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whispereons · 1 year

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Oracle!Reader Part 5

Masterlist - Part 1, Part 4, Part 6

Warning, I guess? Like I said last part, my AU has death and voilence. This one also has frisky(?) moment, no full NSFW

You aren't quite sure how long you have been sitting on this bench. The cats you were watching have already grown tired and were lazing around. The smoke smell was still faintly in the air and the sky was the same blue as before.

Couldn't have been more than 10 minutes then.

You should get up and leave. But to go back to the main area is to back into the fray. And you really didn't want to do that. With a heavy heart, you got up and stretched.

A loud crash and bang from around the corner startled you. You peer curiously in the direction and a pained groan is all you can hear. You walk over and see opened crates on the floor with fireworks rolling out of them.

Carefully you step around the fireworks to get to the heart of the problem. Yoimiya was on the floor with crates scattered around and a bell near her. The usually peppy blonde was clutching her head with a pained expression.

"Did you just get hit by that bell?" You say with a smile. You struggle not to laugh as you hold your hand out to her.

"Unfortunately, I did. Ugh, that really hurts." She takes your hand and slightly jolts from the electricity that your skin brings. You notice her action but don't put much thought into it, you pull her up.

"If we don't pick up all your fireworks fast, we'll probably lose some." Yoimiya smiles brightly completely forgetting her lost battle with the bell.

"You would help me? That's great to hear, I'd be looking all over Inazuma City for them without you!"

You start picking them up with her as you leisurely talked with her. Truthfully you offered more for yourself, as selfish as it sounds you just wanted a distraction.

The nearly mind-numbing or annoying task, depending on how far they rolled was easier with the chatty woman. Yoimiya knew how to talk to people, truly an extrovert with great social skills.

"That should be all of the fireworks. At least none of the boxes broke." You close the last crate and wipe the sweat from your brow.

"All thanks to you. I wasn't expecting anyone to be around since the ritual was in session. It should be finishing up though." She has an excited smile as she speaks and picks on two crates at a time.

Eager to change the subject you grab the last box and are about to pick it up. "No wonder you dropped it, carrying three crates would be too much-ugh. Damn, how much do these things weigh?"

You hurriedly position the crate in your arms to a more comfortable position as your grip tightens. You weren't weak but these things were absurdly heavy. You glance at her holding two of these monsters. She's not fazed in the slightest by the weight.

"The weight isn't too much of a problem, but the size was my oversight. I couldn't see while holding all 3 boxes and hit that bell. Thank you for carrying that one. Just follow me, we aren't too far from the drop-off location."

You inwardly sigh at now being stuck with the weight. But... You glance at the Yae Publishing House. Better than being stuck with Yae. You follow Yoimiya as you get closer and closer to the main area.

"Have you heard the rumors?"

"What rumors?"

"About there being an oracle! Really, it's only spread among the kids. They keep telling me that an oni, his name is Itto, keeps telling them about how he met the creator's oracle."

So, it's already starting. At least it's staying between the children right now, by the time Yae hears about it and connects the dots you'll be gone.

"Maybe it's true. You'll need to meet that oracle for yourself to be sure." You shrug and bump her shoulder. Playfully she bumps you back.

"I would love to meet them! Believing in fantastical things is a lot of fun. And if it turns out that they're a fake then I'll light them ablaze." You were suddenly reminded of Itto by how she spoke such vicious words with a bright smile.

"What if they prove that they are an oracle? What would you do then?"

"Ask if there is anything I can do to be awakened! I traveled to Sumeru with the traveler, and it was the closest thing to being awakened. Awakened acolytes can see all sorts of sights and stories."

The sparkle in her eyes was full of joy, no doubt imagining what it would be like for her wish to come true. The thought of your very low primogem count made you want to cry. 'Sorry Yoimiya, I don't think anyone is getting pulled at this time.'

Arriving back at the ritual area you can see the dead bodies being moved away and the blood being cleaned. You doubt they'd be able to clean up all the ashes today.

"Such a shame I missed out on it. But I would rather supply my fireworks for the finale festival than watch in a sweaty crowd."

To think that everyone here has grown numb to sight... Do people become less than cattle once they are dubbed a sacrifice? You follow Yoimiya around the slowly dispersing crowd to the back.

Ayaka is giving orders until she spots you both. Quickly she comes over with a smile.

"I'm relieved to see that you were with Yoimiya. Thank you for watching over the oracle in our absence."

"Wait-What?! They're the oracle?" Yoimiya comically looks between you and Ayaka's smiling faces.

"You just let me talk about the oracle while not telling me you're the oracle?" You finally laugh at that. Setting the crate down, you sigh in relief and speak.

"It was entertaining, I promise I was planning to tell you before we split paths."

"I'm torn between being embarrassed and happy. At least you know my wish now." She deflates as she holds the crates with a pout. It's gone as quick as it came and she's back with a sunny smile.

"Well, then Ayaka please lead the way for me to put these fireworks away. I can't wait for the final ritual to see them light up the sky."

"You just saw them last week, you're insatiable for fireworks. Y/N, I'll meet up with Ayato, Thoma, and you in a little bit."

Ayaka smiles softly and beckons Yoimiya to follow her. Yoimiya smiles cheerfully and waves enthusicastically before hauling all 3 boxes. Does archery really make your arms that strong?

"Y/N!" A shout of your name and hard armor meets your back as you're hugged from behind. It was just a quick hug before you spin around.

"Gorou, all done with that soldier?" He smiles widely showing off his fangs. He's holding your arms with his gloved hands as his tail wags.

"Yeah, sorry about having to leave so suddenly. Are you feeling better now? You don't look as bad as before."

"I'm feeling a lot better now. I didn't worry you too much right?"

"I mean, I can't deny that I was worried but you're all better now so that's all that matters. Remember if you need to talk about it, you can always come to me. I'd prefer it that way."

His whisper is low, and you strain to catch it. But he smiles with a blush and it's enough to dissuade you. He's helped you a lot, you didn't want to be too nosy. He's also one of the few that hasn't used you for information about the creator too. It doesn't bother you but it's nice feeling like he hangs out with you because he finds your company nice.

"It's been some time since I've seen General Gorou this happy. Are you a friend of his?"

Motherfucker- How in the world did you manage to run into Kokomi fucking Sangonomiya!?

You hadn't accounted for her appearance since she's usually on Watatsumi Island. She's way too good, like facing a kinder, fishier Yae. Hell, she managed to beat Yae in TCG and find the card snatcher in that event. This wasn't Ei but meeting Yae and Kokomi on the same day has got to be bullshit.

While you were internally dying Gorou took the initiative to introduce you to Kokomi with a happy grin.

"This is Y/N, they're an oracle for the creator. They even have the Kamisato Clan's approval."

"That is quite impressive, allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Sangonomiya Kokomi, I'm the divine priestess of Watatsumi Island."

"It's an honor to meet you Sangononomiya? Sanganonomiya? Sanganomiya?" Your voice gradually lowers as you butcher her name. Honestly, you were just hoping she would dislike you and leave. You did not want to have another Yae-level battle.

Purple glossy eyes watch you struggle with her name in amusement. You even managed to confuse yourself on how to pronounce her name. She can't help but laugh bringing a gloved hand to her mouth.

"You must not be a native Inazuman. You can just call me Kokomi, as an oracle and Gorou's friend I can trust that you're a good person."

Gorou beams at his superior's approval and his expectant stare on you makes you feel even more trapped. So much for getting her to dislike you.

"Thank you for your generosity, Kokomi. I've heard here and there how good of a leader you are. Both in and outside of combat. Your citizens seem to adore you a lot."

At least you don't have to pronounce Sangonomiya anymore. She takes a step closer and peers at you. She's good but not impossible.

"Thank you but I believe you aren't that different from me."

What the fuck is that supposed to mean. Gorou holds your hand with a confused face. Was he always this touchy-feely in the game? You can't remember well with Kokomi staring dead into your eyes.

"I'm the divine priestess for Orobaxi, a god that Watatsumi Island worships despite being deceased. And you are an oracle for the creator. All living beings in Teyvat worship the creator, our jobs may have more similarities than you think."

"Are you saying this because as an oracle I am a communicator between the creator and the people? While as divine priestess you carry out the will of Orobaxi to protect your people?"

She smiles knowingly making her eyes squint a bit. "Precisely. Wouldn't you benefit more from staying on Watatsumi Island? Maybe not permanently but you could learn a lot from staying with us."

Wait what? Does she think that you came here to help Narukami Island? Not a bad guess since you do have the Kamisato's approval. Is she trying to poach you?

"This isn't well known but I'm on a mission for the creator. I can't share all the details, but it involves me moving around Teyvat a lot. I already have transportation to Liyue all prepared. Thank you for the offer but I'll have to decline."

Gorou and Kokomi both have disappointed expressions with Gorou's being far more dramatic. Or maybe that was his dropping ears and tail exaggerating his look.

"I understand, the creator must come first. If the tides ever lead you back to Inazuma, please come and visit Watatsumi Island."

As adapting as water, she moves past her rejection and smiles softly holding out her hand. You grab it and shake her hand until you feel a familiar feeling. The feeling of eyes watching you and ears listening to you strikes you.

You release her hand and Gorou speaks to her about something. You can't focus on what they are saying as the feeling leaves you chills.

It must be Yae.

Now that you think about it, isn't it weird how Gorou and Kokomi are in plain sight with no Yae? Her rival, punching bag, and an easy victim are all in one group, surely, she would not hesitate to come over. Unless she's with Ei.

Jumping to conclusions, you are definitely jumping to conclusions. Forcing yourself to breathe easily, you smile casually as you can finally hear what Kokomi and Gorou are saying.

"Your Excellency, I've already moved that emergency shipment to the boat. We can wait for you to finish meeting with the Electro Archon."

"You should go on ahead without me. Whatever she has called me for doesn't sound like a minor problem."

"Even so, leaving you in enem-" Kokomi's look makes Gorou shut his mouth and backtrack.

"Right, right. Sorry, force of habit. But I would still feel more comfortable waiting till you are done, your Excellency."

"Okay, I understand your concern. Please wait in Inazuma City until I'm done." Gorou smiles at Kokomi's acceptance.

"So, you'll be staying a while longer? It's a shame you didn't come a day earlier. I'm leaving for Liyue today after all." You join in when you get a chance. The last thing you want is for Yae to notice how aware you are of her presence.

Kokomo opens her mouth to speak when yells of your name can be heard across the plaza. You all turn to see Thoma waving to grab your attention while Ayaka and Ayato calmly stand and stare at you. Or are they staring at Gorou and Kokomi?

You give a wave back to let them know you saw them. Turning back with a small and slightly sad smile you hide your joy at a perfect escape option.

"And that is my transportation calling me. It's been lovely meeting you Kokomi despite the short amount of time we spent together. And Gorou, you were the highlight of this festival, I'll be sure to seek you out next time I come."

Gorou seems to swoon at your words while Kokomi smiles at your words and holds both your hands. Her stare is unnervingly deep into your eyes. Fisheyes in the game and in real life are much different up close.

"You are quite the fascinating person. Whenever you do come back, Watatsumi Island is more than happy to greet you with open arms."

Your smile is gentle matching hers despite how you're secretly sweating bullets. She releases your hands, and you see Gorou smiling at Thoma who is clearly glaring at him.

Unlike humans, animals bare their teeth to threaten. That little tidbit of information comes to mind when you see that Gorou's grin is a little ferocious. It all goes away once he sees you looking at him.

"Y/N, whenever you come back, make sure to visit Watatsumi Island twice as much time as you spent here. I can show you even more stuff than what I showed you here."

"I will Gorou." You promise before petting his head. You weren't sure when you would get to pet someone like this again so you wanted to take advantage of it while you still can. Gorou seems to like it as much as you do. His eyes close and his tail wags a little as he angles himself deeper into your touch.

When you pull your hand off, he pouts a bit but waves to you as you walk to the Kamisato's. You carefully peek back to see Kokomi say something teasing to Gorou that makes him embarrassed.

Yae conveniently turns the corner at that exact moment and scares Gorou. Seems like you dodged a bullet at poor Gorou's expense. But it also raises a question. Did Yae intentionally wait for you to leave to join the group? If so, is it because she feels bad or because she doesn't want you hearing what she has to say?

Deciding to leave it be you turn back to the Kamisato's as you approach them. Once you're in reach Thoma sweeps you into his arms and hugs you.

"What a warm welcome. Missed me that much Thoma?" You say with a smile as Thoma sets you down.

"Well, I have to! You're leaving today, I have to make the most of it." He smiles a little embarrassed as he avoids your eyes.

"Totally not because I pet Gorou?"

"Totally."

Ayato covers his mouth with his sleeve and coughs with a not very subtle "Liar" in between. Ayaka swats his arm with her fan and Thoma playfully glares at Ayato.

You snicker at the familiar sight of them fighting and almost trip over a firework stick. Your near tumble makes them all pay instant attention to you. Ayato and Thoma are quick to put a hand on your shoulders to steady you as Ayaka picks it up.

"It's a few are still missing. I'll have to send a servant to put it with the others later."

"Damn, sorry Ayaka I thought Yoimiya and I got them all. Will you have enough for the final ritual this month?"

"Oh yes more than enough. We always order extra just in case something like this happens. It's a shame you won't be here to see the final ritual." She looks to the ground sadly as she finishes.

"Ayaka is right, it truly is a shame. The final ritual is the cumulative of everyone's efforts and the fireworks look beautiful at night. I mean you could always stay until then. The Kamisato Estate is always open to you."

Ayato speaks with a purposefully convincing tone. What is up with people trying to convince you to stay? First Kokomi and now Ayato? Without thinking too deeply you reply.

"The journey from Liyue to Inazuma is pretty long and unpredictable. And there's no way I can freeload on you guys for some fireworks. Next time I come over I'll stay longer to attend it. Besides I can use the teleport waypoints."

The second you say that is the moment you regret it. Great going, now you'll be forced back to Inazuma in less than a month!

Too busy insulting yourself for your own stupidity you don't see how Ayaka and Thoma light up. Eagerly she writes down the date and time of the final ritual before placing it in your palm.

"Oh, that's perfect Y/N! Now you can continue being an oracle the way you wished and make it in time for the festival."

Ayato seems far too calm and smug for this whole thing to just be your own mistake. There's no doubt Ayato was waiting for you to mention teleporting yourself. Probably in case there was some prerequisite. Which you definitely would have made up if he mentioned it first. No one else to blame except yourself.

"Thanks, Ayaka, I'll do my best to attend." You slip the paper into your bag and smile warmly. You can't out right reject it now but maybe later on you can make some sort of excuse to avoid attending. Either way you have time and if you do have to attend...

Then your luck and lies going your way will let you have a firm standing as an oracle that won't allow Ei to suspect you that easily.

Maybe you're better off faking your death and living with the Aranaras. As the creator you should have some sort of influence on creatures. Hopefully...

"So, since the ritual is done and the festival is coming to an end, I should be on my way to Ritou. What boat am I taking?"

"That eager to leave Y/N? I would have thought you would at least let me bring up the topic seeing as we housed you all this time." Ayato's eyes are narrowed as he looks at you. His hand is covering his face and his voice sounds annoyed.

"I would never want to overstay my welcome in your estate. How could I take advantage of your kindness anymore then I already have? Besides wouldn't kind hosts like yourself avoid making your guests unwelcome by bringing up the topic of leaving. I'm simply doing you a favor."

You speak with a mocking kind voice and bring out the fan he gave you to cover your mouth. His annoyed voice melts away as he laughs softly at your actions. You crack a smile too until he tips your fan forward to reveal your face.

"This fan will be your ticket to the boat. As promised, I selected the best boat, the Crux will treat you kindly when you board the Alcor. Captain Beidou is said to be one of the best captains and a crew member by the name Kaedehara Kazuha was once a loyal subordinate of the Kamisato's."

That was actually pretty cool. Beidou is said to have defeated a hydra in her character entry. Plus, Kazuha was a really popular character. You were fond of them both and thinking of meeting them with no worry of dying sounded amazing.

At least until you remembered how the Crux was known for 'daring' adventures meaning batshit dangerous sailing. They could all survive it because they either have a vision or training. But you? You weren't a fighter, nor did you have any powers. It's that stupid dilemma about what to do when you inventible encounter enemies again!

"Thanks Ayato, the creator seems to trust them both a lot too. To get to Ritou I'll need to pass Byakko Plain and Konda village. And that little shore area with loads of monsters."

Ayato pauses when you mention monsters. He didn't forget that you can't fight right? You look to Ayaka and she's avoiding your gaze. You turn a little more urgently to Thoma just for him to smile nervously.

"You all forgot that I don't have any guards, fighting skills and powers, didn't you?"

"It's not that we forgot when we were making preparations Y/N. Originally, I was going to accompany you but the Shogun suddenly announced a meeting this morning that will be starting in an hour. Ayato and I will be forced to attend leaving Thoma the only one to take care of the estate in our absence."

You feel a bit more frantic. Maybe if it was daylight, you'd just take the risk but nighttime? You have no intention of dying to a hilichurl or any other monsters, humans included.

"Can't a guard come with me then?"

"It seems that's our only choice. The guards are necessary for the festival due to the large number of people. And the amount only heightens at night but it's a risk we'll have to take. Your safety is priority, you'll need two guards at least"

You feel a bit guilty knowing that you'll be putting the public in danger. But the chance of someone dying without two guards is much lower than the chance of you dying without a guard. It's not a bad thing to have survival instincts, you tell yourself to ease the guilt.

"Wouldn't a better idea be for me to accompany them instead?" Someone butts into the conversation (rude) with a horrifically familiar voice.

Clips of the scene "Traveler, you're so dreamy~" echo throughout your mind as you remember his first birthday art posted on Reddit during a crisis that only caused more chaos.

Heizou walks with confidence to your group smiling innocently. Like he wasn't just eavesdropping on everything. You want to scream.

Who fucking cursed you?! You managed to run into everybody you wanted to avoid! Except Ei but you were starting to doubt that you'll be able to avoid her too.

Thoma throws Heizou a suspicious glance before standing next to you protectively. You wish Thoma was able to protect you from whatever Heizou's intuition is telling him about you. There's a large chance he heard you be referred to as an oracle.

Ayato and Ayaka keep their composure as Heizou stops in front of them who are standing in front of you. Seems like they all don't want him close to you. Is it because he's part of the Tenryou Commission?

"My, what's the caution about? I'm an upstanding member of the Tenryou Commission. With a vision too! I prefer not to fight but I am good at it." His voice was even more melodious in person. If only it wasn't hiding the absolute trap, you know he has behind his back.

"Considering that you were eavesdropping on our conversation for a while, I truly doubt your words. You always abandon or delegate your work to other people too. Can I really trust that with Y/N's safety?"

Ayato's words are as sharp as his stare. His eyes are similar to the depths of the ocean waiting to pull their victims into the freezing water. It really reminded you of when you first met him. Your relationship with him has improved in bounds and leaps.

"Now, now no need to be so hostile. I'm under Madam Kujou Sara this time. She was worried about the oracle and asked me to check up on them. I am the only other vision holder that's awakened in the Tenryou Commission. I can promise you that they'll make it to Ritou, they'll probably be boarding the Crux, correct?"

Heizou, to his credit, is good under Ayato's pressure. Probably from dealing with Sara all the time. Thoma clearly doesn't trust Heizou, Ayaka is seemingly neutral on the matter and Ayato is weirdly against Heizou.

"Were you not listening early enough to be sure what boat Y/N is going on?"

How didn't you notice Heizou listening? You were able to spot Yae right away, yet you missed him?

"The oracle is clearly an important person as they are directly connected to the creator. Only the Crux could provide a level of safety fit for them."

You saw Yae first, so you were always on guard for her. Did you unknowingly relax around the Kamisato's therefore preventing you from noticing Heizou?

"All it took was a quick deduction. I'm a detective for a reason." Heizou ends with a smile. Ayato though less tense hasn't let up his stare. The tension is killing you, but you can't afford to stay any longer.

Heizou only offered to figure out the mystery behind you and his intuition probably had a hand in it too. Going with him does mean dealing with whatever questions he throws at you, but it seems to be your only choice. You can't risk staying any longer and running into Ei.

