#Andy’s dark side shows itself | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

stusbunker · 4 months

Text

Spotless: Vivace

Chapter Twenty Five

Featuring: Dean Winchester/Reader, Dean/Bela

Other characters: Bobby, Tiny, Lee, Kevin, Annie, Pamela, Sam, faceless fans and support staff

Word Count: 2900

Warnings, etc: Mutual pining, jealousy, grief, musical backstory and hope

A/N: The band played on.

Series Masterlist

You held your breath as Bobby gathered the band backstage. Two dozen roadies, stage crew, and security stilled as he looked past the boys and Pam to their support staff, only Charlie and her team were missing, already in place in the booth. You shivered and waited. Jody’s voice echoed behind the bend thanking the crowd and promising a great show from Phantom Traveler to come. Andy slinked around and continued to snap pictures, despite the glare it earned him anytime Bobby caught the lens pointed toward him. The ragtag group buzzed with excitement and you silently prayed that it would go off without a hitch.

Finally, Bobby began to speak, “I know a lot of you are nervous about tonight, ‘bout this tour— hell about this band. But it means a lot that y’all signed on for another round of nonsense with these idjits. It means you believe in them, that you’ve got faith they can pull together and get it done. Well, I’m here to tell you it’s not a time to worry, because ain't no other band that can do what these guys do. It’s a time to celebrate. Let’s get out there and fuckin’ rock’n’roll.”

Lee hooted and people cheered, you couldn’t help but clap and shriek along. Then everyone crowded in for the circle of hands and chanted “Phaaaaaantom TRAV-ler!”

The band and crew maneuvered in the dark, letting the interim instrumentals keep the crowd distracted as they set up. You scurried back to where you had left Bela in the wings, under Tiny’s care.

“Everything alright?” Bela asked out of the side of her mouth, shifting in place as she tried to clock Dean amongst the many moving shapes.

“Aces,” you replied, bouncing on the balls of your feet as the crowd started to clap with an increasing beat.

You spotted Sam and Kevin’s silhouettes high five and then Lee strummed a teaser chord. Walkie talkies crackled around you as the all clear was called. You kept an earpiece in, but without much left for you to do, you turned it to the lowest setting besides mute.

It was go time.

“Bring ‘em up, Charlie,” Bobby prompted over the line and the Forum erupted.

Lights and wavelengths of sound shot off in every direction and Phantom Traveler took off.

You wouldn’t have stopped yourself from screaming bloody murder even if you had remembered you were directly beside your very posh best friend and her security detail.

It was happening. They made it back home.

“Good evening Inglewood!” Dean greeted, pointedly accurate. Plus you could tell he was grinning from where you stood, from just the sway of his head and a glimpse of his profile.

There was no other chit chat, no grand speech thanking them for coming out, it was just the band, the music, and the audience.

They started off with ‘Woman in White’, their first major single and something high energy enough to get people out of their seats. Then on to the B side of their first EP, which was a cult favorite called ‘Playthings’ that featured something affectionately referred to as ‘the beat off’ between Sam and Pam.

But at the time it was written, it was played by Sam and Cas.

Pam did it better.

It was like someone was racing up the stairs or against time itself as the two rhythm setting musicians fought for dominance. The crowd ate it up. And you could tell they both were already dripping sweat by the time the song ended and they tuned it back and finally jumped into their last fateful album.

‘Scarecrow’ was haunted and foreboding, reminiscent of early 90s metal that you knew Dean adored. It was also Cas’ favorite track off that entire album. And Kevin killed the bridge as the keyboard turned into an ancient organ chasing the crows away with the dawn. Charlie even added a cackling Vincent Price at the end that couldn’t be topped.

“How’s everybody doing tonight?!” Lee took the words out of Dean’s mouth, which earned him a kick in the ass. They were having a blast up there and it was infectious.

The crowd roared.

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Dean bellowed. “I hope you don’t mind, but we’d like to bring somebody out for this next number.”

Shrill ruckus pierced the air, they knew what was coming.

“She’s our very dear friend and we just so happened to convince her to tag along with us this tour. You know her, you love her, please— give a very warm welcome to the incomparable Ms. Annie Hawkins!”

Everyone screamed and stomped, watching as the spotlight followed Annie from the farside of the stage towards the standing mics centerstage.

“Oh, she looks amazing,” Bela spoke for the first time since you’d gotten back. And she wasn’t wrong.

“The girls probably had a blast with her in their dressing room,” you tacked on thoughtfully.

“Her top though,” Bela continued. “I want it.”

You chuckled at Bela’s priorities and quickly got sucked back into what was happening barely thirty feet away.

“You sure you’re ready over there?” Annie teased as Dean adjusted his mic after rushing to set down his guitar.

The crowd laughed in unison.

“I’m ready, do you think they’re ready?” Dean asked coyly, gesturing to the crowd.

All around you camera screens glowed and flashed burst through the darkened arena. Concert security lined the stage and guarded the partitioned areas for the crew and band to navigate the area. Until that moment you really hadn’t been able to pull any single response from the cacophony. You hadn’t been trying anyway. But when Annie goaded Dean a cluster of women in the pit got your attention.

“And here I thought you were out here warming them up for me?” Annie teased.

The crowd loved it, but one catty comment made it feel like you and Bela were right there up on stage with them. “Bela needs to get her man before that cougar gets too cozy up there.”

They eyed your little corner below the VIP suspiciously. You missed whatever Dean said in response, instead watching the women glare and Bela adamantly ignore them in equal measure.

But then the song began. A slow and slinking start reminiscent of Springsteen’s Fire. Which you clocked the first time you heard it, but that was just the intro. The lyrics started up as a quick conversation, a compromise even and then they were harmonizing into the chorus.

The band hadn’t done many duets, even with such talented singers in their ranks. It wasn’t their style. But this song felt like it had always existed, it was timeless and familiar and really fucking catchy. Annie beamed at Dean when he slipped closer on stage and they belted out the final lines.

It made you feel like they were performing only for you, for their people. It was honest and intimate, but this wasn’t rehearsal or karaoke and the audience would not be forgotten.

Everyone cheered. Even the judgy bitches that kept watching Bela at your side.

Dean hugged Annie and made sure she got the reception she deserved, egging the crowd on and bowing in homage to her talent.

She rolled her eyes, did a snarky curtsy and waved her way back off stage.

“You guys seem to be digging that one. Maybe we could play some more new stuff for y’all tonight?” Lee asked. “I mean— the album isn’t out yet.”

Naturally, the crowd shouted and begged for more.

Bela turned to whisper to you. “They’re not gonna get in trouble for this are they?”

You shook your head. “They’ve got permission to do a few songs until the album is actually out and then they’ll change up the set list to cover more of the new stuff.”

“Got it.”

“Yeah, bootlegs always exist, but this way they’re building excitement but not giving away the farm.”

“Lee!” Dean admonished playfully.

“What?!” Lee spat back, smirking.

“Sam— tell him.”

Sam shook his head, always stoic on stage.

Dean kept up the ruse. “I don’t know if we should. Pamela?”

Pamela thudded the bass drum and hit the crash.

“Okay! Pammy’s in— Kevo?” Lee kept the momentum going.

And without any warning or time for Kevin to actually respond, they burst into the opening of 'Prophet and Loss'.

“I would kill for a drink—- is there somebody we could send to concessions?” Bela asked midsong. And you looked around, wondering if any of the staff could actually leave their posts without getting in trouble.

You suddenly felt like a bad host. “We’ll get you a box for Vegas. I know this isn’t as fun as it sounds standing for two hours straight.”

“Y/N, I’m fine. Promise.”

“Okay, well I’ll go after the next song. You want anything, Tiny?” you asked your silent companion.

“All good, boss.” He replied and straightened his stance, clasping his hands in front of him.

Kevin silenced the space with the burst of chords at the beginning of his solo, showcasing what Julliard training could do and how rock’n’roll could still be classy as hell. The key changed, turning the mood broken and lamenting as they stumbled into the bridge where Dean pelted out about losing Cas without so much detail.

Dean let the note hang in the air. “'Prophet and Loss', everybody.”

Whistles filled the air, keeping the mood somber but with enough reception to know that small offering was gratefully accepted.

“Thanks— uh, I, we really appreciate being here tonight and being able to share some of the new album with everybody. But we know you wanna hear the stuff you know, too. So we’re gonna hop back to it and have a kick ass night. How’s that sound?” Dean checked in.

The crowd cheered.

“Did you hear something?” Dean asked Lee jokingly.

The crowd got louder.

“I don’t know if they’re up for much more,” Lee taunted back.

You rolled your eyes and turned to Bela. “Okay, I’ll be back, text me if you think of anything besides drinks.”

The crowd continued to take the bait, howling behind you as you made your way out of the off limit areas and up a side stairway towards the general admission cavern-like hallway. For the first time it felt like all day, you exhaled. Your pass flapped against your chest as you strutted quickly towards the concession area, bypassing the VIP lounge because you didn’t want to get distracted by Madison or any of the mid-level suits that might be milling around.

You could have stolen something from the dressing room, but that wouldn’t have taken nearly as long and you needed some time off of Bela duty tonight. Which made you feel guilty as hell. She was your best friend! She didn’t do anything wrong. And yet you were incredibly frustrated with even the thought of her.

So you waited in line, ordered two extremely overpriced and depressingly weak cocktails, and put them on your expense card.

The thing about regret is that it isn’t a one time experience. There might have been a moment in the process of you contriving this scenario for Dean’s redemption where you second or third guessed yourself. But the biting sting of seeing him play happy with Bela online and even in person had come at you in waves.

Regret was bearable if it meant it worked, if Dean could have some peace.

But this wasn’t just regret, it was petulance and jealousy and injustice.

Because Bobby had asked all the way back in the beginning, why couldn’t it have been you playing arm candy? And the fact that people could see what you had tried so hard to bury and ignore plain as day, well, it made you feel incredibly small and even more pathetic.

There was no reason for you to be the one at Dean’s side. But damn did you want to be.

And somehow you had managed to keep that from one of the most important people in your life. So it wasn’t just that Bela was getting a part of Dean that you’d never have. Or parts. You shuttered at the thought of where his mouth had been. It was that your best friend hadn’t even clocked the elephant in the room.

Like she didn’t even know you at all.

Or maybe that was on you too. Maybe you hadn’t been honest with yourself until it was too late. How could you put that blame on her too?

You slammed your drink and got back in line for a replacement, not wanting to return with only Bela’s cup like some kind of maid. You could hear the crowd singing along with Lee on ‘A Reaper’s Offering’, a bluesy cut from their second studio album.

You probably had another two songs before you’d miss anything else new. But you also knew Bela was waiting and the longer the show went on, the more drunk and ballsy random fans could get. You couldn’t leave her with the forever nonplussed Tiny for backup. You smiled at the woman working the bar cart apologetically and ordered another husk of a cocktail.

After another stream of applause, the opening bars of ‘Abandon All Hope’ started and you knew you had to book it. This was Jo’s song, you couldn’t miss it. You never left Dean to get through this one alone. Huffing down the service steps with two drinks in hand in heels was something that you managed only from practice, but you made it in time for the first chorus.

“Oh aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Bela murmured to her drink before sipping it and wincing. “It’ll do. Took you long enough,” she teased and winked, hip checking you as you struggled to get your breathing under control as you mouthed along with Dean’s words.

“Trapped by your side with no exit, we had to let you go—”

Bela quickly picked up on your shift in mood and reeled in the playfulness, for which you gave her a grateful glance before turning back to try and lock eyes with Dean on stage.

“Defending that night while trying to give comfort, we should have known—”

“To abandon all hope,” you sang out, the last lyric rising up to hover in the air.

Dean turned and glanced in your direction and then looked again once he finally saw you. He nodded and tapped his heart and you returned the gesture, you both kept her safe as you could now. He blew a kiss to the ceiling and bowed.

The crowd continued to echo around you, suffocating yet as distant as thunder.

“Alrighty, folks, we’re gonna take a short break for Sammy to find another shirt and we’ll get you one last sneak peak,” Dean explained. “Kevin? Think you and Pam can keep ‘em busy for me?”

“Aye-aye,” Kevin said and saluted, out of range of his mic stand.

Pam started in with the count and Kevin peeled in down from the upper registers, like he was sliding in from Heaven and crashing a party. The instrumental interlude was a mesmerizing feat of jumping genres and killing time while showcasing just what all each of them could do. But you weren’t even paying attention. Dean made a beeline for the back of the stage and he wound around security until he could find you.

He gripped the ball of your shoulder and leaned in. “I didn’t see you until the end— had me worried, Trouble!”

He had to talk over the crowd, his back firmly towards the nearest wedge of fans.

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be!”

He stared at you, sweaty and down to a single layer, earpiece still in his left ear.

“You’re killing it up there,” Bela said, making you both stop and blink. Dean grinned and pulled her into a hug, a boyfriend hug, arms tight around her waist so her arms can loop around his neck. She even kicked a leg back for balance.

God was she good.

“You keep an eye on her, okay? She’s gonna need tissues for the next one,” Dean warned playfully down his nose at Bela about you.

She rolled her eyes. “You are a menace on the emotional, aren’t you?”

“All in a day’s work,” Dean shrugged and set her back on her own two feet.

The crackle of a nearby walkie made Dean look around for whoever was sent to find him. “Sam’s looking for you,” an unimpressed lackey of Benny’s pointed out from ten feet away.

“Yeah, I bet he is. Alright, well, see you ladies later— Tiny,” Dean stepped back nodding. He soon disappeared only to hop up on the wing of the stage, grabbing an acoustic and sliding it on.

After the chaos of the crowd dissipated from Pamela’s and Kevin’s antics, Dean and Sam walked on stage and sat down on a pair of stools that had been left out for them. They didn’t look at each other or even the crowd and you knew in that moment that Dean hadn’t been lying. You weren’t gonna survive the next song live with a dry eye.

‘Brothers Keeper’ nearly took down the entire venue.

Cell phones and lighters blazed in the dark, enraptured space as Dean and Sam sang about each other, about family, and about forgiveness.

Tagging:

@deans-spinster-witch

@mrswhozeewhatsis

@cosicas-cuquis

@fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like

@suckitands33

@ladysparkles78

@deans-baby-momma

@stoneyggirl2

@sassy-pelican

@leigh70

@globetrotter28

@winharry

@lastactiontricia

@rockhoochie

@brightlilith

@coldhearted93

@djs8891

Chapter 27: Polyphony

#spotless series #rockstar!dean #dean winchester/reader #dean/bela #dean x you #rockstar au #slow burn #fake dating #love triangle

56 notes · View notes

def-not-kaz-brekker · 11 months

Text

INTRO BECAUSE I HAVENT DONE ONE

(Also pls sign petition to save shadow and bone!! Link)

My qpr radioapple hazbin fanfic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54764482/chapters/141651736#workskin

[please please please send me asks I love interacting with y’all I’m really sorry if I don’t answer right away but I love you for being here and I love you in general ok ask away]

Name: Andi

Pronouns: they/he (prefer they/them but not averse to masc pronouns)

Sexuality: complicated so let’s just say aromantic asexual (I would be honored to answer ur questions regarding aromanticism or asexuality as long as they aren’t hate ofc)

Age: wouldn’t you like to know weather boy

Fav color: probably like dark red and green and gold and silver (take ur pick tbh all those work)

Godly parent: Apollo

Hogwarts house: slytherin (technically ravenclaw but that test can go fuck itself)

Grisha order: Fabriktor (I’m a Durast)

Languages: Italian and English fluently, learning French and I’m pretty good at it, can sorta understand Spanish, not really German but kinda, like a song and a sentence in Japanese, one Latin song and an exorcism (I had a supernatural phase ok), the Ancient Greek alphabet (percy Jackson phase), a few words of Luxembourgish, did a bit of Indonesian and Chinese when I was in first grade so I know a few words there, and that’s about it

Fandoms: lots of musicals (mostly Phantom), hazbin hotel, gravity falls, helluva boss, grishaverse, Riordanverse, good omens, sandman tv show, our flag means death, the owl house, neon genesis evangelion, Harry Potter (but I do not support jk Rowling, I just like the marauders), Superwholock, keeper of the lost cities, others that I’m probably forgetting

Music taste: musicals, random shit idk mostly musicals

Side blogs: @freshavocado-croissants, @thechroniclesofdepression, @inej-ghafa-appreciation-posts

AO3: def_not_kaz_brekker

Pinterest account: https://pin.it/22TYpze

#intro post #introduction #def-not-kaz-brekker #<-idk about that tag I just like tagging shit #queer #trans #nonbinary #aroace #asexual #aromantic spectrum #autism (undiagnosed tho)#fandoms

37 notes · View notes

itsuki-minamy · 1 year

Text

"K - RETURN OF KINGS" (Novel)

CHAPTER 5: CONNECTIONS

* List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

XX slowled raise her head.

