#By overlapping these three lives alone

[rustchild]

I am reading an ARC about WWI war poets and it’s kinda wild how the first three guys are like. 1. Beautiful rich asshole with serious mommy issues who writes two sonnets about how majestic dying for England will be and then dies before the fighting begins from an infected mosquito bite. 2. Batshit insane American who keeps writing about how happy he is to be fighting for the good of France even as his friends bodies are mangled on barbed wire around him. And 3. Dirt-poor Jewish painter who hates the aristocracy too much to get a patron, enlists because he has no money, and then writes about how fucked and stupid everything is until the war kills him

[fruitydiaz]

microdosing a long distance relationship (my fiancée and i have completely different circadian rhythms)

[vagabond-umlaut]

gray cashmere

Solitude makes many a tough decision too easy to make.

However, is one truly ever 'one'? Or are they 'one' from a collection of many such 'one's' — guaranteed to be affected by the actions of one another?

Strictly isolated systems are mere hypotheses, anyways.

[Alternatively: Amanai Riko's life overlaps with that of three young students from Tokyo Jujutsu High for only fifty-five hours, yet the effects they leave on her and the effects she leaves on them– they can be felt even after a period of one-hundred-and-fifty-five months.]

▸ student! gojo satoru x student! fem! reader; 4400 words of me trying my best to forget the horror of the 'Hidden Inventory Arc' by writing THE CANON-DIVERGENT FIC I DESPERATELY NEEDED TO FUNCTION ATP; riko is the little sister yours truly the reader never had; kuroi is the gentle sunshine on a winter afternoon; THE sweet romance between satoru & reader; suguru is the most awesome best friend and/or brother figure ever; FUSHIGURO TOJI IS HIS OWN WARNING; Hidden Inventory Arc Spoilers with Canon-Level Violence; Angst with a Happy Ending.

▸ notes: The reader's CT was to read others' thoughts freely without them knowing, but after a binding vow she undertook when young [disgusted with the way the old geezers governing the jujutsu society misused it for their personal gains], she lost it, gaining the ability to instantaneously kill an entity the moment she opts to read their mind in place. Not even a special-grade can stop her attack. Aniki = older brother in Japanese.

▸ belongs to series we're the summer to our winter rain but you can read this as a stand-alone if you wanna!

▸ the gif, divider and characters used ain't mine. please don't plagiarize, translate or repost this. enjoy reading! ❤️

DAY 1; 11:44

Yours is a beautiful, awful life when it's the one chosen for the sake of all.

Everyone everywhere will remain smiling, crying, speaking, yelling, moving – living, if put in a word– yet you'll be nothing more than a name and, if lucky, a fading face filed away in a mind. Yet, yet, yet– everyone everywhere will remain smiling, crying, speaking, yelling, moving— and one young Amanai Riko thinks that's what makes her fate so bearable.

Too bad one of her three bodyguards doesn't think along such lines.

"She's too young to die. Why is she even agreeing to this merger?"

Your quiet voice breaks Riko's scuttling from one room to another, in search of the things she needs for school.

Craning her neck, she peeks into the room, only to find you standing by the windows, holding a cup of tea delicately as you look intently at your companions. Geto's shoulders rise and fall in a short sigh. Gojo gets up from his slouch on the couch to drape an arm round you.

The girl thinks it's the softest she has seen the goggles-wearing boy appear in the time you all have been here.

(Honestly, this is the first time she is seeing Gojo act so careful and you, so disquietened, in the three hours the three of you have been here—

A jarring contrast to the way the boy introduced you as 'the coolest and hottest jujutsu sorcerer ever' who also happens to be his 'better half' while you greeted them with a beam (which did not reach your eyes) and turned away, focus switching to your beeping mobile.)

(Geto looked like an old grandpa then, when he whispered to Kuroi, a wide smile on his face as he looked at you, how difficult it was for the two of you to get together as a couple – and how happy and relieved he and your other friends are now, watching the two of you be so very in love with each other. Kuroi let out only a tiny quiet sigh with a small gentle smile at his words.)

Your boyfriend's voice pulls her away from her mind.

"You heard the brat, didn't you? She is Tengen-sama; Tengen-sama is her. So she isn't really going to die; she's going to live forever and ever and eve–"

"I thought I was the one who couldn't read between lines well in this relationship, 'Toru," you interrupt him, frowning. Riko finds it too hard to stifle the giggle that threatens to follow – albeit, the threat doesn't stay strong for long, vanishing away at your next words. Thrown into the room, a mix of visible anger and despair.

"The kid was obviously spouting all that nonsense, more as a means to convince herself than to convince us," you say; the young student considers bursting into the room, exclaiming she ain't a little kid, yet a voice in her urges her to stay put outside the door. Begrudgingly, she listens to it. You continue, tone the same as before.

"There's some part in Riko-chan which doesn't really want to merge with Master Tengen, but a burden once dumped on one's shoulders has to be carried, and Riko-chan has no option left but to choke that wily voice in her head until it quietens forever."

Gojo's eyes drift over to the door once. A bit startled and a lot scared, Riko shrinks into herself, yet budges not an inch from her spot. Focus returning to your puckered features, the junior high schooler watches him croon softly into your ears, "Babe, how about we discuss–"

"I don't think there'll be a later, Satoru," you say, then exhale air out in a burst of clear frustration, "And I seriously cannot understand how in this world you and Geto senpai can be so relaxed about this? Y'all are answering Yaga's calls as if Riko's an important but lifeless mail, while we three are some FedEx employees and not three sorcerers leading a girl a few years younger than us to her death, grinning and singing."

The cup in your grasp looks dangerously close to shattering; not to mention the way your cursed energy swells and swells until it comes too close to suffocating the hell out of her — it ebbs away faster than it came.

Face morphing into an easy smile, the girl watches you slip out from under your boyfriend's arm and walk over to her. She wishes the grin she shoots back is half as bright as she hopes it is.

"Hey, Riko-chan," you greet, voice shifting into a soothing melody, "Ready to go to school? Geto senpai's already called the driver. He must be waiting downstairs."

"Oh, I see," Riko responds, a bit lost as her gaze rakes over your face, then darts over to the two still in the room. The weird-bangs-sorcerer offers a small smile while he cuts an apple into slices. The other boy's eyes remain trained on the back of your head, upbeat nature nowhere to be seen.

She looks back at you. Kuroi asks her to hurry via a frantic yell of her name. The girl sighs and slowly moves into the direct line of sight of everyone.

"Have any of you seen a thin blue notebook anywhere? I can't find my music no– OH MY GOD, ONEE-CHAN!!! YOUR STUPID AS HECK BOYFRIEND DID NOT JUST MAKE PAPER PLANES OUT OF MY NOTES, DID HE!?!?"

———

DAY 2; 19:55

"Satoru is not really bad, y'know?"

Your comment arrives few hours and many adventures later – though Riko wonders how much of an adventure they were for you or the two upperclassmen of yours, given the way you three were kicking ass for the entirety of the time, both before and after Kuroi was captured.

Lips curving into a teasing smile – one which the woman, taking care of her since the latter's childhood, shares – the teenager returns her attention to you.

You blink back, a tiny smile playing with the corner of your lips before it widens, digging into your cheeks and crinkling your eyes.

"What?" you ask with a giggle, "Is there something on my face? Or is suggesting my boyfriend to be kind of good really that outlandish of a concept?"

"Hmm, do you want the nice answer or the honest answer?" Riko asks back, plopping a spoonful of the ice cream you bought, then breaking into a shiver as her brain freezes from how insanely cold it is. Neither you nor Kuroi bothering to hide your chuckles, you hum. "I'm not sure which I will find honest and which, nice; why don't you shoot both my way, Riko-chan?" you suggest then add, mirth gleaming in your voice, "Of course, when you're okay again, only then."

The girl thinks of retorting to you with a silent glare but opts to think better of it. Couple of minutes pass in almost silence, Kuroi and you chit-chatting about Okinawa in general while the three of you amble down the sidewalk lining the inky-black sea, casting eerie shadows in the sparse lights dotting the streets — when she decides to reply to your suggestion from before.

"I don't really think Gojo-san is a bad person," She says, stopping and offering you a smile over her shoulder. You too stop and accept it with a bright smile of your own.

Riko continues, "I mean, yeah, he's very, very annoying all the time – making fun of me and calling me a kid or brat – but if you chose him to be your boyfriend, I guess he's kind of fine. Maybe. Plus, you don't really seem to have a bad taste," she adds with an appreciative once-over at the sundress you're wearing.

You crack an amused grin. Riko turns to her caretaker. "C'mon, Kuroi. Tell onee-chan. She has a pretty nice taste in outfits, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, you do," the other woman is quick to agree with a kind grin, "I suppose Riko-sama is correct in saying this; although, Riko-sama..." trailing off, Kuroi smiles at the addressed girl the way she used to in her childhood, whenever the latter used to babble the stuff children always do, and gently rebukes.

"Having a good taste in outfits is not the best indicator of someone's taste in men. You must never view a person from an angle as shallow as that."

"Kuroi-san is right, Riko-chan," you pitch in your two cents an instant later, then cast the woman beside you a sly glance, "Though I wonder if that was an indirect criticism of 'Toru... I hope it wasn't – was it?"

"No, of course not," Kuroi denies with a small laugh. Riko watches you crack a freer smile at her words, which slowly softens when you move your gaze back to her. The ice cream in her hand seems four seconds away from melting; still the girl decides to ignore it in favour of giving you her undivided attention.

(Ever since she met you three, you've always struck the young girl as someone a bit... different.

From the way you train your focus on your opponents during a fight; to the way you speak, neither too loud nor too quiet, just the perfect loudness and pitch required to snatch everyone's attention and keep them for yourself; to the way you carry yourself, neither as pompous arrogant akin Gojo nor as discreet smug as Geto, but as a girl who is aware of her worth and won't hesitate to show another their place, if the need so arises.

Riko thinks if she lived a little longer, she might have wanted to make you her role model. Not that it matters now, though.)

Your musing voice break through her thoughts.

"Satoru was the one who suggested this trip," you say, sharing a half-smile with Kuroi, "The best option would have been to take you back to the school as soon as possible, where you and Kuroi-san would be safe and sound. Plus, our mission too would have been complete. An extra feather to our cap, given we delivered the Star Plasma Vessel to Tengen-sama and secured the foundations the entire Japan is based on. Yet he argu–"

You abruptly fall silent, the loving look on your face withering to one of helplessness and profound sadness when the ticking hands of the wrist watch you wear catches your eye; and you shove your emotions beneath a forced chuckle.

"Oh no, it's almost eight," you say, a faux buoyancy to your words, "Do you wanna go back to the hotel and have dinner there, Riko? Or some place outside, maybe? Our schedule's packed tomorrow – our littlest Riko-chan needs some good sleep tonight to not be fussy tomorrow, doesn't she?"

Glancing at Kuroi, only to find her with the same tense cheerfulness, Riko stifles a sigh and parts her lips into a mirthful beam she doesn't feel at all.

"I really wanna try the soki soba and the yashigani. Do you know any good restaurants nearby?"

You nod exaggeratedly, lips thinning into a solemn line though the faint ray of fun can still be made through the grey clouds cast over your irises. "Don't you worry, Riko sama. Your two faithful servants will certainly find a place to dine to your liking. You just keep being the cute little princess that you are."

The girl opens her mouth to snap back at being called a little girl yet again – you aren't very different from your boyfriend, after all – then shuts it, then opens it again, a teasing giggle wanting to bubble out.

"Y'know, onee-chan," she says, skipping over to you and smiling in an innocent fashion, "I answered your second question, but I never gave a reply to the first one – you wanna know it?"

You take a second before shrugging. "Um, yeah, why not?"

Throwing a mischievous glance to Kuroi, who hides her mouth with a palm and looks away, shoulders shaking a little, Riko returns her eyes to your expectant smile. And beckoning you to come near, whispers.

"There isn't anything on your face. But the foundation's on your neck and shoulders is kind of off, I guess. Were you bitten by a bug, onee–"

An obnoxiously cheery ringtone cuts the girl off. Your face burning a deep hue of coyness, she watches you pluck your phone out of your bag, then walk a few steps away, voice dropping to a hushed murmur – which takes a minute before growing shrill then silent. Your cheeks and ears sport the deepest shade of red Riko's ever seen.

Asking them for a little more time, grin so sheepish and flustered, you whirl on your heels and walk a couple of feet away, your hand fiddling with the Okinawa keychain your boyfriend bought you today at noon.

Lips quirking in a fond smile, Riko looks away from your shy giggling figure to the chuckling Kuroi, to the big ocean waves crashing on the sands below.

Yeah, it might've been good to have a chance at a bit longer life.

———

DAY 3; 15:08

This is not good.

Oh heavens no. This is so not good.

Tears springing forth and streaming down her cheeks, Riko moves to take a step towards you. Then, stills when you put up a bloodied hand asking her to stop. Face scrunched into a smile which, the little vessel knows, conveys nothing of the agony tearing at your insides; you cast a glance at the gaping hole in your palm, then drift your gaze back to her.

Something acidic and pungent surges to the girl's mouth — though not at you, never at you – but at herself, the sole reason why you're clutching your profusely bleeding wound, left by the bullet originally meant for her; why Geto stands shocked and numb, with a hundred curses looming round the room, ready to attack at the slightest hint of an order; why Gojo's probably lying near the torii gates, dead and swarmed by cursed maggots – if what she heard less than a minute back, isn't a lie, that is.

Judging from the sharp gasp of air you drew in then — it isn't, Riko thinks.

Your smile stays as pathetically serene as ever; the only traitor now being those rivulets of grief carving their courses on your face. You part your lips in a heart-wrenching plea.

"Run, Riko-chan. Run to a place far from here. Somewhere none can find you. And don't ever come back. Please."

Shaking her head a 'No!' as fiercely as she can, the girl bites back her sobs. A cold hand pulls her by the shoulder towards the entrance; she keeps her feet firmly planted to the ground.