You move away from Thoma's side and place a hand on Ayato's shoulder. You smile trying to lessen Ayato's suspicion.

"He doesn't seem to be a bad choice at all. Going with him means I'll be safe and so will everyone else. Like he said, he's an awakened acolyte with a vision. Sara wouldn't send him unless she was truly okay with it. She's very cautious concerning these things after all."

Ayato looks down at you with a vague feeling of dissatisfaction. If it was up to him, he would accompany you himself. Better yet he would keep you in Inazuma. He knows Ayaka and Thoma would be more than happy with that too.

But the longer he looks at you the more he knows that what he wants just isn't going to happen or work. The nervous smile you send him makes his heart flutter. With a sigh he nods.

"If that's what you wish Y/N then Shikanoin can escort you to the boat." And if his subordinate that is already stationed there reports back that you never boarded the boat then he knows exactly who to blame.

You smile feeling relieved that you won't have to worry about dying on the journey. Looking to Heizou you feel that relief turn to exhaustion as you imagine what the conversation during the journey will be like.

"You're Shikanoin Heizou correct? I'm Y/N, an oracle for the creator. Although I don't appreciate you eavesdropping, I am thankful that you'll be escorting me."

You walk forward and hold out your hand to shake his. Heizou looks at the two Kamisato's and honorary Kamisato behind you who are giving him varying levels of glares. Flashing a smug smile to them he shakes your hand.

"Don't mention it Y/N. You can just call me Heizou, we'll be spending a lot of time together on this trip after all."

You can tell he's saying that more to rile up the Kamisatos, but you tactfully ignore it and release his hand. Time to play damage control! Fun.

You turn around to face them with a grin. You were honestly going to miss them, a lot more than you originally thought.

"I can't thank you three enough for helping me out like this. Whenever I visit Inazuma again, the first stop will be the estate. Probably when the final ritual is occurring. If there's anything I can do for you, let me know, okay?"

They all gave you their own version of goodbye.

"I'll be eagerly awaiting your next visit." A sad but happy face hiding behind a fan.

"Come whenever, I'll make you more good food!" An excited and slightly melancholic expression.

"Don't sound so sappy, you make it sound like you'll die." A gentle look that alludes to the longing hiding behind it.

You can't help but feel a sense of dread rise up. As if the next time you see them won't be as happy as you think it'll be.

But that's the future. The future can always be changed. You shouldn't get so hung up and worried about something that is so far away.

To ease your worries and the sorrow you feel at having to leave, you wave to them with a bright smile. You follow Heizou who already began walking to Inazuma City's exit.

He isn't speaking, just quietly leading you through the city. You don't bother trying to break the quiet like you did with Ayato. You don't need Heizou's attention anymore then you probably have.

Your eyes trail over Heizou as you follow him. You try not to stare at his exposed sides but judging by the smile he gives you... He definitely noticed. Slu-

"Are all oracles supposed to be as perverted as you?"

"What do you mean by perverted? If you take my glances at you as perversion, then you're the perverted one. Aren't you cold?"

"It's not that bad. I'm sure you're at least a little warmer with that mask on." Here comes the questions.

"It's broken, any heat I could retained is lost through the cracks."

"Then why wear it? Surely the Kamisato's would gladly fund you more masks. So, what's so special about that mask? Why even wear it?"

Unlike Yae who was only interested in toying with you, Heizou is looking to solve the mystery. Plus, you had him which means he must feel the pull you give off as the creator. What's the point of being the creator if it only leads you to more problems?

Like it or not you're stuck in this situation and his intuition is like an otherworldly sense. Staying silent might lead him to arrest you, you can't risk missing the boat. So, you'll need to lead him around, a plan that just might work due to his own pride.

"Well why can't I? My mask isn't hurting anyone. Is your instinct as a detective telling you that my mask is important?"

"My intuition you mean. You're smart enough to get the Kamisato's trust and Madam Kujou Sara's trust. And I have a hunch that, that mask is connected to your oracle status."

"Doubting me huh? Well, you can't arrest me for wearing a mask or just looking shady so let's make this journey fun." You say with a smile as you both pass farms and the huge tree at the edge of the city.

"What are you proposing?"

"I guess you could call it a game. Your intuition seems sharp enough to pick up on any bullshit I spew. Ask me any questions and I'll give you cryptic answers. Maybe I'm lying, telling the truth, deflecting or a mix of them all. A test of both of our skills. If you can figure out why I'm hiding my face, then I'll tell you everything."

You actually mean it. Mostly because Heizou wouldn't believe you if you aren't being honest. If he can actually wait and listen to everything, then maybe he won't immediately attack you.

You know it's a stupid chance, but you can't risk being here any longer. You want to stop feeling scared of thunderous skies and lighting chasing your every move.

Heizou is quiet as he watches you while thinking. Should he accept this? His intuition won't stop nagging him to find the truth behind you. What does he really have to lose playing with you like this? With a smile he finally responds.

"Alright, let's see if you can keep the truth hidden as well as you think you can. Is that mask special?"

"Not really, I only took it because it was broken."

"Why would you take a broken mask?"

"The price of course, well the lack of price I mean." You only fibbed a little there. You have to test how well he can pick up on lies.

He hums in acknowledgement. It's clear he doesn't fully believe it. The game was right to dub him as a prodigy detective.

"That mask has the trademark of Mr. Sanden. He's a bit of a perfectionist, he doesn't sell any masks he isn't happy with. So how did you manage to get him to sell it to you?"

He's got home advantage too. But remembering Heizou's past made you recall his hatred for sin. You can't help but worry that he'll react violently if you admit your theft. That's what selective wording is good for!

"You got me. Sanden didn't want to sell it to me, but he eventually did let me leave with it. I'm thankful since the mask has served me well."

"Are you wearing that mask to deter certain people?" That little bait was a good deflection.

"Well, you could say so. Maybe I committed a crime that would be revealed with my mask off. Or I'm hiding an ugly scar behind it that I don't want people to see. It could be that I'm living a double life and this mask is the only difference between my lives."

You shrug and pass by the spot where you met the Arrataki Gang. Not for the first time you missed them. Sara included, at least you didn't need to think hard and fast on how to fool her.

"What do you think is the truth? Are they all true to a degree? Or are they all lies?"

Heizou hums and holds his chin looking like a true detective. You look a little closer to examine the moles beneath his eyes. It was pretty cool how he had matching ones. He snaps his fingers and points at you with mirth.

"Sounds more like two lies and a truth. Or maybe half-truth would be a better description. That double life choice seems to be on the right track."

He wasn't wrong, but the answer was much farther than a double life. You spot the teleport waypoint that you activated after defeating those treasure hoarders and nobushi. Are the materials you collected from them still bloody?

"Believe what you will. I don't necessarily need to confirm whether you got the correct answer."

"Getting a little defensive aren't you. Seems like I should ask you a little more about this topic. Where were you born?"

"I actually don't know." It's true, you had no clue what hospital or city you were born in.

"Then where did you arrive in Inazuma? Watatsumi or Ritou?"

"Neither I simply woke up on Seirai Island." You know he'll probably dig around for more information about this topic once you leave but you're okay with that. How will he tell which story on your appearance is true or false?

"I find it hard to believe that you don't remember anything beyond that."

"I don't have many memories before becoming the oracle. Realizing what I have to do ordered by the creator makes me believe that my past-"

Your rambling is cut off by the scoff he lets out.

"Man alive, no need to start preaching about the creator that I've personally experienced. I don't believe your words about the creator at all. And we got quite off topic, didn't we? Tell me, did the creator order you to wear that mask?"

What a question. Perfect time to test deflection.

"Would you stop asking me questions if I say that the creator did order me to wear it? Would you even believe me if I said that they did?"

"No."

"So, you're just asking to fuck with me?"

"Not necessarily, all these questions are just steppingstones to the truth."

"Fancy way to say that you'll ask me anything and everything."

"Glad to hear that you've already accepted your fate." This little shit.

You slow down your pace while passing by the temple. You feel a bit tempted to enter it to admire the murals. Heizou stops to watch you stare up at it in amazement. For an 'oracle' you seem mesmerized by the temple.

You jump a little as Heizou slings a arm around your shoulder and pulls you along the path again. Konda village is in sight and his breath is fanning over your ear.

"So, tell me Y/N, do you at least remember what region you were born in? Or at least lived in before becoming an oracle? Y/N isn't a very common name, in fact you're the first person I've met with that name."

"Well, I'm quite sure I wasn't born in Inazuma. I wouldn't call Seirai Island a home either." You nearly whisper as you stare straight into his eyes. You refused to be psyched out, not after all the other authorities you tricked on Earth.

He lets go of you and walks a little ahead of you. Frowning in confusion you speed up to match his pace. You barely catch the way his smile wavers a little and his hand toys with the baton on his hip. Was the previous proximity affecting Heizou too?

"What's wrong Heizou? For someone who I pegged as the teasing type you sure can't handle your own consequences."

Heizou smiles a littler wider contradicting how his eyebrows furrow. There's a large chance you're a criminal, something like that shouldn't have affected him so strongly. So why did you? Why did the heat of your body and smell of something sweet on you make him fumble like that?

"Speak for yourself, your heart was beating out of your chest."

"Even noticed my heartbeat huh? Sounds like you've got some sort of crush."

"You wish now stop trying to distract me. In fact, what about those writings on the temple walls made you so distracted."

"They were writing?" You questioned instinctively and immediately regretted it. The smile Heizou wears is victorious.

"Yes, it was. Do you know how to read?"

"No. Or at least not that well."

"Heh so that's a yes, just not in this language."

"Basically."

"Interesting and very believable. That writing was very old, but it was written in the universal language with Inazuma dialect. Meaning you should be able to at least recognize it as writing, but you didn't."

You're nervous but you calmly cross the stone bridge into Konda village. Heizou seems to want to ask something but the yells from parents interrupt him.

"Takeru! Takeru, you little rascal it's bedtime! Where are you?! Oh, where is he?" An older woman is calling out for Takeru who seems to be a child judging by the bedtime.

"Futaba! It's nighttime, it's not safe to be out this late! Futaba!" A much older woman with white hair is calling out too. You and Heizou pass by them a little concerned.

The sky is darkening but it's not pitch black just yet. Those children should probably still be out playing or something. Heizou hums and sweeps his eyes across the village.

"After I drop you off, I'll come back to make sure those kids came back fine."

"Is it normal for children to play without supervision?" The thought of kids playing outside when there are literal monsters around sounds unbelievable.

"It's quite common especially around villages like this where only elderly and children live. This is a farming village too so they're likely playing on the farm."

You nod and follow Heizou to leave the village by going under the flimsy looking gate. The sickle you picked up and put in your bag on whim still makes you uneasy. Your gut feeling made you pick it up and you aren't quite sure what to do with it now.

"I haven't forgotten about your slip up. So, either you lied about knowing how to read or you know how to read in a different language that has no roots in the universal language."

This guys just does not miss a beat. As you get closer to the beach area that leads to Ritou, you see a teleport waypoint. You couldn't activate the one in Inazuma City due to the crowd and Yae but this one could be used to your advantage.

You stop at the waypoint making Heizou look at you in confusion. You place a hand on the waypoint and relish in the new gold color it turns. Smugly you look to see Heizou staring at the waypoint with a shocked expression.

"Man alive, how did you-?"

He's cut off by a scream. It sounds like a young boy and you both look at each other in alert. Immediately Heizou turns and runs down the steps onto the shore with you following him.

The scream is joined by another scream sounding like a girl. You and Heizou follow it to the right and run past the waterfall and follow the dirt path. Blindly passing by a hilichurl camp you see a Fatui Hydrogunner and an Electrohammer.

You freeze up in fear as you watch a boy be slung over the Hydrogunner's shoulder and a girl try to crawl away from the Electrohammer. Heizou wastes no time to deliver an anemo infused punch to the Electrohammer giving the girl a chance to stand up.

You take a deep breath and move closer to hold the girl. She clings onto you in fear as she weeps loudly. You watch in a daze as Heizou continues dealing blows to the Electrohammer. At least until the Hydrogunner makes his move.

"Freeze or the boy drowns."

All three of you freeze as the Hydrogunner points to his gun to the boy's head. The Electrohammer hits Heizou straight in the chest with the war hammer knocking him back.

"Heizou!" You yell as you watch him hit the ground harshly. You yelp in pain when you're suddenly lifted up harshly by your neck. Struggling in his grasp uselessly until he squeezes your neck and throws you over his shoulder. The girl cowers and cries as she's yanked onto the other side.

Heizou stands up but stays in place as the Hydrogunner keeps the gun to the boy's head. You're about to wrap your hands around the Electrohammer's neck when he speaks.

"I wouldn't do that unless you want the boy to get blown to pieces."

You freeze before hanging limply over his shoulder. Everything is quiet save for the children's sobs. The Electrohammer starts walking farther from the city and the Hydrogunner does the same but slower.

You can only watch as Heizou's furious face gets smaller and smaller. They bring you and the kids to a camp close to Araumi. You land roughly on the floor with rope tied around you. A Anemoboxer who was waiting at their camp ties up the kids and drops them next to you. You give one last scathing glare before they close the tent flap.

Tense, you wait a few moments until you hear the muffled sounds of them talking. You turn back to look at the scared kids next to you.

"Hey, hey it's okay. We're going to get out of this, okay? Did you see that guy with me? He's a friend and he's really strong too. He's gonna get us out of here."

Their sobs slow down at your words and they look up at you. They have little scratches and scraps from trying to escape the Fatui.

"I want to go home, I wanna see Granny." "Are they going to take us?"

You shush them quietly to stop them from working themselves up into a crying fit.

"Me and my friend are going to make sure you get home safe. Why don't you both tell me your names? Mine is Y/N and my friend is called Heizou."

"I'm Takeru and she's Futaba." Takeru speaks with a waver as Futaba nods tearfully. They're still scared and the conversation between the Fatui is slowly turning into an argument.

"It's nice to meet you both, now I need you both to be brave and stay quiet for me." They both nod and you smile trying to offer some comfort. You couldn't let them take you and the kids' hostage again.

The ropes are tight around your torso and wrists, but they underestimated you. There is a pole in the middle of the tent with a wheel but it's the gear behind it that matters.

Carefully you move your legs until they are bent underneath you. You stand up and stumble a little to the gear. You can feel the sharp edges around the gear and smile.

At first you try to cut the large rope around your torso, but the rope is too thick and strong. You move your back higher against the pole so that the rope around your wrists is the one being cut.

Takeru and Futaba watch you in a mixture of fear and hope. You smile when you feel the rope give away and fall to the ground. With your hands free, you struggle a little to shimmy your bound arms to your front.

It's like wearing a really tight shirt with your arms still in it. Uncomfortable but not super painful. Once it's done you move to your bag that was thrown on the ground. Carefully you kneel and open it.

The game screen is deeper in the bag, and you shove your hand in to select the sickle you took from Konda village. When you pull your hand out it's weakly holding the sickle.

The kids smile as hope becomes clearer. The argument outside is getting louder. Yells of "this wasn't the plan!" and "we have to do it!" are making you increasingly worried.

Carefully you maneuver the sickle to cut the ropes without cutting your own shirt. The ropes break and you stretch your arms to get the blood flowing.

"Alright, I'm gonna get you both free but you have to stay quiet and listen to me or we'll get caught again."

They nod eagerly and you move behind them. You cut off the ropes and they stand up in a flash. But the loud sound of a punch cuts your victory short. Takeru and Futaba huddle closer to you in fear.

You smile kindly and hold out your free hand to them.

"Hold onto me, be prepared to make a run." They nod and grasp your arm as the sound of fighting gets louder. You walk closer to the tent flap and lift it to see the outside.

Heizou is fighting them all with a few wounds. The hit he took earlier must still be affecting him. This was not a good match up. Although the elemental shields aren't up yet, it wasn't an easy fight.

The Anemoboxer and the Hydrogunner are both healing and the Electrohammer is giving heavy electro blows. Not even mentioning the swirl that's happening. Once those shields come up, Heizou will have even more work to do.

The minute they have one of you hostage is when the fight is over. You can't let that happen. You can dodge but the kids can't. You eye the path and turn back to the kids.

"Listen carefully, you saw that dirt path they took us on? You need to follow it back to where me and Heizou found you. Just stay there and wait, okay? If anyone that you don't recognize starts coming. just hide."

You would rather them go straight back to Konda village, but you didn't want them at the mercy of the hilichurls either. They tremble but nod at your words.

You look out the flap sneakily and suck in a breath as the Anemoboxer starts heading towards the tent you all are at. Quickly you throw it open and drag the kids out with you.

The fighting freezes for a moment as the flap hits the Anemoboxer in the face and you push the kids in front of you. The Electrohammer and Hydrogunner look at you in surprise.

"Run!"

This springs the kids into action and Heizou delivers a charged up anemo punch to the Hydrogunner. Rain starts to fall, and the elemental shields were thrown up. The Anemoboxer has just doubled in your dangerous rating. The Anemoboxer reaches out for you making you jump back.

You just need to keep the Anemoboxer away from Heizou who's dealing with the other two Fatui Skirmishers. You keep dodging and running circles around him. You were mostly afraid of him using anemo to pull you in.

The fights weren't like watching it in the game. These guys bleed even while encased in the war machines. You hear the groan of the Hydrogunner passing out and smile crookedly. Was this fight finally going to be over soon?

The Anemoboxer leaves you to fight Heizou and you finally take a breather. Heizou doesn't stick to the Genshin game rules either. His catalyst follows him as he mixes up his normal attack pattern. Horrible timing but it's really cool watching him use anemo in creative ways that the game never showed.

The enemies seem to be in a rougher state. There's a three way stand off as they all stop to catch their breath. You see movement behind Heizou and feel your blood run cold.

"Heizou behind you!"

Heizou follows your words and just barely dodges the water blast from the Hydrogunner that was slowly getting back up. With one last fully charged kick to the head, the Hydrogunner falls down. The loud crack lets you know that he may never get up again.

The other two Fatui don't let the opportunity slip. With the Anemoboxer dragging Heizou closer, the Electrohammer slams the hammer down onto Heizou. You clench the sickle in your hand tighter as you can only watch in horror.

You stayed out of the fight for a reason, you couldn't fight you would only be in the way. But that's not an option anymore. Hearing his pained groans as he's punched by the Anemoboxer swirling the electro and rain spurs you into action.

While the Anemoboxer's back is turned you sneak up and raise the sickle. The spot in his back with no armor covering it seems to call to you. You slam the tip of the blade straight into it making him cry out.

You pull it out in a hurry and jump back as the wound bleeds more. The Electrohammer looks at you in surprise giving Heizou a long enough breather to get back up.

The Electrohammer and Heizou go straight back to combat as the Anemoboxer faces you. His huge gauntlets swing around trying to hit you as he coughs up blood. The ground is slippery, and it makes your dodging a little harder.

You jump closer to the boxer making him throw up his shield in reflex. Using the rain, you slide around him and slash his thigh to limit his speed.

The sickle's weight was clumsy at first but the more you traded blows using it, the more you came to master it. Gritting your teeth, you quickly stand back up after slipping from the wet ground.

Silently you urge Heizou to hurry up, you weren't sure how much more you could take. Your mask was starting to crumble but you pushed it to the back of your mind.

The boxer runs up to you in a flash not letting you back away fast enough. Reflexes are what save you from a punch to the face as you crouch and roll away. He's still bringing his fist back to defend himself giving you an opening.

You can tell something is different as you swing your sickle. Something about you is different that makes you wonder if you'll be able to finish the boxer once and for all.

Electro crackles around the sickle as you puncture his chest. The electro-charged reaction and wound seem to do the trick. The boxer stumbles and gasps for air.

You watch in horror and relief as the boxer falls onto the floor. You really killed again, and you used elemental to do so. You don't have a moment to stew on that though as you hurriedly dodge the now furious Electrohammer. The war hammer slams onto the ground and Heizou is quick to kick a projectile anemo shot to his face.

It knocks him to the ground, and you watch with unknown feelings as the mask he wears breaks. The fight is over, you and Heizou won. There's no time to wallow in self-pity, not as Heizou stumbles with a dazed expression.