It was a family room. There was a table, a dresser, and a TV. The aluminum sheet next to her was open, and soft sunlight streamed in from the porch.

It was the house of XX.

After blinking several times, XX looked around. Neither mother nor father. Did they go shopping or work? Even when she called out to them, the only response was silence, which only increased XX's loneliness.

At that moment, a voice shouted.

She looked to the side. Before she knew it, a cat was sitting on the sunny porch.

What was that cat called? Of course, yes.

"Tamagoro!"

A hoarse voice came from nearby.

XX turned to the direction of the voice in surprise, and then.

She got goosebumps all over her body.

There was a small altar in front of her.

It shouldn't have happened until now.

The altar looked like it hadn't been maintained in a long time. The flowers in the vase had dried up and not even the ashes were left in the incense holder. The dark and gloomy door closed tightly, but slowly, it was about to open.

She didn't want to see.

She shouldn't look.

Although she knew that, her body did not move. The door would open by itself. XX remained rigid, imprinting that movement on her dry eyeballs.

Two portraits of the deceased were enshrined on the altar.

One showed a white-haired boy smiling kindly.

One showed a grumpy, dark-haired boy.

Her heart began to pound.

Help.

XX just wanted that. She needed help. At that time, she just wanted to escape from that place.

XX twisted her neck with all her strength and turned to the side. To ask for help from the only existence that was not her, Tamagoro lying on the porch. Then she turned her eyes.

Tamagoro was not there.

A parrot with green feathers was perched.

XX widened her eyes, the parrot opened its mouth and clearly called out her name.

"Ameno Miyabi."

And Neko jumped.

She opened her eyes as wide as she could. Her body was wet with a cold sweat. She held tight to her heart that was beating like a bell from the top of her nightwear.

Neko tried to forget the dream, but she couldn't.

That name, that scene. She was stuck in her head and wouldn't let go. The dream seemed to merge with reality and spread right next to the bed. It took tremendous courage to confirm it.

When she looked to the side, Shiro was sleeping peacefully.

A relief that made her want to cry spread through Neko.

With that feeling, Neko buried her face in Shiro's chest. She could hear Shiro's sleepy voice.

"Neko...? What's wrong...?"

Neko didn't respond to that sleepy voice, instead she just shook her head. She was afraid to even tell him that she had a scary dream. As soon as she uttered it, it would come true that she couldn't help but feel like she was being attacked.

Unable to sleep or close her eyes, Neko clung to Shiro, trembling until morning.

++++++++++

Seeing the "Jungle" Clansman jump out of the alley on the right, Andy Domyoji smiled and grabbed the hilt of his saber.

"Domyoji, ready!"

The lock was released by voice recognition and the saber was drawn at the same time he began to run. Noticing the approaching white blade, the green masked clansman flinched. However, as expected of a mid-range, he immediately turned his PDA towards them and displayed an interception stance.

Domyoji's smile turned fierce, and a voice of fighting spirit spilled from his throat.

"Oyaaaaaaaaaa!"

Leaping to dodge the electrical discharge emitted from the PDA, he quickly approached the shaken clansman and struck him on the side of the head with the hilt of his saber.

After tying up the unconscious clansman, Domyoji let out a triumphant cry over the radio.

"Ok, one step up."

But what he returned was a warning.

"Domyoji! Behind you!"

"Huh? Gah!"

A group of green masks that seem to be friends were emerging from the alley. With murderous intent clearly visible through their masks, they pointed their weapons at Domyoji.

"Grrrroooaaahh!"

Furthermore, they were all knocked down at once by the giant that broke through.

Rikio Kamamoto, the leader of "Homura". With a massive body of over 100 kilograms and a red aura, he looks like an advancing heavy tank. After being run over by Kamamoto, the green masks flew through the air and rolled on the ground before being captured by the "Homura" clansmen who had been waiting for them.

"Ok, we caught the shit!"

"Give me the rope!"

Raising an animated voice, they skillfully placed the power suppression tools on the green masks. Taking a deep breath, Domyoji looked around.

The number of green masks in the report was six. They all seemed to have been caught.

Domyoji put down his saber and saluted Kamamoto.

"Thanks for your help!"

Kamamoto turned around and gave a thumbs up with a pleasant smile.

"Oh! You are welcome!"

Domyoji laughed and thought, "What the hell are these good guys?"

He had never collaborated with one of the "Homura" clansmen, but when he put together a united front like that, he got along well with Domyoji. Well, Domyoji is in the free-spirited category of "Scepter 4", so it's only natural that he would have a strong affinity with "Homura".

Then, Benzai and Kamo rushed up from behind.

"Domyoji, you stand out too much on your own!"

Domyoji waved his hand to the side of his face.

"Yes, the red guys were blocking the front. They're resourceful, so if you play with the green ones and spread them around, they'll take care of the rest."

"Not bad tactically, but relying too much on other clans..."

Domyoji chuckled slightly at Benzai, who was still scolding him.

"Benzai is not feeling well."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"No, don't worry about it, we are talking about this."

Domyoji thought that Benzai, along with Akiyama, is a "Scepter 4" duo type. At best he is honest, at worst he is stubborn. This joint front is also following the rules, but they can't seem to move well because they lack flexibility.

"Akiyama, turn the transport vehicle around. Oh, we've secured them all."

Kamo, who finished contacting the escort team, joined the conversation.

"His illegal networks follow secondary routes that we often overlook. We were able to control this matter on the first try. Even if you thank him, you will be punished."

"Kamo is right. He is realistic."

"So what are you talking about...?"

Kamo had a questioning expression on his face and Benzai accepted the words, albeit bitterly.

"It is true that our security shifts have improved significantly."

"If you try it, it'll work surprisingly well. I'm thankful I had more hands. Thanks to that, I can take a shower."

"Well, that is..."

Benzai smiled wryly at Domyoji, who crossed his arms and nodded.

At that moment, a transport vehicle turned the corner of the street.

Akiyama's subordinates are driving.

And sitting in the passenger seat is Saruhiko Fushimi.

"Oh...", Domyoji thought and pretended not to see it. Just imagining how Fushimi, who originally belonged to "Homura", thinks about the current situation, makes him cringe. Domyoji tried to leave the place to avoid getting involved as much as possible.

And, he threw a juice at him, and Domyoji reflexively received it. The one who gave it to him was the "Homura" member, Kamamoto. He smiled and lifted his own juice.

"Good job. That's a gift."

"Oh, thanks."

As he said thank you, Domyoji couldn't help but worry about the passenger seat of the transport vehicle. As he tried not to look in that direction, Kamamoto and Akiyama got out of the car and started a meeting.

"Can I get in that car?"

"Oh, please."

The "Homura" members began to load the restrained "Jungle" clansmen in the back seat. He thought he heard the click of his tongue, but Domyoji drank the juice and pretended not to hear it.

++++++++++

It was Usagi who asked him to clean Kokujoji's belongings.

He is an old rabbit that Shiro knows well. He doesn't know exactly what kind of chain of command "Tokijikuin" has, but from the fact that he served Kokujoji until the last moment, he was probably the "King's" closest vassal.

At first, Shiro was confused by his offer.

He certainly was an ally of Kokujoji. But that was nearly 70 years ago, and he hadn't even heard his voice since he fled into the sky. If Kokujoji's memory is accepted, there must be someone more suitable than him.

"There was no such person before you."

The answer weighed heavily on Shiro's back.

Has the lieutenant lived his entire life without making family, friends, or close friends?

After a moment, Shiro nodded.

The old rabbit didn't say anything, just bowed deeply.

It was a well-appointed room.

Tatami mats and shoji screens, Japanese sliding doors and chests of drawers, hanging scrolls and Japanese swords in the alcove. It's been a long time since people lived here, but not a single piece of dust has fallen on the tatami mats. This is probably proof of how much the owner of this room has been revered.

"This is the first time I've come to the lieutenant's room."

There was no longer anyone to respond to the fallen words.

Still, Shiro could feel his presence in the room. It was as if he could imagine how Kokujoji had lived in that place.

"You've been here alone..."

The room was too plain for a man of power who had led that country out of the quagmire of defeat. Perhaps Kokujoji wasn't allowed the luxury of private time. Control others, discipline yourself and continue to support a nation. To accomplish such a feat, he must have given up the worldly happiness of him as a human being.

But among them, there is only one. There was something that showed Kokujoji's humanity.

A photograph leaning against a Japanese chest of drawers.

There are three people in the image. Daikaku Kokujoji and Adolf K. Weismann straightened up. And...

"Lieutenant. My sister prepared something amazing like this."

The papers in Shiro's hands were as old as the photographs. The last person in the photo made it. Claudia Weismann, co-investigator of the "Dresden Slate" and his older sister.

"Many years after we parted ways, it was exhumed from a bunker next to the lab. Kusanagi-san found it when it was donated to the library in a box and left there for a long time without knowing what it was. Look, that Library Officer Red General Staff."

Stroking the surface of the document, Shiro narrowed his eyes. Handwriting, the habit of writing, scribbling here and there brought Isana Yashiro back to when he was Adolf K. Weismann.

The smell of the wind blowing through the majestic streets of Dresden. Voices of people talking and laughing in a familiar language. A strange-tasting homemade dish brought in between studies. Memories of the bright days that had passed half a century ago floated in Adolf's mind, and then disappeared.

"It seems my sister was able to see through it all. The lieutenant went straight to make his dreams come true, and I was lost in front of my inflated dreams, all..."

While he was flipping through the documents and saying that, something slipped across the space. He bent down and picked it up.

It was also a photograph.

It's the same composition as the photo hanging on the Japanese dresser, but it was taken right after. Even though more than half a century has passed, he still remembers that time vividly.

It was Claudia who suggested taking another photo. This time, she put the mouse used in the experiment on Kokujoji's head, saying that that boy should be with them. Kokujoji was taken aback by his sister's jokes, and Adolf saw this and laughed.

A time that will never return, but that certainly existed.

Shiro read the scribbles written in the corner of the photo.

"Irren ist menschlich." (To err is human.)

Mistakes are human nature. Forgiveness is the work of God.

With a pop, he felt a light pat on his back.

He looked back without wanting to. There was no one there, of course. There was only Adolf K. Weismann Isana Yashiro, and his sister or his friend was not there.

Shiro closed his eyes silently.

God is in heaven. The only thing he could do when he went down to the ground is face his mistakes. Because even if he doesn't get forgiveness, he can't move on without it.

He opened his eyes. He took the photo frame and attached it to a small box.

The memory of the mistake was also an irreplaceable memory. He was sure that it would be a light to go on.

When he left the room, Neko jumped towards him as if to say that she was waiting for him.

"Shiro!"

With a wry smile, he huged and caress her with one hand. Shiro thought lightly that the reason why Neko had become so spoiled these days was probably the effect of his long absence.

Kuro, who was taking care of him outside, asked him with a mysterious expression.

"You're done?"

"Yes. Even though it was called organizing belongings, there were hardly any personal belongings."

Kokujoji's relics were gathered in a box that he could carry under his arm. That was all Kokujoji had. Grasping that meaning, Kuro lowered his eyes with a mournful expression.

And suddenly Kuro put his hand on the hilt of his sword and Neko stiffened.

Before he knew it, almost 10 rabbits had appeared in the courtyard in front of the private room of Kokujoji.

All of them wore rabbit masks and black clothes. The figure that was destroyed seemed to embody Kokujoji's ideals.

With a look on his face, Shiro let go of Kuro and Neko's guard and spoke to the old rabbit that appeared in the hallway.

"The lieutenant's order was to cooperate with me until I came back down to the ground, but I asked you to extend it longer."

"Useless words. You are my king's friend."

Old rabbits wore their sleeves pushed together in front. After that, all the rabbits in the yard bowed at once.

"According to my king's will, the Golden Clan "Tokijikuin" will only be involved in the preservation of the current system from now on. We will stop actively getting involved in the situation. With your permission."

As "Silver King", Shiro said:

"Forgive me."

And as Kokujoji's friend, Shiro said:

"About Daikaku Kokujoji... Thank you for everything."

"...Ha."

Both sleeves trembled slightly. Looking at him, Shiro felt a little relieved.

Daikaku Kokujoji may not have had anyone close to him. His family, his friends, but certainly there were those who cared for him.

"Still, it's 'Tokijikuin'. As rumored, it's a formidable clan."

After leaving Mihashira Tower and walking down the street, Kuro said something like that.

"Is that so? Well, it's hard to get along at first sight, but if you talk to them, they're good-natured people, aren't they?"

"It's not about looks or personality. It's about skill."

Kuro said embarrassed.

"Mihashira Tower is a dependent territory of "Tokijikuin". I should have known they were there, but they appeared without any sign, so I inadvertently became wary. Now that I think about it, it was disrespectful."

"Yes, yes! I was surprised too!"

Neko nodded and Shiro smiled wryly.

"The "Tokijikuin" clan has been running this country for a long time. The number of people and the thickness of the ranks are incomparable with other clans. Those people are also stationed in the Mihashira Tower, so I think they must be quite influential."

However, it is said that even these people were unable to stop Mishakuji Yukari alone in the Mihashira Tower Attack Incident. Partly it was because the "Golden King" was weak, but more than that, it was because Mishakuji was that powerful.

As he walked, Kuro crossed his arms in annoyance.

"It's a bit harsh that we can't rely on the Golden Clan as a fighting force even though the battle against "Jungle" is about to intensify..."

"They are not a simple combat unit. They are the control system of the 'Slate' that controls the key points of this country. We cannot afford to lose them by running carelessly. The lieutenant knew that too, so he put the condition of to wait until I got down to the ground."

On the side of the street, "Scepter 4" personnel are stationed to guard Mihashira Tower. Kuro looked at them sideways and said with a frown.

"Hm, so... Is that the "Blue King" who is running the "Slate" now?"

That sentence clicked with a nuance. Shiro scoffed.

"What, are you still holding on to the fact that you were bullied before?"

"No!"

"Nyahahahaha! Kurosuke was criticized!"

"Well, it's not that kind of private feeling, it's more…"

"You got hit by that guy who almost killed you, so isn't Kurosuke really weak?"

"Neko! You!"

Enraged, Kuro approached Neko, who jumped and dodged. When the two started chasing each other around Shiro, the "Scepter 4" clansmen looked at them wondering what was going on. Shiro entered the arbitration, greeting them with a friendly smile.

"Well. Munakata-san can't help it, because he is a "King". Rather, I admire the courage you had to challenge him."

"Hmm..."

Hearing Shiro's words of praise lightly, Kuro made an expression that wasn't bad.

"As for Mishakuji Yukari, I want you to work a little harder."

"Guh..."

Hearing Shiro's reproachful words, Kuro closed his eyes in frustration and lowered his head.

"I know... I'm not as good as him... But still, in order to beat him, I will train every day with the spirit of devotion and diligence."

"No, Kuro? You're kidding, aren't you? Don't worry too much about it. You weren't doing your best back then."

"Idiot! How can you beat him with such a spoiled idea! Mishakuji Yukari is a traitor who pointed his sword at Ichigen-sama, and my mission as a servant is to defeat him."

"Oh, that's too much trouble. Say something to him, Neko."

Shiro made that comment to Neko and noticed that she was terribly quiet.

"Neko? What's up?"

A while ago, Neko should have been rolling with laughter, but she had a completely different expression. A look of fear, anxiety, and impatience that he had never seen before. As she clung to Shiro's arm, Neko was staring at one point.

"...Over there. Just now, someone was watching."

"Over there?"

In front of Neko's gaze, there was nothing but a nondescript street tree. Shiro patted Neko on her back, trying to reassure her.

"There's no one there. It's okay."

"Yes. He was looking. Absolutely, about Wagahai..."

Saying that in a low voice, Neko buried her face in Shiro's arm. Seeing that unusual situation, Shiro and Kuro exchanged glances and bowed their heads.

++++++++++

Prime Minister Samukawa Kanichi.

That's his title. As a representative of the Cabinet, which is the executive branch, he is the most important civilian. He is the top of Japan, and the direction of this country depends only on his will.

At least, that is what it seems.

That is not really so, it was just a "presumption" among those who held a certain position. There are other supreme powers. Those who have even greater power than the chief elected by the people. Political tasks that they use conveniently, that was the reality of the Prime Minister.

Samukawa never felt dissatisfied with it. Originally, he was a self-protective person, and the position of Prime Minister became the result of sticking to the "shadow of the big tree". This is Samukawa's true nature, and this is why he became a politician.

