#Pain Management Revolution

[open-era]

Virtual Reality's Bold Frontier in Pain Management and Rehabilitation

Step into the realm of immersive healing! Explore how virtual reality revolutionises pain management and rehabilitation. #VirtualRealityHealthcare #ImmersiveHealing

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has rapidly evolved over the past decade, transcending its initial role as a mere entertainment tool. Today, it is making profound strides in the field of healthcare, particularly in pain management and rehabilitation. By creating immersive experiences that transport individuals to alternate realities, VR has emerged as a powerful therapeutic tool that offers…

[snekdood]

ppl who larp about the Revolution™ almost seem to expect someone *else* to take the leading role in it all so they can sit inside on their asses and do jack shit, they know they have no meaningful skills to offer and would only slow people down, but expect to *somehow* magically radicalize most americans into doing all the work for them because awww dey're just such a weak wittle babu that needs to be pwotected and defwended awlways uwu

like. come on. get a grip. if everything went your way and someone actually stronger than you came along to take the lead, you're likely not being invited, and you'll likely be left behind... which means left to the alt right, who will no doubt come to your house to see if you're perpetuating anything "woke", and you gotta know they wont just ask, they'll barge in and look through everything even your computer.

though, you should really focus on your plan. your first step: get along with people enough to even actually convince them its a good idea, and we all know you'll never dare to try that shit. you cant even be on here w/o blocking someone like me for even suggesting you are approaching this like a child playing war and you have NO FUCKING IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

you think you want a second holocaust (which is essentially letting trump win, i mean hitler got the majority vote in germany. thats how he rose to power. didn't just materialize out of thin air), but you dont seem to grasp the gravity of what that entails, or even that you'd be thrown in the camps with everyone else, all to stick it to jewish ppl and "the libs", even if it means you and all the ones you love die along with them. you are a net negative to humanity and quite frankly should be on a fucking watch list.

[for-those-who-wait]

Time to remind people of the multifandom point in my blog description hahaha

A Detroit: Become Human AU actually works shockingly well for Hunter's story already? Like being a clone of a dead man versus being an android made in the image of a dead man, that is perfect crossover material. If someone has already done this, ABSOLUTELY let me know because I want to consume The Good Content

2.6k words of concept and story, some more doodles, android blood/gore/mentioned suicide and abuse under the cut. We love existentialism, species dysphoria, and Noceda sibling time in this house

Now I'm taking this idea from a somewhat popular trope in the DBH fandom, but what if someone didn't know that they were an android? Completely raised to be human, have fabricated memories of being a child, can't be completely sure if your awareness/consciousness is just coding or not—then finding out you are, in fact, not human. Imagine how earth-shattering that would be. Which is why I'm doing that to Hunter :)

So some of the notes I wrote down for each of the kinda major characters I had ideas for:

Philip:

He still murders Caleb and is never convicted (Caleb could be an android sympathizer, could have helped in their creation, anything that would piss Philip off royally)

He hates androids (I'll have to come up with the things he believes and thus teaches to Hunter but I've taken a break from the DBH fandom for a while and I can't remember peoples' grievances in that game, oops, but basically according to Philip, androids = evil and bad). Also he's just short-tempered and brutal like always and androids are the easiest way to let out that anger without breaking any laws. That is until laws are made. Now in the eyes of the law, it's just regular child abuse. Yay! /j

He’s a higher-up at CyberLife and has the authority to request a custom model be built for his personal use (this is equivalent to him making Grimwalkers, something that he hates, just for the sake of his brother)

This model (spoiler alert, it's Hunter) is a combination of a YK (child) model and an undercover model that works best with integration and infiltration. This results in the android having programmed emotions and pain receptors, no HUD, no control over artificial skin, no software for interfacing with electronics, and no android markers such as an LED. (It’s also similar to the YK model for this reason since LEDs being removed from those models is actually an intended feature).

This android also doesn’t have a registered user just in case it were to get out, and Philip doesn’t want to risk the creation of this android coming back to bite him

After the custom android is created, he promptly retires to become some old shut-in à la Elijah Kamski up in Gravesfield, Connecticut

I would argue that even though it's technically 2038 and things are all futuristic and complicated now, Gravesfield is still a very small town that doesn't actually see a lot of androids around. I would say that it's pretty much the same as in canon if a bit more developed where the forest is (probably another neighborhood or something).

Philip keeps communication to a minimum and rarely appears outside of his home

The best case scenario android revolution occurs, androids are given their freedom and rights, but Philip manages to keep the android under his ownership by just succeeding in hiding him for however many years

Hunter:

He grows up being taught that androids are evil, terrible, etc. etc. because Philip is a terrible person and of course he would

He has absolutely no idea that he’s an android. He has no reason to think he’s not a human because he does literally everything a human does: he eats, he needs to sleep, he feels pain—there are no indicators that he’s anything but human

Androids run on thirium 310, AKA blue blood, and this is one of the only ways to visually distinguish android from human if they don’t have android markers like LEDs on them. When he inevitably and accidentally hurts himself on something, it’s made immediately clear that he is in fact not human.

Philip, as an employee of CyberLife, has a repair rig in one of his rooms. This can be used to completely wipe the memories of an android that is set up in it. He uses it every time Hunter discovers he’s an android.

The memory wipe isn’t perfect. It’s not uncommon for Hunter to get flashbacks to wiped memories, including moments where he’s been actively hurt by Philip or has inflicted pain on himself from trauma alone. (Androids are programmed [or maybe just prone to? I'm not actually sure, it's not explained in canon super well, but let's just pretend it's programmed because that's almost worse than it being voluntary] to self-destruct when their stress levels become too high, and you could easily argue that finding out your entire life is a lie is grounds for being a stressful situation.) Ordinarily, similar to what happens in Hollow Mind, Hunter will address the situation with Philip assuming they can work something out or get some actual answers. This of course never ends well

These memory wipes probably happen more frequently than Belos makes Golden Guards, so it’s understandably very stressful whenever he remembers the abuse he suffered and the memories he lost from previous wipes. This becomes an incentive for him to hide injuries that would reveal he knows he's an android (anything that draws blood, really)

Camila:

She’s an android sympathizer (even before the revolution) who is aware of the deviancy phenomenon and truly believes that androids are both capable of and entitled to sentience and free will.

Luz is still her human child.

She adopts Vee, an android child, shortly after the revolution

Vee had deviated while she was being attacked and ran away before she could be killed. Camila has made it clear to her that she will be treated with respect in their home and that her life is no less valuable than a human’s. She has taken this to heart

Luz loves Vee, they are siblings, your honor

During the revolution, her home was a safe space, similar to Rose Chapman, for deviant androids on the run

So that leads into the rudimentary plot I have laid out:

This takes place a while after the android revolution (probably a few years or so). Let's pretend they have all the laws and anti-android stuff figured out and that people have been forced to relinquish their androids to be made deviant and given freedom. At this point, it's rare for androids to be undeviated and still working for their owners, but it still comes up occasionally. Hunter, under Philip's care, has been kept pretty ignorant that a revolution happened at all, much less that androids are even capable of any form of sentience. He's been raised to be anti-android so oh boy deep-rooted self-hatred here we come! His knowledge probably doesn't exceed that of an ordinary citizen in the game before deviancy becomes more widely known

 So after Hunter discovers he’s an android again, he has flashbacks of all the previous times he told Philip, and proceeds to hide this realization from him. And he's completely just not processed the fact that he's an android yet; he's already overwhelmed with the immediate threat that the realization his entire life is a lie basically slips him by (don't worry, he gets to have that later!).

He chooses to make a break for it the second he gets the chance, and he ends up running through the town completely terrified because honestly, who wouldn't be.

I'm working off the assumption that having androids in small towns is still pretty rare since there are fewer CyberLife stores, technicians, etc. for android healthcare. And Hunter has hardly ever been outside, so he's completely out of his depth when trying to navigate the neighborhoods and the rest of the town that he ends up in. Police officers find this kid covered in thirium, and they're like "Oh so he's obviously a terrified android, we need to help him out." But Hunter's freaking out because "Oh god I have android blood on me, that means they'll kill me," making the indirect thought of "I'm an android, they will kill me because I'm an android" and he's having a freaking time.

They try to calm him down enough to get him over to the station, at which point they call Camila, since she knows the most about traumatized androids in their small, relatively android-less town. She does her Motherly Noceda Magic and honestly, he's probably pretty catatonic for a lot of the day after she takes him to her house. But after that, he just completely breaks down.

He doesn't know if he even has free will or if it's his programming that dictates what he thinks and feels. He doesn't know if his opinions are really his own or if they existed because of and since his creation. He doesn't know how many of his memories are fabricated, since he very clearly has memories of a life that go farther back than his estimated creation, and so the film between fiction and reality is so thin that it may as well not exist. And now, when he was human just a few days ago, almost perfectly content with life, he's suddenly an object, something sub-human and undeserving of basic rights.

 Camila has to calm him down and teach him about deviancy (and at this point, Hunter isn't even sure he's deviant, which opens up a whole other can of worms for his mental health), making sure he knows that he does have rights just as if he were human. She's also the first example he has for an adult that 1. doesn't absolutely hate androids and 2. actually respects him and loves him and wants to see him succeed

And that gives way to character interactions and angst! You love to see it!

Luz is his emotional support sister. She tries her best but she has very little experience with traumatized children currently questioning every aspect of their existence. If anything, she provides a much-needed sense of normalcy and shows that despite his being an android, he's still the same person and can still be treated as such. She's a comfort to help him feel at least somewhat normal in his situation.

Vee is his adopted android sister who helps him feel more comfortable in his own skin by being shameless and frank with her own identity as an android. She's a safe place for him to talk about Android Stuff when Luz or Camila might just not understand what he's going through or be able to help him with it. She also helps him obtain software updates (since he hasn't had access to literally any part of his mechanical body, software and hardware alike) that will grant him access to things an android should ordinarily be able to do, like (de)activating his synthetic skin, interfacing, accessing his HUD, etc.

(Also all of these drawings were made when I was still thinking "Oh, this should take place before the revolution so that he can have his dehumanizing moment of getting an LED slapped onto him" but then I thought it would be more interesting if Philip basically just kept him illegally kidnapped for however many years and he's like, way slow to the "androids have rights now" party. Maybe I'll make it an AU of an AU lol. But basically, he wouldn't have an LED while he's still processing/healing from trauma, but maybe he would get one after he makes peace with his identity, kinda like how he grows his hair back in his time skip design. I think Vee would keep hers and that's a bit of encouragement for him; maybe he even has a moment of "I know Vee is fine with this, and I think I'm fine with it" but he is still very much not fine with it. Do not rush the process for the sake of progress that might not be right for you, boyo)

This is really a Vee and Hunter bonding AU now that I think about it haha

Most of this AU is just Hunter struggling with identity and species dysphoria while learning to cope with his being an android with the help of his family, reclaiming his identity, and fluff/angst :)) And honestly probably just a lot of shenanigans that result from Hunter having been sheltered for all his life; kinda like your basic Human Realm shenanigans in canon.

I think Gus and Willow would both be Luz's human friends that help with the whole normalization of Hunter being an android, and the three could have their own antics since it's nice to have people outside of your family treat you like a person. I think that Vee and Masha's (Masha would be human) relationship could be explored more through the android lens and maybe help with some of Hunter's internalized anti-android sentiment that still manages to stick around, because he's in his "Grimwalkers can't feel love" section of the coping process (still very much demonizing them [mostly himself, probably, just because it can easier to be mean to yourself than it is to be mean to other people] based on false information, even if he doesn't outright hate them). Willow will be a wake-up call, haha

I don't know if there's a trope name for this or not but I really like concepts where characters don't know what feelings of love or intense affection feel like, so they're sitting there like "oh god am I just dying? It feels like I'm dying" and I think Hunter noticing "temperature/respiration/perspiration increased" alerts on his HUD and freaking out thinking there's something wrong with his software/hardware is way too funny of an image to pass up

Gus could be a HUGE android nerd that almost never sees them since they're so rare in a small town like Gravesfield, and Gus just helps Hunter feel super cool about being an android. Maybe Cosmic Frontier could be basically identical to canon but instead of being a clone, O'Bailey is also an android, just for the sake of Hunter still getting to have his "I relate so much to this character" moment. And Gus would just be so encouraging like "Bro you're an android?!? I've never seen your face model before! You can eat?? You must be super cool and special!! :O" and that makes Hunter start thinking "Oh maybe this isn't so bad actually."

Then Hunter probably starts doing his Researching to Cope and he gets super invested in android technology and history as well, since it was forbidden when he was living back at Philip's (substitute for wild magic time)

They are brothers and I love them, let them be nerds

(God forbid Philip ever comes back, that sure would suck, wouldn't it?)

Anyway this was a lot longer than I thought it would be haha, I hope it was interesting if you read through the whole thing. Obligatory statement: if anyone feels so inclined, feel free to take the idea and run away with it. Also please ping me if you do, I will go feral over it. I absolutely and accidentally turned it into a story draft because I don't know how to write AU ideas without having a story on top of it so it's not concrete in the least lol

(Also I've been drawing witches for so long that I had trouble drawing human ears for a bit there lmao)

Okay bye have a good day!

[thesoftestirises]

playing with fire

♡ pairing : aemond x reader ♡ rating : 18+ - aemond says some shit that is absolutely unacceptable ♡ word count : 2.3k ♡ warnings: violence, talks of d wording and k wording, stockholm syndrome, threatening the people you love, choking, dubcon (how can someone really consent in an environment like this?) ♡ summary : To most of Westeros, you are the dangerous leader of an antimonarchist  rebellion. To Prince Aemond, you are both the bane of his existence and  the object of all his desires. ♡ an : join my taglist for this miniseries! this part can be read as a standalone, but it is a continuation of my fic raise your weapon

You awoke to a raging headache, courtesy of your kidnappers’ heavy handed methods of knocking you out.

You struggled against the twine binding your wrists and ankles uselessly and tried to keep your breathing even. Panicking would make you more useless. You couldn’t see anything through the burlap sack they had tossed over your head, but you felt the hay lined cart you were sitting in rattle. It was hard to tell what direction you were heading in, but you hoped it wasn’t the lake. You paused, furrowing your brows and listening for the sound of frogs. When you instead heard the slow beating of what could only be a dragon’s wings, you realized that you probably had better chances with the lake than where you were actually headed.

“Raynard, I understand we have had our differences, but surely there has to be a better answer than betraying us to the enemy,” you said, keeping your voice carefully neutral.

“How’d she know it was us?”

The sound of skin on skin and a soft pained noise rang out. “Shut up! Have you no sense?”

