#I'll be playing Axl for a bit

[starmapz]

what you know - ch14: trials || r. sukuna

❦ ryomen sukuna x f!reader [college au] [ongoing series]

❝ you've heard his reputation and you've seen first-hand the way he's late to class if he even bothers to show up. paired with him for the most important project of the year, you choose to give him the benefit of the doubt- but maybe that's more than he deserves when your perfect grades depend on him, or maybe there's more to the aloof and irritable sukuna than meets the eye. ❞

❦ cw ; mdni, 18+ only. contains explicit sexual themes and content. use of alcohol. use of cannabis. use of nicotine/cigarettes. angst. hurt/no comfort. hurt/comfort. minor injury. family trauma. smut. slow burn. anxiety. panic attacks. mentions of difficulty eating. legal drama (likely with inaccuracies). tags will be updated as series continues.

❦ additional tags ; college parties and themes. sukuna ooc warning as this is a realistic take on modern sukuna. reader is fairly preppy and implied to be smaller than sukuna, but he's 6"11.

❦ words ; 23.4k.

❦ a/n ; this serves as a bit of a part 2 to the previous chapter and picks up right where the previous one left off! sorry for the wild word count LOL. i'll see you at the bottom!

main masterlist || series masterlist || previous chapter || next chapter

Sitting in your passenger’s seat, Sukuna finds himself missing his old beat-up car. It clicked if you turned the axle too far and rattled at every stop light. One of the brake lights flickered but never quite went out. It was barely street legal, but it got him from one place to another.

It got his dad to appointments and hospitals. That was what mattered the most.

There was a certain sense of freedom that came along with having a car that Sukuna can’t help but feel he’s lacking now. Still, it’s not so bad being your passenger.

Although the ride is mostly silent apart from your music quietly playing, he finds himself able to sort through his thoughts while staring out the window. It’s not a particularly long ride, but it gives him the chance he needed to come to terms with the dirty game that Kaori is playing with this lawsuit.

Clearly she’ll stop at nothing to tear Sukuna’s life to shreds and take his brothers from him if it’s the last thing she does. Him and his lawyer just need to find an angle that lets them win without pulling dirty tricks like she is. The last thing Sukuna needs are more fees or even charges on his record.

He still can’t figure out Kaori’s angle, either. She isn’t on social media as far as he can tell, her name doesn’t pop up online. She doesn’t want the kids for the money obviously and he can’t wrap his head around the idea of her actually wanting her own kids.

Which is fucked.

His fingers tap on his thigh as he contemplates how this all stems back to one moment.

He wonders how different his life could have been had he not gone looking for Kaori at his grandfather’s funeral. Maybe even Choso and Yuji’s fates could have been different.

The car comes to a halt in a quaint strip mall parking lot, with only another car or two in the lot alongside yours. Sukuna blinks  as he glances around. He vaguely recognizes the area from when you’d first spent time together working on your project at your apartment.

It feels like a lifetime ago now that you listened to The Eagles on vinyl while working on your research project.

Getting out of the car, you stretch your arms up above your head. “I hope it’s good,” you comment, casting him a glance as you lead the way up to a plain door with the restaurant logo across the front. Sukuna hums in agreement.

Within the small shop, there’s a cozy and homely warmth that surrounds you, the smell of broth wafting through the air. The lighting is soft and warm with slats of vertical wood separating each small booth along a wall with ivy green paint beneath the wood. A couple of decorative lanterns adorn stylized chandeliers in each booth, and a counter with stools runs along the farthest wall.

A waitress approaches you both and kindly asks whether you’d prefer a booth or the bar. Sukuna gives you a nudge to let you decide, and the waitress leads the way to a small booth in the very back of the restaurant. The atmosphere is welcoming, though the booth provides enough privacy that you can comfortably converse with one another.

“This place is so cute,” you comment as you both shrug your coats off. You’d almost forgotten how painfully overdressed you are as you look down at your white blouse, which is equally as unfortunate. You’ll just have to be careful not to spill.

Across from you, Sukuna hums as he pulls at the knot of his tie before slipping it off and unceremoniously shoving it in his suit pocket. He can’t say he particularly cares about whether it has wrinkles or not. After all, the next time he wears it will be-

Shit. He’s not sure he’s ready to think about that, yet. After all, they need the house study back before they can prepare. He has time. He can relax and enjoy his time with you.

He needs to live in the moment and try not to think about the dull future that plagues his mind. He needs to let himself relax for the first time in what feels like months.

To keep yourself from watching the painfully attractive way that Sukuna pulls at his tie and undoes the first couple of buttons on his shirt, you busy yourself with the menu. “The tonkatsu sounds good,” you comment.

Rubbing his eye with the back of his knuckle, Sukuna finally picks up the menu, holding it back far enough to see it without squinting as he searches for what you’re talking about. “Sounds good,” he agrees quietly, casting a glance over the menu to stare at you as he struggles to find common ground to chat with you. It’s not like his curt answers are helping, but the small talk you’re spouting to fill the dead air isn’t doing either of you any favors.

Clearing his throat, he sets down the menu. “I’ll just get the gyoza.”

Flipping back a page to take a look at the item on the menu, you eye him suspiciously. “Sukuna, that’s the cheapest thing on the menu and it only comes with three. Get what you want,” you urge, finding it hard to contain your smile as he glowers when you see right through him.

“Fine,” he mutters. “I’ll get the curry ramen.”

“Good,” you hum, pleased.

As both menus are set down, the waitress returns to take your order before you find yourself staring at the soy sauce left at the end of the table. The dead air sitting stagnant between you burns at your skin, lapping like flames against the balance between you. Where once there was easy conversation, a void has been left in its place. Prior to your fight, there was rarely a moment where neither of you knew what to say. Even the silence was usually warm and inviting, but the trepidation left in the wake of uncertainty here doesn’t speak to what once was.

In an effort to fill the silence, Sukuna mutters out a question before he has a chance to think.

“How’s the conspiracy theorist prof been?”

Mild amusement pulls at the corner of your lips. “We had a whole class where we discussed the death of Edgar Allen Poe,” you chuckle as you lean over the table.

Blowing a breath of air out of his nose in a wry laugh, Sukuna leans his chin on his hand, his elbow bent over the table. “What’d she land on?”

“Rabies,” you shrug.

He hums. “More plausible than some of her other theories.”

“I still think it’s more likely to be-”

“Alcoholism.”

“- alcoholism.”

Sukuna’s lips quirk up at the corners as familiarity finally finds its place back within the void, filling it out just a little bit. You giggle as he finishes your sentence in the same moment that you do. “It’s the only cause that has any footing!” You insist happily, beginning to go over the ways that you claim it ‘just makes sense’.

Sukuna’s muscles relax as he listens to you, chiming in occasionally to offer his opinion or add in something his dad had once mentioned on the subject. His tongue glides across his lower lip as he watches the way your lips move as you speak, your eyes crinkling at the corner each time you giggle. He’s only pulled from his stupor when the food arrives.

A large bowl with chopsticks and a spoon is placed in front of each of you, the steam of the warm broth billowing in the air between you. Your mouth waters at the smell alone as you thank the waitress and pick up the chopsticks. Sukuna follows suit, taking a bite of some noodles.

“Everything you hoped for?” He gruffs between bites.

“Um-” you hesitate, “yeah, it’s good!”

“But?”

“It’s a bit salty,” you pout.

“It’s ramen.”

Your brow furrows, playfully offended at his dry tone, as though you don’t know that. “It’s saltier than I usually get, is what I mean,” you retort, raising your brow playfully.

His eyes flicker between your bowls before he pushes his towards you. “Try mine,” he insists.

Your lips purse, giving in without complaint. His food has a bit more of a kick to it and considerably less salt, but the flavor is downright divine. Your brow raises, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that you like it more.

Smirking, Sukuna pulls your bowl towards him, exchanging the dishes. “Keep it.”

“What? Are you sure? I really don’t-”

Sukuna takes a bite of your ramen and nods.

Your hands hesitate in the air, still not quite sure what to make of the switch. Sukuna’s never been one to particularly care what he’s eating, but this strikes you as just plain sweet. “Really, it wasn’t that salty-”

“Princess,” Sukuna sets his chopsticks down, finishing his bite of noodles, “eat your damn food.”

You shoot him one last hesitant glance before relenting. Your brow knits together, a shy smile finding its way to your lips. “Thanks,” you murmur as your cheeks heat up. Surely from the heat of the soup.

Surely.

Before you can insist on swapping food again or something else Sukuna would consider foolish, he brings up a new topic, something that’s been nagging at him since he realized how much of a dumbass he’s been, and continues to be. 

“How’s Toji?”

He’d seen and heard from Uraume fairly frequently, though he continued to keep them in the dark about the lawsuit. Every day that goes by, thoughts consume him about whether or not that’s the right option, and every day he struggles to find a reason why he continues to keep it a secret from them.

The truth is that he’s a coward. He can’t bring himself to tell them because it’s been so long that he fears they’ll find a reason to walk out of his life. Though his feelings surrounding Uraume differ greatly from those that involve you, he’s not sure how well he could manage without them either. He’s so deep in the hole he’s dug for himself with this lawsuit that he’s not sure he could blame them if they blew up at him for his spineless decision. Hell, he’d let Uraume dig the hole deeper for him and bury him alive if they so pleased.

Maybe Uraume and Toji could even tap their shovels together in a ‘cheers’ of sorts with the amount of secrets Sukuna’s kept from them both.

“He’s okay,” you shrug. “He asked me about you.”

Sukuna pauses, noodles dangling from his chopsticks as though he didn’t expect that in your reply.

“He was pretty upset,” you continue, hoping to share enough to help them mend their friendship while respecting Toji’s boundaries. Though you’ve grown closer to Sukuna’s childhood friend over the past couple of months, he’s definitely more of Satoru’s friend. You certainly don’t know him well enough to be confident recounting his exact words to Sukuna.

Setting his chopsticks back in the bowl, Sukuna stares down at his scattered reflection on the surface of the soup. “Shit,” he mutters simply, letting the silence linger.

Finishing up your bite, you tilt your head. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Why didn’t you tell him? You two were best friends, weren’t you?”

Sukuna leans back in his booth, crossing his arms over his chest. The shoulders of his suit jacket crease as the sleeves pull taut and accentuate his muscles. “Dunno. We just didn’t talk about shit like that, and…” he shrugs, finding your gaze with no definitive reasoning to offer.

You frown, Toji’s reaction coming to mind when you’d parroted that exact phrase to him a couple of months ago. ‘That was his excuse?’ Over the course of two months, you’d thought maybe Sukuna’s response might change just as the man himself has. “Don’t you think he would have wanted to know?”

“‘Course he would’ve,” Sukuna agrees, shrugging. “I guess I just didn’t think about it,” he shrugs again, searching for some sort of reasonable answer where there is none. He just didn’t tell Toji. He didn’t want to be around Toji and he didn’t want to talk to Toji. There’s no grand reason why, Toji never did anything to upset Sukuna. The simple fact of the matter is that Sukuna had so much on his plate, that all reason fell to the wayside. It was never Toji’s fault, and had it not been Toji, it would have been someone else. Sukuna didn’t want to be around people at the time.

Sensing that you aren’t getting anywhere with this conversation, you bring up another question that’s been plaguing your mind since Sukuna brought it up at the case conference. You pray it doesn’t piss him off for one reason or another but he’s been more reasonable lately so you don’t feel like you need to step on eggshells around him as much. “Hey, Kuna? Um-” You pause, setting your chopsticks down. “Where did you find Kaori at your grandpa’s funeral?” You query, watching the way his eyes snap to you at the mere mention of the question.

His jaw clenches as he sits up, fiddling with the bottle of soy that sits between you. He stares at it like it’s done a disservice to his family, huffing as he explains in the simplest terms what had happened. “I was a kid, like fourteen or some shit. Kaori was…” he raises his hand, motioning at nothing in particular as he searches for words. “She was fine. She never really cared to be involved with my life, n’ my dad kept things pretty quiet between ‘em until she got pregnant and he proposed.”

He takes a moment, huffing at nothing in particular as he pulls his hand back from the soy sauce, his fingers curling into a fist. “Found her with her fucking-” Sukuna cuts himself off as his voice cracks, his expression hardening as anger courses through his veins at the mere thought of his step-mother. It’s been so long since he’s crossed paths with the thought of what he’d discovered that afternoon. He’d almost forgotten just how vividly his mind can still conjure that image, bringing with it the disgust and self-reproach he’d longed to forget for so many years.

You don’t hesitate for a moment to reach across the table, settling your hand over his fist the moment his distress becomes apparent. With one simple movement, you seem to dissolve the void between you. The uneasy silence tapers off as things become familiar once more.

He’s not sure he’ll ever grow accustomed to your kindness. How is he meant to convince himself that he’s allowed to be selfish, to take, when he has so little to give in return?

Yet even as guilt festers in his stomach and he scowls down at the place where your hands join, he still lets his fingers relax, flipping his hand upright to gently rub his thumb across the second joint of each of your fingers. Your skin is warm, soothing the chilling sensation of the memory.

Re-centering himself, Sukuna’s chest rises and falls in a heavy sigh. “I found her tongue-fucking my uncle in some corner,” he hisses, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

Your lips part in shock, the realization settling slowly as your stupor morphs to revulsion. Putting together his words from the case conference earlier, you blink in further surprise. “You didn’t tell your dad?”

Sukuna’s fingers glide through yours suddenly, his much larger hand finding a place around yours as he clasps your hands together, your fingers intertwined. Your gaze shoots to your entangled hands, unable to make heads or tails of the action as heat rises from the back of your neck to the tips of your ears. You can blame the soup all you want, but you know the truth.

You’re used to Sukuna seeking comfort within you, but there’s something deeper to this. Something you don’t know how to explore with the man, and something you don’t dare bring up as he’s opening up to you.

It doesn’t matter how fast your heart hammers in your chest, or the way that blood pumps loudly behind your ears. The mixed signals, the confusing push and pull that seems to go hand-in-hand with the brute across from you, none of that matters with the air heavy with the weight of a confession long kept behind bars, never shared with a soul.

Even Toji doesn’t know, of that you’re certain.

So, you swallow hard and put your focus into his expression, something akin to guilt, averting your attention away from the warmth of his hand as best as you can.

“I couldn’t,” he admits, a look of disdain clouding his vision. “Kaori was fine for the first few years that I knew her. She was a good enough mom to Cho and sometimes me when she wanted to be,” he shrugs, a bitter snarl tugging at his lips. “Funny. She had us all fooled.”

You nod slowly, just to tell Sukuna you’re listening.

“The week before my grandpa died, we had freshman year finals. I fucked up-” he breathes, rolling his eyes at his own stupidity. “Failed all four in my last semester. Wasn’t doin’ anything important, I was just bein’ a dumbass.” He shrugs, his grip on your hand tightening. “They were gonna hold me back n’ I didn’t wanna be apart from Toji or my friends, so him and I broke in.”

“To the school?”

He shoots you a look that you recognize. One that says obviously, though he keeps his mouth shut, continuing without answering your question. Now’s not exactly the time to be teasing you over what’s just your way of showing you’re listening.

“The plan was fucking stupid from the start. Thought we could change my grades without my dad or the school knowing. Dunno, I was a kid. It made sense to us back then.” He scoffs at his own ill thought-out plan. “I got arrested. Made sure Toji got away, didn’t want his family goin’ off on him so I covered for him,” he shrugs. “They had to call a guardian, so I gave ‘em Kaori’s number.”

Your head tilts and even in the midst of the heavy air, Sukuna wants to scoff at the way his blood pumps faster. “Weren’t you close to your dad? Why not call him?”

Sukuna nods slowly in acknowledgement. “We were close, yeah, but he was a teacher and I was smart, got good grades n’ shit. He was the type who didn’t really get mad, just disappointed, which was worse than whatever I thought Kaori would do.”

“What did she do?”

“Nothing,” he sighs, leaning his chin on the ball of his free hand over the table. “I never got charged, and she bribed the school into passing me, actually. It was cool of her at the time.”

Your lips purse as you listen intently. It’s a lot to take in, though you did always picture Sukuna and Toji being the type to pull a stunt like that given that you know about Sukuna’s days trying not to get caught with an incriminating can of spray paint.

“So, you didn’t tell him because she did you a favor?” You confirm with a furrowed brow. Favor or not, you’re not sure you could keep a secret like that from your parents.

But neither could Sukuna. “Fuck no,” Sukuna chuckles dryly, tensing his jaw. “I went to tell him the moment I saw her. It woulda been cruel to tell him at the funeral, but I thought it was worse to keep it from him.”

You nod intently.

“That-” His teeth are gritted as he cuts himself off, choosing his words wisely around you.

Though honestly, she’s deserving of the title he clearly wants to give her.

“She fucking blackmailed me,” he hisses. “Chased after me n’ told me she’d have the school charge me and fucking fail me,” he growls, the crease between his brows so harsh that you almost think he might give himself a headache.

Pulling his hand away from your grip, he leans back in the booth once more, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. “The fuck was I supposed to do, fail? I was terrified of disappointing my dad,” he shrugs. “I got my shit together the next year, but christ, she fucking played me. I didn’t know how my record worked back then either, getting charged with a crime when you’re fourteen or some shit feels like the end of the damn world.”

In a rare moment of genuine vulnerability, a look of innocence settles in his eyes, fleeting. You often forget just how young Sukuna was when his life got turned sideways. Even his teenage years sent him through a turmoil you can’t begin to imagine. With all his rough edges and hardened lines, it’s easy to forget that the man in front of you has a soft inside so full of a genuine love for his family and even for life. That flame got taken from him bit by bit before he ever got the chance to nurture it, stuck quelling his own desires in order to make ends meet.

Though he pulled away from your hand, you find his foot beneath the table with yours, gently nudging it. “You didn’t tell him after she left?”

He uselessly throws his hands up in a shrug, his tired expression increasingly obvious in the warm overhead light of the ramen shop. “I didn’t have the heart to tell him. I think…” he trails off, inhaling sharply, “at some point I realized he was gonna die, and I didn’t want him to think his wife didn’t love him at the end.”

Your lips part, jaw hanging slightly ajar at the weight of his confession. His sorrow grips your stomach, twisting it as your expression falls. “I’m so sorry, Kuna.”

He eyes you for a moment, choosing not to reply.

The silence stretches on, your hand remaining where he left it on the table when he leaned back. A part of you wishes he would take it again so that you can offer him silent comfort, pushing down the lingering yearning that comes with such a tender action. His mind seems to be elsewhere though, his eyes glazed as he stares distantly at the decorated wall beside him.

Letting the moment linger, you find yourself pulling your hand back to stir your nearly forgotten soup. It’s still mildly steaming thankfully, which you’re grateful for given the cold weather. Less fortunately, your stomach wrenches at the thought of eating under the weight of Sukuna’s admission hanging heavy in the air.

“Do you think you could bring that up at the trial?” You query quietly. Although the judge had shut it down today, it does have pertinent information about Kaori’s character.

He shakes his head. “Nah, it doesn’t look good on either of us. I shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place, was just pissed,” he grumbles, scratching his jaw. With a deep sigh, he returns to his soup as well, taking small sips of the broth in an effort to not let the food go to waste, though he’s equally as uneasy as you are.

“Was she like that a lot? Blackmailing you and… stuff?” You wave your chopsticks through the air as you both pick at your food.

“Somethin’ like that. She just stopped pretending to give a shit, I guess,” he shrugs. “Wasn’t just me, either. Choso too,” he sighs, his brow tugging into a scowl. “Mother of the year,” he grumbles with a dramatic wave of his chopsticks in mock celebration.

If anything, it only leaves you with more questions about why she’d want the kids. Sukuna makes it sound like she didn’t care back then, what could have changed now? Of course, there’s the possibility that Sukuna could be wrong, but it seems unlikely given Kaori’s track record and her behavior earlier. The lies she’d told under oath at the courthouse may have slipped past the judge, but you saw through her.

The way she looked at you, as though you were a pawn in some game sends a shiver up your spine.

Nudging his foot as he sips a spoonful of broth, you catch his attention again. “Is she always so… ” You trail off, coming to the realization that you don’t know exactly how to describe the way Kaori acts.

He hums questioningly. “What, fake?” He asks, watching as you raise your spoon to your lips.

“Yeah, like…” You pause, holding your spoon out in front of you. “I don’t know, too sweet and caring?”

Sukuna scoffs, a hint of amusement skirting the edges of his tone. “Since the funeral, yeah.”

Poking the inside of your cheek in thought, you contemplate whether any details from Sukuna’s past could be used in the trial, but Kaori or her lawyer always seemed to have some well thought-out refute for every time Sukuna attempted to bring up her track record.

It’s almost strange, in a way, to think about how easily the judge seemed to decline any objections from Sukuna’s lawyer.

Nudging your foot to bring you back to the present, Sukuna gruffs out a “hey,” catching you off-guard. As your body jolts in surprise, your spoon tilts and the broth spills across the front of your painfully white blouse, the warmth seeping through the material. The squeak of shock that you let out sends concern rippling through Sukuna’s entire being like lightning.

“Shit,” he breathes, standing abruptly and offering napkins as he averts his gaze from the outline of your bra that’s now startlingly obvious. His gaze rounds the table as though in search of something that might fix the situation. “Fuck, did it burn you?”

Blinking as the initial shock passes, you shake your head. “Oh- um, no! No, it’s just warm.” And thank god for that, had you not waited a bit before eating, this likely would have been a hell of a lot worse. Reaching for the napkins Sukuna offers, you dab at the stain, chewing on your lip at how glaringly obvious it is, and even worse, how see-through your blouse is. You consider putting on your winter coat, but between the warm soup and heated building, that just might melt you.

Great.

Coming to the same conclusion that you have, Sukuna slips out of his suit jacket without thinking, wordlessly handing it over to you. Gratefully taking it from him, your cheeks heat up once more at the sight of his jacket draped over you. You can’t help but giggle at the way it absolutely dwarfs you in size. The sound of your laughter puts the man across from you at ease.

Between how painfully cute you look giggling in his suit jacket and the smile he has to physically fight off at the sight of you adorned in his clothes, Sukuna finds himself able to take a seat, leaning on his elbows with his hands clasped in front of his mouth.

He’d be lying if he said blood wasn’t flowing south too.

A thought crosses his mind. Something that he’s been running from, but he sets it aside. He shouldn’t even be considering the implications behind his heart’s pounding or the smile he finds himself chewing on his own cheek to fight off as he hides behind his hands. What he needs to focus on right now is your well-being.

At least, that’s what he’ll tell himself as he keeps running from that familiar thought. He knows it’s cowardly, but he’s not sure he’s in the right state of mind to face it.

“You alright, princess?” He asks from behind his hands, composing himself.