But even so, the current situation was frustrating for Samukawa.

Official residence of the prime minister, office. Originally, it could be called the most important place in this country. Everyone but Samukawa must be nervous, considerate, and humble in this place.

Despite that, the man puffed out his chest arrogantly and acted as if he owned the room.

Reisi Munakata, Head of the Fourth Branch of the Family Registration Division, Tokyo Legal Affairs Office.

Officially, he is just an official. As the Prime Minister, it is incomparable to him, and it is an existence that can be blown up.

All that changes when you put the premise. Munakata will become an entity called "King", and Samukawa will become nothing more than a political institution.

"As explained above, we, "Scepter 4", have officially assumed the authority to manage Mihashira Tower and "Dresden Slate". A notice will come from the Golden Clan soon."

"With Gozen gone, are you literally pretending to be a king?"

The sarcastic way of speaking is a far cry from Samukawa's usual. Putting emotions behind a smile is the basis of politicians. He hasn't been able to do that. Even Samukawa took offense as he gave a sly smile at a youth who was much younger than him.

However, Munakata seemed to pay no attention to Samukawa's irritation.

"I'm not pretentious. I'm the "King" defined by the "Slate"."

Samukawa's temples twitched. He thought about how to teach the rude youth about his position, but in the meantime, Munakata dropped a bombshell.

"Therefore, we will also transfer the priority of the orders to each national institution held by the Golden Clan."

Samukawa's eyes widened and his hips began to float.

"No, impossible! Just when..."

"Just when you took the weight off of yourself?"

After noting the point, Samukawa fell silent.

The "Golden King", Kokujoji Daikaku, is a distinguished man who has rebuilt this country. No one in the world of politics or business can match him in terms of status, honor, or power. He is truly a political giant, and it is precisely his intention that an existence like the "King" can do as it pleases.

It was about two months ago that rumors began to circulate that Kokujoji was dead.

Of course, rumors are just rumors. No one had confirmation. However, in reality, Kokujoji no longer appears on the surface, and the rabbits' contact is nothing more than maintaining the system. It was clear that Kokujoji was in a situation where he couldn't give orders.

"King" is a high-ranking existence of politicians. That is the premise.

And finally the time had come to tear down that "premise" that had been hanging over their heads for a long time after the war. It was time for them, who were elected by the people, to recover their legitimate rights.

Even though he had such expectations.

Seeing Samukawa's agitation, Munakata smiled. It wasn't a smirk. It's a warm smile that tells a child, "You don't have to be ambitious if you don't know where you are."

"Don't worry, Prime Minister. We have no intention of influencing the fortunes of the nation with our own selfish desires."

Samukawa stopped breathing and Munakata continued calmly.

"At the moment, we are only asking for smooth cooperation from all quarters towards the confrontation with the Green Clan that threatens the peace of the world."

"You assume the right to give orders, please."

"The way a base has is what is called order. I kindly ask for your cooperation as the Prime Minister."

Samukawa clenched his teeth to keep from making noise.

Evidenced form, that is, system.

The current Samukawa couldn't reverse that.

The system continues to function even after the death of the founder. "Tokijikuin", properly operated by those pesky rabbits, is still in effect. If the youth in front of them demand the transfer of power according to the system, they have no choice but to respond.

"In short, are you telling me to follow you?"

"If you put it that way, yes."

Samukawa closed his eyes for a moment at Munakata's simple answer.

The next time he opened his eyes, there was a smile on his face.

"I see! If that's the case, I'll give you my full cooperation, Munakata-kun!"

Munakata's expression didn't change, but the attendant behind him was startled. Samukawa's sudden change was so splendid.

"I will notify every ministry and agency through the Chief Cabinet Secretary. Let's do our best to ensure that your "Scepter 4" can operate without delay. That must be the testament that Gozen left behind!"

"Then so shall it be."

When Munakata spoke, he felt his eyes shake again, but this time he was able to contain himself. He had experienced that kind of humiliation and bitterness countless times in his life as a politician. Survival was far more important than that pride.

He did not nullify the premise.

Not now.

The change is already happening. If "Scepter 4" really has the same power as "Tokijikuin"... Is it long term? When looking while taking a co-op system, there will be something that can be seen.

It is precisely when we determine that, that it is time to act.

"Anyway, I was wondering what would happen if Gozen disappeared, but if Munakata-kun puts it all together, I'm relieved! Well, the future of this country is bright! Hahahahahaha…"

As he gently turned his tongue, Samukawa also turned his thoughts around.

The Green Clan. An organization that appears to be hostile to "Scepter 4". First, he would start investigating from there.

++++++++++

The war is waged within 10.2 inches.

Multiple green light points move on a wireframe map. A blue dot suddenly appears there, blocking the green path. The greens scatter and try to escape the blue by taking their own routes, but this time a red dot of light appears in front of them, a giant X mark was carved on top of the green dot of light sandwiched between the red and blue.

Kusanagi placed the tablet on the bar counter after confirming that the large letters "TARGET NEUTRALIZED" appeared in the center of the screen.

"It seems that the joint fight with the Blue Clan is unexpectedly going well."

"Yes."

The one who answered was Anna, who was drinking juice on the seat at the counter. She didn't need to look at the tablet or anything like that, instead she was the source of the location information that was displayed on the tablet.

Anna's original ability to respond increased dramatically after she became the "King". The marbles with her supernatural powers function as "terminals" for her sentient abilities. As long as you have the marble, they can communicate with each other without any electronic network. By distributing marbles to not only "Homura", but also "Scepter 4", they have built an information network that could be called the "Supernatural Power Network".

That is one of the new advantages gained by the "Three Kings Alliance". Jungle's superiority so far has been its control over the electronic network. If you blindfold him, "Jungle" will never beat the alliance.

"Ah, they are very lucky."

Yata, who was sitting on the couch, muttered so and dropped the tablet.

"Hey, Kusanagi-san, why am I on standby here? Even if you're going to blow those green guys away, without this Yatagarasu, you'll have to deal with "Homura"."

Kusanagi looked at Yata in astonishment,

"Idiot. If you see green, you'll run in without looking back. I heard various things, what kind of recklessness Yata-chan did during the cooperation operation with the blue ones."

"Gak..."

Yata shuddered. Seeing that, Kusanagi sighed quietly.

He thought that he had calmed down a bit, but Yata was still Yata. In the operation with "Jungle", he ignored cooperation and rushed over, rampaging without thinking about the damage to the surroundings, and even ended up fighting with "Scepter 4" who tried to stop him. In response, Kusanagi would have a headache.

With that said, Yata was also right.

"I can't help it. I can't keep my cool when I'm in front of those green guys. It's about Mikoto-san and Totsuka-san..."

Saying that, Yata cut off his words. Like he hates talking about it.

Until now, Yata has suppressed his anger towards "Jungle". The explosive power when released would not be suitable for cooperation. No doubt it was Kusanagi himself who told him not to deflect anger away from them, and it might be a bit unreasonable to ask him to adjust the output as well.

Kusanagi knows. The strength of Yata's feelings and the frustration that comes with it. That's why he spoke in a soft tone.

"Well, people like us are important too. Reserve forces, you say. In preparation for accidents, you always need to have some leeway."

"Is that being a substitute?"

Kusanagi smiled wryly at the Yata-style way of saying it.

"Yes, don't be silly. Yata-chan is the one saying that he's going to protect Anna."

"That's right."

Yata awkwardly looked away and looked at Anna. Anna was calmly drinking juice. Her calm demeanor oozes the dignity of a "King".

Hitting the tablet with his finger, Kusanagi said as if to persuade him.

"Yata-chan, you have to learn to look at things from a distance. This is a good opportunity."

"Hey..."

Yata took the tablet again while letting out a careless voice. Even as he curled his lips, he rubbed awkwardly with his fingertips, trying to grasp the battle situation.

Kusanagi returned his gaze to his tablet and opened the information screen.

"The "Green King" hasn't shown any conspicuous movement since the turmoil in Gakuenjima. It's only the clansmen in the end who are still rampaging."

"As long as you're being watched from blue front and red rear, you can't make any perceptible movement. But..."

Looking at the marbles placed on the counter, Anna said quietly.

"He's not holding back, he's gathering strength."

"It's like sharpening your fangs to make the next big thing happen... It's a spooky story."

Yata, who was on the couch, laughed heartily.

"No matter what, there are three "Kings" here, with Anna leading the way. Even if those green bugs bring their boss, we'll crush them easily!"

Yata stated so confidently, but Kusanagi's expression did not clear.

"Three "Kings", even if you say that..."

As he muttered, the exchanges at Gakuenjima revived in Kusanagi's mind.

"Could you tell the "Red Queen" to keep an eye on the status of the "Blue King"?"

The "Silver King" Isana Yashiro told Kusanagi that when he handed over the documents related to the "Dresden Slate".

"What do you mean status?"

"I can't say exactly what it is, but it's very dangerous. It's like…"

Shiro kept his mouth shut, as if he was hesitating to say anything else. Therefore, Kusanagi was able to accurately understand what he was saying.

It's like Suoh Mikoto.

Kusanagi groaned.

"The regicide charge, huh?"

It was directly Munakata who took Suoh's life. But… Even if Munakata hadn't wielded the sword from him, the “Sword of Damocles” would have fallen and Suoh would have lost his life.

A "King" can only be killed by a "King". It's a taboo. Appropriate punishment will be given to those who violate the taboo. That was the "regicide charge" destabilization of the royal authority due to the rapid increase in Weismann deviation, and the end result was the riot.

Suoh killed the "Colorless King". As a result, it went out of control and caused enormous damage to the entire Kanto region. It was Munakata's sword that prevented it from happening, but because of this, Munakata also had to bear the burden of regicide.

"You've noticed the signs, right?"

"The "Sword of Damocles"..."

It is now an open secret that the gigantic sword that towered in the blue sky had some flaws in its majesty. Every time Munakata wielded his royal power, the fault seemed to grow. He doesn't want to imagine what's to come, but he had to. If things get worse, the entire Kanto region could turn into a huge crater.

"It's not like it's going to happen right now, but the situation is the situation. It's better to be very careful."

Remembering those words, Kusanagi frowned.

"I don't know how much we can trust them anymore, and I want you to be honest about what happens to anyone. I wish it wasn't like that."

At this time, Anna put the cup on the counter and said quietly.

"I was able to meet Mikoto and the people of "Homura" thanks to the "Slate"."

There is a certain determination in Anna's eyes.

"But if someone becomes like Mikoto because of the "Slate", then I..."

"Anna, what are you saying...?"

Yata looked puzzled at Anna and then at Kusanagi.

However, Kusanagi couldn't take his eyes off Anna. The worst possible imaginable. That's what the "King'' imagines, who has the ability to resonate louder than anyone else. That raised Kusanagi's sense of crisis on several levels.

"That's why the "Blue King" is in such bad shape."

Anna didn't answer. She was looking at the counter with a penetrating gaze.

The marble touched her elbow and rolled off the counter to the floor, making a loud noise.

++++++++++

She flipped the futon over and check the inside.

"Shiro?"

It wasn't there. Next up was the closet. She opened it on both sides and stuck her head inside.

"Eh? Shiro? Ah?"

Shiro was not there. She carefully opened each shelf of the dresser and said his name.

"Shiro, answer me. Shiro!"

No matter which shelf she opened, she couldn't see Shiro.

With each confirmation, Neko's anxiety grew by one. Shiro was nowhere to be found. Where had he gone? Did he go somewhere far away?

"Hey, Shiro, where are you?"

"If it's Shiro, he just left."

Kuro, who was cooking in the kitchen, said that casually.

"Where did he go? I'm going too!"

"Leave him alone for a while. I'm sure he has a lot to think about."

She spun on her heel, jumped, and when she landed on the bed, she had already taken the form of a cat. When she buried the tip of her nose in the futon, she was filled with Shiro's scent.

And, Kuro poked his head out of the kitchen. With an exasperated expression, he tried to scold Neko.

"I know you're happy to have Shiro back, but it's a bit complicated. He's not going anywhere, so calm down."

"Why!"

"...Why, you?"

"Why does Kurosuke know that?!"

As if she yelled, Neko said that.

From inside the futon, she looked at Kuro with bright blue and gold eyes. Kuro's calm demeanor annoyed her. Why didn't he care more? Where is the guarantee that Shiro will not go anywhere?

"He Might disappear again! Shutting people up is being selfish!"

"Neko..."

Kuro's expression changed to something like that.

As he wiped his hands on the edge of his apron, Kuro walked over to Neko and sat down next to her. He reached out his hand and gently stroked her forehead.

"Are you worried, Neko?"

Neko turned around and put her head inside the futon. However, Kuro never stopped stroking Neko. He placed his palm on the fur on her back and stroked her.

"Ok. Shiro isn't going anywhere. You said so."

"...Such thing."

"Can't you believe in Shiro?"

"No, it's not like that, but Shiro..."

A muffled voice echoed from the depths of the futon. She did not doubt Shiro. Kuro wouldn't tell a lie either. After searching for Shiro for a long time, she finally found it. He would never go anywhere again. She wanted to believe that, and she should have.

Still, she couldn't control the anxiety welling up inside her.

"It's strange."

As he slowly stroked Neko's back, Kuro said that longingly.

"When you were looking for Shiro, you never doubted that you would see him again. You couldn't be more optimistic. Still, you were the one who was really right."

That's how it is. Without Shiro, she never experienced such anxiety. She never felt the fear of not seeing him again.

And yet...

"Why are you so worried even though you were able to find Shiro?"

She didn't know.

Neko didn't know why. She doesn't care about Nagare or the Slate or anything like that. It is so because it is so.

Because...

Because she knows that people suddenly disappear for no reason and never come back.

"Oh!"

In the depths of the futon, in the darkness, Neko's body writhed.

With green feathers dancing in the air.

A name that was confined deep within, and she prayed that it would never revive again.

"Ameno Miyabi."

A young man's voice called out to Neko.

"No way!"

Shouting, Neko jumped. When she turned around and returned to her human form again, she hugged Kuro in surprise and buried her face into his shoulder.

Then she began to cry silently.

"Neko?"

Kuro, dismayed, raised a confused voice. But Neko couldn't handle it. Overwhelmed by inexplicable anxiety and fear, she trembled all the time.

++++++++++

It was the first time in a long time that he had looked at the sky from the ground.

The sky was infinitely wide, blue and lonely. There was no one but Shiro. Therefore, it was quiet and lonely. It was the perfect place to break all ties and walk away.

The ground contrasted with the sky. It is teeming with people, and the speculations they create never cease, intricately intertwining and spreading. Thinking about it, Shiro was astonished as if it was the first time coming into contact with it.

The place where he is now, is the nostalgic Gakuenjima, the rooftop of the school building.

It's a place he used to hang out at when he was just Isana Yashiro. He would skip classes and take a nap there, and Kukuri would scold him for it. With nothing but white rice in hand, he would beg everyone for a side dish and turn it into a boxed lunch.

Looking back now, it seems like a memory from a previous life. Hard to believe it was only a year ago.

"If we delay, this country will end..."

After suddenly muttering, Shiro smiled quietly.

Was the voice he heard at that moment Kokujoji's scream? Or was it an unconscious warning from himself who felt it? At some point, he must have foreseen the path that would lead to the end of this country.

Where did it all start?

Hisui Nagare's secret move. The death of Daikaku Kokujoji. The attack on Mihashira Tower. Suoh Mikoto and the death of Totsuka Tatara. The accident of Adolf K. Weismann and the rampage of the anonymous "Colorless King".

Or is it the conflict between Kagutsu Genji and Habari Jin?

Or did it all start when he discovered the "Dresden Slate" in the first place?

While he was immersed in such thoughts, he suddenly heard a sound of wings.

A soft voice called out to Shiro who was still looking at the blue sky.

"You did your best to warn the "Blue King", but it seems to have been in vain. I feel sorry for you."

Shiro replied without looking back.

"Peeping is not impressive, "Green King" Hisui Nagare."

"My eyes are everywhere. It's my only freedom."

That's true. The "Green King" rules the network. In today's information society, he has tremendous power. Due to that power, he was able to evade the eyes of the "Golden King" and continue to plot against him to this day.

"Dragging you as soon as the lieutenant died, you are also quite cunning."

He thought the parrot that was perched on the rooftop rail smiled.

"To think that someone who finally decided to move after his friend's death would teach me a lesson. I find it ironic."

Shiro also smiled gently.

"I see, when you say that, I have no words to answer. So?"

"Yes. Now that the nice introduction is over, let's get down to business."