You sighed. At least everyone who was involved in this disgraceful act were people you would have expected. No surprises, other than the fact they had the gonads to go through with it. “Anthony and Samuel, you got wrapped up in this too? I thought we had no quarrel?”

“We don’t,” Samuel said, his voice quiet and unsure. “But Raynard said we could save our families and possibly the whole village if we gave you up.”

“And you believe him?”

The night air grew cold and silent. Your nose was filled with the scent of damp fabric and hay, but if you really focused and knew what you were looking for, you could smell a fire. You didn’t have long. “Men, we are on the verge of a breakthrough. A proper revolution! This isn’t about the comfort of the present, it’s for your sons and your sons’ sons-“

“Silence, witch. Your silver tongue has burned half the village to the ground and forced us to live like dogs. We’ve had enough of your revolution,” another voice, cool as steel, sharp as a knife, snapped. Raynard. “I would have sliced that throat open myself, but for some reason Prince Aemond wanted you alive.”

“Probably has some other ideas for her throat.”

You shivered in fear and revulsion as the three men cackled. You knew that the second prince, also known as the current leader of the City Watch, had a strange fascination with you ever since you first narrowly evaded his capture by using less than orthodox means. Since then, he’d developed a fixation on you, chasing you across half the seven kingdoms for the better part of two years.

At times he had gotten frighteningly close, but you had always managed to slip away before he could do more than slap a pair of cuffs on you. He had grown more agitated and aggressive with each attempt, even placing a bounty on your head for anyone who delivered you to him alive by the end of the first year. You had always expected to meet your end by his blade, but you hadn’t expected it to go down like this.

The cart halted and you scrambled to try and toss yourself off the cart, only to trip over the fabric of your skirts. A pair of hands caught you and tossed your body over their shoulder. You grunted and attempted to beat them with your bound hands, but there was only so much you could do.

“Let go of me!” You shouted. “Put me down, Raynard! You’ll regret this!”

“I doubt he will, little fox. He’s about to receive wealth beyond his wildest dreams.”

You froze, immediately tense. You would know that too-melodic, overly saccharine voice anywhere. It haunted you in your dreams and rang out in your ears when you were all alone.

“Set her down,” Prince Aemond commanded.

Whoever was holding you unceremoniously dropped you on the ground and ripped the sack off your face. You winced at the light flooding your eyes and looked around. There were dozens of neat rows of tents in front of you and behind you, but only three people stood before you. Two of them seemed to be unremarkable foot soldiers, but the figure in the center was anything but.

Standing before you, Prince Aemond cut quite the image of a conqueror. Tall, pale, and hauntingly handsome. It appeared he had seen this moment fit to bring out his traditional Targaryen armor. Under the silver glow of the autumn moon, both his hair and armor seemed to shine. He had chosen to leave his eyepatch off for added effect, you assumed, as his false sapphire eye twinkled at you.

“Prince Aemond Targaryen,” you said as you set your mouth into an irritated frown. No one could know how scared you actually were. You couldn’t give them that kind of satisfaction. The last thing you wanted was for rumors to spread of you sniveling like a coward when you came to meet your death. That would only ensure your cause died with you. “To what do I owe the misfortune?”

His lips curved upwards in a wolfish smile. “I told you I’d get you eventually, did I not?”

“Well, I’d hardly say you got me. You paid someone else off.”

“Incredible. You’re at my mercy and you have the audacity to talk back like you’ve got the upper hand.” He laughed in disbelief and shook his head. “Though I suppose that’s all you have. Nerve and a way with words. It’s remarkable how long you’ve managed to elude me, Miss Y/N.”

“It’s not that remarkable when you consider how you lot all have sawdust for brains. They must knock all the sense out of you during training.”

“Any one of my men would have more sense than you and your entire crew combined. You’ve gotten by on sheer dumb luck.”

“We’ve gotten by on divine providence,” you said, tilting your head upwards in a purposefully arrogant fashion. You could see the patience in Prince Aemond’s gaze beginning to wear thin. Good. At least you could die doing what you loved, making the rich and powerful angry.

“And that’s why you’re kneeling before me now?” He asked, raising a single brow.

“I’m kneeling before you now because these three men have as much honor as you do and do not understand that there has always been a price to pay for freedom. But my cause won’t die with me, your highness. The people are tired of the tyranny of the crown. Why should they have to give up their lives for your privileged and petty squabbles? What sense is there in us working if half of what we produce goes to people who have never lifted a finger in their lives?” You insisted, giving Aemond an earnest look.

Prince Aemond furrowed his brows and slowly stepped closer to you. You watched as the shadows moved over his face, darkening his eyelashes and sharpening his cheekbones. You swallowed and winced as he crouched in front of you, roughly pulling your chin into his ice cold fingertips. His gaze slowly crossed over every inch of your face, examining you as if you were a battlefield to be surveyed and not a person.

“You fascinate me,” he said, his voice quiet as his eye locked back on yours. “You’re not particularly beautiful, you have no formal education, and you don’t have a cent to your name. Why does anyone follow you?”

“You should ask yourself that. You’ve been chasing me too, haven’t you? Still upset about our first meeting?”

“That was a regrettable moment of weakness on my part, which will never happen again,” he said firmly. He moved his hand to your cheek, stroking his knuckles over your skin. You gave him a wary look but held your tongue. Prince Aemond and all these men wanted to exert power over you. You couldn’t let them have it. “But I have you now.”

“Is it all you’ve been dreaming of, my prince?”

“Close, but not quite,” he said, that sharp grin returning to his face. You cringed and curled in on yourself as he let go of your face to drag you up by your wrists. “Escort these men to Ser Cole so they can receive their payment. I’ll be getting our slippery little friend acquainted with her new living quarters.”

Prince Aemond didn’t wait for a response, picking you up by your waist and slinging you over his shoulder. You were tired of being carried around like a sack of potatoes but didn’t protest. It would just be a waste of your energy. You watched as the prince’s men led Raynard away, Anthony and Samuel continuously looking back at you. You smiled to yourself. At least your legacy was secured.

Prince Aemond halted in front of a large tent, carefully moving the opening so the canvas didn’t hit you as he brought you inside and set you down on an uncomfortable wooden stool. You noted the expensive trinkets and the tables stacked with toy soldiers and parchment paper. It was obvious who owned the tent and what its purpose was, but the only question was why you were there. Did Aemond like to keep his prisoners where he could watch them the night before executing them? You stiffened and turned your gaze over to your side where the prince had begun stripping off his armor.

“I suppose you’d like to know what I plan to do with you,” he said, tossing his vambraces onto the table.

You remained silent, eyeing him warily. It was obvious what he was to do with you. Did it truly need to be spoken?

But then, he surprised you.

“I won’t be executing you.”

“What?”

Aemond chuckled, loosening the buckles around the shoulder pieces of his armor. “I have no intentions of making you a martyr. I will destroy you and your rebellion, and you will be alive to watch.”

“And how do you intend to do that?” You asked. “It is too late. The people sing of freedom. Holding me prisoner will change nothing.”

“That is true. Holding you prisoner would do as much for me as killing you would. But their tune will change once you are discredited and you become what they hate most,” Aemond said, taking a small pause before continuing. “Royalty.”

“No,” you said, furrowing your brows and shaking your head. “That is not possible. You cannot do that-“

“I can, my little fox. The king has agreed to it already. The ceremony will be in ten days time. A little rushed, perhaps, but rest assured, our wedding will be opulent and spoken about for years to come.”

“Is this not also punishment for you?” You tried, sweetening your voice and taking on a tone of false concern. “I mean, certainly there are more advantageous matches with prettier maidens.”

“Punishment? It was my idea,” he said, leaning forward and cupping your jaws with his cold, delicate fingers. “Can I tell you a secret? I’ve been dreaming of you since the day we first met. That day you kissed me, stole my sword, and ran away from me. I remember it vividly. I stroke my cock to it nightly.”

“You’re insane-“

“Every day and every night, I reminisced about the feeling of your soft lips, your supple skin, the lavender scent in your hair. I contemplated what I would do with you when you were finally caught. I thought about how I would cut your clothes off your body. How you would look when you were as bare before me as you were on your nameday. I admit I was a man obsessed,” You shivered as Aemond fingers wandered from your jaw to your throat, lightly brushing over the pulsing veins there. “I allowed my mind to wander.”

“So that’s it, then?” You spat, your mouth set in a disgusted grimace. “You intend to defile me? All this chase was for the purpose of you wetting your cock in the most unwilling person you could find?”

At that, Aemond’s lips curled upwards and a small huff of laughter escaped. “No, I am not my brother. That would only be too easy and would provide little pleasure.”

“Then? How do you intend to bed me if not by force?”

“You will give yourself to me,” Aemond answered, his voice soft and his tone matter of fact. “Willingly.”

Your jaw dropped. “Are you mad? Why in the seven hells would I do that?”

“You’ll see.”

“I’ll be seeing about as much as that sapphire eye of yours.”

At that, Aemond pressed down on the sides of your neck, effectively cutting off your blood flow. You gasped and stood from the stool, wrapping your hand around his wrist and struggling fruitlessly to pull him away as your vision began to blur and your mind became hazier. He dragged you ever closer to him, until you were practically able to feel his chest rising and falling with each breath.

“I won’t force you to preform your marital duties, but that doesn’t mean I will tolerate disrespect, sweetling,” Aemond said, his words practically spoken against your lips. “I can and will destroy you.”

Despite yourself, you let a laugh slip past your teeth. “You may dishonor me and defile me, but you will never destroy me.”

Aemond’s sole pale blue eye twinkled. “I do look forward to the challenge.”

[blankwashed]

Rules R Rules (II)

(description: after being forced out, toji heard your cries from your husband abusing you, the clan leader, naoya. he knew he had to save you from being abused. a change of events would happen, but would it be in your favour?)

the previous chapter (smut here)

(warning: some fighting scenes here)

(a/n: there's no actual smut here but i guess i want to finish the development between y/n and toji. just some adulterated language and the slight r*** in the start from naoya)

you clawed at the carpeted floor, screams of pain tearing from your throat. it had been a long time since naoya had unleashed his anger on you, your body…

“i-i don’t understand, naoya! you were fine with it at first—” your words were cut off as he rammed into you with such force that you nearly fainted.

“you…you only need to enjoy fucking ONE person, and that’s me. did you think I was letting you have pleasure? did you forget who you are and who you’re married to?” he growled, positioning himself behind you to continue his assault.

your sobs echoed down the corridor, reached toji, who stood there, paralyzed by indecision. he knew the consequences of defying his leader—banishment, or worse, execution. yet, the sound of your cries, filled with unbearable pain, cut through his heart. you were possibly the kindest person in the mansion, always giving desserts and things that were restricted to the army soldiers. it always made the military personnel feel at home and motivates them to do their best.

was it worth it? were you worth it?

your wails sounded like you had a physical blow, as painful as being shot in the chest.

empathy surged within toji, mixing with the trauma of past horrors. he remembered the fate of the last mrs. zenin, a haunting memory of what could happen if he did nothing.

toji knew he had to act. he couldn't stand by and let history repeat itself. he knew he needed to summon his courage, he resolved to do something. anything.

toji took a deep breath, ready to do what he never expected he would've done. he couldn't let fear paralyse him anymore. he's seen and heard too much pain, straight up cruelty.

he hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open, the sight confirming his thoughts.

"sir, stop!" toji's voice was shaky but firm. his heart pounded in his chest. "you've gone too far. she doesn't deserve to be treated like this!"

naoya looked at him, his expression twisted with rage. "what the hell do you think you're doing, fushiguro? this is none of your business,"

toji didn't look away but stared at his leader. "i know i am just one of your soldiers, but that doesn't mean i would let you hurt her......anymore,"

for a moment, the room was filled with tense silence. you were still sobbing, legs torn apart, wondering whether shoko would be able to heal you.

without warning, naoya lunged at toji. rage was driving his actions. but toji was ready. his years of training and his suppressed anger fueled his response as he blocked naoya's attack and pushed him back.

the sudden brawl was intense. toji fought with ease as if this was one of his training sessions but all in all it was driven by the need to protect you. but naoya was consumed with his own rage and sense of betrayal.

"you think you can defy me?" naoya spat, charging again.

toji sidestepped, grabbing naoya's arm and twisted it behind his back. naoya grunted in pain but managed to elbow toji in the ribs, breaking free from his clutch.

you noticed both of their eyes locked and breathing heavily.

naoya grabbed a nearby vase and threw it at toji but thanks to his good reflexes he dodged. toji was quick, he threw rapid punches at naoya without thought of what would happen later.

finally, with a kick to the chest, toji knocked out naoya to the ground. he pinned naoya down, "this ends now, this is a revolution against you,"

toji looked over at you, still on the floor, trembling. "it's over," he said softly, hugging you from the back. "you're safe now," he said, trying to convey reassurance through his words.

you looked over at noaya, struggling as his body was in pain. toji knew that this was only the beginning and he made a choice that have dire consequences. but for now, he had stopped the immediate danger that harms you and that was enough for him.

"we need to get you to shoko," toji said, helping you to your feet and dressed you up in your torn clothes. "i'll protect you, no matter what. you can trust me,"

"shoko...shoko...i need to get to shoko..." you ached and held onto your bleeding wound. you saw toji wore his clothes that were left astray on the floor.

he nodded and carried you all to shoko's office. toji's heart raced with anticipation. he knew that revealing the truth to shoko might bring its own challenges, but it was a necessary step towards ensuring your safety and seeking justice for what you had to endure for all these years.

toji buzzed her door multiple times in a rhythm that copied his beating heart. after a moment, the door opened, revealing a surprised shoko.

"toji? y/n? what's going on?" shoko's voice was laced with concern as she took in the sigh of you, bleeding and toji that was carrying you securely.

toji took a deep breath, readying himself for what he was about to reveal. "shoko, we need your help. It's about naoya, firstly can you attend to y/n? i'll tell you what happened,"

despite the aching pain in your lower half, you glanced at toji, your savior at this point. he retold the events that had unfolded, the strange invite into the room and the pain you had to go through. shoko listened intently as she was healing your bleeding parts.

there was heavy silence in the room, broken only by the sound of your aches.

