorway and see him, so maybe it doesn't matter all that much anymore.

Looking solely at physical attractiveness, he is a sight for sore eyes. Of course he's masked, covered in scars, and is physically unable to speak... This is truly as good as it gets here. She's toned and shirtless, and has more hair than most of the other experimental populous. You could spin him as 'rugged,' if you feel particularly kind. Maybe it's your thing. You, however, are not looking solely at physical attractiveness. It's hard to deny that she's literally and metaphorically hot, but the only feeling welling up inside of you is dread. You have cornered yourself, like a fox in a snare waiting for the hunter to come along and put it down. While hot, you know that she is death. She means you're dying.

After seeing him, you hear him. Her garbled scream, as much of a threat as ashen vocal cords can produce. She moves with little caution, bottles clanking and boots hitting the floor with heavy thuds as she breathes-- Wheezes. He moves like a stalking predator, muscles on display as he prowls searching for prey. For you.

Light coats the otherwise dark floor, slowly creeping up to touch your feet, then your knees, and then everything else. You have so little time. You aren't moving. Death is so, so close to you. You hear the bells toll, you see your own funeral-- What could have been your own funeral. You know you aren't really getting one.

He's fast, you know that. He's a quick draw, always ready to drown whatever he wants to in flame with one good throw. You've seen your comrades burn to death enough times to understand that, at the very least. If you want to live you know you must be faster. You know there's no point in running, but you don't have to run to be quick. Sometimes, it's a matter of wit. It's a matter of remembering, and you remembering reading over the Pitcher's files; Over, and over, and over.

"They exhibit a powerfully hypocritical juxtaposition of serving and commanding fire as a god...They see military-scientific advancement in thermal weaponry and bombing as evidence of fire's deification."

You wouldn't exactly call your idea an homage to military-scientific advancement in thermal weaponry. It's a long shot-- Incredibly long-- but it's the only shot you think you have.

As the light creeps up your torso, heat cradling your shaking form, you hold out the last of your cigarettes. Three measly, worthless sticks shoved into the face of death. You hear the initial grunt, the scraping of glass against glass. Squinting at her radiance, you see the rage in her dark eyes, shining with a clear burning desire to hurt you specifically. But as you succumb to his brightness, you soon understand that you... are not hurt. Not yet, at least.

Instead of rage filling up her gaze, it's more curiosity. It isn't comforting-- It's more akin to the curiosity a house-cat has when it finds a moth in the closet. But you are not hurt.

Seconds pass at the pace of magma. The passing of time is slow, tense, and undeniably dangerous. Seconds feel like months. You've heard her wheeze through her mask for a thousand years, but it's barely been a minute. You haven't moved, and continue not to do so. You don't look either. But you cannot choose to not feel, and the feeling of broken-in leather snaps you out of whatever trance you were in.

A hand against yours. One covered in gasoline and strips of white phosphorous, but a hand nonetheless. Your eyes dart towards your offering as you hear the loud snaps of metal click, click, click. You already have a headache from staring at the Sinyala-sun as well as the intense smell of fuel, but you aren't out of the game just yet. After taking the mental energy to process what's happening, you feel a tiny burn eating through your palm. There is an initial panic, the fear of a slow and painful death once again coursing within you; But as you open your mouth to mutter some form of profanity, the burning on your hand stops and you feel you jaw pushed back up-- Lips closing on the filter of a lit cigarette.

His grasp on your face is firm, but gentler than you'd expect. The hand that was initially forcing the cigarette into your mouth has moved to the top of your head, holding your goggles steady. The other is palm up on your jaw, gloved fingertips just barely grazing your throat. You can't move, and you don't try to-- Not now, at least. You're more shocked than anything. This is both incredibly compromising, and ashamedly captivating. Some combination of her light touches and her fixed grasp truly does something to you, something you would rather die than admit to anyone. It definitely doesn't help that you're on your knees, and it's even worse that his head isn't turned down to look at you. Just those eyes.

You learn that she expects you to hold on to the cigarette on your own, and that you do. This entire situation reads as some sort of religious rite to her, rather than a hostage situation. Regardless of what you or anyone else thinks is happening, you're not so stupid to be disobedient at a time like this. Right now, you are her apostle, and her your Jesus.

He doesn't let you exhale. You've read about this too of course, about her fixation on the ingestion of fuel, fire, and so on. Whatever she thinks will get closer to whatever she thinks is her God. You hold it for as long as you can, trying to avoid eye contact with him as you feel it suffocating you, choking you from the inside out. You try not to falter, not to ruin this somewhat painless moment, to take the smoke into your lungs until the cigarette burns clean through to your lips.

But that's not how cigarettes work. Nor is it how smoke inhalation works, because that's what gets you first. You erupt into a fit of coughs and gags, smoke pouring out of your mouth and nose. You can't breathe. What's worse than not being able to breathe, is hearing the clearly upset grunts of the person holding you between her hands. Your eyes are fixed to the floor as her grip on your head tightens, only moving a hand off of you to pick the cigarette back up and force it back into your mouth. Despite her attempts however, her desire for you to take more just isn't agreeing with your chest cavity. You spit out the cigarette again, unable to form the apology you desperately wish to give him. You watch through teary eyes as he frustratedly stops on the remains of the lit cigarette, leaving a pile of ash beneath his foot. You want to throw up.

It's no matter. You hear nothing other than his heavy breathing-- Breathing you can almost swear has gotten heavier as he's been watching you. Seconds feel like years once again, and before you can blink his fingers click together and light the second cigarette. You can do better this time.

It's much easier now, knowing what to expect. She wouldn't have waited, but your mouth opens and closes upon feeling the touch of the second dart. You're being a much better believer now. Her hands move back into their place, back to where she wants them.

Quickly, your lungs fill with smoke again. Rather than being able to take more than before, you feel yourself able to handle much less. Your eyes meet his, the stranger who's killed more people than you can count-- More friends than you can even remember. You need to cough again, you'll surely suffocate if you don’t. But staring at her masked face, you see a glint of something in her aphotic eyes. You aren't sure what it is, but it looks hungry. If you were to get biblical, you'd almost say it looks downright lustful. A spark surges through your entire body, a flame deep inside of you that gives you the strength to persevere. The trial is long gone at this point-- Getting back to the sleep room a distant, lost desire. All you can see right now, all you could ever want, is directly in front of you. It's within reach. Through some manoeuvring, you manage to exhale small amounts of smoke without dropping the cigarette to the floor. His breath audibly hitches.

You place a hand on her shin as she flinches away from the touch. It's a pleading, pathetic touch; Pawing at her pantleg like a kicked puppy. Eventually, she lets you. As you melt more into her, you feel the heat get closer to your face. Slowly, the cigarette finally burns down to your lips, pricking a few tears from your already bleary eyes as the pain spreads across your mouth. It hurts; but you know better than to drop it at this point. He crouches down, finally meeting you at eye level as you exhale thick clouds of grey. His eyes are fixed on you, on your mouth as the ember grazes your skin. The glint hasn't left. If anything, it's more noticeable now.

You've never been this close to an ex-pop. You get the feeling that if this was anyone else, you'd be much less keen to continue being this close. But it's not someone else. Instead, guilt is overtaken by a desire to submit yourself to her, and whatever God she's giving you to. Her breath mixes with the smoke coming from your mouth, the dart slowly darkening into ash and sediment. But before the light entirely goes out, you pull the butt of the cigarette onto your tongue and before you can even think-- Swallow. It burns going down, it hurts. Your face contorts as you jerk slightly, holding back squeals of pain.

As the hurt subsides, your eyes move back to meet the stranger. Her hands have moved off of your head, allowing you freedom to writhe on the floor however much you'd like. He stares down at you, his breathing beginning to regulate itself once more. He's utterly unreadable once again. While you stare at each other, he opens his palm and drops the final, third cigarette onto the floor. You clamour to pick it up, breaking eye contact as he begins to move away. You'd grown so used to the heat, you feel a deep chill shake you as he makes his exit. You don't know how long it's been. You don't even know if there's people left for him to kill here. You just know that without him here, you are cold.

You stare at the last cigarette in your hand as he saunters away. You can't remember how you got them, you just know you need to get more.

[rorydrawsandwrites]

what is the appeal of ribbun to you? genuinely trying to understand

It's like a fucked up little science experiment

...And now to attempt a serious answer:

For me to enjoy the romantic pairing between two characters beyond occasionally seeing fanart of it, finding it cute, and moving on with my life, there has to be some sort of a conflict in it. Opposing personalities in some way, issues the characters have with each other, issues the characters have with themselves that create issues between each other... also a secret fourth ingredient that I can't describe and is entirely subjective. Call it chemistry.

(For instance I see no romantic chemistry in Funnygummy. They're sweet, they'd make good friends, that's about it for me. I had a whole rant typed out here in a stroke of passion but since I don't want to be the one to judge someone else's comfort ship, I removed it. Plus I dig LollyDolly, so I realized I was starting to sound like a hypocrite.)

I get that canonically, realistically, Gangle might hate Jax. I wouldn't say the same the other way around (perhaps after the latest episode), because I figure Jax must usually enjoy having someone weak-willed to walk all over. He does tease Ragatha the most, the one who reacts with otherwise uncharacteristic anger to his antics, which is plenty amusing, but press a little bit and Gangle folds. She's an easy, weepy target. (Which doesn't mean she never talks back, and I appreciate that.) Meanwhile Gangle in the first three episodes hadn't been getting that much attention from the rest of the cast. Initially it led me to believe that poor soft-spoken sadsack Gangle is for the most part ignored for her issues; they can't help her if her comedy mask is broken, so they just let her be. Thus she gets the most attention from Jax, and not the good kind, but you take what you get... I could see a toxic sort of attachment forming on both sides.

BUT. I don't particularly enjoy the ship when it's one-way abuse. Jax just tormenting Gangle ad nauseum, trotting past all her boundaries, bordering on noncon. Nah, I think she could be a bit unbearable too for karma's sake... and out comes episode four!! Yippee!!

Gangle is every bit the enthusiastic nightmare I was hoping her to be when she's in charge; I was waiting for her to get back at Jax in some way, and boy did she ever. I do prefer a sort of back-and-forth mutuality in my ships, not tipping the scales too far in one way, and anyhow Jax's harrassment of Gangle and lack of comeuppance in the beginning irked me regardless. My Puppeteer AU art I've been making since last summer was supposed to balance out what in the first couple episodes was one-sided torment; also I like fucked up women who are creepily intimate with their victims, so there's that.

(Funnily enough I didn't even ship it before I began drawing more for the AU and studying the two characters. I used to see the ship and think "oh, that's so toxic, I could never". Albeit the fact still hasn't changed that in the AU itself, Gangle's attachment is intended to be platonic.)

Now for taking the ship in a healthier context...

I like the idea of Jax toning himself down for the sake of a relationship, because he's finally realizing he'd rather catch cooties than die alone, and Gangle coming to terms with her abhorrent taste in men but biting the bullet anyway, because it's the circus and they're not exactly rife in options and also because she's a little bit of a freak. As well, arriving some time after one another and forced into proximity by the situation and Jax's pestering of her, they would've come to know each other pretty well. She can guess that there's a lot hiding behind the bunny's mask... which doesn't negate the harm done to her, though. In any case the making of amends would be in order.