“Hm? Yeah, don’t worry! It wasn’t hot. Sorry I wasn’t paying attention,” you reply with a small smile, unbothered.

Your friend hums from across the table. “You have an unhealthy relationship with hot liquids.”

Your brow furrows as you hold his jacket around you to prevent the see-through patch from being visible. “Since when?” You can’t recall another time you’ve spilled around him. 

“The oil,” he reminds you.

Your lips purse as you scour your memory, brow shooting up as the image of an employee passing you with a bucket of oil passes through your mind. The feeling of Sukuna’s arm effortlessly holding you off the ground sends an equal amount of heat through your cheeks as the embarrassment of the near-incident itself. “Oh yeah,” you murmur, quickly scowling to deflect his accusation. “That was so long ago!”

“Maybe,” he shrugs, no longer hiding his smirk now that he’s fallen into familiar territory with you. “Ya still needed to be rescued, though,” he pokes fun at you.

Groaning playfully, you give him a light kick to the shin under the table, causing his smirk to shift into a full-on grin as he chuckles at your expense. “You’re such a dick!” You insist.

“Mm, tell me somethin’ I don’t know.”

Rolling your eyes, you return to your ramen, careful not to spill, lest you get teased further.

Though the more you think about it as you catch glimpses of Sukuna’s mild and easy smile as he eats, maybe you wouldn’t mind making a fool of yourself if it means he’s in a good headspace. Especially given the day he’s already had, there’s satisfaction to be found in seeing Sukuna laugh.

The real Sukuna.

The one that makes your stomach flutter and your heart flip.

It hurts in a way that you’re not quite prepared for, a way that’s painfully lonely in spite of being across from the person that you never quite stopped loving.

Bittersweet, you keep the tone light as easy conversation settles between you once more. Even if you hold onto your cautious inhibitions, there’s relaxation to be found in the shared warmth. “Toji told me you used to do a lot of graffiti.”

He scoffs, amused. “Been a while, but yeah.”

“He said you used to tag all the basketball courts you hung out at.”

Humming, Sukuna nods as he slurps up a noodle. “Mhm. Courts, tunnels, n’ old trains.”

“So what did you usually tag things as? Like, your name?”

Sukuna’s content smile falters, a pale pink shade dusting his cheeks. “Somethin’ like that.”

A grin slowly spreads across your lip. “Is it embarrassing?” You ask, leaning in. He glances up at you, pointedly taking another bite to avoid your interrogation. “Come on, it can’t be that bad. You know I named myself ‘Flower’ in Animal Crossing.”

His brow raises. “Weren’t you like five when you played that shit?” He retorts.

“Yeah, but…” you trail off with a shrug. “Come on, please Kuna?”

And when you tilt your head like that, your eyes gleaming like he’s a masterpiece to behold, who is he to say no?

With a drawn out sigh, he pinches the bridge of his nose. “The King,” he murmurs, keeping his eyes shut to avoid your judgement. And for good reason as you fail miserably at fighting your grin.

When you don’t reply, he finally peeks an eye open, regretting it immediately when you break, a fit of giggles taking over.

Clicking his tongue, he rolls his eyes dramatically. “It’s not that bad,” he grumbles.

“It’s not, it’s not!” You insist between giggles, coughing in an effort to cover them as he stares at you in disdain. “It’s just… so you.”

“The fuck does that mean?” He gruffs.

“Just-” you pause, covering your lips as if he won’t be able to tell you’re still struggling not to laugh. “- I don’t know! It’s just exactly what I’d expect from you.”

“Then what’s so funny about it?” He scoffs, glowering across the table.

“Kuna,” you stare at him expectantly, as though he should just know. “Come on, you were- what? Sixteen? When you came up with that, right?” You query, met with a hum of agreement. “It’s just- it’s cute!” You insist as Sukuna continues to scowl at you. “It’s just- funny to picture a little Sukuna who thought he was really cool for that.”

His brow twitches, his hardened expression cracking. Of course Sukuna thought he was cool. He couldn’t just be ‘King’ either, no, he had to be The King. He snorts at the thought, bringing a hand up to cover his face as he chuckles. Your giggles turn into a full blown outburst of laughter that’s even contagious for Sukuna as he finds himself hunched over the table at the thought of a time long past.

Your shared laughter is musical, filling the air with a fondness that’s been missing from your lives for so long you both thought it was lost. Each moment spent basking in it, you find yourself slowly letting your guard down just a little bit more.

“I wish I could have seen one of your tags,” you grin, eyes crinkling at the corners in delight. “I guess it was a long time ago though.”

His tongue runs along his lower lip, teeth digging into the flesh to stop himself from smiling and giving away his secret.

“No way.”

He stares at the wall, his cheeks now painted in a pale rose as he leans on his elbow. His hand muffles his words as he attempts to cover his smile with it. “I think there’s one that’s still there.”

“Sorry, what’s that?” You tease.

Shooting you a knowing look from his peripherals, he makes a show of huffing. “You heard me, princess.”

“Where is it?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he dismisses.

“Come on, please?”

“No,” he grumbles behind his hand, turning to face you finally as if in a challenge.

“I’ll ask Choso.”

His confidence falters as the gears visibly turn in his mind. He actually can’t remember if Choso knows, but there’s a very real possibility that he does. Sukuna wasn’t exactly the model brother and Choso was there for a decent chunk of his time spray painting random alleys and trains. Choso was just happy to be there with his brother, unaware of the criminality of his older brother’s actions.

With a sigh, he drags his hand over his face in defeat. “Y’know the skate park two stops past work?”

“I think so.”

“I figured out how to tag the ceiling under the bridge, it’s probably still there.”

“Oh my god, we have to go after work sometime,” you gasp in delight.

He opens his mouth to say no, but the words die in his throat at the sight of you grinning with stars in your eyes. This is the most normal things have been with you in the past couple of months, and now you’re the one asking to hang out. Not out of pity or to help his brothers. Not for work, or school. Blowing a puff of air from his nose, he relents. “Yeah, alright. If that’s what you want,” he grumbles, though even for all his grumbling, the warm look in his eyes says otherwise.

That same warmth spreads to his chest as you beam at him with a triumphant ‘yesss!’, one hand clutching your spoon as you return to your soup while the other holds his suit jacket over yourself. It drapes over your body like a dress, it's so long. The shoulders of the jacket droop, your form nowhere near as broad as his, yet somehow you make it look intentional. As though his jacket belongs to you and it always has.

His bowl of ramen sits empty as he finds his attention drawn to you. As you finish what’s left of your soup, his mind wanders. The reality he’s been running from seems to draw closer, seeping into the edges of his mind with each passing moment.

But along with it comes a guilt that settles like stones in his stomach.

“You’re still bein’ too nice to me,” he blurts out.

When you meet his gaze with a raised brow, you shake your head. “Is that a bad thing?”

He knows it’s a rhetorical question, your kind way of telling him that you want to be nice, but self-sabotage is his closest friend. “You’ve always been too nice to me. After all the shit I pulled, you’re still-” he just shakes his head, his gaze drawn to the small remaining pool of soup at the bottom of his bowl. In the depths of the dish, he finds his reflection staring back at him once more, distorting each time either of you shuffle or knock the table.

With each distortion of his own picture, he finds himself frowning. It makes him look older, somehow. As though he’s grown weathered and worn. It’s been so long since he lost himself that each glance at a mirror serves as a reminder of the missing pieces of himself, fracturing in the ripples of the soup beneath him.

Maybe that’s why he clings so desperately to you and his brothers. You carry pieces of him that he recognizes, while he’s nothing more than a shadow of what once was.

“Kuna,” you scold lightly as you recognize the look in his eyes, giving his foot a nudge and capturing his sharp gaze. “Stop it.”

You know you don’t need to elaborate, he understands. He knows the multitude of meanings behind your words. The guilt boiling at the pit of his stomach isn’t so easily swayed, though. “Just thought you’d learned your lesson.”

You laugh lightly, humoring him. “Oh, I did,” you affirm. His brow raises, the distance in his eyes clearing just enough to find intrigue in his gaze. “If you’re a dick on purpose again, I’m not sticking around to be treated like that,” you smirk, your tone too warm for the words that slip past your lips.

Amused at both your choice of words and your confidence, Sukuna snorts. “Good,” he hums, shoving his bowl aside in hopes that his dreary thoughts will go along with it. “Keep it that way. The confidence looks good on you, princess.” No matter the circumstances he finds himself in, he knows he wouldn’t- couldn’t- dare to say such outright hurtful things to you again.

Heat rises up your neck like a wildfire, averting your eyes in an effort to fend it off. Luckily, the waitress returns to the table and shields you from Sukuna teasing your shyness as you ask for the bill. She returns a moment later and lets you know to pay at the front.

“Ready?” You hum, bracing your hands on the bench. When Sukuna nods, you push yourself out of the seat, brushing down Sukuna’s suit jacket before handing it back to him with a sweet ‘thank you’ as you throw your winter coat over your stained blouse.

Heading to the front of the shop, you pull out your card as the waitress prepares the keypad, but before you can move a muscle, Sukuna slots his card into the reader.

“Sukuna, what? No-” you reach out in an attempt to pull his card away. “I told you I’d pay. Ah-!” An involuntary squeak leaves you as Sukuna pulls your hand away from his card and uses a strong arm around your shoulders to slot you against him, holding you away from the machine. Even as you claw at his bicep and struggle against him in a fit of giggles and protests to let you go, he effortlessly holds you in place.

It’s such an obvious display of his muscles and you’re painfully sure he can feel the heat radiating from your skin given how close his arm is to your collar and neck. And really, how are you not supposed to think about his stupidly buff arm when the veins are right in your vision?

Asshole.

When he finally releases his grip and you stumble forward, fixing him with a pout, he just smirks at you.

“I was gonna pay!” You insist.

He shrugs. “Ramen won’t break the bank. It’s worth it for you.”

Any protests die in your throat as all you can do is blink at him. Your lips purse, his words settling in your mind.

Had he just said that it’s worth it, you wouldn’t have thought twice about it, it’s the way he specified that it’s worth it for you. Sukuna returns to his business like it’s nothing, tucking his card into his wallet and shoving his hands in his pockets, but it takes you a moment to follow after him as he pushes back out into the cold.

The brisk air hardly even hits you. Sure, it’s gotten a bit warmer, but that’s not what you’re focused on when the intonation behind Sukuna’s words only leaves you shocked, and worse, confused. You know your friendship with him runs deeper than most that he bothers to foster and you hold a place within his life that he’s willing to fight for, but this strikes you in a way that your usual banter and nudges don’t.

It brings you back to the way you’d been stunned when he intertwined your fingers in a way that felt so real.

You remember his rejection all too well, and yet… Now you’re not so sure how he feels. Maybe you’re reading into things too much, maybe this is all part of him earning your trust back, but your racing heart wants to think otherwise.

Maybe it’s all just a sick delusion.

Swallowing hard, you push aside your thoughts as you crawl back into your shell, the sudden realization of something altogether confusing leaving you scared. “Do you need a ride?”

“Nah,” Sukuna replies, the face of stoicism. He digs into his pocket, setting a cigarette between his lips. “Gonna walk to the kids’ school n’ wait. It’ll give me some time to think,” he gruffs, his voice muffled from the cigarette. His lighter clicks as it ignites, the ashen edge of the cigarette glowing like a firefly.

“Sounds good. I’ll see you Tuesday?”

“See ya, princess.”

–

The office is quiet come Tuesday. Even Yuki only stole about ten minutes of your time, mostly to complain about the fact that she’s still not done with Baby Whale, and she’s absolutely sick of it.

And really, who can blame her?

Finishing up your work, you send it over to Yuki for review and approval, met with an immediate pout from her as your email pops up in her inbox right away. With an innocent smile, you’re just about to offer to take something off her plate since you’re a bit ahead of schedule when Maya pings you with a request to come see her.

Excusing yourself, you make your way over to her office with dread twisting your gut.

She likely just has a question, but there’s something stressful about being summoned to your boss’ office no matter the occasion.

Or maybe that’s just how your brain works, finding worries in the least likely of places.

Knocking, you push into Maya’s office with a polite smile, casting a glance to the side at the sight of Sukuna manspreading in a chair across from Maya’s desk with his arms crossed over his chest. Your eyes fall to his forearms, the veins protruding over rippling muscles with his sleeves pushed up. God, he’s distracting.

His aloof stare falls flickers to you before he fixes his attention on Maya again.

“Hey,” she greets, sitting up and clasping her hands professionally. Something about the momentous air in the room doesn’t settle your nerves as she addresses you. “Sorry, Sukuna and I were just finishing up his one-month review,” she explains as she hands him some paperwork. You can’t make out how it went based on either of their expressions. “While I have him here, I figured I’d call you in as well. The client pushed the due date forward on Lee’s Adventure. How far along are the edits and cover? They want them by tomorrow but I don’t want to push either of you,” she explains.

“I finalized the edits this morning, Yuki just needs to review. I can take some of her work to balance her workload,” you offer.

“Gimme an hour and the cover’s done,” Sukuna replies mildly.

“You two are lifesavers, thank you,” she sighs in relief. “I swear, as soon as we finish this, I’m done with this agent,” she grumbles. “Send me the cloud file once it’s uploaded, Sukuna. I’ll wait for Yuki and let her know you’ll take something from her.”

Once dismissed, you stretch your arms overhead as you make your way out into the main office. The moment Sukuna shuts Maya’s door, he turns towards you. “Coffee?”

Huh, you hadn’t even realized he didn’t bring you one today. “Don’t you need to work on the cover?”

“I finished it last night,” he dismisses with a smirk. “Come get coffee with me.”

You can’t help the bubbly laughter that comes with the realization of why he asked for an hour, nodding. You both make pit stops at your offices before making your way out the front door. The snow has mostly cleared and it’s finally warm enough to be in a spring jacket rather than a winter one. With the weather finally easing up, it’s nice to be outside again. No breath billowing out in front of you as your ears and the tips of your fingers freeze, just a light breeze that rustles your hair.

There’s a shop only a couple of blocks from the office that you’ve only tried once when you got to work a bit early that you had enjoyed. It’s not Sukuna’s usual choice, but his order is about as simple as it gets, so surely it can’t be too bad no matter where he goes.

“You go first,” he urges as you arrive, letting you tell the cashier what you’d like. He steps forward and requests a black coffee, playfully shoving you aside in the process because he knows you well enough to know you were about to try to pay.

“You have to let me pay for something,” you groan in mock disdain.

He shrugs, not even offering any words.

Sighing, you shake your head. “Thanks, Kuna.”

He hums in acknowledgement, handing your drink over as it slides across the counter.

Once his arrives, he leads the way to a table and slides down in the chair, taking a sip of his coffee. He sighs at the familiar taste, grateful to finally get some caffeine in his system to keep him awake.

“So, how’d your review go?” You ask, taking slow sips of your warm drink.

“Pretty good,” he nods, glancing off to the side in thought. He seems tired again, though given that you both thought the trial was last Thursday, the kids probably did too, which really would only extend Sukuna’s troubles. “I guess the fucker who thought you were his personal assistant complained, but other than that she seemed pretty happy.”

Shaking your head, you roll your eyes. “Reggie’s the worst. He’s so full of himself.”

Yawning, your friend shrugs again. “Whatever. She didn’t really seem like she cared that he complained.”

“That’s good at least. I don’t think anyone really likes him, so-”

You cut yourself off as Sukuna begins digging in his pocket abruptly, scowling at his vibrating phone as he processes the name on the caller ID.

“Hello?”

From your perspective, he continues to glower at nothing in particular as he listens to whoever’s on the other line. He hums or grunts in reply, though he doesn’t offer much for insight until something seems to catch his attention.

“What?” He growls, hackles raised as he’s suddenly sitting upright. “It shouldn’t be ready for weeks.”

More silence as Sukuna runs a hand through his hair, tousling it. “The f-” he cuts himself off, adjusting his phrasing, “what does it say, anyway?”

You take a sip of your coffee, trying to give him privacy, but it’s hard when you left your phone at the office and have no distraction beyond your surroundings.

He sighs heavily, waving his hand uselessly through the air in exasperation. “Gotta be kidding me, of course it does.”

Huffing as he continues to listen to the caller, his frustrations quickly explode into full-blown fury. “How? You said we shoulda had fuckin’ weeks, how is that fucking possible?” He barks.

Your eyes widen at the sudden change in tone. The tattooed man casts a glance around the cafe before abruptly standing and pushing out the door to continue his conversation outside. Choosing to give him privacy, you stay in your seat, watching with concern as he throws his hands in the air in disbelief from outside the window. It takes a few minutes before he hangs up and dumps his phone into his pocket. He throws his head back, dragging his hands over his face and remaining there for a good minute before swinging the cafe door back open with enough vigor that it meets the wall behind it.

Sukuna plops down in the chair across from you, picking up the coffee he’d left on the table and downing it in one go. Your brow raises as you regard him with concern.

Before you can voice your concern, Sukuna speaks up. “What’re you doing tomorrow morning?” He asks tersely, his gaze fixated on the paper cup in his grasp that he’s struggling not to crush in his own bout of irritation.

“Um-” you hesitate, scouring your mind for anything important. “Just classes, why?”

“The fuckin’ trial’s tomorrow.”

You recoil in horror, eyes wide. “What? How?”

“Fuckin’ Kaori,” he hisses. “Fucking snake put an urgent push on the date and I guess it only needs twenty four hours’ notice,” he growls, the cup in his hand fracturing under the weight of his hold. He sets it down on the table before whatever liquid’s left in the paper cup drips onto his gray slacks. “Can’t believe they’re letting her get away with this shit.”

“Wouldn’t she need, like, evidence or something to make it urgent?” You shake your head quizzically, trying to make sense of the sudden weight placed on Sukuna. It had only been a handful of days since he’d come to terms with the fact that he had more time and now the rug is being pulled out from under him as fast as it had been laid out.

Sukuna shakes his head and shrugs at once. “I don’t fuckin’ know.” His tone is disdainful as he harshly rubs his hands over his face. “She paid for a rush on the house study and it should have been done in a few weeks instead of months, not a few fuckin’ days,” he snaps, not directed at anyone in particular.

“You don’t think…” you trail off, chewing on your lower lip as you bring up something that’s been gnawing at you.

“Yeah, I do fucking think this shit is rigged,” he finishes your thought, pushing a hand through his salmon locks. He exhales heavily, eyes alight. “Fuck, I just told the kids things were okay and now I’m a fucking liar, and she’s fuckin’ cheating somehow, I- I don’t-” his anger and anxiety begin to blur, the lines separating them beginning to converge as his leg bounces beneath the table.

The fire in his eyes is quickly extinguished by fear as he considers what his next twenty four hours will look like.

You can’t watch despair take over without stepping in. Reaching across the table, you offer your hand. “I’ll be there. Class doesn’t matter. What time?”

He turns his attention to you, his eyes flickering between your face and your outstretched hand. “Ten thirty,” he grumbles, cautiously reaching out to squeeze your hand. “Thanks, princess.”

With a sympathetic smile, you nod.

“Shit, I gotta…” he trails off, inhaling sharply. “I gotta get home n’ meet with the lawyer,” he mumbles, his day immediately cut short by none other than Kaori.

Squeezing his hand reassuringly, you capture his attention again. “Do you want some tea or something before you leave?” You offer, recalling how fast he downed his coffee.

Sukuna nods hesitantly. “Another coffee would be nice,” he mumbles, standing before you can move. “I can get it, though.”

“Let me get you this,” you plead as you push to your feet.

He takes a moment to examine the determined gleam in your eyes before giving in. “Sure.”

With a new cup of coffee in hand shortly afterwards, he thanks you quietly as you begin the short and tense walk back to work. The morning had seemed so easy barely a half hour ago, and now you can’t help but think that you took that sensation for granted.

Silence follows you as you let yourselves back into the building, quietly following Sukuna to his office while you stand in the doorway as he begins packing up.

“Don’t forget to send that cover to Maya,” you remind him.

He mutters a curse under his breath, the dark circles under his eyes painfully apparent as he pulls his laptop back out and quickly sends the files over to your boss.

Once he’s finished packing up, his coffee in-hand, you stop him before the door with a hand on his forearm. He regards you with a look that breathes only exhaustion.

“It’ll be okay,” you reassure him.

Despite the swirling anger and anxiety living within the crimson oceans of his irises, something stronger breaks through when he steels himself as he replies. “I know. I won’t let her fuckin’ win.”

You offer a smile, grateful for the resolve that he continues to nurture despite his own doubts. His brothers need him, and he’ll play the role he needs to in order to win the trial, no matter how much he feels as though he’s at his wit’s end. You can only pray he holds himself above water long enough to keep himself from drowning.

“Good luck, Kuna.”

He examines your expression for a moment, simply nodding as he pulls away from your grasp and slips out the front door without a word.

–

Your stomach churns uncomfortably as you stare in the mirror. It’s funny, the way you’d felt so prepared for this day for so long, but now that it’s here, it sits like a molten lava in your stomach. It churns and sears at your insides, unsettling you to your very core. If this is how you’re feeling as a bystander, you can only imagine the way Sukuna’s feeling right now.

They’re not your family, not your brothers, but they’re dear to you. All three of them.

Running your hands down the front of your black pencil skirt, you nod to yourself in the mirror. Fiddling with the sleeve of your (now stain-free) white blouse, you gather your keys and throw on a nice coat and professional plain black heels.

Even the thought of listening to music doesn’t seem right on the drive to the courthouse. Your mind is filled with trepidation, your finger tapping idly at the leather steering wheel as you opt for silence on the way there.

The world around you seems to hold its breath as you step out of your vehicle, your heels landing on fresh pavement. The birds overhead are silent, although a pair of crows eye you from their perch atop a tree. The air is suffocating, and you long for the relief that the end of this hearing will surely bring.

Your gaze falls on the large wooden doors at the front of the familiar stone building with flags at either side. The sheer size alone is imposing enough as is, but the cool and smooth exterior of the monotonous building does no favors to ease your stress. You would almost think they want you to be nervous upon arrival.

Pushing through the doors, you’re reminded that the inside is no better. After making it through security, there are very few windows, the artificial overhead lighting beating down on you as though it’s passing its own judgement. A large reception desk sits at the center of the room, alongside a pair of hallways on either end of the lobby. Evaluating the vaguely familiar room, you find the person you’re searching for fairly easily, his hair standing out in the waiting crowd with Ms. Harte sitting silently beside him.

The click of your heels alerts Sukuna to your presence before you take a seat beside him. He’s dressed to the nines, but you don’t have the luxury of appreciating just how good he looks given the gravity of the situation. When he lifts his head, you find yourself frowning regardless. His eyes are little more than an endless sea of doubts, stress, fears, and misery. There’s a distance glazed over his eyes that suggests he’s not all there right now, hanging on by a thread.