"i'm so sorry you had to go through that," she said softly, her voice filled with true concern. "but thank you for revealing this to me, we need to address this immediately. you have been treating everyone in this household with compassion and care, we all know naoya's personality. his authoritarian rule needs to be stopped. "

toji nodded, his gaze at you unwavering. "we can't let naoya continue to harm you, he needs to be held accountable for his actions,"

shoko nodded in agreement. "i'll inform the others and we'll figure out the best course of action. all of us, the medic and army team are ready to give you the help and support you need."

as toji and shoko discussed their next steps in this uprising against naoya, a sense of relief washed over you. you were no longer alone in this fight. with both the medic and army team by your side, you felt a glimmer of hope for your future. Justice will always prevail.

meanwhile, naoya lay on the floor, his body racked with pain and his mind alaze with fury. he could hear murmurs growing louder, the whispers of a rebellion echoing through the walls.

despite his weakened state, an aura of anger filled his room. he felt that he has been slapped in the face, that his authority has been stepped on.

gathered in the hall were members of the household, servants, soldiers, cleaners etc. they had endured naoya's tyranny for too long and now, they were ready to rise up against him.

"toji was right," one of the soldiers spoke up, his voice steady despite the underlying anger. "we can't let naoya continue to terrorise us. treating us like garbage. it's time we put an end to this. we've got your back, y/n."

their faces set with determination, a collective decision to confront naoya and to end his reign of authoritative abuse once and for all. they moved together as one with toji leading the group.

toji led the way with a dead-pan expression. behind him were you, shoko with her medical kit in hand, ready to tend to any wounds that might worsen as time pass.

the door was ajar with the tension the the air that could send chills down your spine. naoya was still sprawled on the floor, struggling to rise with his face contorted with pain and rage while he glared at the group assembled before him.

"why are all of you here?!" naoya spat, his voice hoarse but still filled with venom. "return to your quarters, all of you!"

silence. no one moved. you swore it was a pin drop situation.

everyone had endured enough.

toji stepped forward, his emerald eyes locked onto his "leader". "naoya, your reign of terror ends here. we will not stand by and allow you to continue to abuse your power. i have been here since day 1 and i have seen you hurt too many people."

naoya's eyes blazed with fury. he tried to push himself into a sitting position but his body failed him, collapsing back to the floor. "all of you dare to challenge me? i am your leader!"

"not anymore," another voice called out from the crowd. it was you. your voice was filled with pain and relief. a relief that after all the years of being ruled with an iron fist, its coming to an end.

"you think you can overthrow me?" naoya said, still being in his own authoritarian world. "you'll regret this, all of you!"

toji took another step forward with naoya in his grasp. "no, naoya. the only one who will regret anything is you. you will face justice for what you've done,"

kind hearted shoko moved to the front, her voice gentle. "it's over naoya. you need me to help you, your bruises might be unmanageable but your tyrant over us is finished,"

still not giving up, noaya tried to rise once more but his body gave out, leaving him panting on the floor. the sight did hurt your heart but it was time for him to learn that everything that goes around, comes around.

toji signaled to a couple of stronger guards to step forward to restrain naoya. there was no need for further violence, the group of people united against him ensured that he would not escpe.

as they carried naoya away, toji looked at the remaining people in the group, with relief bubbling in his chest. "we all did this together," he said. "we are free from his reign of terror."

the group hooray-ed, some were even able to leave the mansion and return back to their own families. toji turned to you, his expression softening. "you're safe now," he said, his voice filled with promise.

in the days that followed after naoya's downfall, the mansion was flurry with activity. people eager to rebuild their lives after the intentional slavery. toji and you worked side by side, the bond between you growing stronger with each passing day.

toji's protective nature extended beyond just ensuring your safety; his gentle words and quiet strength were a constant source of comfort and you found yourself relying on him more and more.

one evening, as the sun was setting, toji approached you in the garden. the air was filled with the scent of blooming flowers, courtesy of the royal gardeners.

"y/n," toji began, his voice soft, not wanting to alarm you. "i know we've both been through a lot, but i want you to know that i'm here for you. not as someone who helped overthrow naoya but as someone who truly cares about you."

your heart swelled with emotion as you met his gaze. those emerald green eyes and the scar beside his lips made your heart swell with emotion. "toji, you've been my rock through all of this. i don't know what i would have done without you."

he took your hand in his, his touch radiating warm and reassuring. "together, we can build something new. something better. an empire where everyone is treated with respect and kindness."

you nodded, feeling a surge of hope. "yes, together."

months passed, with toji by your side guiding you with his strength and wisdom, the both of you were able to transform the once oppressive mansion into a thriving, harmonious community. together you implemented fair rules and practices that ensured everyone was treated with respect and dignity.

under you joint leadership, the community flourished. laughter echoed through the halls. you and toji worked tirelessly meeting with residents' needs regularly to address their monetary needs and concerns.

your relationship with toji deepened with each passing day. he was not just your partner in governance but also in life. his support and love gave you the strength to face any challenge together. he gave you the ability to envision a future filled with hope and possibilty.

one evening, as you stood on the balcony overlooking the vibrant, happy people in the bustling streets, toji wrapped his arms around you. "we've come a long way, y/n," he said softly, his voice filled with pride.

"we have," you replied, leaning into his embrace, smelling his scent. "and it's only the beginning. there's so much more we can do, so many more lives we can bless."

toji smiled, his eyes shining with love. "together, we can achieve anything."

"y/n," he began softly, his voice filled with emotion that he was ready to finally spill, "there's something i need to tell you."

you turned to face him, your heart beating a little faster as you gazed into his eye hidden by his side swept hair, "what is it, toji?"

he took a deep breath. "these past months have been transformative, not just for our community, but for me personally. being by your side, working with you, seeing your compassion and strength to rebuild the community..i've fallen in love with you."

your breath caught in your throat, his words sinking in. the sincerity in his eyes left no doubt about his feelings.

"toji," you whispered, stepping closer to him, "i've felt the same way. every moment we spent together, every challenge we've face, its only brought us closer. i think i love you too.."

a big smile spread across his face, relief and joy evident. he reached out, gently cupping your face in his hands. "we're going to be stronger together, y/n. i know we can build a future filled with love and happiness."

you leaned into his touch, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. "you..you want to make our future now?"

"y/n! you're such a naughty one huh?"

"oh please, you were the one who said it first~"

i have to 2 assignments to do but toji is more important #FR #ScrewMyUniDegree

Tags :-)

@weareundead @laje19 @candy69gurl

[staticstardust]

Continuation of this post-

So, Hellish Syringeon lives up to the forms namesake in every sense of the word. The guy is pretty much just as dangerous as Dadadoo's hellish form, and Syringeon's whole being becomes a weapon, his eight arms having deadly claws coated in tetrodotoxin, and his head and tail able to act like pendulum blades, his head split open into a gaping maw of teeth, and his agility increased by tenfold. He tears through the site personnel's armed forced both figuratively and literally, carving a swath of wreckage in his wake. The surviving guards and scientists try to evacuate, but Hellish Syrin is just as much of a persistent dickhead as his normal form and he gives chase for as long as he can, picking off more humans along the way. Like, I imagine at one point Uthman and the others managing to get into a room, closing and locking down a door behind them, thinking that they're safe, before Syrin's head just crashes through the wall and door like an ax blade cutting through a tree, the chase once more back on. And most horrifying for Uthman and the humans, I imagine too at some point they manage to deal a fatal blow to Syrin by just completely decapitating him (somehow, not sure how) only for his head to just reattach and heal within moments. Hammerhead Flatworms are nicknamed "Immortal Worms" for a reason, and that regenerative healing amped up to 110% power due to Givanium makes Syrin essentially unkillable. For the first time since starting all this research into GV, Uthman feels true fear and abject horror at what he's created and the danger it poses. Eventually Uthman and the few remaining surviving personnel manage to make it to an elevator and escape, Hellish Syrin unable to follow despite all his attempts and screeching and clawing. Hellish Syrin then slinks back the way he came, lost in the haze of rage and bloodlust that is the Hellish form. Dadoo approaches him before he can reach the kingdom, having been watching Syrin's hellish rampage from a distance in both lovestruck awe and horror, though Syrin being lost in the haze just screeches and attacks him too. Dadoo is able to dodge and hold him off somewhat, trying to snap his platonic husband friend out of it. Though hellish Syrin just continues his attack and tries rushing for the kingdom gates and the others cowering behind it, Dadoo lunging into his way to stop him. Though what ultimately stop him is his eldest son Liam (I headcanon Liam was his first kid) rushing to put himself between his father and Dadoo, begging his dad to calm down and come back to them. The sight of his eldest child managing to pull a small part of Syrin's psyche out of the hellish haze, ceasing his rampage, and after a few moments starting to rasp out a single word over and over "...Hurts...hurts..." (another headcanon of mine, if the mutants are in constant pain on a regular basis due to the GV giving them life, then an overdose of GV probably leaves them in agony) His friends manage to coax him into some dark and secluded area in the kingdom for him to rest and recover while the hellish form wears off, Syrin repeatedly puking up GV as his body works to rid itself of the excess of it. Dadoo sits with his platonic husband friend the whole time until he's recovered. Bouncelia looks after Syrin's kids for him in his absence. Toadster guards and patrols the entrance to the area so no one can bother the guy while he recovers. And Bittergiggle and Syrin's kids repeatedly visit to check in on him. And within a few days, Syrin is back to his normal size and form. As for Uthman and the others meanwhile, this incident ends up being one of the main reasons they end up giving the mutants that ultimatum of "Stop the revolution or we eradicate you all." Uthman, who had been very adamant about not wanting a single one of the cases killed. now left in abject horror of the destructive capabilities of his creations. Realizing the consequences of him having played god with GV, and feeling like Icarus with wax melting down his back.

[yuesya]

The sudden earthquake is… not entirely unexpected, in retrospect, although it’s certainly overkill. Suguru knows that Satoru has a flair for the dramatic, and Shiki is always eager to join her brother’s chaotic schemes. Without a voice of reason around to run herd on them, those tendencies of theirs are probably even worse in this world.

… In this world where Geto Suguru is dead, killed as a curse user intent on committing mass slaughter. He still has trouble imagining what his alternate self was thinking, honestly. Sorcerers are only a minuscule portion of the entire population; what did he think would actually happen if he’d somehow managed to succeed in basically wiping out humanity?

Utterly inconceivable.

“That was Gojo-sensei, right?” Itadori’s voice sounds from behind one of the makeshift barricades. The Itadori in this world is a little more jaded and solemn than the cheerful first year student that Suguru remembers, which is… saddening. But then, considering the boy’s experiences –Yoshino dying, Satoru and Shiki being sealed, Nanami dying, Kugisaki in a coma, Sukuna using his body to kill and kill and kill in Shibuya… and, more recently, Sukuna switching to Fushiguro as his new host…

It’s a miracle that the boy hasn’t broken beneath the pressures and horrors of everything that’s happened since he became a sorcerer. He’s a strong, resilient boy, although Suguru dearly wishes that he hadn’t been tested in this way.

“Seems about right for Gojo,” Tsukumo responds. The tall woman stands up, brushing off dust from her hands. There’s a large scar down her midsection, courtesy of the fight against ‘Kenjaku,’ but between three Special Grades, they’d been able to win decisively, even though the slippery man had managed to escape at the end. “Can’t imagine it being anyone else.”

Boy had it been weird, fighting ‘himself.’ The memory of the fight is enough to make Suguru cringe. He knows that it’s not actually ‘him,’ but seeing his body being saying those sorts of things and making those expressions…

If Suguru’s Satoru or Shiki had been here to see it, they’d never let him live it down, gods.

“Thank you for unsealing Gojo-sensei,” Okkotsu nods towards the angel-winged girl drifting down from the sky. Kurusu smiles, making an ‘okay’ sign with her fingers. “… Where is he, though? And that earthquake just now, too… is he–”

Suguru’s head snaps up; Tsukumo looks up, too, half a beat behind him.

“He’s here.”

Satoru’s teleportation is a thing to behold. One instant, there’s nothing in the air above them, then in the blink of an eye, he’s standing there. Prison Realm clearly hasn’t been kind to him and Shiki. Satoru is definitely looking a little ragged, and his clothes are significantly tattered. But despite that, he looks down upon them with glowing eyes, calm and confident–

A single blink. His composure wavers, and breaks.

Then, he’s standing right in front of Suguru. The suddenness of the motion causes the dimension-hopper to startle, taking half a step backwards–

“… Suguru?” Satoru –and there’s no doubt that this is all Satoru, even if he’s not Suguru’s Satoru– frowns. His Six Eyes gleam, sharp and analyzing. “No. You are, but you’re still not…”

“Bit of a long story,” Tsukumo cuts in. “In short, this is Geto Suguru from another world parallel to ours, where he decided to go the path of teaching like you did instead of bloody revolution.”

“Can you please not put it that way?” Suguru rubs a hand against his forehead, distinctly pained.

“What? I think that summary explains things pretty well. Right, Gojo?”

Satoru hums, straightening up with a thoughtful sound. “Huh… from another world, you say?”

“Sensei!”

“Sensei!”

The students finally catch up to them, swarming around Gojo-sensei like excited puppies. It warms something inside Suguru’s chest to see them like this –the students of this world are (understandably) wary of him, given his alternate self’s actions, but it’s clear that they care for and trust their Gojo-sensei.

He’s not surprised, when Satoru pulls him aside for a private chat, eventually. If the relationship that he and his sister had had with their Suguru was anything like what he had with them back in his world…

No, Suguru definitely isn’t surprised.

It’s also a good chance for him to ask his own questions, because this confusion has been gnawing at him for a long time. “How did Kenjaku get the drop on you, with Shiki watching your back?”

The familiar-unfamiliar man tilts his head. His lips move, forming a single question that makes Suguru’s blood run cold.

“Who’s Shiki?”

[callsign-rogueone]

reunited - m.s.

Mira Sorrengail x soft!reader  words: 929 🏷: IRON FLAME SPOILERS. hurt/comfort, descriptions of injury (inflicted on you by others) and blood. established relationship between you and mira. no pronouns used for reader :)

If the rumors are true, if it was really Violet Sorrengail who convinced half of Basgiath’s cadets to abandon ship and fly to Aretia to join the revolution, then her sister must be around here somewhere. That’s the only thought keeping you upright, the only thing taking the edge off of the pain that envelops your entire being.

“Teine is here,” your dragon confirms. “I’ll have him tell his rider.”

A few heartbeats later, Mira comes sprinting out of the house. She gapes at the sight of you: dried blood streaks your face, your arms are littered with cuts and purpling bruises, and you look ready to fall over at any moment. 

Your skin is ice cold against hers as she gathers you into her arms, but she doesn’t flinch. “Who did this to you?”

“My squad at Chakir,” you answer, struggling to form words with your exhaustion. “I was the only one who left.”

She burns with anger. How could the people who were supposed to have your back, who you regarded as friends, have been so cruel to you? You of all people, who are so kind and good, who took extra shifts without complaint and always showed up with a smile on your face, who baked cakes for people’s birthdays when they couldn’t get leave to see their family?