The parrot is the "Green King". Hisui Nagare's messenger spread his wings. As if he would open his arms when one entertains another.

"I have been waiting for your return. I wanted to bring you this proposal."

He had an idea of what the proposal was. However, Shiro said nothing and just waited for Nagare's words.

As expected, Nagare offered one of the wings to Shiro.

"First King, "Silver King" Adolf K. Weismann, would you like to join me?"

Shiro didn't laugh. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and said:

"Let's join the "Chabudai Alliance" and let's all four work together to protect world peace! I don't think that will be your proposal."

"The "Chabudai Alliance"... It's a fancy and respected name, but of course it's different. It's a new one-on-one alliance between you and me to further the evolution of humanity."

"......"

"You must have pointed to that once. In Dresden, 70 years ago."

A breeze blowing through Dresden. The voices of people laughing and chatting. In an instant, the strange-flavored dishes brought in between experiments appeared in Adolf's mind and then disappeared.

"That "Slate" is the "Evolution Acceleration Device" displayed on the "King" and the Clansman. Suppressed by the strongest existence, the "Golden King", the appearance of tension was slight, and even the appearance of the "King" was limited to the entire Kanto region."

With a dry voice, Shiro asked.

"Is that your purpose? For what?"

"It's just like I said. It's "just" to further the evolution of mankind."

Slowly, he broke out in a cold sweat.

As for the ultimate goal of the "Green King", he had a few possibilities in mind, perhaps the worst.

Hisui Nagare has come up with all kinds of plans for "just" the evolution of humanity. It doesn't matter what the motivation is. The problem is that Nagare is infinitely pure and therefore never gives up.

Equal parts fear and vigilance, Shiro said:

"You seem to be more dangerous than I thought."

"I am honored to receive such a compliment. However, that is my dream."

"Dream..."

As if an old wound from the past had reopened, Shiro's chest slowly ached.

"That dream..."

"Did it break? So why don't we rebuild it together? The situation is different now than it was 70 years ago. Nothing can stop us anymore. We just have to."

Nagare's dream had an irresistible charm.

Because it's a dream he once had. In that nostalgic Dresden, he would make the dream he pursued with Kokujoji and Claudia come true. It would not fail this time. He wouldn't let anyone get in his way. Unravel the mystery of the "Slate" and lead humanity to a new stage!

Breathing easily, Shiro replied.

"I will politely decline."

Nagare tilted his head in wonder.

"Why?"

"Everything is different from 70 years ago."

Kokujoji and Claudia are no longer anywhere.

His dream disappeared from the earth with them. What Nagare sees is nothing more than a dream similar to the one he once had. It's up to him to decide what to do with it, but even if he makes a mistake, it's not something he can do on his own.

This is because Shiro knows too much about the many things that have been lost as a result.

"Hmm... I didn't think it was a bad proposal, but it seems I was naive."

Nagare said without a hint of regret, and then continued like this.

"There is no specification, let's do our best to get the "Slate"."

Shiro was not surprised. He assumed that would happen, of course. Analyzing his actions thus far, it was clear that he was trying to make the "Dresden Slate" his own, the source of the mystery.

"Originally, he was going to imitate the "Golden King" and wait for the rookie "Blue King", who was desperately suppressing the power of the "Slate", to run out. It's a change of plans."

"Since I came back, I won't let you do what you want."

"Is that so? I wanted to go hand in hand with you, but if you're going to compete, that's what I want. I'm looking forward to it."

Nagare's voice was filled with calm fighting spirit and confidence.

With the "Chabudai Alliance", the situation of the war changed drastically. Due to the cooperation of the three clans, "Jungle" was now cornered.

But where does this confidence come from?

If he asks that question, he won't get an answer. Because that was Hisui Nagare's trump card. Like Shiro, he must have a secret "something" that will show his power only when he puts it on the field.

So Shiro asked another question.

"I'd like to confirm one thing, but it's okay to say that you were the one who dragged me onto this game board in the incident a year ago, right?"

On the other side of the parrot, he felt Nagare let out a small laugh.

"Oh, did you notice?"

"This body..."

Shiro placed his hand on his chest and looked at Nagare.

“Even if the Blue Clan used the Yuishiki system, they wouldn't be able to determine his identity. There's no way anyone but you could prepare such a person. In that case, you were the one who set the stage for the "Colorless King". take action on that incident, and you instigated me."

The escape of the "Colorless King" seemed chaotic and calculated. Using Shiro as bait, the "Red King" and the "Blue King" collided, and in the midst of the chaos, he was trying to gain the power of various Kings. If he had bought into that ambition, he would certainly have been a vessel for the "King", but there was a limit to what he could do on his own. There must have been an organization to support him somewhere.

And the only clan that is benefiting from the current situation is "Jungle".

"I see. Was it counterproductive by erasing the traces of existence, disguising an accidental death to those around you, and providing the necessary information? It's a bad habit of mine to be too picky."

For the first time, Shiro was angry with Nagare.

Totsuka Tatara. Suoh Mikoto. Many others lost their lives in the rampage of the "Colorless King". If this was all part of Hisui Nagare's plan, then he couldn't forgive this man.

"Go so far, why me?"

Nagare answered easily.

"You should be a player, not a watcher. You started it all."

He felt as if he were being showered with cold water.

He thought that was true. It all started him. He found the "Slate", analyzed it, and became "King" through mystery; that's how it all started, and all the tragedies up to this point have started there.

Many people lost their lives due to the rampage of the "Colorless King". The "Green King" planned it. So what happened before that? Who is responsible for the hundreds of thousands of lives lost in the battle between Kagutsu Genji and Habari Jin? Whether it's him, Kokujoji, or Claudia, there's no such thing as lack of responsibility.

That's why Shiro thought.

What has been started must be finished.

"Manage the "Slate"... no, do you want to release it?"

"So it will be. Please, don't worry and trust us with your dreams."

Shiro stared at Nagare who said that with indifference and determination.

"What if I say you can't?"

"Fight if you want."

Leaving that behind, the parrot that housed it flapped its wings and flew away. Shiro waited until the figure turned into a black dot in the blue sky and finally disappeared from sight.

"I don't want any of this."

He doesn't like to fight. If dialogue and understanding solve the problem, then it's better. But then Nagare would never give up. The purity of his ideals makes him uncompromising. He knows this because Shiro used to be like this.

When Hisui Nagare stops, that's when his heart stops.

As he clenched his fist, Shiro determinedly lied a bit.

"But I won't run away anymore."

20 notes · View notes

footballffbarbiex · 2 years

Text

So, what is coming to Patreon from December is as follows -

From January the posting schedule should hopefully be: Monday - Wednesday are Patreon exclusives and early access to series days. Saturday - Sunday are Tumblr early access days.

During December though, we’ll be looking to have daily early access updates, with patreon exclusive littered throughout.

Emoji Key:

❤️ - relationship / 🥺 - crush / 👶🏻- baby daddy / 💦- smut / 🫂 - soulmate or AU / 🥀 - angst / ❄️ - winter / 🍂 - autumn / 🎃 - halloween / 😢 - grief / 🤰- pregnancy / ⚤- dark or cnc / 🍆💼 - sex work / 🍆 - one night stand / 💶 - sugar baby / 🔫 - violence

(please keep in mind that emojis on the series section may not apply to that chapter but do apply to the series itself. Each chapter will have it’s own warnings.)

You’re responsible for your own consumption, especially if proceeding to read a piece which has warnings not to your tastes.

Early Access to Tumblr updates: First tier. $1

Gains you super early access to tumblr blurbs and one shots as well as Patreon exclusive fluff Friday’s and smut Wednesdays. Though you do not have the ability to request fics for your birthday or have monthly requests like on other tiers, you are able to send in requests for these blurb days when prompted to do so.

If you would like to be tagged in any of these when they come to tumblr and you are not currently on one of my tag lists, please show your interest right here.

Normal:

Alisson Becker. Making it up to the family. 👶🏻❤️

Andy Robertson. Playing with the kids at the side of the pitch 👶🏻❤️

Andy Robertson. Claimed You As Mine. 💦

Antoine Griezmann. Clairefontaine. 💦

Antoine Griezmann. Give In To Me. 💦

Antoine Griezmann. Riding Shotgun. Kink Bingo. 💦 ⚤

Antoine Griezmann. Law Of Attraction. 💦

Anyone You Want. Adjust Your Halo. 💦❤️

Anyone You Want. Marry Me. 🥀

Anyone You Want. That Kiss. 💦❤️

Anyone You Want. The Illustrator. 👶🏻❤️

Darwin Núñez. Pretty Little P... 💦❤️

Darwin Núñez. Thigh riding. 💦❤️

Darwin Núñez. English Lessons. 💦❤️

Fernando Torres. Dropping him off at training ❤️

Fernando Torres. “i’ve missed you” smut 💦❤️

Fernando Torres. LFC UCL round 16 smut. in his jersey. 💦❤️

Fernando Torres. His physio has a little crush on him 🥺

Joe Gomez. 2 girls, 1 joey. 💦

Joe Gomez. Captain Joe 💦❤️

Kostas Tsimikas. Carrying Her To Bed. ❤️

Kostas Tsimikas. Catching Feelings. 🥺

Thiago Alcantara. Thigh Riding. 💦❤️

Thiago Alcantara. Jealousy. 💦❤️

Trent Alexander Arnold. House Shopping. ❤️

Virgil Van Dijk. Broken Rules. 💦❤️

Virgil Van Dijk. Aftercare. 💦❤️

Winter:

Andy Barber. Snowy Night In. ❄️❤️

Antoine Griezmann. Snowed In. ❄️❤️

Benjamin Pavard. Starry Night. ❄️❤️

Eric Dier. House Decorating Arguments

Hector Bellerin. Reunions. ❄️❤️

Jan Oblak. Tree Decorating. ❄️❤️

Jan Oblak. Being A Snow Grinch. ❄️❤️

Kasper Schmeichel Sweets. ❄️❤️

Kepa Arrizabalaga. Secrets. ❄️❤️

Kostas Tsimikas. Mistletoe Giveaway. ❄️❤️

Kylan Mbappe. Stars. ❄️❤️

Rodrigo de Paul. Christmas Eve Gift Exchange. ❄️❤️

Ruben Dias. Snowflakes. ❄️❤️

Ruben Loftus Cheek. Winter Cabin Getaway. ❄️❤️

Ruben Loftus Cheek. Sleigh Rides. ❄️❤️

Ruben Loftus Cheek. Snowman. ❄️❤️

Paulo Dybala. Snowball Fights. ❄️❤️

Mats Hummels. Train Ride. ❄️❤️

Mats Hummels. Christmas Markets. ❄️❤️

Mats Hummels. Christmas Decoration. ❄️❤️

Tyrone Mings. Wishes. ❄️❤️

Virgil van Dijk. Christmas PJs. ❄️❤️

Autumn:

Antoine Griezmann. Candle addiction. 🍂 ❤️

Benjamin Pavard. Petting Zoo. 🍂 ❤️

Darwin Nunez. Pumpkin spice 🍂 ❤️

Eric Dier. Friendship date 🍂 ❤️

Hector Bellerin. Haunted trail (enemies to confessions) 🍂 🎃 🥺

Jack Grealish. Halloween parties 🍂🎃💦🍆

John Stones. Telling scary stories 🍂🎃❤️

Leon Goretzka. Pumpkin patches 🍂❤️

Leon Goretzka. Trick or treat 🍂👶🏻❤️

Leon Goretzka. Telling scary stories 🍂🎃❤️

Leon Goretzka. Walking through corn mazes 🍂❤️

Leon Goretzka. Crisp mornings 🍂 ❤️

Marcos Llorente. Baking. 🍂❤️

Mason Mount. Watching scary movies 🍂🎃❤️

Mick Schumacher. Hot drinks and cuddles 🍂❤️

Reece James. Getting caught in autumn showers 🍂❤️

Ruben Dias. Halloween costumes 🍂🎃💦❤️

Ruben Dias. Walking in the fall air 🍂❤️

Ruben Dias. Pumpkin pie 🍂❤️

Virgil van Dijk. Visiting an orchid. 🍂👶🏻❤️

Patreon Exclusive One Shots and Requests: Second tier. $3

Gains you access to the updates above, the availability to read over 100 Patreon only requests and fics that are already on there, request your own fics and have access to these bad boys when they become live and any other after:

Anyone You Want. Partition. 💦❤️

Anyone You Want. Full. 💦❤️

Anyone You Want. Freak Me, Baby. 💦❤️

Anyone You Want. New Rules. 💦🥀

Anyone You Want. Craving. 💦❤️

Anyone You Want. The Realtor. 💦

Chris Evans. The Premier. Request. ❤️👶🏻

Dusan Vlahović . Small But Powerful. Request 💦❤️

Dear Santa, Define Being A Good Girl. 💦

Jan Oblak. Restless. 💦❤️

Leon Goretzka. What’s The Champions League? Request. 💦❤️

Leon Goretzka. Release. Request. 💦❤️

Leon Goretzka. You Thought I’d Forget? Request ❤️

Leon Goretzka. 2 + 1 Request 💦

Nico Schlotterbeck. In My Head. Request ❤️

Rodrigo De Paul. Fake Madrid. pt 2 Request. 💦

Ruben Dias Bragging Rights pt 2. Request. 💦❤️

please note the ones in this section are not coming to tumblr.

Early Access to Series: Third tier. $5.

Gains you access to the updates above plus:

Antoine Griezmann Blank Space. 🍆💼 💦👶🏻❤️

Antoine Griezmann. A Kiss From Death.🫂💦❤️

Antoine Griezmann. For Your Entertainment. Mini series. 💦🥀

Antoine Griezmann. Tear You Apart. 🫂💦❤️🥀

Antoine Griezmann. Always. 💦❤️ 🥀

Anyone You Want So...Teach Me.💦

Anyone You Want. Just A Taste. Vampire mini series. Patreon Only Series. 💦🫂

Eric Dier. Baby, Sugar. Patreon Only Series until completion. 💶💦❤️

Federico Bernardeschi. Behind Enemy Lines. (Unsure if Patreon Only Series) 🫂 🥀💦❤️🔫

Federico Bernardeschi. Here Without You. 🫂💦❤️

Mason Mount / OC / Ben Chilwell. Compersion. 💦❤️

Mason Mount. The Heart Never Lies. 💦❤️

Multi Players. Once Upon A Time. Disney tales AU. In the works... ❤️ 💦🫂

Oscar Mingueza Lost In Paradise. Kink Bingo glory hole series. 💦🍆💼❤️

Oscar Mingueza. The Vow.🥀💦❤️

Roman Bürki. HEA. 💦👶🏻❤️

Roman Bürki. Remember Me. 🫂 🥀❤️

Ruben Dias Speakeasy. (Unsure if Patreon Only Series) 💦❤️

To be decided who To Be Owned By You. 💦❤️

31 notes · View notes

cherry-valentine · 2 years

Text

Fall 2022 Anime

Boku no Hero Academia Season 6 is the first season I’ve come into having already read the manga. Halfway through last season, I started reading the manga and have now caught up, so this is my first time starting a season while knowing exactly what’s going to happen. A plot summary seems silly at this point, so I’ll skip right to the meat of this write-up. In my opinion, the War Arc covered in this season is where the story peaked. This is by far my favorite arc, but it also ushers in some of the worst writing decisions I’ve ever seen in a series this popular. Luckily those baffling choices come in late enough in this arc that they don’t ruin it (they just ruin the rest of the series lol). I’ve long had a love-hate relationship with this show, because I enjoy it and it does a lot of things well (and the things it does well, it does really REALLY well), but it also pisses me off in a lot of ways (the treatment of the lady characters overall is my biggest gripe, though I will admit that this improves the longer the series goes on). But this season? So far? It’s fantastic. The animation is great, as usual. The fights are exciting, the little snippets of comedy (this is an overall serious arc though) are on point. This is also the arc that best displays the dark side of hero society, the corruption, the forgotten victims, the people who have suffered in this sort of world, which is fascinating. Shigaraki in particular makes an excellent villain, and that’s all I’m going to say about him to avoid manga spoilers (I could, and maybe will, write an entire essay about his character and how it’s developed in the manga). Since this arc is so damn good, BNHA is at the top of my list this season. A first for this series!