Everything was going so, so well– why then did this abominable man have to appear out of nowhere and upend everything in her life? Only when she realized she did not want to be the sacrifice for the sake of everyone else, and that, she too could afford an ounce of selfishness — why then did this man have to appear and extinguish that singular flame of hope lit in her world? Why, why, why—

A harsh bark of a laughter barges into her thoughts.

Your eyes develop a pinch of panic as they travel from the man you froze in the entrance to them, then back to him. The victim of your cursed technique sneers.

"You're that girl with the psychic powers, aren't ya? Thought you can only use your power to kill a person; since when can you freeze them like a statue, eh— can see, hear and feel everything, but can't move a single muscle, except to speak, huh? Or, no, wait–" A second raucous laugh rings through the halls and corridors; you clench your wounded hand into a fist so tight, she thinks she too can feel the pain weighing on your senses right now.

The assassin jeers, "You must be so, so tired to not be able to kill this poor cursed energy-less bastard, hm? And on top of all that, you also must not have refined the technique enough to shut me up, yeah?" A vein throbs in your temple; the man speaks, more gleeful than ever.

"And given how I'm slowly losing the numbness in my arms and legs... your technique is so fucking weak, girl. And the jujutsu society called you their messiah, eh? Fucking fools, the whole lot. Their six eyes in a pool of his blood outside while their other trump card's soon to meet a similar miserable end at this monkey's hands. How funny, ain't it?"

Giving no semblance of a reply to him, you turn your eyes back to her – no, to Geto who's standing behind her – and urge him, so desperate and desolate, every breath you take a short jerky heave of your chest, "Take Riko somewhere safe, senpai. And don't return till you've gotten help. Now, go. Quick."

Craning her neck upwards, the teenager catches a glimpse of the boy grasping her shoulder firmly — hoping he'll refuse to listen to you and stay right there, fighting the monster right beside you — but finds no fragment of dissent on his face.

Extreme reluctance? Yes.

Profound melancholy? Yes.

Stifling resignation? Yes, yes, yes.

But dissent? No.

It makes an appearance, now and then, but never persists for long.

She makes yet another attempt to get closer to you.

"Onee-chan, no," Riko begs, snarling and thrashing from under Geto's unyielding hold on her arm now, "please don't do this. I wanna live my life to the fullest, but I cannot if I don't have y'all beside me. So, you–"

"Riko-chan, no–"

"–ask me to go away like an escapist coward–"

"Riko-chan, listen–"

"–staying right over here, next to–"

"RIKO!"

The harsh call of her name makes the girl stumble and stutter. It isn't you who called her so; it's Geto, peering down at her with moisture in his eyes. An ugly sob crawls out her throat. He mumbles, "You're way too young to understand all this, but know that, if you're out there in the world– safe, free and happy– the Star Plasma Vessel mission can be marked successful only then. Whatever sacrifices all of us made or are going to make today," a glance at you shows the bittersweet smile you're wearing; Riko's wails worsen, "they won't make any sense if, at the end of the day, you're harmed. So, please listen to us and escape with Kuroi-san, yeah?"

The man to her not-so-distant left flexes his fingers a bit. The three of you look at him before looking at one another. You look a few minutes away from passing out, skin paling and breaths growing labored with every second that elapses.

Eyes screwn shut, Riko lets go of the fight she was harbouring in her body. Geto's voice breaks with unshed moisture. "Try not to die, kid. I already lost a best friend today, don't wanna lose a sister too."

Riko doesn't need to open her eyes to know your reaction; the heart-rending sob paired with the "No promises, aniki," you let out tells her enough – before your cursed energy expands yet again, and a chilled palm pulls her by the hand into a swift run, the hit of her shoes on the floor echoing in the stuffy underground air.

Air which soon switches from the suffocation of ancience to that of blood and death — the teenager takes but a moment to realize who the person is. Biting down harshly on her lower lip, she swallows the raw anguish tearing her sinews apart, and keeps her eyes shut firm.

Willing the darkness reigning behind her eyelids to overtake every part of her body – especially her mind, being hurtled one memory after another, and another – Kuroi making her lunch for school; Kuroi teaching her to tie her braids; Kuroi congratulating for every success of hers and supporting her after every failure, be it big or small; Kuroi being the family she once thought she had lost in a car crash–

The sharp ding of the lift and the crackling warmth of the sun on her tear-stained cheeks are the last two things Riko registers, before the world round her fades away into a noiseless black — finally.

———

DAY 4718; 16:02

"Anableps can see both above and below the water at the same time, y'know?"

The statement and the awed "Woo!" that follows it rouses Riko from the siesta she was teetering on the brink of. She yawns and rubs her eyes. Then yawns again, a bit more subdued this time, considering a family walks past her.

Uni's been very stressful of late, and to top it all off, the woman who's supposed to handle this shift has called in sick – so, as fucking same as before, the manager is gonna call in some newbie to work instead.

The newbie being none other than Riko – very unfortunately – on a tiring Friday afternoon as today.

At least, the job pays well and she gets to spend time explaining fish and their world to excited kids, plus the occasional one or two adults who look a touch different from their usual bored indifference.

But, of course, there's always a group of friends who come bounding in.

Worse than a class of kindergarten children fighting for the single toy of a dinosaur their teacher has brought — Riko avoids such crowds of like the plague. Storming past them, turning down their query, asking a coworker to fill in for her – the young grad student applies all tricks and methods known to her to escape the situation.

To escape the familiar buzz of cheer and enthusiasm.

To escape the familiar weight of nostalgia and gloom.

To escape the—

"Um, miss, where can we find the whale sharks' tank? Heard it's the main attraction here... And, uh, we're also a little lost, actually."

Trains of thought thrown off-track, the young woman squeezes her eyes shut, then opens them again, a customer service smile flitting onto her lips as she turns back. And holds back a very exasperated groan. Why the fuck did Mio had to leave for a snacks break now of the innumerable times she could have gone before? And why does this crowd have to be the very thing she hates dealing with? Ugh... Never mind–

"Just turn to your left, go down the corridor, then to your right. You'll find the whale sharks there."

The pink-haired boy accepts the reply with a nod and a bright thanks, before the black-haired boy places a hand on his shoulder and he falls quiet. The latter looks strangely familiar, Riko thinks... ignoring it, she shoots the boys a quizzical smile. "Is there anything else you would to like to ask or—"

"You're my mom's friend. I've seen your pictures at home," he cuts her off, brows furrowing. His friend looks at him, so perplexed, not much unlike how Riko's feeling. He pays no mind, continuing, "You attended a Catholic school, love music and aquatic life, and have an obsession with coconut crab meat and soba, don't you?"

"Megumi..." A slightly older girl standing behind them with two girls donning identical t-shirts, begins in a lightly chastising tone, but the tour guide feels she's miles away from them. Catholic school, music lessons, aquariums, soki soba, yashigani, Okinawa... it simply cannot be you—

"Tsumiki! Mimiko!" A voice, Riko once was under the impression she'll never be hearing again, except in nightmares, rings through the near-empty hall of the aquarium, soon followed by the appearing of a face she thought she'll never see again, except in the sole photograph left with her on the phone Geto gave her, besides 5000 円 and contacts he asked her to get in touch with, as soon as possible, that evening a good twelve years ago in Osaka.

You reach a stop before the group, a young brown-haired girl trailing you with a worried scowl on her face. Dumbstruck, Riko watches you sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose.

"I can understand Nana-chan's phone is busy being used in clicking photos but the same excuse cannot be extended to you, can it? No. So, why on earth can't any of you four pick your mobile up when I'm calling you, hm? Or please don't tell me the batteries are dead. Again."

The blonde girl, presumably Nana-chan, smiles smugly while three out of the addressed four kids shoot a sheepish smile your way. Your frown slowly gives way to a fond grin and you huff a chuckle, shaking your head – which only grows in intensity when the girl following you lets out an annoyed hmph! and launches into a tirade how extremely worried the two of you were and how much dumb and careless them five are.

Eyes welling over with emotions percolated over the course of many, many years, Riko watches you grin so freely — only for it to still and fade when the spiky-haired boy says he has met your friend from the photograph, and you look from him to her standing inconspicuously, half-hidden in the shadows.

A painfully slow second passes.

The entire gaggle of kids falls quiet at the disbelieving watery chuckle you let out. Taking two steps forwards, she offers you a mirror image of your expression.

"Told you the aquarium's fun, didn't I?"

A call of your name bounces off the grey walls in a saccharine tone: Riko knows instinctively, can be no one's except one blue-eyed and white-haired bastard's. You cast a glance at the tall man rushing to you, then return your gaze to her, with the same radiant beam you gave on that day twelve years back, when Riko first expressed her real thoughts out in the air.

The young woman wastes no moment before running to you and engulfing you in the tightest hug she can possibly manage, tears rushing down her face. Your gentle voice shushes her, the way an elder sister would do to a younger sister.

Riko's lips stretch in the widest and freest grin she has felt in forever.

Joyful and thankful her onee-chan is finally back in her life, giving the added length it received some much-needed hues — 'cause a longer life is obviously good but it's the best when your life is long and spent with your near and dear ones.

▸ notes: The reader was in the process of developing and perfecting a new CT, hence her CE was so unstable – spiking and ebbing – besides the fact it drained her energy like hell. Toji was a smart man, he figured it out pretty quickly and easily. [And for the ppl who're wondering how the reader was able to stop the attack on Riko: she used a tendril of thoughts emanating from a person's mind to detect their presence, instead of their cursed energy remains.] [She can't read those thoughts, though.]

▸ masterlist

[offictionandfandoms]

✎﹏﹏ Rumors Pt. 2

Previous | Next

✑ Pairings: Eddie Munson x f!reader!

✑ Word Count: 5192

✑ Requested: Yes/No

✑ Warnings: Angst into fluff, cursing, bad DND talk because I don’t understand DND so….yeah. Let me know if I missed anything!

✑ Authors Note: I just want to thank everyone who loved the last part and requested to be tagged in this one. It truly means so much to me, y’all have no idea. I wish I could reply to every comment asking to be tagged but I was busy making this. I’m sorry if I missed anyone! I hope this part lives up to expectations and you love it just as much. Also. I have a small part three that is just fluff because I was in a mood and I already liked the way I had ended this one…so. Here is a short fluff part 3! Enjoy :)

✑ Gif isn’t mine!

“It’s spelled with an ‘e’ not an ‘o’,” Y/N critiqued the paper in front of her, using her usual red pen to circle the mistake. The paper was adorned in red ink at this point, harshly overlapping the pencil markings, something she usually tried to limit. She always believed that verbally pointing out the mistakes and allowing the student to fix it in the moment was better than just marking the paper and letting them go. But over the past few days, all she cared about was wrapping up her tutoring sessions as fast as possible so she could escape back to her house.

“Oh, okay.” The dejected tone of the student had her looking up from the paper, red pen hesitating over yet another mistake she was about to mark. The reason being that she always wished to verbally correct them over just marking was that they always took the red marks to heart: the more marks there were, the worse the feeling of failure became. She was a tutor, not a dream crusher. Yet that’s all she had been doing lately. She recognized this, but she couldn’t stop it. It was like an angry blue monster had sat right on her brain, eating away at all sense of logic, healing, and hope, replacing it all with bitterness, sadness, and tints of anger whenever she saw Eddie Munson’s stupid pretty face in the halls or in class. She felt horrible in every way possible.

“I’m sorry,” she started, opening her mouth to give words of encouragement but halting before anything slipped out. The wide green eyes staring back at her were waiting, wanting some sort of pick-me-up advice and comfort. But how could she offer them that when she couldn’t even give it to herself? On top of feeling horrible, she felt pathetic. It had been days since the break up, days since she spoke to Eddie or even Jason, who she still hadn’t confronted about the rumor. The only person who she actively spoke to beyond her tutoring clients was Max Mayfield, who insisted on checking in on her every day, even if it meant her step-brother had to wait in the parking lot.

“It’s not a bad paper, these errors- they’re small. Just little things. You can fix them and everything will be okay.” She muttered out, averting her eyes back to the paper, yet not truly taking anything in. She had begged Eddie to let her fix her error- which she now knew hadn’t even been /her/ error- and he rejected her. Banished her, actually. The thought now made her laugh— was she some traitorous princess, banned from her kingdom?

Yes.

Quickly circling the last mistake she could find, or really the first mistake her eye came to after coming back into focus, she pushed it over the table towards the rightful owner, watching as they scanned over all the red. You couldn’t even make out what they had actually written in the first paragraph due to her scribbles.

Their shoulders slumped, “I. . . When I fix them, can I come back to you?” She wanted to say no, she wanted to cancel all her tutoring sessions for the next week but she couldn’t. So she just nodded her head and offered the kid a small discount for the next session, as she really wasn’t 100% there herself.

She watched as they shoved everything in their backpack and took off, leaving her alone with her thoughts. At least for another ten minutes, at least, before her next and final client showed up. She was currently holding all of her sessions outside; the wind blowing her hair into a little dance and kissing her skin felt more freeing than the feeling of stares crawling over her body and whispers assaulting her ears. Whispers of what, she wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure if her overactive imagination and paranoia was making her hear her own name or if they were genuinely whispering about her. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to know.

Students were still dallying in the parking lot; some throwing balls back and forth like there wasn’t an actual sports field behind the school, some making out with their significant others like they didn’t have a house to go to, and some, like herself, sitting alone to study like they actually cared about school.

In her stupor, she could make out someone asking to talk, but she assumed that it was directed towards someone else, not bothering to turn around and see who it was. Not until the person said her name.

“Y/N?” Normally, she would’ve turned around to properly address whoever was speaking to her. Normally, she would’ve greeted whoever it was with a smile, maybe a handshake or a hug, and invited them to sit down with her until her next client came. She was raised in a proper household, she had manners.

But this wasn’t a normal case. And that wasn’t just anyone saying her name. She could tell who it was within seconds, the cadence of his voice permanently etched into her brain.

So, in that situation, she froze. Like a deer in headlights, she stared ahead of her, vaguely seeing the football go sailing through the air, and in her peripheral’s, the shadow of a body taking a seat beside her. Uninvited.