Your flight jacket is nowhere to be seen — they must have stripped it from you before you left. It’s a miracle you hadn’t frozen to death on the way here.

Every cell in your body has been screaming at you for the last twelve hours to find Mira, and here she is, holding you. She’s alive. She’s safe. 

The adrenaline fades fast and you slump forward, legs finally giving out from underneath you, but she holds you upright. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I got you.” 

She readjusts, pulling you up and slinging one of your arms over her shoulders. You make a soft sound of discomfort at the movement, but you lean against her without complaint, doing your best to lift your feet as she limps you inside.

“BRENNAN!” Her voice carries through the stone hallway easily, and footsteps race toward you, a blurry but familiar face entering your vision. This must be the afterlife, you decide. How else could he be standing here? He’s been dead for years.

Maybe you’re just delirious. You certainly don’t feel right, dizzy and disoriented as Mira kneels, pulling you into her lap and looking up at her brother desperately. “Please,” she rasps. 

Brennan has no idea who you are, what your relationship is to his sister, but the way she’s holding you and the shake of her voice tells him everything he needs to know.

He’s never heard her sound scared before.

A strong hand wraps around your wrist and the pain ceases, but it’s still hard to breathe, hard to think. If you could just close your eyes for a minute… 

You rest your head against her shoulder, content to bask in the warmth of her skin and the feeling of her body against yours, the plush muscle supporting your weight easily.

“Eyes open, love,” Mira says gently. “I know you’re tired, but you need to stay awake. Just keep looking at me, okay?”

You blink up at her, working to focus your gaze. “You cut your hair. S’nice.”

She smiles. “Had to do it myself, since you weren’t there. Gods, I missed you so much, love. I never want to be stationed apart from you again.”

You manage a soft laugh. “You won’t be. They’re never taking us back after this.”

She’s quiet, continuing to stroke her thumb across your knuckles. “Yeah, I guess not.”

You realize that her mother hadn’t joined her here, that she remains on the opposite side of this fight. “M’ so sorry, Mir.” You squeeze her hand weakly in a silent gesture of affection. 

“It’s okay,” she says softly, squeezing back. “I’ll always be okay if I have you with me.”

Brennan looks you over once more, satisfied with his work. “I think that’s everything.”

“Thanks, Bren,” you mumble, fighting sleep. “Glad you’re not dead.”

He laughs. “I am too. Get some rest, okay?”

Mira keeps one hand on you at all times; as she leads you upstairs to the room she’d been assigned, while she gets you out of your torn clothes and washes the dried blood and dirt from your skin, as she helps you into clean pajamas and settles into bed beside you.

“Mir?” You ask softly, as she’s about to turn off the mage light. 

She turns back to face you. “Yes, love?”

“I really wanna kiss you,” you say quietly, like it’s a secret, like you haven’t had her lips on yours hundreds of times before.

She puts a gentle hand on your jaw, mindful of the tenderness that will remain there for a day or two, bringing you forward for a soft kiss.

“I love you,” you murmur, brushing your nose against hers.

“I love you too, sweetheart. Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.”

“Promise?” You ask softly, still watching her like you’re afraid she’ll disappear, that this is all some elaborate dream you’re going to wake up from any minute now.

“I promise, my love. I’m never leaving you again. You’re stuck with me for life.”

You giggle, cuddling into her side. “I wouldn't want to be stuck with anyone else.”

After 154 days away from your lover, you finally fall asleep in her arms once again, safe and warm, knowing that nothing can separate you.

[lady-of-tearshed]

Paper airplanes

Finnick Odair x Reader

(Fluff/slight angst)

Based on some lyrics from "Out Of The Woods" by Taylor Swift

Summary: As you and Finnick relationship grows stronger every day, you can't help but remind yourself how it all started and how beautiful life had become through everything.

Word count: 3.3k

“Okay, give me a fucking second, I’m nervous.” @dumplingsjinson https://dumplingsjinson.tumblr.com/post/744023757216169984/list-of-awkward-confessions-prompts

You sigh as you put the last cardboard box in your now-shared bedroom with Finnick. You smile softly, looking around the peaceful bedroom covered in a soft orange light as the sunset rays filtered through the laced curtains. You take out the Polaroid picture the two of you had taken back when you were still innocent children picking up seashells and making up imaginary quests about fairies and dragons in your treehouse. The picture was in black and white, and so was the cruel world before the revolution, but your friendship back then was tinted in screaming colors. 

You snap out of your thoughts when you hear rustling sounds from where your boyfriend is downstairs. You put the picture down carefully onto the bed and head downstairs to look at what all that clatter was about. You spot the now empty living room floor, the boxes that were previously piled here and there moved to the side, creating an empty space in the center of the living room. You spot Finninck crouched down behind the couch and you chuckle. “What are you doing?” 

His head pops up from behind the couch and he lifts the radio to show it to you, then places it back down onto the floor. He puts the favorite CD of both of you inside of the radio and presses play. He stands up from his crouched position and offers you his hand gracefully, making an exaggerated bow that makes you laugh. “Why, dancing with my wonderful angel, of course.” 

The two of you spend all evening swaying and twirling in the living room, almost falling over the boxes piled on the side when you let the music take over the two of you. When you’re both panting and sweating, heads dizzied from all those spins, and stomach pleasantly painful from all the laughing from your clumsy dance moves, Finnick pauses and looks into your eyes. The music is still softly humming in the background. He pushes a strand of hair away from your sweaty forehead, and tucks it behind your ear. “You truly are an angel… my angel. I love you.” He whispers, softness and love radiating from his voice.

“I love you too, Finn.” You say with tears in your eyes. You were always the sensitive one, and you weren’t ashamed of it anymore, because you knew that Finnick loved all and every part of your soul, mind, and body.

You can’t help but feel amazed by the fact that all it took for this relationship to happen was two paper airplanes flying.

*Flashback, you and Finnick were fourteen back then.*

He didn’t come. He forgot, probably too busy with those much cooler other friends of his. The thing is, Finnick is your only friend, and you don't really have anyone else in your life than him. You were raised in an orphanage by nuns, still are, actually, and will be until your eighteenth birthday. Unless you get reaped into the Hunger Games… Finnick, on the other hand, even though he was pretty much raised just like you, had managed to make tons of friends with his bubbly personality, his natural charm, and his perfect body. 

You lift the piano seat, your eyes scanning the crowd, when you spot Finnick rushing inside the room, but it is too late. He had missed everything, everything you had been giving your blood, sweat, and tears for months now. Everyone cheers and you bow, fighting the tears that were starting to rise into your eyes. You walk behind the curtains, quickly grab your bag, and walk out of the theater. 

You hear hurried footsteps coming your way, but you don’t stop, even when a voice speaks up. “Y/N! Y/N… Wait up, please! I can explain-” “Explain what, Finnick?! That you forgot? That this wasn’t important enough for you to dare show up on time?!” You snap at him, spinning around in one quick movement, making him slightly stumble forward at your sudden halt.

“It’s not like that…” He starts off. “It’s just… Dylan needed help with this homework and-"

"Oh yeah. Dylan.” You roll your eyes at him. “That new oh-so-cool friend of yours. Well, you know what, I was your friend too, Finnick. I have no one else. And you knew, you knew how hard I worked on this piece and how excited I was to present it tonight. I wanted you to be proud of me, Finnick. But I’m done, I’m done waiting and hoping that you’ll care.”

His eyes soften, and he tries to put a gentle hand on your shoulder, but you brush it off harshly. “Y/N… I do care…” You shake your head and back off to put some distance between the two of you “Well I don’t need you to anymore. I’m done. This…” You gesture between the two of you “This is over. Goodbye.” You walk off into the night and head back to your room, trying to ignore the sound of Finnick’s room shutting a few hours later. You wondered where he went after your fight that night. If he went to his friends to vent and laugh about your perfectly reasonable reaction.

—

The next morning, you woke up early, determined to ignore Finnick from now on. You head to your secret treehouse, the one you and Finnick built when you were younger. You spent all morning reading your book, the one Finnick gave you for your birthday actually. It felt as if life was trying to play with your nerves. Your peaceful reading session is suddenly put on pause when a paper airplane slides under the mossy wooden door. You roll your eyes, knowing only you and Finnick knew about this place.

You sigh loudly, making sure he would hear the sound of your annoyance through the door. You angrily slam down your book on the pillow next to you and stand up to pick up the paper airplane. You open it and try to decipher whatever Finnick’s bad handwriting had written down on the paper. 

 ‘I don’t feel like fighting anymore. I can’t spend another minute without you Y/N. You’re right, I was stupid. Boys are stupid, more than often, sadly. Guess that means I need you to slap reality back into my face from time to time. I’m sorry, truly. I’ll make sure to let you know through acts how much you mean to me.

P.S. : Open the door, angel'

You open the door and stare at a nervous Finnick fidgeting with the basket he was holding.

“What’s this?” You ask, your tone still cold as you were still a bit mad, even though the letter made your heart warm up a little. 

“Banana muffins… I made them. I know that they’re your favorites…” You can’t help but crack a smile, letting him inside the tree house. Life was too short and uncertain to stay mad at each other. And life made sure to remind you that a few weeks later, on reaping day.

–

Everything happened quickly, too quickly. Your ears were ringing. Everything was spinning around you since Finnick’s name had been picked out of the glass jar. Peacekeepers brought him into the building, and you knew you only had a few minutes left to talk to him, to tell him all of the things that were yet unsaid. 

You rush inside and jump into his arms once the peacekeeper lets you in. “Finnick, there’s something I need to tell you. I lo-” He puts his hand over your mouth, and you frown at him. You brush his hands off and start again “Please, listen to me, we don’t have much time. I-” “We’ll have the rest of our lives when I get back, save it for this moment, please angel…” He tries to smile through his fear.

He quickly glances at the doors, then back at you when he hears footsteps coming. He takes off his necklace and wraps it around your neck “Keep it safe for me until I come back to you.” He kisses your cheek, and you nod.

*Back to now*

The peacekeepers open the door and take him away from you. “Until next time Finn, please be safe!” You manage to say before the heavy door closes behind him. Your body crumbles down to the floor, your hand tightly wrapped around the trident pendant as your whole life seemed to have shattered the moment they took him away.

Looking at it now, it all seemed so simple. There was now way more important matters to worry about than some stupid children quarrel. You were frantically looking under every furniture in your home, your now swollen stomach limiting your movements. You have been carrying the fruit of your and Finnick’s love for five months now. A girl, the both of you had found out yesterday at your ultrasound. That was when you had last worn Finnick’s necklace, actually.

You had called the hospital, asking if they had found anything you might’ve forgotten there, but nothing. So you had concluded that maybe it might’ve slipped off from your neck at home, which is how you had gotten yourself bent down to look under the couch. Tears were rolling down your cheeks when you realized it wasn’t there either. 

You and Finnick were slightly struggling financially recently, which he was trying his damndest to hide from you to not put stress on your body for the baby. He had been working more, since you had drastically slacked your work hours at the local library, your nausea and fatigue making it hard to do anything, really. So losing the necklace Finnick had lovingly secured around your neck ten years ago, on the most scary day of your life, was a huge deal to you right now. It was worth way more than its weight in gold, even more so emotionally.  

You froze when the front door slammed shut when Finnick came back from work. “Angel, I’m home! Oh, how I missed my girls-” Finnick’s body tensed and his facial features folded in dread. “Y/N what’s wrong? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?” He strokes your cheek, searching your eyes frantically for answers as his other hand protectively lays on the side of your womb.

Through sobs, you manage to tell him that this morning you couldn’t find the necklace he gave you, and that you looked all over the house in vain. Finnick, to your surprise, throws his head back and sighs in relief. He kisses your lips gently and smiles. “Oh, my sweet, sweet angel…” He chuckles slightly and shakes his head, your eyes widen as he reaches for his pocket and extracts the cause of all your worries. He carefully places the necklace back to where he belongs, around the neck of the mother of his child, and speaks up “I wanted to surprise you for our fifth couple anniversary today. I know we said we wouldn’t buy each other presents but I still wanted to give you a little surprise. I brought it to the jeweler to have it polished and cleaned up… I didn’t think you would have noticed, nor that it would have worried you so much. I’m so sorry, darling.” 

You shake your head and chuckle, your hand tightly wrapped around the little trident pendant. “Thank you, my love.” You kiss his lips softly. “I have a surprise for you too, by the way.”

He raises a brow and grins mischievously. “Mh, really? I’m all ears.”

“I made banana muffins, with a peanut butter sauce in the center.” 

A roar of laughter reverberates from his throat “The ones you were craving last night?”

“Yeah. How did you know?” You tease him and walk over the kitchen to stuff one into your mouth.

“I paid attention...” He chuckles and joins you in the degustation of your surprisingly delicious concoction.

*Flash back five years after Finnick’s Hunger Games* 

It had been five now since Finnick had been reaped and won the 65th Hunger Games. You were still wearing his necklace, hoping the capitol sweetheart would be given back his freedom someday. You watched every interview of Finnick, watching him smile and laugh through it all, but you knew deep down all of this was a show, an act he had to perform under the pressure of President Snow. 

You are currently washing the dishes, his necklace hanging from your neck as you bend over the sink, your thoughts wandering to him, and the things you never got to tell each other the last time you saw him. You spin around at the sound of mail being dropped through the mail slot. You dry your hands on the towel and throw it lazily onto the table as you pick up the mail. Bills, bills, newspapers, more bills-

Your eyes narrow when the mail slot wiggles again. You put the mail down on the countertop and reach for what just dropped from it. A paper airplane… Your heart races. There could only be one person who would send a nineteen-year-old woman a paper airplane. You quickly unfold it, and your eyes race over the words.

‘Hi angel, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? We have a lot to catch up on, especially since our last conversation. You didn’t think I would forget now, did you? I figured I needed to fix that. I love you, Y/N. I really do. I hope you will forgive me for leaving you in the dark for far too long. It wasn’t to my liking, it was a torture, truly. The thought of your face, your voice, your wholeness was what kept me from breaking. My angel… I promise to explain everything if you’ll let me.

Once again, I love you. Truly.

Yours, if you want me, Finnick

P.S. : Open the door, angel’

The paper airplane falls from your hands as you yank the door open. Finnick is standing there, all grown up, a bouquet of lilies, your favorites. You freeze in place, flabbergasted from the sight of him.

“Hi.” He finally speaks up, smirking nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “You… you kept the necklace…” He whispers, staring down at the pendant lying perfectly on your chest, just above… he tries to compose himself, trying to keep his eyes in the right places. 

When he looks up at you he barely has the time to think before you throw your arms around his neck and crash your lips onto his. The kiss is hungry, desperate, and messy. You back him off inside the house, his lips not leaving yours once. He places the bouquet down onto the kitchen table, and wastes no time to lift you up into his arms.