He’s worn so thin that even the sight of you doesn’t ease any of the thoughts running through his mind. He’s gone over the case so many times with his lawyer in the past twenty four hours that he’s not sure he even can be any more prepared, yet he still finds himself feeling vastly underprepared. The short notice in particular claws at the very flesh of his being, as though Kaori is personally taunting him.

“Hey.” Your voice is soft as you offer him a smile, but your nerves are evident in the twitch of your brow. His pupils slide slowly from your face down to your wrist, where he can faintly see the red and purple twine bracelets hidden beneath your semi-translucent sleeve. You may be here in part to support him, which he appreciates more than you could ever know, but he knows the gravity of this situation affects you too, given how much you adore his little brothers.

He almost regrets ever dragging you into this part of his life. The only reason he can even dare to put the word ‘almost’ in that thought is because if he ever dared to express that, you’d chew him out. He thinks he’d let you without so much as batting an eye either, because he needs you.

“Sukuna?” You softly call out to him and his gaze finally raises from your wrist once more to meet your eyes. He examines you for a moment, his finger twitching as he longs to reach out. He longs for the comfort the warmth of your soft skin brings him, but his own self-doubt plagues him down as though he’s wading through mud. He barely has enough strength to keep himself afloat, let alone to dare ask for something.

He knows he’s made leaps and bounds of progress in your relationship over the last few weeks, but as he braves the fog of his mind, he can’t seem to make sense of the lines that separate you anymore. He can’t bear the thought of overstepping.

As is, there’s already a risk he loses his brothers. He can’t lose you, too.

Not again.

Clearing his throat, he gruffly pushes out a reply. “Hey.”

Your brow furrows, “Do you need some water?” You offer, sure you can find somewhere to get him some.

He shakes his head. “Nah. I’m fine.”

You both know well that it’s a lie. Neither of you are fine.

The dejected tone he speaks in doesn’t do him any favors, either. To think this is the same man you met so many months ago almost seems like a joke. Usually so full of pride and bravado, the world has stomped out every last flame that once made up the stubborn brute. He seems almost like a shell of his former self.

It’s strange, when you consider what you’d just told Shoko last week, that Sukuna seems more like himself. The more you think about it, now you’re not so sure. It’s as though his own life is beating him down into a person that you wonder if he even recognizes.

Your heart twists at the thought that somewhere along the line, the man sitting beside you lost himself.

He lost you, he lost himself, and now he’s at risk of losing what’s left of his world.

It only makes you more furious with his step-mother. You don’t see her or her lawyer on this side of the waiting room, and thank god for that. The look of control she always bears makes your skin crawl.

“How are Choso and Yuji?” You keep your voice low as you check in on your friend and his brothers.

Sukuna sighs quietly. “Uraume’s with ‘em. Couldn’t get them to go to school. When I told ‘em what was going on, Choso…” He just shakes his head, rubbing his eyes with a thumb and forefinger.

“He shut down?”

Sukuna hums in thought. “No, I think he’s tryin’ to listen to you.” He shuffles in his seat, sitting up. Tugging at his collar and tie uncomfortably, he cracks his neck. “I just dunno what to do. He’s outside my door tryin’ to talk every few minutes, but I-” With a shrug, he shakes his head again. He knows you get him. He doesn’t need to tell you that he doesn’t have a way with words, you know.

“He just needs you to be there for him. You don’t have to say anything.”

The crimson of his eyes seems to swirl with doubts as he examines you, but he finds it in himself to nod, slumping back in the chair once more.

“How’d the house study turn out?” You query, hoping that will at least help his case.

Shakily sighing, he tilts his head in a ‘so-so’ manner. “No issues with the house,” he states, his gaze fixated on an empty chair in front of him. “But they looked at the kids’ mental health as well, and Yu’s went fine but Cho…” he shakes his head with a sigh, knowing he doesn’t need to spell it out for you. “Good news is they gave us a record of what both kids said and asked ‘em both about me and Kaori.”’

“That should help,” you agree, thankful that even if Choso is too young to testify, at least the kids’ opinions are taken into account to some degree.

“Yeah…” He agrees, though he doesn’t seem to share your optimism, his gaze still painfully distant with the weight of his ambivalence.

Unable to keep his mind on-track for a conversation, he inhales sharply as the tense silence of the courthouse surrounds you both. The closer the time strikes to ten thirty, the more the air seems claustrophobic despite the high ceilings and large, open lobby. With each second that passes, Sukuna finds his leg bouncing quicker, his mind racing faster, and his heart damn-near pounding right out of his chest.

Every muscle in his body is rife with tension, and his chest could implode at any second given the burden that claws at his lungs. He can only sit with his hands clasped in his lap, acting as though the taste in his mouth isn’t so vile that he could wretch.

Quietly drowning, he doesn’t dare to even cast you a glance. As though every mistake he’s ever made with his brothers isn’t already crashing through his mind like a wave, he can’t bear to consider the ones he’s made with you.

But you’ve always been too sweet to him.

In a silent show of support, your fingers glide across the skin of his clasped hands, settling atop them. You run your thumb gently over his knuckles, the warmth of your skin soothing the frigid water that threatens his lungs. The sympathy on your features would frustrate him if you were anyone else, but from you, it doesn’t taste so bitter.

He takes a deep breath, shutting his eyes. His leg gradually stops bouncing as your thumb continues to softly brush his skin. He casts you a grateful glance despite his silence, too afraid of ruining the moment and losing the one thing keeping him sane.

It’s funny, really. Or maybe funny isn’t the right word. But Sukuna remembers a time where nothing scared him. He remembers being the type of kid who would dive headfirst into a fist fight with someone bigger than him just because they bumped into him.

He’d even gotten off lucky once when he’d thrown a punch at some rich kid tattling on him for skateboarding in a park where it was prohibited, but he’d narrowly missed and slammed his fist into the wall. Why is that lucky? Because the money Jin had to spend fixing Sukuna’s fist is nothing compared to the money he could have spent on a worthless lawsuit. That was also one of the first times Sukuna had ever experienced the true shame in being at the center of Jin’s disappointment.

It’s also the single moment in his life that decided that he would call Kaori rather than Jin when he was arrested.

But Sukuna’s world has flipped on its head, and that’s not who he is anymore. He doesn’t have the luxury of throwing reckless punches at the wall.

He needs to be better, for his brothers. He wants to be better and build a world where they can have what Sukuna couldn’t.

He casts you a glance. You’re part of that world, too, though he struggles to identify what role it is that you play.

“Case number 2493, Sukuna versus Itadori.”

Sukuna’s head whips up to face a man in a full suit standing at the edge of the waiting area with a woman dressed equally as pristinely at his side. He recognizes them as the bailiff and court clerk, ready to lead the way to the family courtroom and staring expectantly at the waiting crowd.

Ms. Harte gets to her feet, leading the way with a confident gait. She greets the court clerk and bailiff with a professional smile while waiting on Sukuna who’s much slower to get to his feet. He pulls his hands away from you, brushing his suit down and adjusting his tie. He loosens it slightly, but the choking feeling he’s experiencing isn’t the tie at all.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, he glances back over the chair as though he might be forgetting something, before following after the lawyer. Although your nerves are more subtle than Sukuna’s, you find yourself following his lead, brushing down your outfit as though your presence has any bearing on the case.

From the opposite side of the waiting room comes Kaori in a flawlessly fitted suit and pencil skirt with a new obvious display of wealth sparkling in the overhead light as it dangles from her neck with matching earrings to boot. Her confidence is picturesque with not a single hair out of place. Her lawyer, Mr. Cahn, stands as proudly as ever beside her in a navy suit, equally as prepared as she seems.

You’ve only seen her once before, for such a brief period of time as she drove Sukuna through hoops in an effort to take her children from him, and yet were this not a courthouse, you would have words for her. Choice words. You didn’t know back then the lengths she was willing to go through to ruin Sukuna’s life, and now you can only wonder what more is in store.

You’re not one to raise your voice, nor start fights, but she’s caused so much needless pain and suffering to those three brothers, that you find yourself wanting a fight. You can only imagine how Sukuna feels about her as you catch a glimpse of the daggers he’s sending her way.

She’s lucky his lawyer warned him to stay on the judge’s good side this time around.

In your mind, she’s the textbook definition of a monster, so her kind and somewhat sympathetic smile cast in Sukuna’s direction as she approaches immediately strikes you as fake. Much like every other nicety she’s thrown his way over the past week.

Sukuna’s hands ball into fists at his sides as the clerk ushers your parties to a courtroom simply labeled as ‘four’. The clerk pushes his way into the small room, helping both parties get situated at separate tables before the judge’s bench as he and the bailiff take their own seats.

The room is smaller than what you’ve seen in the movies. There’s very little room to move around and apart from the flags that hang at the door, the small room is painted only in dull and somewhat dark tones of cream and walnut. There’s still no windows, the sterile overhead lights being the only source of light and painfully so. The artificial feeling of the room does no favors for your nerves.

The clerk leads you to the small section of gallery seating behind Sukuna as the only viewer of the case, though you suppose that family law likely doesn’t get many spectators, so it figures that you’re alone. Still, the uncomfortable chair doesn’t add any layer of comfort.

Both lawyers quietly discuss the case with their clients while awaiting the arrival of the judge. Ms. Harte emphasizes courtroom rules to Sukuna before quickly going over the points she expects Kaori to use given the documents that had been provided by the opposing lawyer during their latest disclosure of evidence and the case conference last week. Among the evidence is a variety of photos, school records, and much to Sukuna’s dismay, evidence of every transgression plaguing his troubled childhood.

Every. Single. One.

His lawyer had assured him she didn’t see this being an issue given how old most of the documents are, but he’s still little more than a hulking mass of tension, while the opposing party on the opposite side of the room is the picture of confidence. That serves to make you more nervous, but Sukuna’s been the kids’ guardian for so long that there’s no way he can lose.

The door to the courtroom creaks open as a tall man in a gray suit enters the room. As Sukuna recognizes that the trial is about to begin, he inhales deeply, casting aside as many of his doubts as he can to present himself as one thing: determined.

For a moment, you even think you see a glimpse of the confident bravado Sukuna once wore back when you first met. It may be a mask he wears to keep up the appearance of his resolve, but a sliver of that mask bears a resemblance to the Sukuna you recognize.

He can do this.

The bailiff stands at the entrance to the room, straightening as she presents the judge. “Please rise. The Honorable Judge Martinez is now presiding.”

The judge runs a hand through his graying hair, which seems as though it may have been black once, as he takes a seat at the head of the room. His calm and authoritative emerald eyes slide across the room, taking in the scene before him and lingering a moment too long on Sukuna for your comfort. You can only hope he isn’t judging Sukuna’s ability to parent his brothers by his appearance.

That presumes anything but a fair trial, and given that Sukuna already suspects some sort of foul play on Kaori’s end, that doesn’t bode well for him.

Everything about this experience seems to differ from your expectations, as though everything you’ve seen in movies and TV isn’t quite right. Or maybe that only applies to family court, you can’t be sure.

The judge pulls a pair of glasses from his pocket, setting them on the bridge of his nose as he reads a brief summary of the case before him. As he wasn’t present during the case conference, all evidence will be new to him, which works in Sukuna’s favor as well given his outburst towards Kaori.

“Please be seated,” comes the bailiff’s instructions. Crossing your legs, you bite your lip as the hearing begins.

Judge Martinez addresses the room.  “The court is now in session. We are here to address case 2493, Itadori versus Sukuna, for custody over the children Choso Itadori and Yuji Itadori. This is in regards to social file number 34785-98. I will be directing this case myself.”

Sukuna’s stomach flips in dread. Coming up on four years of taking care of them on his own and it all led to this. He wants to spew curses at his step-mother, to chew her up and spit her out wounded and bleeding, but he doesn’t dare break his calm facade. As far as anyone in this room needs to know, he’s a picturesque guardian to his brothers.

“Ms. Itadori, as the applicant in this case, we will open with your counsel’s statement.”

Kaori’s lawyer rises, bowing to the judge. He runs a hand through his well-kempt beard before beginning. “Thank you, Your Honor. My name is Richard Cahn and I will be representing the applicant, Ms. Kaori Itadori. My client is applying for full custody of these children as the biological mother of Yuji Itadori and Choso Itadori. Due to unfortunate circumstances regarding her health, Ms. Itadori was unable to care for the children after the passing of her husband, Jin Itadori, however she has since fully recovered and is now capable of providing for the children.” Her lawyer pauses, casting a glance at Sukuna, who keeps his eyes straight ahead in an effort not to break. “We acknowledge the important role Mr. Sukuna has played in their lives as their half-brother, however his actions have demonstrated that he is still young and not fit to take care of two children at this time.”

Judge Martinez nods in acknowledgement to the opposing party, motioning to Ms. Harte on Sukuna’s side. “I would like to hear from the counsel for the respondent.”

Sukuna’s lawyer stands, and you’re grateful for her confidence, because you’re struggling to share it. At least Sukuna is keeping up his confidence. Ms. Harte introduces herself in the same manner as Mr. Cahn, before beginning her statement.

“Your Honor, my client, Mr. Ryomen Sukuna, is the older half-brother of Yuji Itadori and Choso Itadori and they have been in his legal care for the past three and a half years. Mr. Sukuna has raised them since Mr. Itadori fell ill and you will find that he has successfully provided stability, a safe home, and a positive environment for them over the years. While we acknowledge Ms. Itadori’s blood-relation to the children, they have shown an overall preference for their older brother, and I would like to ask that you consider what is in their best interest for this case.”

The judge nods upon hearing both opening statements. He scans the legal paperwork beneath his hands before rattling off a series of legal rules to the room. He goes over the procedures for the hearing, making a point that he would not like either party interrupting, and that he will direct the conversation. He explains that he will begin with the applicant, to have the respondent act as such- a responder.

After ensuring his instructions are clear, he allows the bailiff to call the first witness to the stand, Kaori herself. Sukuna had inquired about having you be a witness, but his attorney advised against it as your relationship with one another wasn’t set in stone or easy to describe and could serve as a detriment against an opposition like Kaori. As such, both parties had disclosed that their only witnesses would be the two guardians themselves.

There’s no witness stand for Kaori to move to in the small family courtroom, so she simply gets to her feet. Politely clasping her hands, she takes a vow to tell the truth, swearing herself in, and bows to the judge.

With Kaori now prepared to answer questions, her lawyer rounds the table to stand closer to the judge as he presents himself to the grander room. “Ms. Itadori, please explain the reasoning behind your inability to take guardianship of your children upon your husband’s passing.”

With a nod, Kaori smiles politely. “When my husband passed away, I had recently taken a job overseas to help provide for our family. It was a difficult decision to leave, however I felt it was for the best to prepare for our future. I was made aware that my husband was sick after my departure and we spoke daily, however I didn’t receive any notice that he had passed away for quite some time. I tried to reach out, but never heard back.”

Sukuna’s nails dig into his palms beneath the table at the blatant lie, but he does everything he can to keep his expression neutral. At the end of the day it’s her word against his, he can’t afford to tarnish the judge’s view of him.

“I had booked a flight back when I didn’t hear back after a couple of days, but I became quite ill out of nowhere. Um-” She pauses, her mask of confidence slipping for just a moment as she glances down at the table before her. “Here are my medical records and the flight ticket receipts.”

Her lawyer takes the documents, presenting them to the judge, who lays the paperwork out before him. He scans them briefly, motioning with his hand. “Please continue.”

“Thank you, Your Honor. I only recovered late last year, otherwise I would have started this process much earlier. I love my children and I regret missing such a large portion of their lives.”

Mr. Cahn nods in approval at her testimony. “Please testify to the statement made that Mr. Sukuna is unfit for guardianship.”

Kaori nods, clearing her throat. “Of course. My step-son didn’t reach out when my husband passed away, and I was distraught to find that he had taken custody of my own children after learning of my husband’s passing. I helped raise Mr. Sukuna since he was nine years old, but he always caused problems. I have school records as evidence of his poor grades and misdemeanors.”

Her lawyer passes the documents along to the judge as she continues

“And here’s a photo Ryomen took with my son Choso which shows him trespassing in a train yard committing property damage. Not only is this inappropriate behaviour, but my son is very impressionable and this unacceptable.” She clasps her hands in front of herself, keeping up her responsible and caring appearance. “How is Mr. Sukuna meant to be trusted as a guardian, when he has demonstrated his poor abilities to care for my children as a babysitter?”

Sukuna’s mask of neutrality begins to break as he’s just about ready to pull his own hair out. A fucking selfie from when he was sixteen. Come the fuck on. Although he’s already seen all of her evidence, it’s hard not to be irritated with the woman when she’d held onto his records all these years later. He’s certain she did it for no other reason than to hold them over his head if she ever needed to.

“I’m aware these are older, however I don’t believe his behavior has changed. Before serving him with this case, I was going to talk to him about discussing this in a more civil manner, however I didn’t feel safe leaving my kids with him when I found him smoking outside of his apartment with someone while my kids were alone upstairs.”

Sukuna shuffles in his seat, but he can’t recall whatever Kaori is talking about. It’s not like he would have left them for long, he was right outside. If he were to guess, he was likely with Uraume if he was smoking with someone and it was before the lawsuit. It probably wasn’t you.

Kaori glances back down over the evidence on the table in front of her. “I would also like to bring attention to Mr. Sukuna’s employment. His lawyer provided us with his records, and he was working two jobs, while also attending college. This is irresponsible for my children’s well-being and wouldn’t allow him any time to be home with them. He would need to leave them in the care of other people, or even alone, rather than being with them himself.”

The worst part about this trial for Sukuna as he’s forced to sit in silence, is not being able to scream from the top of his lungs that at least he was there at all. Kaori can claim she was sick all she would like and Sukuna can’t refute that, but he sees through it.

“For those reasons, I would like to suggest that full custody is returned to me, as their mother. My husband and I have prepared rooms for both boys and we have the money and time to provide for them.”

Sukuna’s head whips towards Kaori, scanning her left hand. Sure enough, a rock as extravagant as the necklace she’s flaunting sits around her ring finger. Husband? Since when? That hadn’t been in any of the documents that had been provided to Sukuna and Ms. Harte. How had she had the time to get married if she was supposedly so sick?

He swallows hard, staring at the table in front of him. Surely the judge can see the holes in her logic just as Sukuna can.

Does she really just hate Sukuna that much that she can’t bear the thought of having a conversation with him to solve this?

That’s a useless thought, though. After everything that’s happened with her, Sukuna wouldn’t have handed over custody. It’s not what his brothers want, and he can see now more than ever that this isn’t in their best interest. He’s been trying to convince himself for months now that he’s a good guardian, but for the first time it’s glaringly obvious. Kaori is lying through her teeth, even after taking an oath, but Sukuna can’t refute any of her lies, he has no proof of anything.

Every word from Kaori is coldly calculated to take Sukuna down and his gut twists with each lie she tells.

He can’t figure out for the life of him what her angle is, either. What does she want them for? She clearly didn’t want them to begin with, so what the hell changed?

And worse still are Sukuna’s fears that Kaori is somehow manipulating the outcome of the trial. He needs to put his faith in the system, but it’s not easy when he has to watch her lie so outlandishly with such confidence, only to receive a nod from the judge.

Before her lawyer can speak, Kaori chimes in one last time, tilting her head towards Sukuna as she feigns motherly love for her step-son. “I appreciate everything Mr. Sukuna has done for my children, however he’s young, he has no support, and he has no experience raising children. Mr. Sukuna has always struggled with his emotions, as documented by his school records, and I don’t believe he can provide the emotional support my children require, particularly Choso.”

Emotional support. There it is. It always comes back to that, doesn’t it? Like she knows just how to hit him where it hurts.

The weight on Sukuna’s chest bears down harder on him as she points out his shortcomings. He knows. He knows. Fuck, he knows. But it’s still better than what she can offer. It takes every ounce of Sukuna’s concentration to keep reminding himself of that. He won’t deny that he’s young and inexperienced in raising children. He won’t deny that he was horribly ill-prepared at first.

But he was there. He wasn’t perfect, he still isn’t. But he was there and that has to count for something.

“Ms. Itadori, can you comment on the urgency of this case?” Mr. Cahn pushes.

“Absolutely. We pushed for a rush of the house study due to my concerns for my oldest son’s mental well-being which that study confirmed, however upon being on the receiving end of my step-son’s behavioral issues last week during and following the case conference, I felt that it was important to place an urgent rush on this trial.” She grimaces as though this is some sort of grave and unfortunate ordeal for her.

Her lawyer nods in approval once again, all lines from both people in their party clearly rehearsed to a T. “That is all, Your Honor.”

The judge motions to Ms. Harte accordingly. “Thank you, Ms. Itadori. I would like to invite the respondent’s attorney to cross-examine the witness.”

Ms. Harte stands, confidently rounding the tables. Her heels click across the hardwood floor as she finds a place before Kaori. “Ms. Itadori,” she begins, “you claim that my client did not reach out upon your husband’s death, can you comment on the records that I provided your party detailing his efforts to reach out?”

“May I see these records?” The judge chimes in.

“Of course, Your Honor,” Ms. Harte agrees, handing over the paperwork.

“I do see here that Ryomen reached out, however none of my contact information here is right. I had moved recently and swapped to company-owned devices when I received a promotion at my job,” Kaori confidently explains. Her drawl carries an air of arrogance, as though nothing could possibly break her air-tight testimony.

“How could that be? Why would your step-son not have your proper contact information?”

“As I mentioned previously, Ryomen has a record of delinquency and I didn’t feel it was appropriate to step in and police how my husband chose to parent him,” she explains with ease. “We communicated very rarely after I left, and I didn’t have his number on-hand to reach out when Jin wasn’t replying.”

Sukuna’s lawyer pushes further. “Can you still say that you helped to raise Mr. Sukuna and know him well if you weren’t willing to step in as a parent?”

Kaori nods. “I did everything I could to appeal to Ryomen. I was there for every holiday, I took him to his driver’s test, and would take him shopping. My husband and I decided it was for the best that I tried to only create good memories with him since he wasn’t fond of me for a while. I believe for a while, he saw me as a threat to the attention he received from his father.”

Ms. Harte doesn’t so much as stutter as she continues to question Kaori. “If you weren’t willing to step in with Mr. Sukuna, why should the court believe you’ll do so with Choso and Yuji Itadori?”

“Those are my children. I’m comfortable parenting them how I believe is best, and I know their needs well.” she attests, her form straightening. “My children need their mother.”

Ms. Harte shakes her head. “Can you say that you know their needs well when the house study details not only that neither child remembers you, but also that their preference is for my client’s guardianship?”

The judge flips through the documents submitted to the court laid out in front of him, nodding in acknowledgement once he’s skimmed the children’s statements.