“Please.”

It was such an odd time in her brain. Because she could recall just how easily she used to cave into his cute little plea’s, how seeing his pouty face as he begged her to give in had filled her with such a strong sense of adoration that she felt like she was floating. Now she could also recall just how easily he denied her when she pleaded, how seeing him push her out the drama room door felt like he had stapled an eviction notice to her heart. She could feel the want to give in, to turn to him and promise to make things better. Normally that would be enough to make her do it. But, again, this wasn’t a normal situation. The blue monster was turning red, tendrils of smoke puffing down her spine and overcoming the want for them to work out with the want to tell him to shove it. Neither side won, and she just sat there, knee bouncing as her mind and heart fought a war inside her. It wasn’t her place to make things better anymore, she had already tried. But she couldn’t imagine treating him like he had her, even if he deserved it.

As if he could read her mind, he nodded, leaning forward on the table to try to catch her attention. If only he knew that every nerve ending in her body was standing on end for him, how every neuron in her brain felt like they were on a live wire that was Eddie Munson’s guitar string. Even if she wasn’t looking his way, she was still acutely aware of every move he made, every breath he took, and even his hair being ruffled by the wind.

The rings glinting in the sunlight was what made her look over, though. Specifically the ring he had on his ring finger— the one that she had bought him. It was a gift for them making it a month together. Eddie had freaked out because he hadn’t got her anything, mainly because he didn’t get the hype of a monthiversary, not because he hadn’t remembered. When the next month came around and he had brought her handpicked flowers and a guitar pick with their initials messily engraved on them, she had laughed, explaining how two months isn’t really celebrated but that she loved them. He had started complaining about how monthiversary’s are complicated but she kissed him mid-sentence and took the flowers to a vase. She still had the dried petals in a box in her bedroom and the guitar pick in her jewelry box for safe keeping.

“I couldn’t take it off.” He had noticed her staring at the ring, lost in thought. So lost that she hadn’t noticed that he had begun to fiddle with the ring nervously. She raised an eyebrow at how easily it spun around, clearly not too tight for him to be unable to remove it. He caught that, too. “I mean. I could. But I.. couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Didn’t want to.”

Finally she lifted her gaze to meet his, the wide puppy stare a punch to her already beaten gut, “Why?” It was the first thing she had said to him since the breakup, and yet it summed up everything she wanted to know. Why couldn’t he take the ring off? Why didn’t he trust her? Why didn’t he talk to her? Why didn’t he love her enough to make things work?

She could see his Adam’s apple bob with a harsh swallow, almost like he had picked up on her thoughts regarding this, too.

“Well, you see, it’s my favorite.” The same goofy grin she had come to love developed on his face, his hair sweeping across his forehead as he dipped his head down. He was trying to be cute. He was trying to be cute to hide the fact that his fingers were now tapping against the table nervously, much like her bouncing leg. He was trying to be cute to hide the fact that he was as upset over everything as she was. If he knew her enough to pick up on her thoughts, then she surely knew him enough to do the same. And there was no way he was as upset as she was.

Anger finally took hold of her as she crammed her studying books, index cards, and red pen in her bag, swinging it over her shoulder as she stood up. The momentum nearly caused her to stumble but she used it to propel herself towards the school doors.

“Yeah, well. Things change. Find a new one.”

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

After managing to find her last client and change location to the library, Y/N had been homeward bound and had never felt better about it. The brief encounter she had with Eddie had left her shaken and she just wanted the comfort of her blankets and whatever sad song she could find on the radio.

Though, the next day brought even more shaking encounters and by the time lunchtime rolled around, she was thoroughly exhausted and on edge. She had nearly failed her first period exam, hadn’t been able to answer a question that her second period teacher had asked due to her being zoned out, and then she nearly tripped in the hallway, losing some papers in her skirmish to regain balance. She didn’t even try to get them back as she hurried to the cafeteria, eager to eat mediocre pizza and not be bothered.

But, as all bad days go, they get worse.

“Hey, Y/N! Hey!” She could barely contain her groan as she lifted her head to see Jason waving his hand for her to join his group in the line. The people who stood between her and him gave her warning glares, as if to say ‘don’t you dare skip again’. She had no intentions of doing so.

“Hey, Jason. I’m good here, thanks though.” While she was angry at Jason and his inability to shut up, most of her anger lay with Eddie, who bought into the cheap rumor without hesitation. Though, she still didn’t want to be near Jason or his posse of dumbasses.

“They’re not going to say anything. Right, guys? She can come up here.” He asked, his voice carrying over the other conversations taking place as he addressed the glaring individuals. None of them went against Jason’s order, though none looked happy about it, either.

Y/N was forced to take a deep breath through her nose as she steadied herself. It felt as if she was teetering on a tightrope and either way she fell, she was going to end up having a breakdown. Whether it be from anger or sadness was yet to be determined. In this moment, though, she was about to swan dive into anger.

The tight lipped smile she gave him felt painful on her face as she spoke through gritted teeth, “I’m fine here, Jason.”

But, as all choices given by egotistical jocks go, you don’t really have a choice.

Y/N soon found herself sandwiched between Jason and his buddies as they came down the line to her, willingly giving up their space near the trays just to grate her nerves even more.

“You know something, N/N?” Jason started, looking down at her with his pretty smile she was sure had other girls swooning, “You’re a saint. A real saint.”

The thin line of frazzled nerves that he was sawing away at was about to snap, but she decided to play his game. Not like she had been given an actual choice in the matter. “And why is that, Jason?” She refused to call him by some nickname that his friends usually used— they weren’t friends and she wasn’t going to appease his feelings by pretending otherwise. She wasn’t even looking his way as she moved forward in line.

“Tutoring that freak.”

At that moment, Y/N swore she could see red. His friends were howling with laughter, he himself seemed smug with his insulting joke. She couldn’t take another step forward as she processed what he said, and each time it played over in her mind, the angrier she got.

“What?” By now the line had moved up more and Jason was pushing at her back, but she was a brick wall and she wasn’t moving. Not until he repeated what he had said, not until she knew she had heard him right.

“Oh, c’mon. It’s not like he can pay you. You’re doin’ it pro-bono right? You’re a saint. I guess even devil worshippers need to graduate.” Not only had she heard him right, but he was only making matters worse. She didn’t pay much mind to the students behind her once again complaining about how she needed to move or Jason trying once more to push her body forward.

He had successfully sawed her nerves away. She was now hurtling towards the pit of anger, happily so. Anger beat sadness, and she was about to beat him.

“Go fuck yourself, Jason,” was the first thought she had to say, one she had been dying to get out since she first realized what he had been spreading about her. His eyes went wide at the sudden quip and his friends started letting out low “ooh”s.

“You can’t talk to me..”

“I can talk to you however I want to. But God knows from your essays that you probably won’t understand anything I say. So let me spell it out for you,” she started, feeling as if the world around her was shaking, and yet it was only her body as rage coursed through her. “We are not friends. We did not sleep together- I would never sleep with someone like you…”

His hands threw up in defense as he took another step back, away from the step Y/N hadn’t known she had taken forward, “Whoa. I never said we slept together, dude.”

The interruption was enough to make her jab a pointed finger into his chest, sending him another step back. “Don’t you dare interrupt me. I am talking. Eddie Munson is /not/ a freak. He is a better man than you could even dream of being. I am not tutoring him. And you can shove your money right up your-”, she didn’t get the chance to finish her rampage before someone was grabbing her around the waist, pulling her away from a red faced Jason Carver.

“Put me down! I said put me down, asshole!” She yelled, not caring how her voice bounced off the walls, or how everyone in the cafeteria was staring at her like she had lost her mind. Maybe she had, but she didn’t care much about that either.

“I know I’ve made some mistakes but I don’t think name calling is necessary.” It took a moment before she could pinpoint that voice in the midst of her anger but once she did, she thrashed harder in his arms. She felt like a dog backed into a corner, no matter where she ran, she was met with people who pissed her off.

And a corner is exactly where she found herself as Eddie deposited her in a janitors closet, shutting the door behind them. It was dark for only a second before the dim light filled about half of the room. Dirty mops, cans of antiseptic spray, cobwebs, and a very amused Eddie stared back at her as she looked around.

The second his lips pulled up in a smirk, she exploded, “Why would you do that? I was-“

“You was’ going to get yourself expelled.”

“Stop interrupting me!” She flung her arms up in exasperation, seething at her sentence being cut off once again. Though when her fingers made contact with metal shelves and brick walls, she was quick to gasp and pull them back into her chest.

Much to his credit, Eddie hadn’t even flinched during her yelling, he had simply leaned against the opposite wall, watching with the ever-amused smile and raised eyebrow. He even shook his head with a chuckle as she nursed her now stinging hands.

“Let me see,” he started, inching forward with a hand outstretched to her. His rings didn’t glint as much in this light but she could tell he was still wearing the one she gave him. Tucking her hands closer into her chest, she shook her head. Her anger gave way to stubbornness, nostrils flaring with each deep breath and her chin lifting up to give some semblance of strength. Much to her chagrin, it only amused him more.

“Come on, sweetheart. Just let me see.” At the pet name, she froze for a moment, thinking back to all the times he had called her that before. Eddie wasn’t big on cliche pet names, he liked to create his own for her. Though sweetheart was a personal favorite of hers, so he had a tendency to use it on her. It always worked for getting her attention and making her feel more comforted and loved. Even now, even while dealing with a hundred different thoughts, that one word was like a bridge straight to her heart.

Without a word, but with a dramatic huff, she held out her hands, letting him see the damage for himself. He was very gentle when taking her hands into his, the warmth of his rings pressing into her skin like a beacon from home. His fingertips gracefully traced over the little red marks now marring her skin, like any sort of pressure would cause her to crack and fall apart.

The softness of the moment had entirely eradicated her anger and she was left with an ache where it once was. With her hands still held in his, she couldn’t fiddle with her fingers in nervousness, and when she tried to pull them away, he tightened his hold. Yet it was nothing compared to the way Jason’s hand had been firmly nudging her at lunch or how he held her wrist. It was like Eddie had found the next greatest DND figurine, used and a bit worn, but beautiful, ethereal, sacred. Something he was meant to protect— and he had failed doing so. But now he was making up for it.

His lips pressed against the red marks before she could question him, his forehead resting against her wrist as he just stood there, not saying anything, but not needing to. The amusement from earlier was long gone and was replaced with something Y/N couldn’t quite place.

Her lips parted for a moment as she thought over what to say: ‘I’m fine”, “We should go”, “Thanks for stopping me from getting expelled but god I wish I could have decked Jason just once’?

What came out was something entirely different: a whisper of his name. Saying it any louder would have broken whatever spell had been placed over them, and she didn’t know that she had it in her to do so. Or if she could even raise her voice again- she was so tired of yelling, of trying to be heard and listened to.

“Please,” was all he said in return, his voice just as low as hers. He finally dropped her hands but it was only so he could wrap his arms around her waist, tugging her into his chest; into a hug that she had yearned for since last week; into the arms she never thought she’d feel herself in again.

Vulnerability. That was the new feeling, what had replaced his amusement. The room was warm but the goosebumps on her skin still arose, her heart raced like she had run a mile and yet she was standing still, time felt like it had reversed a few weeks to when they were still together, when they were still Y/N and Eddie. And yet, it was still the same day, same hour, and the same broken up situation.

“Eddie…” she repeated his name, feeling his hair tickle her lips as they moved, smelling his cologne sneaking into her nose, and hearing the way he took his own shuddering breath, terrified of what the next steps would bring.

A few seconds later, Y/N found herself back in her own space, Eddie standing against the wall like he had been moments before, “I know you didn’t sleep with Jason.”

Even though the anger had long since disappeared, she still felt snarky as she shot back, “Oh, really? News to me.”

The smile he gave back was one of mock amusement, one of barely concealed pain, “I deserve that. I… I don’t know why I didn’t talk to you about it. I’m sorry.” He was pushing away from the wall in a flash, pacing the short width he was given as he raked his fingers through his hair, his face scrunched up in a look of concentration and anxiety.

“Sorry doesn’t-“

“I know, sorry doesn’t cut it. I /know/ that, Y/N. Why do you think it’s taken me so long to approach you? I had to do better than that. I had to think of more than ‘I’m sorry.’” He rushed out, not caring that he had interrupted her again. He just had to get it out of his brain before he lost it, before he became a stumbling, stuttering mess and wasn’t able to fix things.

“I still don’t have anything. Because nothing will magically sweep this away. I can’t roll dice and overcome this. But seeing you today in there with him, I knew I had to step in. And I’m sorry.” He rattled off, finally coming to a stop as he looked down at her, looking like a puppy who had just been kicked or left on the side of the road, searching desperately for its home. And even though he didn’t say it, Y/N was his home.

She couldn’t continue staring into his eyes when he looked like that, all she wanted to do was to grab him back into her arms and never let go. So she looked down, she folded her arms over her chest and she looked anywhere but him, anywhere but where she really wanted to look. “Why did you believe it?”

His laugh was dry, humorless, and forced. It was so unlike his normal behavior around her that her heart ached. “I didn’t. Well, I didn’t want to. I came back to the lunchroom that day and I saw you sitting there, him whispering in your ear. And then him again at your locker. And every time, I could just hear him telling his friends how he kissed you in payment for tutoring. I felt.. I felt. Pissed off. Hurt. Like the runt in a family of giants. Or a magicless spell caster. I can’t blame you if you wanted to be with someone like him.” The moment he started speaking in DND terms, she snorted. That was more like the Eddie she knew, the one she missed. This made him halt in his tangent as he looked at her, clearly confused and worried about her laughter.

“Jason Carver paid me in cash. Extra cash, actually. He stayed across the table at all times, he didn’t ever touch me. I wouldn’t have let him. I wouldn’t have let anyone who wasn’t you touch me. If you’re a magicless spell caster than Jason is.. is a tree stump.” She was never good with DND terms, but she was trying to get through to him in any way she could.