Blue Lock is a new sports anime, this one about soccer. Last season, while watching Ao Ashi (another soccer anime), I kept seeing Blue Lock mentioned in the comments as a “better soccer series”, and that it was getting an anime. Well here it is. While I do appreciate a good, straightforward sports anime like Ao Ashi, these days a sports anime has to stand out in some way to get me excited about it. Blue Lock stands out in two main ways: the high production values that give it outstanding visuals, and the absolutely bonkers premise (all the best high school strikers in Japan are gathered up, told to live 24/7 in a state of the art training camp, and are weeded out through grueling matches against each other and are encouraged to be traitorous assholes, all to arrive at one boy left to be the best striker in Japan). Right away, it separates itself from other sports anime with that setup. It effectively cuts out any and all drama that doesn’t involve the sport. These guys don’t go to school, so there are no scenes of them in class or interacting with characters not on their “team”. No scenes at home, involving family members. They don’t even have team managers or coaches. It really does boil the entire story down to these guys playing soccer. That’s a pretty bold move, but it pays off. And going back to those visuals, the animation quality is amazing. The character designs are vivid and interesting. The colors are just beautiful. The only complaint I have in this area is that the backgrounds are all pretty drab. This makes sense in context (as they’re living in a training facility), and actually might be a good thing, as it makes the colorful characters stand out even more. Speaking of which, all of them are fun, and the main character Isagi is easy to root for, even when his inner jerk is dragged out. All in all, Blue Lock is one of the better sports anime I’ve seen in a while.

Yowamushi Pedal has a new season. Watching it made me realize how much I missed this batshit crazy show. It’s a sports anime about bicycle racing, and it ranks just under Prince of Tennis as being one of the most unrealistic sports anime I’ve seen. From the guy who has named his pecs Andy and Frank (and literally talks to them, and they literally warn him of dangers!) to the skinny little guy who can immediately expand his torso like a balloon (something about being able to expand his lungs but it looks hilarious), to the tendency several riders have to go into a frenzy and race at top speed with their tongues hanging out of their heads (yes, dangle your tongues out while bicycling very fast through the mountains! Totally not a terrible idea!). Then there are the moments when a rider from one of the teams has to drop out of the race after doing something cool, for the benefit of the team (basically sacrificing himself). These are treated with all the drama and severity of literal death scenes, and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. But above all of this, there’s the gloriously creepy villain Midousuji, who is hands-down the best villain in sports anime history. He’s gross and terrible and downright monstrous, but damn if he isn’t the most entertaining character in the show. The animation is fine, but the character designs are unique. This is a weird anime, but it’s never boring! Go into it expecting a wild, weird, fun time, and you won’t be disappointed.

Spy x Family is on its second cour, and there’s not much more I can say about it than I did a couple of seasons back. Following a highly skilled spy as he puts together a fake family consisting of a telepathic child, a wife who is a secret assassin, and now a precognitive dog, the show is adorable and very funny. The animation is stellar, with extremely expressive faces, lovely backgrounds, and characters that never fail to stay on model. It’s a little more fast paced than the usual “soothing feel good” anime, but for me it still falls into that category. Though the stakes are occasionally high (with characters being in actual mortal danger), the overall soft tone of this series assures us that the threats will always be neutralized, so there’s little tension in that regard. The charm of the show lies in its super likable cast and wonderful visuals. High on my watch list.

Raven of the Inner Palace is a unique series about a certain mysterious consort to the emperor in ancient China. Though she has the title of consort, she has little contact with the emperor and instead uses her magical powers to solve mysteries around the palace, talk to the dead, help spirits cross over, etc. Of course, when the emperor meets her, he decides to become her friend. The show is basically about their mystery-solving adventures with an ever expanding cast of support characters. It’s a relatively simple setup, but the ancient Chinese setting gives it a specific charm. The art is gorgeous, with breathtaking clothing designs and beautiful scenery. The music is also a high point, with excellent opening/ending themes and background songs. The Raven consort herself, called Shouxue, is an interesting character. She’s a bit of a tsundere, but in this case her standoffish attitude makes sense for the plot (she has a tragic backstory that necessitates being wary of others, especially the emperor). She softens as the series moves along, but she remains a powerful character. Her growing relationship with the emperor isn’t exactly original (of course they’re going to end up falling in love at some point - I can predict that without reading summaries of the light novels this is based on), but they have enough chemistry to make them fun to watch regardless. This is a slower-paced show than most of the other anime I’m watching this season, and it feels like a breath of fresh air.

Mobile Suit Gundam The Witch From Mercury could be called “the show that pissed off a thousand fanboys”, with a lot of people calling it “woke Gundam”. Apparently, if you have a female protagonist in a Gundam tv series for the first time since the franchise began in the 70‘s, it’s automatically woke (never mind that Tomino has wanted to have a female protagonist since the 90‘s). Add to that the *possibility* of a lesbian couple (and to be honest I don’t think the series will have the guts to follow through with it) and the fact that female characters in general seem to have larger and more important roles in the story, and you have an army of angry manchildren on your hands. In all seriousness, the show does have a different vibe from most previous Gundam series (but not all). If I had to choose its closest relative, I’d say its Reconguista in G, with its school-setting and relaxed atmosphere for the first chunk of the series. Most hilarious to me are the people assuming this series won’t get “serious” and have actual mobile suit battles (as opposed to the mobile suit “duels” that take place at the school). I mean, are they just pretending the prologue episode and all the shadowy political machinations don’t exist? Regardless, the show is great so far and would be an excellent starting point for people who never really got into Gundam but are curious about it. The animation is gorgeous and the plot is (at least for now) easy to follow. The two female leads are likable and have great chemistry. And yeah, it’s basically “Utena with giant robots”. If you’ve watched Utena, you’ll be the embodiment of that Leonardo Dicaprio meme where he’s pointing at the screen while you watch the first couple of episodes. But hey, if a plot setup is good, why not use it again in a different setting? Hell, let’s have Utena in feudal Japan! Utena in the wild west! Utena in a zombie apocalypse! I’m here for it.

To Your Eternity Season 2 opened on a surprisingly weak note for such an excellent series, but it’s already sorted itself out. The show follows an immortal entity called Fushi who can take the form of any living being it comes into contact with (after that being has died). Fushi most often uses (and generally prefers) the form of a young man, so I’ll be using he/him to refer to the entitiy. The series is, basically, about Fushi moving through the world and learning about life while also fighting creatures called the Nockers that keep attacking him for unknown reasons (most often harming the humans around him in frankly horrific ways). Each person that Fushi comes to know eventually becomes another form he can take (as he is immortal, of course he outlives everyone). The interesting thing is that he can use whatever skills that person (or creature) had, leading to at least one person spending years cultivating certain skills so that Fushi would have access to them after she dies. Unlike with season one, season two skips large chunks of time, several generations in a single episode at one point. At first, I was a little annoyed that we were not getting to spend much time with the characters (in one infuriating case, a major character from season one returns only to almost immediately die). Season one’s emotional beats were so powerful because it let us get to know and grow to love the human characters before they inevitably died. But! Thankfully, season two has now settled into a story arc and is letting us grow to love a new set of characters. And yes, they will eventually die, like always, but the point of the story isn’t “will these characters die or not?”, it’s “what effect will these characters ultimately have on Fushi?”. And figuring that out is what makes the series so endearing.

Golden Kamuy has a new season (I think this is season four, but honestly it’s hard to keep up with all these shows after they get past season two). From the start of season one, this has been one of my favorite modern anime series. It has a strong plot, unique character designs, a compelling setting, and some of the most bizarre but charming humor I’ve come across. It’s refreshing in the way it never sexualizes its female characters, but instead chooses to objectify its large assortment of buff, handsome male characters with frequent nude scenes that seem to linger on their well-toned bodies. Despite this, the show is firmly seinen (aimed at an adult male audience). It’s actually been fun to watch the guys in the comments questioning their sexuality in real time. I don’t care what your sexuality is, you’re going to walk away from this show with at least a minor crush on Ogata or Sugimoto. Probably both. Fanservice aside, the show is just wild at times. It can get brutally gory, then it can be hilarious, then it can make you cry. It has a Gintama-like quality in that it does lots of different things very well. If you’re not watching this series, you’re missing out (something I think I’ve said about it before, but it bears repeating).

Chainsaw Man is definitely this season’s most hyped show. I had avoided the manga because, just from looking at the covers and some other art, it looked like it was full of unnecessary fanservice and that the lady characters were highly sexualized. Before the anime started, I did a little googling to see what the general opinion was. From everything I read, most people (regardless of gender) had generally positive opinions on how the female characters were treated, so I decided to try the anime. The basic setup is that there are creatures called Devils that can embody certain things, like a Gun Devil or a Chainsaw Devil or a Bat Devil. A young man named Denji, who is probably one of the most “down on his luck” protagonists I’ve seen in a long time (he’s broke, orphaned, pratically homeless, practically starving, and has already sold one eye, one kidney, and one testicle just to survive) ends up combining with the only thing he really has in the world: his pet Devil dog. This gives him the power of the Chainsaw Devil, which he can transform into to fight other Devils. He’s quickly recruited by a group of government sanctioned Devil Hunters who are searching for the powerful, menacing Gun Devil. The setup sounds like typical shounen action fare, but the series goes a bit darker than I expected fairly early on, and maintains a unique atmosphere. Denji is fun to root for just because he came from such a humble place, but his lack of social skills makes him come across as a jerk at times. It’s understandable, given his background. Every shounen action series has its own “thirst trap” character that’s super popular with the ladies in the audience, and this one has Aki. The anime wisely spends the majority of its budget on subtle little movements he makes, like lighting a cigarette or taking a drink of coffee. I think there’s a whole animation team dedicated to the flow of his hair when he wears it down. As there should be. Overall, the series has a strange vibe to it but it’s highly entertaining.

Best of Season:

Best New Show: Blue Lock Best Opening Theme: Golden Kamuy Best Ending Theme: Spy x Family Best New Male Character: Isagi (Blue Lock) Best New Female Character: Shouxue (Raven of the Inner Palace)

#Anime Reviews #Anime Recommendations #Seasonal Anime #Fall 2022 Anime #Text #Chainsaw Man #Golden Kamuy #Blue Lock #Spy x Family #Yowamushi Pedal

18 notes · View notes

ino3zi · 1 year

Text

﹐ ☓ TITLE. A CONFESSION

﹐ ☓ TRIGGER WARNINGS. Beckett finally confessions his feelings!

﹐ ☓ CHARACTERS. Andi Kan

﹐ ☓ SETTING. December 22’

﹐ ☓ W/C. 1.4K

﹐ ☓ note. this was supposed to come out months ago, but here it finally is, so enjoy!

It was finally time for Beckett to man up. It had been a whole three months since he got into this whole ordeal with the older male. Three months too long if you ask anyone else. Three months without confessing his feelings for the older male which he had known around the second month and decided to just wait. But Beckett was finally manning up and confessing his feelings. His feelings should've been expressed a long time ago now that he thinks of it.

But Beckett had his reasons for not expressing them. He just wasn't ready. But now he was. He was ready to finally make Andi his boyfriend. Beckett paced the confines of his bedroom as the girl on the other side of the phone watched with a bored expression. Noémie groaned getting her brother’s attention. “One thing I don’t understand is why you always come to me for this type of stuff when I’m only 12. Don't you have any friends?” Noémie jeered at the boy who pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “I mean why do you need my help anyway? Don’t you have everything planned out? And if this is about an outfit, then I’m hanging up. Because you’re just staying inside anyway so put on pajamas for all I care.” She exclaimed before yawning as Beckett rolled his eyes but still contemplated what she had said.

In all honesty, Beckett knew that she was right, but didn’t say anything. As earlier in the morning when Andi decided to take Beckett out and treat him for breakfast. He had told him that he just wanted a nice night in with him and that was it. Something Beckett liked, but then grew frustrated over because in his mind he needed it to be perfect. Though Beckett didn't know why he was stressing over everything needing to be perfect when Andi would love it anyway. Beckett sighed going to thank Noémie when he noticed the girl was asleep. Jetlag must've messed her up. He chuckled before hanging up to let her rest. Now it was just Beckett and his thoughts.

He had a few more hours until Andi came over to spend New Year's Eve with him. He thought maybe he should clean up but then again, he remembered that he had stressed cleaned the whole apartment earlier. But then again he had to worry about Ben and October messing it up with their toys. The dogs weren't doing much now but he knew soon enough they would be. The two dogs in question occupying Ben’s bed in the corner, even though the bed itself was too small for the both of them. They both sleep lazily undisturbed by their owner, who was stressing himself out.

Beckett took a seat on the couch with his head in his hands. It was just supposed to be a simple date. But it was stressing him out. Beckett didn’t know what to do. He laid on the couch, staring up at the ceiling above him. The apartment was quiet since both dogs are asleep, and there was nobody there except for him. He let his mind wander. Wonder so far that eventually he drifted off to sleep. He awoke hours later to find that it was dark outside. The dogs were no longer there and they were groceries on the counter. sometimes he was glad that he had his mom around and also that he gave her a key.

He stood from the couch, stretching his tired body, and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He didn’t know how much time has passed as he went to put the groceries up. He stared mindlessly at the contents of the fridge before at the clock on the wall. The time reading 8:34 PM which meant Andi would be coming over soon. Beckett sighed closing the fridge grabbing his phone to order something for him to eat. He ended up choosing Dak-bokkeum-tang for delivery which would most likely be delivered after Andi arrived.

Slowly, his stress and nervousness started to come back. He just wanted Andi to show up already. He wanted him to show up so he can reassure him that this evening was going to be perfect. Perfect for both him and himself. Beckett didn’t know how long he had been pacing the living room of his apartment for when someone had knocked on the door. On the other side of the door stood Andi who was wrapped in a bundle of clothes since the weather had seemingly gotten colder over night. His face lit up when Beckett opened the door. Andi pulled the taller boy into his embrace making Beckett sigh.

“Thank god you’re here.” Beckett breathed as Andi chuckled running his hands through the boys hair. Something that made Beckett relax under his touch. Beckett pulled away from the hug finally letting Andi into the apartment as he closed and locked the door behind him. Andi placed bags of groceries on the counter which Beckett frowned at because he hadn’t noticed them earlier. “I told you not to get anything.” Beckett whined as Andi shook his head. “It’s just snacks Beckett. Stop whining.” Andi teased using his hyung voice as Beckett narrowed his eyes at the older. With each item Andi pulled out of the bag Beckett’s stomach growled.

He hadn’t realized he was hungry until Andi pulled out food. “Food is on the way. You can wait.” He thought to himself as he noticed one item Andi had pulled out the bag. Makgeolli. Korean Rice Wine. Something Beckett has been obsessed with lately. “You got Makgeolli?” He questioned grabbing the bottle as Andi nodded before looking at him. “I figured you would want some. Is that alright?” Andi questioned as Beckett nodded making him smile. Beckett went to place the bottle in the fridge as Andi placed all the snacks in the living room so they could start their movie night before Midnight struck.

Andi was quick to pull Beckett by his side before he could sit on the other side of couch. Beckett shook his head before throwing a cover their laps as Andi began to pick a movie for them to watch. He ended up picking The Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion. Though about 30 minutes into watching the movie Beckett had fallen back to sleep as he rested his head on Andi’s shoulder. Andi massaged the boy’s head as he continued to watch the movie.

The movie played in the background as Andi glanced down at Beckett, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile at the peaceful expression on Beckett's face. Andi gently adjusted his position, making sure Beckett was comfortable before focusing back on the movie.

As the movie reached its climax, Andi's mind began to wander, contemplating the events of the evening. He had noticed Beckett's nervousness earlier, even though he tried his best to hide it. Andi had a feeling something important was on Beckett's mind, but he didn't want to push him. He wanted Beckett to open up when he was ready.

Andi's thoughts drifted to the past few months they had spent together. He had developed strong feelings for Beckett, and he hoped that Beckett felt the same way. They had grown closer, spending more time together, and Andi cherished every moment they shared. He remembered the first time they met, how Beckett's smile had captured his attention and sparked a sense of curiosity. Andi was drawn to Beckett's kind heart, his passion for the things he loved, and the way he made Andi feel at ease. They had become good friends, but Andi wanted something more.

Lost in his thoughts, Andi barely noticed the movie ending. He gently nudged Beckett, trying to wake him up. "Hey, Beckett, the movie's over. You fell asleep," he whispered softly. Beckett stirred and blinked sleepily, gradually realizing that the movie had indeed finished. He sat up straight, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Sorry, I must have dozed off," he said, sounding slightly embarrassed.

Andi smiled reassuringly. "It's alright. You looked peaceful. Did you sleep well?" Beckett nodded, his gaze shifting slightly. "Yeah, I guess I needed the rest." Andi's curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to take a leap of faith. "Is everything okay, Beckett? You seemed a bit nervous earlier. If there's something on your mind, you can talk to me about it."