If he could bite back his asshole comments for five minutes he might even find himself encouraged to open up a little by a partner who's so vulnerable and expressive of her feelings, however insecure she may be of them. And I also suspect Gangle could be more assertive in private than you'd expect... after all she's shown full capability of retaliating in canon now. I have faith that she could handle herself long-term, granted she develops some more (genuine) confidence.

On a slightly related note, it's unfortunate but interesting to me how much the confidence she does display is conditional. She needs physical objects, the masks, to hype her up, and yet all of what she says and does when wearing them is still coming from herself and only herself. The mask doesn't affect her, she simply adjusts her behavior in tandem with her current expectations. Which reminds me of those kids' cartoon episodes where the gained self-esteem and power the protagonist attributed to an object or keepsake was inside them all along.

These expectations can be a burden as well, and she's better off getting rid of the happy mask in the end. The lack of pressure to take charge can be reassuring if that's something you don't feel comfortable doing.

And when it comes to Jax, it may also be that she normally just... doesn't want to exert the energy to snap back at him. A constant battle with someone who insists on being an active dick to you but you can't get rid of sounds exhausting. It's easier to keep to yourself and go along with it, and as someone who also tends to take the easy way, I get that. Especially since it wouldn't even make a difference. It's not like she had any means of truly punishing him for his actions before being placed in a position of power during Fast Food Masquerade. (Good for her.)

In all my AUs where I am receptive to Ribbun, I make sure to level the playing field. Since it's hard to imagine Jax being much kinder, she should get to at least irritate him equally in return. She can be cringe and annoying and a handful too, as a treat.

Ultimately they're still gonna like each other, or else what's the point? But the clashing of their personalities adds a dash of spice to it.

Anyway this got long, maybe because the passive-aggression I've picked up from this anon message compelled me, intentional or not, to elaborate beyond the first sentence. I think it's the fact that I'm pretty sure I've seen a Ribbun shipper I follow questioned likewise almost word for word, I don't know how long ago, as if indulging in this ship is a uniquely baffling and suspicious activity that must be questioned. Regardless there you have my attempt at an explanation, a.k.a my slapdash pile of barely connected ideas.

(P.S it's not even my favorite ship involving either of these characters. But I've come to acknowledge it's got its own tasty flavor, toxic or not.)

[kikitakite]

@fantasyfictionfables

I was going to reblog some of your posts because I wanted to discuss your takes on Mystra, but then I found out you're a Christian conservative who hates gay people.

No gay person thinks their sexual orientation is their identity, but it's absolutely PART of their identity, just as being straight is part of yours. You can claim otherwise, but it determines who you might love and marry and that person will one day become a part of you and your identity. It's inevitable. As a wife and mother of three, you should know that better than anyone.

But people from groups like yours shame gay people for exploring that part of themselves and that's why Pride Month exists. Pride isn't "propaganda". It's about marginalized people showing the world they exist and they're not ashamed of it. Parades are also a great way for gay people to meet each other. My bestie met her wife at a march 15 years ago and they've been together ever since. It's beautiful. They have two happy, gorgeous children who wouldn't exist without Pride, because their moms never would've met.

Pride also raises money to help gay teens who've been cast out of their homes and gay refugees who've had to flee their country because being gay is illegal there. It also provides support for gay people who need medical help, therapy for abuse, suicide prevention and more. It's a safe space for people who are often discriminated against and even KILLED just for being who they are. So sorry that seems to bother you.

Your take isn't brave, it's just ignorant and hateful. You didn't have to write that post. Nothing provoked it. You just WANTED to to air your allegiances. And then you turned off comments and reblogs lmfao. For the majority of the year, gay people survive just like us straights. They go about their day and don't even mention being gay. You picked the one month in the entire year that's dedicated to them to complain about their existence and call them "deranged". And then you have the audacity to say you "bear no ill will" towards them? Bullshit.

I can only assume the word "pride" scares you because you're a Christian and it's a sin, am I right? Well here's something ironic: lust is also a sin, yet your entire blog not only consists of Gale thirst posts, but you're also stealing Tim Downie's voice to make audio clips using AI. Hmmm, I wonder if God would approve of a married woman posting NSFW content and using a man's voice for her hedonistic writings without his consent. 🤔

And by the way, as a veteran DnD player I can tell you right now that Mystra has done some absolutely VILE shit to her followers. She's not perfect. None of the gods in DnD are. They're flawed and often cruel. I've seen you compare Mystra and Gale to stories in the Bible, but that almost feels blasphemous. Mystra has a history of evil deeds. She orchestrated Elminster's rape, made sure he had kids and never told him about them. She turned Volo into an anchor without his knowledge. She tortured a peasant because he refused to sleep with her, then killed his wife and punished him for crying about it. And don't even get me started on the "daughters" she created. The third Mystra (who has Mystra and Mystryl's memories) is cruel to Gale as well and the game gives so much context for that. Plus ALL the companions agree she's unreasonable and tell Gale to reject her, and if he does it leads to one of his most satisfying endings. He's happy, he's a teacher, he marries tav and everyone approves. Your way of playing isn't the only right way and people aren't wrong for criticizing Mystra. There's plenty about her that deserves to be criticized, as is the case with every god in the pantheon.

Speaking of, I have nothing against Christians, but I do when they use their faith to shame people and act like total hypocrites.

[varpusvaras]

There was a call coming through an outside line.

A priority call, Index noted, but not an emergency one. He glanced at his current ongoing tasklist, and as it was going slow at the moment (The Royal Guard, even after integrating many of the former Guard vode, really didn't get hurt a lot), he accepted the call.

"Oh, Your Majesty", he nodded his head as the call connected. "How can I be of help today?"

"Good morning, Index", Breha nodded back at him and smiled pleasantly. "I would like you to look up something for me, if it's not too much."

"Of course" Index said. "I'm assuming this is about Fox?" He was already opening Fox's files that he still had saved on the system.

"Yes", Breha said. "You have shared all of the information about his health during his service on Coruscant, but I was wondering if you had any files on him before that?"

"I have his training performance reviews and everything the medics on Kamino have written up", Index answered. "Was there something specific you wanted to know?"

"Do you have any information on when his birthday is?"

Index paused.

"I'm sorry?" He asked.

"Oh, right", Breha frowned just a little and maybe for a second, barely. "You had a different term for it, correct? Decanting date? I apologise for assuming anything."

Oh, right, indeed. This was not the first time someone had asked for their decanting dates while calling them birthdays, but it had been a while since the last one.

"I'm afraid that information was not extented to me on his files, when I became the CMO of the Guard", Index said. "It is considered to be part of the initial product line control infromation, and not health."

Now she did frown a lot more and a lot longer.

"I'm assuming I need to ask for that information from Kamino?" She asked.

"Most likely, yes", Index said. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"No, no, you have helped plenty", Breha smoothed her expression again and then smiled at him. "Thank you. I was just filling out more paperwork, and well, of course we want to celebrate it with him. Though I do need it otherwise as well. The birthdays of the Royal Family are considered national holidays here."

Right. Index had to smile a little. Being a person and Royalty on top of it came with a lot of weird things, didn't it?

"I see", he said. "Well, once you know, would you like to relay the information forward? I'm sure the Guard and the rest of Fox's brothers would also love to celebrate it."

"I will", Breha gave him one last smile. "I will talk to you later. Have a nice rest of your day."

"You as well", Index nodded. He got back to his slow work after, though couldn't help but think back to the call for the rest of the day.

It would be nice to know when he had entered the world for once and for all. Kamino would just probably be a bit...difficult, when it came to releasing any information to anyone. Well, if anyone could get anything out of the long-necks, it would be Fox's riduurs. Stubborn they were, all three of them.

---

"What are you doing?"

Fox watched as Bail almost jumped on his chair.

"Ah", Bail said, blinking rapidly for a moment, before he seemed to gather himself enough to turn around in his chair and smile at Fox. "Hello, love. You startled me a little."

Fox raised his brow.

"If me walking into the room and speaking in a normal tone was enough to startle you, then it means that you are too tired and need to stop working", he said. "Do not make me a hypocrite."

"You wouldn't be a hypocrite", Bail said. "You have been so good with your work hours now."

"Yes, because you two keep dragging me off if I work even a couple of minutes overtime." They sure did. Every single time, with pleading eyes and soft smiles and gentle hands and words, telling him that you have already worked enough, please take at least a little break, you deserve the rest after all, please come here. "So I would be a hypocrite if I didn't do that as well. It's almost 1 in the morning. You told me you would be in bed soon over four hours ago."

He had fallen asleep for a couple of hours, and woken up to being cold and to an still empty bed.

Bail glanced at his desk. Fox decided to be a bit unfair.

"I came to Coruscant to see you", he said.

Bail sighed.

"Of course, my love", he said, finally getting up. "This has just...taken a lot of time."

"I'm sure", Fox said. Most things in Bail's line of work did. "What is it about? Short version."

"It's about getting the Vode an access to all their own information", Bail said. "Kamino is still on the stance that it can't make the information regarding cloning public, and thus is witholding all of your personal information on that basis. We're trying to argue that it's not about making the cloning information public, it's about giving you all the access to all the information regarding yourselves. Since, you are, all now considered sentients, and it's against the Republic law to withold personal information from any sentient being. Kamino can argue that it's not in the Republic officially, but they have gotten so much Republic funding and have a seat still in the Senate, that we think it's irrelevant if they are officially a member or not."

Fox nodded, slowly. He had not even thought about any of that, if he was being completely honest. There had been a lot of things to think about after the War, and access to some information he had not even thought existed had not been in the forefront of his mind.

Though, now, he thought it was only fair to have that. Even if he didn't think there was anything important in there for him, it could be more than beneficial for others.

"That is nice of you", he said, reaching up a little to press a kiss to the corner of Bail's mouth. "I appreciate it. But now, I would also appreciate my husband coming to sleep with me."

Bail laughed a bit.

"I'm coming", he said. "I'm sure the temperature of the bed is too low for your liking."

Fox rolled his eyes at the teasing look Bail was giving him.

"Damn right it is", he said. "So come on, I need it heated up."

---

There was a sound of movement coming next to her.

"Breha?" Fox's low, sleepy voice called. "Why are you up?"

Breha instantly lowered the brightness of her datapad.

"I'm sorry", she said, quietly, to not to wake Fox up more. "Just a little schedule issue I started to think about, nothing more."

"Okay", Fox mumbled. Even in the dimmer light, Breha could see him watching her. He looked utterly adorable like this, his hair ruffled from sleep and the blanket wrapped tightly around him all the way to his shoulders. His forehead was almost touching Breha's hip from how close he was laying to her, unconsciously always seeking her or Bail out.

Thank you, she said in her head to the Force, thank you for giving me not one but two cute husbands.

She quickly returned to her datapad, signing off the messages and plans she had open on the screen, and then closed the device. She pulled her own blanket up and laid down. She bit back a laugh when Fox immediately shuffled even closer and partially wrapped himself around her.

Breha pressed her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat and already slowening breath, and despite the excitement running laps inside her, she let them lull her into easy sleep.