You're quick to support him and he lays his bleeding head on you. You gently move his arm to wrap around you and do the same for him. His wounds aren't life threatening or serious, but he's been bleeding for a while. You need to stop the bleeding first.

Helping him gently you move him to lean against a small boulder. In a rush you go back to the tent and open your bag. You take out some of the leftover medical supplies you kept (stole) from the Kamisato Estate.

Slinging the bag back on you hurry to Heizou. The rain seems to be letting up as you examine him. His head is bleeding from a cut, so you bandage it first. His shirt is dyed red, and you lift it up and wince at the sight.

Multiple bruises and cuts cover his stomach and chest. That's gonna be a bitch to bandage, especially considering how much damage his back too.

"Sorry Heizou, this'll hurt." Heizou only weakly groans with his eyes screwed shut in pain.

Pushing the shirt as high as you can, you start wrapping it around him. Not the best solution but it's your only one with so little supplies. Heizou's consciousness seems to come and go as you finish and fix his shirt.

The thought of Heizou closing his eyes and falling asleep in such a state worries you. What if he passes out from blood loss and dies? Thoughts like that rise up and you grasp for anything to keep him awake.

"Hey Heizou, if you can respond to me in words. I'll tell you a big hint to my secret."

His eyes focus on you a little more. That's a good sign, nothing like baiting a detective like him with leads.

"Well, *cough* what hint are you *cough* going to give me?" His raspy voice and coughs worry you, but they seem to make him more awake.

"You were really close on me having a second life."

"That's it? That's a *cough* crappy hint."

You laugh at his remark trying to hide your relief. The fear of holding another cold body of someone you cared about still plagues you.

"If you want a better hint then you better drag it out of me as I drag you back to Konda village."

You support him as he chuckles at your words. He does his best to not lay too much weight on you but that's hard when his head is fuzzy.

The walk is quiet and with him so close you relish in the sound of his harsh breathing. It lets you know that he's still breathing, that you didn't fail.

You don't want to think about the person you just killed. So, your mind analyzes about the electro you wielded through the sickle instead. It makes a lot of sense that you can use the elements through a weapon as a medium. How could you have not realized that possibility?

If you continued training with it, could you eventually use electro without a weapon? Probably not but the idea of shooting electro is cool, nonetheless.

Takeru and Futaba are waiting nervously in the spot you instructed. You smile at the sight and wait till you are closer to call out.

"Futaba, Takeru! Over here!"

They smile at the sight of you both and run to meet you. Futaba frowns in worry at the sight of Heizou and you injured. Takeru tries to help by supporting his other side.

Heizou buries his head in the crook of your neck to hide the grimace of pain as Takeru touches the wounded area.

"Takeru, Futaba can you guys guide us to Konda village? It's an important job since we don't want to get ambushed by enemies."

Eyes wide they nod and walk a little ahead. They survey the surroundings seriously and nod at you firmly to show that it's safe.

Heizou keeps his head on your shoulder and mumbles. "Thanks, guess you're as perceptive as I thought."

You huff in amusement and continue supporting him until you all get to Konda village. The two women that were looking for the kids earlier spot you all and rush over.

They both hug their respective family members with tears in their eyes. It's clear that the kids aren't over the dangerous encounter.

"Thank you so much for saving Takeru and Futaba. You both seem very injured, please come to my house. I have some supplies that can help you both."

The village chief approaches you and Heizou with concern. You nod gratefully and help Heizou into the house. There's a small cot on the floor and Heizou lays down on it slowly.

Konda Densuke, the village chief comes back with a fully stocked medical kit. It's more primitive than the ones you are used to in Earth, but it'll work well enough.

"I'll leave you to it, once you're done, please come outside. I'll have something that can help that young man."

Quietly you thank the old man and turn back to Heizou as the door closes.

"I'm about to get pretty personal with your body, that's not a problem, right?"

"Why are you asking as if you weren't doing that earlier? Of course, it's fine, just don't be so obvious with your staring."

"If you weren't injured, I would hit you myself."

He chuckles and removes his cracked arm guards. You focus on taking out the bandages and ointment out of the kit. You leave briefly to wet a rag with water and come back to see Heizou shirtless sitting on the cot.

He smiles up at you seemingly more aware and alert. His bandages around his torso are stained red. Smaller cuts and scrapes cover his arms and legs. The bandage on his forehead is bleeding a lot less than before.

You kneel beside him and carefully remove the bandage on his head. Heizou bears the pain of you wiping away the dirt and applying the ointment well. The new patch is put on his head and your hands move lower to the bandages around his torso.

After unraveling it, you feel relieved that nothing has become inflamed or infected yet. The bruises on his back and front are tended to before you clean the cuts. You firmly wrap the new bandage around his torso. He only tenses up as you finish.

"This is only a temporary solution. Once we get to Ritou you should see a doctor."

"I will, I promise but I must say. This is some pretty good work, like you have experience doing this kind of thing. Care to tell me who you've helped before?"

He really is a nuisance. He was almost killed in a bad match up with three Fatui Skirmishers and his first instinct after properly waking up is to question you?

"Seriously? Not even a thank you? And my expertise comes from taking care of myself if you must know." Scowling with no real annoyance you put away the remaining supplies back into the med kit.

Heizou laughs at your reaction before placing a hand on your shoulder. He rests his head on the opposite shoulder and speaks softly. What is with this guy and leaning on you?

"You're right, thank you Y/N. Even with my suspicions, I'm still thankful that you helped me and those kids. I'm hoping that whatever secret you're hiding isn't one I'll ever have to arrest you for."

HIs bare bandaged chest against your back makes you embarrassed.

"Aren't you a bit too up close and personal with someone you're suspecting?" You say stiffly as he proceeds to melt even further into you.

"Getting shy?" He whispers teasingly. His face is dangerously close to your neck making you tense up further. You already knew that he was a flirt but isn't he moving too fast?!

Your face gets redder as his breath grazes your neck. People have tried to trick you in numerous ways before. That includes pretending to have fallen in love with you for information. Seduction never worked on you due to how untrusting you are.

But in Teyvat? Where the characters you found comfort in and loved? It was hard not to be affected or overthink things like this. While you were avoiding looking at him, Heizou took his time admiring you.

The flustered look on your face, your fingers drumming on your thigh. It was adorable how nervous you were. For a split second he remembered how comfortable you were around the Kamisato, how brightly you smiled. Did you get all flustered around them like this too?

A flash of jealousy engulfs him, and his body seems out of his control. His teeth lightly nip your neck making you stand up in a flash. Your voice is steady, but your heart is beating out of control.

"I'm going to see what the village chief had for you. Just stay here."

Watching you leave in a hurry makes him realize what he just did. Man alive, what the hell made him act like that? Despite the slight guilt from overstepping a boundary, he honestly didn't regret it. If he had a chance, he'd probably do it again.

When you come back in with two plates and a cup. Your face was back to normal, and your posture was relaxed.

"They were nice enough to make us some food and a drink to help with your blood loss. It's some citrus juice so make sure to drink it all."

Sitting down next to him, you pass him the cup and a plate. You eat the food and Heizou follows your lead. It's fine if you don't want to touch on what happened. Frankly he's still unsure why he's become so enamored by you as well. But at least he has a better grasp on you and your secret.

After eating everything you both return the dishes and thank the chief. The elderly women, Takeru, and Futaba all come out despite the dark sky. They thank you and Heizou asking if you need anything.

"Don't worry, I'm just glad no one got seriously hurt." Heizou tries to elbow you with playful intent, but you move out the way with a smile.

"Why don't you both stay the night? Those injuries must still be bothering you. We have extra room."

You only had some minor bruising compared to Heizou. The cuts and scrapes were no more than an itch to you. These kinds of injuries were normal to you on Earth. And you really couldn't afford to waste any more time.

"Thanks for the offer but we have to get to Ritou before the stars come out. Please stay safe."

You wave to them one last time before arriving back at the shore area.

"Seems like there's no more children being kidnapped, let's get across this area fast."

Heizou on the other hand seems content to just stroll along. Well, that wouldn't work for you, you could not miss the Crux. You stop letting Heizou walk a little ahead of you. He notices your absence and stops to look back at you in confusion.

You run past him and grab something from his side. You slow your sprint a little to face him as you raise your prize.

"If you want your jitte back then you'll have to catch me!" Spinning around you face Ritou's direction and continue running. You can hear Heizou kick sand as he chases after you.

He honestly could care less about his jitte. It's the sight of you smiling brightly as he tries to grab you that makes him continue chasing you. The wounds and injuries from the fight still ache but it's worth the pain. You're worth the pain.

You'll be leaving soon. You might be a fraud. Logic says that being so fixated on you so soon is dangerous and stupid. Yet his smile never leaves his face as he finally snatches his jitte out of your hand.

His intuition screams at him that you're so much more. That whatever you're hiding will bring him happiness of a lifetime. That you will bring him that happiness.

You stumble onto the stone pavement in Ritou as Heizou keeps his hand on your shoulder. You're both calming down from laughing at him nearly falling face first into the sand.

"How didn't you see that pile of crabs? Too distracted by me to focus?"

"What if I was? You can't tell since you nearly passed out from laughing at me."

"You can't blame me for that! I would pay good money to have seen you actually fall face first."

You walk past Ritou's town square as the docks and inspection tent get into view.

"Money huh? Is that the currency in your old world?"

You continue walking casually but there's no denying how you almost froze up.

"Is that the conclusion you've come to after all the questions?"

"My intuition tells me that I've barely scrapped the surface but I'm all out of leads. For now, my suspicion is that you come from another world similar to the traveler. Although I'm not sure if the creator ordered you to keep your identity secret. You do seem to be an oracle for them."

Psychology really was amazing. By getting Heizou so worked up about your mask, you managed to have him believe you to be an oracle. The minor fact of you not being from this world makes him feel accomplished in a sense. You let him figure out one secret to hide a bigger one.

"You really are a great detective. No one else has realized I'm not from this world but you. But that didn't answer my original question in the game. It seems like you lost Heizou, no secrets for you."

Stopping at the end of the stairs Heizou looks at you seriously.

"I really hate leaving mysteries unsolved."

"Then you'll just have to handle me being the mystery left unsolved."

"What if I just took your mask off right now? We both know I'd catch you even if you tried to run. Or better yet I could arrest you for any stupid reason just to take it off."

You can't stop the laughter that bubbles up inside you. You wipe the moisture from your eyes as your laughter turns to giggles. The main reason you were okay with traveling with Heizou despite his intense need to solve mysteries is because...

"That would utterly destroy your pride. I know that you dislike fighting, that the moment you're forced into combat while solving a mystery is when you feel like you lost. You take so much pride in becoming a detective that having to resort to force would be a low you'd never stoop down to reach."

He turns away with a relaxed stance. His head angled to the ground with a nostalgic smile.

"Guess you must have found out some of my private information through the creator. But you're right, I would never do that."

It's quiet as you two resume walking to the inspection tent. Ah crap, does the fan work as an ID for you too?

There's no line due to how late it is but there is a familiar person.

"Sara?"

She turns away from the inspector and looks at you with some confusion. The sight of Heizou next to you, so close to you, makes her frown.

"Y/N, a pleasure to see you again. I can only assume that you are leaving under the creator's orders but what are you doing with Shikanoin?"

"But didn't you ask him to check up on me?"

...That little shit.

Sara glares at Heizou as you mentally put the pieces together. Sara sees Heizou as someone irresponsible. There's a very low chance of her entrusting someone connected to the 'creator' like you to him. She would rather do it herself.

Ayato was right when he said that Heizou tends to skip or delegate regular Doushin duties to others. And that's because he has no interest in those jobs. Sara probably knows that full well and would rather avoid that outcome. Plus, Heizou even asked where you arrived on Inazuma even though you already told Sara that you woke up on Ritou.

"Shikanoin, that is not acceptable behavior for a Doushin. What explanation do you have for yourself?"

Sara's stern voice bounces off Heizou who is far too used to it. You didn't bother stepping in. Not only were you curious how he got to know all your previous information, but the sneaky bastard deserved it.

"Madam you really can't blame me for investigating on my own accord. Not only have there been some subtle rumors about a mysterious oracle, but you kept glancing at Y/N during the festival. As Y/N already knows, I listened in on their conversation with the Kamisato Clan for a bit before introducing myself."

"Even still, you know the proper procedures to investigate something. Now that you've already interrogated them, you should leave them be- What are those wounds?"

Sara's exasperated voice turns cold when she looks closer at you and notices the minor cuts on you.

"Were you attacked on the way here? Not only did the oracle get injured but you also investigated them in this state?"

Maybe you should step in now, Sara seems on the verge of throwing him in jail.

"It's fine Sara, some Fatui were trying to kidnap two children from Konda village, so we stepped in. Honestly Heizou did most of the fighting and is the real wounded one."

You smile and finish with an almost proud laugh. "It was impressive how Heizou had me fooled this entire time. I'm not mad at all so don't worry Sara. But thank you for being so worried."

You softly hold Sara's hands and give a grateful squeeze before pulling away. You step past her to talk to the inspector. This was gonna be a nightmare. You don't see the competitive glare Heizou and Sara give each other.

As you are denied exit permission due to your lack of identification, Sara and Heizou step in to help you at the same time. After a few minutes of Sara and Heizou vouching for you as third-party authorizers, you hand over the fan.

That seemed to be enough proof for them to hand you a stack of papers to fill out. You moved the monstrous number of papers to a crate. Paperwork that you had to touch to read before filling out, what a joy.

"I'll be leaving first. The Shogun requires my presence for an important meeting. Shikanoin, I expect you to be at headquarters to finish all the new paperwork you earned after pulling the stunt you did. And Y/N please stay safe on your journey, may the creator guide you."

"Thank you, Sara, good luck at the meeting! Oh, and please tell the Arrataki Gang goodbye for me too!"

Serious as always, she nods her head before leaving. Heizou moves to stand beside you as you start tracing the words to become readable.

"Why are you touching the letters? You didn't recognize or read the words on the temple so how does touching it help?"

"To put it simply I can read the words easier after I touch them. But shouldn't you be on your way too? Don't think I've forgotten how beat up you are. Go see a professional before every medical building closes!"

"Man alive, are you trying to get rid of me so soon? Why I thought we bonded so well over our time together."

You know he's just playing and teasing but the answer you give is sincere.

"I did, I had a lot of fun. Despite how annoying you were at times, I really enjoyed playing around with all the questions and answers. But I would rather suffer through all this paperwork alone then let you stay with me as hurt as you are. So do us both a favor and see a doctor."

His eyes widen for a split second before settling into something calmer and sweeter. Have you truly bonded with him enough for him to let such a pure expression show?

"Since you were so honest with me, I'll go now."

You smile gratefully and are about to voice your goodbye before he pulls you close to him. You stand in a stupor as his chest presses against yours. His whisper is low and earnest.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Y/N. I eagerly await your next visit to Inazuma."

He releases you before walking away smoothly. Robotically you go back to the paperwork and fill it out. It's probably best to not take his words as anything deeper than friendly. Heizou has always been a flirty character, you were nothing special to him… right?

The stars are out by the time the paperwork is handed in and you have permission to leave. Not wanting to look at the identification card they gave you, you stuff it into your bag for later use.

The Alcor is huge, there is only one crew member awake on the deck and you climb the ramp to speak to him.

"Hello, my name is Y/N, this is the Alcor correct? Here is the fan I was told to show as my ticket." You give the fan to him as he stares at it tiredly.

"I never really expected someone to actually bring it at one point. You must be Lord Kamisato's guest of choice. Come in and enter the doors on the right. The voyage itself is 15 hours but taking into account other things, the trip will take a whole day. Go get some rest."

He gives you back the fan, and you nod in thanks. As you walk past him to the right side, a voice calls out to you from the docks. Curiously you go the railing and look down to see Yae there.

You frown in confusion at her appearance. She must have arrived after you put in the paperwork. Surely, she overhears what Heizou said. Even so, the sight of the sly kitsune makes you automatically stressed.

"Catch." Is your only warning before a small box is thrown towards you. Catching it swiftly, you open it to see a mask inside it. It's a gold accented fox mask specifically designed to only cover the top of your face. The shine and lack of marks make it clear how new and expensive it is.

"An apology for bringing up an uncomfortable subject to you in our conversation. The war has affected many people but it's those in your position that suffered in ways others have not. I hope that whenever you come back to Inazuma, you'll have a lighter heart."

You close the box and smile at her with gratitude. It's a perfect mask for that creeping feeling of dread. This is now the second mask you've obtained from stealing. This mask could have been something different for someone who actually suffered due to the war.

Silently you wave at Yae before she leaves without any other words. You watch her form disappear around a corner as whispers asking, "Where is Captain Beidou?" and "Did she drag Kazuha to drink with her again?" roll off you. You can deal with that later.

The walk to an empty room below the deck is a blur. Your few belongings are on the table as you lay on the bed. The Anemoboxer that you killed rises up in your mind like a tide.

They were kidnapping children, that should be enough justification for their death. You don't feel like arguing that point. You also don't feel like thinking on how you'll deal with any future Fatui members either.

Instead, you ponder about the sickle you used that was encased in electro. If you activate other Statues of the Seven, could you unlock other elements?

Those were the only thoughts you allowed yourself to think about as you gradually fell asleep.

Well this took a while. If anything I blame the fight scene and Heizou being flirty. I did use my decently built Heizou and fought that exact squad of Fatui. He defeated two before dying (it was raining) meaning the outcome of that fight isn't off. I'm experimenting with different yandere types and how the interact. I'm sure most people would write Thoma and Gorou acting nice and trying to one up each other by being kinder while keeping their rivarly secrect. But I thought it was funnier if they were outright hostile and were very bad at hiding it. In case anyone is wondering, I will not be writing full on smut. I'm not sure how far I'll take it in terms of stuff like making out but it'll probably never get past a kiss or two. Maybe I'll change my mind but never smut. I'm far too embarrassed for that.

I never realized just how many characters I had to write until I put the tags. I don't want to know how many words it is but it's 13k. Which is honestly pretty good, I was expecting like 15-16k. I'm very glad that I split the chapter. With Fontaine coming close and the trailer out, I'll probably spend more time playing to make up the primogems needed. Maybe more readers will join with the new hype or players will read less due to the new updates idk.

Taglist: @vvyeislazzy, @nikqi, @the-dumber-scaramouche, @etherisy, @yourlocalstranger123, @ra404, @iruiji, @goldenglow149, @haru-tofuu, @lsleepysimpl, @bebobeboben, @yuyuzi-ling, @amidst-the-tempest, @resident-cryptid, @mxd1zzy, @mochicurls21, @nervouseaglelover, @thedevioussmirk, @yumuramma, @kwqsla, @undecidingfate, @ehjane, @game-savvy, @akiramirae, @sielt, @fluffy-koalala, @formacoon, @sxftiebee, @khxii-i, @ursinaw, @chuuya-brainrot, @sweetbills, @kazuchaos, @snowfoxnix, @bluebelony, @conspicuous-mayonnaise, @pencil-of-ashes, @ghostlyintervention, @taiformaifo, @sielt

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maturemenoftvandfilms · 1 month

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The Cardinal Who Lifts Weight

Featuring Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin

For about a year, us guys at the gym just called him Joe. He would get his reps in during his early morning workouts a few feet from me under or close to the wall clock. When I would glance at the clock, his eyes would often meet mine. I began to notice his entrancing eyes, and I would find myself admiring his stocky 6' 3”, 70-year-old figure. His graying brown hair covered by a skull-printed do-rag, which I found oddly appealing. He was friendly and would greet me by name when we walked past each other.

Meanwhile, while I suspected he might be interested, I would resolve to not convey any gay vibe to encourage him. The tension I was feeling was distracting and unwelcome.

One day when he was finishing up and getting dressed, I commented that I'd always wanted to have thicker thighs like his. He seemed flustered at first, then I elaborated its only men who ever develop nice legs like that and stared at his crotch. He smiled and we shot the shit for a bit before I swallowed all my fears and just asked him if he wanted to "fool around." lol I still can't believe I fucking said that.

“I'm a priest,” Joe quickly answered. “In fact,” He said, his voice growing quieter so no one could hear in earshot, “I’m the archbishop of Newark.”