Beckett looked at Andi, his eyes filled with a mix of apprehension and hope. He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. This was the moment he had been waiting for, and he couldn't let fear hold him back any longer. "I... Andi, there's something I need to tell you," Beckett began, his voice filled with determination. "I've been keeping it to myself for far too long, but I can't hide my feelings anymore. The truth is, I have deep feelings for you, and I've had them for a while now."

Andi's eyes widened, surprise and delight washing over his face. He reached out to hold Beckett's hand, offering him comfort and support. "Beckett, you have no idea how happy that makes me. I've been feeling the same way, but I didn't want to rush you or make you feel pressured. I care about you so much, and I want to be more than just friends." Beckett's face broke into a wide smile, relief flooding his features. The weight that had burdened him for months suddenly lifted, replaced by warmth and joy. He squeezed Andi's hand, unable to contain his happiness.

"I'm so glad you feel the same way, Andi. I was scared of ruining our friendship, but I couldn't ignore my feelings anymore. You mean the world to me, and I want us to be more than just friends too." Andi leaned in closer, their eyes locked with an intensity that spoke volumes. Slowly, he closed the distance between them, his lips meeting Beckett's in a soft, tender kiss. It was a moment filled with hope, passion, and the beginning of something beautiful.

As they pulled away, their foreheads resting against each other, Beckett couldn't help but laugh. "I can't believe I stressed so much about tonight when the perfect ending was right here all along." Andi chuckled, brushing his thumb gently across Beckett's cheek. "Sometimes, the best moments come when we least expect them. And tonight has turned into something more beautiful than I ever imagined."

With their feelings finally confessed and their hearts aligned, Beckett and Andi spent the rest of the evening wrapped in each other's embrace, cherishing their newfound love and the promise of a future together.

#ℬ ─ ׁ 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 ♡ ׁ ⫬ ⫬ ﹙ writings ﹚#fictional idol community #fictional idol company #fictional idol oc #fictional idol soloist

3 notes · View notes

finsterhund · 11 months

Text

Dream. Okay so scifi esque and

1. Earth is uninhabitable

2. What's left of humanity are in some sort of federation with mainly power island.

3. Andy is here.

4. Sly is here

5. The Master of Darkness shows up and completely fucks over everything to get to Andy.

6. I am severely under representing that last point.

7. Consumes what's left of Earth into the Heart, takes over this space station everybody had, all the lichthunde fucking run away (yeah it's a black hole I guess they're cowards)

8. Red Spot was among them(?) That is out of character for him

9. Okay so now Earth is consumed by black hole, space station with remainder of humanity has been captured, lichthunde that were there just fucking fled, where does this leave Andy?

10. Sly is fucking here!!!

11. Okay so Sly last minute takes Andy into Underbed.

12. The Master is completely unable to fuck with Underbed in any way(!?)

13. Underbed is however becoming unstable because Earth is gone and it was a parasitic pocket dimension to Earth

14. Using childhood imagination power of the Quilt of Dreams, Sly gets Andy to attach the Underbed pocket dimension to a random asteroid somewhere so that the Master of Darkness will never be able to fuck with it

15. Meanwhile, the Master of Darkness is trying to use every and all technological advancement at the disposal of the captured space station to find Underbed. He fully knows about the pocket dimension but yeah, has no control or ability to intuitively find it or fuck with it at all

16. Time apparently goes past, and the technology to potentially identify and track down the celestial body that Underbed is attached to and then fuck with Underbed itself is now available, but it has to be manually searched out so it's become a dark forest theory situation.

17. Red Spot has finally decided to go back to being in character and is also trying to find where Andy is but can't because it has become a dark forest theory situation.

18. Uhhhhh so the gap is continuously getting narrowed and presumably the specific asteroid is found.

19. But in Underbed there is now a system in place to immediately jump and find another randomized celestial object to attach to in case you know, the space station or more accurately, the Heart, shows up randomly.

20. They're fucking going at it like YouTube and Ublock Origin at this point.

21. Yeah it just keeps getting worse and worse. Double spectres have now colonized the space station and Red Spot and Andy have both developed completely new undiscovered forms of trauma disorder

22. Pretty much both the "finding Underbed" algorithm and the "escaping once discovered" algorithm are fully optimized and it's just a constant state of hell. The Underbed side of things is winning however. Because idk there's some breakthrough or something.

23. Surprise! Sly was in on it the entire time. This entire thing was just an elaborate way of giving Andy a brand new form of psychological duress! It was him who leaked the coordinates or whatever. He gives Andy over to the space station!

24. Bruh what the fuck?????

25. Not only that, but, and I quote, this is the part of the dream I remember the most vividly. Sly is the Master of Darkness's father, who is also the author Rick Riordan(?????!!?!) And yeah this entire thing was just to give his kid species-specific enrichment as a present (and horrifically fuck with Andy) which I mean. What in the hell????? Dream logic what the absolute fuck are you doing???

26. The Master of Darkness is canonically autistic now I guess that was also a specific thing I vividly remember from this dream. How does an interdimensional fear eating cosmic shadow demon god thing get an autism diagnosis? We just don't fucking know.

27. Wait, remember Red Spot is in this dream too? Andy must have leaked the coordinates because he just jumps in, rescues him immediately, and then fucking leaves. This is how the dream fucking ended

28. I have extremely oversimplified this. But hopefully this was the full extent of the bare minimum of whatever the hell I just experienced

*****edit****

I can't fucking believe I almost forgot but also apparently the reason all other human species went extinct was the Master of Darkness. And there was the discussion of "well if homosapiens were his favourite why weren't they the ones that went extinct" and it was because he was smarter than that and showed restraint but he said "fuck all the other ones" and that's why the extinction happened.

#text post #my dreams #long post #vague hod #slyposting #THE FUCKING BETRAYAL THOUGH

0 notes

tonkinv · 2 years

Text

Beowulf manuscript

Beowulf manuscript series#

Christopher (final third of the tale remains) The Wonders of the East The Letter of Alexander the Great to Aristotle and Judith. There are four other tales included in the same manuscript as Beowulf: The Passion of St. The Beowulf Manuscript: The best medieval manuscripts were made of vellum (involving uteruses of unborn lambs, and so pretty exclusive). This explanation is supported in the two preceding quires, where the first and second scribes both appear to participate in this revision by taking extraordinary steps to fit additional text into their respective quires. The Beowulf Manuscript is an edition of the entire manuscript that contains Beowulf. The simplest reason for a palimpsest here would be to fashion a transition between these two parts of Beowulf's life. A third scribe erased the entire text on both sides of the first folio of this section and replaced it with another, shorter text. Beowulf is an amazing Anglo-Saxon poem about a brave hero named Beowulf who battles three savage monsters. Using a different manuscript format, the second scribe copied a text about the last year of Beowulf's life, at the end of his 50-year reign as king of the Geats, when he killed a dragon and then died of his own wounds. In this essay I will briefly examine the history of the Beowulf manuscript up to its arrival in the library of Sir Robert Bruce Cotton, paying special. Originally the poem is thought to have been oral, but was written down by an unknown author in around 750 C.E. The first scribe copied a text about Beowulf's youthful exploits against Grendel and Grendel's mother in Denmark. That particular manuscript, now known as the Nowell Codex, was the product of a single scriptorium, the work of two scribes, who included Beowulf in a. The Beowulf Manuscript (Located in British Library Cotton MS Vitellius A XV) is an epic poem which takes place in what would be known as modern day Denmark and Sweden in what is estimated to be the 6th century C.E. Taken together, their revisions appear to show their concerted efforts to bring together two originally separate manuscripts. The only copy of Beowulf to survive is found in the manuscript with the modern shelf-mark London, British Library, Cotton Vitellius. We will also discuss a number of Beowulf films and their presentation of the poem’s monsters.In addition to preserving our only copy of Beowulf, the Beowulf manuscript also preserves many signs of revision by three different scribes. In this course, we will consider some of these mysteries and study the text itself, looking at selected passages in Old English, but also considering the whole poem in various modern English translations and adaptations. It is not even known how the manuscript survived – it was missing for 500 years. The poet is unknown and the narrative itself is rich with supernatural mystery, but there are questions too about why a poem featuring a Scandinavian hero was copied down in Anglo-Saxon England, why an apparently Christian scribe recorded an apparently pagan oral poem, and why he chose to do so in a manuscript with very diverse other texts. Kevin Kiernans Beowulf and the Beowulf Manuscript was first published by. But Beowulf is as mysterious as it is celebrated. The Southwick Codex 1 - The Soliloquia of St. Interlaced with its heroic exploits are tales of human struggle and suffering in the face of darkness and evil – and more simply in the face of inevitable old age and death. Beowulf follows three prose works in the Nowell Codex and precedes the poem Judith.

Beowulf manuscript series#

Andy Orchard - In this series of detailed studies. In addition to this, it contains first a fragment of The Life of Saint. Get this from a library Pride and prodigies : studies in the monsters of the Beowulf-manuscript. Oft Scyld Scefing sceaena reatum, monegum mgum, meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas. We Gardena in geardagum, eodcyninga, rym gefrunon, hu a elingas ellen fremedon. A proseminar aimed at second and third yearsīeowulf is the tale of a man who kills monsters – dragons, and shadowy swamp-dwellers. It is most famous as the manuscript containing the unique copy of the epic poem Beowulf. Beowulf (Old English version) By Anonymous.

#Beowulf manuscript

1 note · View note

friendly-neighbourhood-spiderm4n · 2 years

Text

Hunted Friends | Lucas Sinclair x Reader

Summery - You go with Lucas Sinclair to ‘hunt down’ Eddie Munson.

Requested? Yes/No - By Anonymous

Warnings - Jason. Just Jason. Mention of Jason being abusive to reader when younger.

A/N - I forgot to save the post when I wrote it last so the entire story deleted itself, so I procrastinated it for a while, I was that mad at myself.

“Lucas, you don’t think Eddie actually killed Chrissy, do you?" You sat next to him, the rest of the Basket ball team planning Eddie's 'talk'.

"I don't think so, but it doesn't make sense why she was even at his house," Lucas groaned, sitting up from the lounge, and pressed his face in his palms.

"What if it was someone else? And he just happened to witness the murder? Like say someone took both of them, brought them back to Eddie's house and killed Chrissy, but Eddie managed to escape?"

"Too over the top."

"Right, did Eddie do anything on the side? Like, say he's a male prostitute. What if she was tryin' to get some?"

"She was dating Jason. Why would she need to cheat, and that still doesn't explain how she died or who or what killed her."

"As in something else other than human?"

"What?" He looked at you, straining his eyes to see you as it was still dark in the old burger joint.

"You said 'who or what.' It seems like you're implying something else could've killed her."

"No, I meant that like a an object could've somehow killed her. Like she could fallen down on something and it killed her."

"You saw the autopsy photos. It doesn't even look like a human could've done that."

Lucas tensed up, he was starting to think of every reasonable excuse, which were none.

"Remember how you told me about all your nightmares with the Demogorgon, Mind Flayer and the Flayed people. Not to mention the government attacking you and a super powered girl saving you. What if the nightmares are real. You know I believe in the supernatural."

"Y/N, they're bad dreams, Chrissy was murdered. Like I told you before, the nightmares haven't happened since last summer."

"But none of it makes sense. How did your brain predict the Mall Fire, how would have you guessed that your friends family would move away and take Hopper's adopted kid who showed up randomly last year."

"Cause they're not nightmares!" Lucas was fuming. He was stressed, tired and hungover. He didn't need his ‘friends’ sister talking his ear off.

"So then what are they?"

"It all happened! The Government attacking us, the Upside Down, El, the Demogorgon and the Soviet Union trying to open the Gate to the Upside Down! Everything." He wasn't even paying attention to what he was saying, he just wanted silence.

"Everything you told that you said was a nightmare was 100% real?"

He remained quiet, only now registering what he said.

"Sinclair, whats with the yelling?” Jason stormed into the room, looking angry and his eyes red rimmed.

“Just stressed.” Lucas said, still looking at the floor.

Jason glanced at you, narrowing his eyes. You shrugged, and Jason rolled his eyes.

“Mom wants to know where you are, call her and tell your with me, she isn’t listening again.”

“Okay,” with one finale glance at Lucas, you stood and left the room, Jason following close behind you.

“Your gonna hunt Eddie down? How do you’ll know he won’t attack you?” You argued with Jason, his friend packing everything into the back of the shitty van.

“He sees all this? He sees us? He’ll shit his pants and cry for mommy. This guys no fighter.” Jason retorted

“Hope he does. Gives me a reason.” Andy flipped the crowbar around and placed it into the back with the rest of the weapons.

“Hell yeah.”

“Well, well, look who’s decided to join,” Andy said, as he turned to look at Lucas who was walking out of Benny’s old Diner.

“What are you guys doing?”

“We’re gearing up.” Patrick informed him.

“Preparing for the hunt.”

“Being idiotic.” You clarified.

“Hey, man. Relax. We’re not killers like Eddie. We just wanna talk to him. Get him to admit his crime.” Jason attempted to calm the panicked Lucas.

“Yeah, a little friendly neighbourhood chat,” Andy added.

“Hey. You didn’t know Chris. If you’re not up to this, you can go home. There’s no judgement. You’ll still be one of us, all right?”

The older males starred at him intensely, you shook you head to him, hoping he’d just go home.

“No. I’m good.-“ he shook his head feverishly, swallowing the lump in his throat. “-I wanna help.

Jason smiled approvingly, nodding to Lucas. “All right.” Jason patted him on the shoulder and stepped back towards the van. He reached up the boot door. “Let’s capture us a freak.” He slammed the door closed, walking toward the front seat.

You glanced at Lucas, disappointed.

“Y/N! Lucas! C’mon in the car already!”

You walked to the front seat, jumping in and pulling the door closed. You pulled your uniform further down your legs. The heater in the car was broken and Jason had yet to get it fixed.

Lucas quickly ran back into the diner, and reappeared a moment later with your and his jackets. He jumped in, seated behind you and passed you your varsity jacket.

“Thanks, Sinclair.”

Lucas could tell you weren’t happy with him. The look from when he agreed to hunt down Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson to how you kept ignoring and staying close by Jason, was enough to tell he had made a shit choice.

Eventually, the 5 of you split up, and fortunately for him, he was paired with you.

“Y/N, Why-“

“You an idiot.” You cut him off. You knew to quickly what the question would be. “Eddie is your fucking friend. And here you are ‘hunting’ him down with my piece of shit brother.”

“I know, but-“

“You’ve supposedly given away his safe spot, and for what? To be popular and to liked by Jason?”

“You’re on the cheer team, and you’re his sister, why are you talking shit about him?”

“I’m on the cheer team, yes, not cause I wanna be popular but I actually like it, Chrissy enjoyed it. I don’t give a damn about popularity. Neither did she.”

“I like basket ball, too.”

“Yeah, but you see it as an advantage to get popular. Cause, what, you don’t be picked on anymore? It might seem like your whole plan was smart and you’re in the it click, but Jason is a shitty person, he picks on everybody, even his own teammates.”

“Better than being picked on by the whole school, at least.”

“Listen, if you wanna ruin your friendship with the Hellfire Club, go ahead, but don’t fucking cry about it when you’ve realised what a idiotic decision you made.”

“You don’t get it.”

“Jason has been picking on me my entire life. He once knocked me out by hitting me in the head with a baseball bat several times. There are other incidences where he has caused physical harm to me and others. I don’t see why you wanna be associated with that.”

“I know it’s a shitty thing to do bu-“

“Then fucking run. Go to your friends. Go to Hellfire and help them. They need it. You know what they’re tryin’ to do Eddie.”

“You know more. You know what Jason is like. You’ll know how to avoid him and you can help us. You won’t have to be near Jason.”

You considered it. Sure, when all of this was over, Jason was more than likely going to murder you. But, it was better being dead than alive, constantly worried about being somehow screwing up and being beaten the shit out of by your brother.

“Fine. But please tell me this isn’t Eddie’s secret location.”

“It’s not, I swear.”

“Good.”

You grabbed your bag that you dumped on the floor, and ran out the house, following close behind Lucas.

He slowed, enough to be at your pace, and grabbed you hand, pulling you along with him, and away from the house which was abandoned.

You ran for around 20 minutes, taking breaks every now and then.

“You sure it’s not a bad idea for me to drag you away from your brother. We can just say we found Eddie, he made a run for and we chased him. But he ultimately got away?”

“Nah. Fuck him. Let’s go save Eddie.”