Yet Kaori always seems prepared. “I acknowledge that they were both young when I took a position overseas, and I have reason to believe that the preference towards Ryomen that they have stated is purely for that reason. Given the opportunity, I know they would thrive in my care,” she states confidently. “They’ve only chosen Mr. Sukuna as they don’t know what it means to be outside of his care.”

Sukuna’s lawyer mentally resets as Kaori rebounds easily. Addressing the room as a whole as she continues. “In addition, I would like to request that the documents provided by the applying party regarding my client’s educational misdemeanors be disregarded, as nothing is dated within the last four years.”

The judge regards Sukuna quietly for a moment before nodding. “Sustained.”

Ms. Harte bows politely. “Thank you, Your Honor. Additionally, I would like to ask that claims of Mr. Sukuna being seen outside of his apartment are disregarded as hearsay, as my client does not recall this.”

“Objection, Your Honor!” Kaori’s lawyer speaks up, taking a stand. “I would like to ask that the court considers that a guardianship case is primarily hearsay, especially in circumstances where the children are too young to testify. Would Mr. Sukuna’s claim that he doesn’t recall this moment not be equally considered hearsay?”

The judge takes a moment to consider this, before clasping his hands together. “I agree. Your request is overruled,” he addresses Ms. Harte. Sukuna rolls his shoulders in his seat, crossing his arms to mask his irritation.

It’s not like there haven’t been small wins and pushes in Sukuna’s favor, but the cards seem to fall ever in Kaori’s favor, no matter how hard Ms. Harte and Sukuna fight.

“Very well, Your Honor,” Ms. Harte relents, clearly frustrated by this outcome. “In any case, I would like to ask that Ms. Itadori provides further information on this claim.”

“Of course,” Kaori smiles easily. “I arrived from overseas on September 4th, and went to visit my step-son on the sixth in the evening, which is when I witnessed him smoking with someone.”

“Do you have any evidence the children were home at the time?” Ms. Harte queries.

Kaori hesitates for a moment, the first crack in her confidence that sends a wave of relief through both you and Sukuna. “No, but I have no reason to believe they were somewhere else either.”

Ms. Harte nods, moving along. “You mentioned that you and your husband will be able to provide for the children. If you were unable to reach your phone due to illness, when did you have time to be married after your husband Jin’s passing while ill?”

Kaori cracks once more, hesitation crossing her features for the briefest of moments. “We met prior to Jin’s passing, and he supported me through my grief and sickness. Our ceremony was days before I returned to see my children in September and our honeymoon has yet to happen. Everything has happened very quickly,” she explains.

Sukuna sits upright in his seat, blinking at the realization that while she may not have admitted it, there’s no fucking way she didn’t cheat on Jin. Again. Sukuna grits his teeth hard, the pressure in his jaw tightening until he’s physically holding back a snarl. Sukuna can live with the ways she wronged him, but to smite Jin in his final days? He wants nothing more than to put her in her place.

But all he can do is sit in silence while Ms. Harte moves along, Kaori’s response is too sound to question further. “Ms. Itadori, you claim that Mr. Sukuna’s work schedule wouldn’t give him much time to be with the kids, however as outlined in the documents provided to your lawyer, you can see that Sukuna has recently taken a new position to allow himself more time with them.”

Kaori shoots a glance at the paperwork in front of her, nodding. “I see that, however his resume doesn’t give me confidence that he’s able to keep that job. He doesn’t seem to hold onto anything for much longer than a year, and that same document says that he recently dropped out of college.”

Unperturbed, Sukuna’s lawyer presses. “He put the children first over his own desires. Does that not show a dedication to these kids?”

Kaori considers this for a moment, casting a glance at her lawyer, though he nods confidently as though they’ve gone over the possibility of this coming up. You wonder if she’s even speaking in her own words, or if everything is a premeditated response, practiced. “It does, however I’m concerned for his ability to provide for my sons if he’s unable to hold a job or schooling. By dropping out, he’s also limited his career options,” she points out. “He doesn’t seem to have the qualifications for his current position, either.”

Sukuna stiffens at the mention of college, his leg inadvertently bouncing again under the table. He’s not sure if it ever stopped shaking, really, or if he’s just now noticing it again.

“There are more ways than just school to climb within the workforce nowadays, Ms. Itadori. Additionally, my client has proven more than capable of providing for the children financially by any means necessary. He’s shown his willingness and dedication to them through his actions,and has never once been unable to pay rent, keep food on the table. I do hope that the court will consider that money isn’t everything.” She turns to face the judge, politely bowing. “That is all, Your Honor.”

Ms. Harte returns to her seat beside Sukuna, where he’s waiting with white knuckles as he braces himself on the arms of his chair, preparing to testify.

The bailiff thanks Kaori, willing her to sit. She then turns her attention to Sukuna, giving him the opportunity to testify as well.

Sukuna turns to his lawyer briefly for assurance, before he pushes to his feet. Rolling his shoulders and smoothing down his suit, he takes the same oath of truthfulness as Kaori. He prays that neither the judge, nor the opposing party can hear the shaky breath he takes before Ms. Harte pushes him to begin his statement.

“Your Honor, Ms Harte,” Sukuna addresses the judge and his lawyer as he begins, hesitantly shifting from foot to foot as he stares down at his hands. Clearing his throat, his chest remains tight, his voice low as he speaks. “I- uh- I’ve been taking care of my brothers since my dad died. I got us an apartment, started workin’ and have letters from my employers to show my work ethic,” he pauses to hand these to his lawyer, “and I found a babysitter my brothers like.”

Sukuna’s gaze shifts up to the judge as the letters are passed along, straightening as he feels the scrutinizing glares of his step-mother and her lawyer in his peripherals. His own voice sounds unfamiliar to him as he tries to match the formal tone of the courtroom.

“I taught myself how to cook their favorite foods, I read to ‘em,” he wracks his brain for more details. “Learned how to change diapers, and I make sure they stay in school.” He sighs quietly as he scowls down at the table before him in thought. Every hardship and distant memory of the difficulty of teaching oneself to take care of children seems to weigh him down as he recounts each and every way he taught himself to step up.

He may have been forced into this life, but in every lifetime he’d do it over again if it means his brothers are happy.

Steeling himself, he fixes the judge with a determined gaze. “I stepped up. I did what I had to when I couldn’t reach their mom, and I’m still here. My little brothers are happy, they got food on the table, a roof over their heads, n’ they’re in school with friends. I’ll do anything for my brothers, and I’ve always been there for them, even when their mother wasn’t, no matter how much that affected them.” Sukuna finishes his statement, making a point of dragging down Kaori without being disrespectful in an effort to make a point about Kaori’s disingenuity.

Turning his expectant stare towards Kaori and her lawyer, he keeps his head up and gaze certain. The minute shake in his hands is well-hidden by the determination that keeps him looking at ease.

There was a time where his confidence wouldn’t be so thinly veiled. Shit, if he was testifying on any other subject, he’s sure he would be the picture of confidence itself, unperturbed by the goings on around him. It’s dejecting to know that he’s been reduced to a shadow of his former self by the very same woman who Sukuna knows openly rejected her own children’s calls.

The woman who wouldn’t step up and be a mother to him is now the woman tearing him down through legal means rather than having a conversation.

She’s selfish.

She’s a coward and an asshole and it pisses Sukuna off to no end to know what he’s become because of her. He hardly recognizes himself.

It’s strange. The person he sees in the reflection of the judge’s glasses doesn’t feel like him. He’s accustomed to the dark circles and pale reflection he sees, but the anxiety and doubt that cloud his vision taints his perspective of himself.

Sukuna is confident. He’s sure of himself. He’s brash, bold, and egotistical. He’s a hothead and a bit too quick on the draw to jump to conclusions. He’s smart, cunning, and hard-working, but under all those layers is a man who cares very much about those dear to him.

But the man who stares back at him is scared. In fact, he can’t see any of the qualities that seem to make him Sukuna aside from a set of tattoos that his father sighed at when he saw them.

He considers for a moment your presence behind him as well, and the version of himself he’s trying to be. He strives to be better. For you, for his brothers, and even for himself.

But the real difference between his step-mother and you is that you still want the version of Sukuna you saw before his step-mother tore him to shreds. You still want his confidence, his boldness, even his ego. You like his sharp-tongue and cunning remarks, and you’re willing to work through his emotions with him when he gets a little bit too impetuous for his own good. You’re even willing to help him through the unfamiliar territory that amounts to what he’s become after Kaori’s meddling.

You only ever ask him to treat you with the respect you give him. You want him to be himself, while being conscious of others.

Ms. Harte nods, shooting Sukuna a kind smile of reassurance before falling easily back into her role. “Thank you, Mr. Sukuna. Can you provide further information on how you reached out to Ms. Itadori upon your father’s passing?”

Sukuna swallows the lump in his throat at the mention of a time he still can hardly bear to think about without guilt, shame, and grief washing over him. “Yeah. Got her number from Jin’s phone and tried his and my phone to call her, I had lawyers calling and writing, we sent letters from Choso and I, and emails to any contacts I could find.”

“Did your lawyers attempt any other method of contact?”

Sukuna nods. “Yeah, they pulled a-” he pauses, brow furrowing in thought. “A land title, I think, to try to find her new address, but nothing came up.”

Ms. Harte nods. “Thank you. Can you confirm you had no knowledge of Ms. Itadori’s illness prior to this case?”

“I didn’t,” Sukuna gruffs in confirmation, shooting a glare at Kaori as he still doesn’t believe her for a second.

“Can you attest to your connection with the children?”

Sukuna nods slowly. “Choso n’ I have been through a lot and I’ll always be there for him. I taught him how to cook and he wants to be a chef when he grows up, he even wants to take classes when he’s older,” Sukuna explains, inhaling sharply. “I’ve been there for all of Yuji’s firsts. First words, first steps, that was all me. He’s like my own kid n’ I know how to raise him and what he needs just fine.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sukuna. Can you speak to your work ethic, please?”

“Mhm,” he hums, taking a moment to mentally reset. “I worked two jobs ‘til I was able to find one that pays well enough for less hours. I did what needed to be done while I got my footing and now I’m stable and spend almost every night with my brothers.”

“Do you believe that having a babysitter affected your ability to care for your brothers?” Ms. Harte queries.

Sukuna’s thankful for this portion of the questioning, as this is all rehearsed. “No. They like their babysitter a lot and I still spend all my free time with ‘em.”

Whether he’s talking about you or the kind woman across the hall you can’t be entirely certain, but you get the feeling it’s you. Even in the midst of the stressful trial, you find a minute smile pulling at the corners of your lips at the thought.

“Can you speak to the matter documented in the case conference last week in which Ms. Itadori states that you lashed out?”

Sukuna shuts his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath to keep himself composed. “It’s been an emotional time, I don’t want to lose the kids.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sukuna. No further questions,” Ms. Harte nods, bowing to the judge as she takes a seat. With Mr. Cahn taking her place, Sukuna feels a chill run up his spine at his hardened disposition.

“Mr. Sukuna, would you not agree that it’s important for the kids to have a motherly figure in their life?”

Sukuna’s jaw tightens. “They have lots of good influences in their life other than their mother.”

“Do you believe you’re one of them?”

Sukuna’s eyes narrow slightly as he blows a breath out through his nose. If he weren’t in a courtroom, he’d have choice words for the man in the navy suit. “I do.”

Mr. Cahn presses harder, sensing Sukuna’s mounting frustration. “Would you not consider your nicotine addiction to be a detriment to the children’s health and your ability to uphold a positive influence in their lives?”

It takes everything in him to keep his tone neutral as he replies. “I don’t smoke around the kids.”

Unfortunately, Sukuna doesn’t realize the angle that he gives the man across from him. “So you admit that what Ms. Itadori saw when she intended to visit her children could be a possibility?”

Sukuna’s brow furrows, casting a glance at his lawyer who shoots him a signal to simply tell the truth, whatever he believes that to be. “I usually smoke on the balcony. I don’t like leaving my brothers alone,” he decides after a moment, swallowing the lump in his throat.

Kaori’s lawyer examines his expression as though reading him like a book, moving along. “You claim that you had to teach yourself to cook for them and learn their preferences, were you aware of the needs of children when you became their guardian?”

Sukuna shifts. His patience for this man is on thin ice. As is, he hates that he’s sharing his life with a group of strangers, his step-mother included, but to be grilled over his decisions and abilities is downright insulting. He may be a shadow of his former self, but he’s competent and he won’t let Kaori take that away from him.

“I looked after Choso when my dad was still around, so I knew a bit. I had some growing to do when I took over, but I figured sh- things out,” he replies, crossing his bulky arms over his chest.

“But wouldn’t you agree that their mother is better suited for the position of their guardian? Her ability to care for them is borne into her instincts as a mother.”

“No,” Sukuna replies immediately, his lip curling as he snarls his response. Momentarily forgetting to hold his tongue, he barks angrily, “maybe if she ever reached out or tried to be a mother to them I’d change my mind, but she was gone for four years without a word.”

“Mr. Sukuna,” the bailiff warns in an authoritative voice.

Sukuna shoots the bailiff a sharp glare, physically biting his tongue to prevent himself from speaking out.

“Mr. Sukuna, I’d like to remind you of my client’s illness. She was bedridden for a majority of the years you speak of, unable to even sit up, let alone use a phone. On top of that, she spoke to her husband and Choso weekly at a minimum before Mr. Itadori passed. She attempted to call his phone, but you never picked up.”

Sukuna mutters an inaudible ‘whatever’ under his breath, fixing the lawyer with his harsh stare. Of course he didn’t pick up the unknown numbers calling his dad’s phone while he was grieving. That was the last thing he needed.

Chewing on your lip, you pray Sukuna can keep his frustrations under control. Given Kaori’s urgency to push the trial forward and her statements against his attitude, you can only guess he’s hurting his argument.

“Moving along, how do you balance your full-time position with taking care of the children?”

“I work while they’re in school,” he answers easily.

“And do you make enough to support them with that position alone?”

Sukuna nods slowly, lacking total conviction. “I pick up the occasional shift at an autoshop if I need to, but it’s enough.”

“And would you not agree that this allows you less time to ensure that the children are taken care of and that their needs are met?”

“Their needs,” Sukuna barely keeps his tone neutral, his teeth grit. “Are met. They have a good babysitter who they love. They’re happy.”

Ms. Harte casts a glance up at him, her expression unreadable. The judge may keep a straight face through the conversation, however you can practically see the way he’s passing silent discernment over the burly man each time he struggles to keep himself in check.

“Mr. Sukuna, a house study took place last week, correct?”

“Yeah.”

“Detailed in the documents provided to the court,” he gestures towards the broader room, “it mentions that Choso Itadori is not only quiet, but seems as though he’s struggling emotionally. Have you been unable to meet his emotional needs?”

Sukuna swallows hard.

Time after time after time, it always seems to come back to the ways in which Sukuna has failed Choso. As though his own guilt isn’t enough, even those around him seem desperate to choke his failures out of him.

How the fuck is he meant to answer? ‘No, I haven’t been able to’? What good will that do him? How the hell is he intended to deflect the question without lying, the one thing his lawyer drilled into his head over the past couple of months?

Sukuna purses his lips, searching desperately for anything to appease a court. He’d been specifically advised against mentioning you due to your complicated relationship, could he take credit for the ways you’d gotten his little brother to come out of his shell?

Unfortunately for him, Kaori’s lawyer is a vulture waiting to strike. He takes Sukuna’s drawn out silence as his opportunity to address the judge. “Mr. Sukuna does not possess the emotional maturity to provide for such young children. I would like to advise the court to consider Choso Itadori’s mental well-being and struggles when making decisions on their guardianship,” he advises without so much as a stutter.

Kaori’s lawyer takes a pause, staring down Sukuna as the older man feels he’s beginning to wear through Sukuna’s shell.

Clearing his throat, he addresses the judge once more. “While I recognize that Choso’s statement reads that he’s particularly fond of Sukuna’s care, I also want to point out that he’s young and impressionable. He has no frame of reference for any other care and it’s important to take into account the fact that he’s suffering under his current care.”

If he hadn’t already been shushed by the bailiff, Sukuna would have burst. He would have thrown down every way that Kaori failed not only his brothers in the past four years, but all the ways she’d failed him growing up.

He wants to lash out, scream about the school events he only attended to make his dad proud, only for neither of them to show up because she was too busy getting her nails done and forcing Jin to wait. He want to lay out the way she forgot about him at Toji’s place, instead opting to take Choso to a movie, or the way she chose not to attend his high school graduation in favor of a girls’ day with her friends.

It was one of the very last events his father ever got to attend before Sukuna became little more than his father’s personal ambulance as the brutish kid was forced to watch his father deteriorate- alone. Whatever energy Jin could muster was used up on taking care of Choso and Yuji in order to alleviate Sukuna of the duty.

If only Jin could see what had become of his family now.

Sukuna seethes with rage at the thought.

All these years and he’s never once thought to try to get his father’s phone records, bills, anything to prove that Jin wasn’t consistently speaking with Kaori. He’d never considered needing to keep receipts or records that would prove that the woman sitting on the opposite end of the courtroom from him isn’t what she claims.

But now every last detail of their lives is nothing more than hearsay. His word against hers.

It’s the word of an exhausted and scared older brother, against the formal documentation of an overly confident mother and her disgustingly expensive lawyer.

His hands ball into fists at his side as he flashes a snarl at the opposing lawyer. “I’m perfectly capable of providing for them. Including mentally,” he retorts, strained as he finally finds some form of footing.

“Your Honor, I would like to call an additional witness to the stand,” Kaori’s lawyer speaks up as though taking Sukuna’s words as an invitation to speak.

“Objection, Your Honor!” Ms. Harte roars as both her and Sukuna tense. “There were no additional witnesses previously disclosed to my client, we haven’t had the opportunity to prepare.”

Judge Martinez adjusts his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “Can the counsel for the applying party provide some insight on why this witness was not previously disclosed to the respondent?”

“Your Honor, we were only made aware of concerns of Choso Itadori’s mental health upon receiving the house study, which we received yesterday morning. Upon review, we felt it was necessary to contact Choso’s school for further analysis of his mental health. We only received word back last night that his teacher would be able to testify.”

You can only sit and watch, your mouth agape in horror, as the judge replies. “Objection overruled. Given the short notice, I understand that there was no time to disclose the witness, so I will allow them to testify. I will allow a small break after the testimony to give the respondent time to prepare for the cross-examination.”

Sukuna’s rage may as well manifest in the form of smoke blowing out of his ears with how furious he clearly is. He takes a seat with a drawn out, frustrated sigh as he begrudgingly holds his tongue.

You want to cry out that this is Kaori’s fault to begin with, that Choso wasn’t always like this. You want to shake her by her shirt collar that probably costs more than your entire car and blame her for everything that’s happened to this poor family, but one word from you will surely have you thrown out of the room. The most you can do is shoot Sukuna a reassuring look when he casts a fearful glance at you.

Whether it eases him or not, you can’t tell.

The court is hushed, murmurs between each lawyer and their clients are the only thing that can be heard as the bailiff retrieves the newest witness. You recognize Choso’s teacher, who likely has no real idea what’s going on, and thinks this is what’s best for the little boy, as she makes her way to the side of the opposing party’s table. Her brown hair is done up in curls, her long skirt pleated from where she sat as she awaited her part in the trial.

The bailiff has her introduce herself as Ms. Donovan, Choso’s teacher of several years due to the shifts in the school system, and she takes an oath to tell the truth, before she’s allowed to give her testimony. Mr. Cahn pushes for her to give a broad statement.

She doesn’t seem entirely comfortable in the courtroom setting as she begins. “Choso Itadori has been a part of my class for the past few years, and I currently teach him with a class of twenty three other students. I’ve known him for about five years, and he’s been an absolute pleasure. He’s bright, and he seems to enjoy learning.”

Your heart warms as she praises him, however you dread the ‘but’ that you know comes next.

“However, I’m concerned for his well-being. He got really quiet out of the blue about four years ago, though I’m aware that’s when his father passed away. He came out of his shell bit by bit and began to excel in science and math, and made some good friends, but a couple of months ago, it happened again.”

She adjusts her blouse, sending a sympathetic glance at Sukuna, though he only feels betrayed. Of course, she doesn’t know the mess she’s entered into, but what the hell is he meant to do in response to this? He can only pray his lawyer is as good as Hiromi had mentioned.

No, he knows she’s good. He really needs to pray that the judge didn’t have his mind made up from the beginning. While real trials differ greatly from the scenes he’s accustomed to on television, one thing stands the same between both.

The system is flawed and favors the rich. It favors those with power, and if Sukuna’s being honest, he doesn’t know a damn thing about the capacity of Kaori’s wealth. She always brought money to the relationship with Jin that she worked for, but everything seems different now, and she covered her tracks well. Sukuna hadn’t been able to track down any information on her online despite the status she clearly has.

“I don’t think I’ve heard Choso say a word in the past couple of months,” Ms. Donovan continues. He doesn’t seem to pay attention anymore and his grades are slipping. I know he’s young and he has time, but I’m more concerned for his mental health. On top of that, his attendance was perfect until recently. There have been a couple of weeks this year where he hasn’t shown up at all,” she adds with a frown.

Fuck. That was meant to be a positive break for the kids, and now it’s ammunition against Sukuna’s own case.

“Lastly, Mr. Sukuna has been late to pick them up on multiple occasions. He’s usually only a few minutes late at most, however there was an occasion where he didn’t show up at all.”

“Thank you for addressing your concerns, Ms. Donovan. No further questions.” Kaori’s lawyer takes a seat with an overly pleased look on his face.

The judge leans back in his seat as he addresses the court room. “I’ll allow twenty minutes for discussion and break, before we resume.”

Ms. Harte sighs, running her hands over her face as she faces Sukuna. You can’t hear her words from the viewing area, though you can feel her exasperation.

“That certainly puts a wrench in our argument,” she sighs, tapping the table. “But we still have an angle. Choso’s behavior changed when he became aware of the lawsuit, correct?”

Sukuna, desperate for a break, a cigarette, anything, grunts. “Yeah.”

“Right. We use that, and advise that Kaori’s interference in the childrens’ lives is what’s negatively affecting his health,” she nods, remaining confident. Though Sukuna doesn’t share the same confidence as his mood shifts and fear dwells in the corner of his mind, he agrees with a small nod, putting his faith in her.

You can only shuffle uncomfortably in your seat as Sukuna and Ms. Harte prepare for the cross-examination. Their murmurs are the only sounds filling the silence that clings to your lungs like water, drowning you in uncertainty.

Casting a glance at Kaori, you can’t help but notice the way she confidently crosses her arms over her chest as she discusses details with her own lawyer with a goddamn smile. You wonder if the judge sees through her innocent and sweet grins just as you do, but you fear that hope is misplaced.