---

Fox woke up to a hand running gently down on his hair.

"Good morning, love", Bail's voice came from beside of him, and Fox opened his eyes.

He was met with Bail's smiling face. Fox blinked a couple of times, chasing off the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning", he answered, still a bit confused. "...when did you get here?"

He had spoken with him last night before going to sleep, and Bail had very much been on Coruscant then. But here he was now, very much so, on Alderaan and right in front of him, sitting at the edge of the bed.

"Just now", Bail answered. "I landed less than half an hour ago."

Fox smiled.

"That's nice", he said, because, it really was. It was always nice to have Bail and Breha both with him. "A nice surprise."

"It was supposed to be", Bail said. "Just for you, and I do have other surprised with me for you as well, though I those are more commonly called presents."

Now Fox was confused again.

"For me?" He asked. He finally sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What's the occasion?"

"Oh, nothing much", Bail said, with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Just your birthday."

Fox stared for a moment, his still half-asleep brain catching up to what was said.

"My...what?" He asked then.

"Your birthday", Bail repeated. "The bill of releasing your personal information for yourself went through last month. We as your next of kin had an access to the very basics, which included your decanting date."

Fox...didn't know what to say.

So, he first checked the date.

It was a strange feeling, to suddenly know that in this very day, he had come out of his growth tube, probably screaming his lungs off. Fox had known vaguely when it had happened, of course, as they had all been strictly grouped up with other vode of similar age, but still...the exact date had been unknown to him. Up until now.

Fox turned back towards Bail, who was still smiling, just very softly now.

"Happy birthday", Bail said, and leaned to press a kiss on Fox's forehead.

Oh. Fox suddenly felt- a bit emotional. He had never had a birthday before.

"Thank you", he said, and if Bail asked, he could pass on the scratchiness in his voice being because he had just woken up.

"Oh, we're awake now?" Breha was standing in the doorway to their bedroom, with a little tray in her hands. "Breakfast will be a bit later at the terrace, but bringing caf to bed on one's birthday is the spouse's job."

Bail moved out of the way a little, so Breha could lay down the tray in front of Fox on the bed. She had brought out his favorite cup. It was such a small thing, and Fox used the cup multiple times a week, but...

Breha leaned closer and kissed him on the cheek.

"Happy birthday, my love" she said to Fox's ear, and Fox really had to blink a few extra times.

"Thank you", he said, and took the cup. There were two other cups as well, and Breha took one, once she had climbed back onto the bed. Bail took a moment longer to go and open up the rest of the blinds on the windows, to let the bright, white morning light into the room fully, before he also sat back down on the bed and took a cup for himself.

"Your brothers will be here a bit later", Bail said. "I know most of them have been bursting at the seams for having to keep this a secret for a while now."

Oh, that Fox could imagine. He snorted.

"I will tell you now, somehow that is all my fault", he said. "For daring to be born on this specific date and not knowing it already."

Breha and Bail both laughed at that, and Fox took a sip from his caf. His favorite blend and a lot of sugar. Of course it was.

He smiled into his cup and definitely was not too emotional about it.

---

Fox opened the file.

There was a lot, and it seemed a lot of it was just about his very specific genetics and his cellular division during the embryotic stage. He skipped over those. He skimmed the pages about his growth once had started to resemble a human more, how he had gotten all of his organs and limbs and fingers and toes and everything just in time just like he should. A healthy, prime product, they called him.

Then he found what he had been looking for.

CC-1010 - Decanting Measurements and additional information

Height at the time of decanting: 52.3 centimeters (converted to the Republic Standard Unit of Measure)

Weight at the time of decanting: 3.389 kilograms (converted to the Republic Standard Unit of Measure)

Reflexes optimal, reactive to the standard. Initial eyesight and hearing tests passed up to the standard. Lung capacity optimal, vocal response as expected upon decanting, slight difficulties in quelling the vocal responses by the staff present. Activity high after decanting, the range of limbs optimal and up to standard. Additional note: activity above the standard after decanting, difficulties in securing the movements while transferring

Fox couldn't help but laugh. He really had come out to the Galaxy screaming, and, apparently also kicking.

Yeah, that sounded just right.

[sunny-daze-days]

Favourite bit of Tower 4 so far, GO!! (I’m going insane it’s such a good podcast it’s so well made)

That's a hard one because everything is so good. I'm currently on like episode 2 of season 2 but I have to say that I loved the season 2 prologue. The set up was good, it gave you a sense of like "this isn't only happening to the people in the woods" yknow. It helped flesh out the world and the story a lot more, and it was a welcome reprieve from only hearing about Mike and his story. Not that I didn't want to know what was going on with Mike after that cliffhanger of s1 but sometimes filler is needed.

it also gave us a little bit of insight to how the organization(?) Opperates. My favorite use of that mini episode was that even though it focused on characters outside of our immediate 4 main characters, it emphasized how isolated Mike actually is. Like there *are* other people out there being taken and being done who-knows-what with but Mike is *trapped* there in the forest with people that don't believe him. He's isolated and being kept there, probably like a lab rat and it just emphasizes that while also adding to the mystery of what is going on.

Otherwise it's hard to pick like any one thing that is my favorite aspect. I do have to say I love the sound design though. It brings like such an air of suspense, and the way they incorporate the sound design into the actual narrative with the music and the voices and static.

The characterizations of all the characters I've seen so far have been good, too. The reactions seem very realistic, in all it's infuriating glory. Because we as the listeners KNOW that Mike isn't making it up, but Amber and Gene supposedly don't know (again I'm only on s2e2 so who knows. I have theories) so obviously they're going to deny that these things are happening and try to debunk it.

Mike's reaction to Jerry telling him the things that he does is also, infuriatingly, realistic for Mike's character. But I find it hypocritical of Mike to call Jerry crazy (Jerry, who has obviously been through some shit) when Mike himself hates it when Amber implies he's crazy or imagining things. Though if I was kidnapped by a dude talking crazy I think I wouldn't believe him either. But then again, I also don't have weird classical music and weird stuff happening to me, so idk.

And even though there are only 4 main characters, and only 2 (so far) with major speaking roles, it doesn't feel too empty or anything. I think it actually adds to the sense of isolation and mystery. I could go on and on.

I hope that answers the question? Idk I love tower 4 and I'd be so down to talk in our DMs or on discord or something about it!

[hologramcowboy]

I just read an ask when certain anti daneel blog replied and claimed that Jensen abused daneel, I'm sorry but this is super hypocritical comming from anti daneel blog , like theses blogs spend years taking about awful D is, how they cant tolerates her voice, her face and her attitude, and they only knew her on surface level , now imagine being in Jensen's shoes, he knew for how long 15 years? The person that has to deal with Daneel 24/7 is no one but Jensen! and pls dont tell me he brought it up on himself we dont shame woman who stay in abusive relationship and we should do the same for men, do ppl expect him to be happy and relaxed the whole time ? never be angry or mad, he is a human and not a sheep that smile and do whatever she want him to , oh poor daneel he wasn't nice when he walked away from her to sign fans autographs, will guess what he doesn't have to be when she is a literal bitch , you can see that 2 minutes later in the same video she was shoving him forward, she is disrespectful , always made fun of him , rarely if ever had anything nice to say about him but I guess Jensen always need to treat her like the queen she think herself is, put in your mind that she was bitch since day one while Jensen used to be way nicer several years ago , yeah there was no chemistry btw them but he always speak highly of her and was way more tolerant towards her , he only recently started to be passive agressive when he talks about her so if he fed up with her and strarted to grow spine and put her in her place then good for him , but I doubt this is the case and I still think she is in full control of everything otherwise we wouldn't get the abomination that called TW , he sacrified his relationship with jared and lost half of the fandom to give his useless talentless wife a job and as one of the anon mentioned she is the one that send him back to work when he wanted to have vocation, I just think what happened here is that Jensen is older now and less tolerant of BS , he doesn't have job to run away from her and he is stuck in miserable marriage to take care of his little children that he never ask for ( another thing he didnt want and agreed to do just to make her happy) so if I was him I'd be angry too.

This is an older ask, I decided to reply to it because something’s been on my mind lately. The dangers of one sided views.

Let’s get one thing clear, both Jensen and Danneel show disdain and contempt for each other. Both have displayed less than ideal partner behaviour. Not sure what this anon was reading at the time but my guess is they saw one of my posts in which I mentioned Jensen was not behaving like a stand up husband.

There’s this narrative going around that vilifies Danneel without giving Jensen responsibility. That basically makes Jensen into a baby easily controlled by the evil, manipulative, witch Danneel.

I’m not saying Danneel can’t be manipulative, I’ve always called her out when she has been. I’m saying there’s an entire dedicated side of fandom that basically views Jensen as an abused baby who is no longer in control of his life. I’ll admit that, in the beginning, I too fell for these narratives but, over time, observing Jensen’s choices, it became clear where his values lie. He’s not the ideal husband, he’s career centered, he never takes responsibility for anything, everything is on Elta. Those are not the signs of an abused man but rather a man that has created a life of convenience and for whom family life comes second. I’m really tired of receiving anon messages about Jensen being abused.

Is Elta demeaning, devaluing and all of that? Yes, undeniably.

Is Jensen powerless? In no way, shape or form!!

If he is in a marriage with Danneel is because he chooses to be as long as it is convenient to his lifestyle. He lets her get away with certain behaviours as long as it serves him.

Jensen is a highly privileged man who holds all the cards when it comes to his career and personal life. Let’s please stop pretending he is a helpless baby run by Danneel the witch. Again, I know she’s manipulative but, at the end of the day, everything she is allowed is thanks to Jensen. The very reason she even has children is thanks to Jensen, her recent roles and titles - thanks to Jensen, recent press - thanks to Jensen, getting away with being condescending and devaluing on stage - thanks to Jensen. It’s a choice, at the end of the day.

While I have zero doubt he is unhappy due to the choices he’s made so far, I no longer blame Danneel for his misery because he holds the power to change his path entirely. Many actors in toxic relationships have divorced and still enjoy a career so if Jensen is holding back from divorcing it’s due to choosing to stay in a relationship where both partners feed off each other’s unhealthy dynamics.

It takes two people to form a dynamic. Let’s give responsibility where it is due, because being responsible for one’s own boundaries, wellbeing, life path is where freedom and healing begin. Being responsible is being empowered as opposed to power-less. Shitty person as she may be, Danneel is fully supported in her shenanigans by Jensen, he approves of her everything so let’s stop pretending like she’s some supernatural evil thing that moves in the dark and start acknowledging just how much Jensen enables her and, while we are at it, start acknowledging he’s no angel either. I dislike Danneel but I also feel sorry for her, for her marriage situation but, I guess, at the end of the day, you sow what you reap and they both chose fame and money over deeper values.

This is my view, purely, take what resonates and leave the rest.

[bibibbon]

So I found a panel and it makes believe even more Spinner is an empty. Like in this panel Spinner is saying how he wanted to be smh else, start a new life...and is shouting at his face.

Shiga just takes...which I find odd.

"oh you wanted shig to dust him" well, I wouldn't mind but not necessarily. Shig is being shout to his face and he just take.