Apparently, Joe was also known as Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin. A prelate of the Catholic Church and he has been the Archbishop of Newark since 2017. I was surprised as I never would have thought he was a priest. I mean this guy is benching two and a quarter! Still sensing interest as we talked, I moved closer to him until I could easily reach out and touch his leg, which I did. He was still wearing his gym shorts and I got a thrill out of rubbing my hand against his hairy leg.

“I could use some action, but I don’t have a place to go.” He told me.

“Me neither.” I said, not wanting to take him to my apartment.

“You want to come out to the car with me.” The old man leaned over and whispered in my ear.

“Sure.” I said.

“Let me go first. I’ll meet you on the street behind the gym.” The old man said and then got up from his sit.

I watched as he walked out of the gym. God! Did he look wonderful! I got up after I figured he had time to get to his car and quickly followed him out. I found him waiting for me just around the corner of the gym.

“Here’s my car.” He said pointing to a black Chevy Tahoe and proceeded to unlock the door, getting inside the backseat. I hurried around to the other side of the SUV and got in.

Almost immediately, he fished his slightly weathered fingers inside his shorts and pulled out first his short cut dick and then after much struggling his huge set of bull sized balls. I nearly nutted. Something about seeing someone you were lusting after for a year with his dick out tends to do that to you. Joe was surprisingly already hard, stroking his boner while waiting for me to get my cock out. As I did, Joe moved his hand over to grasp my cock and began a gentle massage. I responded in kind and held his hard dick, feeling the warm prong in my grasp. Looking back, I can laugh at the almost hysterical grabbing and fondling of this frantic first encounter.

“I’ll watch out.” He said in a stern voice charged with sexual excitement. Fortunately, the place was deserted, and we were so off the beaten path that I didn't even know where we were, and I knew the place pretty well.

Joe's dick was throbbing when I put my mouth over it and began to suck this old priest off. He hadn't received many blowjobs and seemed delighted to have me pumping up and down on his dick. Joe was so excited that he made me stop a couple of times so he wouldn't cum, even having me stop jiggling his balls as well. He apologized for being so excited, but in the end he lost control anyway as without warning he grabbed me by the hair and forced my head down on it as far as I could take it. He began spurting his musky load into my mouth while groaning loudly as he ran his hands through my hair.

I took it all as he screamed in ecstasy. It was fantastic to know I could give him so much pleasure. He gently released me, still hissing through his teeth and breathing frantically.

"Oh god that felt good." He said as I sat upright.

With that, Joe leaned over and took my 7” cock straight down his throat, right up to my balls, which were aching by this time. The sight of my cock entering his mouth still is, to this day, one of my favorite sights in the world. The sensation was indescribable as he sucked excitedly and gently on my cock. Thankfully, I’ve always taken a long time to cum, so I knew I’d be fine as he went down on me. Joe pushed his head down on my cock as far as he could without gagging. So far in fact, I felt the head rubbing the back of his throat.

After that, I couldn't last with all the pent up sexual tension and I squirmed to let him know I was about to cum and he just said, "I want to taste your cum."

Joe got what he wanted, because he was such a skilled cocksucker that my orgasm raced through my loins in a rush, and my cock spurted what seemed like an ungodly amount of cum into the throat of my gym buddy. And he took it all effortlessly. And when my cock stopped ejaculating, he did his best to empty my nuts, sucking eagerly on my deflating dick while he massaged my balls. I finally had to gently pry him off me, and even after my dick left his mouth he kept licking and flicking the tip of my cock with his tongue while my cum trickled out of the corner of his mouth.

When Joe finally finished, he pulled his head up and looked at me. I know he was wondering how it was so I told him it was fantastic before he could ask.

That's how I got to plowing a straight older guy from my gym in the back seat of my truck. Before any of that, on several occasions we'd exchanged glances. That was my first indication he might be curious.

#Joseph W. Tobin #The Cardinal Who Lifts Weight #fan fiction #priest

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dandylovesturtles · 11 months

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Have some Sidelined AU tidepod duo feels for your soul

no content warnings

---

When Mikey was eight, he wanted to climb a tree in Central Park.

Raph was too nervous to go with him - what if a branch snapped under his weight, or a human saw them, even though it was night? And Donnie had absolutely no interest, bent over his phone and scrolling away. But Leo hopped right up onto the branch next to him, grinning wide, and said, "Race you to the top!"

Mikey had been on rooftops with his brothers before, but climbing the tree was completely different. There were no flat spaces, no ladders, and everything was uneven spaces. They had to stretch their legs or swing over gaps to the next branch, hauling themselves up by the pure strength of their arms. It was fun and free and easy, and Mikey found himself laughing and whooping the whole way as he hurried to be faster than Leo.

He won the race. Looking back on it now, maybe Leo let him win. In the moment nothing like that occurred to him, though - he sat on one of the top branches at the thinnest part of the tree, one arm looped around the trunk and the other thrust high above his head in victory.

"YEEEEAAAH! I WON! THANK YOU, NEW YORK CITY!"

Leo pouted as he pulled himself up onto a branch close to Mikey. "Aww man! Can't believe I lost to a baby."

"I'm not a baby!" Mikey argued as he had many times before, swinging his legs back and forth. "Could a baby climb a whole tree?"

"Hmm..." Leo gave it some thought. "A monkey baby could."

Mikey had kicked at Leo's feet, but he was too far away to make contact, so it got boring fast. Instead, he let his eyes trail to the view around them.

"Wow... we're so high! You can see the whole city from here!"

"Totally," Leo agreed. "Dee and Raph are missing out."

Mikey snickered. "They aren't as cool as us."

"Well, we already knew that," said Leo, grinning and holding out a fist for Mikey to bump.

They sat there for several more minutes, just taking in the view. It wasn't the tallest tree in the park, and definitely wasn't tall enough to see over the skyscrapers, but at the time Mikey felt like he'd summitted Mount Everest. This was surely as high up as anyone had ever climbed.

Soon enough, Raph started to call for them to come down, and with a resigned sigh Leo swung backwards off the branch he was sitting on and flipped down to the next. "Come on, Mikey, let's go."

It was a cool move, and Mikey wanted to copy it. He fell back, watching the city flip upside down, then made it as far as dangling under the branch the way Leo had.

Only, there was nothing under his feet to step onto. He looked, but he couldn't find the branch he'd used to climb up.

"L-leo," he called nervously, kicking his feet over empty air. "There's nowhere to go."

"Hey, you're fine," said Leo, standing on a branch just in front of him. "The branch is just a few inches behind you."

Mikey tried to look over his shoulder and see it, but his shell was in the way. He windmilled his feet, not finding purchase, and his hands were starting to slip. "Leo!" he cried more urgently.

"Mikey, you're fine," said Leo, in the big brother voice he almost never used, and Mikey stopped looking for the branch to meet his eyes. "Just kick your feet back a little and you'll feel it."

Mikey kicked his feet back and found the branch. Instinctively he wrapped his toes around it, relaxing when he finally had somewhere to rest his weight.

He looked down, and the climb to the ground was suddenly a dizzying task.

"I can't do it."

"Yes you can. You got all the way up here, now you just have to do it backwards."

"I can't see the branches."

"So you go by feel. Here, watch me." Leo lowered himself over the branch he was standing on, feeling with his feet until he found the next branch. "See? Easy!"

"That's not easy!"

"Come on, Mikey, you got this!"

"What if I fall?"

"I'm right here with you," said Leo. "I'd never let you fall."

Somehow, that was all it took. Leo was right there, and he wasn't going to let Mikey fall.

Mikey lowered himself to the next branch. Leo cheered, "There you go!" and dropped down again.

It was slower going than it took to get to the top of the tree, but soon enough Mikey was dropping out of the lower branches and into Raph's waiting arms, feeling giddy with his triumph. Leo dropped down after, purposely losing his footing on the landing so he collided with Donnie, who nearly dropped his phone and began to yell.

Later, Mikey would remember the stomach-swooping fear, but he would also remember the excitement and pride as he got better at finding his way, which turned to easy joy as he swung more freely through the tree. And most of all, he remembered the trust he'd felt in Leo, right there by his side, ensuring he wouldn't fall and cheering him on every step of the way.

---

Today, there's wood under Leo's hands again; not a tree branch, but the smoothed support poles Donnie made for his physical therapy. He stands between them, gripping tight, and takes laborious steps back and forth across the training room. He's done the course twice and is turning around for his third go.

He slumps, and motions for water. He's shaking and panting, even just this short walk taking a lot out of him.

Mikey hops forward and holds up the water bottle so Leo can suck on the straw.

"I'm totally wiped," he says after he's done drinking. Mikey can believe it - from this close he can see how Leo is sweating.

"If you want me to go all the way across Manhattan for the good doughnuts, you'll do two more," says Donnie. It's an empty threat and they all know it - if Leo manages to make it even halfway, Donnie will get him any treat he wants. But the twins have always worked best when they're challenging each other, and it's no surprise to Mikey that Leo straightens back up and steels himself to step forward.

"Dee's a slavedriver," he says, tossing Mikey a tired grin, before he starts again.

"Five reps is the goal today," Raph says from where he's leaning against the wall, physically fighting his need to hover. "You've done it before, you can do it again."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..."

Mikey watches Leo keep doggedly walking forward, holding onto the support bars with both hands so he doesn't slip, and he thinks about being at the top of the tree, when he was scared he would fall.

The worst part had been that he couldn't see what came next. Couldn't work out whether he could just step to the next branch, or if he'd have to swing or drop to it. The uncertainty had been scary, had almost made him freeze up. But Leo had been there, guiding him forward.

In a way, Leo's in his own tree now, coming down blind. He's having to feel for the steps and the drops, grasping for the next branch. Sometimes he hits a wall and ends up backtracking, sometimes he drops so hard it takes him days to get back up. And this time, there's no one going ahead to guide him, no one who can see the rough steps before they come, no one to warn him about missing branches.

But he's not alone, either. Donnie with all his equipment and gadgets. Raph with his training regimens and careful monitoring. And Mikey himself, with his meal plans and creative recipes that hide all the veggies Leo hates eating.

They're right here with him, and they'd never let him fall.

Leo turns around for his last walk. Mikey trots over with his water bottle again.

"Race you to the end?" he suggests, grinning, and Leo gives him an amused look.

"You've never been faster than me," he says, and Mikey can't help but grin.

"Maybe I'll surprise you."

So they race, across the room and back. Mikey makes it to the end first, cheering and throwing his hands in the air as he goes to retrieve Leo's chair.

"Can't believe you beat me," says Leo as he flops into the seat. But he holds out his shaking hand for a fistbump that Mikey gleefully returns.

Later, he'll say Leo let him win.

#dandy fanfiction #rottmnt #sidelined au #rise mikey #rise leo #straight up did not proofread this #we die like future leo

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ruh--roh-raggy · 9 months

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Buzzed (Punk! William x Fem! Reader)

Hello hello! I've been writing something super secret behind the scenes of Home Sweet Home. Very much inspired by my dear friend @yellowbunnydreams fic "Bunny Punk", here's my take on punk William. This one is very fun and fluffy, brought on by me still buzzing with dopamine from a concert I went to last weekend. Couple warnings on this one, nothing too crazy. Enjoy, happy holidays, and if you would like to be added to the tag list please let me know!

WARNINGS: Age gap (reader in early 20's, William in late 40's/early 50's), recreational herb smoking, shotgunning, reader gets groped at the show, very quick and nondescript, some suggestive dialogue, Will being a little bit of a perv but not really (he looks at readers boobs on occasion, but he's not weird about it), use of the term 'good girl', some suggestive flirting but nothing heavy past that, super fluffy, Will and reader are like immediately in love cause I'm soft for the big man, talk of tattoos/piercings, I think that's everything, if I missed any please let me know!

You can find my Masterlist here!

Word count: 3,385

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You stood on your toes, anxiously looking around the crowd for your friend that was supposed to meet you at the concert venue. You grimaced at the sight of the packed room, if she hasn't already made her way up here, there was no way she would be able to reach you in order to watch the show together. You turned to face the front, your eyes briefly meeting the man that stood next to you. He was tall, well over six feet, with broad shoulders and sharp features. Your gaze snapped forward, feeling slightly embarrassed over the fact that he definitely noticed you linger on his massive form from the smirk that spread across his features. “You lost, sweetheart?” Your heart jumped into your throat as he suddenly spoke up behind you. Your attention darted back to him, finding him stooped down to your face height, a playful smile on his lips. “Awfully close to the pit for a little thing like you.” You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest. You could tell from his tone that there was no malice behind his teasing, and you definitely weren't about to say no to any of the attention this handsome stranger wanted to give you.

“You're one to talk.” You flash him a sarcastic grin. “You're not worried about breaking a hip?”

He lets out a whistle at your remark. “Feisty, aren't we?” He laughs before sticking his hand out to you. “Will.” Your hand claps into his, giving it a firm shake as you introduce yourself. You curse as someone knocks into you, making you spill your drink down the front of your shirt, hurriedly apologizing as they push their way into the pit. “I'd offer to buy you a new one, but we’d never make it back here if we left for it.” He offers.

“I should be all set, considering my friend never showed up I probably shouldn't drink too much anyways.” You explain as you lean on the railing, the aluminum bar was cold against the exposed skin of your midriff.

“Smart girl.” He remarks with a nod, you found yourself blushing at the subtle praise. “With the amount of shitheads I've seen wandering in here you're definitely better off. I'll make sure to keep an eye out for any trying to pull a move on you, just in case.” He smiles with a wink.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” You laugh. “But, I should warn you… I might not look like much, but I'm pretty scrappy.” He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, taking your casual demeanor as a que that you weren't bothered by his company.

“Little thing like you?” He eyes you curiously. “Guess I'll believe it when I see it.” He teases. You shake your head, rolling your eyes as you direct your attention back to the stage. You were happy to have a friendly neighbor, especially considering you were alone. You had been to your fair share of shows, due to that you could tell from watching the crowd pile in that things were going to get pretty hectic in here once the first opener started. Your only hope for the night wasn't to break anything.

The moment you had wandered next to William you immediately piqued his interest. He wasn't one to judge a person based on their appearance, he's seen some small people absolutely annihilate others in a pit. He noticed when you were looking around for your friend that you almost seemed a bit nervous, even if you didn't want to admit it. Not to mention he could see the group of men behind you eyeing you like a piece of meat, the sight alone was enough to cause hot annoyance to settle in his chest. If anyone of them pressed their luck and tried to lay a hand on you he would ensure they knew how badly they had just fucked up. “Have you ever seen these guys before?” His eyes trailing over to you, a soft smile on your perfectly pouty lips.

“A few times, yeah.” He apologizes as he pushes into your side to let some people down into the pit. Your skin was warm against his, he couldn't help but notice how tiny your hand looked wrapped around the railing next to his. “You?”

“What?” Your voice cracks slightly as you respond, the tail end of his response muffled by the energetic crowd and your mind growing hazy over the intoxicating scent of his cologne.

“Have you ever seen them before?” He repeats with a chuckle.

“No, first time. I've been listening to them for years, but I was always too nervous to come by myself to a show.” You admit awkwardly, bumping the toe of your sneaker off of the cracked, concrete floor.

“Boyfriend not a metal fan?” He asks casually.

“It's not that he's not a metal fan…” You trail off, turning to allow your gaze to meet his. “He just doesn't exist.” You share a laugh at your response. Before you had the chance to take your conversation any further you were interrupted by the screams of the crowd as the venue was plunged into momentary darkness. You braced yourself against the railing, not wanting the surge of people pushing forward to send you flying over the railing of the slightly raised main floor and directly into the pit. Will noticed your slightly pained expression as you were crushed against the metal bar, the man behind you too caught up in the experience to even realize what he was doing. He gave one harsh shove, causing the man to stumble, before shooting him a dangerous look. In between the final opening act and the main performers there was a longer pause in order to give the stagehands time to set everything up.

“How are the ribs?” He asks, noticing you rubbing tenderly at the spot. There wasn't a doubt in your mind that you would have a pretty nasty bruise left behind.

“I think I’ll live.” You chuckle. “Thanks for knocking him out of the way.”

“Sure thing sweetheart.” He winks at you, making your cheeks grow warm. Your eyes scan over the crowd in the pit, you chew the inside of your cheek as you watch the energetic group with interest. “You know I can always move if you want to go down-”

“I'm fine.” You jump to reassure him. “It looks fun, but I don't think I can…” You trail off, shaking your head.

“It's a lot, right?” He smiles. His elbows come to rest on the railing, bringing him face to face with you. You're absolutely mesmerized by his striking silver eyes, your gaze trailing to each of his piercings; a labret, septum, and two barbells on his eyebrow. “I don't blame you, I'd be intimidated too.” He chuckles.Your eyes trailed after the two silver balls tucked neatly against his lip, making him smirk slightly. “Like something you see?” He asks smugly.

“I just didn’t expect a guy your age to have so many piercings.” You shoot back playfully.

“I also have this one.” He sticks out his long, pointed tongue, showing off a small stud. “I used to have my navel pierced in college, I had a Prince Albert too.” Your eyes snapped to his face in pure shock, expecting it to be a joke, yet he was completely serious.

“Brutal.” Your nose scrunches up slightly making him chuckle.

“You’re telling me.” He cringes slightly at the memory. As he looks out over the crowd you take a moment to really look at him. His dark brown hair, streaked with gray, was swept back and neatly trimmed down on the sides and back, his graying beard also incredibly tidy and neatly trimmed. Thin, gold wire framed glasses sat low on his nose. A black shirt stretched tightly over his broad chest and shoulders, the muscles in his back easily visible as he leaned, hunched over next to you. A pair of clean jeans hugged his strong thighs, you simply couldn’t get over just how massive everything about him was. A matching set of biomechanical tattoo sleeves meticulously flowed up his arms, on the inside of one forearm the interlocking gears and pistons were interrupted by the outline of a large kitchen knife, the other showed the head of a rabbit. The designs were so beautiful, you had to stop yourself from reaching out to run your fingers over the intricate line work, whoever drew them out really must have understood machinery for them to turn out so flawlessly. “You can get a closer look, I don’t bite… unless you want me to.” You flush at his sarcastic remark. He moves his arm closer to you, mumbling out “you’re cute.” so quietly you almost missed it over the rambunctious crowd. You traced over the smooth lining, his skin hot under your trembling fingers. The opening guitar chord rumbled in your chest as the main band took the stage, the venue erupting to life once more as they jumped into their first song. Your eyes met Will’s, a glimmer of curiosity behind them at your gentle touch.

“Hey there babe, mind if I squeeze in here.” Your moment with him was interrupted by one of the scumbags William had noticed eyeing you earlier. He went to maneuver past you, hand sliding up to push directly against your plush chest. Your mouth dropped open at him but no sound came out, too stunned by his actions. Will snarled, grabbing the guy by the back of the collar and ripping him backwards, sending him falling to the floor. He grabbed your wrist, pulling you into his side, his arm wrapping around your back so his hand landed on the railing at your side.

“No fucking manners.” He spits, glaring at the guy and his group of friends as he pathetically scrambles to his feet. The anger in his eyes was enough to make the four immediately back off, even if they did outnumber him there was no question about who would come out on top in that fight. “Are you okay?” His rage immediately flickers to concern as his eyes land on you.

“I owe you after how many times you’ve saved my ass tonight.” You laugh, your pinky hooking with his as you set it down on the railing.

“How about you let me take you out to dinner after we get out of here?” Despite how unwaveringly confident he seemed before you he still couldn’t hide the slight nervous tremor in his voice as he spit out the question. He knew it was a very bold move, christ he was old enough to be your father. But he simply couldn’t push away the thought of how pretty you were. You were so vibrant and full of life; the way you bounced around, dancing to the opening acts, how you laughed at all of his jokes, finding excuses to brush your hand over his arm leaving goosebumps in your wake. Everything about you was perfect. A smile slowly creeped over your lips as you processed his question.

“Are you asking me out on a date?” You ask in response, your voice laced with a flustered giggle.

“Maybe I am.” He smirks. You slowly slide your hand over the top of his, your fingers pushing through his to interlock your hands. Normally you wouldn’t even think about getting this physically close to someone you had just met at a show, but there was something about being around Will that just felt so right.