Just as you’re sure Ms. Harte and Sukuna suspect something, you can’t help but wonder if there’s manipulation of sorts going on behind the scenes. Everything feels skewed and even if the balance of the court is only off-kilter by a couple of degrees, it’s enough to catch your attention. But what can you do? There’s no way to prove your theory.

While you can understand the judge’s decision to allow an additional witness, something about the whole situation seems to play into the idea that something is wrong and the system is failing before your very eyes.

What’s Kaori’s angle here, anyway? You can understand being sick, but the details don’t add up given what you know about her. But that’s just it, she has an excuse for everything. It’s as though this is nothing more than a routine. Hell, even Ms. Donovan speaks with a practiced air of confidence that makes you wonder if her speech was equally as fake as Kaori’s. Her argument is painfully air-tight.

Is that all this is to Kaori, a game? Are her own children pawns in some scheme you can’t put your finger on? If her love for them is as fake as her love for Sukuna clearly is, then what does she gain out of this?

You can only hope to never be sure as the court returns and the bailiff announces that the hearing is back in session, allowing Sukuna’s counsel to begin the cross-examination.

“Ms. Donovan, good morning,” Ms. Harte stands, greeting the young woman. She returns the lawyer’s greeting with a genuinely sweet smile. “Can you confirm when Choso Itadori’s behaviour took a turn for the worst again?”

Chewing on her lip, the teacher takes a moment to consider the question. “It was early in January. The first week, I believe.”

“Thank you. Can you confirm that the change in his behaviour has been similar to how it was around four years ago?”

The teacher nods. “That’s right.”

“Your Honor, Choso Itadori’s mental health has taken a turn at two pivotal moments in his life. The first is when his father passed away, which coincides with a time where the child thought his mother had chosen not to return. Much like my client, he had no way of knowing his mother was ill,” she points out, pacing somewhat closer to Sukuna. “The first week of January is when Mr. Sukuna informed the children of this trial. He is raising them to be mature and responsible and did not believe that keeping information from them was wise. They’re smart children,” Ms. Harte points out.

Sukuna breathes out a sigh of relief at how strong of an argument his lawyer makes in his favor.

“I would like to advise the court to take into consideration how a revelation of that gravity would affect a child. Each time that my client chose to keep the children back from school was in order to preserve their mental health. While school is important and Mr. Sukuna is well-aware of this himself, he puts an emphasis on taking breaks when necessary and teaching the children to manage their mental health.”

Turning to face the judge, Ms. Harte stands confidently in the center of the room.

“Ms. Itadori herself is responsible for Choso’s declining mental health, whether it was her intention or not,” she claims, leaving the possibility open-ended so as not to make accusations she can’t back up. “Mr. Sukuna has proven he is capable of nurturing Choso’s mental well-being, as detailed by Ms. Donovan. She confirmed that the child’s attitude improved over the months following his father’s passing, a time when only Sukuna was present in their lives. My client cares a great deal about the children and would not allow their health to deteriorate without taking the appropriate steps to care for them.” She bows. “No further questions.”

Judge Martinez directs his attention to the applicant party. “Does the counsel have any further questions?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” Mr. Cahn adjusts his tie as he pushes to his feet. “Ms. Donovan, does the school offer the children any tools to manage their mental health?”

The teacher nods slowly. “We offer a limited range of programs to assist, but Choso hasn’t been receptive to anything.”

“Can you confirm whether the faculty has made any suggestions to Sukuna in order to manage Choso’s mental health?” Mr. Cahn pushes.

With a hum of thought, she clasps her hands as she replies. “When Choso’s grades began slipping, we suggested it may be worth having him evaluated by a mental health professional. I’m not sure if that happened.”

Sukuna stares at his hand as his grip on the arm of his seat tightens. He’d forgotten about that. She had mentioned it, but the thought had burrowed itself into the deep recesses of his mind and quite simply disappeared. He’d had so much on his mind, he’d figured he had time.

Constricting around his lungs, his guilt slices and claws into him once more, dragging the breath from his lungs.

“Thank you. Has Mr. Sukuna ever mentioned his reason for being late on multiple occasions?”

Ms. Donovan shakes her head, shrugging. “I don’t recall, sorry.”

“Not a problem,” Mr. Cahn moves along. “Have you witnessed Mr. Sukuna smoking around the children?”

“On occasion,” she replies without hesitation. “Never on school property, but usually right before class ends.” Sukuna grits his teeth. What bullshit that twenty minutes prior to class ending supposedly counts as smoking around his brothers.

“Thank you,” Kaori’s lawyer nods his head calmly. “One final question.”

“Do you have any reason to believe that Mr. Sukuna could be a negative influence on Choso Itadori?”

Ms. Donovan casts a glance at Sukuna. She seems to consider the question seriously. “I don’t think he’s a driving negative force in Choso’s life,” she replies. Sukuna breathes out a sigh of relief a moment too soon as the teacher continues, “however, I think Choso would benefit greatly from more guided care. In the six years that I’ve been teaching, I’ve never seen a child as withdrawn as he’s become, and he shows no signs of improving.”

“Can you describe his behavior?”

Fiddling with her skirt, Ms. Donovan nods. “Of course. Choso seems to look right through everyone, and often when I think he’s paying attention, it’s not until I address him that he seems to tune in to what I’m saying.” She swallows, shaking her head as she continues. “He turns in homework without issue, but any in-class work goes unfinished. His tests don’t have any rhyme or reason behind what he writes or what options he chooses in multiple choice and he doesn’t show his work, either. I don’t think he’s reading the tests at all.”

Sukuna’s brow furrows as his shortcomings are laid bare for him. He knew Choso’s grades were slipping, but the homework he’d been doing seemed fine whenever Sukuna looked it over. Sure, Ms. Donovan had advised him that she’d like to meet, but he’d pushed her worries away given the gravity of the upcoming trial. He’d been under the impression that he would win, and everything would be fixed.

It’s not that he didn’t heed the teacher’s warning that Choso needed help, but he thought he understood what was going on with his little brother. He wasn’t aware just how deep the roots extended into the little boy’s life.

Failure after failure after failure.

How many times would he need to fail Choso before he learned his lesson?

He’s always known school is important, there’s a reason it took Sukuna so long to give up on college, but he didn’t realize just how much Choso’s behavior in school painted a picture of how Sukuna is as a parent.

The room feels claustrophobic as Sukuna continues to listen to the witness.

“At recess, he’s completely closed himself off from the other students. He eats alone in the classroom and won’t respond to me if I try to engage with him in conversation. He’s always been quiet, but he had a good group of friends. They’ve all expressed their worries to me, as well.”

He stopped talking to his friends? Shit, why is Sukuna even surprised? The kid stopped talking to his brothers. Still, his heart drops.

“On a couple of occasions that he did leave the class- which is rare-” she continues, “I caught a couple of children bullying him. I don’t tolerate that, and have punished them appropriately, but this is new as far as I’m aware. His behavior seems to be making him a target for teasing.”

Sukuna’s shoulders drop to his sides as he stares across the room in wide-eyed disbelief. Choso was being…? Why had he never mentioned it?

Of course Sukuna wants to do right by Yuji, but he carries a deep conviction to do right by Choso. The eldest of his little brothers may not look like him, but Choso is a very obvious product of Sukuna’s shortcomings.

He just didn’t realize how obvious.

Sukuna struggles to remember the last time Choso even smiled. His heart twists as the image he conjures in his mind of his little brother is adorned with a frown and eyes that speak of unspoken battles that Sukuna’s incapable of helping him through.

There was a time, so far into the past now that the tattooed man hardly remembers it anymore, where Choso was much closer in personality to Yuji than to Sukuna. He’d always been a bit more on the calm side than his youngest brother, but he was filled with a genuine curiosity for the world, his eyes so filled with light.

He can’t say for sure when that light dulled and eventually flickered out.

Sukuna’s not sure he ever really came to terms with the fact that at the root of this issue, he became a father at eighteen.

A father.

He’s not sure he really understands the meaning behind the term, in truth. He can’t be sure where the line falls between brother and father, unable to clearly define the roles. The brother in him wants to teach the kids bullying his little brother a lesson. The father in him, whatever part of him that is, is lost. What do you do when the kid you’ve raised is being bullied?

What’s Sukuna meant to do? There’s no handbook for this.

Would Kaori know how to deal with this?

Would Jin have known?

He wonders if Jin’s watching this unfold somewhere on the other side. If he’s as torn up about his fractured family as Sukuna is. How would he feel to know his oldest son dropped out of college and has amounted to nothing more than another bill on an expensive lawyer’s docket?

Sukuna’s guilt towards Jin is misplaced, though, when Choso is sitting back at home. He thinks his remorse regarding his mistakes with Choso set in before he ever really realized what role he’d been forced into playing. It lingered deep in the recesses of his mind, back when he still grappled heavily with his grief, but it wasn’t until he’d processed his situation that he realized just how fucked he’d been.

Choso was so young. Sukuna was so young. Eighteen is old enough to legally be a guardian, but not to drink. What kind of sick law is that? To have that responsibility thrust upon him with no other options left Sukuna as a horribly bitter man suffocating from the weight of the pressure. Rather than asking for help, he chose to drown his brother in his sorrows, to bring them both down.

But could you even call it a choice he made when the reality is that they were both just kids?

There’s no guide for this sort of shit. No YouTube videos, no ‘For Dummies’ book.

What would that even be called? ‘How to Become a Father to Your Little Brothers for Dummies’?

How many times would he need to remind himself that he acted so childish back then because he was a child? Hell, sometimes he thinks he still is. The weight of his immaturity bears down on him harshly when he remembers forgetting to pay taxes just a couple of years ago because March and April were never tax season to him.

They were the beginning of skateboarding season, of paint sticking to walls and basketball with Toji.

Only, Toji wasn’t there anymore.

He just forgot to pay.

The worst memory he carries with him from that time is one that keeps him up at night. Worse than when he snapped at Choso when Kaori didn’t reply, and worse than relying on a kid to help him make it through a house study.

He remembers staring at Choso with resentment, seeing only Kaori in his features. He remembers the discussions with lawyers quickly turning into arguments. Choso was always on the sidelines, listening in. Sukuna had no real regard for him at the time, too caught up in his own issues. He recalls yelling about how he didn’t ask for any of the responsibility, he didn’t ask to be looking after his brothers like this.

“I don’t want them, or any of this shit!”

His words echo in his mind, burrowing themselves into his very being like a parasite.

He shuts his eyes briefly. If only Choso could see him now. See how much this really means to Sukuna. Just once, he wants to do right by his little brother. He can’t erase the past, but he can make up for it with a better future. He can show Choso that his misgivings in the past were a product of the misdirected anger of a delinquent child.

Like every other time he’s stumbled through life and learned as he went, he’ll figure things out this time too. He’ll scare off the bullies with a glare as Choso’s brother, and let Choso know to tell him if it happens again as his parent.

He’ll figure it the fuck out.

He faces straight ahead, his face hardened with resolve.

“Ms. Donovan, did you make Mr. Sukuna aware of the bullying?”

She hesitates, casting a glance in his direction. “This development is recent and I haven’t had the opportunity to, no.”

“Would you say it’s safe to assume that Mr. Sukuna isn’t aware of what goes on with Choso at school?”

She hesitates once more, her face falling as she watches Sukuna from her peripherals. “... Yes.”

“Can you confirm whether or not you’ve attempted to get his attention around your concerns with Choso?”

She nods again. “Yes, I have.”

Sukuna’s resolve shatters before it has the chance to flourish. Even Choso’s teacher thinks Sukuna’s failing.

As much as he wants to say he stands on equal footing with Kaori, fear crawls up his spine and grips him by the throat.

Is he losing?

He can’t lose, by all accounts he’s been there, he’s the living and breathing proof of what it means to care for someone. It doesn’t matter how many mistakes he’s made, he’s still learning. Maybe he is young, maybe he is inexperienced, maybe Choso needs more help than Sukuna’s been giving him, but he can figure that shit out.

It’s true that Sukuna didn’t ask for this responsibility. He didn’t want it. But he’ll fight for it. He’ll fiercely protect the family he recognizes now as the most important part of his life. The people who each hold pieces of him and make him who he is. Choso, and Yuji. His eyes trail back slowly to you, seated on the edge of your chair.

You look gorgeous. Even with your brow furrowed in concern and fear that mirrors his own, you look flawless. You hold a piece of him, too. A piece that he can’t bear to live without, for fear that he might completely fall apart.

He wants to scream from the top of his lungs that every person here is a damn fool if they believe any of Kaori’s words. He wants to list every single misdemeanor that she did that he could never tell his dad about. Yet, every single time he tries to lead the conversation in the direction that Kaori isn’t all she seems, they have some sort of concrete proof or evidence to say otherwise.

It’s fucked, and all Sukuna can do now is pray to whatever god will listen. His heart is in this and that should be what matters, because Kaori’s isn’t. If it’s obvious to him, it’s obvious to the judge. He has to cast aside his concerns of outside manipulation of the judge, because this is all he has.

“No further questions, Your Honor.”

As the bailiff dismisses the final witness, the courtroom becomes deathly silent. It penetrates through Sukuna like a banshee, ringing loudly in his ears. As closing arguments finally begin and Mr. Cahn rises, his words are a blur to Sukuna. His, Ms. Harte’s. They’re all the same, reiterating the points they’ve gone over already and emphasizing the importance of this case. Mr. Cahn makes a point that there’s a reason a rush was placed on this case, as Choso can only be put through so much, but Ms. Harte easily refutes that once this case is over, Choso will find his footing in the world once more.

As Judge Martinez requests a moment to consider his notes before delivering a decision, the silence bears down further on Sukuna from all sides. It threatens to suffocate him, clawing at his insides as the taste of iron floods his mouth when he bites down on his tongue a bit too hard.

He’s kept his fears so well-masked over the course of the past hour that his body seems to burst as he feels his hands physically shivering in his lap. It’s not cold in the room, if anything the sweat rolling down his jaw from his temple should spell out just how warm the room really is. 

He’d spent so many days preparing for this moment, so many hours on the phone with telecommunications companies for phone logs, putting in extra work to get letters from his employers, and pulling files out from the darkest depths of closets to prove anything.

Had this been a couple of years ago, he’s not even sure if he could have managed to get the files. Not because he wouldn’t have cared or wanted to, but because the sight of his father’s obituary tucked among all his bills would have sent Sukuna spiralling. He’s come so far over the past few years, he can’t let it be for nothing.

How had it come to this, in the first place?

When would karma come for Kaori like it had so often haunted Sukuna?

His attention snaps to the judge as the man addresses the room again. “I have carefully read through all of the provided evidence. After considering this and the testimonies from witnesses of both parties, I have reached a decision that I believe is in the best interest of the children and their mental well-being.”

Their mental well-being? Sukuna’s heart drops. No.

“I would like to start by acknowledging how much love is clearly being put on display for these children. I can very clearly see that both parties care greatly for them. My greatest consideration today will be to ensure the long-standing welfare of the children and ensure they have what they need in order to flourish int he future.”

On the edge of his seat, Sukuna clings to the table with white knuckles. This can’t happen. He has to interrupt.

“With that in mind, the decision I have made today is one that I feel will allow the children to heal from any prior transgressions. Concerns on both sides have been noted, and I believe both parties today will be able to understand where my decision is coming from.”

Sukuna’s gaze whips towards Ms. Harte, whose expression is grave. She knows too. He has to say something. He has to-

“The applicant, as the biological mother of Choso and Yuji Itadori will be granted sole guardianship. While I understand the applicant placed a rush on this trial, I do not believe that Mr. Sukuna places the children in any immediate danger and as both their half-brother and prior guardian, he will retain visitation rights. To allow the children a safe and easy transition, this will be effective as of Monday next week.”

“No! She doesn’t fucking care!” Sukuna barks in a desperate plea, losing control as he finally stands.

The bailiff stands immediately. “Mr. Sukuna! Order, please,” she requests, matching his fervor with confidence.

With venomous intent, he opens his mouth, but Ms. Harte places a hand on his forearm to catch his attention. “Please sit, Sukuna. I’ll work through this with you.”

Surely she has cause for a retrial or an appeal or something, right? He has to put his belief in her and her abilities right now, because it might damn be all he has left.

As he takes a seat, his vision closes in on him. White from all edges, he shuts his eyes and rubs harshly at them. The ringing in his ears is overbearing, his throat closing up on him as he struggles to sit still.

The trial continues on without him as Ms. Harte makes decisions on his behalf for the handover of the children on Monday morning. Sukuna can’t make out a single word being said. It’s nothing more than jumbled and broken letters, gibberish in his mind.

He feared this outcome so heavily, yet it never seemed like it could be a possibility. What happened here that Kaori had gotten away with so much deception? Where had these supposed hospital records come from?

What kind of dumbass is this judge? Did Kaori pay him?

On paper, the case was always tough, but the more evidence he pulled up, the more it leaned in his favor. Yet with each piece of evidence he compiled, Kaori had something up her sleeve to throw the balance off.

Would he spend a lifetime wondering what went wrong?

Kaori would never let him visit no matter his rights, would he not see Choso for six years? Would it be thirteen years before he sees Yuji again? Surely not, his lawyer has to figure something out. He’ll drain every penny he has to make it happen. He can’t let this happen.

He can’t fail Choso again.

And yet, he already has.

You sniffle from behind Sukuna, though he doesn’t move, he doesn’t seem to hear it. You want just as badly as he surely does to reverse the decision, to fight more, fight harder if you can, but it’s to no avail. You’re at a complete and utter loss. Your head feels horribly light as the decision truly sets in.

The bailiff adjourns the court, advising an exit of the room.

Wiping tears from your eyes and inhaling sharply, you cling tightly to the bracelets that round your wrist, forced to watch in horror as Sukuna stands abruptly, stumbling out of his chair with the scraping of wood across the floor. He clutches at his chest, anger ablaze in his eyes as he slams out the door while Ms. Harte attempts to reach out to him.

Your lips part as you call after Sukuna as well, but he’s gone before it ever reaches him. Whether he’s going to throw his unsuspecting lighter into another wall or to gasp for air out in the cool morning, you can’t say for sure, but one thing’s for certain.

It took Kaori only one hour and twenty four minutes to rip whatever remained of your dear friend to pieces.

Another tear rolls down your cheek and you find yourself choking back a sob as you hide your face on the way out.

main masterlist || series masterlist || previous chapter || next chapter

❦ a/n ; forgive me :')

trust, i promise this series will have a happy ending <33 i'm a sucker for angst though and you guys are subject to my whims 🙂‍↕️ LMAO anyway regardless of the angst and devastation, i really hope everyone is still enjoying the series! ty all for sticking with me, there's still much more to come! i never could have anticipated how long this series would be but i'm super grateful to be able to share it with you all

shoutout again to all the lovely and amazing people who helped me with the legal drama as well, it's been a huge help! if you see any legal process errors, no you didn't ;)

❦ taglist ; OPEN. please comment here or on the masterlist if you would like to be tagged. age MUST be easily visible on your blog.

@yenayaps @kunascutie @aiicpansion @fushitoru @gojoscumslut

@hellish4ever @cuntyji @theonlyhonoredone @catobsessedlady @timetoletmyimaginationfly

@clp-84 @coffee-and-geto @candyluvsboba @favvkiki @gojodickbig

@spindyl @ohmykwonsoonyoung @kyo-kyo1 @officialholyagua @jeonwiixard

@ieathairs @cinnamxnangel @nessca153 @aerareads @after-laughter-come-tears

@tillaboo @thepassionatereader @erencvlt @v1sque @a-girl-with-thoughts

@lauuriiiz @blueemochii @paradisestarfishh @erenxh @call-me-doll8811

@toulouse365 @dabieater @janrcrosssing @satsattoru @moonchhu

@privthemis @captainsarcasmandsass @ryomeowie @vitoshi @kunasthiast

@axxk17 @toratsue @bluestbleu @yuji-itadori-fave @totallygyomeiswife

writing & format © starmapz. art © 3-aem. dividers © adornedwithlight & cafekitsune

[diary-of-a-loser-boy]

PJO characters as dumb things me and my friends ( bonus one with my parents ) have said part two

Will: what's your type?

Nico: you

Will:

Will: that's sweet but I meant blood type

-

Percy: oh fuck I'm blue now

Percy: but like actually blue

Percy: like a smurf

Percy: being sad's for idiots lmao

-

Leo: everyone hates me lol

Jason: what am I??? like???

-

Nico: and Axl Rose's real name wasn't Axl Rose

Percy: *crying* STOP

-

Will: easiest way to come out to people is tell them that you listen to coldplay

-

Nico: Im gonna fugging krill myself

Annabeth: krill????

Nico: isn't that like a fish or smth

-

Piper: *knocking on Leo's door* WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE

Leo: uh shit uh erm uh

Leo: *moans loudly*

-

Will: *joking* we should makeout

Nico: I really wanna

Will: what

Nico: ...

Nico: did I say that out loud

-

Piper: *sobbing* why are penises so ugly

-

Annabeth: math is weirdly calming to me sometimes ngl

Annabeth: *flips page over to read massive paragraphs of words*

Annabeth: *bursts into tears*

-

Will: I just had to help hatch a baby chick

Will:

Will: I'm waiting for applause it was so gross

-

Will: if you drink the water I'll give you a forehead smooch

Nico: *glances at water, thinking*

Nico: nah you wanna give me one anyway

Will: gods dammit

-

Rachel: *GASP* MY SKETCHBOOK

Rachel: MY BABY

Rachel: *kisses it*

-

Hazel: ugh I want someone to fuck me

Hazel: hahah jk that shit's nasty

-

Piper: yeah I've noticed after watching you for a bit that you smile whenever Nico messages

Will: aww that's so swee-

Will: wait why are you watching me

Piper: *stares into his soul*

-

Nico: I miss you

Nico: *replies an hour later* that was a moment of weakness fuck you

-

Will: what if I say "darling" in a seductive voice

Nico: no

Will: u sure?

Nico: I ahdiamdveip dnsjhbksahcblaiwcbjsd-

-

Will: like at first I wanted to be you but then I realized that there's a diffrence between wanting to "be you" and wanting to "be on you"

-

Percy: I'm depressed

Percy: ...

Percy: WAIT I HAVE COOKIES NVM

-

Will: wtf are hickeys??

Will: I'm an experimental learner btw

-

Leo: omg guys look the guitar strings made my finger darker

Leo: *looks at finger* do you like watermelon, sir?

Will: you are so close to being hit in the head

-

Frank: *points* haha you've been fingered

Hazel:

Hazel: love... no

-

Thalia: OMG IM GONNA BE BREATHING THE SAME AIR AS RYAN GULDEMOND

Reyna: technically you already are

Thalia: *passes out*

-

Octavian: ugh I'm so single

Nico: *sighs* me too

Nico:

Nico: WAIT I CANT SAY THAT ANYMORE

Nico: FUCK YEEEEEEEEAH *smashes table*

-

Annabeth: what's ur favourite animal I'm gonna buy you something

Percy: shark but don't waste your money

Annabeth: but my parents told me to spend it on something important

Percy:

Percy: *cries*

-

Will: I'm autism!!