Her words seemed to only make him feel worse as he threw his head back in a groan, hands dragging down his face roughly. His rings left momentary red streaks on his skin. “I know that, too. I’m just a dumbass and I ruined it, didn’t I? I can’t make this better.”

Hearing him so down on himself had Y/N pausing, watching him with a studious eye, analyzing everything he did. His face had returned to the normal color, though his eyes were still wide and pleading. His hair was a mess from being tugged at so much from his own hands. He was fumbling with his rings again as he anxiously awaited her response. His body was wound so tight, she was sure he was going to spring apart in a seconds notice.

Now it was Y/N’s turn to inch forward, hands outstretched slightly, “I wouldn’t say you ruined things but,” she started, watching as his head snapped around so fast she was sure she heard a crack, “it will take time to get back to how we were. You have to work on trusting me, Eddie. Relationships can’t work without trust.”

“I do trust…,” at her look, he trailed off, nodding his head again, this time much slower than before. Maybe she really had heard a crack earlier and now he was feeling the consequences. “Okay, okay, yeah. I’ll work on it. I promise.”

“And promise me that you won’t listen to bullshit rumors without talking to me?” She asked, feeling his hands snake into hers, fingertips tapping against the inside of her wrist, like he was waiting for the go ahead sign to fully grab her hand.

“I promise, I swear.”

In the beat of silence that spread between them, Y/N felt her heart building up hope again. The strings she thought she left back in the drama room were wrapping around the beating organ with a new found excitement, the cracks starting to form together once more. There was work to be done, yes, but she truly believed it was going to be okay.

“Okay,” she murmured more to herself, testing it out, feeling how her heart soared at her acceptance, “yeah, okay. We can work on it.”

That must have been the sign he was needing because he was soon pulling her back into his arms, forehead connecting with hers with a little more force than intended. Neither commented on the slight bump, both entirely caught up in being back in each other’s arms, no fight or rumor or dumb jock standing between them.

The shadows from the dim light cast deep shadows over Eddie’s face, making his eyes seem darker than normal. It had Y/N’s stomach flipping in nerves. Who would’ve thought that only a few days apart could have her feeling like she was about to have her first kiss again?

Who would’ve also thought that right when everything was about to be made right again, they would be interrupted? Not them, for sure.

But here they were, the lighting from the hall now creeping into their little hiding spot and a familiar redhead standing with her hand on the knob.

“Oh,” she started to turn away but soon turned back, like leaving without an explanation was more awkward than speaking, “Dustin told me what happened in the lunchroom and I wanted to check on you. But, I see everything’s good. Great. Okay.” Pointing at them like a finger gun, Max went to shut the door once more. The shadows that had been starting to crowd around the couple again were soon chased away, though, as she pulled the door back open.

“Max!” Y/N laughed, part of her finding her new friend’s insistence and indecisiveness funny, but another part wanting to kiss Eddie and hide away in their bubble for a short while longer.

“Sorry, sorry! Just sayin’. Eddie, don’t be a dick next time, understand?” With her headphones hanging off her neck, red hair pulled back in a low pony, and her eyes narrowed on Eddie’s figure, Y/N had no doubt Max could and would have some choice words with him next time around. When Eddie just laughed, Max pursed her lips and leaned her head closer, refusing to leave until he said it.

Taking the hint, he curtly nodded his head towards her, “Understood.”

Seeming satisfied with his answer, she briefly turned her attention back to Y/N with a teasing smile, “Don’t forget, you promised me more ice cream after school.”

Finally, with the door swinging shut and the noise from the hallway being muffled, Y/N turned to Eddie with a shy smile, remembering key components of her time as a single woman.

“Eddie, I have to tell you something.” Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she felt him pull away, just enough to fully look at her face. “I kind of spent half of my savings buying me and Max ice cream.”

Instead of responding like she had expected, Eddie laughed. It wasn’t like the dry one from earlier; this was filled with happiness, humor, and maybe a hint of teasing.

“I was a…” whatever she was going to say was cut off as his lips pressed against hers, his arms tightening around her waist as he held her close. Every thought, every word, every syllable left her brain as she clung to him, fingers tangling in his hair, back bent slightly as he leaned over her, not an inch of space between their bodies.

It was perfect, Y/N swore she could see clouds and Cupid himself flying around them. Bright light shone down on them like the heavens approved of this match.

Well, that was what she was choosing to believe as the principal led them into the bright hallway, students all around whispering and pointing at the couple with messy hair, puffy lips, and intertwined hands.

There would be rumors of this, Y/N was sure. ‘Eddie Munson and Y/N Y/L/N caught making out in a broom closet!’ But it was a rumor that she was actually looking forward to hearing spread around— because it was absolutely correct.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Taglist: @therealautobotgirl @tinawhynot @gemm-femm @evi-mads @bunnysthngs @subjecta13-thefangirl @soanis @eddieussy @samsdarlin-redactedwriter @lily-sinclair-2006 @atrxidxs @makimakills @bambi-laufeyson @do-not-call-me @elmariachijin @visi0ns-of-vi0lenc3 @iheartyouyou @darksunemiku @dulce-incitacion @curemyteeth @kingofhellfire @khayhuij @paradisiacalsparks @momzashi @flicksturz @poisxnedmind @salembridger @imasimptoowth @eddiemunson-thehero @lelenikki @authorlovers @peter-parker-break-my-back @toosadtobecool4 @crimecatt @the-chocoholic-writer @theloveablesociopath @yanelimerida @juggernort @eddiemunson4ever @heyaitsklaudia @dollop-of-cream @demo-bats @thegirlbeyondtheuniverse @hydratrashbucky @masterofquinn @onibee13 @suckyatphotography @nanasdream @andreead @do4mu @empress-simps

[chlorinecake]

Hey can you make something like "kissing I hope they catch us " but for a black reader please?

Hot Cocoa Kisses —⊹ N.RK (西村力) ☕️

Pairing… ₊˚⊹ ᰔ boyfriend!riki x girlfriend!reader

Warnings… ₊˚⊹ slightly heated make-out session, teasing, pet names, fluff, rushed

Words… ₊˚⊹ ᰔ 867 -> “Your lips taste like hot cocoa”

It was a chilly winter day when you and your boyfriend Riki sat in the living room together.

Cradled in the fluffiest blankets you two could find, you sat in between Riki’s legs on the couch, reading a manga he received as a Christmas gift out loud as he braided a tiny section of your hair. Not to style it, of course, but just out of pure endearment for you.

“So what’s happening now?” Riki asked, mostly focused on carefully overlapping the three strands of hair he was working on.

“Hmm… I actually stopped reading the words a few pages ago. The illustrations alone are much more interesting in my opinion,” you replied, just as he kissed the center of your scalp, letting you know that he was done playing with your hair.

“Let me see,” he said, taking the comic from your hands to examine it for himself. “Yeahhh… the dialogue is pretty impressive, actually. No wonder a little baby like you only wants to look at the pictures though,” he giggled, tickling the spot beneath your jawline before getting up and walking towards the kitchen.

You weren’t ready to leave the warmth of the cozy couch yet, but you understood that Riki wanted one more thing before y’all continued to spend this lovely winter evening together: Hot cocoa.

Your arms found Riki’s waist as he reached for the top cabinet, grabbing the box of hot cocoa mix from the top shelf.

“Almost forgot about these,” he said, pulling down mini marshmallows next.

You put yourself in charge of warming the milk for your drinks, followed by stirring the cocoa mix into your mugs and then waiting for it to cool.

“Are they finished, yet? It’s not like we’re making “cold cocoa” anyways,” Riki sighed, leaning over the counter on his elbows.

“Well if we add the marshmallows now, they’re just gonna melt again, see?” You said, grabbing one of the cups to take a sip, “I mean, it’s not as hot anymore, though, if you’re just tired of waiting.”

Upon saying that, Riki just stared at you for much longer than necessary, holding back a smile as his eyes glittered with amusement.

“W-what?” You asked, poking him on the shoulder which only made him laugh out loud this time.

“It’s the braid you did, isn’t it?,” you continued with a pout. He shook his head at your words, walking up to you and taking your face in one of his hands, swiping some moisture from your upper lip with his thumb before tasting it himself.

“You had a milk mustache, silly,” he smiled softly, eyes not leaving your lips as he licked his own, leaning in with a soft kiss.

Humming into the embrace, a smile creeped upon Riki's face as your hand found his neck, supporting yourself against the counter for him to only pull you closer.

“Riki~,” you mumbled while disconnecting your lips, “where’d all that come from?” you asked, still in a daze as you felt heat rush to your face.

He bit his lower lip, looking you up and down through hooded eyes as his hands rested on either side of the countertop, caging you in before his intimidating frame.

“Nowhere,” he smirked, pecking you one last time on the corner of your mouth before continuing, “your lips taste like hot cocoa and I just couldn’t resist.”

Playfully smacking your boyfriend’s chest, he released you from his arm cage, watching as you went back to the other counter, shaking marshmallows in both your mugs before sealing the bag closed.

He took so much delight in seeing how flustered you appeared now. You even fumbled with your fingers as you tried closing the bag all thanks to his actions.

“Are you sure you don’t want something cold to drink instead? You seem warm all of a sudden,” he teased, wiping the spilled remnants of sugary mix from the countertop with a napkin.

“Do I? Maybe it’s because you keep looking at me like this,” you teased back, dramatically reenacting the way he looked at you earlier, biting your lip to seal the deal.

He laughed with his entire body, leaning over the counter as soft giggles rumbled from his body. But then, his cocky side returned.

“Is that the only thing I did that got you flustered, or is there more?” He asked, voice deepening slightly as his piercing gaze scanned you once again.

“Hmm… well… you also touched me like this,” you said, cupping his face in your hands, “and then I nearly fainted when you kissed me like there was no tomorrow!”

“No tomorrow, huh? That sounds romantic,” he smirked, trying to mask how giddy you were making him feel in this moment even though the pink hue staining his cheeks and ears made it impossible to hide.

“That’s because it was romantic, Riki,” you smiled lovingly, kissing your finger and placing it on his rosy nose before walking back to the living room, warm mugs in both your hands as you returned to your seats on the cozy couch.

The same place you knew Riki would eventually start to kiss you again the moment you sat your cup down.

❆ Thank you for reading this quick little fic, and special thanks to my bbygirl for requesting this !!

❆ Feel free to check out more cute and fun reads like this at the pinned post on my blog :3

❆ Taglist: @squoxle @ashgonedash @nikisdubblchococake @yourmomscuntis2tighy @watamotee33 @noodlesimp @microwvdstrawb3rri3s @star-yawnznn

[half-algorithm-half-deity]

MCR moments that send me to the 80% of the ocean we haven't seen yet

Here's parts of My Chem songs that make me feel feelings, in no particular order

The desperate, gritty, sad second "And we'll love again, we'll laugh again, we'll cry again, and we'll dance again", I could write an essay on this part I swear

Vampires will never hurt you: "I'll never let them hurt you, i pROMISE". I believe her every time

Also in vampires pretty much any of the distorted screams like the "COME ON"

ALSO ALSO vamps "Someone get me to the doctor and someone call the nurse" and the entirety of that verse - smashing my head on my desk pounding my fist on the ground palpitating my heart with my ribcage ahhhhh (we're done with vampires I promise)

"l i g h t u p t h e s t a g e a n d w a t c h m e KICK OUT THE JAMS"

Fronk's rabid dog backing vocals in Honey this Mirror

The final line in the Dead! bridge (Is that the most both of you can gi-i-i-ive?) literally leaves me Dead! every single time

The grief-stricked, utterly DESPERATE bridge of Helena

Any Ray Toro solo

But especially Vampire Money (when i speak of the milf it is he who i speak of)

And all of Mama's guitar tings (I am dead in Seattle SIR PLEASEDFRWSASRSEAEW-)

boy division

"I MISS YOU, I MISS YOU SO FAR"

Scarecrow Rocals

" ~ TAKE A TRAIN OUTTA NEW ORLEANS AND THEY SHOT ME FULL OF EPHEDRINE ~ "

early sunsets over monroeville

When all the instruments cut out in the intro to This is How I Disappear and G screams "GO"

Also the unhinged spiraling vocals and instruments during the breakdown of Disappear

The Light Behind Your Eyes

"WAKE UUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPP" - Sleep outro

"I AM NOT AFRAID TO KEEP ON LIVING, I AM NOT AFRAID TO WALK THIS WORLD ALONE" (I spontaneously burst into tears when I first heard this as a depressed 13-year-old, i will never forget that day)

The "WOO" at the very end of Headfirst for Halos

The harmonizing fuckworthy rayrard(?) vocals during "You and I" in Headfirst for Halos (there's probably more but it's most noticeable there)

Aw sugar

Desert Song. Especially the first verse

Mad Gear being so fucking old and so fucking alone in Mastas of Ravenkroft

"The World Is Ugly, but you're beautiful to me"

Also the Vampires reference in the World Is Ugly at the very end

Kiss the Ring: "Fist up, head down, Hail! (Hail!) to the King!"

The weird-ass high-pitched pussy-loaded submissive and breedable squeaky moan in the Sharpest Lives

The "ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta" in Make Room!!!

"When both our CAAAAAAARRRRRSSSSSS COLLIDE"

Heaven Help Us

Planetary dance vibes

Welcome to the Black Parade breakdown bridge thing, and the climactic earth-shattering "I DON'T CARE WE'LL CARRY OONNN" that leveled new jersey

G dropping bars in Heaven Help Us (second verse)

The very rocals in the Ghost of You (Lotms version)

Also rocals "One, two, three, four!" In PP

The background "saaay goodbye"s in To the End

Also To the End funkiness

WE GOT A MEDICAL EMERGENCE MEDICAL EMERGENCY

That part in Tomorrow's Money where I misheard one part as "I fell in love with a vampire / 'M gunna throw you in the air fryer"

The complete incoherence of overlapping yelling and guitar noises before it all stopped with the last "Make Room!!!"