Shiga has been called ugly, manchild(ok he wasn't near to hear that) stupid and more and never acted...never proofed those words wrong. The Dr. Evil call him a loser and shig just takes it.

My point here is...LoV and Stain are an escapism for Spinner, nothing more.

"mutant discrimination is not real" I think it is in the story. But I also think Spinner uses this as an excuse to shield him from his failures.

"I didn't get a job? It's bc disicirmation"

"that girl didn't want to date me? Discrimination"

(also Shiga while letting spinner shout at his face is...not happy about it)

Hi @mikeellee 👋

I think spinner is an interesting character that was just thrown into the cast of wasted potential at the end of the day.

Personally, I hated spinners whole ordeal in chapter 428 specifically when he called shoji an octopus or squid because it seemed so out of character. I did touch on this and how spinner being a hypocrite that actually has more in common with the discriminators than the discriminated is badly done and actually suits overhaul a lot more.

However, you can explore some of the deep rooted and internalised discrimation that spinner has developed and show that in the form of every aspect of his character like the way he views himself, his lack of proper relationships with people like himself and his views with people with mutations. Spinner claims he wants a better world yet all of his adopted and admired ideologies suggest otherwise.

Actually, spinners' character to me hints to him wanting to be in a group. I think that's the reason why his relationships with other characters, especially shigaraki, are so heavily focused on because spinner has always wanted to belong in a society that wasn't made for him. Its a dangerous desire and similar to the one izuku has in my opinion except spinner will commit hypocritical radical changes to himself that are self destructive to achieve this quite ironic and similar to izuku.

Mha hasn't always handled discrimination well we still don't know the true effects and consequences as we are only given characters simply being hurled insults at to the point they are physically injured like shoji or mentally incarcerated like spinner. MHA doesn't at all show the negative societal consequences of deiscrimation in the sense of how is it embedded into the system. How does it play? Passive aggressive and microagressive behaviour towards spinner looks like? How does it effect individuals? Heroes, villains civillains? Does it limit their access to basic necessities? Do they have a deep inequality compared to other groups?

So manu questions too little answers

[md-confessions]

Trigger Warning for abuse since I am going to be talking about it a lot.

My honest reaction to TSM anon's confessions/posts trying to justify J's treatment of N. (They're so ass)

Ok so uhh... Anyway I'll try to debunk some of the points:

First of all: yes the fuck she is abusive! Search the damn definition on Google or the dictionary, it's exactly what she's doing, like beat for beat.

Let's start with two examples: one from the manor and another from copper-9.

J kicking N in the manor flashback: for context N and V had literally just bumped into each other, made a spark and both were trying to clean up the mess they made, then comes in Ms. Tenth letter of the alphabet with a kick to N's face for like no fucking reason whatsoever.

J stepping on N's chest while he clearly struggles: In the pilot during the scene that introduces the Alphabet squad during J's introduction she has her foot on his chest while saying he's useless, terrible and if she could, she'd kill him herself and N is very clearly struggling to even breath.

Those two very clearly ARE abuse, the second one even has a tinge of verbal abuse!

Ok so TSM tried to justify both these actions by us not knowing the full context.

The context of the kick is that: there is none, that kick was completely unprovoked, so J had absolutely no reason for kicking N aside from him being in her way from the "move it moron" line, and she changes up her attitude completely at Tessa being there, her visor showing those hollow eyes that drones show when worried or scared.

But even if you say "oh but N was in J's way so she kicked him out" but she could have just, you know, MOVED A LITTLE BIT TO THE RIGHT?!?!? And also that does not excuse kicking a person in the face.

Context of the second scene is: THERE IS NONE, ONE AGAIN! The reason that scene exists is to show that A. J is abusive towards N, and B. J is a hypocrite! Let me explain, A is very self explanatory, stepping on someone's chest and verbally abusing them is very clearly well... Abuse and B is to show that even though she calls N useless, N has shown throughout the rest of the series he is a very competent fighter, arguably better than his fellow DDs and also that even though J was pretty much insulting N for being weak, she got killed by a Angsty bisexual 18-year-old with a pen and a Railgun made out of like, scrap.

I don't know how you can genuinely look at those scenes and go "J isn't an abuser" even though yes she fucking is.

Also I dead ass forgot that second post aside from the "why would Cyn put N in the squad if his abuser?" Part, which has a very simple explanation: it wasn't Cyn, it was Mr. Solver of the absolute fabric itself! It used Cyn as a host, Cyn wasn't in control, she prob has been dead for a long ass time.

The solver is sadistic and it likes fucking with the alphabet squad, take V as an example: it allowed V to keep her memories, just to make V's trauma even worse.

The solver thinks it's funny to traumatize people so why wouldn't it think putting a person in the same team as their abuser wouldn't be?

Anyways I've been typing this since 5:30 AM, and now it's 6:50 and I got school so I'll stop here, if you got anything else to add put it in the reblogs ig...

Final note: I haven't been abused myself (not that I remember) so I can't really fully grasp the concept, but still, J's treatment of N is like, the dictionary definition of Abuse, I'm very bad at understanding other people and their emotions and I'm not super great at analysing characters but this shit is so obviously abuse seeing TSM over here trying to say otherwise is giving me a brain aneurysm.

Anyways have a good day/evening/night or whatever time of day it is :D

.

[starryjkoo]

https://www.tumblr.com/starryjkoo/769233955285352448/tkkrs-and-kths-really-going-to-bully-away-one-of?source=share

Taekookers are the downfall of this Fandom lol. and given how they have given feee pass and a big space to tkkrs in the fandom despite knowing how most of them are jimin antis I'd say armys deserve that humiliation. But idt they even care since they do agree with what taekookers say most of the times because otherwise tkkrs wouldn't be getting 10k likes calling jimin abuser would they?

There was a time i used to feel bad/upset/angry that everyone calls armys toxic but it's been long i have accepted that yes it indeed is a toxic Fandom. What's good of this Fandom who lets everyone shit on one member and even hide/defend the people who does so?

Saw them saying that jm solos is because of whom jm gets the most hate as if he deserves getting dea/th threats because of his solos like they're totally justifying the threats and hate he gets so by their logic armys are the reason BTS are getting shitted on with 100k likes tweets every other day it seems? Well should i say deserved then?

I’ll almost always take ARMYs side over general kpop stans because I believe most kpop stans (not the normal ones minding their business) are bitter, hypocritical losers who are always looking for an excuse to hate on and discredit other idols (especially BTS) BUT -

Yeah, I’m never going to fully get over my resentment towards ARMYs for enabling tkkrs and allowing them to grow such massive platforms and have such presence in the fandom. Sometimes I look at how toxic things are and just think, deserved. And I agree, tkkrs are the main reason for the deterioration and division. There are other factors at play, but tkkrs sit at the center imho. And because I’m petty, I’ll admit that I have enjoyed the few times ARMYS were humiliated because tkkrs and their psychotic behavior were put on the jumbotron (like the post-Paris walk tkkr incident).

Anyways, yeah the Tetris situation is particularly upsetting because he didn’t do anything wrong and yet he’s getting mass harassed (literal threats and slurs, hundreds of ppl doing this) and you can tell how genuinely upset he is. And you don’t see a single big or even medium sized ARMY account in the quotes trying to shut that down or sincerely apologize to him (also no hit tweets about how nasty and vile KTHs & tkkrs are…). Maybe things have changed since I last went online (I hope so), but I was only seeing jkkrs, PJMs and some JM-biased in the quotes and comments. And I agree, I think one of the main reasons is because half of this fandom are tkkrs who agree with him getting harassed ngl, or they already dislike him because they think he’s too JM biased and resent him for it. It’s so messed up.

I want to say that it’s easy to miss these things sometimes so I understand why more ARMYs aren’t talking about it, but nah this time I’m genuinely perplexed. I’ve seen ARMYs bring attention to much lesser issues and this is actually pretty horrifying and could have lasting consequences for the group - so why aren’t they all over this trying to clean it up? Weird as hell and inexcusable to me. If he stops reporting on BTS it would be absolutely deserved.

Mind you, he was the one who wrote the article ARMYs were hyping up a few weeks back where he mentioned BTS paving the way. I bet he also advocated for them being included that high up on that list to begin with (greatest pop stars of the 21st century iirc). They don’t like him because he’s visibly JM biased and because he doesn’t fully understand all the insane fandom rules and nuances, but Tetris has actually been a source of such positivity for the whole group and a rare ally in western media. But they’ll throw all of that away because they think he’s too biased (& bc apparently he’s a “jkkr” because his two favorite members happen to be jkk, the two literal most popular members where he's from).

And on your last point, yeah 100%! The cognitive dissonance with some ARMYs and their logic sometimes? The way that literally the same day they were in the quotes fighting for their lives against the kpop stans who were blaming the harassment BTS receives on ARMYs, ARMYs were trying to blame the harassment Jimin receives on PJMs? Like, so which one is it? Don't they see the flaws in their own logic, because they're basically giving the greenlight to hate on BTS then. Even today that same gang of TH biased tkkrs I’ve complained about on here before were blaming Tetris for the hate Jimin was receiving instead of their buddies, tkkrs and KTHs. The hypocrisy of a lot of this fandom is realllllllllly frustrating sometimes.

TBF I have seen ARMYs call this kind of thinking out several times, once even in defense of Jimin, but obviously it’s an opinion that’s still pretty prevalent in the fandom and it’s frustrating and massively hypocritical.

Anyways, sorry for yapping so much. Maybe one day I’ll answer an ask without writing a whole essay 🥴 But today really bothered me, and I feel bad for Tetris. And my usual disclaimer, ofc I know it’s not all ARMYs and there’s plenty of normal ARMYs who love and support Jimin too. But yeah some days I really feel like this fandom is seriously cooked and they mostly have themselves to blame for it.

[cosmicjoke]

hi, I have two questions I would like to ask about the ending of AOT and I was hoping you explain them to me.

there is something I’m not clear about Eren. If Eren wanted to kill 100% of the world but he knew his friends would stop him, why couldn’t he take away their titan powers or left them in the paths until he could finish the rumbling. I know he wants to give them freedom but I’m not quite convinced. why couldn’t he stopped what he was doing and explained everything during the final battle instead of dragging the fight and potentially kill his friends if he wanted to save them?

why did Zeke’s death stopped the rumbling? I know he’s of royal blood, but since Ymir obeyed Eren and chose not to follow Zeke, doesn’t that make Zeke’s royal blood irrelevant? How could Eren transform into a giant colossal if he lost the founding titans power because of Zeke’s death?

I'll try to answer as best as I can.

For your first question, it really is as simple as Eren believing in freedom and not, supposedly, impeding on the right of anyone else to choose what they do. He could have taken away everyone's titan powers or tried to stop them in some other way, but he wanted to let them make the choice on their own of whether they would side with him or against him. Of course, there's an inherent contradiction in Eren's actions. As much as he values freedom and the ability to choose for oneself, ultimately, his selfishness superseded his ideology and often, without really realizing it, interfered with and took away other people's freedom to choose. He was so hellbent on getting to experience his own, personal idea of freedom, that is, a world devoid of humanity, that he forced his friends into situations and conflicts they never agreed or consented to. And really, Eren had been doing that since young childhood, when he would get into fights under the guise of protecting Armin, when all he really wanted to do was fight, and in the process, drag Mikasa into conflicts she didn't ask for or want in order to protect him. He placed his friends constantly into danger and into corners in which they had no choice but to comply with his demands and wishes. Eren is a hypocrite, and he knows it, too. It's why he calls himself a "half-hearted piece of shit", because he knows as much as he preaches about the importance of freedom and everyone's right to it, he's also willing, without hesitation, to take people's freedom away from them if it means securing his own, warped idea of it for himself.