Will: *turns to Nico, wiggle eyebrows* I could be in you

Nico: tism rizz????

-

Frank: I love these drama videos

Reyna: *massive bags under her eyes* why do you want more drama wtf

-

Jason: honestly scared to sit on the edges of chairs at my trans boyfriend's house

-

Percy: *over text* jason are you gay for me

Jason:

Jason:

Jason:

Jason: no gtg

Percy: he's hiding something

-

Piper: don't mean to be heterophobic but why is straight porn so gross

Nico: agreed gay porn is much better

Piper: IM SORRY WHAT

-

Percy: are there any not cool lesbians

Reyna: I mean they probably exsist

Annabeth: no

-

Leo: *sighs sadly* cock and ball torture

-

Will: guys I learnt how to play my favourite song on guitar *starts playing good lookin by dixon dallas*

-

Leo: *playing adopt me*

Leo: chat chat guess what I'm on acid

Percy: KARMA'S A BITCH

Percy: I SHOULDA KNOWN BETTER

Leo: wait since when do you play adopt me

Percy:

-

Reyna: yk those yummy smelling shampoos

Nico: yea

Reyna: well I went to walmart and thought I found some and started smelling it but this lady was giving me weird looks

Nico: oh?

Reyna: yeah

Reyna: so uh

Reyna: it was lube

-

Will: hey bbg *winks*

Nico: I will slam you down and makeout with you right now

-

Percy: hi

Jason: hi

*leaves swirl around them*

-

Leo: don't mind me just massaging my clit

-

Leo: NICO GET UR GYAT OVER HERE

Nico: WHAT????

Leo: *points* HOMOSEXUAL TENDANCIES

Nico: WHAT DID U SAY

Leo: HOMOSEXUAL TENDANCIES

Nico: OH

Nico: I HEARD SEXUAL TENDANCIES

-

Leo: *singing* coked up dick sucking hoe?

Jason: *walks in*

Jason:

Leo: oh haiiii

-

Leo: how does it feel to be Draco Malfoy

Jason: idk how does it feel to be tweek

Leo: idk pretty good

-

Reyna: you don't deserve it

Percy: yeah I do

Percy: I've been a good boy

Percy:

Percy: jesus I just turned myself on wtf

-

Leo: *in sad voice* I'm a cheeseburger

Jason: a sexy little cheeseburger

-

Will: *gets text from Nico*

Annabeth: SIMP

Will: ???

Annabeth: YOU SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPP *has siezure*

-

Will: darling

Nico: *throws phone, screams into pillow, face red* I hate that man

anyway part three will cum ( pun intended )

thanks to @crowwolf8 @justagremlinoncaffeine @localcosplaymushroom @secret-mewtwo and my om and dad for being inspiring an shit

[weirdgenetic-fuckup]

Can you do a smut where Axl Rose slaps readers butt as a joke or something but she moans when he does it?

A/n: I originally got this ask while I was at school and a teacher saw this notification I think

Warnings: smut, spanking, fingering (f receiving), if you think I missed anything let me know otherwise enjoy!

Masterlist

Axl come home from a six month long tour and was exhausted. His sleep schedule was totally fucked up which led to him waking up at absurd hours and falling asleep at worse hours.

You were brushing your teeth, just getting ready for bed. Axl was trying to get his sleep schedule back in order so he'd been trying to stay awake for as long as possible, at least until you got into bed with him.

Axl came in, dark bags under his eyes. "Hey, beautiful." He mumbled with a tired smile as he came over to you. You smiled back at him, though it was weird with the toothbrush in your mouth.

He wrapped his arms around you, his eyes struggling to stay open as he waited for you to finish brushing your teeth.

He chuckled lowly, a smile playing at his lips. He was clearly thinking of something.

You spat in the sink. "What is it?" You asked. Axl shook his head.

"Nothing, don't worry about it, I'll see you in bed." He said and turned to walk away. Before he actually did he landed a harsh smack to your ass.

You jumped a bit but nothing could've had you miss the noise that came out of you. Axl froze in his spot and stared at you, suddenly not so tired. "What was that?" He asked, his deep voice coming with such a teasing tone it had a heat pooling between your legs.

You waved him off. "Nothing, go to bed." Your face was burning a bright red as you spoke. You washed the toothpaste out of your mouth, Axl standing nearby, holding a bright smile on his face.

When you were done you went straight to the closet to find something to wear to sleep in. Axl came up behind you, wrapping his arms around you once more. "That wasn't nothing and you know it." You didn't respond and just kept looking through your clothes.

Axl's hands moved to your hips, giving them a quick squeeze before moving under your shirt. You hummed softly as his hands moved to cup your chest. "You liked that, didn't you?"

You huffed and gave up on looking for clothes. You took your shirt off while Axl unclipped your bra. He groped your body, fumbling with the fly on your jeans as he kissed down your neck drawing more needier sounds from you.

"Hah, fuck, Axl." Your voice was airy, your eyes closed as the gingers hand slid into your undone pants.

"Don't worry, I'll make you feel good." He hummed as he slid your pants down along with your panties. His fingers toyed with your clit while his other arm held you up, close to his chest.

Your legs kept wanting to close around his hand so he slapped your ass again, drawing another moan from you. “Spread your legs, can’t fuck you right if you keep ‘em closed.” He mumbled in your ear.

You tried harder to keep your legs spread, though it was hard when Axl’s slender fingers slid into you. With how long you and Axl have been together he knew just what you liked, he knew what spots had you begging for more and he made a point to hit them over and over again.

He slid another finger into you and your knees buckled. Axl slapped your ass again. “Can’t even follow simple instructions.” He tsked, another spread palm coming down on your ass. “How sad, huh?” And another.

“Fuck! Do it again.” You whined, shaking your ass for him. Axl seemed to shine at the idea as he pulled his hard cock out of his shorts and lined himself up with you.

“Wish I’d found out about this sooner.” He said, groaning as he pushed into you. You bent over the dresser in the closet, giving Axl a better view of your ass.

Axl was never one for sweet and slow as he soon set a harsh pace that had your body bouncing up and down on the cold wood dresser. Your moans echoed off the walls, though they were muffled by the clothes.

Axl’s hand kept coming down on the plush flesh of your ass, leaving bright red marks sure to stay as bruises. His other hand gripped your hip, making it easier for him to slam his hips into yours.

“Hah, m’gonna cum, fuck, m’gonna cum!” You moaned as Axl spanked you again.

“Yeah? You’re gonna cum on my dick?” He asked, giving your cheek a rub to ease the stinging. You nodded, reaching down to play with yourself. Axl smirked as he leaned over you, kissing your neck and shoulders.

“Fuck, Axl, ‘m so close.” You whined, body already shaking. Axl grunted in your ear, you could feel his body leaning against you more.

You were about to ask if he wanted to stop so he could sleep but he drew you out of your thoughts with another harsh hand on your ass.

You could feel him pulsing inside of you, his deep grunts falling right into your ears as he came. Feeling his hot cum hitting your gummy walls had your eyes rolling back.

Axl held onto you tightly, slowly falling to his knees and bringing you with him. You sat in his lap, leaning against him and kissing his jaw. “Tired?” You asked, your own voice coming out airy.

Axl kissed your forehead, pulling you tight to him and falling asleep.

You weren’t planning on sleeping in the closet, but Axl was warm and you were getting tired yourself so you got some clothes together to use as pillows before curling up with Axl.

[vinyldreamsfuckup]

Rocket Queen Pt. 2

A: the long-awaited part 2 lol so sorry this took literally forever. i decided I'll do a short part 3 after this so stay tuned. part 3 will be the ending. i promise it won't take me as long lol

part 1: here

Warnings: smut, semi-public sex, fluff, smoking (weed), praise, arguing, language, protective Slash

You and Slash had been casually seeing each other for the last 3 months now. Ever since that night, it was nearly impossible to stay away from each other. Slash was intoxicating. Everything about him was intoxicating. The way he drank and smoked even turned you on. You'd come with him to recording sessions and concerts where you watched him play with Guns. You'd even gotten quite close with Izzy and Steven, but it seemed like neither you nor Slash were ready to be in a serious relationship together. Even if you both felt like you were falling for each other a little more every day. You were sitting in the studio while the guys were recording a new song. Axl was talking to Slash about his guitar solo and you were sitting with Izzy and Duff smoking a joint.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Duff asked with a slight giggle.

Izzy shrugged, "Axl is probably asking him to record it again. He's being such a perfectionist for this song."

Duff nodded in agreement. As you took a drag of your joint, you noticed yourself admiring Slash. He had his guitar hung low on his body and he was wearing a shirt he'd cut the sleeves off of. You noticed how low the cutout holes went, showing the majority of his side, how his tattoos looked against his skin, and the way his fingers effortlessly moved across the guitar.

You leaned back and took a deep breath. This was not helpful really at all. Slash looked over at you, his face was full of shock, anger, and confusion. You furrowed your eyebrows at his face. Slash looked back at Axl and shook his head furiously. Axl looked like he was pleading with Slash.

"What the fuck?" You muttered. Duff and Izzy looked over at you.

"What?" Duff asked then looked over at Axl and Slash.

"Oh shit..." Izzy murmured. He stood up and walked over to the booth. He opened the door and Slash was yelling. You'd never heard him yell before. This made you even more confused.

"No man! I'm not fucking doing that! Are you fucking clinically insane?" Slash yelled.

"You're so fucking stupid. It's not that big of a fucking deal!" Axl yelled back.

"Can you guys fucking stop?" Izzy said moving between them. You got up and walked over to Slash.

"Come on, let's go out here and take a breath," You said softly. He looked over at you. Protectiveness filled his eyes. Heat pooled in your abdomen at his gaze. You'd never seen him possessive and protective like this before and it was really turning you on. Slash took his guitar off and set it on his guitar stand.

"It's not fucking happening," Slash said to Axl as he put his hand on the small of your back and led you out of the room.

"You're so fucking weird man. It's not even that big of a deal. We all share a fucking house with you, it's nothing we haven't heard before," Axl bit out. You paused. Wait what?

"That's totally different you fucking asshat!" Slash stopped and started yelling.

"You guys seriously," Duff stood up.

"Stay out of this," Axl warned, " You're being absolutely ridiculous. We all have already heard you guys."

"That's not the fucking point Axl. I don't think the rest of the world needs to hear," Slash yelled.

"What the fuck is going on right now?" You asked. The weed still flowed through your veins making your mind still slightly foggy.

"Well go on and tell her," Axl said. Slash sighed and looked at Axl angrily.

"What? Tell me what?" You asked getting increasingly frustrated.

"Axl here, being the absolute fucking genius he is," Slash said sarcastically, "wants us to fuck while being recorded so he can use it in his song."

"Wait what?" You asked slightly confused.

Axl sighed, "Look I fucked a girl for the song, and it ended up not sounding how I want it to. You and Slash sound good together and I think it would be perfect for the song."

"Oh my god," You breathed out.

"See. You're fucking insane," Slash said to Axl.

"I'm crying to make fucking art you piece of shit," Axl spat back at Slash.

"You guys have to stop. This is getting so ridiculous," Izzy said with a sigh. The door opened and Steven walked in with a smile.

"Hey guys!" Steven smiled. His face fell when he looked at everyone's expressions, "Woah...fuck did I just walk into?"

"I'll do it," You said with a sigh. Slash looked over at you with shock on his face.

"No," Slash said blankly.

"Slash it's fine," You said softly, "Let's just do it."

"No, I'm not going to let him pressure you into this because he wants to be a fucking dickhead," Slash said spiting the words toward Axl.

"Oh fuck off you shit for brain alcoholic piece of-" Axl started but you cut him off.

"He's not pressuring me. It's fine. Let's just do it," You said softly. You rested your hand on his arm. Slash looked down at you and confusion, protectiveness, and love filled his gaze.

"Are you sure?" Slash asked softly. It was a stark difference to all the yelling. You nodded and pulled him closer.

"I was already thinking about you," You whispered. Slash took a deep breath.

"Everyone out," Slash said harshly his gaze still on you. Axl, Izzy, and Steven quickly walked out of the booth and shut the door behind them. Slash lowered the lights and led you over to the small couch.

"You've been thinking about me?" Slash asked, his voice low and slightly husky. You felt heat pool in your abdomen and you nodded.

"What were you thinking about?" Slash asked as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on your neck. A shiver went down your spine and you took a deep breath.

"I was thinking about how good you looked today and how much I love watching you play guitar," You said softly. Slash hummed against your neck.

"Remember if you change your mind it's okay. I can always take you home," Slash whispered. You nodded in agreement. He always cared about your wellbeing. Making sure you felt good, that you were happy, that you were never uncomfortable. It made it incredibly hard to just be casual with him when he made you feel so loved and cared for.

He gently kissed down your neck and the exposed part of your shoulder from your tank top. The recording light clicked on and you took a deep breath. Well...it's now or never I guess. You pulled off Slash's tank top and he pulled off yours. Today was the one day you decided not to wear a bra and you were pretty glad you didn't. His hand caressed your breast as he kissed down your collarbone toward your nipples. His touch was soft and gentle. It seemed so different from his usual tough demeanor and calloused fingers.

He laid you back on the couch and you started to undo his pants. He quickly pulled you out of your jean shorts and tossed them to the side. You reached into his pants and carefully started to stroke him. He let out a low moan and started to push his pants off.

"You're so beautiful," Slash whispered as he licked across your chest. You couldn't help a small whine that fell from your mouth. He pushed his pants off and stroked himself as he looked down at you, "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

You nodded, "I'm sure."

He nodded and lined himself up with your entrance, "You're so incredibly beautiful."

You couldn't help the smile that spread across your face. He gently pushed into you and a long moan fell from your mouth. You had to really focus on not talking too much since it was being recorded. He smiled and paused to let you adjust. You nodded after a moment and he slowly rocked his hips, adjusting the angle until he found the spongy spot that made you cry out.

A long loud moan fell from your mouth and he let out a shaky breath. He hooked his arms around your leg and started to move faster. You grabbed onto his back, digging your nails in slightly earning a groan from him. He leaned down and whispered in your ear, "You're so good for me."

Your back arched slightly and you moaned. He smirked and started kissing your neck. He moved faster hitting that spot over and over again causing loud moans and gasps to fall from your mouth. Slash groaned as he watched you and muttered under his breath.

Your legs started to shake and your moans turned into more breathless whines as he pushed you closer and closer to your orgasm. That familiar coil wound up tightly in your stomach. He moved faster, ramming into you over and over. Sweat glistened on his body, he looked so good. He leaned down and started sucking on your neck, earning another loud moan from you.

"That's it," Slash muttered quietly and bit your neck. You let out a small screech and chuckled. He smiled against your neck and lifted your legs slightly as he rammed into you harder. Your hips bucked and you moaned out loudly as that band in your stomach snapped.

"Fuck... you're so good," Slash muttered. He pulled out and stroked himself quickly until he finished on your stomach. You both tried to catch your breath. The recording light clicked off and you both smiled.

"I don't think I want to be casual anymore," Slash said breathlessly. You furrowed your eyebrows.

"What?" You asked, slightly confused and breathless.

"I want the whole world to know you're mine. I don't want anyone else. I haven't wanted anyone else in a long time. I just want you and I want you to be mine," Slash said earnestly. He grabbed his shirt and helped wipe your stomach off not caring about the stains it would cause or the fact that he would now have to go the rest of the day without a shirt.

"Slash...I..." You were completely speechless.

"If that's not what you want I understand. I'll take whatever I can get with you," Slash chuckled slightly.

"No...no I don't want to be casual either," You said as you sat up. He smiled and kissed you softly. A different kind of passion and tenderness filled this kiss.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met, and I want the whole world to know how lucky I am," Slash mumbled against your lips. You chuckled and wrapped your arms around his neck.

"Are you guys going to come out?" Axl yelled from the other side of the closed door.

Maybe you would, but right now all you cared about was Slash and all he cared about was you.

[theboys-inzoi]

It's really insane how beautiful this game is <3 Look at these hydrangeas! I already spent ~ 100 hours in inZOI and I'm still stunned.

I've spent hours yesterday and today to get Leander and Noxee kind of acceptable in my eyes (I already mentioned how hard it is for me) and while I think I can live with Noxee (this is a whole new game and I came to terms with that they'll look different. I even think it's a good thing to have some distance to their Sims 4 versions (I never managed to make Vlad, Jack, Gytha and all the others look like their Sims 3 versions either ^^')

Here are some photos of Noxee in Jack's room (since we haven't met her in the story yet). I'm quite happy with how she looks. I still wanted her to look like a man (she's a Drag Queen like in the movie), but a very pretty man. She also has a male body ingame. As she had in the Sims 4. I wish I could have made her look more like Wesley Snipes, who played her, but that's just not possible for me. Even though she's 32 years old in this story line, she looks very young ö.ö But in The Sims 4 she'd been a vampire and was a few hundred years old and she didn't look her age either ;)

Leander gives me headaches, I don't like his eyes and we've tried everything (yes, I've even pestered my poor daughter to help me lol!)

From the side, I like him pretty much.

A bit like Axl Rose in my eyes, or maybe it's just the hair, I have my difficulties with faces ^^'

Front view I'll just leave him until we (hopefully!) can edit them. Before I go crazy omg. Atm I have to add versions of him over and over again to the family and delete all the leanders I'm not happy with. Such a kerfuffle in a korean town where plastic surgery is daily business! Evidence A:

He looks so, so different in CAZ. When I think 'ah, the eyes a bit deeper, smaller, brows up, mouth smaller...' and change it, it looks so weird ingame, it's crazy. Maybe I chose a bad preset?

I wanted him to look like this: That's how he looks in CAZ

None of the Zois I brought ingame look so far apart from their CAZ version as Leander does. Ji Ho and Kiyoshi will give me some headaches too. I didn't even get them right in CAZ, oh my! But that's a problem for future-me...

[tobybestupid]

omg omg i love your writing so much! can you do a Steven Adler request where the band is filming the Paradise City video and Steven is just being so sweet to your kid whome you had in another relationship, and he just watches her and lets her sit in his lap while he plays?

Ah!! This is so cute, and TYSM!! Of course I can!! And sorry this came out a little late!!

Paradise City

Steven Adler x Reader

(so sorry I haven't been posting much, I'm trying it's just some personal family stuff!)

Tw: none, pure fluff!!

Your daughter, Tilly. Was kicking her feet as she sat on the stool, watching the band practice, well getting ready to.

"I'll be right back Tills, I'm gonna get us some drinks. Want a pop?" You'd ask her, making her nod.

"Pespi" Tilly simply said, and you nodded as you walked off, trusting your boyfriend and his band mates to keep an eye on her.

Tilly then waddled up to Steven when you left, "Mr. Popcorrrrnnn" Tilly mumbled, tugging at the hem of his shirt.

"Mhmmm? What's up Tilly?" Steven asked as he looked down at her, waiting for an answer out of the 4 year old.

"Wha you playin'?" She simply asked, kinda tapping at the drums curiously.

"Drums—"

"Nooo! Song?" She cut him off, it made him chuckle softly.

"We're making a new song, it's called Paradise City." He smiled gently at her,

"Yeah and my part is super cooooool!" Slash exaggerated to make Tilly laugh.

"Is you part supa' cool?" Tilly asked Steven, tilting her head softly to the side.

"I mean it makes the song, well a song. I think it's cool" Steven shrugged, watching Tilly try to climb into his lap, making him pick her up and place her onto his lap.

"Be careful, can't have you fallin'" Steven said.

"Alright- let's try this out huh?" Axl said, looking over at the other four.

Everyone agreed as Tilly looked at Steven. "I wanna try!" She smiled brightly.

"Maybe later tills" Steven said, rubbing her back as he put her on the middle of his lap. "Sit there so you'll be nice and safe, so ya' won't fall" He smiled softly.

You came back into the room while they were playing, smiling softly as you looked at your daughter, smiling brightly as Steven played.

✓==========================✓

Sorry I haven't posted in a little bit!!

[nenynrawrites]

Lazy day

Summary: Axl gets back from tour and you two decide to spend the first night just chilling in bed that turns to more

Wordcount: 1028 words

Warnings: Female! Reader, SMUT, Axl jerking off and getting jerked off, if I missed anything, let me know:3

A/N: This is for dear Cine @tobbesdiscordkitten (who definitely didn't go crazy over the idea<3)

(Btw, I had Axl from 2001 to 2006 (left is 2006, right is 2001) in my head, but it works with any era Axl you want to imagine:])

Likes, comments and reblogs are always welcomed<3

,,I'll be right back, yeah?''

,,Mhm, yeah.''

Whenever Axl was touring, he tried to get you to come with him, ever since you two first met. But either your work didn't let you, even if it was for a day or his management didn't say yes...So basically two managements said no at most times. But when it worked, you two were basically attached by the hip, using every free minute to explore. Though the best times were still downtime, when you've got holidays during it or the tour was done itself: Cuddling for hours, making food together, talking about all the things that happened in the months you were apart, listening to music, and of course, the sex. Which brings us to the next point...

,,I'm gone for a minute and you do that-''

,,I can stop.''

,,I wanted to say ,,And you do that without me'' actually, but now that you mention that...''

,,Come 'ere, baby.''

It was a sight for your tired eyes: The TV was still playing, though the blanket was pushed down to around Axl's knees, his lower half exposed, as he had been shirtless all day, the nipple piercing shining in the TV's light whilst one hand played with it, the other buried under his boxers, lazily stroking. It just made you remember how much you missed his body, the closeness and softness of it, but you didn't know if your tiredness would get the better of the two of you.

Until you were laying back in bed, your whole body tingled, only tamed by Axl's lips on yours. Trying to say anything was a literal loss for words: He didn't let you, neither did your brain. But by the second your eyelids got heavier, your kisses barely had any pressure, but one of your hands still joined Axl's under his boxers, languidly stroking to whatever pace he wanted. But even he got too tired after a few minutes, none of you bothering to take your hands out, just leaving them there, halfway intertwined...

~-~

,,Didn't know you wanted to surprise me like that.''

,,What-''

The sun shone in to the bedroom, casting a red shadow over it. The air was warm, even warmed since Axl was right next to you, one arm around your body, holding you close, the other seemingly not having left his boxers. Your eyes followed your arm that wasn't under his body, just to see the same. But the feeling was...Weird. And sticky. Did he...Probably in his sleep, but it felt weirdly...Good. So to tease, you moved your hand very lightly.

,,Mhm...Don't...''

,,Why? You know it feels good.''

,,Yeah, but...Fuck, don't-''

Axl's eyes were closing, small breaths escaping him as his body slightly shook. And lo and behold, he came. Little tremors still shook his body as he came down from the small high, slight drool escaping his mouth as he eyed you up and down.