“I think I’ll take you up on that.” Your eyes flash down to his lips momentarily before you turn your attention back to the stage. The rest of the concert felt like a dream. Will’s strong hands on your waist as you danced along to your favorite songs, you couldn’t help but smirk as you realized his eyes were glued to the soft curve of your ass as you swayed your hips. After the show was over you both stumbled from the venue, your body glowing with a thin sheen of sweat from the heat of being packed inside. You stumble slightly, Will wrapping an arm around you and pulling you against his chest to steady you. “Is there going to be anywhere to eat open this late?” You giggle as he takes your hand and spins you around, a playful smile lacing its way across his lips.

“I know a place, it’s just up the street.” He nods in a direction down the sidewalk. “Care to join me for a walk?”

“I’d love to.” He gives your hand a gentle squeeze as he tugs you in the direction you need to start walking. He hung on your every word as you talked, asking you questions to further prompt you to talk about yourself. You could see the bright neon sign of the diner in the distance, he paused, nodding a silent question to sit on the park bench you had stopped in front of. You sat next to him, folding your hands neatly in your lap. Will swallowed thickly as he watched your breasts squeeze together between your arms, your nipple piercings poking through the thin material of the cropped tank top you wore. He clears his throat as he shrugs out of his thick denim jacket, the inside lined with warm, flannel patterned fleece. Wordlessly, he drapes the coat over your shoulders, your nose fills with the scent of spicy cologne, cheap cigarettes, and expensive bourbon. You can’t help but smile softly as you run your fingers over the neat stitching around the perimeter of one of the many patches that covered the obviously well loved jacket.

“You looked cold.” He sputters out bashfully, his eyes trained on a crack in the sidewalk to avoid trying to catch a glimpse of your piercings again.

You pull the fabric tightly around you, basking in its warmth. “Thank you.” You freeze as your eyes land on him, the two of you had been sitting a lot closer than you had realized. Your nose almost brushed his as you turned to face each other, his lips tantalizingly close, the possibility of kissing him hanging so close you could taste it. You wanted him desperately. Finally meeting a man who seemed confident and sure of himself, who wasn’t trying to pick you up with every ridiculous trick in the book, but somehow managed to win you over in a single evening with nothing but pure charm.

“Could I just reach in that pocket real quick.” You turn slightly, feeling the weight of his hand fall onto your thigh as it slips inside the jacket. He retrieves a small tin, the pungent smell hitting your nose immediately. “You smoke?” He fishes around in his pants pocket for a lighter.

“Cigarettes?” You ask dumbly, trying to pretend you didn’t smell the familiar smell of pot flooding your senses.

“Flower.” He shoots you a knowing glance, you were sure your intrigue had already spread across your face.

“Occasionally.” The word rolls a little too casually off of your tongue.

“Oh, a bit of a bad girl, are we?” The phrasing sent a pang of arousal through your core.

“I wouldn’t say that, it’s not like I’m doing anything illegal.” You noticed his eyes had darkened slightly when they met yours, the look alone was enough to have you pulling your bottom lip between your teeth.

“My apologies,” he cocks an eyebrow at you, shooting you a playful smirk. “I should have known you’re a good girl.” A shiver runs up your spine at his provocative tone. He chuckles as he takes one of the joints in the pack between his lips, flicking the lighter and inhaling deeply. He offers the joint to you, leaning back against the bench and tilting his head back to stare up at the star speckled sky. You inhale, the dry taste of the smoke filling your mouth. You copy his motions, holding in your hit as you stare up at the sky. You feel Will’s hand bump against yours, you carefully take it, enjoying the quiet intimacy. You both release your hit at the same time, yours hitting you a lot rougher than you had anticipated, making you cough and hunch over into yourself. “You’re alright.” He chuckles, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and pulling you into him.

“The first couple hits are always rough for me, don’t worry.” You joke, patting his chest.

“Have you ever shotgunned a hit before? It would probably make it less harsh.” You shake your head, your cheeks growing warm at the thought. “You wanna try?” He asks softly.

“Sure.” You squeak in response. He gently guides you to face him, your knees bumping against his. His fingers trail over your jaw, making you shiver. He takes a long, slow drag off of the joint. His eyes meet yours as his face dips in closer to yours, his thumb hooking over his bottom lip, keeping just enough space between your mouths so his lips didn’t end up on yours. Your mind grew fuzzy from how close he was, you felt his nose brush yours as your eyes fluttered shut. Your lips grew warm as he pushed the smoke from his mouth into your own, you felt the buzz begin to settle in your head. You took William’s hand in yours, squeezing it softly. You subconsciously trailed after him as he pulled away. You slowly blinked, your vision taking a moment to focus on him. God was he handsome. You exhaled the smoke after a moment, surprised at the lack of burn in your lungs. “Wow.” Will’s hand still rested on the side of your face, his eyes raking over your features as he drank in the sight of you. You looked so small in his arms, your petite frame swimming in his jacket. It took everything he had not to kiss you just then, your soft lips just out of reach. He wondered what it would feel like to have you pressed flush against him, your soft body molding against his.

He runs his thumb over your bottom lip, his eyes finally finding yours. “Again?”

“Please.” You respond in a shaky breath. His eyes remain locked on yours as he takes another deep inhale of smoke, your mouth falling open before he has the chance to hook his thumb into it. He brushed some loose hair behind your ear, feeling the way your small hand trembled in anticipation as he held it in his own. He slowly released the hit into your mouth, pulling back slightly as he waited for you to exhale. He felt your thumb slowly rub over his rough, calloused hand. Your heavy lidded eyes falling to his lips, wanting to take things further but too nervous to do so on your own. You let out a small gasp as he pushed into you, his head dipping down to allow his lips to find yours. His piercing was shockingly cold against your hot skin, you let out a soft moan as you allowed yourself to melt into him. His fingers slid into your hair, your hands fisted into the soft material of his shirt, pulling him as close to you as you could manage on the narrow bench. You squeak as he nips at your bottom lip, letting out a low growl before kissing you more intensely than before. Your hands roamed his torso, feeling the way his muscles tensed and shifted under your delicate touch made you shiver with a desire to touch more of him. His large hands knead at the soft pudge of your hips, his mouth dominating yours as he completely took charge over the kiss, you became putty in his hands as your brain melted into a puddle. You both separate with a gasp, your shoulders heaving as you bump your forehead against his.

“I guess this is a good time to tell you that I think you’re really pretty.” He smiles. You giggle, your cheeks flushing from all the endorphins surging through your system.

“How about we go grab something to eat, it’ll give me an excuse to kiss you again later.”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tag List: @yellowbunnydreams @zoey5252 @redflowery @loudchaosking @weirdoartist21 @residentevilbeast @lokanda @emmbny @yukkkiki (If you would like to be added to the tag list please let me know, thank you for reading!)

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todorokis-girl · 4 months

Note

Hi! Well then, I have request!

The new bnha ending hitted me hard so I wanted to request something for Touya.

I don't know I'd you are up to date with the manga ( I sure am not, so no spoilers, don't worry) but I want to have some fluff angst so XD

Could you please write about Touya meeting his childhood friend and best friend ( an old crush maybe) again after the war, please?

Thank you!

Ashes - Dabi x f!Reader

I hope you like it, please let me know on why you think!

Masterlist

he city lay in ruins, a testament to the cataclysmic battles that had torn it apart. Fires still smoldered in the wreckage, a stark reminder of the chaos that had ensued. Among the rubble and ash, survivors wandered aimlessly, their eyes reflecting the trauma and loss they had endured. Touya, better known to the world as Dabi, lurked in the shadows, his charred skin and vacant stare marking him as a relic of past horrors.

He hadn't expected to survive. After all he had done, he wasn't sure he wanted to. Yet here he was, hiding among the debris, searching for... what? Redemption? Closure? He wasn't sure anymore. The war had taken everything from him—his family, his purpose, his humanity.

Dabi crouched in the remnants of an old warehouse, the dark interior a welcome refuge from the outside world. He kept to the corners, avoiding the light that streamed through the broken windows. He knew he was being hunted. The heroes wouldn't stop until they had captured or killed him. He didn't blame them.

Suddenly, a noise outside caught his attention. Footsteps, hesitant and light, crunching over the debris. He tensed, ready to flee or fight, when a voice—a soft, familiar voice—called out, "Touya? Are you here?"

He froze. It couldn't be. He crept closer to the source of the voice, peering through a crack in the wall. There, amid the wreckage, stood Y/N. She was older, of course, her hair longer and her eyes carrying the weight of the years, but it was undeniably her.

"Y/N," he whispered to himself, his heart aching at the sight of her.

She wandered through the debris, looking lost but determined. "Touya, if you're here, please come out. I need to see you."

He wanted to run, to hide further, but something in her voice—desperation, maybe hope—compelled him to step out of the shadows. "Y/N," he said, his voice rough and unfamiliar to his own ears.

She turned sharply, her eyes widening in shock and relief. "Touya!" she cried, rushing toward him. She stopped short, inches away, her eyes scanning his scarred face, his burnt skin. "It's really you."

"It's me," he confirmed, his voice barely more than a whisper. "But I'm not the same."

She reached out, her hand hovering near his cheek, hesitant to touch the burn scars. "I know," she said softly. "But you're still here. That's what matters."

He stepped back, shaking his head. "You don't understand, Y/N. I'm not the person you knew. I've done terrible things. Hurt people. Killed people."

"And you think that means you don't deserve to be cared about? To be loved?" she asked, her voice breaking.

He looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "I don't deserve anything."

Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating. Finally, Y/N spoke, her voice soft but firm. "We all make mistakes, Touya. Some bigger than others. But that doesn't mean we can't try to make things right. That doesn't mean we can't be forgiven."

He laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "Forgiven? By whom? My family? The people I've hurt? They'd rather see me dead."

"Maybe," she conceded, taking a step closer. "But I'm not them. I remember the boy who used to bring me flowers from his mother's garden. The boy who would defend his friends no matter the cost. That boy is still in there somewhere. And I forgive you. Believe it or not your family loves you, and they’re worried sick about you”

Her words broke something inside him, the dam he had built around his heart crumbling. He sank to his knees, the weight of his guilt and sorrow pressing down on him. Y/N knelt beside him, wrapping her arms around him, holding him as he wept.

For a long time, they stayed like that, two broken souls finding solace in each other's presence. When his tears finally subsided, he looked at her, really looked at her, and saw the flicker of hope in her eyes.

"Why?" he asked, his voice raw. "Why are you here?"

"Because you need someone," she said simply. "And because I care about you."

He closed his eyes, the simple truth of her words piercing through his defenses. "I don't know if I can ever be whole again," he admitted.

"Maybe not," she said softly. "But we can try. Together."

He nodded, a small, tentative smile tugging at his lips. For the first time in a long time, he felt a glimmer of something he thought he'd lost forever: hope. With Y/N by his side, maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to heal.

As they sat there, amidst the ruins of the past, a fragile new beginning took root. It wouldn't be easy, and the road ahead would be fraught with challenges. But for now, in this moment, Touya allowed himself to believe in the possibility of redemption, and the power of forgiveness.

#dabi x reader #mha dabi fanfic #my hero academia fanfic #my hero academia oc #my hero academia soulmate #my hero soulmate au #touya fanfic #touya x reader #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #Dabi #bhna #bhna x reader #bhna fanfiction #hurt/comfort #angst/fluff #request

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shaynawrites23 · 11 months

Note

For your 200 follower celebration!

💋: I'd like one with with Sirius black! And the number... 58!!!

Congratulations to you on hitting 200! That ought to be a big achievement! I love your work BTW! Keep going!

Show Me

Pairing: Sirius Black x reader

Prompt: moving around while kissing, stumbling over things, pushing each other back against the wall/onto the bed

Word count: 678

Warning: suggestive content, implied smut

A/N: im sorry this has been sitting in my inbox forever 😅 trying to stretch my writing muscles by doing a few blurbs before i write the longer requests, thought i'd clear out my inbox while im at it! whoever you are, anon, i thank you for the support and i hope you enjoy the drabble if you see this!

It started as a date. You haven't seen your boyfriend in some time, and the moment your schedules aligned, Sirius declared in his usual fashion that he was taking you out on a date.

In hindsight, you should have known it would end this way, and... maybe you wanted it to. You're dressed in the outfit he loves so much on you, smiled so innocently at him when he came to pick you up and ignored the way his breath hitched the moment he laid eyes on you. Or... well, Sirius believes you're only pretending not to notice.

He hasn't been able to keep his hands off of you all evening. A hand on your back, fingers tracing shapes on your thigh before he forces himself to let up on you slightly, hand reaching for yours, stealing a kiss every chance he gets... even as you leave, he has an arm around your waist, holding you close, smudging a kiss to your hairline paired with softly murmured words you don't catch.

And now...

Now, his lips are on yours before you've even entered your apartment; you're still blindly fumbling for your keys and have to push him away, just for a moment, else you're sure you'll be standing outside all night. He looks confused for a moment, and hurt, but then you're flinging the door open, tugging him inside with you by his belt loops, and the pieces click.

He kicks the door shut with his foot. You barely have time to register the dull slam of the wood before he's pulling you into him—or maybe you're dragging him closer by your hand on his collar—and he's groaning out a "fuck, so fuckin' pretty, darlin', my gorgeous girl-" before your mouths meet again, hot and greedy and wanting.

Sirius backs you up as he kisses you, strong hand gripping your hip. He knows the layout of your apartment well, too well for the way he bumps you against the corner of the dining table to be anything but carelessness. To his credit, he apologizes when you wince, hand moving to soothe the sore spot, but you've already forgotten about the incident, too lost in the way he's kissing you.

God, how you love his kisses. He has a way of kissing you so sweetly, moreso than you expected of a man like him, and that sweetness isn't lost even as his kisses turn deeper, hungry and impatient. Sirius kisses you like he wants you, like you're special, makes you feel like you're valuable, like you're worth it, and... and of course he does, you're all those things to him-

You're not given time to dwell on it, though, not with the way he's filling every corner of your mind. Sirius has quite the personality, too much for some, but you love him all the more for who he is. And right now, he's your breathtakingly handsome boyfriend who's leaning over you, pressing you onto your bed as he settles between your legs, and now your breath is catching in your throat.

"Merlin, look at you. My stunning girlfriend. Most attractive woman I've ever seen," he breathes when he pulls back to simultaneously catch his breath and admire you. You look like a work or art to him, a goddess, with tousled hair and kiss-swollen lips, panting and reaching for him like you miss him even though he's right there. He obliges, his weight pressing you further into the mattress as his teeth graze your pulse, his mouth kissing its way back up to yours. "Bet you did in on purpose, tryin' to test my restraint... darlin', don't you know what uou do to me when you dress up all pretty like that?"

Breathless and not about to admit you chose your outfit with him in mind, though you're certain he knows, you only shrug, and you feel his lips quirk into a smirk just under your jaw.

"Oh, gorgeous, I'm gonna show you just what it does to me."

That he certainly did.

#shayna writes #sirius black x reader #sirius black x y/n #sirius black x you #sirius black x reader fluff #sirius black oneshot #sirius x you #sirius x reader #sirius x y/n #sirius x reader fluff #sirius drabble #sirius blurb #sirius black blurb #sirius black drabble #sirius imagine #sirius black imagine #sirius fic #sirius black fic

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bunni-v1 · 11 months

Note

Congrats for 500 followers! If it’s alright, could I have A, G, J, K, P, and S from the sfw prompt list for Idia? Thanks!

🍓Thank you so much! I'm happy to have so many people who like me so much! This event is good practice for me too, and a breather from the intensity of the fic I'm writing right now. (I'm more excited to write for Idia than anything else, he's just so silly, you know?)

A - Affection: Idia is quite a nervous wreck when it comes to affection, that's for sure. Up until getting into a relationship, he thought the couples that were all mushy-gushy with each other were gag-worthy. However, now that he's in a relationship he's desperately craving that same kind of touch. He's like a feral cat, you've gotta coax him into it, and once he's into it he won't want to stop. Seriously, if you catch him at a good time he's so damn clingy. Lays on top of you, have you sit in his lap while he games, cuddles up to you during movie marathons, smothers you in kisses, all the nasty stuff. He'd rather die than be seen doing it in public though.

G - Gentle: Believe me or not, Idia is very gentle. Yeah, he's sarcastic and sharp with other people, but with you he's different. I mean, he's still... sarcastic and sharp, but it's playful and light. He's having fun and he's trying to make you smile, and that's his form of being gentle. If you were ever really hurt by something he said he might just have to end it all. Seriously, it would make him feel so bad, that he'd be groveling at your feet for weeks. Physically, however, I'd say he's gentle but really clumsy. He treats you like the most expensive piece of jewelry in the world, but he also has accidentally almost suffocated you under his weight at some point.

J - Jealousy: Idia is the most jealous man you've ever met. ("You know other men?") He's got an inferiority complex mixed with imposter syndrome and depression, leave him alone. He's not going to force you to stop hanging out with people by any means -- in fact, he's kinda jealous that you have so many friends in the first place. Still, he huffs and puffs and pouts about how much better they would be for you and how much happier you'd be with them. Again he won't act on anything unless he REALLY felt threatened. Like, if Vil ACTUALLY made a move on you? Game Over, Idia is running from his room to intervene.

K - Kisses: Just like everything else, Idia is an AKWARD kisser. It's not his fault he's so anxious, okay, he's doing his best. Idia's specialty, however, is lazy kisses. You know, the ones where you just lay next to each other early in the morning (in his case, late at night), and just kiss slow and easy, like there's nothing else more important. Those are his faves. Speaking of, he LOVES to kiss your cheeks -- you're just so cute when he catches you off guard. It's the same for him, your little surprise kisses on his cheeks may send him into a heart attack, but he does love them so much.

P - Patience (how easily angered are they?): He has a temper, that's for sure. While it's rarely ever directed at you, it can be kind of scary to see him rage. I mean, his hair literally turns orange and flames up -- and damn is it hot when he's angry. Still, his temper only really applies to things like games or tv shows, rarely would he ever have a reason to aim it at you, unless you destroyed his limited edition merch or something.

S - Security (how protective are they?): Idia is a VERY protective person. He's been through a lot, and he's lost a lot, now that he has you he won't be losing you. He texts you constantly throughout the day to see how you are feeling, and what you're up to. If you're stressed, you are always free to come to his dorm and raid his room for all the comfy blankets and yummy snacks you need. He also literally keeps an eye on you from the campus security feed -- if he sees someone bothering you, either he or Ortho will be there within seconds to ensure you're happy and safe. On the other hand, you standing up for him and making him feel like he's worthy of your love and all the good things he has is all he ever wants. It's all he needs.

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst x reader #twisted wonderland x reader #x reader #bunni's treats 🧁#idia shroud x reader #idia shroud

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captain-mj · 5 months

Note

First of all, I love your writing and your fics. I love your IWTV au so much. And I'm a fan of your other stuff.

Sooo I have some ideas I'd like to share with you , dear MJ. I was thinking of an isolated Ghost. He almost hides himself from people, some place like Alaska or in the wild. Somewhere cold and out of humans, so he can be all by himself. He doesn't want to be around people because of his past, and he hides himself from people. He lives in a cold forest or somewhere unreachable in winter because of the snow. He lives in a cabin.

And there is Soap, who goes on a camping trip with himself after breaking up with his boyfriend. Thinking that camping would help him get better emotionally. But it starts snowing, and he is not prepared, and he gets lost in the wild. He is desperate and cold. While searching for help and walking for hours. He comes across the cabin where Ghost is staying. Ghost doesn't welcome Soap at first, but because of the heavy snow, they are stuck for about a week or a month. So Ghost helps Soap get better, and they start to get close and hot...

I think I explained it in so much detail, but you can change it however you want. I'm always hungry for your stuff, in any form. And feel free to ignore this if you don't want to write about it. And of course, please don't mind my English; it's not my first language.

Ily,take care.

Very much can do that!! Yes!

Ghost sat in his cabin up the mountains, using his sniper to look down at everyone. He knew that right now there were two different groups of people camping. One further down that seemed to be full of experienced campers and one a bit higher up that set up their spot for their view. They were way too close for comfort.

Neither were particularly good company. No one was.