As for why Eren didn't attempt to explain himself during the final battle, again, it's because of his selfishness. What one has to understand about Eren is that he's really just a big, idiot child in a man's body. He never matured past the age we first meet him at, which is like 9 or 10 years old. He never grew past that mindset and willfulness. Whatever he set his mind to, whatever he wanted, he was going to go after it, and nobody was going to talk him out of it or convince him otherwise. He knew, if he tried explaining himself to his friends, they would still try to stop him and convince him that he couldn't do what he was doing, and ultimately, he knew he wouldn't listen, and it would all end up the same either way. In the end, Eren placed his own desires over his friends and comrades well-being, which really puts the lie to his claim that he was doing it to protect them and the island. As he admits to Armin, his willful actions ended up getting Sasha and Hange killed, and put his friends into direct conflict with Floch, and he doesn't mention it, but they also nearly got Levi killed, and countless other people on the island died as a result, including the entirety of the higher-up military officers. The Rumbling was never about protecting his friends or the island. Anyone paying any attention to the story should understand that.

For your second question, Zeke's death stopped the Rumbling because, even though Ymir chose to follow Eren instead of Zeke, it was still Zeke's connection to Ymir that allowed Eren to make contact with her. With Zeke dead, that connection was severed, and thus, Eren's ability to control Ymir's power was cut. He no longer had a direct line to her power.

As for how he was able to turn into that giant titan at the end... I actually have no idea, lol. That might just be one of those things in the story that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Maybe someone else can explain that one better. It's been a while since I read the manga, too, so maybe I could give you an actual answer here if I went back and read it, haha. Maybe it had something to do with Eren still holding the Founding Titan in him, despite his direct line to Ymir being cut. Maybe she transformed him into a Colossal Titan to battle Armin's, in order to buy time for the worm creature to get back in contact with him. That's the best I can come up with on that one, I'm afraid, haha.

Anyway, I hope I was able to answer your questions and thanks for asking!

[jolyne-best-jojo]

While my brains still on SWTOR I have to gush about the Sith Inquisitor. The story of a slave rising through the Imperial ranks, growing a powerbase which includes a cult and a Moff with access to a superweapon able to destroy multiple ships in a single shot, killing a Sith traditionalist who wants to kill them just because of their masters actions and then taking that Sith seat on the dark council is so good. Every SWTOR class stories hook me at some point but the Inquisitor does it the best.

Aside from the main story the companions are also great, specifically Talos Delrik and Ashora. While Ashora only works if you play the Inquisitor light side, as otherwise you've got her telling am person who kills everyone they come across that their a good person, I really like how it her conversation helps delve into the Inquisitor's own mind a bit letting you decide if their in it for the power or to change the Empire. Ashora becoming disalusioned with the Jedi and their insistence on inner peace over galactic peace and eventually admitting the Sith tennant of Peace is a lie is really good, although it would've been better suited to the main story where they're trying to corrupt her.

As for Talos his more upbeat personality is great considering the inner turmoil of Khem and Ashora and Xalek's stoicism. The best part of him though is, like Ahorsa, the development given to the Inquisitor in them having an interest in history and knowledge and getting a chance to express that intrigue with someone who shares it, especially fitting considering the Council seat they take is the sphere of knowledge.

Back to the main story and Darth Thanaton works so well as a the main villain. There's the obvious fact that he's a traditionalist Sith and your a slave who previously wouldn't have become Sith if the empire wasn't desperate for soldiers but it's moreso the fact that he, like real world traditionalists, is hypocritical. He challenges the Inquisitor to a fight between their powerbases but when he loses and the Inquisitor is about to kill him he runs away and begs the rest of the Dark Council to help him kill the Inquisitor. While some may argue this is bad writing as you've already beaten him twice, once in the battle between powerbases and earlier using the uncontrolled power of ghosts, it really works for me as the final fight is more so humiliation as you've already beaten him infront of his powerbase and now you're killing him in front of the most powerful Sith in the galaxy beating him into the ground leading to him crawling towards his fellow Councillors for help that will never come. There are only two real issues I have with the story one is how the Inquisitor's ancestor Lord Kallig just disappears after the start of Chapter 2, it would've been so much better if he at least appeared after beating Thanaton for the second time asking the Inquisitor to bind him and use his power to help defeat Kallig. The second is how, unless I missed something, they can't kill Overseer Harkun, the man who repeatedly called them a slave, tried to get them killed, tried to trick their would-be master that they failed the trials, called them a slave to their face again when they've become a Lord of the Sith and cries to Darth Thanaton that your breaking the Sith Acadamy rules by letting Xalek live and become your apprentice.

[naruhinalife555]

Shut up butch this not that your pink trash much better!!

Sakura Sakura Sakura how's my favourite little trash onwe doing she is okay so not for long now because I'm about to rip into her

Antis "Here's the situation Hinata she is bland frumpy well she is not shy she is only "kind not have awkward to privileged to busy idolizing". Shut up because good mother like hinata will never putting Naruto before her kids.

Hinata she is not like the trash pink with the point disgusting on her forehead. Sometimes people they are tend to get confused and Watch only in anime but not read manga the anime ruin her character.

Hinata she is still shinobi

And you think that this not annoying to hear your nonsense??? So what if Hinata she is born in world harsh. So what if she is not fit of Course she know what it takes to live ap the experience she is not Placed on her as the hair. This not the reason why Hiashi has to pass it down Hanabi be heiress I even not understand what even interesting in her filler character that even not existing Hanabi she is not kunichi and it clear that she is not capable not much from Hinata

it is not her fault of Hinata that she is fel on trash father. i sure that if you was instead you wouldn't talk in this way

It yes matter Hanbi she is not did half from that did Hinata, Hiashi he is the fault he not was good with hinata. Cleary it is not was rigth to do it. Hinata know what her duty to her clan. Sorry but Hiashi he is not was responsable about hinata that only was a littel girl. he is act to hinata like a trash. hinata she is was need to prov her self and be strong alone. The manga not prov that Hinata was a "stalker" after her crash. Even Naruto kno that to hinata have motivation to be strong it not only for him.

it is no fair when Neji dead to no one was care about him only to Rock Lee and Hinata was care about him. Hinata never was a slave in her family what are you want she is mother she is has a littel girl. she is need to keep her.

Aaaa you can to talking abut selfish?? After that Hinata she is almost dead your pink trash she is going to Naruto to get him love confession cleary that he is lie. she is not was a good friend she is not thinking about hinata's feelings. No, it just makes me angry that Sakura is going after someone who just wants to kill her. Isn't that harassment???

Absolutely not Naruto never ignored Hinata when Hinata was hurt Naruto in battle protected her with his whole body it's always a detail that haters like you leave out just to hate Hinata.Hinata she is not selfish without her Naruto was a dead. In the manga he even said he went crazy after what happened to her he also said she saved him you are not understood it would have been more selfish if she hadn't jumped into the fight against Pain and it is clear that Naruto was shocked because he doesn't use to have anyone who even loves him

What does that have to do with suicide?? Of course she fought. Naruto said how strong Hinata was that she saved him.

There is no mistake here that was made out of guilt. Naruto did it because he wanted to and for no other reason. He does care about Hinata, otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned how much.he also said how crazy he was is this called ignoring???You completely ignored this part.

This is absolutely not true, Hinata she is wirrten excellent. You just like the empty and the toxic characters without any content like Sakura who don't care about others at all.Kishimoto never said Hinata was poorly written, he loved her.

Kishimoto makes it clear that in his mind Naruto and Hinata would be together and that while he didn’t consider writing the story of how they got together himself, that was till Pierrot suggested they make the next movie then Kishimoto gave them his full support.

Just shut up, it hasn't been proven that Hinata is a slave or anything else you mentioned, you're just a hypocritical and lying fandom. On the contrary, Hinata only got stronger in Boruto.

I never connected with Hanabi just a character as unnecessary as an ass. Sorry for the expression, but her fan base is so toxic and hypocritical. What do you want? Hinata hasn't forgotten about her tribe for a single moment. In contrast, Hanabi doesn't do anything with her life.You should actually be thankful that she has a good sister like Hinata.Seriously where was Hanabi in ​​the war???

Even that her cousin died,Hanabi she is not was. Hinata only appeared in the manga, Hanabi crying over him only in a stupid filler.

So enough of all this hate won't help you Sakura fans Hinata is none of the things you said I always asked where Sakura was about half the people in the war died she could have started healing them while Naruto was falling

What meaning does to Sakura character when she does nothing?Even Obito understood how important Hinata was. Because he saw one full of hope who was always ready to fight for her friends.

It's just evil to say that Hinata doesn't care about her family. Hinata isn't bad mother as the anime trying to show.

Sakura almost kills her daughter. Makes the earth shake and makes her cry. Lies to her about her father. It's just horrible. I would die if I had a mother like that. The Boruto anime is trying so hard to make Sakura a hero when she's not.

Another thing is that she's a housewife, there's nothing wrong with that. Kushina and Mito were also housewives, and I didn't see anyone hating them.

So enough please, enough with this, you're messing around with things that don't exist. Hinata is good and the manga has proven it well and you won't be able to change that. Here's a request: show me another husband and wife like that and only in the manga.

[caramelarchive2]

Can we get Z,T,S and C with L please?

-🌜anon

death note reborn

also hello 🌜 anon! I think your ask is the next one sitting in my inbox and I'm excited to write it :)

I've mentioned it before I believe, but what brings L to a state of zen is rain. And again I'll mention I don't think it actually brings him that sense of calm and belonging unless he's somewhere small. A garden. A driveway. An onsen. I should draw L in rain. He likes the way each single drop of rain is its own individual part of the whole. He likes how they all "work together." He likes the sound. It reminds him of England.

L is terrified of very few things. He has fears, yes, I think he's scared of thunder and also of zombies, and of being unloved and forgotten. which is very likely, nobody noticed that L had died (he's still alive) and Light took over except for people who knew/had been told that he had died. the world only knew him as a detective not even a person and why do I want to make myself cry today, sigh. Anyway. The thing he's number one most afraid of is losing his ability to think and speak and communicate. So any virus that attacks the brain absolutely TERRIFIES him. He lies awake at night thinking about lyssavirus/rabies and listeria and everything else he's heard of (let's be honest L has a weak immune system the common cold could probably kill him). Any brain damage at all, anything related to it, terrifies him.