,,That's why, baby...''

,,Aww, little bit sensitive, hm? You look so cute like this! Don't want me to continue when you're just begging to feel me, hm? Right, honey?''

,,Oh, shut up, you little brat...''

Before the tiredness overtook him again, he quickly moved his knee between your legs, his arms around your upper body and his face smushed into your chest before falling soundly back asleep.

~-~

,,You know you're a bastard, right?''

,,Depends on what I've done, sugar.''

,,Leaving me high and dry? Not very gentlemanly of you.''

,,Would've been if you would've listened.''

You just rolled your eyes at him, stepping out of the small bathroom and standing in front of the full length mirror, posing, before big hands settled on your waist and a chin occupying the space on your shoulder.

,,Look at my pretty girl. I love those hips of yours, you know?''

,,You've got pretty ones yourself.''

,,Yeah, but yours are just...Magical, or whatever the fuck that word is.''

,,And yours are great to grab on to.''

,,You think so?''

,,I know so! It's my favourite part when I'm sucking you off.''

By now you weren't facing the mirror anymore, but him instead, slowly descending onto your knees. You didn't continue, just sat there until Axl looked at you, a happy smile on his lips.

,,Fuck, didn't realise how much I've missed you until now.''

,,The horniness gone?''

,,Yeah...Get up, honey.''

Obeying, he pulled you close, one arm around your lower back, the other around your upper back, giving you a tight hug.

,,How did you know this?''

,,How long have we been together?''

,,10 years?''

,,Exactly. And I think that's enough time for me to figure that out. And for you to figure it out about me.''

,,I do know that you're horny right now, sugar. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to form a single thought.''

,,Bet you can still make me feel like that?''

,,Of course.''

Both your bodies felt warmer than before as you kissed. Axl basically guided you, putting one of your legs around his waist before your back hit the bed once again, not once catching your breath.

,,If I didn't have to breathe, I would just kiss you until my lips fell off.''

,,That's strong...Thought of going as a vampire for Halloween this year?''

,,If you'll be my vampire goddess, then yes.''

,,Deal.''

You just looked at him: His eyes had that look of want, if not even need and admiration. His lips that were so puffy and red from all the kissing that they look blistered. And the saliva smeared over it...Made you think. His chest heaved as if he just ran a marathon, his abs contracting just as hard. And his knee placement was just...Perfect.

Axl tried to say something, but you shut him up with one of a million more kisses, and he complied, giving in fully, his body laying on yours.

,,Now...Do you want to tell me how the rest of the tour went? 'Cause I certainly know the first part.''

,,Oh, exhausting, let me tell you...''

And so you spent the rest of the day sharing stories from the past few months, alternating between the bedroom, eating snacks in the kitchen or sitting outside in the garden.

[snickerduu]

What music do you like?

Any specific genre?

Any niche music that you'd recommend or think is underrated?

ooh, i listen to a lot of different genres at different times, so this answer might differ every other month HAHHA but for a very long time i've been a big fan of music that helps calm down my noisy brain -- usually folk/acoustic instrumentals! will never not love those

recently, i've been listening to a lot of hiatus kaiyote, alan gogoll, the oh hellos (their four winds albums are great and mean a lot to me), laufey, takashi kokubo (i always listen to their albums to sleep), and stray kids!

i'm also a fan of local filipino artists UDD and munimuni :)

and some other long-time favorites i always come back to are park bird, elephant gym, plini, erutan, haruno, khai dreams, again&again, ichiko aoba, and a bit of radiohead since my partner axl (who also makes music!! he's made all the music for my animations so far) is a really big fan of them HAHA i enjoy A Moon Shaped Pool the most out of their albums because it makes me feel so sad

for stuff i feel is underrated, i personally think more people should listen to elephant gym and alan gogoll!! genuinely surprised their music hasnt reached over a million monthly streams on spotify yet, they're very pleasant listening experiences 🐛 my earworms (side note i feel like axl has better answers for niche music since he seems to always find really good hole-in-the-wall artists, he's positively influenced the range of music i listen to since before uni! we were in a high school band back then HAHA)

also i listen to ABBA with my dad a lot! their songs and documentaries play every car ride we have so i know every song at this point...but their songs are all bangers so its ok (my favorites voulez-vous and gimme gimme gimme)

these are all off the top of my head so i might've forgotten other ones!! maybe if another music ask comes out next time i'll spew out another bajillion HAHA thank you for asking and for reading this block of text :) !!!

[stuft]

blah blah

between being a loner and learning all of this new language, it is kind of taking its toll on me a little. Like today was fun with Fasnacht and we did some fun things in our classes to celebrate, this one teacher is really funny, he was dressed as a vampire but instead of fangs he had fake bad teeth which was pretty hilarious, so when he spoke it was all messed up which was even funnier (especially once when he said something and half spit them out) and we played some games in the morning and end of day and it was, as I said, fun. I enjoyed it. But after that it was like whew. I am ge-tired. And everyone took the bus a little later into the old part of town for more festivities and I was like, well I'm here, I should check it out, maybe I'll take a long walk for it before or after dinner but I started walking and it had cleared up and was so clear and pretty out and I caught a glimpse of the Bodensee so I walked over that way to the harbor, which is a way from the festivities. And I was feeling kind of depressed because like what am I supposed to do, glom on to all these kids who all hang out together, I already take up a spot in the minivan on the outings and then remembered last night or this morning that when I signed up for yesterday's art thing it said there were only 4 places, but I thought that meant there were only 4 places left, and realized that it likely meant only 4 people could go. Because only 4 of us went with the chaperone. And geez, I hope someone else wasn't trying to go. I think they'd have let one other person go. But anyway. I feel like a 3rd wheel with a flat tire and a squeaky axle.

So anyway I had a very nice walk in a place I hadn't been and then I went to my usual spot and sat on a bench for a bit and it was nice and quiet and the sun was dipping in the sky and there was a nice breeze and beautiful clouds and I was thinking, ah, tomorrow I will be asked if I went to the festivities and I will have to say no. And say why. And I realized a good answer and a true answer is, I don't like crowds. And there have been car-ramming incidents in this country recently and a few minutes later I heard ambulances coming from town. and I was like holy shit, yeah. I really hope nothing happened, or nothing happens, but it is a good enough reason for me to stay in and study and shower tonight. I am tired. My head is spinning trying to get these accusative and dative cases right and honestly I am still guessing.

But mostly I have just been feeling like there is no place for me in the world. I dread going home, but of course I can't stay here. Would I come back and try to stay here longer? Get a resident visa? It's a lot of effort. I don't fucking know. I just wish I didn't have to physically exist. That's mostly how I feel today. Like I don't want to be perceived.

I walked almost 4 miles today so at least I did that much.

[satureja13]

It's the day Noxee spends at Tartosa. And it's also raining in Brindleton Bay beyond the Veil.

Before breakfast, the Boys are already diligently learning and doing their homework. They can't afford wasting any time here. And they are grimly determined to finally find out if Ji Ho's grandfather put a spell on him to seduce Vlad to get a grip on Vlad's powers. The Boys need to be prepared for everything and get the most out of their education here. And for who knows what their future will bring. Kiyoshi is gone again. They hope that Noxee's negotiations with the three witches will be successful and Jack and Kiyoshi can be mates, just mates, to bring Kiyoshi back to their reality.

Poor Jack still suffers from the aftermaths of the stroke from the lightning in his chest. He fell in a restless sleep after tossing and turning the whole night long. At some point during the night, Sai and Jack had to change beds. Jack moving around kept Ji Ho in the bed below him from sleeping. Ji Ho is taking a bath. His senses got so much more sensitive too after he got his feelings back. The feeling of the water on his skin, the scents of the essences - everything hitting on him so much brighter and deeper! Bathing is a whole new experience for him, so he's taking his time. He wonders how it would feel if Vlad would touch him. It would be so much more intense, now that he loves him. And then he cried again for a while. It's still too much to handle.

Saiwa sighed. He's sitting inmidst Jack's menagerie, reading out loud for Ji Ho, and he hopes that Jack also catches a few bits, but he's doubting that this will have any effects. Skully: "Don't worry. I'm listening. And I'm going to fill in Jack and Ji Ho later." Saiwa sighed again. In addition to all his worries, he now also has to deal with this talking (and singing) skull. They are still wondering how he made it out of the Therapy Game. But this is a problem for future Saiwa back home again... TMI: Jack named the axolotl Sai bought him, Axl, after Guns N'Roses Singer Axl Rose. (Jack playing Welcome to the Jungle -> here)

Then it knocked - and Jeb came in! Jeb: "Uhm, hi. Can we talk?" Finally! Saiwa is so glad Jeb is making the first step so they can be together again. He was too afraid to reach out for Jeb - in case he'd reject him after all that happened... too afraid of the finality of that knowledge. Better not to know. Saiwa: "Sure!"

Jeb: "Ok. We are waiting upstairs." Saiwa: "We?" Jeb: "Eh, yes. Vlad and I." Oh. It's not about Jeb and him then. Just Boys business as usual. Is Jeb only seeing him as their leader now?

Saiwa sadly went upstairs. Sai: "So, what is it?" Jeb looked expectantly at Vlad. Vlad: "Uh, yes. Did you, by any chance, notice something odd regarding Jack since he got struck by that lightning?" Saiwa stopped in his movement. Something odd - about Jack. Saiwa: "Are you kidding me? Everything is odd about Jack! Where shall I even begin with? He's the damn epitome of oddness! The inventor of Perma Weirdness TM. The..."

Vlad interrupted Sai: "No. Nothing of the usual. A.. eh - how shall I adress this? A weird pull towards him? As if he's suddenly ... gods, this is so weird! As if he's suddenly strangely attractive?" Sai: "Is this a prank?" Vlad: "No! If it were just me I wouldn't even talk about it. But Jeb feels it too. And we are having a really hard time keeping Kiyoshi away from Jack. So he must feel it too." Jeb feels it too. Jeb feels attracted to Jack - again... This had lead to their first break up. Saiwa shook his head - and tried to act professional. Sai: "Uh, no. I don't feel anything. We need to talk to Noxee about this when she's back. And I'll ask Ji Ho if he feels a weird pull towards Jack."

And then Sai quickly left and went downstairs to their room. What's that again now with Jack? Before Saiwa woke Jack, he asked Ji Ho if he feels something odd and explained what Vlad and Jeb noticed. But, just like Sai, Ji Ho felt nothing .. That's even odder: Why should Jeb and Vlad (and Kiyoshi) feel it and he and Ji Ho not? They even live in the same room with Jack - and spend more time with him. They were finally having breakfast - that was all a bit much on an empty stomach! Jack and Kiyoshi still don't eat... It's about time Noxee comes back - hopefully with some good news.

Ji Ho is worried. So Vlad feels attracted to Jack... Now that he finally has his feelings back, Vlad feels attracted to someone else? Maybe it's for the best for Vlad - and Jack? They are best friends. Ji Ho only ever brought Vlad pain. And Jack and Kiyoshi already proved they don't match...

And suddenly Ji Ho felt a tear rolling down his face.

'Now everyone of us was made to suffer Everyone of us is made to weep We've been hurting one another Now the pain has cut too deep So take me from the wreckage Save me from the blast Lift me up and take me back Don't let me keep on walking I kept on walking on Keep on walking on broken glass'

Walking on broken glass - Annie Lennox

From the Beginning 🔱 Underwater Love 🔱 Latest

Current Chapter: 'Here comes the Sun' from the beginning ▶️ here Last Chapter: 'Who killed Jack?' from the beginning ▶️ here

📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 23-28

[theladyhibiscus]

I'm up here imagining the Maverick Hunters in a Puyo Puyo game. And, I think Signas should be part of the chaos.

I think, in a battle, he would prefer to use Tetriminos. I don't know about his dropset, per se... maybe equal to Marle's or Zed's. The thing is, Signas is super-intelligent, and I think it wouldn't take him long to understand how the battle works and how to land combos. Though I'm unsure of how his attacks would be like, I think. Since magic is involved and I headcanon on the world of Puyo and Tetris, everybody has a bit of magic deep inside them, Signas would be more than capable of conjuring attacks in battle. I think he would be able to summon "phantom" Maverick Hunters to deal the blows and with each combo, the more Phantom Hunters there will be to add to his magical army and they land harder blows.

Now, as for his chants? Uhhh... here we go: (warning! Long post begins here!)

Attacks

1st chain: "Hmm..."

2nd chain: "Not bad..."

3rd chain: "I see...!"

4th chain: "Get ready!"

Repeater: "Now go!"

Counter: "Not this time!"

Spell 1: "Attention!"

Spell 2: "Foward march!"

Spell 3: "Fire!"

Spell 4: "Ride armor!"

Spell 5: "Bombs away!"

Tetris Line Clear: "Aha! Tetris!"

Damage

Light damage: "Uff...!"

Heavy damage: "Hrgh!!"

Match Start and Results Dialogue

Character Select: "Let's give this a shot."

Win: "You've done well. Let's play again sometime."

Lose: "Looks like I've lost."

Fever Mode/Big Bang Mode

Entered: "What a surprise!"

Succeed: "Not bad at all."

Failed: "An oversight..."

Big Bang: "Let's see what happens next..."

Light Attack: "I got you!"

Severe Attack: "Prepare yourself!"

Win: "Quite exciting!"

Light Damage: "Hey!"

Severe Damage: "Ergh!"

Lose: "Better luck next time..."

Swap Mode

Match Start: "Puyo and Tetris, eh?"

Swap: "Time to switch!"

Swap While In Disadvantage: "That was close..."

Party Mode

Power-Up Item: "How useful!"

Offensive Item: "Here it comes!"

Getting Multiple Items At Once: "What a great opportunity!"

Topped Out: "I'd like to keep going."

Win: "I've enjoyed myself."

Be A Runner-Up: "Not too bad."

Lose: "You're very good at this."

Fusion Mode (my favorite mode)

Mix Chain: "Trying something different..."

Tetris Plus: "Let's add in a Tetris."

Chaining By Tetrimino Crushing Puyo: "Quite efficient!"

Skill Battle (Signas would have Lv. 2 Fortify Defense, Lv. 1 Attack Up, Lv. 1 Terraformer)

Unused: "I can be of assistance."

Fortify Defense: "This should help."

Attack Up: "Don't give up!"

Terraformer: "Let's try this."

(If I'm not too tired, I'll draw him in Puyo Puyo style. I might add in X, Zero, and Axl, too. We'll see)

[microwavetoaster-selfships]

We did it. I figured it out. Relearned the systems of Blender and learned some new ones as im more used to rigging things and animating in SFM(and even then i havent done that in a hot minute) but after some nice youtube videos we have it. Bones are all functional, textures all load nicely, I will have to pose everything like doing a little clay doll animation like I'm trying to be the next producer for Wallace and Grommit or Tim Burton with stop motion, but we have it. I can make him smile and do silly things and. ohhhhhhh. I didn't think it would work out so well. Because some 3Ds games have things that will only run or work on particular programs or withiin the game or have DEV locks of some sorts on them but no. I put him in Blender and that's it. Mine now to deface. And I am also really happy that for whatever magical reason the little axles(the actual car ones in the model) are actualy like. atattched between the wheels and the body of the car. So if I move the wheel or tilt the body it actually will squish or stretch a bit automatically. I haven't played with Finn yet so this has all been particularly with Axlerod, Finn might be a little different but he shoullldddd be okay. This has been. Far easier than i thought. it really shouldn't have been this easy for me seriously. This is a thing that I can come home and do now. I don't even know what I'll do but by golly it could be something. Whatever my little heart desires. I don't know. Animate him to one of my favorite Eddie/Suzy Izzard(voice actor) skits. Which I have considered drawing things to before. Gosh. Too much power has been placed in my hands now. Too much disgusting power. Did the creators of Cars ever think something would end up like this with their characters. Never underestimate the limits of the extent that some people will go to when driven by hyperfixation. And in my case, a questionable- possibly concerning- amount of love.

[overthedub]

Last Iceberg Radio takeover with Murdoc! This one's the longest Iceberg Radio takeover, with almost double the talking time of 2-D and Noodle's takeovers.

Iceberg Radio was initially a Canadian Internet radio service back in 2005 and has since been bought and renamed to AccuRadio. The site no longer has these radio spots uploaded, so the takeovers are considered lost media.

Audio taken from Blur Archive Project’s archive folder (with their permission), which you can find for yourself here: 

You can listen to the full uncut radio takeover with songs included there!

Playlists for Murdoc’s picks:

Youtube playlist made by Lobotomy Pop:

Transcript under the cut!

Radio announcer: This is the Hour of Mayhem with Gorillaz' bassist, Murdoc Niccals! Exclusively on icebergradio.com!

Murdoc: Hi kids, y'know, this is your Uncle Murdoc Niccals, y'know? Bass player and king of Gorillaz. This is Murdoc's Hour of Mayhem, all you lucky people. *laughs*

And for the next sixty minutes, y'know, I've got total control over these turntables! *evil laugh and assorted Murdoc noises*

So pour yourself something wet and cold and let's kick the show off with a big, fat ear blaster from my friends and yours: Motörhead. Oooh yeah! This bugger doused out your ears: take one look and DIE!

[After "Ace of Spades"]

*Note: Take one look and die is a lyric in "Ace of Spades".

Murdoc: Ooooh yeaaaah, man. That was...y'know what? I'm-That was so soothing, yeah? Floating now. Nice one, Lemmy. This is Murdoc Niccals of Gorillaz and I'm hosting-ah-ah-er-Murdoc's Hour of Mayhem for you tonight, so what's up next?

Aaaah, yeah, dear, old Ozzy. Mmmm, aaaah, mmm, aaaah.

So much to answer for. This is where it all started for me, y'know? This is Black Sabbath with, uh, "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". Hey, y'know what? I had that Kelly Osbourne back in my cab the other day. Oh, she's a lovely girl. Has very, um mmm, strong forearms. *laughs*

[After "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"]

*Note: Lemmy is the lead singer and bassist of Motörhead. Ozzy refers to Ozzy Osbourne, the lead singer of Black Sabbath. Kelly Osbourne is his daughter.

Murdoc: Ooooh yeah, man, I'm just-Oh, I'm having such-

I-I'm having such a good time here, y'know? I haven't had, uh, such a good time since I-I had a-a lovely time...that other time, but this is good.

And, y'know, coming up next we got Guns n' Roses with "Mr. Brownstone". I hear, uh, Velvet Revolver are covering this next track live, which should be a bit of fun, but, uh, y'know. If only, really, to see, y'know, that, uh, old, uh, Scott Weiland mincing up and down the stage. *Murdoc noises*

That'd be good. I'll tell you, y'know what? If I was Axl Rose, I'd sssmash that guy's face in. I mean, he's got-he's got half the original Guns n' Roses, y'know? He-He's playing Gunner songs and he's even nicked Axl's dance. Y'know? HE'S GOT AXL'S DANCE, MAN!

Y'know, what is he doing? Y'know, if that isn't bad enough, the guy's even wearing the same bleedin' hat! Ponce!

Anyway, here's the original, proper version of Guns n' RRRoses!

*Note: Velvet Revolver is an American rock band that had three former Guns n' Roses members in it [Slash (lead guitar), Duff McKagan (bass) and Matt Sorum (drums)] after the latter changed its lineup again (due to creative differences allegedly). Scott Weiland was the lead singer for Velvet Revolver. Axl Rose is the lead singer for Guns n' Roses.

[After "Mr. Brownstone"]

Murdoc: Yeeeah, baby! Oooh, we like it. That's Guns n' Roses with, uh, "Mr. Brownstone".

Oi, Axl! How long are we gonna have to wait for the-the next GNR album? I mean, come on, mate! Please, y'know? Listen, for pity's sake, y'know.

And, uh, this is Murdoc's Hour of Mayhem with me, Murdoc Niccals from Gorillaz. This next one's from Queen and this is "Tie Your Mother Down!" Mm...

[After "Tie Your Mother Down"]

Murdoc: "Tie Your Mother Down"! Ooooh, yeah. Hey, I sug—I don't suggest actually that you do that at home. I mean, y'know, don't-don't even go there, y'know? It's just a song. It's not real. Doesn't mean you gotta do it. It's not an instruction, y'know? It's just a bit of rrrrock 'n roll.

Okay, uuuuhhh, AC/DC, uh, "Jailbreak". Hmmm, what d'ya think of that? Having just escaped from a jail down in Mexico—that's me, that is—uuuummmm, this track, yeah, means quite a lot to me. And, uh, if you, uh, police boys down in Mexico are listening tonight, as I said then: "ADIOS, MIS AMIGOS! SUCKERS! LOSERS!"

*wheeze-laughing*

I bet you thought you were gonna catch me then, eh? Buncha losers.

[After "Jailbreak"]

Murdoc: AC/DC there! D'you know what? I went to see their tribute band recently. Uh, they're called AB/CD. *laughs* No, true! It was close, y'know, but not the real Bon Scott, if y'know what I mean.

Anyway, next up, we got—

Hey, wait a minute! Wha—Rush?! What's...What's goin' on, y'know? What's happening, man? W-What's all-W-What's this doing in my collection?!

*clicks tongue*

Has someone been muckin' around with my records? Feckin' Rush, I mean, are you serious?

*sighs* Oh well. Okay. Apparently, this is Rush. Huh. "Tom Sawyer". Prefer the book.

*Note: AB/CD is a real AC/DC tribute band lol. Bon Scott was the second lead singer for AC/DC.

[After "Tom Sawyer"]

Radio announcer: H-H-H-Hour! Of! Mayhem!

[After "Unchained" by Van Halen]

Murdoc: Anyway, that's, ah, Van Halen, and, uh, thank you to Mr. Edward of Van Halen. That's his full name, you know? I raise my glass and salute your fine, fast fingers. You sir are truly of a gifted grrrrrandmaster of the axe-playing skills, y'know?

Coming up we got KISS. *Murdoc noises* And uh, this is Murdoc's Hour of Mayhem! And, uh, if, uh, tongues could tell tales, y'know, Gene Simmons would be, uh, top-shelf, baby. *chuckles*

[KISS's "Cold Gin" playing in the background]

Okay, this is, uh, this is KISS with, uh, "Cold Gin". Mmm. *clears throat*

*away from the microphone* Pass us a bit of that, will you? Yeah, cheers. Hm. *smacks lips* Oh! Do you come here often? You're nice. Mm, mm, mm!

*Note: Edward refers to Eddie Van Halen, the guitarist, keyboardist, and primary songwriter for Van Halen. Gene Simmons is the bassist and co-lead singer for KISS.

[After "Cold Gin"]

Murdoc: Oh. Oh! *clears throat*

*away from the microphone* Thank you very much. That was very nice.