This list will only get longer and longer

[asvterias]

𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗒 𝖳𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖦𝗂𝗋𝗅 ~ 𝖲𝗎𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗋 𝖣𝖺𝖼𝗈𝗌𝗍𝖺

summer masterlist || clarisse’s version || robyn’s version

warnings: just minor cursing!!

pairings: summer dacosta ✘ black!fem!reader

genres: very clingy!summer x very!clingy!reader, kinda naive!reader, smitten!summer, wholesome fluff between summer’s family & reader, chaotic family goals, summer’s sister is named after months (idek 🤷🏾‍♀️), reader is considered a sister/daughter-in-law by summer’s close family, reader is indecisive (LIKE ME Y’ALL 🤞🏾😘), mentions of marrying, summer is VERY DOWN for reader

summary: in which, spending the christmas holiday with your girlfriend’s family takes a surprising outcome.

word count: 2.7k+

tag list: @xanasaurusrex @star-girl69 @nvirskies @thegiganticgirlkisser @novastarrs @karslyn @yourmom-25s-blog @matchmalonee @missingaevelynhugo @symp4nat @marvel8169 @lyzsaphrodite @babyzzlove @shark1008 @rztaros@ocaeies @oceean @onxlyficcharacter @glwmcres

author’s note: i didn’t know which character to write it for so decided to do both alternate versions.

Song Playing — Margaret by Lana Del Rey (just the main chorus is used)

‘Cause, baby, if your love is in trouble

Baby, if your love is in trouble

Baby, if your love is in trouble

Visiting your girlfriend’s family for Christmas was an occasion you dearly anticipated. It was great reuniting with her family for the holidays and relaxing from the stress of school.

Summer’s parents were Charlotte and Jamal Dacosta, who were married for 30 years and wonderfully nurtured an all-girls family. Her parents had three younger daughters, assuming they were triplets, named April, May, and June, now 13 years old.

Right now, they had just gone errand shopping, leaving you and Summer alone in the house, and wouldn’t be back until a few hours later. Deciding to take advantage of your alone time, you two made it quite worthwhile, firstly unpacking your suitcases. Every moment spent together was precious and memorable so you made every time unforgettable.

When you know, you know

When you know, you know

Soon after, you two did each other’s hair, wore matching clothes, horribly danced and sang, watched your favorite movies, cooked lunch together, and made out all in the span of five hours.

By evening, her family reached home, hands filled with Christmas-related supplies, some being groceries. Guess they also did some last-minute grocery shopping as well. While everyone was decorating the Christmas tree, all humming along to Christmas songs and dressed in matching Christmas pajamas, including you. Summer’s parents never singled you out, you were their eldest daughter’s girlfriend, a huge reason why Summer’s smile brightened immensely for the past 2 years. You felt grateful to be a part of such a loving family, and they never let you forget it. Her siblings admired you, especially June, the youngest one, she was very shy, unlike her older siblings who were all brazen and outgoing. June loved the attention you gave her, aware she was your favorite sister.

Later that same day, the Dacosta family was arguing over which Christmas movie to watch, many voices overlapping with different opinions in mind.

“Y/N should choose, she’s our guest.” Jamal bargained with his daughters.

“Yeah, Dad, because all of our guests basically live here and are dating Summer.” April sarcastically replies.

“Young lady, you better watch that tone!” Her dad, Jamal warns.

“Hey, don’t be an asshole,” June shouts at April.

“Language, June!” Charlotte chastises her youngest daughter with a firm look.

“Did I lie?! Exactly, I never lie.” April taunts.

It kinda makes me laugh, runnin’ down that path

When you’re good as gold

“Y/N’s basically our sister-in-law at this point, we don’t have to sugarcoat it anymore.” May points out. “Or did I only see Summer’s pinboard with all things wedding-related, alongside a picture of her and Y/N?”

“Shut up, you little snitch,” Summer flings the mixing spoon in May’s direction, “What the hell were you even doing in my room?”

“Ummm we’re siblings, I needed some jewelry and I politely took some without your knowledge, it’s not a crime...”

“Yeah, it is a crime,” April chimes in, crossing her arms, “It’s called stealing,”

“And you’re suddenly lacking jewelry?!”

“Ehh not really,” May shrugged nonchalantly, “You weren’t home so the opportunity kinda raised itself.”

“But I locked the door!”

“And I opened the door with a bobby pin, it’s not rocket science!”

“Mom!” Summer yelled, resorting immediately to discipline, “Aren’t you gonna say something to them? This is a complete invasion of my privacy!”

Charlotte looks at the triplets, “Girls, it was very wrong to sneak and snoop through your sister’s room.”

“Me! I never participated in such activities,” April defends herself, “That was all May and June.”

“June, you were in on too?”

“Like I said I got bored and called June,” May grinned.

“June!” Summer shouts betrayed at her youngest sister.

“Sorry, May was very convincing.” June murmurs, too ashamed, avoiding making eye contact with her eldest sister, “Besides, I think the pinboard was very lovely. Are you guys really getting married to each other or is Summer just manifesting?”

“The truth comes out once and for all,” April laughs, eating the spare marshmallows.

‘Cause when you know, you know

When you’re old, you’re old

“Shut up April!” Your girlfriend yells at her sister.

“Don’t tell April to shut up!” May exclaims.

“You can’t tell me what to do!”

“But Y/N can!” May concluded and turned to you, “Y/N shut Summer up! She’s puppy-dog whipped for you, we all know it!”

“See the kind of family you’re marrying into, Y/N, enjoy it while it lasts.” April teases you, nudging your side slightly.

You paid no attention to April’s comment, eyes glued on Summer as she consistently argued with her sisters. Everything was hectic right now, and your reaction towards it certainly wasn’t helping anyone, especially your girlfriend.

“What is she talking about?” You turned to your girlfriend, watching her shoulders tense up as she awkwardly shuffled on her feet.

“Nothing important,” Summer dismissed with a wave of her hand.

“Nothing important,” May mocks her eldest sister, “You basically planned the rest of your lives together, I wouldn’t classify that as nothing.”

“I’m gonna literally kill you,” Summer fiercely glares at May, “Mark my words!”

“Wow, I’m so scared,” May rolls her eyes.

“Imma show you scared, alright,” Summer began to venture towards May but her father’s reflexes were quicker, and grabbed his daughter. Jamal keeps his grip strong, stopping Summer’s actions of attacking her younger sister.

“How about we all go bake some cookies to settle down?” Jamal suggested, still holding his eldest daughter, waiting for her to calm down. May stuck her tongue out, spurring Summer’s annoyance, who struggled to escape her father’s strong grip.

“That’s a good idea!” Charlotte agrees, clapping her hands.

Summer’s parents made all of you settle into the kitchen, tasking each sibling with various tasks of baking gingerbread cookies. Luckily, you were given the easiest job, icing them after they cooled down whilst Summer made the hot cocoa. For the rest of the night, Summer and May were distanced furthest away from each other, hesitant if another sibling fight was to break out.

Your girlfriend’s irritation at her sister simmered down at the sight of you. Keeping her close to you made her mind hazy, forgetting all about the earlier argument and focusing all her affection on you. Being clingy with each other, Summer hugged you from behind, kissing your neck as you giggled at her actions, miserably failing to put the icing on the gingerbread cookies.

Like Hollywood and me, the diamond on your ring

The soul that you bring to the table

“Stop doing that, babe.” You squirm from her kisses, an easygoing smile evident on your lips. “I don’t wanna mess up the gingerbread cookies,”

“Why should I? You clearly love it.”

Her hands wander onto the inside of your pajama shirt, lingering her soft touch across your stomach, kneading at the flesh. Your girlfriend stares at you, viewing your side profile, observing your cute mimics, and admiring your beautiful melanin skin.

“I do, but the gingerbread cookies—“

“Will be fine besides everything you do is perfect,”

“So will you let me focus?!”

You thought so; it was worth a try.

“Nope.” she squeezed your waist tighter, resting her head against the back of your shirt, “Just pretend that I’m not here.”

“That’s quite impossible, I could never fathom you not being here.” She presses light kisses on your shoulders as her curly hair tickles your neck, giving you tiny goosebumps.

“Stop being sappy, that’s my job!”

“Never!”

One that makes me sing

In a minor key

She gently pecks your lips, and feeds you a marshmallow, both smiling in contentment at each other’s presence.

To end the night off, her parents stuck to their created tradition. It was a tradition in the Dacosta household to watch Christmas movies every night in December, to keep the winter season alive. You thought it was cute, and instantly adored the little family tactic. Summer didn’t mind her family’s tradition, quite accustomed to it from a toddler, and now since you were dating, no complaints left her mouth. As long as you were beside her, or holding her, she slept like a baby, comforted in your arms.

Eventually, on Christmas Day, extended family is invited over and that hassle is settled down again with the same method.

After hours of incoherent curses and overlapping yelling, the classical ‘Home Alone’ movie was finalized and everyone was huddled up on couches in the living room. Her siblings took the bigger couch, sitting directly in front of the television whilst you and Summer sat on the right couch, partially facing the television and her parents sat opposite.

The lights were dim, giving the room a much cooler vibe to drift asleep in. Munching down on cookies and drinking hot chocolate as you snuggled up with Summer with a fuzzy blanket wrapped around you two.

“I wish we could be like this forever,” she whispers in your ear.

“Me too.”

There were some beats of silence, canceling out the movie sound effects as you remembered the huge sibling dispute, regarding the topic of marriage, and Summer wanting to be your future wife.

That innuendo May had teased you about clawed at your mind and made you anything but curious. Since it stemmed from a whole argument from Summer, this discussion wasn’t a light topic to handle, but you wanted answers! You wanted answers and you wanted them now. Hopefully, there aren’t limited answers to the questions you desire to ask, which will leave you irritated. You want the whole truth, not the half or a quarter, you just want the full truth and if your girlfriend knows what’s best for her, she’ll be completely honest with you.

‘Cause when you know, you know

When you know, you know

Certainly, you misheard what your girlfriend’s sister had so brazenly said to you. Summer wanted to marry you, sure it was a little stretch, you’ve been dating for 2 years now, so you didn’t think that thought would cross her mind. It didn’t even cross your mind. Never mind, that was a fucking lie, seeing as your Pinterest board is mostly dedicated to wedding-related content but you kept that private. Well, you couldn’t have been more wrong, apparently, that thought had crossed her mind, and it remained there.

So asking the question couldn’t hurt, right? Not that it was a complicated question which depends on your girlfriend’s response. Or maybe confirming your assumptions would end your overthinking once and for all.

“Hey, babe.” you look up at her.

And when you’re old, you’re old

Like Hollywood and me, that diamond on your ring

“Mhmmm…” her attention no longer directed on the movie, peers down at you.

“About May’s earlier statement, is that true?”

At first, she stayed silent, contemplating her upcoming words. She exhaled slowly, nodding gently, and whispered back, “Yeah, it’s true.”

Your eyes sparkle in astonishment, “Really? You want to marry me?”

“I’d be crazy not to…and I know that might be moving too fast but I’ve never been so certain about anything else in my life..well besides dating you. You’re my absolute dream girl and someday I wanna make you my wife.”

You giggle, hiding away your flustered face, “But I don’t understand, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I was kinda embarrassed,” she sheepishly admits, “Scared kinda.”

“Scared?!” You shake your head. “You?! The most confident girl I know was too scared to tell me this?!”

That soul that you bring to the table

One that makes me sing

“I was scared of your reaction; that you’d possibly freak out thinking I’m moving too fast in this relationship and end it all.”

“You’d really think I would break up with you over a future reference?” You inquired, raising an eyebrow, “It’s not a crime to think about those things, even I thought about our marriage from time to time.”

Summer stared at you, shell-shocked as she stammered on her words, “You thought about it too?” Like she couldn’t believe the words coming out of your mouth.

“Of course, I did.” You reassured her, bringing your interlocked hands to your chest, and squeezing her hands tightly.

“No bullshitting, right?”

“No bullshitting whatsoever.”

All Summer did was flash you a toothy grin and briefly peck your lips.

“Guess what, then?”

“What?” She bites her lower lip, brown eyes glowering at you.

“I wanna marry you too.” You stated.

“Why not we get—“

“Ehh Hey!! Lovebirds!” May whisper-shouts interrupt your lovey-dovey bubble.

“What?” Summer grew agitated by her sister’s interruption.

“Keep it down! Some of us are trying to watch the movie.”

“Mind your own business then!” she rolls her eyes at her sister, throwing a pillow towards May.

“You’re really a fool in love,” You chuckle.

“Only a fool for you, I promise you that.”

“You’re a lovesick fool regardless.”

In a minor key

Diamond on your ring

This time she shifts her full attention onto you, eyes sparkling in admiration as a warm smile appears on her face, “Now, my darling wife, where were we?”

“Oh, so we’re starting the names early then?”

“Well, I definitely intend to make you my future wife, why not get a headstart?” She winks, gazing at her beloved girlfriend.

You pressed her lips against yours softly, seemingly making the kiss sweet and innocent. Tugging one of Summer’s loose curls that dangled in her face, you pulled it behind her ear as your lips moved as one. You adored Summer’s hair, thick voluminous curls flowing down to her neck and you couldn’t resist playing it in when she was close.

“I think that’s a great idea, my love.” You sigh, finally pulling away from the kiss, your thumb gliding across her soft cheeks as she smiles lovingly at you. Every day you wake up, guessing how truly lucky you are to be dating her, to be her forever girl, to be her future wife. Instead, she always reassures you that she’s the only lucky one to be dating such a unique woman as yourself. You two made each other complete, like pieces of a puzzle, longing to be together, destined to stay together forever, to overcome any obstacle thrown your way made to test your love. Summer didn’t know what it was like to be truly in love and to experience severe heartbreak whenever you’re not around, and now she understands why couples are so clingy with each other. Now she fully comprehends why love languages are important to express, if not some, maybe all of them. Love is deemed too powerful, and the stability depends on both partners’ perseverance to keep their relationship thriving for the better. Summer knew love changes a person, whether it is for better or for worse, weighing on the aspects of a healthy or unhealthy relationship. Without a doubt, Summer knew you were her soulmate, from the moment everything connected with you two, and how perfect your kisses were, she couldn’t find a more perfect girl anywhere. You were her girl, her only girl, her perfect girl, and hopefully her forever girl.