#stranger things #stranger things 4 #lucas sinclair #lucas sinclair x reader #Lucas Sinclair x Carver! reader #request by annoymous #hellfire club

120 notes · View notes

lovelikedestiny · 3 years

Text

“There is no time…”

The words are spoken so softly that they nearly drown in the gunfire and fight noises but Nicky hears them nevertheless. Of course, he hears them, hasn’t there been a day when his whole being wasn’t focused on the love of his life.

“There is no time, Nicky…” Joe repeats again, fingers curling weakly around Nicky’s wrist as Nicky kneels down beside him while Joe is bleeding. Undoubtedly bleeding to death.

“Joe,” he says quietly, forcing the syllables past the growing lump in his throat, making it harder to breathe the more he sees and feels Joe’s pain. Something that has never gotten easier over time. “Yusuf.”

He says Joe’s name again, his real name, tasting the familiar letters on his tongue, to say something because he cannot stay silent when Joe is suffering.

“Nicky,” Joe slurs, blood leaving his body faster than his severe wound can heal and there is so much fear in his eyes, wide and glassy like the vast expenses of the universe captured in two dark canvases.

It is not a secret between them that Joe can’t stand to die alone for fear of never seeing Nicky again if it should be the one.

The final time separating them forever, much more destructive like a blow.

But despite these thoughts Nicky can read in Joe’s face, hoping that his own provides some kind of reassuring calm, his husband only prompts again in no more than a whisper: “You…have to help…Andy and Booker. This fucker…can’t get away…”

Rationally, Nicky knows how important it is to prevent the leader of the human trafficking ring from escaping but a heart doesn’t let itself be conviced so easily.

Without thinking about his decision, he lays down beside Joe, calling Andy and Booker over the radio. “Joe and I are out, we can’t walk.”

It doesn’t take a second for Andy to answer. “Got it. Booker and I will deal with this motherfucker.”

When Nicky pulls Joe closer, carefully looking out for Joe’s wound, the latter blinks confused, only slowly focusing on Nicky as if he has just registered now that Nicky hasn’t left.

“Nicky? What are you doing?” He mumbles, body still curling instinctively towards Nicky who caresses his cheek with a gentle brush of his thumb. “Andy will know that you lied to her.”

Merely shrugging, Nicky presses his lips on Joe’s forehead, wishing he could take Joe’s pain and bear it as his own. “She is not the one I made a promise to.”

“...’romise?” It is difficult for Joe to keep his eyes open, breath growing more shallow, and his confusion shows Nicky how far the blood loss has gotten.

“Yes.” Nicky helps Joe resting his head on Nicky’s chest, holding him while life drains from his soulmate. “I promised to love you forever,” he says, determined to let Joe hear his voice when he drifts off, giving him as much comfort as he can. “To fight by your side, mind your thoughts, share your burdens and be there when you need me.”

He doesn’t see Joe’s face but feels how his body, involuntarily tense in the face of forthcoming death, relaxes a little and a barely audible sigh escapes Joe’s lips.

“I won’t let you die alone, my heart,” Nicky assures Joe, kissing his head, burying his nose in these lovely curls smelling like smoke and blood. “I got you, Yusuf, I’m with you. Let yourself rest. I will be there when you wake up.”

“Nicolo…” A faint breath, filled with affection and gratitude and no more fear.

As Nicky feels the exact moment when Joe dies - his own heart painfully missing a beat, that bound to Joe’s - he registers the second Joe starts breathing again although he doesn’t make a move to break away from Nicky.

So, Nicky keeps holding Joe, finding relief and support in the warm weight of his body until Joe lifts his head, seeking Nicky’s gaze, tiredly but smiling. “Thank you.”

Nicky meets him halfway for a kiss that speaks of trust and eternal devotion and gives back the answer that has stayed the same for centuries. “Always.”

#the old guard #tog fanfic #ficlet #yusuf al-kaysani #nicolo di genova #joe x nicky #immortal husbands

231 notes · View notes

itsuki-minamy · 1 year

Text

"K – RETURN OF KINGS" (NOVEL-ADVANCE)

CHAPTER 5: CONNECTIONS

TRANSLATION: NARU-KUN

(Pages 188-191)

XX slowled raise her head.

It was a family room. There was a table, a dresser, and a TV. The aluminum sheet next to her was open, and soft sunlight streamed in from the porch.

It was the house of XX.

At that moment, a voice shouted.

She looked to the side. Before she knew it, a cat was sitting on the sunny porch.

What was that cat called? Of course, yes.

"Tamagoro!"

A hoarse voice came from nearby.

XX turned to the direction of the voice in surprise, and then.

She got goosebumps all over her body.

There was a small altar in front of her.

It shouldn't have happened until now.

She didn't want to see.

She shouldn't look.

Although she knew that, her body did not move. The door would open by itself. XX remained rigid, imprinting that movement on her dry eyeballs.

Two portraits of the deceased were enshrined on the altar.

One showed a white-haired boy smiling kindly.

One showed a grumpy, dark-haired boy.

Her heart began to pound.

Help.

XX just wanted that. She needed help. At that time, she just wanted to escape from that place.

XX twisted her neck with all her strength and turned to the side. To ask for help from the only existence that was not her, Tamagoro lying on the porch. Then she turned her eyes.

Tamagoro was not there.

A parrot with green feathers was perched.

XX widened her eyes, the parrot opened its mouth and clearly called out her name.

"Ameno Miyabi."

And Neko jumped.

She opened her eyes as wide as she could. Her body was wet with a cold sweat. She held tight to her heart that was beating like a bell from the top of her nightwear.

Neko tried to forget the dream, but she couldn't.

That name, that scene. She was stuck in her head and wouldn't let go. The dream seemed to merge with reality and spread right next to the bed. It took tremendous courage to confirm it.

When she looked to the side, Shiro was sleeping peacefully.

A relief that made her want to cry spread through Neko.

With that feeling, Neko buried her face in Shiro's chest. She could hear Shiro's sleepy voice.

"Neko...? What's wrong...?"

Unable to sleep or close her eyes, Neko clung to Shiro, trembling until morning.

++++++++++

Seeing the "Jungle" Clansman jump out of the alley on the right, Andy Domyoji smiled and grabbed the hilt of his saber.

"Domyoji, ready!"

Domyoji's smile turned fierce, and a voice of fighting spirit spilled from his throat.

"Oyaaaaaaaaaa!"

Leaping to dodge the electrical discharge emitted from the PDA, he quickly approached the shaken clansman and struck him on the side of the head with the hilt of his saber.

After tying up the unconscious clansman, Domyoji let out a triumphant cry over the radio.

(Pages 216-219)

She flipped the futon over and check the inside.

"Shiro?"

It wasn't there. Next up was the closet. She opened it on both sides and stuck her head inside.

"Eh? Shiro? Ah?"

Shiro was not there. She carefully opened each shelf of the dresser and said his name.

"Shiro, answer me. Shiro!"

No matter which shelf she opened, she couldn't see Shiro.

With each confirmation, Neko's anxiety grew by one. Shiro was nowhere to be found. Where had he gone? Did he go somewhere far away?

"Hey, Shiro, where are you?"

"If it's Shiro, he just left."

Kuro, who was cooking in the kitchen, said that casually.

"Where did he go? I'm going too!"

"Leave him alone for a while. I'm sure he has a lot to think about."

She spun on her heel, jumped, and when she landed on the bed, she had already taken the form of a cat. When she buried the tip of her nose in the futon, she was filled with Shiro's scent.

And, Kuro poked his head out of the kitchen. With an exasperated expression, he tried to scold Neko.

"I know you're happy to have Shiro back, but it's a bit complicated. He's not going anywhere, so calm down."

"Why!"

"...Why, you?"

"Why does Kurosuke know that?!"

As if she yelled, Neko said that.

From inside the futon, she looked at Kuro with bright blue and gold eyes. Kuro's calm demeanor annoyed her. Why didn't he care more? Where is the guarantee that Shiro will not go anywhere?

"He Might disappear again! Shutting people up is being selfish!"

"Neko..."

Kuro's expression changed to something like that.

As he wiped his hands on the edge of his apron, Kuro walked over to Neko and sat down next to her. He reached out his hand and gently stroked her forehead.

"Are you worried, Neko?"

Neko turned around and put her head inside the futon. However, Kuro never stopped stroking Neko. He placed his palm on the fur on her back and stroked her.

"Ok. Shiro isn't going anywhere. You said so."

"...Such thing."

"Can't you believe in Shiro?"

"No, it's not like that, but Shiro..."

Still, she couldn't control the anxiety welling up inside her.

"It's strange."

As he slowly stroked Neko's back, Kuro said that longingly.

"When you were looking for Shiro, you never doubted that you would see him again. You couldn't be more optimistic. Still, you were the one who was really right."

That's how it is. Without Shiro, she never experienced such anxiety. She never felt the fear of not seeing him again.

And yet...

"Why are you so worried even though you were able to find Shiro?"

She didn't know.

Neko didn't know why. She doesn't care about Nagare or the Slate or anything like that. It is so because it is so.

Because...

Because she knows that people suddenly disappear for no reason and never come back.

"Oh!"

In the depths of the futon, in the darkness, Neko's body writhed.

With green feathers dancing in the air.

A name that was confined deep within, and she prayed that it would never revive again.

"Ameno Miyabi."

A young man's voice called out to Neko.

"No way!"

Shouting, Neko jumped. When she turned around and returned to her human form again, she hugged Kuro in surprise and buried her face into his shoulder.

#k #k project #k return of kings #neko #yatogami kuro #shiro isana

9 notes · View notes

mrsluthordanvers · 3 years

Text

Everything’s Different

Kara returns from the phantom zone, and some relationships just aren't the same as she left them

Read on AO3

Being sent to the Phantom Zone was Kara’s worst nightmare come true. It had chilled her to the bone. Left her teeth chattering and her muscles aching, even after weeks being back on Earth under the yellow sun. The emptiness had wrapped itself around her, suffocating her, making her lose her way as she stumbled through the darkness, making her lose her grasp on reality.

It haunted her at night. Every time she closed her eyes she was back there, fighting to get back home, fighting for her family. Every night she woke up gasping, feeling small and scared, the noises of the city ringing in her ears. It felt just like when she first arrived on Earth.

The Phantom Zone was her worst nightmare come true, and yet; sitting outside Andrea’s office waiting to be reprimanded feels like a close second.

Not only does Kara not have the Cat Grant article Nia had promised in order to cover for her sudden disappearance. She has to watch Lena sit in one of Andrea’s chairs with her high heels tucked underneath so she can curl up comfortably. One hand lazily looped around a glass of amber liquid as she laughs.

After days of lying alone on a stainless-steel bed under a yellow sun lamp hoping to have a chance to talk to Lena. Praying to Rao for the opportunity to tell Lena her last secret, one she didn’t even know she had until she was navigating the phantom zone alone, grasping to thoughts of her loved ones to make it through. The sight of Lena laughing with another woman, her hand gently squeezing Andrea’s, makes Kara’s heart clench.

She wishes she could slip away. Duck out of CatCo and avoid this situation altogether. But Kara knows that Andrea has already seen her. Just like Cat, Andrea’s office is strategically placed to give her the best vantage point – and put on the best show.

But this is one show Kara would rather not witness.

Kara’s thoughts are spiralling so rapidly now, that she’s missed Lena putting on her heels and walking in her direction.

“Kara?” Lena looks just as surprised to see Kara, she halts in the doorway as Kara stands so abruptly that she has to scramble to keep her notebook from hitting the floor.

“I didn’t know Alex- “Lena quiets as she glances over her shoulder before she steps forward, letting the office door close against her back.

“How are you feeling?” Lena asks so quietly it makes Kara want to rush to comfort her.

“Good.” Kara immediately responds, without giving much thought to the truth of it. Lena’s head tilts in a way that says she knows that too.

“Better.” Kara adjusts, with a slight shrug and a touch to the corner of her glasses.

They stand in silence for a moment, neither one willing to make eye contact and unsure where to go from here.

“I should go-“

“Would you like to-“

Both laugh awkwardly as they finally look at each other.

“Go ahead.” Lena offers.

“I was going to ask if you would like to have lunch with me? If Andrea doesn’t fire me that is.”

“Oh.” Lena pauses as she looks over her shoulder again, arms folding in front of her. “I actually have lunch plans with Andrea today.”

“Oh.” Kara nods aggressively, “Of course, maybe tomorrow? Big Belly Burger?”

For a second Kara thinks Lena looks guilty but it’s gone in a flash.

“Andrea and I– “

“Right.” Kara waves Lena off not wanting to hear the rest, doing her best to ignore how her stomach rolls and her jaw clenches.

Lena turns quickly to give Andrea a wave through the window before she steps around Kara in a cloud of expensive perfume. “I’m really sorry Kara, but I have to go.”

Lena’s gone before Kara can mumble out her understanding.

Taking a deep breath, Kara steps inside Andrea’s office with a light knock.

“I’m not paying you to hide outside my office all day.” Andrea scolds as Kara steps inside. “Ms. Nal told me that you’ve been working on an article with Cat Grant?”

Kara opens her mouth, still unsure of what she’s going to say to get out of this predicament.

“Before you tell me another lie,” Kara tries not to squirm under Andrea’s gaze. “I’m not going to ask where you’ve been. You’re a popular writer amongst our subscribers so I’m not going to make the mistake of firing you... Yet. But you will have to make this up to me. So, for the next month you are taking over the How-To column for Andy. And I don’t want to hear complaints.”

Kara jerks her head understanding and tries to take her leave.

“Kara.” Andrea calls her attention back just as she’s about to push through the door. “Don’t even think about trying to ask Lena to change my mind.”

Kara’s phone breaks in her palm as she exits the office. grabbing her purse on route to the elevator.

“Where are you going?” Nia hisses after her.

“To find a story.”

---

Kara only catches glimpses of Lena at the tower after that. She sees more of Lena on the cover of tabloids at the grocery store than she does in person. Today it’s a red-carpet photo that stares at her across the packs of pop-tarts she has on the conveyor belt. Lena’s turned into Andrea as she looks at the camera over her shoulder. Andrea’s hand sits low on her hip as she looks in the opposite direction, her jawline on full display as she smirks at a different camera.

Kara barely notices when she reaches across to grab the magazine. She does her best not to tear the delicate pages as she rapidly flips through them until she finds another photo. She can feel the heat growing behind her eyes the longer she stares at it. Lena’s posed almost the exact same, but Andrea is leaning in this time to press a kiss to the corner of Lena’s mouth. It’s oddly intimate for a red-carpet photo and it makes Kara throw the magazine onto the conveyer belt next to a case of cookies just to stop looking at it.

---

“Is this why you’ve been avoiding me?” Kara practically throws the magazine on Lena’s coffee table in greeting as she walks in through the balcony doors.

“I’m sorry?” Lena blinks slowly as she looks from the superhero to the magazine that’s fallen open to the picture of her and Andrea.

“You and Andrea are pals now?”

Lena snorts as she untangles herself from the couch to put the kitchen island between them as she starts to make a pot of tea.

“What?”

Kara’s fist clenches as Lena shakes her head. “That might be the only time that has been used correctly by the press.”

Kara watches Lena with a blank face as she looks up from filling the kettle.

“Andrea and I are hardly friends.”

“Then what is it?” Kara asks exasperated, as she slowly approaches the kitchen island but doesn’t sit. “If it’s not Andrea, what is it? Why have you been avoiding me?”

“Andrea’s been helping me.”

“With what?” Kara tries to keep the hurt out of her voice as she takes another step forward, watching Lena scoop some loose tea leaves into a pot and put a strainer over her mug.

“Lex.”

“Lex?” Now Kara’s confused. The tower has been trying to deal with Lex, albeit unsuccessfully.

“Andrea is helping me to take down Lex.”

“I don’t understand... I thought we were taking down Lex together.”

“Lex knows that you’re back from the phantom zone, and he knows I’ve been helping you. I just thought if it looked like I wasn’t helping you anymore he might let his guard down.”

“So, you’ve just been kissing Andrea instead?”

Lena sighs heavily as she pours hot water into the tea pot. “Kara…”

“No.” Kara crosses her arms, “You could’ve told me. I could’ve helped you!”

“I didn’t want you to help me!”

That makes Kara freeze. Her face contorting as she watches Lena snap at her.

“I thought we were over this.”

“It’s not about that.”

Kara doesn’t listen as she turns on her heel, trying not to put a foot through Lena’s floor as she marches to the balcony.

“I love you!”

Kara pauses, one hand on the glass door.

“I didn’t want your help because I love you. And I can’t keep losing you.”

“You love me?” Kara asks as she turns slowly.

“Against my better judgement.” Lena snarks, but it holds no heat as she lifts her chin that Kara can only laugh.