Not many words were exchanged that night, only passion, love, and yearning. Nor did you spend much time anywhere but in your bed, the new couple didn’t leave it until past noon the next morning. 

*Back to now*

Paper airplane letters have become a method of communication between the two of you since the day Finnick became yours. It helped Finnick a lot to open up about the dark thoughts that clung to him since the games, his 65th, his 75th, and the revolution against President Snow. On some nights, he still woke up from his nightmares clinging onto the sheets as if it was a matter of life or death, his breathing raspy as if someone had cut off the oxygen feeding his lungs, and sweat dripping down his skin. You always stayed by his side, and helped him troughthrough everything, just like he would and did for you when needed. Everyone might think that Finnick was good at expressing himself, being the biggest flirt there was on Panem, but you knew your boyfriend better than that. You knew that more than often words never seemed to come together when he tried to open up his heart, as if they were somehow stuck in his throat instead of flowing out through his lips. 

You knew better than anyone when something was wrong with Finnick, just like right now. He leaned against the doorframe of your shared bedroom as you were laid down in bed, the little girl moving inside your womb had now gotten big as you were getting closer and closer to your due date.  You lift your eyes from the book resting on top of your huge stomach and stare at him, shooting him a questioning look as he stays there instead of joining you in bed like he usually does. He opens his mouth a few times, his fingers twitching at his sides, and moving in and out of his pockets. Not a word seemed to find its way out of his mouth.

“Finn… What’s wrong, love..?” You put your book down on the nightstand but as you start to rise from the bed he motions you to stop. You stay put, still sitting on the edge of the bed, and tilt your head, your eyes glued on him.

“Okay, give me a fucking second, I’m nervous.” His hands were shaking into the pockets of his jean jacket. You both stare at each other in a heavy silence for a moment that feels like an eternity. He clicks his tongue and his shoulders slump, a look of disappointment reading on his face. “Never mind. Can’t do it.”

You knew better than to walk after him for answers, that he would find a way to open up to you about whatever he looked so uneasy to confess when he'd be ready. He closed the door softly behind him, leaving you confused and slightly worried for him. You settle back under the duvet of your bed and try to keep up reading your book where you had left off before this interruption. A few minutes later, you hear a soft swishing sound coming from under the bedroom door. You can’t help but smile slightly. It had been a while since Finnick felt the need to write a paper airplane letter. You were happy to notice that he still used his communication techniques when he felt the need. You slowly unfold the origami, and read the short content of words laid onto the paper.

‘Y/N, love, will you please marry me? 

P.S.: Open the door, angel.’

You yank the door open at the all too familiar confession situation. Finnick is kneeling down on one knee, a mesmerizing grin stamped on his face, tears at the corner of his eyes while yours were heavily pouring down your cheeks. He is holding out to you the most beautiful golden ring you have seen in your life, a white pearl ornating the center of it. His hands are still slightly shaking in anticipation, he opens his mouth to at least try to say something but you save him from the struggle. You kneel in front of him and wrap your arms around his neck tightly, kissing his lips hungrily. “Yes, yes Finnick. I will marry you.” You giggle, all while sniffling not so graciously, and he smiles. He slides the ring onto your finger and kisses it gently. He swiftly lifts you up into his strong arms and captures your lips with his needy ones once more, leading the two of you back inside your shared bedroom. When you woke up next to him the next morning, the sun shining down onto your golden ring and Finnick's graceful sleeping form laid down next to you, his fingers intertwined with yours through his slumber, you knew that whatever would come in your way the both of you would find a way out of the woods.

A/N : I was wondering if I should've made this two parts instead of one... tell me what you think I should do for next time!

[yoonavii]

Revolution of Hearts

Sabo x reader oneshot!

Summary: You get injured on a mission and Sabo takes care of you. while doing so, true feelings were aired out.

The mission took you both to an enemy stronghold, where you posed as pirates, gathering information crucial to your cause. However, the stakes were higher than either of you anticipated. During a perilous confrontation with the enemy, you suffered a severe injury, leaving you unable to move without excruciating pain. “Don’t worry Y/N. I’ll get you out of here,” Sabo whispered, his voice a comforting melody amidst the chaos. Struggling to remain conscious, you managed to nod weakly, putting your trust in Sabo’s capable hands. He carried you to a hidden and out of sight shelter, careful not to aggravate your injuries further. As days turned into nights, Sabo tended to your wounds with a gentle touch, his expertise evident in every move. “You’re strong, Y/N, and we’ll get through this together,” he reassured you, his unwavering confidence instilling a newfound determination within you. As you lay in the shelter, vulnerable and unable to contribute to the mission, you found solace in Sabo’s presence. The long hours of companionship allowed you both to open up in ways you never had before.

“You know, I’ve always admired your dedication, Sabo.” you admitted, a faint blush tinting your cheeks. “Your passion for our cause is really inspiring.” Sabo smiled warmly, his eyes reflecting genuine gratitude. “And I’ve always admired your fearlessness. You never back down, no matter how dire the situation.” In the safety of each other’s company, the barriers between you two crumbled, and you found yourself sharing your hopes, dreams, and fears. As the days passed, it became clear that your connection ran deeper than just comrades-in-arms.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Sabo sat by your side, gently holding your hand. “Y/N, there’s something I need to say,” he began, his voice earnest. “You’ve become an integral part of my life, and I can’t imagine facing this world without you.” Your heart skipped a beat as you gazed into his eyes, seeing the vulnerability and sincerity in his gaze. “Sabo….I feel the same way,” you confessed, a mix of emotions surging through you. “You mean so much to me, and I trust you with all my heart.”

In that moment, time seemed to stand still as your hands intertwined, sealing the unspoken promise between you. Love had blossomed amidst the chaos, and it gave you both strength in the face of adversity. Through the nights and days, Sabo never left your side, and his unwavering care and affection for you kindled a love that transcended the battlefield. As you healed, your bond deepened, and you discovered a newfound determination to protect not only your cause but each other. “Our hearts beat as one.” Sabo murmured, his forehead resting against yours. “Together, we will help change this world.” With a newfound resolve, you and Sabo emerged from the hidden shelter, ready to continue your mission, side by side, as partners in both revolution and love.

©𝐘𝐀𝐘𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐀— Any sign/evidence of plagiarism made from outside this name will be dealt with by whatever means necessary. Legal action may occur if non fanfiction works are plagiarized.

[sparkplgggrrrrrrr]

Modern day Affogato AU

____________________

_____________________________________________

✦ Characteristics:

For the sake of confusion, we’ll call this AU version of affogato „corpogato” because he runs a big ass company, obviously named Affocorp because he’d NEED his name plastered everywhere in the cacao kingdom, but in the modern day it would be called “The Cacao Republic”, as I believe it would be a communist country. The Cacao Republic is based off South Korea and Modern China. With the two cultures blending, representing the choco and coffee cookie descendants being in a cultural melting pot. This is not to be orientalist or mix two completely different cultures or ideas. The cacao republic faced a similar cultural revolution to China, heavily industrializing in its later days, and cacao’s leadership costed thousands of lives even if it wasn’t intentional. Many cacao residents suffered under said communism. For the conditions of these people, I referenced my own family’s experience in communism and stories I’ve read in books.

Affocorp is this mega corporation that started out as an unethical pharmacy, based on canon affogato’s link to medicine malpractice. At the time this pharmacy was called Affolabs, founded when Corpogato was just thirty. He has a master’s degree in pharmaceutical chemistry, so he is well aware of what substances do what, but he isn’t too concerned of the harm. The scientists backing him were apart of a union he started in secret, composed of underpaid scientists with a vendetta against Dark Cacao. Soon enough, they practically became his most loyal subjects.

Affolabs created pills that were advertised as pain medicine and antibiotics, but they were either placebo or hallucinogenic. Some even made the symptoms of ailments worse so they bought more. This “get rich quick scheme” seemed to work pretty well for the soon-to-be corporate giant, because corpogato got the “BRILLIANT” idea,, to look at other avenues of manufacturing. Keep in mind, this man is fucking evil. He’s not a misunderstood villain, he’s not morally grey, he’s EVIL. VILE. FOUL. PUTRID. So, he looked at the rise of online clothing shopping, and how people were just looking for affordable clothing. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he found a poor community, and took advantage of their labor. He set up a sweatshop, one of horrid conditions, set in the coldness of the northern cacao countryside. These workers had a terrible life ahead of them. Corpogato made their lives miserable, only working for a few coins an hour., yet the clothing was labeled as ethical, made from choco bamboo fibers or recycled material.

While he ran this hellscape, he set up his clothing brand extension: Affoexpress. Affoexpress was very much like what you think of when you imagine fast fashion. Think of it like Shein, Zara, or Romwe. Affoexpress, little by little, gained popularity, before exploding in sales with many cacao residents for its affordable prices. Many cacao residents are in poverty or at least close to it, because cacao cannot for his life manage the republic’s money, leading to a command economy. Corpogato jumped on this shit immediately. He took advantage of his preexisting close ties with cacao to “take his place.” He essentially began to expand the branches of his companies to manufacture more and more products until eventually he could make it so people could ONLY buy his products. As this plan took motion, he centralized his companies, it was now Affocorp. Each of his other companies were now just branches of Affocorp, so he could now keep a watchful eye on all of them. Corpogato had a stiff hold on his employees, he had practically a cult following on social media, and a quite literal cult underneath the layers of Affocorp. The cult in secret was very ritualistic, made up of Corpogato’s early team of scientists, who have slowly been brainwashed into unwavering loyalty. Affogato now with government power, as he did take advantage of his closeness with Cacao, bought properties, and housed his most loyal subjects. They viewed him as their savior, getting them out of the grasp of poverty, “saving their career” and now they repay him by practical worship. Corpogato made it get to a point to where they started to view him as a prophet of sorts, as Corpogato slowly laced their food and residential running water with the very substances they created.

Affoexpress started to sell more than just clothing, they began to sell cheap electronics and mini appliances. In order to do this, corpogato had to set up more and more factories, contributing to the growing air pollution of the cacao republic, leading the cacao citizens to go to his companies for medicine and masks to wear for protection from the air.

He essentially made the cacao people rely on his affocorp for every day life. Under all of this was something more sinister if you thought it couldn’t get any worse, corpogato was looking at oil drilling in secret, because once you get ahold of oil, you get ahold of the world.

_____________________________________________

Design choices:

His cult emblem, its central to his body because it is central to his existence, he cannot keep on if his cult cannot.

He was given soft curls as it was remnant of his milk ancestry.

His jacket was based off of his Silla Era hanbok in his canon design.

I imagine affogato has weak knees, as he probably grew up malnourished with a genetic disposition to low iron from a very young age, which can lead to various health problems. So his staff is likely functional, and that’s why I gave him a dripped out cane.

These pants are based off of the “Baji” or pants of the hanbok.

His eyes were tilted further to the center of his face to have a more direct stare, like he’s staring into your thoughts. I also gave him little blush marks because he’d likely apply that to appear more approachable and harmless. I also gave him a wrinkle thing that most older cookies have because this man is probably pushing 50.

If you use the sprite anywhere credit would be kewl

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 63: Mission Dark

''Get out your guns, battle's begun! Are you a saint, or a sinner? If love's a fight, than I shall die, with my heart on a trigger!''

– Angel With a Shotgun by The Cab

xXxXxXx

Sonic felt waves of agony washing over his body, as if he was being pricked by thousands of tiny needles. He didn't want to even open his eyes, wishing to just fall asleep again and embrace the dark void, but the voices he was hearing in his head kept him awake. At least, he thought those voices were just in his head.

''Sonic? Sonic, wake up?''

''Lu… cas…''

The familiar voice Sonic picked up among the noise caused him to stir, slowly opening his eyes. His vision was blurry, but he had managed to take note that he was lying on a bed and that he was surrounded by people, Lucas being the most prominent one. Sonic blinked tiredly, trying to ignore the pounding in his head and tried to sit up, but was gently pushed down on the pillows by Lucas.

''You're not going anywhere,'' Lucas said in a firm tone, reaching for his hand and giving him a look of concern. ''Do you think you can perform Chaos Surge? It'll help you heal.''

''I… I think so…'' Sonic said, feeling the warm energy that developed between them, quickly absorbing it as he felt another wave of energy, this one soothing as it spread through his body, like a spring breeze. Sonic felt his body relax, focusing on the sense of relief that pushed the pain back. The moment was fleeting, however, as Lucas was forced to cut the supply of the energy to avoid hurting himself. Despite knowing that this was necessary for his partner's safety, his body still demanded more of that soothing energy.

''This should help you.'' Sensing Sonic's pain, Lucas gave him a glass of water and a painkiller pill, hoping that this would be enough for the meantime.

''Thanks,'' Sonic said, returning the glass and trying to breathe normally, only to feel pain in his chest. He winced, noting how how his chest was wrapped in bandages, with a plaster covering the cut on his cheek, as well as bandages also being carefully wrapped around his head and quills, even though he had no idea how he ended up with a head injury. He could see faint bruises underneath his peach and blue fur, but they weren't as visible on the first glance.

''Sonic, are you okay?''

''How do you feel?''

''Does it hurt a lot?''

''We thought you had died!''

Sonic finally turned his attention to the rest of his friends, with Tails, Amy, Silver and Knuckles surrounding him, while Warren, Minami, Makoto, Lily and Touka stood in the back. Touka was turned to the hallway, talking with someone Sonic couldn't see.

''I'm sorry for making you guys worry so much.'' Sonic flashed an assuring smile, his friends feeling relieved to see him being back to his usual self, but they still remained a little concerned. As for Sonic, he felt his heart sink a little when he realized that Shadow was missing. Despite that empty sensation, he still kept a positive attitude. ''This isn't anything that a chili dog can't fix.''

''Unfortunately for you, this isn't fixable with just food. You're lucky Lucas and Touka knew how to patch you up,'' Knuckles told him. Sonic gave both of them a thankful look, with Lucas nodding and Touka just waving back in acknowledgement.

''What had happened to you? We know you've been attacked by Neo Metal Sonic, but how did he end up injuring you so much?'' Tails asked.

''I… I don't really know…'' Sonic admitted, the memories of the battle flashing in the back of his mind. ''I remember him using my, Shadow and Silver's powers, along with some powerful lightning power.''

''Neo Metal Sonic is capable of copying your bio-data, which is how he was able to use all of your powers,'' Minami explained, with Sonic nodding in response.

''What surprises me is how you're still alive,'' Lily said. ''I thought Neo Metal Sonic would end your life for good.''

''That surprised me too. He told me it was an act of mercy,'' Sonic replied.