Either way, you two were utterly obsessed with each other, and nothing or nobody could ruin it, not if both of you had anything to say.

‘Cause when you know, you know

When you know, you know

likes, comments, and reblogs are highly appreciated!

© asvterias, 2024. please do not copy, repost, or translate any of my works onto any other platforms without my permission.

[montygatorshusband]

My predictions for the secrets of the DRDT Cast!~

While I’m definitely not smart enough to figure this murder out, I think I may be qualified in figuring the current second biggest mystery of Chapter 2, the rest of the characters secrets!

While a majority of the classes secrets have been revealed, I think I have a good idea on the rest! I’ll try to explain the best I can, but this is kind of a more casual theory than a super in-depth one like most of the ones I see.

Tw: Su!c!de, Self h@/rm, Implied Eating Disorder in Ace’s section, Spoilers for Danganronpa Despair Time

Confirmed Secrets

These are the secrets that are correct and have been confirmed.

Xander - “How could I even select what secret to be your motive? Just about everything you’ve done in your life is worth killing for. The killing game is your fault.”

Nico - “No one accepted you because of your identity. You were constantly mocked by your family, your peers, and everyone else.”

Arei - “Blackmail, rumors, lying, stealing, slander. You did everything you could to ruin your sisters’ lives.”

Rose - “You took on your talent to earn money for your family. But you’ve since put them in a lifetime of debt.”

J - “You hide your name and birthright to pretend that you aren’t the daughter of Mariabella Rosales.”

Charles - “Your older brother died, but you don’t remember him at all.”

Eden - “Ever since you kissed her, you were afraid your sexuality would ruin your friendships.”

Arturo - “Your younger sister killed herself because of you. You should have never left.”

Whit - “Your mother is dead. You always omit that truth.”

Ace - “Your body is falling apart, but you still refuse to eat.”

David - “You exist to manipulate others. Everyone else exits to be taken advantage of.”

Now we move on to the characters whose secrets have not been revealed, and so everything from here on out is pure speculation. I’ll try to explain my reasoning, even if it is sometimes rather flimsy.

Characters who’s secrets have NOT been revealed: Teruko, Hu, Veronika, Min, and Levi

So! Let the speculation begin!

“You always treated the competition with ruthlessness, but poisoning them to win was a bit too far, wasn’t it?”

I think this secret belongs to Min. If I’m not mistaken, in her extra episode between Ch. 1 and 2, we learn that the competition to become the Ultimate Student is incredibly difficult. While Min is smart, that alone doesn’t guarantee that she’ll win the title. So, I believe that Min poisoned one, if not multiple of her peers to become the Ultimate Student. We’ve already seen her dark side through her murder of Xander, so is it that far of a stretch? I also think the word competition is important, as the only other character who’d really have “Competition” is Levi, as the fashion industry is incredibly cut throat, but that aside, the evidence is almost nonexistent (At least from what I remember).

“You only took on your talent to distract from your incessant need to harm yourself for fun.”

I think this secret belongs to Veronika. We already know that she treats this killing game as, well, a game. She doesn’t take any situation seriously, and seems a lot like Junko, where she finds everything boring within seconds. Therefore, she started harming herself. However, as the Ultimate Horror Fanatic, I think it truly fits her personality of getting bored easily. Good horror finds a way to surprise you no matter if you know the tropes or not, and surprises = no boredom. It’s an almost comedic reasoning, but it truly fits her in my opinion.

“You were quite the hopeless child. Dying once wasn’t enough, so you attempted three times.”

I think this is Hu. I know this secret being Hu’s is a popular theory, although admittedly I don’t follow many DRDT theories so I’m not exactly sure why, so my reasoning may or may not overlap.

Hu states in the trial that if she can’t protect people, be that motherly role that she makes herself out to be, she won’t be useful anymore. I think she knows how it feels and wants to give everyone else comfort and support, which is why she gets on to Arei and Ace for their cruelty. It also fits with David stating that “[Hu] may not be the strong, noble person she makes herself out to be,” as, speaking from experience, those thoughts definitely makes the victim feel as though they are weak.

“You’re a murderer, and you hold no remorse.”

Teruko. I think this is Teruko. She is a pretty remorseless person in general, straight up pushing Min off of her as she pleads and begs for forgiveness moments before being excecuted. And no, that’s not the murder I’m talking about. I think the victim is the mystery girl Teruko’s been dreaming about. I don’t have real evidence, but this is definitely a gut feeling.

“You’re constantly blaming yourself for the death of your parents and siblings. It doesn’t matter that it’s not your fault, just that you didn’t go with them.”

This leaves Levi. Levi talks about being a better person a lot, and blaming himself may be the reason he feels like he has to. And with his slight outlashes at Ace during trials, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a trauma response.

So! That’s my thoughts, I hope you guys enjoyed my rambles! Again, if anything said contradicts canon, just know I didn’t fact check all of this, especially Levi’s section… I do think I remember him talking about family with Eden and it not being a sore subject, but hey. I’m actually pretty confident with the rest, especially Hu and Min.

So, yeah! I think that’s about it. Bye!~

[sahyoluvr]

promise - huh yunjin x femreader

genre: angst, comfort

warnings: overworking, alcohol

____________________________________________

after a hectic mixed schedule, going from your last performance at inkigayo and attending a radio show, you decide to head back to the practice room to brush up on old choreographies.

the girls bid you goodbye at the dorm as they were preparing for a night out. eunchae was absent seeing as she was a busy girl at music bank, kazuha staying for support. you had been invited to go out but you weren’t feeling too social so you opted out, saying you would do a little bit of training at the company. they all eyed you with suspicion but let it go after you let them know you’ve sort of forgotten the first album’s dances.

“don’t stay out too late, yn,” chaewon warned, pouting her lips, “we all know what your like.”

“yeah yeah, same goes for you girls,” i say, crossing my arms imitating chaewon’s scolding expression. “don’t get too drunk, stay safe.”

unbeknownst to you, yunjin felt guilty for you not joining, instead you’d be training alone at night. the reason she wanted to go out in the first place was to be with you, but felt it was too rude to ditch after agreeing to go. but she just hoped that when she came home you’d be tucked in bed.

you quickly hug all the three girls and when you reach yunjin you squeeze her a little harder, which makes her freeze in her spot.

you switch to english as you whisper in her ear, “have fun, jen.”

pulling away, you give her a quick wink and stroll out the door, waving behind without turning your back.

chaewon looks at sakura in which sakura is looking back at her. they both turn to look at yunjin who is now flushed from the interaction between the two of you.

“what was all that about…?” chaewon mumbled to sakura as she stifled as a reply.

when you had left the dorm it was 8:30 pm. it was now edging 3 am in the morning. the chorus of fearless rang through your ears, even after turning the song off. you heaved as you sat down on the ground, smearing the dripping sweat off your forehead with a towel.

after another 5 minute break, you get up again, switching the song to blue flame; it was on a rotation. the loud echos of your music and the squeaking of your shoes is all you’ve been listening to for the past few hours.

your legs had begun to ache hours ago as you struggled to stay on two feet and lift your arms up, which now felt like were holding weights at the ends of them. but still unsatisfied the way your body moved, you kept going.

on the taxi ride home yunjin had reminded the girls that she had left one of her sweatshirts in the dance practice room and they agreed to stop and wait outside hybe while yunjin went to go grab her things.

when she walked closer to the room she heard a muffled muse of blue flame and the squeaking of the sneakers on the glazed wooden floor. her heart dropped. you were still in there practicing. she pulled out her phone and checked the time. 2:57 am. her heart sank deeper.

when she opened the door she witnessed you dancing while heaving for deep breathes. you weren’t only dancing, but quietly singing the song. the whole of your team had been critized in the lack of stable live singing at the winning encore performances for your unforgiven promotions.

tears brimmed yunjin’s eyes as she stared at you in disbelief. she was slightly more emotional due to the sway of alcohol, but nevertheless felt horrible for you, forcing yourself to continue like that.

“yn,” she was able to force out, but the music overlapped her voice, “yn!”

you turn around and smile when you see the girl you’ve liked since first sight. you skipped over to her as you pull her into a hug. you brush her hair behind her ears and put your hands over her cheeks, gleaming at her gorgeous face.

“hey babe! how was it? did you have fun?” you asked her, though quickly you notice the small tears dripping down her pink cheeks. “what’s wrong, jen?” you switch to korean feeling the serious aura, “are you okay yunjin unnie?”

“why?” she croaks and sniffles, “why are doing this…to yourself.”

“why? because i’ve gotten rusty. don’t worry about me, now how did you get here.” you reply.

being a little too intoxicated to argue but still feeling as guilty as she did in the beginning, she hugs you tightly and pulls back and replies. “taxi, unnies are waiting outside.”

you gently smile as you brush the tears from her cheeks with the pads of your thumbs. “okay.”

she grabs her sweatshirt and you grab your equipment as you pull an arm around yunjin’s shoulder and help her to the car.

when she opens the car door she keeps her right hand intertwined with yours, but soon enough you hear chaewons loud whining.

“yunjin what took you so long~” she complains and she flings her arms dramatically up.

her eyes open wide in shock as she looks at your sheepish face as you enter the taxi.

“YN!” she wails, “WHAT DID I TELL YOU!”

sakura rotates her whole body in the front seat of the taxi, looking with horror to see you.

“yn” sakura sighs, looking disappointed, “what were you doing?”

you let out a guilty laugh, but try and diffuse the tension, “look, let’s talk about it tomorrow morning when i’m not tired and you three are not drunk.”

they don’t visibly agree to the comment, but a fed up chaewon huffs and turns to look out the window.

along the car drive back to the dorm, yunjin leans and rests her head in your lap and you stroke her face gently. she lets out a small smile in her content state. she opens her eyes to see you staring back at her, her mouth drops open to speak.

you press your forefinger to the tip of her pinkish lips, and use the same finger to turn and point the finger at chaewon beside you. she sleeps, leaning against the door, eyes half open sleeping like a zombie. yunjin rotates her head in your lap and chuckles while nodding. she looks back at you in the eyes again but now with a serious expression.

“promise me you won’t do that again,” she asks with hope.

“i promise,” you say before pressing your lips against her forehead as she closes her eyes once more.

____________________________________________

[avvail-whumps]

Royal Bought: Complete Masterlist

General/brief content and warnings:

🏹 Luke’s Arc: vampire whump, non-human whumper, defiant whumpee, human auctions/trafficking, pet whump, hypnosis.

🍂 Ten’s Arc: none, apart from (temporary) character death, hypnosis and vampiric turning at the beginning.

💌 Ileana’s Girls: vampire whump, lady whumper, non-human whumper, multiple lady whumpees, hypnosis, conditioning, polygamy.

Information: the numbers beside each chapter indicate the writing order they’re written in. All stories are listed in chronological order. Although the stories can overlap and some are repeated, the emoji’s indicate who the chapters belong to mainly. For example, 🏹’s appear within Ten’s first few chapters of his arc because he makes an appearance, and it’s beneficial in understanding the origins of his story. However, they are mainly Luke’s chapters and are from his point of view.

🏹 Luke’s Arc

Growing up in a distant camp away from vampire civilisation, Luke has lived a life of constant fear and the unknown. When a vampire is thrown into his path under alarming circumstances after threatening somebody he cares deeply about, Luke is carted away to the kingdom and prepared to be bought and sold at one of their famous auctions; by none other than a Royal.

Note: Don’t like lady whump? Chapters 6-11 contain a (temporary) lady whumper. If you’d like to skip them, here’s a masterpost briefly summarising these chapters.

Hunting Deer (#1)

Upon Gates (#2)

Child’s Play (#3)

Underground Cattle (#4)

Sampling (#5)

Pretty Girls (#6)

Thorns and Roses (#7)

🍂 Ten’s Arc

When the vampire Justinian finds him in the Collared Forest, Ten was oblivious to the fate that would be in store for him. When he’s tricked into drinking vampire blood and subsequently murdered, Ten finds himself waking up as a bloodsucking creature of the night. Alone in an unfamiliar world, Ten adjusts to being an immortal child and the new life ahead of him.

🏹 Hunting Deer (#1)

Enter Justinian (Bonus)

🏹 Upon Gates (#2)

🏹 Child’s Play (#3)

💌 Ileana’s Girls

The story of three strangers, who are forced into unforseen circumstances when they’re abducted and planned to be sold off to any vampire that will pay for them. But their fates become irrevocably intertwined when they catch the eye of Ileana, a beautiful vampire attracted to pretty humans. And pretty things deserve to be spoiled, don’t they?

coming :)

Asks and Answers

Questions:

Ten’s Arc and Minor Whump (Short answer: there is none)

Justinian’s Significance

Plush Bunny

Everything Tag List: @whumpatize-me-captain @whump-me-all-night-long @softvampirewhump @d-cs @suspicious-whumping-egg @sapphirechao @sparrowsage @excessive-vampires @thecyrulik

Ten’s Arc Tag list: @obsessednerd505

Note: if you ask to be added to the tag list, I will automatically add you to the ‘Everything Tag List’. If you want to opt out of certain stories, e.g you don’t enjoy lady whump and don’t want to be tagged in Ileana’s Girls, then please let me know so I can tag you accordingly.

[outofangband]

Elves and synesthesia thoughts part one

I mentioned this in my list of speculative biology ideas for elves here!

Synesthesia is a neurological phenomena where two or more senses are combined causing an overlap in sensory stimuli. For example, a person with auditory to visual synesthesia, also known as chromesthesia might see colors when hearing sounds. These stimuli are automatic, involuntary, consistent over time, and simple; seeing red when hearing a chair moved, smelling spices when touching fabric, or even seeing number lines visualized as three dimensional shapes. 

I have synesthesia myself and find it really fun for world building

I have a lot of thoughts on elves and senses including synesthesia. I think most stimuli and input for elves is experienced through multiple senses for example being able to feel sound (obviously humans can through vibrations but some elves are more attuned to this). Synesthesia of the kind humans experience is more common in elves and other kinds unique to them also exist.