Ghost hated people. Especially fuckers who came on to the mountain for camping.

He had hoped this secluded place in the middle of nowhere would provide peace. Instead he just dealt with this.

Ghost put his gun away. It was for hunting and he was worried any gunshots would send the campers into a frenzy. He had plenty of food for the winter thanks to Price sending him stuff. Price insisted he just used Ghost's pension for it but he didn't believe him. Old sap probably used his own money.

Ghost went to his cabin and cleaned instead. Not that it really needed it. Besides the fact that he meticulously cleaned most of the time, nothing he did made much of a mess. It was mostly just dusting the books off to make sure they didn't get dry rot.

The snow started. A lot harsher than he had been expecting. It started to pile up on his porch and it made the roof creak a little.

Ghost imagined it caving in and crushing him. Suffocating under the weight of wood and snow.

There were worse deaths.

Further down the mountain, Soap went a little away from the group he came up with. He set up his tent and planned to relax for the next two days.

No cell service which was exactly what he needed. No worrying Mam, no angry ex trying to get him back. Just silence.

Soap was so bored. He supposed it was his fault for expecting anything less. He was not a person that sat still often. Always searching for the next thing. The next adventure.

This did not feel like an adventure. It felt stale.

Soap noticed the snow so he only walked within the vicinity of his tent. He followed the protocol, but it took one stumble for him to fall out of bounds. Quickly, Soap scrambled back up and glanced at his tent. Still right there, just slightly farther than before.

Maybe some sleep would do him some good.

Soap settled into his tent, ignoring the snow piling on top of it. It just kept coming. Covering him in a freezing cold blanket of water.

The tent had a hole in it. He had just bought it, he had no idea what he did to cause it. Although small, it was definitely messing up the whole insulation part of this. It also let snow in which started to melt, getting him and his clothes wet.

Frustration started to bubble over. He wasn't experienced at camping but he wasn't an idiot. This wouldn't work. He'd have to either fix it or leave and he wasn't sure how he could even leave.

Thanks to the water, his arm was soaked, cold digging in so hard it felt like actual needles. He tried to dry himself off but the whole situation wasn't working.

Reluctantly, he ignored that he was still slightly wet and got dressed. He'd just go out for help.

The people he came with weren't there. Or at least, they weren't where he thought they were. He didn't want to believe the guide they came would be so stupid as to not count the people before evacuating if they did, but he also said he wanted seclusion and lied about being experienced.

Maybe they assumed he already left?

Soap panicked for a moment. He allowed himself that. Before he straightened up and started thinking. There was no way he was the only person on the mountain. While he couldn't make it all the way down on his own, he was sure someone had to be there. It was mid morning, he had time before it got dark and cold.

Ghost sat on his porch close to twilight. He smoked silently, watching the trees.

The man had been walking around his property for a few minutes and Ghost was trying to figure out if he was a real person or not.

He sighed and whistled, watching him yank his head around painfully to stare at him.

"You okay?" Ghost called out.

Soap stepped a bit closer, no longer shivering. He was also holding his shoulder. "Are you God?"

"Oh for fuck's sake. Sure. I'm God. Where are your things?"

"I took them."

"Why are you jacketless in the middle of the snow?"

"It had gotten wet. Was trying to dry it out but it didn't really work..."

Ghost sighed. "Come closer."

Soap stumbled to the steps. His pants up to his knees were soaked and his face had pale skin with rosy patches.

Ghost sighed in frustration and opened the door. "Come on." He'd get the guy warm and then send him on his way. The snow wasn't too bad yet. Neither of them had a radio to know that it was predicted to get much worse.

So Ghost accepted him in and had him sit in front of the fire. He found a dry blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders. "You okay?"

Soap started to shiver.

"Guess not."

"Got a drink?" Soap rasped out.

Ghost poured him a nip of bourbon and handed him.

"Don't suppose you got Scotch?" Soap said softly before knocking back the drink. He grimaced and Ghost was sure he heard a mutter under his breath about British people having shit taste.

Ghost watched the way the alcohol raced through him. Color almost immediately back in his face. "Thanks. Name's Soap by the way."

"...Ghost. The fuck you doing up there?" Ghost went by his callsign since there was no way someone would name their kid Soap. He thought of asking him about his shoulder but decided against it.

Soap sighed. "Trying to clear my head." He flinched when Ghost laughed at him.

"Piss poor job of preparing."

"Aye. Suppose I thought myself a survivalist." Soap laughed softly before averting his eyes. He looked embarrassed.

Good.

Ghost put the bottle of bourbon next to him. "Drink as much as you want." He knew he'd barely make a dent on the bottle.

Soap only took what he had to. He managed to get himself warm.

Ghost looked out at the sky. Too dark to send him anywhere.

"In the morning, I'll show you the way down the mountain."

"Yes, sir." Soap looked at him. He seemed almost indignant. Like Ghost was being bossy.

Ghost bit his tongue. "fuck off. Go to bed near the fire. You'll need to stay warm all night."

Soap nodded and laid down. "Don't have to tell me twice."

Ghost went to his bedroom, brandishing a knife. He stayed there and watched the door all night. Just in case. Just in case.

Soap stayed in the living room and he tried to Keep warm. Ghost would come in like clockwork to put more wood on the fire.

During the night, the snow came down harder. Before long, it was at the door, covering the entire porch.

Ghost groaned as he watched it. While yes, he may be able to go down by himself, he'd never be able to get Soap down the mountain as well. As much as he hated it, he also likely wouldn't be able to make it back.

Soap stirred and groaned, holding his shoulder. He saw the outside and before long came to the same realization that Ghost did. "So we bunking together?" It sounded sheepish, like there was a risk that Ghost would throw him out into the cold.

Ghost sighed. "Yeah we are. I have a guest room that i haven't used in ages. I'll get it set up."

"And I had to sleep on the floor... why?"

"Be closer to the fire." Ghost left him alone to brush the dust off of everything. He had planned to turn it into a gym or something equally useful, but never did. The stupid room came with the house.

Once it was livable, Ghost came back out. "You can go in. I'll make breakfast. We'll be up here a while. It's still snowing so it's hard to tell."

"You have a vehicle or anything?"

"Nope. We'll be walking."

Soap cursed in a funny language and stretched, back popping. "How long you guessing?"

"A week. Minimum."

Soap winced. "Sorry for the... everything."

Ghost stared at him for a moment before just going in. He cooked breakfast silently and Soap sat nearby. Occasionally, he'd start talking, but Ghost didn't respond to any of it.

"Oh come on. You're going to be stuck with me for a week. Might as talk to me. What are you doing up here so isolated?"

Ghost put a plate of eggs, bacon and hashbrowns in front of him. He sat across from him and yanked his mask up just enough to start eating.

His scars had the effect he hoped. Soap winced at the harsh smile cut into Ghost's face. "Aye. I see."

"Good." Ghost answered, shoveling food down. He mentally counted through his supplies. He had enough for a few months, so with two people, it should be fine. This bastard was getting none of his ice cream though.

Soap ate quietly before swallowing. "Gang?"

"Military." Ghost admitted begrudgingly.

"Aye. I see. I'm a sergeant right now."

"Retired." Ghost drank some of his tea.

Soap nodded. "Look, I'm not trying to be an ass here. Really. You don't have to talk to me. But. Do you have any coffee?"

Ghost stared at him for a minute before getting up and checking. "I got instant and regular."

"Got a coffee pot?"

"French press. It was a gift."

Soap's eyebrows scrunched together. "You know how to use it?"

"...No."

"Fuck."

They put their heads together and worked with the French Press until they managed to get a cup of coffee brewing. Ghost watched the stuff bubble and huffed. "Tea is easier to make."

"Coffee tastes better."

"Yeah, right." Ghost continued drinking his tea.

"Since we got it figured out, do you at least wanna cup to try your gift?"

Ghost sighed. "Yeah, why not."

Black coffee was just as dreadful as he remembered. He added some sugar, ignoring Soap's mildly judgmental gaze.

The first day was spent with Ghost trying to do his normal routine of reading or working out and Soap being incredibly bored. Ghost felt too uncomfortable to do most of his workout routine with him around and decided to give up.

"Do you have internet? Or anything? Most of my stuff was left in my tent."

Ghost sighed. "No. How far away was your tent?"

Soap hummed. "No clue honestly. I don't think it was that far, but there should be a trail of my clothing. I have no idea why I started taking it off."

"Hypothermia makes you feel warm after a while. It's some psychological thing. It's why some people who are frozen to death are found naked."

Soap grimaced at him. "That's horrifying."

Ghost shrugged and showed him the guest room. It was pretty nice, if a bit plain. Soap fell on the bed and groaned. "Firm. I like that."

Ghost hit his boots. "I'll try to find your tent tomorrow. Get some sleep."

The second day he found himself being trailed by Soap despite the asshole clearly should be staying at home. He kept touching and rubbing at his shoulder. Ghost was trying not to ask, but he'd need to eventually. If he got infected, that would make everything a lot harder.

They found his tent and Soap went searching for his phone. Unfortunately it was dead and when they got home, they found that his charger had too much water damage to help. Soap sighed and rubbed his face. "I knew I shouldn't have come out here."

"Why did you?"

Soap thought about it for a second before turning towards him. "My ex." He was careful not to include man or woman. This guy could be homophobic for all he knew.

Ghost nodded. "Got it. Their fault or yours?"

Soap blinked. "What?"

"You cheat on them and up here hiding from it? Lot of guys do. Or did you come up here because they're a right prick?"

They. Not she. They. Soap picked up on the pronouns and took a deep breath. "They asked me to leave the military. I said no. They said stuff."

Ghost tilted his head. "I see. Well. They can't exactly find you up here."

"Aye. Guess they can't." Soap smiled.

On the third day. Ghost went searching and found his dvd player and old tv. He showed Soap his dvd collection.

Soap hummed. "More romance movies than I'd expect."

"I inherited my mum's collection." Ghost lied.

"Uh huh." Soap picked a movie and put it on, happy to have something else to do besides sit there. How Ghost did it was beyond him.

On the fourth day, Soap even managed to convince Ghost to sit with him through one of the movies. It was a romance movie that Ghost had memorized. It was a film where she had to travel across Ireland and stayed with a nice Irish man throughout the journey.

Soap drank some more of the coffee and it seemed to calm him down a little.

After a bit of hesitation, Ghost looked at him. "You smoke weed?"

"No." Soap glanced at him.

"You wanna start?"

Soap took a deep breath. "Fuck it. Sure."

Ghost pulled out a joint and lit it. He took the first hit and then gave it to Soap.

Soap coughed and Ghost laughed at him. "It's a little different than a cigarette."

"Yeah, a little bit, sir." Soap smiled at him and they passed it back and forth for a bit.

Ghost felt the pretty much permanent ache throughout his body disappear. It seemed to do the same for Soap's shoulder.

They both relaxed for a bit and Soap looked over at him. "You're a cool guy, Ghost."

"Thank you." Ghost smiled at him and kept smoking. They put on another movie and relaxed for a while. It took the edge off.

Soap swallowed. "Why are you up here?"

"It sucks down there."

"Does it get lonely?"

"Sometimes." Ghost mumbled, his head falling against the couch. Around people he was usually always wide awake. Too scared. But Soap made him feel weirdly safe.

Soap fell asleep against his shoulder and Ghost followed soon after.

When they wake up, the fire had been out for hours and the house was freezing.

"Fucking hell." Ghost got up and tried to start a new fire but it wasn't sparking.

Soap shivered. "Well, that's not great. Anything i can do to help?"

Ghost checked the wood. It was fucking damp for some reason. He couldn't figure out why but that would be better for morning when he had more light. "My bedroom has the least amount of windows."

Soap's eyes gleamed as they shacked up in there. Ghost covered his windows with curtains and grabbed some more blankets as he turned on the lights.

His room was far better decorated than any other part of the house. His bed was covered in quilts and high quality soft pillows. A cabinet in the corner had tons of photos from Ghost in his time in the military. Most of them had Ghost's own face covered with marker.

"You know Captain Price?"

"Yeah, I know John." Ghost rearranged a few things and started to strip off his jacket.

Soap paused to stare, admiring the muscles that were revealed when the shirt followed right after. His pants unfortunately did not come off too. "Take off your shirt."

Soap nodded and followed the order. Was this happening? Were they about to fuck right here and right now? The worst part was he was going to let it happen.

Ghost pulled him into bed and shifted so he was fucking spooning him. "Fucking hell I was cold." He settled into the warmth and promptly closed his eyes, pretending nothing was happening.

Soap was in heaven. Or maybe hell. Either way he was getting hard and that was not great.

Ghost fell back to sleep. Soap was ridiculously hard, pressed against a beautifully muscled chest. He could feel each of Ghost's breaths with the rise and fall of it. In a desperate attempt to calm down, he thought of war. His ex. The fact that his ex was probably trying to blow up his very dead phone.

Soap thought of his ex and felt a strange lump in his throat. God he didn't want to go home. He really didn't want to. His ex would be at his heels like a baying fucking dog to nip at his fucking heels.

Soap let out a sharp noise, a bit like a sob, and quickly bit his lip to shut up.

Ghost pulled him closer. "Soap?"

"My name is Johnny."

Ghost's thumb rubbed circles in his chest. "Johnny." Oh that beautiful voice. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Simon. You okay?"

"My ex tried to hurt me. I'm military, don't know why he thought it was a smart idea. But when I defended myself, he was just... so cruel. Called me shit I never wanted to hear again. Accidentally made myself upset over it."

"I'm sorry, Johnny."

"S'okay. Nothing to do with you. You're the first person that hasn't made me feel worse honestly."

"Not worse. I'll take it." Ghost sounded a tiny bit amused. He squeezed him. "Do you feel warmer?"

"Yes. Feels nice in this bed with you." Soap didn't mean to sound quite as suggestive as he did, but Ghost noticed. His grip loosened briefly before tightening again, tangling their legs together. "Simon."

Ghost turned him onto his back and kissed him, having pulled up his mask at some point. His scars tickled a little. It was pretty nice honestly.

Soap's fingers ran down his chest to his pant's button and undid it for him. "Is this okay?"

"Should be asking you that." Ghost gruffed. "Don't have to do too much tonight, but you're hard."

"So are you. Can feel you through your jeans." Soap smiled at him. He slowly unzipped his pants and touched over Ghost's cock.

Ghost let out a small whine. "Fuck, it's been so long." He quickly unzipped Soap's pants and pulled him out, having no shame about it. His hand fit around both of them and his thumb easily ran over Soap's head.

"Me too. Won't judge you if you don't last long." Soap teased, pulling him back to kiss him again. He groaned as he thrust up. "Nice and easy, yeah?"

Ghost rutted into him and moved his hand in time. They kept kissing as his hand found a decadent rhythm, truly stretching the pleasure out for both of them.

Soap moaned and his back arched trying to press himself even closer. "Simon."

Ghost bit his lip hard and paid more attention to Soap's cock, trying to get him closer and closer. He felt him start to pant into his mouth and licked into his mouth happily.

Simon buried his face into his throat and came over his chest. Despite this, he managed to keep his hand moving so Soap followed after a moment later.

Johnny kissed him softly. "Later, if you have lube, I'll let you fuck me."

Simon wondered briefly if he was a rebound and then decided he didn't particularly care. "Okay."

#call of duty #call of duty modern warfare #simon ghost riley #johnny soap mactavish #call of duty modern warfare ii #cod mw2 #ghostsoap #cod #soapghost #ghoap

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darylsfavoritegirl · 6 months

Note

male reader & daryl getting real high (smokin lots of joints) off in a secluded area of alexandria? talking about really deep shit, like their equally horrible pasts, & bonding over how similar they are? idk i'd love to see that. :)

thank you for the request :)

A/N: this is poorly proof read and could've been a lot longer i just got really impatient and i had to post something. also the reason why their conversations are so vague is because 1- theyre high 2-theyre men

so there you go :)

"Took me damn forever to find ya." The archer huffed as he ambled towards you. His backpack was hanging on his left arm as his apperance hinted how he was very well ready and equipped.

Your eyes were semi-shut as you inhaled the joint between your fingers. The clammy tip of the marijuana kept easing your muscles, making them only become more lethargic with each passing second as contentment was all you could sense in your being.

A cunning smirk was bearing your features because you couldn't help it. The run had already gotten cancelled and seeing the tough archer this keen made you ridicule him inside though you knew it was wrong, you were getting lit.

Your eyes observed the area for a brief moment. You were close to the outer walls in Alexandria where no one took patrols owing to the fact that it was one of the strongest walls.

Wind carried a few kids' laughter as they hurried to catch a ball as your eyes shifted to Daryl.

"What'ca ya doin?" He inquired with squinted eyes and curiousity he couldn't conceal.

"Gettin' high." A smirk tugged the corner of your lips as you raised one brow softly.

He stood inches away from you as he eyed you down. He rested his body weight on his right leg and bit on his middle fingernail.

You squinted your eyes at him as the sun was shining behind his body.

"Ain't the time."

"C'mon." He spoke under his breath and turned his body to the side.

"The run got postponed." You confessed at the end.

A sense of being taken aback flashed his face.

"Wha' for?" He spoke low

You exhaled as smoke escaped your mouth and lowered your head. You leered at him through your brows for an insant.

"Some herd is moving towards the area or some shit." You sighed once again, lifting your gaze to see him.

He kept his hands on his pockets, eyes narrowed indicating he was lost in thought. You shielded your hand above your eyes as you got up, pushing your chest out. Your cockyness could be spotted ten miles away everytime you were up in the clouds due to being high.

"Have a smoke with me." You mouthed.

His hesitation radiated the perimeter as you looked at him and inquired

"No?"

You challenged him as he seemed as if being pulled back into the Earth. His brows raised, looking through your entire being.

You had only known him for a few months when your group ran into two people called Glenn and Tara. Your group was on a mission that seemed to be never ending, yet some idiotic scene broke out. That Eugene guy had you fooled in your entire journey.

You didn't really know Daryl, neither did he. He was the silent type, not talking much unless necessary or for the sake of so-called compulsory morality even in the events of a nettlesome apocalpyse.

You approached near your bag you had left next to the thorns alongside lawn that hadn't been mowed for atleast a couple months. You put one knee on the ground as you took out your stash.

You got up, throwing the pack of stash to the air and catching it.

"Let loose." You exasperatedly sighed and rolled your eyes enough to catch his attention.

"Runnin' off like dis helps ya with wha' ?" He geniuenly wondered as you could see him relaxing a bit more. His brows were still furrowed yet you sat on the step of a stair.

"You wouldn't believe it." You quipped as you tapped your hand on your next to the step.

You traced him through your lashes with squinted eyes. You could view his undecisive, reluctant-ish demanour.

" 'm in." He muttered vaguely and sat next to you as a grunt left his mouth.

You took out your lighter in your pocket and ignited his joint.

It wasn't until he burnt a few marijuanas that he finally uttered a few words. Until then, neither of you did anything besides inhaling the soothing drug between your lips. The more breeze grazed your faces, the more tranquil you both became. So out of touch with outer problems that were going on at the moment. So serene, so unruffled.

"Heard ya was a military guy." He explained. Your eyes shifted to his face lightly to observe his droppy eyes, god knows how sleep deprivated he was. His back was slouch, head barely lifted to the direction infront of his eyes.

"Did it for money." You confessed, sticking your piercing gaze to his greasy hair in hope to get him look at you.

"Mmhm." He clattered subtly as he chewed on his goatee beard.

"Were you?" You inquired, contemplating this might be one of the very few chances you had to get to know this group of people a bit better, people whom you had meet not so long ago.

"Nah."

"Mah brother, Merle, was." He got quiet, brows furrowed more than before. No matter how tranquil he became, you noticed how he couldn't get his teeth off his lips or beard.

"You got a brother?" You sung in a zealous way. You adored men like Daryl, men who grew up in the south. Men like you. Real Americans.

"Did." He uttered softly as he forced a harsher scowl.

Your eyes widened lightly, mouth ajar as your chopped lips throbbed at the breeze. This was the end of the world, it was never bright to ask such questions

"Fuck, man. I- I didn't know." You finally spoke low as he clapped his hand to get rid of the dust that had accumulated from the step in this unattended side of the town.