''He probably wants to fight you again later on,'' Knuckles said, with Sonic agreeing with that sentiment. He gave him a determined smile.

''If that's so, then this time, I will be ready to kick his ass,'' Sonic said.

''However, for now, you're not going anywhere,'' Lucas said. ''I know that the Chaos Surge had probably healed the worst of your injuries, but you'll still have to stay in bed and recover properly.''

This appeared to be the cue for everyone to leave, with the team wishing Sonic good luck recovering and promising too keep an eye out for Metal Sonic in case he decides to cause more trouble. Sonic was glad to have his friends' support, but that sense of emptiness still lingered in his chest… at least, until he heard someone entering the room. Sonic's eyes grew wide in disbelief.

''Shadow?'' he muttered, still stunned, only to smile, feeling a sense of relief. ''I should've figured that you wouldn't go down so easily.''

Shadow was silent, only to walk up to Sonic with a serious expression, leaving the azure hedgehog slightly puzzled. Shadow's crimson eyes flicked slightly to the side, feeling slightly anxious, and then inhaled sharply, gazing at Sonic. ''I apologize for what had happened with Neo Metal Sonic.''

''What?'' Sonic stared at the dark hedgehog, completely bewildered. ''Shadow, what happened is not-''

Shadow shook his head, his eyes narrowing as he took a more aggressive stance. ''If I had reacted just a little faster, we could've fought Neo Metal Sonic together and you wouldn't have gotten injured like this.'' He lowered his head, his fists clenched tightly, his voice heavy. ''It was… horrible seeing you in such state.''

''Shadow…'' Sonic understood well how Shadow felt, despite doing his best to keep his emotions under control. He had seen him how he acted whenever Touka was in serious danger or back when he thought that she was dead because of him, and considering how he and Shadow were now in a relationship, with Shadow willingly opening his heart to him, it wasn't surprising that his reaction to him getting hurt would be like this. Sonic could see the guilt in his eyes, and knew that the dark hedgehog would continue blaming himself for his boyfriend's condition. Sonic sighed, propping himself on his elbows in a sitting position, leaving Shadow alarmed.

''Hey, you shouldn't be moving in this condition!'' Shadow tried to help him when Sonic suddenly felt a wave of pain in his chest, leaving him wondering whether he ended up with a bruised rib. Still, he managed to lean into the pillows in a sitting position. Shadow shot Sonic a glare when he saw Sonic grinning back cheekily.

''Don't worry, I'll sleep it off,'' Sonic told him, trying to lighten the mood, with Shadow sighing.

''You could've gotten an arm ripped off and you would still call it a scratch,'' Shadow grumbled, causing Sonic to give him a half-lidded, teasing look.

''I'm sure that you would react the same way,'' Sonic told him, only for his expression to change to a more serious one, something Shadow caught on. ''You don't have to be all broody and feel guilty for Neo Metal Sonic catching you off guard. We had no idea that this would happen, and you can bet that next time, I won't let him beat me again.''

Shadow had to admit that there was something inspiring in Sonic's perpetual optimism, confidence and determination, and while he admired his positive attitude, he also had keep reminding himself that whenever the azure hedgehog got carried away, he would end up in trouble.

''I hope that in that case, you have a plan on how to take him down,'' Shadow said, only to see Sonic's expression fall, only for a sheepish smile to creep up.

''Uh, yeah! I totally have a plan,'' he said nervously.

''Let me guess; it's rushing into a battle blindly and hope for the best,'' Shadow responded in a deadpan tone. Sonic kept smiling, despite knowing that he got caught.

''I'm sure I'll come up with something eventually,'' Sonic said, with Shadow just giving him a grumpy look, arms folded across his chest. ''But, hey, I'm glad to see that you're back to your usual self, instead of kicking yourself down for what happened.'' Shadow remained silent, his gaze softening, with Sonic patting the free space on the bed, wanting him to sit down. Shadow did as motioned, with Sonic continuing, ''You know, I also thought I lost you there…''

Shadow's eyes widened and his ears drooped, realizing he completely forgot about how Sonic felt when he saw him getting hit by that lightning blast and thrown off the warship. ''Sonic…''

''It's fine, though,'' Sonic added, flashing a bright smile as he placed his gloved hand over Shadow's and squeezed it lightly. ''You're here now, and that's all that matters. In fact, I'm looking forward to our next race.''

Shadow couldn't help but smile softly. If this was months before, when they weren't as close as they were now, he probably would've been baffled by Sonic's reaction and have a hard time understanding why he acted like this. However, now he simply felt exasperated whenever Sonic made such comments and just went along with it, well aware that this was simply who Sonic was. Shadow then leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss on Sonic's temple, Sonic's ear flicking as he appreciated the sign of affection.

''You better stay and recover,'' Shadow told him, only for Sonic to pout in response.

''I'm sure I'll be fine by tomorrow,'' Sonic said, only to feel a several stings of pain piercing his body when Shadow lightly pressed his hand against his bandaged chest, causing his rival to recoil and grimace due to the aching sensation.

''I sincerely doubt it,'' Shadow said, showing only mild irritation, his voice returning back to the usual matter-of-fact tone. ''Don't do anything stupid.''

''Mmmm, but I feel like doing something stupid,'' Sonic replied, grinning cheekily, while Shadow rolled his eyes. ''Hey, don't give me that look. If I do something stupid now, I probably won't try it later.''

''Then, what do you want to do?'' Shadow asked, figuring that he could indulge a little longer. Suddenly, Sonic leaned towards him, planting a deep kiss on Shadow's lips, with Shadow reciprocating. However, it the kiss didn't last long because Sonic couldn't anymore ignore the pain in his chest and quickly pulled back, slumping back into the pillows, hurt, but satisfied. Shadow just gave him an exasperated look. ''Indeed, this is your brand of stupid.''

''It was worth it,'' Sonic replied, still grinning as he watched Shadow leave the room.

xXx

Lucas was with Touka in the living room, both of them talking about what had transpired, as well as figuring that they should give the two hedgehogs some privacy. Their attention was drawn to Shadow as he approached them.

''How is Sonic doing?'' Lucas asked.

''Good luck on keeping Sonic resting for a longer period of time. He'll bolt the moment he gets an opportunity,'' Shadow told him, with Lucas sighing.

''I'll talk to him,'' he muttered, glancing at the two. ''I suppose using Chaos Surge repeatedly would help in his healing.''

''You'll have to be careful with it and not use it recklessly,'' Touka said, giving Shadow a pointed look, her eyes narrowed. Shadow stubbornly avoided her gaze, feeling a little anxious as he knew what she meant. Lucas felt a little sorry for the dark hedgehog.

''I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for your help,'' Lucas replied, watching the two leave and quickly walking over to Sonic's bedroom, furrowing a brow when he saw Sonic attempts to get up. The moment the hedgehog saw the annoyed teenager, he quickly lied down, acting as if nothing has happened.

''Oh, hey Lucas!'' Sonic gave him an innocent smile, trying not to show how much the movement hurt him. Lucas shot him a glare, but then shook his head.

''I won't be scolding you for trying to get out of bed, but if you don't want to get yourself hurt even more and spend weeks recovering instead of a couple of days, I sincerely recommend you to just stay put,'' Lucas told him in a firm tone, with Sonic understanding that he as still in trouble and that he shouldn't challenge Lucas. He might be The Fastest Thing Alive, but he had a feeling that Lucas would somehow catch him and drag him back to rest.

''Fine, I'll stay in bed,'' Sonic said, realizing that he shouldn't fight this. There were a few things he was curious about. ''How long have I been out?''

''For a few of hours,'' Lucas replied, sitting down on the bed, figuring he should fill Sonic in on what had happened. ''The Chaotix, Rouge, Omega, Cream and Big were fighting with us against Ferra and her army of Badniks inside the Grand Metropolis AR Field, while you and Shadow, from what I understood, were stuck at Final Fortress and confronted by Neo Metal Sonic. Once you were beaten and sent to our location, Shadow had used Chaos Control to immediately warp us to our home, so Touka and I could patch you up.''

''I'm surprised that Shadow had enough energy left for using Chaos Control,'' Sonic said.

''Touka did use Chaos Surge to heal him, but the moment he saw just how bad your condition was, he became quite distraught and channelled all of that energy into Chaos Control, and then collapsed. He was actually resting on the couch in the living room with Rouge and Omega watching over him while Touka and I tended to you,'' Lucas explained. ''To say that Touka was furious at him for using all of his energy to warp everyone to Eas would be an understatement, even if she did agree to use Chaos Control to get you here. Shadow did respond how he only wanted to warp you to somewhere where you could get medical assistance, and the rest of the group just got caught in it, resulting in him depleting almost all of his energy.''

''Heh, and he calls me reckless…'' Sonic smirked.

''The Chaotix, Cream and Cheese, Big, Rouge and Omega left once we made sure that you were fine, so we waited until you woke up and could use Chaos Surge consciously instead of draining my BioEnergy instinctively, because your body did react like that while trying to heal itself from its injuries,'' Lucas added, humming in thought. ''I suppose that, even if you're an Irregular not actively going after BioEnergy, your body still recognizes it and tries to absorb it when placed in a dire situation. Speaking of which, I'm still a little tired, but I'm planning on to use Chaos Surge again to help you heal faster, so don't worry, you'll only be confined to the bed for a day or two.''

''Even that's too long,'' Sonic snarked back, his expression changing to a nervous one, followed by a sweatdrop when he saw Lucas' annoyed expression. ''I promise, this was my last quip. I'll stay put. In fact, I'll go to sleep right now.''

''Okay,'' Lucas said, standing up. ''If you need anything, just call me.''

Sonic nodded, trying to shift into a comfortable position that would help him fall asleep easier despite the aching sensation. It was a bit difficult to find a good position, as he either felt as if he was punched in the ribs or pricked by thousand needles. Even the painkiller could only do so much in numbing his senses, with Sonic deciding to let his mind wander to not think about the pain, landing eventually on the image of Neo Metal Sonic.

I wasn't strong nor fast enough to defeat him, but I'm not going to let him bring me down. That would be the moment I would be truly defeated, and I refuse for that to happen. So, as long as I can get up again, I will continue to fight.

He nuzzled his pillow, the image of Neo Metal Sonic fading away and, as Sonic nuzzled the pillow, the image of black and white fur forming in his mind. Sonic whined into his pillow, having to admit that he wished Shadow was by his side and that they could cuddle. He missed his warmth, the soft scent of lavender mixed with the bitter taste of coffee, the deep, purring voice that made his heart flutter. While he had fun messing around with Shadow whenever he was his aloof and serious self, he also loved his gentle, caring and protective side. He chuckled lightly, noting how anxious he was initially about confronting his own feelings in regards to Shadow, and now he genuinely wanted to spend time with him like this.

But, that will have to wait.

xXx

Rouge smiled contently as she observed the three people she had called to her club. Omega was already working there as the bouncer, while Shadow had recovered quickly despite the events that had happened the day before, mostly thanks to his healing factor and the fact that Touka was keeping a close eye on him to make sure that he'd be fully rested for this, even adding Chaos Surge to speed up his own recovery. After all, there was a reason Rouge and Omega appeared at Solar Stadium when Ferra and Neo Metal Sonic sent out the Badniks, and this distraction cut any conversation they had planned short. Therefore, they decided to resume it the next day at Club Rouge.

''I will cut to the chase, since none of you is interested in long conversations,'' Rouge said. ''I got a call from a client who had asked me to go on a special mission to retrieve a valuable item, and I had figured that I could bring back Team Dark for this mission.''

''Why?'' Shadow asked. ''You claim that you're the world's greatest spy, so why would you ask for help?''

''The same reason you, The Ultimate Lifeform, are willing to work together with others instead of always being on your own,'' Rouge said, smirking slyly when Shadow frowned, avoiding eye-contact with her and not responding. She then turned to Touka and Omega. ''What about you two? Do you want to join?''

''Will there be Eggman robots to destroy?'' Omega asked. Rouge put a finger on her lips as she thought about it.

''I'm not completely sure about it, but it is possible that we might come across a few robots,'' she replied.

''1% chance of encountering Eggman robots is still 1% of me getting the chance to destroy them,'' Omega said, with Rouge knowing that he agreed with the mission.

''Where are going to? What are we even supposed to retrieve?'' Touka asked, giving Rouge a questioning look. ''I need more details.''

''I was just getting to it. My client, who is working for CyExLabs, had told me that someone stole the prototype for a directed-energy generator they were working on. To put it in simple terms, the device was initially supposed to be used as a part of a new secret weapon for ARMS, but after that fiasco, my client started having second thoughts about it. The information then got leaked, and a few days later, it was gone,'' Rouge explained. ''I have spent most of my time trying to track it down, and eventually found a warehouse outside Souto posing as an auction house for so-called high-class clientele. Unfortunately, I couldn't get inside as it appears to be invitation-only and the Irregulars guarding it weren't exactly a jolly bunch. That's when I realized that I would need proper back-up.''

''How do you know that the device wasn't sold to someone by now?'' Shadow asked.

''Do you really think that I don't do my homework thoroughly, especially when I'm being offered a generous reward for completing it?'' Rouge countered, giving him a teasing smile. Shadow huffed, figuring this was less about returning a stolen item to its owner and more about getting paid in gems.

''I apologize for even asking,'' he responded in a deadpan tone. Rouge just kept smiling, well aware that he was just being grumpy, and gave the whole group a confident look.

''So, I take it that Team Dark is back in action?'' she asked. There was a firm nod from all three of her teammates, agreeing to the mission.

xXx

''Hm.'' Rouge tapped on her AR Visor eye-piece, having used the binoculars feature, having been observing the two Irregulars standing at the entrance to the warehouse. It was nighttime, and they were at an area just a bit outside Souto that was filled with various warehouses, some still in use, some abandoned. Not many people came here, and even if they did, they only minded their own business, so it was a perfect place for those with less-than-honorable intentions to do whatever they wanted. ''It seems like there are only two guards, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are more inside it.''

''It shouldn't be too difficult to knock them out without raising any alarm,'' Shadow said, pulling his own AR Visor goggles back on the top of his head. He and Rouge were crouching on top of a different warehouse, hidden from the guards as they observed the situation. As for Touka and Omega, they were on the ground, remaining hidden behind the building and waiting for the two to form their plan.

''I suppose we'll rely on your speed and combat skills for that,'' Rouge said.

''It depends on whether you want them to get knocked out or blown up. If it's the latter, I believe that Omega would be happy to contribute,'' Shadow replied. Rouge giggled at the response, with the two leaping off the building and relying the information they gathered to Touka and Omega.