-Most elves experience some form of synesthesia though most do not experience all forms and most have some control over how much they consciously process. I talked about this year when I talked about the additional signs of sensing growth and change in the environment but I believe they more control than humans over how they process this sensory information. Especially because they experience it more strongly than humans seem too it makes sense that they would have control over this processing, at least in most cases.

-Mirror touch synesthesia, a rare form in humans, is experienced by many elves. This is phenomena where experiences sensations that one witnesses, for example, feeling a pain in one’s head seeing someone’s truck there. This can be extremely distressing to humans experiencing it, unlike other forms of synesthesia.  For elves, this is such a common experience it doesn’t register as particularly distressing, except for an extreme cases, and for those unable to have any control over how they process this information. Most do not experience extreme pain, even witnessing severe injuries. 

-Just like with humans, it appears frequently in their art. A lot of abstract art and music is inspired by synesthesia! Especially among the Noldor where there is more specific study of the phenomenon including Noldorin scientists who spend their lives charting what color twelve thousand different people see the number eight, the letter for the eh sound, the feeling of a stinging cut, etc

-For those with particularly strong bonds, Óswane can be communicated through synesthesia, that is, emotions, intentions, etc being shared through color, shape, or even taste, physical sensations

-synesthesia for many elves will not process fully during severe depression or lack of movement.

-A small number of elves in Angband lose this phenomenon completely. Some temporary, others permanently. This is due to a variety of external and environmental factors.

-Just a general sensory thought in general though I will make a separate post for this I think. Sensory games and building exercises are common across elven cultures. Games involving the identification and sorting of items solely by one sense without the use of any of the others are common among the Noldor and Vanyar. Sindar children in Doriath will learn to travel to certain locations by the sounds of the forest and the feeling under their feet alone.

[starplusfourletters]

I read vision of the future (hand of thrawn book 2 aka Who Scams the Scammers)

(spoilers) and once again it turned into a liveblog, apologies

Hold up are we doing Warrior Cats? Is this Warrior Cats Planet??

What base is “arm around your waist to serve as a psychic translator conduit”

Omigod I WISH my Warrior Cat name were “Jaded of Mara”

Everything I know about Soontir Fel I learned from x wing but I would not have guessed his primary motivation to be "dirt"

@ luke and mara: the girls are talkingggggg

North Barris Spaceport has me twitching

Ghent not remembering who the president is and just assuming it’s probably Leia. I mean fair

What base is "holding hands to brace yourselves over a swarm of flesh eating insects"

So we’re finally asking why Mara ISN’T actually dark side and the answer is… shrug emoji?

Man Zahn really is stuck on “character bonding hike” as a device huh. But consider I eat that shit up

Oh No Lando is racist

LMAO at “so oblivious you need a child pterodactyl to tell you to just kiss already” to “besides I don’t want my life to be like spiderman three I hated that movie” to “kissing with dubious consent” ALL ON THE SAME PAGE like Zahn finally realized he really needed to get this show on the road

LMAO at Ghent getting a free pass from Pellaeon to hack the empire. Like you’re just going to get the thing you need and not steal all of our military and political secrets right? Riiiight? Even more LMAO at the fact that that would probably not even occur to Ghent

When everyone assumes they're the protagonist so finding this one macguffin is their job personally. Like guys I like the energy but maybe we've got enough different plans to do the same thing (the exception, hilariously, being Luke) (and Oh No it turns out Luke is the one to find the macguffin because You Have to Follow Your Heart and Let the MacGuffin Come to You. I eat that shit up also)

Mara’s just... So great.

Not to make everything about my blorbo but absolutely to make everything about my blorbo I do wonder to what extent Ahsoka’s characterization post-Rebels doesn’t click for me is because a lot of the more obvious directions for Oldsoka overlap with Mara, and the powers that be didn’t want to reinvent the Mara Jade wheel. Not to say they have similar characterization – Mara has terminal sam coded dean girl syndrome – but idk, in dynamic range maybe? Calling out bullshit, weaponizing her own abrasiveness, covering insecurity with humor, being Kind of a Lot with a side of trust issues at any given moment – there are modes Mara and Youngsoka share that didn’t pass to Oldsoka apparently. Idk possibly all this is just me wanting them to TALK

Establishing that you can do evil things for selfless reasons without necessarily being in any danger of falling to the dark side is... Philosophically interesting

We interrupt this tale of political espionage to bring you Jedi Relationship Counseling (spoiler alert: communication is key)

"That part of her life [Mara’s time with Palpatine] had died unmourned" I mean mourned a little bit. Mourned for at least a book and a half

I've been willing to suspend my disbelief on everything in this book until "both Luke and Mara forget that ysalamiri exist"

I will never not be a sucker for The Movements and Transferred Ownership of Emotionally Significant Weapons

Oh No thrawn made a second foundation

The Aing-Tii seem OP but whatever

Oh No the second foundation forgot to close the garage doors

(Re: The Jade’s Fire) I know Mara’s having a Moment, and I promise I’m taking it seriously, but when the warrior cat asked “What is it you want, Mara Jade” my WHOLE BRAIN responded with "I want Hermione Granger! And a rocket ship!"

Moranda has real Kevin from home alone energy and I'm living for it

Is it bad that I’m actually kinda happy the Imperials’ Bothawui shield plan worked? Like, they had a really interesting plan and I’m happy for them. They earned it

WAIT IS MORANDA DEAD FR?

What base is “full mind meld while you’re fighting for your lives”

Who would win: ~1.5 Jedi, 2 sentinel droids droidekas, or Artoo with a sauntering gun

If I had a nickel for every time this duology explicitly established Jedi can’t go completely without oxygen, even when in a trance, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot but which makes me feel like the Ahsoka show had a weirdly specific axe to grind with the source material

Luke’s proposal to Mara is Just. The. Funniest. Thing. That’s some Anakin-level cringe and the prequels aren’t even out yet. He truly is his father’s son.

I mean POV there’s this guy and for a couple years you want to kill him, and then you realize that’s more of a You Problem, so then you’re friendquaitances for a decade mostly because you don’t approve of the shit he’s getting into, and then you have one (1) honest conversation and get caught in a death trap and he’s like “so I think the next step for us is marriage”

LEIAAAAAA! Full Jedi Knight Leia is both terrifying and hot. I would run.

“So it is treason” – Some random guy

Lando needs to be on the New Republic payroll simply for being willing to speak to any of the other characters and also he needs a raise. This poor guy getting called on to command the entire New Republic fleet mid-battle and he’s like “I’ve been a civilian for 15 years and also I knew you would pull some horse piss like this steve”

Mara Jade, Imperial protege. Skills include: Identifying load-bearing walls. (Now all I want is Property Brothers: Sith Edition)

Mara please. Luke please. These absolute idiots. This is some pear scene shit. I hope nothing bad happens to them ever

The whole back half of this book has been an emotional rollercoaster for me specifically because I wanted Flim to be Thrawn FR soooooo baddddd. And now I’m sad. His name literally means scam don’t do this to me Zahn

I’ve been amused by all the Star Wars universe idioms but I gotta take a moment to specifically showcase “burned your sky-arches.” Karrde is a delight to have in class

Having an independent intelligence agency that’s supposed to work for both the New Republic and the Empire seems absolutely unhinged but go off I guess

When the New Republic and Empire sign peace accords and Luke can’t even be bothered to show up

Mara is great and her arc is fuckin hilarious to me. The narrative has identified her as The Damaged One and I’m like???? She came to terms with her troubled past, drew her own boundaries regarding the Dark Side, recognized that there are people who care about her instead of pre-emptively pushing them away, and resolved to form deeper emotional connections. Smash cut to ROTS Anakin whose physical and psychic damage has literally turned his brain into oatmeal

Again I know this was before the prequels Mad points for explicitly saying Mara needed to form attachments to become a Jedi. Zahn being pretty gangsta there

OH NO THEMB

[lilyginnyblackv2]

The Name of Kyutaro’s Cafe is “Mistletoe.”

Yadorigi (ヤドリギ・宿り木) means “mistletoe” in Japanese.

I’m bringing this up now, because the new interview that went up on the official website (which will be linked to in the comments below) is with Kyutaro’s VA. It makes me believe that Kyutaro is going to get some focus in this week’s episode, which means that a lot of things are pretty open to exploration, given the fact that Kyutaro has some level of knowledge about:

- Miri and Misaki

- Rei’s Past & Situation (He mentioned that Rei knew how hard it was to leave an organization, likely implying Rei left his father’s organization)

- Ryo Ogino & The Death of Yuzuko

Any of these topics could come into play in Episode 8 (we may even get multiple topics overlapping and connecting to each other).

I found the VAs view on the relationship between Miri, Kazuki, and Rei to be rather interesting. He sees the dynamic less as “Parent - Child” and more as three siblings. I don’t necessarily agree with that myself, but it’s always intriguing to see others POVs on things like this. I do agree with Kyutaro’s VA when it comes to Buddy Daddies being a “human drama” in which ‘the characters grow up by overcoming the challenges and themes that are imposed on them.” BD really is all about the characters first and foremost, which is why I like it so much. I tend to be drawn to shows that are character studies with some action and drama thrown in to spice things up a bit.

This post is a bit long, so I’ll be placing the rest of this under a Read More.

Anyway, wrapping this back around to “mistletoe.” I’m sure you all are thinking about the way mistletoe is often utilized in many modern day medias (especially in the USA) - kissing under a mistletoe and its ties to Christmas in particular and the holiday season. Buddy Daddies first episode takes place on Christmas Eve, a very couples focused holiday and day in general in Japan.

But, for children around Miri’s age, there is a bit of a family aspect to Christmas. Toddlers in Japan will likely believe in Santa, and toddlers and children will likely get a gift or two.

But this time frame when Santa is real and kids get gifts is very short-lived in Japan, usually by 1st or 2nd Grade there really isn’t a belief in Santa  and the family focus is shifted away from the holiday once children start reaching pre-teen years. This is talking very generally and about children who have two Japanese parents, rather than ones that may come from families with mixed nationalities where one of the parents may come from a country where Christmas is a family focused holiday on level with New Years in Japan. 

So, I do find it interesting that Buddy Daddies chose to pick a holiday that, in Japan, is more often associated with romantic relationships, rather than familial ones, but turn their focus on the very fleeting time frame when Christmas does have a bit of a more familial air about it. 

But, at the same time, we have the imagery of Kazuki visiting The Mistletoe Cafe alone the day before Christmas Eve:

Then Kazuki and Rei meet Miri on the job, on Christmas Eve, a holiday usually reserved for couples, but which is made family focused in Buddy Daddies through Miri and her desire to see her Papa, and with the beginning of Rei, Kazuki, and Miri becoming a family (though none of them know it at the time).

And then visiting The Mistletoe Cafe with Rei the next day after their job, which is on Christmas Day:

Something which is a very rare occurrence in general for Rei (to be out and about in general, not just at the café).

Of course, mistletoe has symbolic meanings to it as well. It can also mean “surmounting difficulties” and was viewed as a plant with healing power to the Celtic people. It has also been associated with fertility, good luck, and great blessings. Kazuki and Rei learning to heal and gain some good luck back into their lives through the arrival of Miri (a child) fits into these themes well, especially since they “gain” all of these things through a job they received at The Mistletoe Cafe. 

The Japanese kanji for mistletoe is made up of the kanji 宿 (yado・ru) , which is used in words associated with inns, dwellings, homes, and even pregnancy. The other word is 木 (ki), which means “tree.” This fits because of how mistletoe make their “homes” in trees and shrubs, and this all fits with Kazuki and Rei turning their house (which is a pretty dangerous place for a kid at first) into a home.

And, finally, mistletoe is a parasitic plant.

It’s also a poisonous plant, specifically if you eat any part of the plant or if you drink tea created from the plant or its berries. So, rather an appropriate name for a café that is a front for a hitman organization. 

Anyway, that’s all. I figured I’d share this bit of information since it looks like Kyutaro’s character is going to get more focus in Episode 8, though without a preview out yet, I can’t say this with too much certainty. Just a hunch based on the interview being released (usually there is some connection made between the interview they release before the episode and the contents of the episode). If anyone has anything else they would like to add to this, please feel free! :D

[booksandwitchery]

Stigmatization of the "Witch" and the Atrophy of Magickal Abilities

Folks seemed to like my post about demystifying the term “energy” in the witchcraft sphere, and that’s really cool because I think this topic is both interesting and important. Since I’m very much in the broom closet, it means a lot that we have an online space to celebrate each other’s esoteric ideas.

I’ve been thinking more deeply about the stereotypes surrounding witch culture. I wonder how many people out there are, for all intents and purposes, living the witch lifestyle but calling it by a different name. There is so much overlap between witchcraft and many different belief systems (Eastern especially), which is why witchcraft can be practiced regardless of one’s religion or lack thereof. But this stigma of the witch as problematic, kooky, evil, or otherwise unwholesome must leave people (including the witches by another name) with so many feelings or beliefs that go unvalidated.

Perhaps a middle-aged biology professor rejects the existence of gods but feels spiritual about morning dew on leaves, or freshly fallen snow. He doesn’t give himself permission to consider adopting a spiritual practice of any kind because in his social circles, any ritualistic praxis is equated either with theism or pseudoscientific mysticism. A church-going mother of three is drawn to divination or aligning her life with the phases of the moon but is ashamed because she’s been told her whole life that occult or pagan practices are wrong. A young adult recovering from the psychological damage of a strict religious upbringing closes herself to any ritualistic practice because society has conditioned her to equate ritualism and spirituality with deity worship or mystical nonsense.

It's no wonder so many of us feel lost! I want to give all these hypothetical people a big hug and tell them that what they’ve been told is just flat wrong.  In the book The Power of Ritual, Casper ter Kuile remarks that ritual practices have become too tied up with bits of religious culture—that “institutions have turned mysteries into dogmas” and “the interlocking systems of oppression depend on our feeling alone and ashamed.”