You were face to face as mortification swarmed all over your body. You had tonnes of questions, did he die before the fall? What was he like? Does he think about him occasionally?

"Relax." A forceful smile painted his lips as his eyes fixated on the wall infront of him.

"I ain't thinkin' 'bout him no more." His averted stare locked on a far distance.

His joint was between his chopped lips as he picked the skin on his calloused fingers.

"Left fer tha military not cuz he was ready ta be a martyr." He clenched his jaw, eyes spiritless more than ever. Narrowed as though he couldn't think of words to utter. Plain as it was, you didn't want him to close in his shell because of your anticipation in getting to know him more.

"Bleed fer America or sum' shit." He added.

"Did it to escape life." His lack of energy was evident.

"If a man's got his reasons." You muttered under your breath as your head sagged between your shoulders softly. You didn't mean what you said, that's why it came out so brittle, so weak. Even you didn't believe it, it was just some limp excuse you had created for yourself years ago so that you would stay sane.

"Nah, I knew his damn reasons."

He gave you an insightful glare, leaving you crumble inside.

You took a deep breath, fingers playing with the buttons of your flannel. Your eyes raised at your fingertips as you debated whether to speak up or not.

"You know, I grew up in Georgia."

"Countryside, very south." You shook your head as you let out a nervous chuckle. Your smile lines didn't shift as they started tremble slightly from how long you'd been holding a smile.

"Son to a rancher family. Fanatically religious."

You dared to eyeball him through your brows. Smoke hitting his face as breeze changed its direction, your hair fell infront of your eyes.

"I mean, I know I don't sound like a southerner."

"But I am."

"Worked damned hard to lose my accent 'cause of prissy boys." You let another uneasy chuckle, remembering the very first day your dad dropped you in some college you'd believed you were gonna succeed in, that you were gonna prove you can be better than your blood. That you could end the cycle and prove everyone else wrong.

It wasn't even a term in school that you decided to drop out. You couldn't go back home and bear hearing condescending comments from your family, how college was some capitalist trick, how you should be like them and not fill your head with delusional ideas. So you signed up for military.

You were getting way away from your point as he turned his head to you, grabbing another marijuana from your stash.

Your track of thought was interrupted by the sound of him going through your stash.

"Fuck it. Now I'm just ramblin' " You shook your head as you took a long drag.

"Ya ain't. Keep goin' "

You couldn't tell if he was just being polite -yet rational for you to assume he never had such worry. You glared at him with cautious eyes as he placed his palms on the frontstep of the back door of the whatever abandoned house's perimeter you were on. He placed his feet on the long, untamed lawn, crossing his next foot on the other and threw his head back. You could feel him getting lost due to marijuana, you lost count of how many he had had now.

"The way I see it," He grunted between drags and observed the sky with his dark eyes.

"Ain't nothin' there ta worry 'bout." He spoke as if he couldn't believe his ears to see someone being this self-conscious about their accent.

"Fer me, never did." He took another drag.

"Never had ta deal with no pansies from the city before."

"That was stupid, I know." You chuckled at his way of seeing things.

"Where'd ya say ya grew up in again?" He shifted his head to you after a couple of seconds

"Georgia."

"Uh-huh." He curled the tip of the marijuana with his thumb as he exclaimed softly.

"What is it?" You asked.

"Same 'ere." He raised a brow.

"Fact is, ain't never been outta Georgia 'fore al' dis." A smile between sorrow and misrepresented self-conceit coloured his features. He squinted eyes at you.

"Ain't no way." You huffed with a hint of astonishment in your eyes.

"Tha's right." He said.

" 'Lways had sum' shit ta keep ma' engaged."

"Nuthin' worth a damn." His eyes indicated a sense of inward melancholy.

"Just drifted behind ma brother 's all I done. Did whatever he'd told me to." His eyes spaced out as though he was remembering those days.

It got silent. You respected his privacy at the moment. You couldn't tell if he was gonna regret having you told these things next day. You didn't even know if it bothered you. You had more things in common than you'd ever guess.

"You got family before all this?" You asked, not hiding your interest.

"If ya can call it tha' " He chuckled loosely.

Your eyes observed his body head to toe as he lied down restlessly on the stairs with a curled marijuana that was to burn his fingertips.

"Old man was a jackass. Ain't never done shit for us." He kept speaking. He wasn't looking at you, in fact did it feel like he didn't acknowledge anyone's presence.

"And ma' mom.." He didn't finish his sentence. You didn't force him to.

"Well.." His adam's apple trembled lightly as he used the wooden floor as an ashtray.

He got quite more than ever, eyes glossy which put you in disbelief. You couldn't know men like him would cry infront of an another man. Nonetheless, after a few swift blinks, he put himself together. He shifted his position and sat on the corner of the stair, back leaning against the porch fence as he beheld you.

"Grew up surrounded by a whole bunch of people that knew nothin' 'bout them kids."

Your heart clenched at his words. You knew the feeling, you swallowed your spit as you wished you had brought something to drink.

He sat across you. You dropped your head between your shoulders as you restlessly controlled your shallow breaths.

You didn't know what was going on inside of you. Your stomach felt like tightening alongside with the feeling of your heart being flipped inside and out.

Blood rushing to your every cell only made you stimulated, hands getting sweaty as you kept being occupied with your flannel's buttons.

You pressed your lips together only to start biting on the skin a second later.

"Ya al'right over there?" He asked mindlessly.

You lifted your head as he started to scribble on the wooden floor with his knife. He eyeballed you through his brows. His body language suggested a subtle irritation as you didn't answer. You were thinking of right words to utter.

"It's just... Didn't think you'd be the person who..."

You cut it mid-sentence as you decided to not jump into a conclusion.

"Men like you are always so though and so..." Your eyes traced the sky and your lips kept shaking as you begged to utter the proper things.

"Stop." He shook his head and your eyes grazed his face.

"Ain't into tha' whole pep talk crap." The curls of his lips trembled. He went back to scribbling the floor as if not expecting a respond from you.

"It ain't a pep talk." You stuck your gaze upon his greasy bangs.

"My dad was a drunken 'sides the times he was done with his farm errands." Your eyes followed his scribbles on the floor as your mind travelled to that dreadful childhood, youth...

"Taking care of the animals or..."

"I don't fuckin' know, mending the field or some shit."

You knew it like the back of your hand that you didn't make any sense at the moment. Your body, brain, mind were just too numb.

"Just another asshole that had a problem with everyone else in the house..." You muttered.

"Sucks." He grunted.

"It does." You mumbled once again.

You spent the rest of the day either sitting in complete silence or talking about the world before everything had gone to shit as sun set over Alexandria.

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curetapwater · 6 months

Text

Madoka Magica is a very dark show but I think it often gets kinda blown outta proportion, as if it's some bloodbath just because it has onscreen deaths and dark subject matter. I'd say the violence itself is rather on par with darker episodes of Sailor Moon. Deaths happen, but it's far from a gore fest. Mami's death in episode 3, one of the most gruesome scenes in the show, is carefully framed to show no blood, no gore. The image of her body going limp and detransforming, the ribbons she'd tied up Homura with dissolving, the wide shot so far from her body that you can hardly make it out as it falls to the ground for Charlotte to finish. The focus is not "ouuuuuuu teenage girl death SCARY SCARY" but on the weight of the events unfolding. And her death is not there just for shock value, but to drop a sudden, crushing weight upon the characters she is survived by. The scene where Madoka visits Mami's apartment one last time in particular is so effective. A sink filled with dishes that will never be washed. A half-full teacup that will never be emptied. Her absence is a gaping hole in the characters' lives as much as it is a reminder of the stakes of the situation.

And other onscreen deaths are as clean as possible. The Soul Gem thing is existentially terrifying but it also lends itself to something about how PMMM handles its darkest scenes with a certain tastefullness. We don't need to watch a 14-year-old girl get ripped apart in order to understand how fucked things are. We just need to see her soul itself shatter, the light leave her eyes, her body go limp. The lack of traditionally graphic imagery allows weight to be shifted from what we are seeing to what the events unfolding mean.

One of the most visceral scenes for me is the one where Kyubey just dumps his reasoning for the magical girl system on her. On its surface, it's just a girl sitting in bed, being spoken to by an alien creature. But it's the shit he says to her. The way he talks about commodifying, using, tormenting teenage girls across human history as if it's a perfectly reasonable, pleasant conversation. The way he compares humans to livestock. The way his cheerful tone never falters as Madoka's emotional state deteriorates further and further. And GOD, the shot where she slowly grabs her head, curls in on herself before bending backwards. Just trying to process the weight of a system that extends far beyond her, across the whole world, across human history. The helplessness of it all. The way it all culminates, as the audience and Madoka herself finally understand Kyubey to be a microcosm of the way the world is stacked against young girls. That single shot rocks me to my core.

I think people who label this show "torture porn" severely miss the point. We aren't supposed to root for all the bad things happening to these characters. We aren't supposed to point and go "Haha! Foolish girls and their frivolous dreams!!" nor are we supposed to wallow in misery and cry out "Woe! The dreams of young girls are all for naught!! Hope is lost!!!" We're supposed to sympathize and connect with them. And hell if I do. I'm so glad I first watched this show when I was the same age as the characters, because this show just really speaks to me. There is a great catharsis, to me, in things like Mami's veneer of being the cool perfect girl that she desperately doesn't want to fall to reveal the vulnerable girl beneath, the way Sayaka desperately wants to save the world but jumps into things without thinking and pours from an empty cup, the way Kyoko has seemingly given up entirely on being a good person but deep down still believes that something good must exist out there, Homura's determination to try again. And again. And again. Until her love consumes her and everyone around her. And Madoka's crushing sense of helplessness, of guilt, of wanting to make the world a better place, of wanting everyone to just!!!! Get along!!!!! Please!!!!!!! And the way she overcomes this sense of helplessness with the main theme that the magical girl genre was built upon to begin with: hope.

To me, Madoka Magica is a show about how much it can absolutely suck to be a teenage girl, but in a respectful way, y'know? It's about how the world is stacked against young girls, how it uses and objectifies them and kicks them into the dirt, and how because they're still young, they often don't respond to the hand dealt to them in perfect ways. But that doesn't mean their feelings, their hopes and dreams and very souls, do not matter. If anything, I'd say Madoka Magica is about how the world isn't going to go easy on you, and your feelings about that fact are real, even if you don't respond to them perfectly. But despite it all, you have to keep going.

So yeah PMMM is a dark show but I feel like its discussion is often like "this show KILLED the magical girl genre by being DARK and VIOLENT" like. Siigh. Especially frustrating because I see this sentiment both from magical girl fans who resent the show and non-magical girl fans who laud the show because they think it's "better" than its predecessors. Maybe it had an impact on the genre in the same way that Shrek was an excellent movie whose success unfortunately gave way to trends in animated films that didn't quite get what made Shrek work. But I find it unfair to say PMMM "ruined" or even "killed" the magical girl genre. I'm unsure if I'd even call it a deconstruction, it's just its own neat thing to me. I can go back and watch Sailor Moon or Pretty Cure without feeling they've been tainted or taken down a peg. If anything, I think PMMM complements more traditional magical girl shows very nicely. I think Madoka and Usagi would love each other. I don't think a magical girl show where very bad things happen is that big a deal. What is a big deal, to me, is how excellent it is in its execution.

#pmmm spoilers #fictional child death #child death tw

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unpopularwriter25 · 3 months

Note

Hii may i please request some tanjiro fluff where he's vulnerable to the reader and she comforts him

Hi! I hope this is okay!!

Moonlit Comfort

Summary: Tanjiro Kamado struggles with the weight of his responsibilities and fears of not being strong enough. As he sits alone, feeling overwhelmed, y/n finds him and offers heartfelt comfort and reassurance.

Warnings: None.

Tanjiro sat by the edge of the forest, the moon casting a silver light on his tired face. He had been pushing himself hard, determined to grow stronger and protect those he cared about. But tonight, the weight of his responsibilities seemed heavier than usual. His shoulders slumped as he stared at the ground, lost in thought.

You approached quietly, having noticed his absence from the campfire. "Tanjiro?" you called softly, not wanting to startle him. He looked up, his eyes reflecting the moonlight and a hint of the pain he tried to hide.

"Hey," he replied, forcing a small smile. "I just needed some air."

You sat down beside him, close enough to offer comfort but giving him space to speak if he wanted to. "You know you don't have to go through everything alone, right?"

Tanjiro's smile faltered, and he looked down again. "I know. It's just... sometimes it feels like there's so much on my shoulders. I want to protect everyone, to make sure no one else suffers because of demons. But... it's hard."

You reached out and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "It's okay to feel like that, Tanjiro. You're doing so much already. It's normal to feel overwhelmed."

He sighed, a deep, shuddering breath. "I just keep thinking about Nezuko and all the others who need me. What if I'm not strong enough? What if I fail them?"

Your heart ached seeing him like this. Tanjiro was always so strong, so determined, but even he needed support sometimes. You shifted closer and wrapped your arms around him in a comforting hug. "You won't fail them, Tanjiro. You're one of the strongest, most determined people I know. And you're not alone. We all believe in you and we're here to help. You don't have to carry everything by yourself."

He hesitated for a moment before leaning into the hug, his body relaxing slightly as he accepted your comfort. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I don't know what I'd do without friends like you."

You smiled, resting your chin on his shoulder. "We'll always be here for you, Tanjiro. Just like you've always been there for us. You're not alone, and you never will be."

For a while, you both sat there in the quiet night, the warmth of your embrace providing solace. And in that moment, Tanjiro allowed himself to be vulnerable, knowing he was in the presence of someone who truly cared.

#fanfic #writing #fandom #anime #demon slayer anime #cute #demon slayer #demon slayer imagines #anime x reader #fluff #kimetsu tanjiro #tanjiro headcanons #tanjiro x reader #kny tanjirou #tanjiro kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer ship request #requested #request are open

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perspectivestarters · 5 months

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Perspective's Sentence Starters; Preacher's Daughter by Ethel Cain (Part II)

TRIGGER WARNING: Violence, abuse, religious themes, ect.

THOROUGHFARE

You knew you had to see it all.

You had to get out and go chasin' its sweet call.

Don't run, I'll take you anywhere.

Hey, do you wanna see thе west with me?

Lovе's out there and I can't leave it be.

Love's never meant much to me.

I'll come with you if you're sure it's what you need.

Every small town diner saw our faces at least once or twice.

I started to see you differently.

For the first time since I was a child, I could see a man who wasn't angry.

It's been a long damn time since I left.

Now that I met you, I finally know just where I'm headin'.

You got lost in it and yet you found yourself. We finally reached the edge after all this time.

I didn't find my love, but I still made it this far without it.

Maybe not, 'cause look at what I've got.

You might not be my love, but, baby, I doubt it.

In your pickup truck with all of your dumb luck is the only place I think I'd ever wanna be.

GIBSON GIRL

You wanna love me right now.

You wanna get alone with me.

You wanna get my clothes off.

You came alone to me from however far away.

You're all the same.

He's cold-blooded so it takes more time to bleed.

Obsession with the money, addicted to the drugs.

Says he's in love with my body, that's why he's fucking it up.

I can be immoral in a stranger's lap.

Something they all want that only you can have.

You wanna fuck me right now.

You wanna see me on my knees.

You wanna rip these clothes off.

If you hate me, please don't tell me.

I would show you something you can never have.

PTOLEMAEA

I followed you in.

I was with you there.

You love blood too much.

You’d do wеll to say yes to me.

Suffering is nigh.

Even the iron still fears the rot.

Hiding from something I cannot stop.

I can't lead him back.

You poor thing.

There's nothing you can do.

It's already been done.

Show me your face.

Please don't look at me.

I can see it in your eyes.

Tell me, what have you done?

Make it stop, I've had enough.

I am the face of love's rage.

I am no good nor evil, simply I am.

I am here now as you run from me still.

You can't hide from me forever.

SUN BLEACHED FLIES

They talk all about that money and how their babies are always changing while they're breathing in the poison of the paint.

God loves you, but not enough to save you.

Good luck taking care of yourself.

That's how my daddy raised me.

If they strike once then you just hit 'em twice as hard.

In the end, if I bend under the weight that they gave me, then this heart would break and fall as twice as far.

We all know how it goes.

The more it hurts, the less it shows.

I still feel like they all know, and that's why I can never go back home.

I spend my life watching it go by from the sidelines.

God, I've tried, but I think it's about time I put up a fight.

I always knew that in the end no one was coming to save me.

I just prayed and I keep praying.

If it's meant to be then it will be.

I met him there and told him I believe.

I forgive it all as it comes back to me.

I can't let go when something's broken.

It's all I know and it's all I want now.

STRANGERS

Don't talk to strangers or you might fall in love.

You devour like smoked bovine hide.

I never considered myself tough.

You're so handsome, walking over to me.

I tried to be good.

Am I no good?

My memory restricted to a Polaroid in evidence.

I just wanted to be yours.

Can I be yours?

Just tell me I'm yours.

We'll make love in your attic all night.

Euphoric in some strange delight.

I'm happier here 'cause he told me I should be.

You're so handsome when I'm all over your mouth.

Am I making you feel sick?

Found you just to tell you that I made it real far.

I never blamed you for loving me the way that you did.

While you were torn apart, I would still wait with you there.

Don't think about it too hard, or you'll never sleep a wink at night again.

Just know that I love you.

I'll see you when you get here.

#rp sentence starters #rp sentence meme #rp sentence prompts #sentence starters #sentence meme #sentence prompts #lyric sentence starters #lyric starters #music starters #rp meme #rp memes #rp prompts #ask meme #exodusmusing #*mystarters #*preachersdaugher

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cauldron-of-oddities · 1 month

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Alright, I'm playing catch up! Jinx and the temple of Janna.

I finally had time to sort all the thoughts I had seeing the trailer and especially the part in the ‘temple’.

(Disclaimer: I studied art history/contemporary art and stylists. I have a mind that likes to look for meaning and symbols. As a result, I may dig too deep.)

First thing, this is a ruined temple, a once holy place, a house of a god. And it is Jinx's paintings covering the wall, specifically her life and the events that made her.

It's her life story that made her something else, something more, perhaps even something to believe in. In a way, you could place her as the ‘daughter of Janna’ in this location. (The children of gods are often raised by mortals.)

There's already some talk of her being seen as some sort of spirit or symbol of Zaun, so we see the creation of jinx (but not necessarily the death of Powder) the creation of an idol. Another thing that adds weight: She's already been resurrected once.

There's also the death of the mentor/father figure. Something that often must happen to open and find the child's own path - not the way but of the one who held your hand, but your own way.

It is a lovely, tranquil, creepy setup that heralds her as a beacon, a symbol, a rebel - the (vengeful)spirit of Zaun.

I hope part of her mission becomes - all your attention on me - so you miss those moving to build, to live to thrive away from you who hold us down.

A different take or a simultaneous take is that this is a shrine and an acknowledgement of what she has been through, her memories. Even Powder gets shown here. She's not hidden or muffled away for a change.

And it's an interesting parallel with Ekko, who has the mural to remember. It's a place of remembrance, and I imagine catharsis and succour.

Is this her finding a place to safeguard and process her memories?

Maybe it will be a way to connect. It was and is a language they both know (art), I think that was part of the reason they understood each other so well as children.

Ekko is not present in the images, which are mostly Silco, Vi and Vander. But in this being a reflection of an act he's done, I'd say it may well be a setup for the next chapter.

It’s interesting that, now left to her own devices, she seems to have given her past a literal place. A place that is one both of becoming and ruin.

Anyway, in short, she's on her ‘own’ no one for her to follow or shape her and possibly let go of the weight of her memories - What choices will she make? And what freedom has she gained or lost?

#arcane #jinx #memories #ghost #spirits #just some thoughts I had #first trailer #speculation #temple of janna #playing catch up #timebomb

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noacfapologyst · 6 months

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birthday surprise — matty healy

(the birthday party: day two)

summary: even surrounded by people he loves and people he doesn't know at his birthday party, matty feels alone. by chance or by consequence, he finds a piece of his past that it stirs absolutely everything in the depths of his soul.

warnings: mention of alcohol, approach to loneliness, flashbacks of the past. cry on your birthday (guilty). open ending (maybe?)

wordcounter: 4,8k

Birthdays are one of the things Matty has enjoyed most since he was a kid. It's not just the fact of seeing all the people he wants in one place or the gifts he receives, although obviously that's also a plus for the basis, but the most important reason boils down to another: Matty has learned to celebrate being alive, to have a day, or a year more to live.