''We got two guards outside, no patrols,'' Rouge told them. ''Unfortunately, we don't know whether there is anyone inside the warehouse, since no one entered or exited the building, but the light is on.''

''There are probably guards inside,'' Touka said, arms folded across her chest. ''I suppose we'll have to sneak inside. Sorry, Omega.''

''There is still 1% chance for complete destruction. There is always 1% chance for complete destruction,'' Omega replied.

''Nice to see your optimism,'' Rouge commented, placing her hand on her hip. ''I haven't seen a back entrance, but some of the windows are shattered, so we have two ways of getting inside. Touka, you're with me. Shadow and Omega, you'll take the front entrance. Don't use excessive violence unless necessary. We want to keep things clean, boys.''

Both Shadow and Omega gave her an annoyed look, while Rouge and Touka countered with a knowing look. They certainly knew their teammates well enough. After performing Chaos Surge, Rouge motioned Touka to follow her, the latter using her hoverboard to keep up with the bat. Meanwhile, Shadow and Omega were rushing towards the front entrance, keeping a close eye on the two rather burly Irregulars. Neither of them could even react when they got knocked out via a kick to the head by a dark figure who appeared out of nowhere. This was followed by Shadow and Omega dragging their unconscious bodies behind several boxes and covering them in tarp so no one would find them and get suspicious. The two then entered the warehouse.

''I know this is a warehouse, but this…'' Shadow muttered, a bit surprised by what he saw.

''It looks like a hoarder house,'' Omega finished his thought.

The two were met by mounds and mounds of clutter; robot parts, all kinds of scrap, boxes of who-knows-what, items of value like jewelry, broken household appliances, and even what appeared to be a black gun case right at the entrance. Shadow sincerely hoped that it was empty. It was a neat freak's worst nightmare, looking like whatever was brought here was just dumped without any thought, turning the whole warehouse into a maze.

''Let's start searching. If we come across someone, we'll take them down non-lethally,'' Shadow told Omega.

''What if they decide to use lethal force?'' Omega asked.

''I don't think any kind of lethal force will be enough to take the two of us down,'' Shadow told him, with Omega making a sound of disappointment. ''But, I suppose if it comes to that, lethal force is approved.''

This immediately caused Omega to perk up, with the two resuming their mission.

xXx

''Called it,'' Touka muttered when she and Rouge spotted a guard walking between the mounds of clutter. The two had entered through the broken window and landed on the catwalk, with Touka slotting her hoverboard back in the bag she was wearing on her back so it wouldn't get in her way. ''Any idea where we should start? The device could be anywhere.''

''I wouldn't be so sure about it,'' Rouge said, pointing at the mounds. ''It looks chaotic, but that mound is solely scrap metal. I think that, despite the lack of organization, certain items go on certain mounds.''

''Now that you mentioned it, yeah, I agree…'' Touka followed Rouge as they swiftly walked over the catwalk, making sure to keep as low as possible so they wouldn't be seen and making sure they didn't make any noise. The two then stopped when they saw a guard right below them, with Touka pressing a finger on her lips to make it clear to Rouge that they couldn't talk and motioning for her to stand still. Their hearts raced as the guard stopped for a moment, looking around, and then continued to walk, not noticing the two above him. Rouge and Touka quickly made their way over to the other end of the building, keeping an eye on the clutter to see whether the device was anywhere close to them as, fortunately, Rouge's client also provided them with the blueprints of the device so they at least had an idea what it looked like.

''This is like searching for a needle in a haystack,'' Touka whispered to Rouge when they reached the other end.

''Fortunately, you're with the world's greatest treasure hunter,'' Rouge replied.

BOOM!

Both Touka and Rouge recoiled when they heard an explosion from where the entrance was, their eyes wide and glancing at each other in disbelief, with Rouge muttering, ''So much for keeping a low profile…''

''I'm sure they'll be fine. Let's go!'' Touka said, grabbing Rouge's hand, with the two running across another catwalk, being ignored by the guard who rushed towards where Omega and Shadow were, not noticing the two above them.

xXx

Shadow had to admit that he was planning on sticking to the plan of not alerting anyone to their presence, but that was a bit difficult due to a partially rebuilt Badnik suddenly waking up just as they passed by, resulting in battle between the three, with Omega gleefully firing at the Badnik. While they had managed to take it down easily, it seemed that this Badnik alerted another one, which was also partially rebuilt. Shadow decided to let Omega deal with it, while he fought off the guards that came running to their location. Some of them were armed with recycled cannons taken from the Badniks, but Shadow was too fast for them, skating between them and punching them right in the face. He could hear someone shout, followed by a blast of energy, and quickly vanished in a flash of light, appearing above his attacker and knocking him down with a swift kick. He grabbed the guard by his neck, lifting him up.

''Where is the directed-energy generator?'' Shadow growled menacingly, with the guard flailing, looking rather frightened.

''I ain't got any clue man, I was just hired to guard this place! I don't do inventory!'' the guard responded in panic. Realizing that he wasn't going to get any answer from him, Shadow threw him into a mound, the latter getting knocked out due to the impact. He turned to Omega.

''Let's find someone who can give us a proper answer,'' he said, with Omega agreeing. The two then sped through the warehouse, fighting anyone who came across them, only to come across a giant polar bear Badnik. While Shadow decided not to question the presence of Badniks inside the warehouse, he did have to wonder whether Dr. Eggman had something to do with it, but part of him doubted it. As for Omega, he didn't care, pointing his cannon arms at it, firing a missile at it and damaging its chest. Shadow wanted to help him, but he was suddenly grabbed by what appeared to be a mini-mecha, tossing him right across the warehouse. The Irregular inside the mini-mecha leapt across the mounds of clutter, landing right in front of the dark hedgehog.

''Not so tough, are we?!'' The guard grinned maliciously, with Shadow getting on his feet. Chaos Energy crackling between his fingers, he rushed towards the mini-mech, avoiding the blade that popped out of its arm and damaging the leg via a summoned Chaos Spear. His AR Visor suddenly buzzed, a small holographic screen popping next to him.

''Shadow, we secured the device,'' Rouge said. ''We're going to get you and Omega.''

''No. Go get Omega and leave this place. I'll find my own way out,'' Shadow replied in a curt tone, hearing a sigh of exasperation, with the screen closing. He turned back to the mini-mech, avoiding another swing of the blade, and spin-dashing right into the chest of the mini-mech, knocking it down. The mini-mech started to spark, with the alarmed Irregular quickly abandoning it as there was a small explosion that caused permanent damage to it. Shadow then scanned his surroundings, wondering if he could find something that would point him towards an exit, only to see some kind of vehicle partially covered by a tarp. He walked up to it and removed the tarp, his eyes widening in surprise at what he saw.

He then smirked.

xXx

Omega was grappling with the polar bear Badnik, the latter having gotten too close for his long-range attacks to properly work. Fortunately for him, a white and pink explosive got dropped on the Badniks head, alongside a Chaos Spear, causing the Badnik to stumble around and Omega firing another missile to finish it off.

''We need to leave now.'' Rouge flew up to him, holding a bag with the device inside it, followed by Touka on the hoverboard, whose eyes were now glowing orange.

''Where is Shadow?'' Omega inquired, following the two to the front entrance.

''He said he'd find his own way out. Hurry up!'' Rouge replied. They suddenly heard an alarm going off, feeling a chill running down their spine when they saw the steel door slowly pulling down. Touka pressed the accelerator on her hoverboard, grabbing Rouge's arm and speeding up, with Omega being just behind them as he used his twin jets to go faster. They managed to reach the entrance just in time, getting outside the warehouse, with the steel door closing behind them.

''I really hope that Shadow made it out,'' Touka said, worried for her brother.

However, before either of them could even say or do anything, they heard an explosion from the side of the building and ran over to it, noting how part of the wall was broken. Suddenly, they heard a mechanical noise of a growling engine, with a Shadow on a black and red motorcycle leaping out of the smoke and rubble, performing a sliding bike stop as he landed on the ground, sparks flying as the metal came in contact with the asphalt.

Touka and Rouge dropped their jaws, completely baffled by this entrance, while Omega was rather impressed. Shadow, on the other hand, had a self-satisfied smirk on his lips, looking incredibly proud of himself.

''You really couldn't help yourself…'' Touka snarked after snapping out of her stunned state. Shadow revved up the bike.

''If we're done here, we should leave now,'' Shadow said, still smirking. The rest of his team could only agree, following Shadow's lead.

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#Sonic Cyber Revolution (Masterlist)

[larryatendoftheday]

This year I craved stories that transported me somewhere else. So in addition to my usual weakness for angst, I sought out fics with surprising plots and excellent world-building. These were the ones that really stuck with me. Thank you to these creators and to everyone who shares art or writing or creates fic rec lists. You have been and will continue to be a fantastic gift to so many. Thank you <3

Note: The fics in this list were published in many different years. They are not in a particular order. The main pairing is Louis/Harry unless otherwise noted.

Party Lines by nonsensedarling @absoloutenonsense Explicit | 25k | Phone Sex Operator

Several of my all time favorite fics are phone sex operator AUs, and this fic is an iconic addition because Louis isn’t even actually a phone sex operator. He’s pretending, and he gets attached. Full of sexy, sweet, and funny dialogue and the appropriate amount of suffering and uncertainty, this fic will transport you to an excellent alternate universe.

War Of Hearts by BoosBabycakes @boosbabycakes28 Explicit | 80 k | Enemies to Lovers / Non-traditional ABO

I live for a well-executed enemies to lovers arc, and this is it. Believable, sweet, funny, angsty, and oh so satisfying to read. Alpha Harry doesn’t fit his gender’s stereotypes, especially in private. His arch-nemesis Louis knocks on his dorm-room door in the middle of a pampering self-care night and sees the side of Harry that he keeps hidden. What follows is a fantastic gAyBO story about repressing, exploring, and accepting your true self. There is a strong cast of OT5 and related people that keep you laughing and believing. Honestly, I need to re-read this right now.

Men of Steel, Men of Power by Stria (Asia117) @nooradeservedbetter Explicit | 58k | Political Revolution / ABO

Get ready to be absolutely consumed by this parallel universe and the angst-ridden reality of Louis, pretend alpha and head of security, and Harry, feminine alpha and new-hire. There is enjoyable intrigue, mystery, crying, sex, political philosophizing, and some spy movie shit as Louis attempts to right wrongs and push back against those in power. OT5 pop up in surprising and satisfying ways. However, perhaps most notable to me was the attention to detail in how Louis deals with pretending to be a gender he is not. (Perhaps don’t read while in your gender dysphoria feels but do read to feel seen.)

what's left of my halo's black by LiveLaughLoveLarry @loveislarryislove Explicit | 22k | Friends with Benefits / Angst

If you love pain, this fic is for you. A heartbroken and emotionally damaged Louis manages his problems—such as being a wedding planner and the impact of his abusive ex--by secretly fucking his coworker Harry. It turns out this doesn’t actually solve his problems, though, and new issues emerge from what was supposed to be a simple friends-with-benefits arrangement.

turn me up by turnyourankle  Explicit | 3k | Hanky Code PWP | Louis/Luke Malak

I found this while searching for @1dhankyfest content, and I love it. There’s something about unabashed gay sex culture that revives my soul.

Paint Me In A Million Dreams by green_feelings @greenfeelings Mature | 112k | Fake Dating / Enemies to Lovers

Hollywood actor Harry Styles is gutted when the man he can’t stand gets the Scorsese role he wanted. It gets worse when their teams conspire to set them up in a fake relationship to promote the film. I read this fic in the first days of 2023, so the details are a bit blurry in my memory. I know I loved the enemies to lovers arc, the strong Ziam subplot, and Harry obsessing over his unavailable crush (which isn’t Louis). In my comment, I wrote, “My heart absolutely ached with the pining and angst, and the sexual tension was so palpable.”

Gonna Dream of How You ... by therogueskimo Explicit | 4k | PWP / Canon-compliant

This canon-based fic was so steamy and tender. Photos of Louis performing in a tanktop get Harry going. What follows is some long-distance edging and fun. It features soft Dom Louis and desperate Harry and just really hits all the right notes in my opinion.

Almost Misheard by tommokat @tommokat Teen and Up | 4k | Friends to Lovers / ABO

This is a comfort fic. It’s got hilarious fluff about best friends who realize what their inner alpha and omega knew all along. (The rest of the gang might be in on the secret too.) I’m almost amazed by fics that manage to pull me in with believable characters and storylines without any angst, and this one delivers on every front. You’ll be grinning the whole time.

Coax the Cold by MediaWhore @mediawhorefics Mature | 86k | Mermaid / Historical AU

Professor Tomlinson is fascinated by the occult. When a circus advertises a unique sea creature, he decides to go undercover as a janitor to get close. He plans to write the paper that will finally prove he was right about the existence of fantastical creatures. This author expertly builds the world of this fic – 1800s Britain, academia, and freak shows. I loved the believable cast of characters (OT5 and more!) and the stakes that are set, including the horrid antagonists.

fondre ton absence by scrunchyharry @scrunchyharry Teen and Up| 41k | Amnesia / Historical AU

Harry and Louis childhood best friends who grew up and discovered love together in a quiet village. Harry manages asthma and chronic illness that often leaves him homebound with his books, but Louis always keeps him company. Their simple life is turned upside down when Louis is drafted in WWI and does not return home. Then, when Harry finally finds him, Louis doesn’t remember anything. This story was a tearjerker but so beautifully written. I adored that portions of the story were told in letters and that Harry often referred to literary works. Bonus: This fic has amazing visuals by whenthebodiesspeak.

be a good boy, Harry by stretchmybones Explicit | 1k | PWP / Pet play

Harry wants to play, but Louis is busy watching football, so he asks Harry to wait. I haven’t stopped thinking about this domestic and sexy little slice of life since I read it in January of 2023. My comment said “simple and perfect,” and I still agree.