SEXUALITY & GENDER HEADCANONS LET'S GO,, okay. L usually just tells people it's none of their business, 1) because it's none of their business and 2) because it takes him a while to list it all (he'd go into more detail than I have). L identifies as: arospec (demiromantic), acespec (greysexual) and pan (he thinks from a technical definition he'd be omni, as he has a preference for men, but he prefers the pan label). When asked by someone what his gender is he'll inevitably reply "what the fuck is gender lol" — the wording because he thinks it's funny and the sentiment because he honestly does not care about gender. L is just L. He looks masc because it's just easier to keep going the way he was raised and he accepts he/him pronouns mostly but you could refer to him as anything and he wouldn't care. Would probably be surprised because he's accustomed to being called he/him but would not care. He'd also wear dresses and skirts and whatever if it was a more appropriate choice for the situation or weather n stuff. oops haha I wrote a lot.

Oh boy talking about L and the change questions is gonna be a lot. One of my favourite things to think about is L's inner conflict and how much he wants to change but is at the same time afraid of it. Iirc he mentions in canon that he knows his own methods aren't great but doesn't make any effort to change them. I think the main reason for that is that he's been brought up knowing how unjust the justice system is and being taught that it's okay for him to do bad things if it makes the bad people go away, i.e. the ends justify the means. So he's afraid he won't be as good of a detective if he follows the law he upholds. Watari probably doesn't help very much with that. But L DOES want to be a good person, otherwise he's a hypocrite and creating as many problems as he prevents. As for how he has changed, well, he went from a poor little boy to someone who was told their only purpose was their intelligence and raised to be a brilliant detective at the same time as his own individuality and life was destroyed and that's really sad to me. When I write L I hope to write him learning to be a person outside of his work. once again it's the Rie formula my dear OC there to let me rewrite everything for a happy AU. HELP I wrote even more for that one shhfhfhfnfgn.

[twothpaste]

fic snippet featuring lucas & porky & the profound disillusionment of realizing you're never gonna get through to a motherfucker 😔

It laid, back then, a hundred n' fifty some-odd feet from the shoreline. No walkways of wood nor metal carved the path. If an audience with the king was what you sought, you'd have to rough it to his throne. Through the soggy stench of rotting cardboard. Drenched facades melting, squelching, and pooling at your heels. Traverse his skyscraper's serpentine spine. Either atop its precarious columns, or beneath its ribcage archways. Today, the big stupid spikes with which he'd adorned the sides've since been weathered away to moundish stumps. In 2 ADD, though? They'd formed a sharklike jaw line in the treacherous muck. Dentition to rival the Dragon's own.

She soared high. Black streak on a gray blanket. Wouldda blotted out the sun with her wings, if it'd been up there to begin with. Even back then, New Pork's desolation had a notorious propensity for overcast weather. Lucas had to wonder whether that was her doing, too.

Lord of the Rings wouldn't make it into his repertoire for a long while. Leder's library had yet to scavenge any copies. The Hobbit, however, was a White Ship stowaway. The old judge kept it in a secret stash, with the rest of the survivors' forsaken tomes. Lucas'd been the first to read it, once the locks were finally broken. He couldn't help but think of it. Here of all places. Stony imagery of a lost mountain kingdom. A darker dragon, hoarding ill-gotten gains. How small he felt. How bitterly humble. To traverse these halls.

The Absolutely Safe Capsule didn't sit atop a gilded pile. Just purple-gray rubble. N' acid rain puddles. N' concrete.

A broad, hungry, window-bound smile greeted him. Upon his arrival.

Lucas didn't humor it with any of his usual salutations. Not even a glance. Just trudged right past the pane, and seated himself upon a closely-nestled boulder. He remembers his chewed nails clawing against the harsh, clammy surface.

"Y'know, Lucas," Porky purred. With no particular forward. Whether the king thought his visitor's silence haughty, amusing - or perhaps even infuriating - he didn't bother to say so. "I've been thinking," he simply announced. Craning his miserable neck, right up to the glass, as if tryin' to catch whatever delightful pout or scowl might grace the hero's dumb, pimply face.

"I bet," said Lucas. Flat as a burnt flapjack. That made Porky grin, too.

"It's sort of funny. Hilarious, even. That your so-called new society's here, to salvage my city."

This came about as outta left field to Lucas as it probably does to you. Which is to say, hardly. Weren't never really conversations, to be had with Porky. Whatever happened to be on his mind, he'd barf it right onto your sneakers. Then glance at you, expectantly, almost innocently. Like he was awfully eager to watch you clean it up.

"My city," he repeated. With a cough. "Which, as you know, I modeled oh-so-painstakingly after our old world."

Lucas turned those slatey eyes of his toward the Capsule. But held his tongue. Again - you can call it patience.

"It's almost as if nothing starts from the ground up. You're always recycling something rotten. Always on the shoulders of man-eating giants. Even if you try to pretend otherwise."

"Yep," Lucas contended. Gray as the rock he perched on. "That's the idea. We're learnin' from the past. Y'couldda stood to do the same."

Porky's prison emitted a raucous cackle. If Lucas were still looking, he'd've seen a curled lip. A snarling smirk.

"Oh. I learned plenty, my friend."

To sigh would be to appease him. Spoiling a bad dog.

"I don't really get why you won't apologize," Lucas mused, instead. "Why y'won't even fake it. There's folks who'd fall for it."

(He prob'ly would've. He thought. Up until three days prior. He'd decline to add that, though. Let Porky guess it for himself.)

"Heh. What can I say? I'm an honest guy. Much more honest than you cheating, stealing, hypocritical hicks give me credit for. Besides -- Agh..! Haahhck…!"

Porky's bone-popping shrug was cut short by a trademark wheezing fit. Lucas waited. Nails grating.

"Ah.. Hagh… Besides.. Little ol' Porky Minch's got nothing to apologize for, anyways. All I've done is reveal the cold, hard truth. Taught you sorry lot a thing'r two 'bout human nature." His royal highness dipped into a mockery of the peasants' lowly drawl. Before extending one hand, to count his points on his wretched fingers. "Uncertainty, control, anger. Frailty. Self-destruction. That's always been the long n' short of it. N' always will be."

"Agree to disagree," Lucas maintained. His low, crackly, teenaged timbre shifting an inch closer to a growling grumble. Porky ate it up. When you've been stuck in an oversized baseball for two years, you tend to develop a ravenous craving for the smallest of crumbs.

"Fine by me. Your descendants'll realize I was right all along. Even if you're too proud to accept it."

"My mom always used to say somethin' 'bout pots n' kettles."

"Ha. So, you admit you're the kettle."

"I'm more of a skillet, I reckon."

"Well, ain't that goddamn charmin'? My mom bashed me over the head with one of those, once. I ever tell ya that story?"

"Y'didn't. M'sorry to hear that."

A snort.

"No you're not."

In lieu of an answer, Lucas could only stare. Impasse was a recent addition to his vocabulary. He'd read it in one of Leder's books. He traced its edges, in his mind's eye. Chewed it, silently, between his tongue and teeth.

[pedritapascal]

A good Agent, or a Good Fucker... to me

Chapter Four - Facing the Truth

Pedro Pascal's character - Dave York - [DY] The Protector 2 / Equalizer 2

Dave York x Female Reader

Word Count: 5.9K

WARNINGS: {+18} Sex Language; SA; Fingers; Tongue; Nudity; Explicit Details; Oral Sex

A good Agent, or a Good Fucker... to me

I was already sitting on the floor, it was night, and I hadn't even moved properly, thinking and wondering how I could have allowed all this to happen, how I let myself get carried away, I'd always been so centered, so straightforward, it's true that since college my friends had said that I needed to let go and live a little…but sleeping with a murderer? I'd put my hands to my head, a lump would come up in my throat and all I could think of was Maggs' voice saying:

"He killed an agent, and it was his partner…"

My stomach churned every time I remembered…

My phone had been ringing non-stop, countless calls and messages from Dave wanting to know where I was:

"Hey princess, it's almost time, where are you?"

"Only 10 minutes left, where are you?"

"I heard you were sick, do you need me?"

"I'll do the interrogation myself, but I really wanted you here with me."

"Hey princess, answer me, I'm getting worried…"

"But you're not even going to answer me? Is it that serious?"

"The interrogation is about to begin"

"We're finished, where are you?"

"I need to tell you everything about the interrogation, answer me"

"Since you won't answer me, I'm on my way…"

What do you mean by coming here? At least I knew that at that time Mrs. Smiths was in the back garden and wouldn't open the gate for him, so he would keep ringing the intercom. I don't want to see him ever again, EVER.

Not twenty minutes later, someone knocked on my door, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE… I looked through the peephole and saw that it was Mrs. Smiths, I took a deep, relieved breath and opened the door smiling, but as I finished opening it, the smile left my face.

"Miss, you need to give your boyfriend the key, every day he gets stuck down there…"

"Ah, Mrs. Smiths, thank you so much, what would my life be without your favors?" I smiled falsely as she walked back to her apartment.

Dave approached me quickly and gave me a kiss that I didn't return

"Hey princess, what's up, are you okay?"

"Dave, I want you to get out of here now" - I couldn't look him in the eye - "I want you to never touch me again, or say my name… I just want you to go…"

"What? Why…"

"Are you still going to ask me?"

"They told you, didn't they?"

I just shook my head yes

"No no, I'm not going to, you have to listen to me too" - Dave approached me, putting his hand on my waist.

"I don't have to Dave, I don't owe you anything, we're nothing" - pushing his hand away from me - "JUST GET OUT OF HERE, JUST GO" - I raised my voice, pointing to the exit.

"No, you don't" - Dave took a step forward towards me and my reflex was to draw my gun in his direction - "You… Would you shoot me?" - he said surprised

"I don't know, if your old partner had had the chance to draw her gun, would she be alive now?"

"THAT'S NOT HOW IT HAPPENED" - Dave shouted and I freaked out and cocked my gun, part of me knew that he would never do anything to me, but my vast experience and my reason told me otherwise.

Dave moved away when he heard me cock the gun…

"You know what? OK" - Dave said walking away with his hands up to show that he wasn't a threat - "Do like most people do, don't listen to me, don't listen to my side"

"Which side Dave? The one about selling yourself or killing a coworker? What did you do? Seduce her, have sex with her and then kill her?"

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" - Dave straightened his nose and put his hands on his waist, taking a deep breath - "You have every right to hate me, but you calling me a murderer while you have a gun pointed at me is a bit hypocritical, don't you think?"

"Self-defense" - I replied harshly

"Princess, please…"

"Dave, go away"

Dave took a deep breath, turned around and left… I unholstered my gun and locked my door, I looked out the window behind the curtain to make sure he was leaving, he stayed in the car for a few minutes, until he drove off.

I got on the phone and made an appointment to meet the lieutenant at eight in the morning.

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️

At eight o'clock sharp I was already at the door of Lieutenant Jones' office

"What brings you here today, Officer? Any news on the case?"

"Lieutenant, I need another case, and another partner, if you could please send me to some case in Europe."

"Agent… you're in the middle of an investigation, I can't just release you from a case without a concrete reason and…"

"You know very well why…"

"Agent, what happened is in the past, I put you with him because you're smart and quick and he needs to solve this case."

"And I have to help him get well?"

"That's not what I said, I said…"

"Lieutenant, you served with my father, how can you put his little girl in this risky situation? What if I call him?"