Maybe for the same reason, one of the environments Matty is best known for could be at parties. He always gathers endless crowds inside the walls of his house, always ends up being crazy between the amount of mess he has to clean up afterwards and the mess he has to take care of while they dance drunk on the tables and sing without being able to stop.

He has never considered himself a person of few friends, but he doesn't think he has a huge amount either because he's had to leave a lot of people behind. He has the necessary ones to be good with himself and with them, his presence does not suffocate them and they know how to understand him even when he cannot control himself and impulsivity controls him. But he's calm, he always is.

Of course, he now finds himself in a situation where many people entering his house are unknown to him because they are companions of his friends, or acquaintances of them. And God, Charli gathered a crowd in here. He recognizes them because he believes he went to high school with one or two, the few years he attended before deciding to miss an exam to go to a music festival.

Entities mix because he fails to recognize among low-profile, famous or just known people who have found out. In a way, it feels a bit like a party I'd throw if I was 18 and walked out of a Santbury's with several bottles in my hand and on my head. But it is not, because he is 35 and is in the middle of going through his thirties crisis.

Although now he deduces that none of it matters to him. He's much better than fine. He has gone from having the weight of a feather to getting stronger and seeing its fruits after many months without stopping at the gym. It has healed in all senses: broken heart, mental frailty, bad habits and addictions. Or at least in most of them, because he still smokes and still drinks alcohol, but at least now he equates it with something else and knows he can control it better. It's not entirely perfect, it could never be because that's metaphorically what the human being represents: a canvas that looks beautiful, beautiful and honest until you see the poorly made brushstrokes, over and over again until a result bulges.

"Hey, come to the kitchen." George awakens him from his thought with a touch. Matty leaves the beer can half-open on a shelf in the living hallway.

Then they arrive in the kitchen amidst a tumult of people that opens up in their path. The open backyard door is a plus because it's a good place to get some cold air and realize that he's lost a lot of stability and composure after several beers and a few more shots.

Ross is leaning on the recently acquired white marble countertop, as he opens a bottle of Don Perignon and the foam splashes over the top of the bottle. With quick movements, he pulls seven glasses from the shelf, and fills them to distribute later.

"Let's toast in honor of Matty, because it's his birthday and we love him. And we are incredibly proud of him." Ross cheers, while everyone raises their glasses. Charli applauds with the palms of his hands, and everyone knows that he has lost his mind. Matty smiles as much for that last act as for what his friend has just said, it's really an honest smile and full of feeling though he may not be able to prove it now.

Everyone toast, and then Carly pulls out of her purse a digital camera to capture the moment in eternity. They take a selfie together: George, Matty, Ross, Adam, Carly, Charli, and Chloe. Then there are some spontaneous ones between the four guys, the girls and one of each of them with Matty.

"Oh, my boys. I love all of you so much. You are the best on my life, really." It's finally Matty drinking the champagne out of his glass. Feel the golden bubbling liquid falling down your throat. "Thanks for everything you've done for me throught this years, forever."

When the conversation becomes that emotional tone that always happens on birthdays, it is also the moment when the bubble of intimacy breaks and everyone leaves that state.

"Hey I'm sorry, but there's not more ice." A woman's voice sounds from the frame of the kitchen, but Matty can't recognize her even when he looks at her with a frown.

"Oh! Now I'll bring more, thank you darling." Matty answers almost automatically as if he had given up control of his head. Actually the words are leaking out of her mouth but it's nothing too worrying yet, and she hopes it stays that way. "Some of you know who is?" He receives negative responses after the restlessness and sighs sillylyly laughing. "Thanks for all, friends."

A song by the Backstreets Boys begins to ring through the speaker in the living room and resonates between all the divisions of the house. Taking advantage of the commotion and celebration about it all he leaves the kitchen and disperses. Matty searches for a bag of ice from the fridge, breaks the wrapper with scissors and takes it to the main table where he places it in the fountain designed to keep the cold.

When he crosses the center of the dance floor, many people greet him and flatter him, giving him little shouts of love or complete sobriety, and more than one even asks him to dance for a few moments.

For a moment he manages to put away the idea of how he is the only one in his group of friends who has no one, which becomes more raw when he sees too many couples kissing on his couch, also generates a bit of disgust but he doesn't want to feel like a snob. He did the same thing and doesn't know when he stopped doing it but he understands the adrenaline generated by kissing someone when you're drunk and hot in public spaces, even if it's a pretty adolescebte attitude.

He takes his beer from where he left off and goes on. They have all built long-lasting relationships or are in the process, which makes sense for the age that passes.

He's okay with that, too. Yeah, logically, he´d like to have someone to dance together right now and then sneak out to enjoy a moment alone. Intertwining his hands with someone and having someone fixed to wake up with every morning while the smell of coffee runs through the room. He wants it the same way people who don't have it do, but he thinks he needs a break now.

Her last love attempts have gone overboard, and further down. They have simply come out disastrously and reject the idea that he wants to have for love: it all ends in silly discussions about mundane and monotonous everyday things that make up a ball that explodes, then everything weakens and the routine too tiresome. He wanted to live in the madness with which he used to live love in his 20s, where there was no fear of the future and only the expectation of living in the present.

Remember that frenzy of love when he was a teenager, when it is the purest love you contemplate inside you, when the barrier of who is going to judge you and the responsibilities are inhibited and you just go drunk with love walking down the streets arriving at the door with different flowers every day. He wants to love and get it right this time, obviously, but he doesn't want the person he leaves his legacy with abruptly taking away the magic of love Matty once had.

By the same token, he takes care of letting it flow. He's not waiting for anyone and he's hoping that things will just get better. She doesn't know if her future is to love someone and make it work, but she doesn't give up hope.

"I'm going to smoke, just in case." He says, when he sees Carly near him. He knows she's the one he can trust most because she's the most sober and the least alcoholic.

"Stay safe, Matty. Hope I won't have to look for you." She approaches him and kisses him on the cheek in an act of love, something like a motherly love. Even though she's only a little older than him, since she's with Adam she considers Matty to be completely special to her, and she loves him as much as she literally loves her children.

He says goodbye to her and walks to find the back door sneaking around. He looks the place and he see that there are really not so many people huddled together in the same place as they are scattered. The courtyard is huge, after the cement floor the grass extends along perhaps half a kilometer, where in the middle there is a swimming pool, and in the width there are some palm trees that accompany it. In the background there is a gate that leads to a construction connected to the house, but for which Matty is not responsible.

He looks for a place under the palm tree, the breeze that the leaves cause as they move embraces him at dawn. It's funny to him, he sneaks away just like he did all his life at these kinds of events, punctually on his birthday. He loves people and loves being with them, but at some point he needs to isolate himself from that same environment and have air to himself.

He fiddles with the lighter between his fingers passing it from hand to hand until he decides to pull a mentholed cigarette out of the pocket of his black leather bomber.

"Matty?" A whisper of the wind reaches his ears, although he does not know where it comes from, he acknowledges that there are not so many people who call themselves that.

He hears footsteps on freshly cut grass and hears crackling under his shoes. The only light out there comes from a curtain of lights hooked to the grill, so it's pretty dark.

But then a female presence appears in front of him. He really does nothing but admire her and for once his eyes run out of the cylinder he is about to light.

The two look into each other's eyes, Matty feels his whole life is passing before his eyes and is afraid he's having a concussion, or he's having a stroke. It doesn't make sense for her to be here in front of him after all these years.

"y/n?" He dares to ask. He doesn't have anyone around to confirm his presence there so he hopes he's not too drunk to hallucinate and hopes he's really on the physical plane. "I'm sorry, it's just…wow." Her tongue catches the words as her head runs a thousand miles after seeing her nod to get out of her trance.

"Isn't it?" With every word the past moves down the earth for both him and her. Too many, too many layers of memories that were left behind many years ago now threaten to float as if they could seep through the holes in the green ground.

There is a prolonged silence for a few seconds. Actually, nobody knows what to say because everything seems like a fantasy about to be pricked with a pin and nobody wants to go beyond that.

Matty's looking at her. She has always had that carefree but wrinkled profile and he recognizes her under the black dress sleeveless dress glued to her body and the hair cut on her shoulder, with the last minute scissors marks and something uneven. She complements it with high-cane boots, something like the ones she defined as her favorites too long ago. She still has that sparkle she had when she was a teenager, she's still incredibly beautiful without asking. He looks at her surprised that she's here, grateful to see her once more. He can't stop thinking about it, but she's really radiant.

She looks at him. He has changed a lot from the superficial, his hair is now almost shaved, only with hints of hair growing on his entrances. She doen't need to inquire to know that his fitness owes it to the gym, even under his jacket she can see how well marked are his muscles compared to the little skinny teenager she met a long time ago. The expression on his face did not change, if he looks into his eyes he still finds the frightened child because he does not know if things will turn out well, but also the child waiting for his mother after school to give her a hug. She has a white T-shirt that's stuck to her body and her tattoos are transparent. She looks at him impressed.

"Hey." He breaks the silence by speaking softly but with total softness. She smiles at him without showing her teeth and Matty feels something rising up her body. "What are you doing here?"

He is lying against a palm tree, she is standing nearby but neither wants to move into the position of the other, there is some barrier that prevents it and possibly it is discomfort.

"I'm the babysitter of my sister and her friends, they are your brother's friends." She anwers by returning the tone of calm. "In fact, I found out today."

"Wait, really?" He answers, and for a moment the atmosphere seems to disappear only because he is seeing everything through it. "But Louis is not there." He shrubs his shoulders.

"Yes, I noticed that. I guess he told the others in some nonsense conversation." She analyzes how he hasn't lit a cigarette since he arrived. "Are you going to turn it on or?"

Matty feels like a fool. "Do you continue smoking?" Ask without a second thought. He just wants to know what's in her life now. "Sorry, what about my maners, do you want one?

"No, but I'll share one just for the old times." She smiles at him again, and he mentally keeps the memory of how the burgundy color highlights the cheekbones of the white skin of the woman in front of him.

"Do you want to sit?"

"I'm alloweed to?" Matty is restless under such a formal tone and considers that the passage of the years now takes its points.

"Of course." Now he's the one smiling at her. "Are you still in the same job?

She laughs slowly, refuses with her head a bit apart. "God, no. I work in a notary's office now, but I'm more comfortable." She answers, he opens his lips in surprise, a whistle escapes from her lips. "May I suggest why are you here and not inside dancing with the others?" She asks with some shyness as she approaches to sit down, without doing so facing or beside him, as at an angle of seventy-five.

"Maybe you know the answer. It hasn't changed." He answerd and when he feels that he is drowning in too much of the past, he lights the cigarette. He pauses and takes a drag.

"You still get loneliness sometimes." She reasons, he nods with a look of pity and gave her the cigarette. "I really didntt know this was your house."

"It's quite different from the old porch, it doesn't have a loft with a balcony or red tiles either, but i like it." He sighs embracing the melancholy that escapes from his bone structure. "How did you get here?

"My friend was dizzy from so many people and then I lost her because of a child." She laughs wryly. "I started walking and then I reached the palm tree, and maybe I understood the host of the party."

"¿Yes?"

"How many people do you know whose birthday is April 8th, Matty?" She stares at him with direct intent. He flies in the nebula. She remembers her birthday.

"You still remember it." He has a smile that runs through his face from end to end, he feels satisfied with the interaction, whatever it takes. She leaves the cigar in her hand and the touch makes him shake.

Matty's head is about to fall apart. He himself sees how his vision becomes twofold, one leaving him in reality under the palm tree, and the other teleporting him 22 years ago to a rather similar place.

It's autumn, the leaves of the trees turn yellow and fall to the ground. There's a breeze but it's not cool or threatening, it's friendly. Matty's eighteen now, he's of age.

On the other side of the race to see who gets to the pile of leaves first, there's her. She's dressed as simple as if she'd just gotten up, the blue skinny jeans and a black shirt with a print of some band scratched by the number of times she's washed. They're both older, but running down the alleys of New Castle looks like they're 12 still.

The muddy shoes, their coats that shelter them both, her bracelet tied to his hand, the kiss on the cheek when greeting each other, the butterflies every time they look at each other. The celebration of walking, the adrenaline of winning the race to the leaves and rolling in them.

Matty abandons everything else, leaving behind the nightmares, his parents' parties and sleepless nights when he has her. He's happy with her, he feels protected and nothing can hurt him. He loves her, with all his heart. He's eighteen, newly grown, wears glasses that slip on the tip of his nose but make him look smart. It has some protruding pimples between the cheek and forehead, but in sunlight it still looks like a baby's skin, fragile to the touch.

He doesn't know when he fell so in love with her, he doesn't know when he found the connection and when it began to appear in his innermost dreams. He couldn't stop thinking about her and all her dreams, the dress she wore on her birthday, the hug after the holidays. Every touch gives Matty years to live, and although he's been a sad kid for most of his life, he'll always be grateful that she changed that.

"You are eighteen, you can run fast." She says in a competitive tone, without slowing down.

"I will win, idiot." He's self-proclaimed.

"And if you do, what will you get? A painful coronation as king of the leaves." She jokes and throws herself headfirst on the leaves of the ground. "I told you."

But Matty was willing to win.

"I already decided my prize." Vitorea approaching the leaves, diving into them.

"You didn't wi-"

Matty doesn't think about what's going on, he just lets the impulse take him further and control him. It may be his only chance, and it may ruin it, but he have to try before he let any more time pass.

She is in shock on the leaves when she feels the lips of Matty on top of hers. She doesn't understand what's happening, or if it's really happening. The only thing she remembers afterwards is feeling Matty's hand squeezing her cheek with soft caresses. He kisses as much as he can, and after a while she gets used to the movement.

They go on like this, without saying a word for many minutes. Their sequence and their need is to kiss until the lack of breath wakes them up, smile with their noses stuck and merge again. Maty tastes like mint and chocolate, so it's the flavor she'll love the most for the next two years. Teenagers at the height of their purest love.

"Didn't I tell you? I would win." Matty comments when both feel they have shared too much saliva, but he does not take his hand off her cheek.

The wind is blowing in both heads. They have never known love this way, and they will remember it so well for the years that this love lasts, and for a few more.

Actually, and though Matty doesn't know it yet, she, sitting in Matty's house, is thinking about the same fall of memories. She feels like she's about to die and the best years and moments of her life go by, they've always had that facility of telepathic connection without having to try. Also because, for a long time, it was the memory they most enjoyed in years.

Matty then sees, in his memories, everything he's longed for for so many years. Midnight getaways, intense kissing at nightclubs, family meals, she dressed in him on Sundays, family trips, snow wars with her kisses sunk in the snow. He sees fireworks now that he remembers her, how he was first in everything for her and how she has marked him even more than he can say.

After that comes the band, and even before and after the previous names. But he focuses on when the band is already confirmed as Drive Like i Do and then like 1975, he sees her sitting at the table listening to them rehearsing, he sees heer at the clubs drinking beer and screaming crazy when he comes out in his most misaligned ensemble.

Matty may never have said it like that, but the girl he fell in love with is part of the band just like them. Almost the entire first album has its muse, in each of the stanzas and in each of the notes of the compass. She has followed him for all these years, it has been his greatest point of inspiration and of genuine and re-created love. She has given him the best years when he was twenty, he has written the songs he enjoys most thanks to her.

But equally, to say that he hasn't forgotten her or that he's remembered her like that for fifteen years without seeing her since she left in her twenties, would be lying. He remembered her for years, but then he was no longer present in her mind.

She can't judge him. Maybe she waited longer, but she had to move on anyway.

But it's okay, they existed at the time they had what. They learned enough from each other to remember each other fondly.

"You think about that autumn too, didn't? "During all this trance, the connection has become stronger. The discomfort is ignored, and she ends up sitting next to him.

"You are inside my mind, literally." He laughs with his eyes full of glass. He just had a recession that knocked him down. "Yes, I thought about it."

"That autumn was the best of my life. The fucking golden time." She confesses, with the moon now fully reflecting her. He looks at her with a longing smile, he also misses feeling so complete. "I have loved you for so many years and I think I could do it for more."

She complains hugging herself. Matty leaves the previous state and now the alcohol seems to have lost its effect. He extends his hand to put it behind the brunette girl's back and draw her in. The woman's head rests on his chest.

"I have loved you too, you know? The first album is about you." He kisses her hair, but she can't help but cry. They are breaking up with each other next to them and that's why they prefer not to be seen. It's too strong for both. "I'm sorry."

"What do you mean?" She looks up. The brown eyes meet the eyes of the british man.

"I-I screwed up that June afternoon, and I carried the blame for many years. I've never really been able to apologize, and I know the last thing you got from me was a horrible argument. I'm sorry, it won't fix something so many years later, but it's sincere." He manages to loosen a gear that has been weighing on him for a long time. He finds serenity in the brightness of the moon, and though he knows he can't go back in time, when she intertwines his hands he thinks he hasn't gone too far.

"Thank you for that. I know it's your party, but you don't have to cry to the end." She kisses his cheek and wipes his tears with her fingernails painted dark red, then returns to his neck. She repents and prefers to sit in front of him. "But it was true, wasn't it? Did you fuck everybody in this town?" She asks, without any resentment or sense of judgment.

"You compromised me, honey." He nods nervously accompanied by a laugh. In fact, he's still crying, but he's feeling much better. More airy, more connected and more peaceful. "I missed the car and the argument."

The two laugh at each other, it's an atmosphere that has now become more comfortable than ever. She has got her makeup destroyed by tears and he is s getting water marks through the seams of his shirt.

"The end of that hallway was fateful." She ironizes it with a recharged energy that dances inside. It feels as if she is now the final part of a song that breaks the melody and raises the instruments to a higher level to close it in the greatest ecstasy. "Even so, maybe you were right a few years ago. You needed more than me." She points to itself and then points to the atmosphere.

"Sorry, I don't get it." He feels bewitched by her words, but is so deep inside that he can't even think about what she's saying.

He just knows she comes, again. He sees her crawling and crawling up to his lap. He's afraid that this will still be a bad trick in his head and that tomorrow she'll never have been here. She'll be in another country, with someone else, and without him. His heart pumps like it has seldom done.

He knows they're soul mates, or he used to know, and now he's reconfirming it. Now there's only one thing that separates them and one thing that could bring them together.

"You needed a cigarette, alcohol and a sad conversation." She finally answers, as she settles down to her mercy on his lap. Matty feels like he has a fever when he feels the back of her palm on his face. It's been floating for over 15 minutes. "As i do."

After this, it just happens.

After 15 years, they're kissing in Matty's backyard. The two cry in between, because they haven't recovered from the emotional delirium they just had, but the fireworks they once had at eighteen come back the second their lips touch.

He hasn't changed, Matty still smells like chocolate and mint. She neither, she tastes the same as always does, she still tastes well enough to satiate Matty. They remain exactly the same for each other and what they still need.

The kiss does not have a taste to be described by or a unique feeling. It is the taste of remembrance and reunion, of melancholy, of adolescence, it is pure nostalgia in its splendor. It tastes like sadness, the tears of the last time they argued, and in turn it tastes as the ice cream they ate holding hands in the park, the chocolate they always gave each other as a gift. It tastes as Christmas food and the summer breeze. It's all together in one, and that's why they don't bother to feel sorry for how the waterfalls in the eyes accumulate coming down later.

A kiss, that's all. Matty doesn't want to think, but he inevitably does and finds only two options.

Tomorrow you will both remember this and you will both retire by lowering your guard and remember it as a secret. There is no one around to prove the presence and existence of the woman he has there, no one has seen her and the easiest excuse is to say that he simply confused everything with someone else because of the amount of beer. Or they could tempt fate and stay there, they could heal the wound and they could try again to have the best they ever had.

But now, does it matter?

"Hey." She puts pressure on his hair. He opens his eyes feeling fuller and more human than ever. "Happy birthday, Matty. The birthday boy always needs a gift."

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