*clears throat* Sorry, sorry! Um, yeah. *clears throat and hums*

That was, uh, that was KISS and, uh, this is Murdoc's Hour of Mayhem with me, Murdoc Niccals from Gorillaz. Oooh, you're lucky! Let's, uh, let's sort of slap another one on quick, shall we, before I lose my stroke.

Uh, this next band released a track called "Don't Fear the Reaper". Yeah, I remember that. Oooh, Blue Oyster Cult! But you know, uh, that's easy for them to say. *chuckles*

I tell you, when-when-when-when you see the bloke, y'know, nine-foot tall, big scythe, black cloak, bony fingers. Serious! I guarantee you! You are going to crap yourself, y'know.

Anyway, this is Blue Oyster Cult with, ah, "Cities On Flame with Rock and Roll", and boy, do I know that feeling.

[After "Cities On Flame with Rock and Roll" and "Too Fast for Love" by Mötley Crüe]

Murdoc: Ooooh yeah! Joy, yeah. There we are. There we are. How's about that, then? Oh yes, it's Murdoc's saddle. Oop. Guys and girls, as it happens.

*laughs*

You don't know what I'm talking about, do you? Uh, that was Mötley, um... *clears throat* Mötley Dude there with, uh, "Too Fast for Love".

Hey, hey, y'know, I-I know what they're on about, y'know? I do. I know what they're on about. Y'know. I'm a busy man. Sometimes I've gotta be in and outta there like a shot, y'know. Sorry, love, but, uh, time and tide wait for no man!

That T-Bone Tommy Lee, he's a big boy, isn't he? Have you seen the videos? *laughs* Mm, oi, you got a license for that python, sonny? *laughs*

Coming up, uh, Metallica's tribute to that most painful of side effects when someone shunts your back-end. "Whiplash"! This is Metallica!

*Note: T-Bone is the nickname for Tommy Lee from Mötley Crüe. He was apparently given the nickname because he's very tall and lean.

[After "Whiplash"]

Murdoc: Oooh yeaaah. Oh, I love it! I love it! Just let it wash over you, y'know. Uncle Murdoc take control. Just sit back and relax. Let Uncle Murdoc mmmmassage you with mmmayhem. Lovely, innit?

That was Metallica, and, uuuhhhhh, this is Murdoc's Hour of Mayhem, with me Murdoc from Gorillaz. Why not? And this next track is from my band. Gorillaz. This is, uuuhhh, this is—

Oooh, that was good. D'you know what? I managed *smacks lips* to get a sort of a *whistles through his teeth* finger in there. S'whistles.

Anyway, this is a big punk rock anthem from our brand-new album Demon Days. What I did. And uuuhhh, yeah. It's all about, well, drinking booze and stuff. Actually, y'know, I'm feeling a bit giddy already. Y'know?

And somebody said to me the other day, "Murdoc, you know, you look a bit wan."

I'm not sure what they were talking about. Big track coming through! Look out!

[After "White Light"]

Murdoc: Thank yoooou, Gorillaz. And actually for the first time in any of these links, that is gotta be the first time I meant what I said. *laughs*

No, seriously, I meant it every other time. But, uh, there we are.

[Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood" playing in the background]

That's, um, "White Light" from our new Demon Days, uh, album. Oh dear. What a shame. Last song tonight. Y'know, it's a bit sad, isn't it? I mean, it's very poignant moment, this. Um, if I had to pick one tune to sum up the last four years of my life in Gorillaz, this would have to be it. Definitely. Definitely.

Well, that or "Shut Up or Your Face", y'know. So, well, that's it, y'know. As the sun sets like a shy satsuma below the horizon—*laughs*

I've, uh, I've played you every record I've, uh, ever owned, so, um, therein lies the sum set of influences that make up my band Gorillaz.

Um, well! Since our new album Demon Days came out, yeah, I'm like a total magnet, y'know, for all these chubby, little Spanish tarts, which is great fun. I love that Rubenesque-kinda look, y'know? Something to get a hold of, y'know? *Murdoc noises*

Actually, there's not a whole lot of me to get a hold of, but, erm, that's not my problem, really. *chuckles* Hm, well, except in the, uh...y'know department. *Murdoc noises*

So anyway, you've been listening to me, Murdoc Niccals' Hour of Mayhem. Ciao, my infants. And remember: Satan loves you!

[lvst4lifee]

UPDATED PROFILE INTRODUCTION!

"hell is a teenage girl"

Blogger introduction PPL I WRITE FOR AT END!

name: i don't feel comfortable sharing my name so you can just refer to me as "C" l

ittle facts: leo, infp(i am insane), bi, metalhead, baby bat and getting into riot grrrl fasion and subcaulture, regulus black defender till i die, in love with rockstars dead and alive,she/her!

𖤐;--- likes: art, poetry, classic ligature, music, rock/metal, metallica, cat person forever 𓃠, my room, my cats, wrighting, online moots, my baby brother, my mom 🫀, horror, witchcraft, vintage pornography,

𖤐;--- Dislikes: people, people who bully people for being different, alt people who bully other alt ppl on fasion or makup as if they dont get bullied by others enough, posers, the plaid pants vaping in the girls washroom type, people who wear band tees that either dont know its a band or dont listen to the band at all, milk chocolate, meat, any fish but salmon, homaphobic/racist/sexiest/transphobic people, all men/boys exept for the od few in my family and hot roclstars and actors.

𖤐socails𖤐

i use pintrest, spotify and tiktok. May one day put it here

request : currently opened

NO!

things i will NOT be writing abt

kinks including, pet play, piss, scat etc

underage age/minor smut and/or minor x none minor

(im very sorry about this one and i somtimes will try to wright it. m/m. As a female with a female body it's hard to wright in male pov or about reader with male gentals. I somtimes will try my best if its nothing to crazy or i have extra time and am up to it but it is very difficult alltho i want everyone to be included BUT i can do a bit better on gender nutreal/ no pronoun use if i cant do male!

pedophilia ( i am not sorry about this)

any type of rape kink. If a reader specifically wants a angest metioning it to cope with their experience i can try but ive never done it before so im not sure how comfortable i'd be. understand that when im not comfortable with smth i can not wright it but i give my condolences.

none concent that isnt CNC

if you have a request that isn't included here let me know and i'll get back to u if it's smth i do or not but keep in mind i am comfortable with:

f/f ex: female reader x courtney love

smut

bdsm

just rlly kinky shit in general

angest

fluff

ect...

finally the best part!! WHO I MANLY WRIGHT FOR

🦇 K I R K H A M M E T T 🦇

☆ any era

☆ i wright for all of metallica but mainly kirk ngl

G U N S N R O S E S

☆ Steven

☆ Izzy

☆ Axl

☆ Slash

☆ Duff

M Ö T L E Y C R Ü E

☆ Tommy mostlt.. but any of them is fine!

M E T A L L I C A

☆Cliff

☆Kirk

☆james

☆Lars

☆Jason

☆Rob

... lots more including

hole

nirvana

Rory clukin characters (we love a whimpering king)

rlly wtvr ur heart desires if i know it i will if not i'll do research and possibly do it!

please be a little specific when requsting

Ex: can you wright load kirk x fem reader smut where....

i'll do oneshots or headcannons so u can put little rants of what your thinking with the person

Ex: i cant stop thinking about early met kirk with...

(this is not edited and will probably continue to be updated)

[postgamecontent]

Nintendo Switch Weekly Round-Up for the Week Ending October 12th, 2024

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the Nintendo Switch Weekly Round-Up for the week ending October 12th, 2024. It's an odd week when you're in October and the biggest new release is a new RPG Maker. Business will pick up from next week, but for now we've got a curious mix of interesting indies and licensed fare to sift through. Let's check out this week in the world of Switch!

Select New Releases

RPG Maker With ($49.99)

I… somewhat question the need for another RPG Maker on the Switch, but it's here anyway. Turns out Shaun doesn't get to decide what is or isn't on the platform! Despite the name, you're still more or less on your own with this one. There's also plenty of DLC in case you want to expand the assets at your disposal. Make your RPG! Share your RPG! Play RPGs from others! That's the RPG Maker experience.

Faith: The Unholy Trinity ($14.99)

New Blood seems mostly known for its first-person shooters, but it has the occasional thing that ventures off that formula. Faith: The Unholy Trinity is a stylish horror game inspired by the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. You play as a priest and have to survive a variety of trials with only your cross as a means of defense. I wouldn't say this is the best-regarded game from the publisher, but if you're looking for something season-appropriate, this is surprisingly effective.

Thronefall ($12.99)

A deliberately simplified strategy game, Thronefall aims to offer a satisfying yet minimalistic take on base defense. You spend the day time building up your base, and the night defending it. This kind of set-up has popped up before, but it's particularly well-executed here. I'm not a big fan of this kind of game, but this one is alright.

Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire ($24.99)

This is a pretty obvious love letter to SEGA's Skies of Arcadia, and I think what I will say here is that it is important to remember how this kind of thing usually plays out. Don't expect a replacement for Skies, or a spiritual successor, or whatever else your heart may want to put on this. It's a vibrant indie RPG with plenty of open skies to explore and an interesting turn-based dogfighting combat system. I'll have to put some time into it to see if there's anything more to it than that.

Europa ($14.99)

You play as a jetpack-toting android exploring the moon Europa, looking for clues to unravel the story of the last living human. One of those chill exploration games, more or less. There's a demo available you can try out, but be warned that it is several months old at this point and feels extremely rough. We'll have to see how the final game turns out, but I found the demo pretty limp overall. Proceed with caution.

Transformers: Galactic Trials ($39.99)

Outright Games occasionally makes something decent, and I kind of like the idea of a Transformers racing game. Adding in robot-based combat bits to break things up sounds like a nice way to serve the license better, too. The developer on this one is 3DClouds though, and that gives me some pause. Previous efforts from 3DClouds include Race with Ryan, Blaze and the Monster Machines Axle City Racers, Gigantosaurus: Dino Kart, PAW Patrol: Grand Prix, PAW Patrol World, and Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Rise of SH1FT3R. That's a long and consistent history of iffy racers, and based on that I can't really recommend this one.

UFO Robot Grendizer - The Feast of the Wolves ($39.99)

The third entry in Go Nagai's Mazinger series is an odd pull for a game in the current year, but I suppose it still pops up here and there with new manga and anime series. This game feels very much rooted in the 1970s material, however. If you love Grendizer, then I think you'll find this game's clear passion for the material charming enough to carry it. If you don't, then I wouldn't bother with this. It's way too rough around the edges and thinner than it should be for the price it's going for here. It's also not running especially well on the Switch.

Nick Jr. Party Adventure ($39.99)

As ever with Outright Games, we must look to the developer. Here, it's Melbot Studios. Its only previous title with Outright was My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure, which was not terribly good. This might seem like it's going to be a party game featuring various Nickelodeon characters, but it's actually just another one of those adventure-ish affairs like the My Little Pony game from this studio. It also only supports two players. So, you know, a small party at best. Six different worlds to explore, and Dora, Blue, and the PAW Patrol gang are here. I could see the younger fans perhaps enjoying this, but that's about it.

Miss Rosen's Wowtastic! Marching Band ($11.99)

Here's another game for fans of the absolutely bizarre About An Elf. It uses a similar visual style, and sees you solving a variety of puzzles in a dozen different locations. Lots of luggage packing. You're probably not here for all of that, though. If you're here for anything, it's likely the off-beat and unique story. I don't think you'll be disappointed, if that's the case. It's just as charming and weird (in a good way) as About An Elf.

The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass ($14.99)

An emergency leaves eight people trapped in a tower for twelve hours, and they're unfortunately locked in there with a rather unusual artifact. This visual novel aims to please fans of mystery thrillers, and judging by reviews of the game on other platforms, it does a decent job of achieving that goal. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, though. Many find it to be excessively wordy and lacking in good characters. It seems to go over best with people who love the theorizing journey as much or more than the mystery's resolution. Maybe that's you?

Necro Story ($14.99)

You're a necromancer! How about that? You have the ability to catch the souls of your foes and put them to work for you. This is a creature-collecting RPG, and the main gimmick is the whole necromancer thing. You also have an assortment of magic to wield, so you don't have to rely completely on your undead army. It's a light RPG, but it has a lot of soul. Ha! No but really, it's decent.

Bloodless ($14.99)

An action-adventure game about a ronin who has vowed to never take another life. To that end, you'll use non-lethal attacks to defeat the foes in your path. It's a counter-heavy affair, so if you don't like that kind of response-based combat then you might not get on with Bloodless. It's very stylish and atmospheric, which helps make up for some rough edges in other respects.

Arcade Archives Power Spikes ($7.99)

We've had the other two games in this series for ages in Arcade Archives, and now we have the entry that originally released between them. This is generally the most well-liked entry, but be warned that you only get the Japanese version of the game in this package. Well, I suppose it's nice to get a game that isn't a platformer, beat 'em up, or shooter now and then. If you can't tell from the screenshot, it's a volleyball game. Enjoy!

EGGCONSOLE Templo Del Sol: Asteka II PC-8801 ($6.49)

The latest EGGCONSOLE release is a Falcom adventure game, and as usual the in-game text is almost entirely Japanese. And since this is an adventure game, that's going to be a problem if you can't read it. A particularly challenging one at that, so don't even think about it if you can't understand the language. This game was heavily modified and released on the NES as Tombs & Treasures, which is an interesting bit of trivia. Not much more to say here without excessively repeating myself.

Extra Coin ($6.49)

A girl seeking her missing parents steps into a virtual world that promises a getaway for those seeking an escape from the harshness of reality. Explore the virtual reality of The Arcade day by day, getting involved with whatever nonsense you feel like doing. It's not going to be easy for Mika to find her parents. She'll have to follow whatever clues she stumbles across and face her fears. It's certainly got some heart put into it, and it's rather affordable.

Son of a Gun ($9.99)

This looks to be a fairly standard take on the top-down twin-stick shooter, but that might not be a bad thing depending on your mood. There are seven different gun categories, and that adds up to plenty of different weapons to wield. Six different playable characters, lots of bosses to battle, and around twenty enemies to blast. Very meat and potatoes, but it will scratch the itch if it needs scratching.

Dagon: Complete Edition ($9.99)

This is a collection of narrative adventures based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft. It includes the original Dagon, plus three DLCs that each tell their own little story. Lovecraft fans will probably get into it, as it seems like it was put together by enthusiasts of the author. I'm not too big into Lovecraft's stuff, so I can't really judge it the way I'd prefer.

My Big Sister: Remastered ($7.99)

While I am not the biggest fan of selling a remaster on the same console you sold the original on, the low price combined with the changes here make it seem somewhat reasonable. You get some new story stuff, the art has been fully redrawn, and there's a new soundtrack in place. The original is still up on the eShop, so if you're buying one make sure you grab this version.

Massi ($4.99)

If you're hungry for more side-scrolling action and don't want to burn much money, here's Massi. It has a fair bit going on for what it is, and seems to have been inspired by Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap. It's been out for a couple of years on computers and mobile, so you can probably find more detailed impressions out there if you look.

El Panadero -The Baker- ($7.99)

A quirky action-platformer with a distinctive style. You can play alone or pull in another player for some local multiplayer fun. It's a relatively short game, and you can hit the end in around forty minutes. So, you know, keep that in mind.

Rogue Sentry ($7.99)

Another twin-stick shooter, this one using that monochrome-ish style that some games favor. 1-bit, as they say. Don't assume the 'rogue' in the title means this is a roguelike or roguelite game, though. Straight-up action with some traversal, that's about it. A little short, but challenging and enjoyable.

Camp Sunshine ($6.99)

Uh oh, a dangerous killer bear mascot is on the loose again. I've seen stories like this before, and it doesn't end well. It describes itself as an RPG, but it's really just an adventure game in the guise of a 16-bit RPG visual style. You know, like Corpse Party or To The Moon. It's quite well-liked over on Steam, and we'll have to take their word for it because you folks know me and horror games.

Kill The Crows ($4.49)

A top-down arena shooter with an old western theme. Not exactly the fanciest of TV dinners, but it seems to understand that its theme is its selling point and leans into it nicely. Affordable fun, and sometimes that's good enough.

That's all for this week, friends. We'll be back next Saturday with another Round-Up as we head into the back half of October. Lots of great stuff on the horizon right now, even as we're likely in the final months of the Switch as Nintendo's main squeeze. As ever, I will plug both my Patreon (where you can find lots of cool exclusive articles) and my Ko-Fi (tips help me run this blog). There, plugged. I hope you have a super Saturday, and as always, thanks for reading!

[donnie28-6-42-12]

Intro: Wsp I'm Milo and I like Steven Adler.. duhꨄ and OMG FIRST FANFIC WOW. Anywayyy warnings are down below and I hope you enjoy. If you don't wanna read after the warnings just click off, I understand!! Love you guys♥

(WARNING: this fic has drunk characters, smut, dirty language, and cussing. ALL CHARACTERS ARE OVER 18. Enjoy loves!!♥)

🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀

❥𝒚/𝒏 𝒑𝒐𝒗★

I walked into the foggy and crowded bar. It smelled of booze and sex. I saw the band playing Guns n Roses playing as she walked in more from the door. I'd been dating the drummer for over three months. God I was crazy for him. Steven "popcorn" Adler.. and he was all mine. They call him popcorn cause of his hair. I loved watching it bounce and move as he played or got exited and jumped up and down. I was crazy for him as he was crazy for me. I walked to the bar and ordered my drink as always. "May I please have a mimosa with fruit juice? No ice" I said in a gentle but loud tone. I looked up at the drummer and smiled softly at the thought of him. He's all mine, I get to love him all I want. My drink soon arrived, slowly taking a drink as my eyes wondered back to Steven's. He noticed me. I knew right then and there that boy was mine. After the boys got done played they thanked the crowd and went backstage. As Steven was heading back he whistled "hey Y/n!! Come on baby I'm waitin' for ya'" I blushed. Now everyone at this damn bar knows I'm with him. I giggle and chug my drink and go back there with him. One thing to know about me and drinks.. I'm a fucking lightweight. As I made my way backstage I talked to slash snd Axl for a bit then finally seeing Steven. God this man is a sight for sore eyes. I laughed softly at the sight of him chugging a beer with Izzy. I take the beer from his hands and kiss him softly on the lips. As our lips collide I can taste beer and sweat. It's like an explosion of love and lust, he's clearly drunk cause right as a kiss him he grabs my waist. I look up at the blonde boy holding me and smile. "Baby, you're already drunk without me" I say in a playful tone. He nodded slowly and whined. "I neeeeeedd you y/nnn please" he whined and groaned quietly. God he's gonna be the death of me. And besides... parties are boring anyway.

❥𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗𑁍

Right after that kiss i knew i needed her. I needed her lips, her body, her smile, her moans, her everything. I whined as she separated so I protested against it. She gladly took my hand and dragged me to a private room in the back with a small red couch and some beers on the table. "Lay down and be a good boy~" she whispered to me. I nodded and complied to what she said and laid down on the small couch. I wasn't gonna put up fight, I'm high, wasted and horny. I'm in cloud nine at this point. Y/n starts to take my clothes off and I let her. I watched as she moved gently yet swiftly. She then slowly took her skimpy black top off and revealed her breast, no bra. Her body looked as if a goddess above sent her down from heaven. I slowly move my hand to touch her which gets swatted away. I groan in frustration, just wanting to touch her. "Baby please I need you and your body come in I'll be good-.." I whine quietly. She smirked and whispered in my ear, "if you're so good then call me what I want to hear." I whimper from the sudden change in mood and nod slowly. "Yes ma'm I understand.." I say understanding. All she had to do is tell me what to do and I'll do it. I'd do anything for this girl. I then beg quietly, getting nervous, "mommy, please may I touch you? Please please I'll be good-.." I beg just for a single touch. All she did was nod and I began to run my finger tips over her breast and nipples. I slowly ran my hand up and down her waist, smiling at the sight of her getting exited.

✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯✯

❥𝒚/𝒏'𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗♡

I start getting exited as his hands runs up and down my body. i then slowly take his shirt off revealing his chest. I slowly go down and kiss his chest slowly and gently, knowing the blonde boy under me is sensitive. I work my way down his v-line and slowly in buckle his jeans as he whines and squirms. "Darling stop being so needy and let me take my time. Yes ma'm~?" he nodded quickly and stopped moving. I undid his jeans and pulled them down and looked at his boxers. They're wet with pre-cum as his bulge showed through. I looked at up at him as he bit his lip. I smirked and went down and slowly kissed his erection and ran my hand up and down his shaft. He whimpered.. it sounded like heaven, every sound my needy boy made, made me even more horny. I took my little shorts off and took my red laced panties off. I heard a groan escape Stevie's mouth. I cover his mouth and slowly hover over his tip. "God.. m-mommy please just fuck me~!" steven whined loudly. "Good boy using manners~" I say quietly. I slowly slide down on his shaft as he whimpers. I moan and lean my two hands on his chest. I then take it all, moaning as I tell Steven he can move. Steven slowly starts to move his hips up into my pussy. I groan, going up and down on his shaft as I praise him for being a good boy. I slowly kiss his swollen lips and move faster as he whimpers into the kiss. I put one hand in his hair gently pulling it. Receiving a light gasp escape from Steven's mouth. I felt it twitch inside me knowing he was close so I whispered the most dirtiest things into the blondes ear, "Good boy fucking mommy like this~.. your doing so good being so deep inside of me~... god you feel amazing don't stop~ fill me up~" I sighed into his ear. I felt a knot in my stomach, I knew I was close so I went faster. "Please let me cum~! Please I'm a good boy~!" Steven moaned loudly. All I had to do was nod as we both relaxed at the same time, we both rode our orgasms out.

❥𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒗✪

I rode my orgasm out with y/n. I've calmed down now that it's over. She slowly slid off my dick as I lie there exhausted. She licked it up with made me wince in pleasure. She folded my clothes on the table put her panties back on. I watched her move around the room as I grabbed two cigarettes and lit them both, smiling as I gave one to y/n. She grabbed it thanking me. I smiled weakly and put music on. The song "my kind of lover" (Billie squier) and smiled while smoking a cigarette. I loved the taste after a nice night of love and lust. I hummed to the beat of the song and slowly got up, getting dressed. I cuddled up to y/n and hugged her waist. I loved after care and she knows it. She tells me I did a good job and that I made her feel so good. I smile as a response and blushed at the thought of pleasing her. I'd do anything for this girl and knowing that I made her feel good makes me so happy. I lay there tired and starting to get a hang-over. I slowly close my eyes ready to nap with one thing on my mind... I'm in love with y/n. She's the girl I wanna be with forever.

~𝒯ℋℰ ℰ𝒩𝒟~

Also on 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗽𝗮𝗱 if you wanna read with audios and songs loves!! No one requested it but I liked it🔥🎸💙