I HATED having to use my father's name and influence, but this time I had no choice… Lieutenant Jones took a deep breath

"Agent York poses no risk to anyone, but if you're bothered by this situation, and because of the friendship I have with your father, I'll put you on a case in Holland, OK? But I can only resolve everything in four days, you can't just go, I have to make a few phone calls…"

"Okay, I'll come back to the agency in four days to finish sorting it out"

"No ma'am, Agent, this isn't a vacation ranch, you'll have to work all four days… It's either that or I can't do anything for you…"

I took a deep breath…

"Fine" - I got up, huffing

On the way to my office I bumped into Maggs

"Hey Rookie, you okay?"

"Yes, yes, it was just the scare from yesterday's information."

"Did the lieutenant fight with you a lot?"

"Why would he fight?"

"Because you missed the interrogation…"

"Oh yes, gee, I'm going to have to work overtime without getting paid for it, gee - I'm already walking away towards my office."

Every step I took, my heart squeezed. When I got to the office, he wasn't there, I breathed a sigh of relief… There was no coffee on my desk… I picked up some folders from Dave's desk and sat down to read, I was halfway through when the door opened and he looked at me quickly.

"Good morning Rookie"

I didn't answer

"I can understand you not wanting to listen to me, or look at me, or talk to me, but I take it you're a professional? Right? So can we talk about the case?"

"I'm already reading it, but you can tell me and I'll listen to you." - Face in the documents.

"So" - Dave took a deep breath - "Arjona handed over two women who do the kidnapping for them in Ohio - Adalia Garcia and Sofia Lopez" - Lifting up towards the board and pinning their photos to it.

"Simple tactics, sometimes they invite these women to work as models, arrange photo shoots and then these women are no longer seen, or the basics of the basics, they approach the woman asking for help, pretending to be ill and asking for help to get to their car, once near the car, the women are no longer seen."

"Women kidnapping women, of course, our instinct tells us that we can trust women, especially in a help situation, but it's very simple, don't you think? I mean, for a big organization selling women?"

"Yes, the tactic is simple, but what happens afterwards is huge" - Dave approached me, picking up one of the folders - "In these areas here in Ohio, that's where they have a house and inside is where all the magic happens, specialized people change the haircuts and colors of these women, change their look, so that they are not recognized as missing persons, they are photographed and filmed to generate sales content."

"And you've already had this area investigated to find out…"

"It's already in Matt's hands…" - he smiled

"Damn, that was good" - I allowed myself to smile, because the case had really moved on - "And when they find the exact place, we'll go to Ohio, right?"

"Yes, I'm already in contact with the agents there, the police, everything, if everything goes well we'll get on the flight tomorrow" - Dave said, returning to his desk.

I honestly didn't want to go with him, but I wanted to go on the mission…

"What about Seattle?"

"Nothing" - Dave huffed, putting his arms back and his hands on the back of his neck, I felt guilty, maybe if I'd been there doing my job and taking part in the interrogation, we'd have gotten more out of it - "But it wasn't your fault, Rookie, he just didn't want to talk about Seattle"

I hated it when he guessed what I was thinking… I'd always known that Dave was cunning, intelligent and voracious, what scared me was knowing that, on top of all that, he was also mortal… was he?

I continued reading the transcribed interrogation while I felt Dave staring at me from his desk, part of me wanted to hear his side of the story, and part of me wanted to run away, another part wanted to… anyway…

I waited for Dave to leave the room around the time I was due to leave so that I could leave without having to say goodbye or say anything. Later that day, I received a message from Dave saying:

"We met, I'll see you tomorrow at the airport at 7 a.m."

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️

It was already the evening of the following day, and the operation had been a success, fourteen people arrested including Adalia and Sofia, and nine women rescued who were being held captive in that house, we left the police station in the direction of the hotel, as the CIA didn't care about the personal relationships between its agents, they only made a car available, and that was it, all day in the car with him, and now the night too.

Dave always drove quietly, concentrated, and this time the reason wasn't attention to the steering wheel or the road, he was really bothered, he was breathing hard, the only word he'd said so far was I'm sorry when he accidentally bumped into my thigh while changing gear…

"Rookie, would you mind stopping by one place before we go to the hotel?"

"What place?"

"There's a drive-thru with a milk shake that I love, and whenever I come to Lima, Ohio, I like to have one… if you don't…"

"No no, I don't mind, go ahead"

That feeling, that tension from the first few weeks was back, I took a deep breath, just two more days, two more days and I'd be out of the country.

Dave ordered for both of us, and even though I wasn't very hungry, he insisted that I try the Milk Shake…

"Wow, my God, that's delicious" - I replied, wide-eyed; it really was very, very good.

"I told you, the best Milk Shake in the country, but don't drink it like that, it's no fun with a straw" - Dave took the lid off my Milk Shake - "drink it with a sip, the straw won't let the flavor pass over your tongue"

Drinking it in sips was much better, we stood there in silence in the empty parking lot… I took the time to look at him, and Maggs' voice came back into my head…

"Dave, come on" - I said, settling down on the bench and finishing my milk shake.

"Calm down, Rookie, you've got one" - Dave ran his thumb over my upper lip to wipe away the excess milk shake that had been left behind, and after almost two days without his touch, my body reacted with desire. Dave took a deep breath and his hand reached for my face and I felt his fingers caress my cheek

"Princess" - he whispered

I let my face lie a little in his hand and Dave tucked my hair behind my ear.

"I told you once that I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, in my work, but that you weren't a mistake" Part of me wanted to be there with him, to forget all this and just ask him to have me right there in that car. But my reason was screaming inside me, begging us to get out of there…

"Dave, no, I can't, I can't, let's go"

He held me by the chin and turned my face towards him, since I'd heard everything, this was the first time I'd looked him in the eye again. And this time I saw them as distant and sad as in the first few weeks when I met him.

Dave moved closer to me and put his forehead on mine, brushing his nose against mine, I took a deep breath and pulled him towards me, putting my mouth on his, I held him by the back of the neck while I slipped my tongue into his mouth, Dave held me by the face and let the kiss go very slowly, without rushing, his mouth soft, warm and just touching me made me shiver, Dave ran his tongue over my lips and breathed heavily while he left me with kisses.

I shouldn't have, but I wanted him, I wanted Dave, my head said no, but my body reacted the opposite around him.

I followed him with my body towards his place in the driver's seat, Dave held me by the legs and placed me on his lap without taking his mouth off mine. His hands went to my ass, squeezing each band and pressing my hips into his, I felt his cock growing there as my panties got wetter and wetter, I lowered my mouth to his neck and he moaned softly as he followed the rhythm of my hips rubbing against his. I moaned into his neck when I felt one of his hands on my left breast, squeezing slowly. Our mouths clamped together, our breathing labored and our hips in friction, I could feel his bulge right on top of my clit, making me moan every time he rubbed me harder.

My phone rang on the passenger seat.

Dave and I laughed for a moment at the irony… it was the Lieutenant, I had to answer it.

I got off Dave's lap…

'Ready'

"Officer, how was the mission?"

"All right, everything went well…

"Okay, on that subject, in two days you'll be released, tomorrow I just need you to sign some papers and organize your passport…"

"Yes sir"

I put my phone to my lips, looking straight ahead.

"Dave, I have to go…"

"Princess?"

"I just want to go and I need to go" - looking straight ahead, because that call brought me back to reality…

"You're the most complicated and annoying human being I've ever met, you know that?" - Dave said, starting the car and getting out - "You confuse me… and piss me off"

On the way I felt Dave looking at me sometimes and I preferred to keep quiet, I just wanted to get away from him, so I wouldn't give in to him.

At the hotel I rushed to my room, took my shower and went to sort out the case documents for the next day, we couldn't take the accused away from there, so everything would have to be sorted out tomorrow.

I realized that there were some documents there that I had already seen but needed again, they were with him, I was already in my pajamas by this time, but I decided to go anyway, the door was next door, no one would see me in my old Guns shirt and my pink polka-dot shorts and my fluffy slippers…

I quickly left the room and knocked on Dave's door, he opened it and was startled to see that it was me, he looked so different, in his sleep shorts, T-shirt and bare feet, his hair damp as if he'd just got out of the shower.

"Prin… Rookie… do you need anything?"

"I need Dave, the documents from evidence folder 582C"

"Sure, sure, I took it because I needed to read up on some items, but come in, I'll get it."

I stood inside with the door still slightly open, while he went to the table that was full of papers to look for what I had asked for, Dave handed me a piece of paper and asked me to check that it was the one, while I checked, Dave picked up his phone that had been ringing for a message…

Dave turned around

"What do you mean you're going to Holland?"

"What?"

"You heard me, what do you mean you're going to Holland?"

"I asked for a transfer to another case Dave, I…"

"You're what? You're going to run away, abandon… the case?"

"I can't be around you anymore after…"

Dave slapped the pile of papers on the table, knocking most of them to the floor. He put his hand to his mouth and scratched his nose

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's none of your business, Dave, that's why…"

Dave approached me, at a normal distance…

"You know what, go on, maybe by sitting with your next partner you'll forget everything that's happened here."

I slapped him across the face, my only reaction.

Dave turned his face away and wiped at the slap…

"The most interesting thing about all this is that you haven't even been here an hour, and you haven't gotten the right lady vibe, sitting on my lap in the car… You know what I think" - Dave came closer to me

"Dave, don't you dare, do you think you know me? You're not even close to knowing who I am and…"

"I don't know you? I may not know everything about you, yet… but I know that you tremble every time I come near you, and it's not fear, I know that you're angrier at yourself than at me for the things I've done, and not for the actions, but for the simple fact that you can't get out of it, and I also know that the fact that you found out what I did has given you another view of me, and that view now makes you angry, makes you suspicious, but it turns you on a lot, because you've always wanted to take risks" - Dave just slammed the door behind me.

"That doesn't make you know me Dave, it just makes you a mediocre detective." - Taking steps back

I felt my back against the closed door and Dave's hand on the door, over my shoulder, staring at me.

"I'm not afraid of you Dave…"

"There's only one thing you feel for me, and that's what I want" - putting his other hand on my waist…

"Disgust?"

"Horny" - Dave whispered in my ear and I shivered

I was still leaning against the door with my arms crossed when I felt Dave's hand on my waist squeeze me, and he lowered his head towards my neck, running his tongue slowly from bottom to top. I held my breath.

"If you want princess, I'll stop now…"

"I fucking hate you so much Dave York"

I pulled his waist to me as I kissed his mouth, I'd never been as thirsty for him as I was at that moment, Dave was pressing me against the door so hard that I was breathless at times.

I took off his shirt and ran my nails over his chest, he moaned and bit his lower lip, so I kissed his neck, down past his nipples where I let my tongue play a little, down to his belly button and nibbled on his cock, which was already hard through his clothes, and back up to his mouth.

Dave picked me up on his lap, facing him, and moved towards the bed. He lay down with me, on top of me, while one of his hands searched for my skin under my shirt, our mouths pressed together and gasping into each other.

Dave stopped for a moment and stared at me, running his fingers down the side of my face…

"What's wrong?" - I asked softly.

"You… you're so beautiful" - he kissed one of my cheeks - "so smart" - he kissed the other. "You drive me crazy. He kissed my mouth."