“Are you laughing at –“

“I love you too.” Kara blurts, refusing to let Lena get the wrong idea. “I’ve wanted to tell you for weeks.”

“Oh.” Lena nods to herself as she drops her gaze to pour her tea through the strainer. “That’s good.”

“Lena.” Kara whispers immediately appearing at Lena’s side as she wraps a hand around Lena’s slim wrist. “Look at me.”

Kara uses her other hand to reach for Lena’s chin, a finger gently hooking underneath to move her gaze. When pale blue-green eyes settle on her Kara smiles.

“I love you.” Kara repeats with all the earnestness she can muster. “And I’d really like to be the one to help you take down Lex.”

“Okay.” Lena replies in a hushed tone as she gives Kara a tiny nod.

“You won’t lose me.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

#supergirl #supercorp #nemo writes #119 days since I last posted something to ao3 #this was a lovely request from a follower to add to green eyed monster #always love having fun with this series #hope you enjoy <3 #would love if y'all checked it out

412 notes · View notes

idy-ll-ique · 3 years

Text

All Mine.

Pairing: Andy Barber x F!Reader

Genre: Fluff, Smut

Warnings: age gap, unprotected sex, multiple orgasms, squirting (damn)

Requested: nope

Summary: Andy Barber has been through a lot. After getting a divorce from his ex-wife, he moves into the house next to the Y/L/Ns. And he has his eyes on Y/N since day one. Little does he know, Y/N likes him too and things get interesting one night.

Author's Note: Hiya peeps! Before you ask, no, I haven't watched Defending Jacob yet because I do not have the attention span to watch an entire series. So yeah, this has no spoilers. Also, I'm asexual so don't @ me for the smut please and thank you. Enjoy!

---

"Good morning, Mr Barber!"

He looked up from his phone and saw his neighbor smiling at him. He grinned back at her, his mood immediately lightening. "Hi, Y/N! How many times have I told you, call me Andy," he chided gently, keeping his phone away. "Okay, okay, just feels a little weird, ya know? Anyway, what are you doing here? You almost never take the bus," Y/N chuckled.

He flashed her another grin, his boyish side automatically coming out. It always happened when she was near. Y/N Y/L/N was Andy Barber's cute neighbor, but the only thing is, she was way, way younger than he was, her parents were just a couple of years older than him. Despite the huge age-gap, Y/N had won his heart. And he didn't mind in the slightest.

"My car broke down yesterday, it's at the auto repair shop. I got no other vehicle," he shrugged. Y/N nodded just as she saw her bus approaching. "Are you getting on this one?" she asked him and he squinted. "Nah, not this one. Are you?" She verbally confirmed a yes and turned to look at him fully. "I'll see you later, Mr Barber, bye!" With that, she waved at him and stepped into the bus.

"Andy!" he mouthed when she sat near the window seat, giggling. "Andy," she repeated, winking at him just as the bus turned around the corner. A laugh involuntarily escaped his lips as he ran a hand through his hair. Oh, what am I gonna do with you, angel? Inside the bus, Y/N had to keep herself from fidgeting, too overstimulated after her conversation with the handsome lawyer.

She had had a crush on him ever since he had moved in next-door. Her parents had immediately invited the lone man to dinner and he had, thankfully, accepted. They had a lot of fun; Andy was a proper gentleman, well-spoken, intelligent and extremely handsome. Y/N got a crush on him on the first day itself. She knew about the things his family had been through, and the thought crushed her.

Can't even imagine, your own child, guilty of murder?

Andy and his ex-wife, Laurie had divorced immediately after their son's trial. It was all months ago, though, Andy was doing much better now. He had Y/N, after all. In his thoughts only, but that would suffice. Because he knew, she'd never fall for him. Why would she? He was much older than her, a divorced man, with a son who got convicted for murder.

But Y/N didn't care about any of those things. She liked the Andy who was her awesome, good looking and smart neighbor. That's all that mattered to her. But then came another problem, Y/N's parents. Would they be okay with her going out with him? Of course not! Y/N sighed and leaned her head against the window of the bus; oh God, what ever was she gonna do?

Andy had ruined all men for her.

---

"Come in!"

Looking up, a surprised gasp left the mouths of both; the person inside the office and the person at the door. "Y/N?" Andy blurted out. "Mr Barber?" Y/N blinked as well. "Andy," he corrected incessantly and she waved her arm in dismissal. "Wow, I, uh… I didn't realize— you don't have a name plate outside—" He motioned to the chair in front of him and she sat.

"What happened, darling?"

Y/N unconsciously shivered at the nickname. She loved it when he called her that. "I don't know, my colleague sent me here, she was busy… gave me the address and said there was a file she needed…" Y/N spoke unsurely. Her eyes quickly skimmed over his figure; he had taken off the trenchcoat he was wearing in the morning, leaving him in a tight, white shirt, black trousers and a tie hanging loosely around his neck.

The top three buttons of his shirt were undone, the sleeves rolled to his elbows. Y/N concluded that he looked insanely gorgeous. "Does your colleague happen to be Mrs Renoir? She told me she was coming to get the file." She smiled and nodded at him. "Yes, Mrs Renoir, that's her." Andy smiled back and took out a file from his drawer. "Here you go."

She accepted the file, stowing it away in her bag. "I'll see you!" She moved to get up but Andy tutted, checking his watch. "Why don't you stay, Y/N? It's getting late, we can go home together," he spoke, his eyes soft as he gazed at her. She froze for a moment. "Um, it's fine, I can—" He was shaking his head. "Y/N, if something happens to you, I'll not be able to forgive myself."

What's going on? "Mr Barber—" "Andy." "What do you mean?" He got up from his chair and moved to the couch that was in the room. She sat next to him. "You never stay out this late, Y/N, your parents told me you're usually at home by 8:30. It's almost midnight, and I can't let you venture into the city all alone at this hour. Do you know the dangers that lurk at night?"

Y/N's heart started thudding in her chest. Indeed, this was new to her; and before even meeting with him, she had been scared of roaming the city alone at night. "I don't," she muttered truthfully, looking up when Andy placed his hand on her thigh. "It's okay. You can stay, I just need to go over a few more things and then we can go home, hm?" Y/N grinned and nodded.

Andy lifted his hand off her thigh and went back to his desk. He began scribbling something on a paper, which Y/N realized was a form. After admiring him for a few minutes, she took out her phone and scrolled through her messages. She had already texted her mom about staying out late, and her mother had complained until Y/N told her she was out for business, not fun.

As time passed, Y/N's shoulders sagged. Her eyes drooped, heavy with sleep. "Andy," she whined in a sleepy stupor and his head shot up, "Are you done? I wanna go home!" His dark eyes softened instantly and he chuckled. She looked cute when she was sleepy. "Just a moment, darling, I'm almost finished." Y/N simply groaned and threw her head back against the couch.

"All done."

Y/N opened her eyes and saw Andy fixing his appearance, before shrugging on the coat. Then he turned to her, offering her his hand with a smile. She took it and heaved herself up, stumbling a little but Andy was there to hold her up. Effortlessly wrapping an arm around her waist, he guided her out of his office, switching off the lights and locking the door.

Both of them walked out of the building and Andy got Y/N seated in the passenger seat of his car. "I thought your car was at the auto repair shop?" Y/N remembered. She felt his chuckle next to her ear as he reached over and fastened her seatbelt and then his own. "Went to get it in the afternoon because I realized buses aren't for me." She giggled and leaned back against the seat.

"Why don't you try and fall asleep? I'll wake you up," he whispered, his heart swelling in his chest when she nodded meekly. "Goodnight, Mr Barber." He still corrected her, "Andy." Truth be told, Y/N didn't want to call him Andy because that would only make her feelings worse. If she called him Mr Barber… that was a constant reminder that he was a man much older, a successful lawyer, and just her neighbor.

Nothing else.

"Such a sweet doll." Ever since he heard her whining his name in his office, his mind had clouded over with lust. She sounded so fucking beautiful when she said his name. And suddenly, all he wanted to do was to claim her on his couch. He had controlled himself easily, he knew he had to wait till he had her consent. Which he thought he'd probably never get.

---

"Thank you so much, Andy!"

"Oh, it's not a problem at all, Mrs Y/L/N. Y/N is great company and I admit, the house does get a little lonely at times," Andy chuckled as Y/N's mother beamed at him. Y/N was looking down at her feet, clutching the handles of her travel bags. She was going to move in with Andy for a few weeks, since her room was getting renovated. There was no other place in the house.

When Andy heard that, he had instantly offered that she move in with him for the time-being. And Y/N's parents were, surprisingly, ecstatic at the idea. "She can move into the guest bedroom," he had spoken at the time. That's how she ended up here; now following Andy into his house as she yelled her goodbyes to her parents. "Welcome! It isn't much, I hope you like it still."

Y/N looked around in awe. The place was well-kept, the colour theme for almost everything was either beige or brown. It all looked very modern and cool. "Are you kidding? This is awesome!" He chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Let me show you to your room." Both of them walked up the stairs and stopped at the first door. Andy opened the door and another gasp left her lips.

"Wow," she whispered automatically and Andy smiled to himself. "I take it that you like it," he drawled, closing the door behind them as they walked into the room. Y/N kept her luggage on the bed and sat down, swinging her legs. "Thanks for all this, Mr Barber, it's appreciated." He scoffed. "Andy," he rectified, "And it was not a problem at all, Y/N, you're my friend."

A chill ran down her spine. His friend? He considered her to be a friend? "A friend, huh, I'm… I'm honored," she chuckled and he grinned. "I'll leave you be now, get comfortable." He waved at her and left the room, going downstairs to get a glass of water for himself. Y/N spent the rest of the day at her place, only returning at nighttime after dinner.

That's how it went for a week. She'd be at her job most days, would have dinner with her parents at night and then would finally walk into Andy's house to get some sleep. She liked the routine, and so did he. When she wasn't at her job, she'd spend the day in the living room of her own, or rather, her parents' house. Only, something changed a week later.

Andy was running late that day. As he drove home, at nearly 1:30 am, he was sure that he was going to be greeted by a quiet and empty house, Y/N already asleep in her room. She always fell asleep before 11:30, he didn't know how she did it. After parking his car in his garage, he walked into the sitting room only to see Y/N sitting in front of the television. She looked up and swtiched it off when he walked in.

"Mr Barber, hi." Her voice was hoarse. "Y/N? Darling, is everything okay?" he asked worriedly, sitting next to her. The dried tear stains on her cheeks made it clear that she had been crying. "I'm fine," she insisted, in vain. Andy gently cupped her cheeks, running his fingers over the stains. "You've been crying, honey, tell me what happened. I'll make it better," he whispered and Y/N melted against him.

"Um, can I… can I please… can I hug you?"

Without another word, Andy pulled her to him, her head resting on his chest as his arms wrapped around her middle. She snuggled into his side. "I just had a bad dream," she mumbled, burying her face in his chest. His arm rose and he delicately cradled her head, massaging her hair with his fingers. Y/N whimpered at the soothing sensation and Andy's heart raced.

"I'm here now, sweetheart, you have nothing to be worried about. I'll protect you, come what may," he uttered softly, almost in a daze. Something inside Y/N stirred deeply when he said those words. She pulled away slightly and he looked down at her, a questioning look on his face. Y/N blushed under his intense stare. "I, um… can I… kiss you?" Her question made Andy's heart beat faster.

Consent? Check.

Gently grabbing her jaw, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, pulling her into his lap. Y/N kissed back just as fervently, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Do you know how long I've wanted to do that?" Andy asked huskily upon pulling away. "How long?" Y/N squeaked. "Ever since I first saw you. You won my heart right there, Y/N, right at that dinner. The moment I saw you, I knew that you had ruined all women for me."

"Same. I mean, I— not women, obviously, I'm not attracted to other women— men, but—" Andy chuckled and kissed her again, cutting off her rambling. "God, I need to feel you, love, why don't we go upstairs?" It turned out to be a rhetorical question as he immediately stood up, easily carrying Y/N up the stairs. Y/N wrapped her legs around his torso.

He placed her down on his bed, in his bedroom and settled between her legs, hungrily kissing down her body. He used his tongue to stimulate her first, pulling orgasm after orgasm after her. She had never had these many orgasms in one night and that wasn't lost on Andy. "No one has ever made you feel this good, right, darling? Only I can do it this good." Y/N whined loudly when his tongue circled her bud.

"Bet those nasty boys your age have never made you feel this way. Worshipped. You're mine, Y/N, only mine. Say it." Y/N was too overwhelmed to respond, only a pathetic "yours" leaving her lips as she came again. For the… third? No, fourth time? She definitely lost count. "You're so fucking gorgeous," Andy moaned as he emerged from between her thighs, his jaw and chin covered in her juices.

He had eaten her out so well, like her a hungry man offered a meal after a long starvation. Like she was his last meal. Y/N blushed at the sight of him, covering her face with her hands. Andy easily shoved the hands aside, leaning in to kiss her. "All mine. Beautiful. Mine, only mine," he grunted possessively and Y/N gasped when she felt something poking her thigh. She looked down and saw him. He was giant.

"It's too big," she blurted out and Andy chuckled, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. "You'll be okay." Grabbing the base of his shaft, he slowly pushed inside of her, giving her time to adjust to his size. Y/N winced at the burn on her hips but when he bottomed out inside her, all the pain was replaced by pleasure. "Fuck, so fucking tight," Andy helplessly groaned, leaning forward and resting his forehead against her shoulder.

"Please, please move." Andy complied, thrusting into her at a slow pace at first but when he was certain she was able to handle it, he sped up. Y/N moaned right into his ear as he nibbled on her neck, leaving behind dark, red marks. Now everyone will know she's taken. The moan fueled his libido and he sped up more, growling deep in his chest.

Y/N's eyes flew open at the animalistic sound and she gripped his shoulders, trying to steady herself as she moved like a rag doll against him and his powerful thrusts. "Scream my name, darling, tell everyone who's making you feel so good. Tell everyone you belong to me and me only. You're mine, all mine. I'm never letting you go," he snarled as he neared his release. "Andy," Y/N screamed shamelessly.

"That's it, doll. Months, for months I've tried to get you to say my name. Is that why you've been avoiding it? Can't help but imagine being under me and moaning my name every time you heard it?" he groaned brusquely and Y/N jerked, her orgasm hitting her unexpectedly. "Yes," she whimpered at his previous comment but Andy couldn't speak. Holy shit, she just squirted all over my bed.

His taut abdomen, his shaft, his thighs and his bed were all drenched. Y/N was lying on the bed, her eyes closed, convulsing as she reeled in from the first-time experience. "Shit, baby, do you see this? You just squirted all over me," Andy laughed breathlessly, leaning over to press his lips to hers. Y/N cocked an eye open as a blush spread across her cheeks.

"I what?! Oh my God, I'm so sorry—"

Andy entered her core with one swift motion, shutting her up. "That was fucking hot, doll, do it again," he urged and resumed his fast pace. Y/N cried out tiredly, her eyes landing on the clock in the corner of the room. It's been an hour?! How much energy does this man have? "Andy, I'm—" He was already close to his release and when she took his name, he was done. He pulled out of her and spilled his seed all over her chest and face, groaning loudly.

Then he spit on his fingers and brought them to her bud, furiously rubbing until she squirted again, right on his face. "Oh my God," Andy groaned, licking up and swallowing all her juices. "Andy, I'm tired…" She couldn't even lift a finger, that's how spent she was.

Andy was a sight. All wet, from top to bottom, covered in her juices, he looked like he had just stepped out of a swimming pool. "Okay, baby girl, get some sleep. I'll take care of you." And he did, he gently cleaned her up as she dozed off, and carried her to her room. He then hopped into the shower for a quick wash, dried himself up, put on some boxers and went to Y/N's room as well.

The bed in his room was… well, let's just say it was done for. He was going to be throwing the mattress out the next day, he knew that. When he walked into her room, his heart melted at the sight of her deep asleep, still naked, curled up on her side. He shut the door behind him and walked towards the bed, easily sliding in next to her. He pulled the covers on top of them and pulled Y/N into his arms, dropping a kiss to her shoulder.

"I love you, angel. So sweet, only mine."

---

A/N: This is the first time I've posted smut and a non-marvel fic 😳 I know it's probably not that good but thanks for reading anyway! Leave a like if you enjoyed!

#andy barber x reader #andy barber x you #andy barber x y/n #andy barber x female reader #andrew barber #andy barber smut #defending jacob #chris evans x reader #chris evans x you #chris evans x female reader #chris evans x y/n #chris evans characters #disney #mcu #marvel #avengers #fanfic #writing #writeblr

422 notes · View notes