I think that this is the very reason why humans have grown estranged from their own psychic and magickal capacities; like a muscle, these abilities atrophy when they go unused. Consequently, we lack even the ability to conceptualize and describe many valid facets of our own existence. I hope that someday, as a result of my own path, I can help people to strengthen these muscles and connect more deeply with the world.

[gabichanwrites]

I've seen an opinion about JJK that the story needs so much pointless death and unrealized potential because it is the point. That this is the world of JJK, cruel and killing off potential because of higher-ups indifference and carelessness with sorcerer's lives. That Gege did a brave thing by stepping out of the line of a typical shouen plot and made his characters suffer and die and pointed out the ridiculousness of adults making children fight for them.

And to all of that I say - I get it. But also I don't agree.

There is a significant difference between the potential in-universe and the potential of the characters. Sure, they overlap a lot, especially in series like JJK, but there is a difference. For example, both the characters and us have been thrilled with the unspoken potential of Megumi's "sacred treasure" and I'm pretty sure every single one of us went wild when he made his half-baked domain in S1. Also, he got Sukuna as his hypeman - it's hard to really top that in terms of potential. But when I say character potential, I don't mean only power scaling one - I mean what they could do in a story. And one of the best examples for me are The Twins. You know, the ones that try to bargain with Sukuna to kill off the Fake-Getou. And the quite pointless death of BOTH of them.

Their techniques personally interest me a lot but it's not even about that. Even if there is not that much space to explore with them cursed technique-wise, wouldn't it be so interesting if one of them got to live? Betrayed by every curse she turned for help to, alone in a raging Shibuya - forced to work with the School Gang? With their very differing opinions, with her wildly different perspective... Man, I'm not that good of a writer to figure it out on a fly. But there was potential there, a very interesting one, and wasting it isn't the nail on the coffin for Gege's story - but it does disappoint me, considering how hyped the story was for me beforehand. How much trust I put into Gege's writing.

And with the way things are going with Nanami, Nobara and, from what I've gathered from my partner's ashamed face when I mentioned my suspicions, Todou, this is no longer about power potential the characters had (although with Nobara it kinda still is). It's about how those deaths are hidden behind the smoke screen of theme and well, that's the cruelty of the world that tries to hide the balant shock-value of these deaths. Because back in season 1 Gojo already said it - that he knows killing higher-ups won't really solve anything. That it's about a new generation doing better, forcing a change others reject.

So why isn't this story about that? Why does it kill off THREE (?) characters for the sake of kicking Yuuji into dirt? Why does Mahito even require so many named deaths to establish... What exactly? That he's fucked up and immoral and direct opposite of Yuuji? That he can bring out the worst in him? I THINK I GOT THE POINT AFTER JUNPEI AND NANAMI, REALLY.

So, with the spoilers I have from the manga, I just feel like it's not quite right to call those deaths deserved because of the setting. Not when the story in S1 promised a change, a hopeful future set by the new generation.

And if that were never the main focus of the series, then I don't want to hear a single world about those deaths contributing to it because they are not.

Man, there is no one who wants to love JJK more than me and there is no one more heartbroken that I can't bring myself to do so anymore.

[matcha-kathrin]

STRANGERS - Chapter 2

Summary: You can’t seem to get a night all to yourself, can you?

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x reader. Again, until they share names ya’ll can picture whomever.

Word Count: 2.5k

Notes/Warnings: Surprise suprise no warnings. Light flirting, a bit of anxiety mixed with anticipation. I’m very happy so many of you enjoyed yesterday’s first part! I had this already ready to go so I couldn’t wait to post it, part three may take a while so stay tuned for the next update!

Please read Strangers - Chapter One before this one. Thank you.

~*~

STRANGERS – Chapter Two

As most sudden meetings go you soon forgot about the stranger you met one late night at the speakeasy bar of your street. Even though every time you’d pass by your now favorite bar you couldn’t help but feel a tang of sorrow in your chest, mixed with something else. Was it expectation? You sometimes would look through the windows of the place and wonder if he was in there, searching for him before you could realize what you were doing. You huffed at yourself in amusement when you caught yourself. What did you expect? You knew that if the two of you were ever to meet again the fantasy would be broken, the moment you shared no longer a special memory. So, in fear of losing such a memory you soon distracted yourself with other things.

But sometimes, when you sat on the small fire escape outside your window to enjoy a small smoke break, the chilly air and soft noise of the streets would lead your mind right back to him. His tired posture, his brown eyes that looked at you from underneath those sunglasses. And his low voice, a voice that was getting harder and harder to recall as time passed.

Such was life. A blissful torture made of a string of encounters, each one beautiful and unique in their own way. Each one leaving you always craving for more. But it never came. And you were fine with that, sometimes you had to get out of your head. Those moments were nice, but what were they really? They weren’t real, they were the moments poets would write about, moments where the world didn’t exist, and two individuals shared a common thought. Beautiful, torturous moments.

It was better this way; you would think to yourself. It’s what you thought every time it happened, even if it had happened only a handful of times. You remember the one time you had tried hard to find one of your encounters, and you did, but it was all wrong. The magic of it all had…left. Your encounter had changed, the person no longer the one you had shared such a fond moment with, and inevitably the memory was ruined. You’d be damned if you’d let it happen again.

Unfortunately, many things were ultimately out of your control, as you so tried to explain to the stranger you had met weeks ago. Most of the time things happen with no reason and no explanation, and even before you realize what situation you’re in it’s too late. It was, once again, inevitable.

So, as you sat comfortably at a small table with mismatched chairs of yet another bar, watching the band that was playing in what you figured was only the best seat in the whole place, you sighed. Content.

You didn’t necessarily make it a habit of going out alone, god forbid you tried asking the few friends you had actually made in this hectic city to join you, but you failed. People had lives, priorities. No one could fault them for that, much less you. What were you to do? Not go out? Just because you were alone didn’t mean you couldn’t keep your own company, and the air was right.

Your feet had led you to the bar you were sitting in almost by their own will. And there you were, smiling happily as you watched the band play, tapping your foot lightly on the ground to keep tempo. And soon enough the song came to an end, breaking the unity that was suspended in the bar as people clapped, and chatter overlapped almost immediately. It was the noisy breaks that interested you the most, how people laughed, how the band took a few minutes to sip their beers and drinks, sweat on their foreheads glistening under the colored spotlights. And there you sat, taking it all in.

“Are you waiting for someone?” A voice asked from above you, you turned your head to the chair in front of you, not looking up at the man whose hands were on it.

“Oh, no I’m not. You can take it.” You smiled, looking up politely. But you stopped, your smile instantly dropping. Being met with brown eyes you thought you’d never see again.

“I was actually thinking of joining you, may I?” He asked, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched your surprised expression.

“I-” you stuttered, the words not seeming to form on your lips “sure, I wouldn’t mind the company.”

There he was; the stranger. Dressed much similarly to when you two first met. Only this time instead of a plain loose shirt he had a buttoned one, still loose. You were starting to see a pattern in his choice of clothes. Loose, comfortable, always paired with jeans and his leather jacket, which he hung at the back of the chair before sitting in front of you. And of course, his ridiculous sunglasses. It was already quite dark in the bar; you wondered if he could even see anything at all. For a moment there was silence, and you just looked at each other. It seemed eternal, but it was more of a split second than anything. Then the music started back up again, and you were awoken from your trance.

“How did you even recognize me with those things?” You laughed finally, not being able to contain your amusement at how weird he looked with such dark shades. He frowned, feigning offense.

“I happen to be used to them, thank you. I can see you just fine.” You were already feeling a warm buzz when he sat down, but now that he was leaned in front of you, his elbows on the table, telling you how he could see you clearly you couldn’t help but feel the creeping nervousness make its way up your neck. Oh, how you wished you were slightly tipsier. In fact, you replied by just picking up your drink and taking a sip, trying to hide your face as you did.

“I’ve never seen you here before, did you get bored of our special place already?” He flirted, and it took every ounce of self-control in your body not to sputter in your glass. Why was he here? Why was he flirting?

“If I told you the places I frequent we wouldn’t be strangers now would we?” you lulled “Besides, what’s so wrong with this place?” You continued, looking around as if trying to find fault in the perfectly quaint bar you were sitting in. He didn’t follow your gaze, just kept his eyes on you. Much to your nervousness.

“Nothing, I just grew fond of the other one that’s all.”

“I can imagine.”

“Can you?”

“So, what’s in store for you tonight then, hmm?” You quickly changed the subject. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t like the way he was talking to you, his voice loud enough for you to hear him, but not as loud for others to hear. And his voice. It was better, better than what you remembered. And it terrified you.

He seemed…scruffier than the last time you saw him, his patchy beard unkept, his hair tousled messily and well…his sunglasses were dark sure but that didn’t seem to hide the bags under his eyes as he sighed.

“I was hoping for another break…you see I’ve had a lot going on in my mind since…” He hesitated, looking between you and the table between the two of you “since the last time we spoke. I guess I still have to get better at…getting unstuck.”

It seemed like you kept getting closer to figuring out where you had seen him. Was he a model? Some sort of social sensation? He definitely had the looks for it, but for some reason each time you got closer to figuring out where you had seen him your mind just froze and you lost it. Maybe it was the drink you kept sipping or the warm air between you. Or maybe it was the way he kept looking at you. A way strangers would never look at one another. You snapped yourself back to reality, you didn’t know this man, didn’t know his name. You couldn’t deny the blatant chemistry between you but again…he was a stranger. And he was to remain as such.

“Don’t you think maybe you’re expecting too much of yourself?” You quietly asked as he had waited for your answer. He looked up at you again, as if in a daze, as if you could have said anything in the world and he would still be in awe.

“We have certain expectations of ourselves,” you continued, a small smile forming as you saw his stupor “we have to learn when to say no. You keep talking about being stuck- and tired, but I wonder if you’re not just doing too much? Maybe you’re mixing others expectations of you with your own, maybe you just don’t know how to put yourself first for once.”

He was lost in you, listening to your every word as if hungry, as if deprived of the sound of your voice. Mistaking it for distraction you placed your hand on his gently, making him freeze beneath you. Until he eased completely under your touch. “You have to take time for yourself, it’s okay to say no. It’s okay to disappoint others if it means you get to be happy.” You don’t know if the words you were speaking were for him or more for yourself, but his skin was feverishly hot under your fingertips, it was the best feeling in the world. His warm, tan skin, all to yourself.

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he so often did. You wondered if it meant he was nervous. “You…” he started, looking at you from underneath his glasses as he did the first night you met, and you could feel your heart in your throat “How do you know what to say even though I gave you nothing to go on?”

“Who knows,” you lifted your hand from his, seeing a small flash of disappointment in him as you did “maybe we’re not so different.”

“Oh, I believe we are.” His tone was playful, but you were anything but amused, his eyes…were really getting to you.

“Stop…looking at me like that.” The words came out of you before you could stop yourself. For a split second his brows furrowed, probably wondering if he had done something wrong, but he wasn’t blind, he saw how your cheeks were flushed. Maybe he was just kidding himself, maybe it was the heat of the stuffy bar or the alcohol in your drink.

Or maybe he was the one who had that effect on you.

“Looking at you like what?” He teased, but there was no smirk, no smile. The stranger was dead serious.

“Like…like that. It makes me- it makes me nervous.” You swallowed, you had been so calm, so confident. And suddenly you were a nervous wreck. He liked that he had that effect on you. Shutting it off you straightened your back, picking up your drink and swirling a few times before speaking. “Or don’t, I’ll get used to it either way.”

“Not so easily defeated, are you?”

“You thought that was enough to take me down?”

“I don’t know, did you think placing your hand on mine would be enough?”

You shut up at that. Narrowing your eyes at him in amusement. He gave a small laugh, feeling like he finally cornered you.

“That’s not fair, I wasn’t trying.” You quipped, sipping your drink. He hesitated, you weren’t trying? What were you like when you were trying? This was already more than enough for him, but he would never let you know.

“I was serious, about taking time for yourself. I don’t know what you do or why it’s got you so hung up, but I know a people pleaser when I see one.” You added, trying to get the sentiment through, of course you knew what people pleasers were like, you had been one for a while. It was terrible. Trying to appease everyone, trying to make everyone happy even if it meant you were miserable.

His smile fell, it seemed like you hit dead center. Seeing his expression drop made your chest tighten slightly. “But then again…I don’t know you. You’re the only person who knows what’s best for you. Don’t let some girl you met twice tell you how to live your life.” You laughed it off, trying to ease a bit of the tension that had formed. You wanted him to still think he could have his breaks with you, you wanted it to be light and fun. As it was in your first meeting.

Fuck. You knew it was going to be ruined. You should just get up, say your goodbyes and avoid him if you ever saw him on the street-

“You know me better than the majority of the people in my life.”

“Don’t lie.”

“Okay fine you don’t know me. But you…have a way of- listening to me for a few minutes and understanding me without me having to explain anything.”

“As I said,” you got up, drowning the last of the drink before putting your coat on “I don’t think we’re all that different. I know you all too well, because I’m just like you.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Of course I am, the more we talk the more we’ll know remember?” There you went again, hiding yourself behind a game you so desperately wanted to play out. A game he had no say in, but you wouldn’t let him. You didn’t know what scared you so much. He…had issues. That much you could tell. What scared you was the fact that even though you could see him coming from a mile away, you were still drawn to him. Dangerously so. The whole conversation was proof of it. You said nothing and everything, all he had to do was look at you with that look you couldn’t quite decipher, and you were sent into factory settings.

It was too risky.

“Maybe next time we’ll have a chance to share a smoke break again.” You whispered to him, placing your hand on his shoulder for a moment before leaving the bar. Not daring to look back.

He watched you leave, and he couldn’t do anything about it. Again.

You had such a finality when you spoke. As if once you decided to leave there was nothing that could sway you. He thought maybe this time he could keep you for longer, but he ultimately failed.

Ultimately, inevitably, failed.

“I’m nothing like you.” He whispered, taking his glasses off and rubbing the bridge of his nose after seeing you disappear through the windows of the bar.