My hands caressed his back, while we kissed again calmly, Dave took off my blouse and moved his mouth down to my breasts, nibbled on the nipple and ran his tongue down the side of my belly and stopped at the waistband of my shorts.

Dave lowered his face to my still-covered pussy and breathed heavily there, I felt his fingers in the waistband of my clothes and Dave took them off slowly, he smoothed my thighs, kissed them calmly.

One of his fingers lightly brushed my entrance and my body responded by arching my back, I moaned softly at his touch.

Dave slowly slipped a finger in and back out, slipped another finger in and I moaned louder. He used his thumb to reach my clit, making small circles on it as he slipped two fingers in and out of my pussy.

Dave was kneeling outside the bed, I looked at him for a moment and he was watching me as I pleasured myself… I moaned his name, DAVE.

He smiled in a proud way, bent over me as he kissed the underside of my thighs, circling and slipping his fingers in faster.

"Come for me princess"

He asked as he fucked me with his fingers, my legs were already shaking until his thumb touched my right spot and I felt my orgasm coming, I clenched the bed sheets and moaned, as I came Dave took his fingers out and stuck his tongue in my pussy, from bottom to top twice and on the third time he stopped at the clit and sucked it, I moved my body up almost sitting down and holding his head in that position… I was shaking, sweating and moaning with Dave York between my legs.

"FUCK…"

I fell backwards onto the bed, gasping for breath… Dave continued with his tongue in me, passing it slowly, from bottom to top, from top to bottom, making circles… I couldn't ask him to stop, in fact I didn't want him to stop, but I didn't have the strength at that moment.

Dave put my feet up on the bed while I sucked on the orgasm he had just given me, his tongue was still circling my clit and I felt one of his fingers sliding into my entrance again, I felt Dave stick his thumb in me while his tongue played around, he was moving his thumb in and out and I held him by the hair with one hand, keeping him in the position he was in and moaning while with the other I squeezed my breast, I had never felt so much pleasure like this, in fact, no one had ever given me so much pleasure like this.

Dave's thumb went down to my pussy, and pressed at the entrance to my anus, I tensed in reaction, Dave ran his tongue down there, and back to my clit, he ran his hands around my thighs, pulling me closer to him, as he stuck his head further in and pressed his face into my pussy, one of his hands left my thigh and squeezed my breast slowly, I felt another wave invading me, I crossed my legs behind Dave's back and held him to me.

I moaned loudly as he drank from me, trembling and still gasping for breath… Dave climbed on top of me, leaving kisses all over my torso, I was so sensitive that I shivered with every touch of his lips.

He reached for my mouth, holding me by the back of the neck, just lifting my head a little so he could kiss me, his body over mine, one arm resting on the bed and the other holding the back of my neck.

I lifted my body towards him, making him change position. We were both on our knees on the bed, Dave put his arm around me, pulling me to him, I held him by the face, caressed him with my fingertips…

I ran my hands down his back, tracing him, until I reached his ass, pressed him against my body, then slipped my hands into the waistband of the shorts he was wearing and started to pull them down, he wasn't wearing any underwear, so I didn't have much trouble, Dave helped me by finishing taking the shorts off himself…

When he pressed his body into mine again, I felt his cock pressing against my belly. I held it carefully and Dave gasped at my touch.

Dave sat down on the bed and pulled me on top of him. I positioned myself on his lap, facing him, still masturbating him.

I raised my hips a little, just until he reached a height where I could sit on that cock. I should have been used to Dave's thickness by now, but no, it always hurt a little when I started to penetrate, but it was a good pain, and I went down slowly until I got used to it again.

I stopped when I felt it all go in and Dave threw his head back, moaning. I started to ride Dave slowly, as I went back and forth, rubbing my clit against him, his moans became more intense, he held both sides of my ass making me go back and forth with more intensity. He put his mouth on my left breast and sucked it eagerly. He moved his hands up to my back where his arms went around me, our bodies stuck together, almost occupying the same space, as if we were one. He moved one hand down to my ass, where he held and pushed his cock in even further, and from there he stretched his arm further, reaching my clit from behind me. The sensation of him fucking me like that and masturbating me at the same time…

"FUCK"

I moaned loudly, already feeling my third orgasm coming on, Dave pushed with his fingertips and I just exploded, in another wave of hard-on right there on his lap, he silenced my moans with a kiss, and made me moan into his mouth… My body was already getting exhausted, I could feel my muscles trembling, Dave lay down while I was still sitting there, rubbing myself against him and finishing feeling my orgasm, he held me by the waist continuing the movement, I squeezed my breasts… and even though I didn't have the strength I couldn't stop riding him, the look on his face as he watched me cum was getting me more and more heated…. "You drive me crazy princess" - he gasped - "hot"

I threw my body back a little, resting my hands on his legs, and then I threw myself forward, letting my body fall on top of his, resting my hands on the pillow under his head…

"Holy shit, Dave" - I said, panting and swallowing…

Dave turned with me, putting my arms behind my back and pinning me down with just one hand. I thought about protesting, but no, I ended up enjoying the idea. I rested my head on the bed, my face to one side, I felt Dave opening me up with his fingers, then I felt his cock rubbing against me and entering me, without any difficulty. With his remaining hand, Dave guided my hips towards him, holding me by the waist, making me bend my ass more towards him.

He squeezed my ass so hard that the next day I would have the marks of his fingertips.

Dave started thrusting in and out of me, his hand now pushing my back towards the bed and making me lean even further towards him. He groaned loudly, increasing the speed, his hand squeezing me tightly, as if he was afraid I would escape… I should have, but I wouldn't…

Dave groaned as his hips slammed into my ass. He pulled me by the hips as he fucked me hard.

I felt that Dave was going to come when he went out of rhythm, he thrust in two more times very hard, and moaned in a loud growl, while his hand held me by the back of the neck, pushing me down on the bed, he pumped a few more times until he fell with his head on my back, and let go of my arms… I could hear his panting, I felt his lips kissing my back…

Dave pulled out of me and sat on the bed, resting his back on the headboard. I just turned over on my stomach, staring at the ceiling and trying to breathe…

"Hey, come here princess" - Dave called me closer…

I didn't move, I just stood there, staring at the ceiling…

"Dave? Why did you do that?"

Dave took a deep breath…

"I'm not a bad guy, princess, that's the first thing you need to know about me…"

"I already know who you are, at least I think I do, honestly I know you wouldn't hurt me, but sometimes I doubt it…."

"I would never, ever, never hurt you…"

"Then start by telling me the truth…"

"Well" - Dave took a deep breath, let it out - "things were strange at the agency, Carol had already been unemployed for 6 months and our savings were running out, we even had to touch the girls' college money to pay the bills and not mortgage the house… the fights with Carol became constant, she demanded that I take care of everything because that's my role as a man, I was a husband and I had to take care of everything, and she wasn't wrong…"

"Yes, she was, we don't live in the 50s any more Dave, the rent is shared…"

"Yeah, but she doesn't think like that, and neither did I at the time… and one day I was in the bar, that bar, and an agent who'd been transferred from LA sat down to chat, to mingle and saw me worried, I'm not one to talk about my personal life, I'm really not, but I was already a bit drunk… and I ended up telling him about the financial situation… He said he was going to present me with a proposal and I agreed to see him the next day, I thought he was going to talk about pyramid schemes, investments… I went with him the next day and he introduced me to some people, and the job was simple, to find people who didn't want to be found."

"So you hunted down their enemies and competitors?"

"That's right, I just gave them the location, I didn't do anything, at first I didn't go for it, but the money was really good, like really good, I was earning half my year's salary in one job…"

"But he started asking for more, didn't he?"

"Yes… he started to be investigated for other crimes, and I had to hand over the agents who were investigating, if he was arrested, I would also be involved, because they would find out everything, and I was already up to my neck in it…"

"And your partner?"

"So" - Dave put his hands to his face, took a deep breath - "oh my god… after the other team was killed, they put me on the case with my partner, and all I did was divert evidence, disappear documents, try to cover up, I'd already said I wanted to leave, I didn't want to anymore, and I was in charge of this last job, I'd get rid of him, he'd leave the country, and disappear and that was the end of it, except my partner was very clever and started to investigate further… that's when…"

"He told you to get rid of her…"

"That, and I denied it, I said I wouldn't do it, but one day I came home from work, and he was there, inside my house, with Carol, and my daughters, waiting for me, I wouldn't mind if he did something to me, but to my daughters? I wouldn't be able to live any longer…"

"But he threatened you, did he threaten them?"

"He didn't have to, he just asked if the house was insured and said that accidents happen… and I understood what I had to do…"

Dave lowered his head and I stood there, static… in silence for a few minutes

"Aren't you going to tell me anything?" - Dave asked me

"I'm just… digesting…"

"Do you hate me?"

"Not for those reasons, just because you're an asshole… And then, how did you get out of it?"

"Lieutenant Jones, after my partner's death, I decided to come clean with him, I told him everything, I told him about the other agents who were involved, and he offered me help if I'd rat them all out and help arrest the mercenaries…I spent almost a year in prison, the only one who knew was Carol, the girls thought I was on a very long mission…I gave all the statements, places, told him how they acted, I handed them all over…"

"And when you were arrested, they accepted you back into the CIA? Just like that?"

"No, it's been five years, I spent two and a half years sorting it out and then clearing my name, I came back to the agency 18 months ago, the trafficking case is the first big case that the Lieutenant has entrusted me with again…"

I understood why Lieutenant Jones had put me with him… but frankly it wasn't my job…

I sat down on the bed, took a deep breath…

"It's a lot to take in Dave, I need some time… to think… and"

"Hey calm down" - Dave approached me, ran his hand over my face and tucked my hair behind my ear - "you don't need to go to Europe to think."

"Dave, I've made up my mind to go, I just have to think about whether I'm going to believe and trust you again, that's all" - with my head down…

"Princess, look at me" - Dave lifted my face, my eyes met his - "I want you here, with me, I need you here, with me…"

I got out of his arms, looked for my clothes, put my hands on my forehead and took a deep breath…

"Every day I walk into that building, and I see people talking about me, turning their faces away from me, distrusting me… in 18 months this has never bothered me, do you know what really hurt me?" - He said, looking down at the floor

"What Dave?" - putting on my blouse…

"The way you looked at me when I arrived at your house that day…"

I put my hair back and took a deep breath as I sat on the bed… I didn't know what to do, for the first time I didn't know what decision to make.

Dave approached me, hugged me from behind and put his chin on my shoulder…

"You've decided to go to Holland, go, I just want to tell you that you're the best thing that's happened to me in years… I can be an asshole, as you say, I know I am sometimes, but you know, you feel that I'm not a bad person" - Dave ran his hand over my stomach, and I held it…

I clasped his fingers in mine and turned to look at him, closed my eyes and gave him a long kiss…

"That was goodbye, wasn't it, princess?"

I didn't answer, I didn't know what decision to make yet, what now? What was I going to do?

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️

The tag list (always in progress), please let me know if you want to be added or removed in my future fanfic posts.

@hannahkatharine @drewharrisonwriter @morallyinept @simp4nott @star017 @survivingandenduring @popcornforone @perotovar @untamedheart81

▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️▪️

Chapter Five - Decisions, decisions…