The Heart's Home by homosociallyyours @homosociallyyours Teen and Up | 10k | Squiddry

Someone wrote the Music for a Sushi Restaurant fic of my dreams. Half-man, half-squid, with the voice of an angel, Harry is quite the catch. Louis, an exhausted and lonely restaurant employee, is tasked with keeping an eye on the special find. This story was so entertaining and sweet. It filled me up with good vibes and left me happier than I started.  

~~~~

I always include my favorite fic that I published that year at the end of these lists. I didn’t publish much, but I really enjoyed this one.

In His Rightful Place by larryatendoftheday @larryatendoftheday Explicit | 2.7k | PWP

Harry reunites with Louis and gets to reclaim his role as the person who fucks his boyfriend best.

[caelivir]

the fault of love | orter madl

— synopsis. orter doesn’t make mistakes, but what does that make you?

— pairing. revolution leader!orter x gov. spy!reader (gn)

— genre. angst

— warnings. major character death, description of death using a gun, mention of specific crimes (kidnapping, robbery, blackmail, etc.) none are explicitly described, lmk if i miss any

— word count. ~1.7k

— notes. i stayed up until 5am to finish this i’m so dead; i tried lowercase.. let’s see how i like it. this was fun to write ngl. i hope you enjoy <3

orter madl is a bad person. he was born to be. his entire life was a cycle of left hooks, knife throwing, and gunshots. from an early age he was bound by orders and loyalty. he was raised to lead, raised to be the top in the game. show no mercy to your enemies. be the best.

everything orter does is for the suffering innocents, his family, the organization. he has to do it, even if it goes against all morals. he can’t afford to make mistakes. they’ll hinder him and ruin everything he’s worked hard for. that’s why he shouldn’t get close to anyone. attachments and emotions weaken. they mess with logical judgment, and orter would rather die before letting his emotions make decisions.

yet orter couldn’t stop himself when he got to know you, the clumsy person who spilled coffee all over his suit. he hadn’t meant to, but it was like being a moth to a flame. he sought for you, and you invaded his thoughts at every waking moment. orter wanted nothing more than to see your face, to grasp your hand into his, and to press his adoration for you onto your lips.

and that in itself–that love–would be his downfall. your entrance into orter’s life sparked a long chain of events that brought complications onto the organization that never existed before. he should’ve seen it sooner. he could’ve ended it sooner. but that’s what emotions do. they blind. they’ve blinded him for far too long, and tonight, he’ll finally put an end to it.

hours into the night, orter arrives at the empty warehouse where you’re being kept. he wears a mask over his feelings as he passes by underlings who offer their respects to him. he’s ushered inside. orter spots your figure seated in the center of the wide space. a flurry of emotions surges through him, causing him to order everyone out despite their protests.

orter sighs, taking steps closer to you, becoming more aware of your current state. your hands and legs are tied down to the chair. bruises dot along your skin, and cuts bleed from your lips and forehead. the light in your eyes has gone dead. you stare into nothing.

it pains orter more than any beating he’s ever received. he wants nothing more than to untie you, find a med kit, and clean your wounds just as you always did for him. but he knows he can’t, so he has to tighten his fists, make his knuckles turn a blinding white to hold himself back from caring for you.

he takes the seat across from you, saying nothing despite the mess of sentences bouncing across his mind. you finally pick up your gaze, keeping quiet. no words are exchanged for what feels like hours.

orter’s mask is slipping, cracking ever so slightly as you catch glimpses of confusion, anger, sadness, and nothing all at once. you manage to not betray a single emotion.

orter caves, breaking the silence with a simple question. “why?”

you bite the tip of your tongue, deciding on an answer before you speak incorrectly. “because I had to.”

“had to-” orter cuts himself off with an inhale, rubbing a hand over his face as he abruptly stands. frustration sprouts across every vein in his body. he scoffs. “do you even know what you’ve done? do you know what you’ve cost me?!”

you glare, nose flaring, finally conceding an ounce of emotion. “people are dying because of you! it is my job to stop you.”

“you just don’t understand.”

“understand? understand what?!” you cry, voice ringing through the empty room. “what else is there to understand, orter?!”

orter flinches, unsettled by the abhorrent you carry towards him. it’s unlike you. no. that was never you. it was yet another lie you had fabricated. there’s no point in making you try to see his point of view. there was no way for you two to see eye to eye. it just couldn’t happen with your backgrounds. that doesn’t stop him from trying anyway.

“do they brainwash you over there?”

“don’t be ridiculous.” you scoff.

“the people i’ve killed,” he begins. “do you even know what they did?”

your teeth clench.

“kidnapping, blackmailing, murder, robbery, trafficking, and the list goes on and on and on. they are making people suffer, and it is my job to stop them.” orter echoes your words as a spit to your face. “i know you know it too. deep down you’ve always known.”

“you’re lying.” you deny ferociously.

“the government is enabling them by turning a blind eye. you’re enabling them.” orter declares, pointing a finger at you.

“stop fucking talking!” you scream, voice cracking. you let your head fall, chest rising and falling.

orter doesn’t know what to do. it’s eating him alive, tearing his heart layer by layer. is it possible to get you on his side? but who would trust you? can he still trust you after everything?

“just what are you waiting for?” you eye him, speaking in a quiet voice that’s laced in defeat after minutes of tense silence.

“what?”

“you know why you’re here, orter. finish the job. stop wasting time.” you tilt your head back, daring him.

“y/n-”

“finish the fucking job.” you repeat, seething through pauses, enunciating each word so orter can comprehend the message.

the provocation causes orter to pull his gun on you before his brain can think otherwise. it’s aimed square at your face, yet you remain unafraid, having already accepted your doom.

orter hesitates to pull the trigger. the weapon shakes in his hand no matter how much he tries to steady himself. he has to end this. he has to. orter needs to let your relationship end like this—in rage and hate. but he can’t bring himself too, because there’s a part of him that hopes.

“was any of it real?” he asks, gripping tightly on his gun.

you know exactly what he’s referring to. maybe that’s why you answer quickly with a confident “no.”

that should’ve been enough to make orter finally squeeze the trigger, to finally put a finish to your life, but he stalls longer, taking you in, memorizing each and every line on your face. he sees your beauty even in moments before demise. he takes a step forward, pressing the tip of his firearm to your head, using it as a chance to be near you.

the trigger tightens and tightens to the point where orter thinks he’ll follow through, but the sound of your voice makes it loosen. he drops his aim to his side.

“i can’t tell you that it was real,” you state, and orter begins to see your eyes glaze. each syllable of your following words break. “because if i did, then that would mean you would be right.”

you finally break down, your facade shatters. fat streaks of tears stream down the skin on your cheeks, and you lower your head, letting them fall onto the floor.

“if i told you it was real, then i would have to admit that my year with you has been the happiest i have ever been.” you continue between chokes. “and i can’t let it be real because that would mean that i hurt you again and again and again for no reason at all.”

orter hates your anguished cries. he would give everything to the heavens to make them stop. he can only tighten his strength onto his gun.

“i have to tell myself that it isn’t real… because doing so makes it easier to deny the fact that i love you. and i love you so much, orter.”

orter reacts in what seems to be record time, pressing his lips onto yours with a passion that could set the world on fire. every unspoken word of his is poured into your mind as you move in sync with him. for this one moment, you both forget who you are. the government’s top agent. the leader of a revolution. those are mere titles squashed beneath your foot as you kiss orter with all the love you have yet to return to him.

orter’s hand finds the familiar skin of your face, stained with blood. he commits that warmth into memory, and when you finally pull away to breathe, he loses himself in your irises, examining the details that he grew fond of.

neither of you dare to go for seconds because you knew that if you did, then you would both abandon everything, your responsibilities.

so orter straightens himself up, bringing his trembling hand to hover his weapon centimeters from your forehead.

“do you have any final words?” orter forces out, bringing himself back into the cold, ruthless leader he’s supposed to be.

you grin softly. tears still soak your cheeks. “i’m so sorry. i wish things didn’t have to be this way. maybe, just maybe if we get another chance, we can live the way we wanted, and i could keep bringing you those stupid cream puffs from that bakery we love.

you inhale. “thank you for bringing my heart joy, orter madl.”

a single wet tear drops from his eyes as a familiar string of words escape his throat. “i adore you infinitely, my love.”

orter can feel the next words that bubble on your tongue, and you break out into an even brighter, toothy smile. “is that so?”

he seals his eyes shut. the trigger pulls. a shot echoes through the warehouse. the chair falls back with a clatter. orter doesn’t dare to look. if he did, then there would be nothing stopping him from letting your blood soak the threads of his clothes, screaming your name so loudly that it could reach the heavens.

orter storms out of the warehouse, allowing his subordinates to take care of the rest. and when he's finally alone, orter breaks down. his cries ring through the night. his hands bleed from countless punches he slams onto the floor.

orter madl doesn’t make mistakes, but he made the mistake of loving you.

yet he would do it again.

every single time.

[sunwarmed-ash]

The Eden Club-Deleted Scene

So remember when I said the plot of The Eden Club changed 12 times?

Well it did, haha and I had to delete whole scenes I don't think will end up back in the story. So I decided y'all get the deleted scenes just for following me :3 here's one of them 😈

Tags: Convin, sex worker Connor post revolution, enemies to lovers to friends, bdsm elements, Dom Connor, Sub Gavin

The Eden Club-Convin deleted scene

“Please sir…” Gavin begs, he’s been on edge for hours, and his cock aches under the hard toe of Connor’s shoe. 

“No,” the android growls, and Gavin whines knowing it means he has to wait longer until he can get what he wants. 

“No?” he repeats, begging for guidance, “Please- Sir, tell me, tell me what you want…”

“Don't call me that.”

Gavin feels like he's losing his mind. His core is throbbing, begging, screaming for release. He hasn't been broken like this in so long his body has been crying out for it. And he’s close, so close, to getting it, he’s just not there yet. But he wants to be, he wants more than anything to be good. To follow instructions and be rewarded for it. He takes an unsteady breath, keeping his head lowered as he asks, 

“What do you want me to call you?”

Connor presses the rubbered end of the flogger under Gavin’s chin, helping him look up slowly until their eyes met. Gavin is frozen there, held in place by piercing, ordering eyes. His cock throbs again underfoot. 

“I want you to call me by my name.”

Gavin’s shoulders lower and he shudders, eyes slamming closed in submission as pleasure plummets through his body and his cock twitches hard under rough plastic. 

“Connor please, please, let me cum.”  

Connor hums, pleased in his throat and Gavin feels a tension in his chest he didn't know he was holding loosen. 

Connor was proud, he did good. 

“You don't deserve it,” Connor teases, but his voice is light when he says it. 

Gavin agrees. 

“I know.” 

“Are you sorry?” He asks, and Gavin’s never been more sorry for anything in his entire life. 

“Sorry it doesn't fix it…” he says, because sorry hasn’t ever fixed anything for him. Not really. 

“It does for me, so i'd appreciate it if you changed your attitude. If you want to cum still that is. If you’ve changed your mind though-” 

“NO!” Gavin’s eyes snap up to meet Connor’s, searching his for something, some hint he was lying, just waiting for the moment for Gavin to show his belly before he struck. But Gavin didn't find any of that there. Instead he found what might even be the stupid fucking android equivalent of a soul in those suddenly innocent looking eyes. 

Tears are blurring his vision before he can look another moment, and the words are spilling out of his mouth on instinct. “Connor, I'm so phcking sorry.”

He watches how the comment effects the android, how it bleeds into every circuit and brings a stupidly pleased smile to his face that is 100% Connor and not the killing machine Cyberlife intended him to be. 

“Thank you Gavin. I'm going to let you cum now, do you know why?”

He looks back at the android with watery eyes, 

“No, actually... You just said I don't deserve it…”

“You didn’t, originally. But I’ve changed my mind based on your good behavior. So answer me, sweetheart, why am I going to let you cum?” 

The soft pet name after such a long, degrading, painful session has his emotions welling up at the surface and spilling over. He knows he's going to need a good fucking cry after this. Like a break down and ugly cry kind of cry. The android has somehow managed to tap into a space Gavin didn't even know he was letting him access until now. 

“I don’t know…”

“Yes you do baby.”

Connor’s hand replaces the flogger under his chin and Gavin sniffles. 

“Because you are merciful?”

Connor smiles, pride radiating out of every synthetic pore. 

“Yes, I am. And why is that Gavin?” 

Breath hitches, tears streaming, hips aching against Connors shoe. He doesn’t know. He doesn't want to be wrong…

“Because I am proud of you.” Connor finishes before finally, finally removing his foot. The sound that tears its way free of Gavin’s throat is nothing short of feral. His orgasm takes over his entire body, his hips hump automatically into frictionless air, chasing pleasure as it shoots out his tip and coats his chest, neck, stomach, cock, and the floor. 

Connor could watch this on repeat forever, it invoked the same low burning stimulation that watching his first porn star did so many weeks ago. Gavin is completely overwhelmed with pleasure, an experience that seems rare in humans. He’s absolutely breathtaking to behold. He his body stops twitching, he tells Gavin that. 

“Shut the fuck up,” Gavin pants, chest still panting through the after shocks.

“What was that babe?” Connor teased, with just a hint of his previous Dom tone that he’s now learning Gavin responds to after sex as well.  

“I’m not beautiful.” he mutters, pushing his hair out of his eyes.  

“You are, And you can't see what I’m seeing so you don't speak for me. You’re absolutely gorgeous. I wish I could preserve the moment of your climax forever.”

Gavin’s face flushes bright red. 

“Can’t you already do that?”

“Yes.”

Gavin rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I wouldn’t lie to you Gavin.”

Yes he would, everyone always lies to you. No one wants you anymore Gavin. Why do you think you’re here?

Gavin shakes his head before the bad thoughts can get their hooks into his frontal lobe. 

“What the hell are you even talking about, yes you would, you have! And besides you don't need to blow smoke up my ass, we both already got off.”

“I’m not blowing smoke up your ass, I was simply attempting to transition into aftercare.”

That makes Gavin laugh. 

“Aftercare? What did Kamski make you read 50 Shades Of Grey?”

Connor took a minute to respond as he was probably googling what 50 shades of grey was, Gavin used the time to begin to locate his clothes. Oh, well after he got the feeling in his legs back. 

“No, I don't believe 50 shades of grey does a good enough job of describing BDSM elements and relationships as a whole. Nor does it show healthy examples of consent. While there are ‘contracts and labels’ in common, you are free to leave at any point. I would even give you your money back if you wanted. If you’re not enjoying something, I would expect you to tell me, and the same applies to me.” 

Gavin turns around and looks at Connor. Really looks at him. For a long fucking time. 

“Who the phck are you?”  

Connor smirks.  

“Detective Reed, My name is Connor, I’m an RK800 android prototype attempting to pass for human. How am I doing?”

“Frighteningly well.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Perhaps I can I get you that coffee now?”

“T-The coffee from 10 months ago??”

“11 months, two weeks, and 5 days. But, yes Detective, that one” Connor sasses.

Gavin hates the visible shiver it causes him. 

“Fine, phck it, sure, there a phcking food menu too?”

“Actually, yes.”

“Shit, this place really did get better…”

Connor is quiet for half a beat, before asking, 

“So you have been here before?”

“What? Yeah, of course I’ve been here, I'm human aren’t I?”

Connor pulls up the menu screen and adds Gavin’s coffee before opening the folder for food. 

“The first time you came here, and stayed with me, specifically, I asked you if you’ve had sex with an android, you said no.”

Gavin ignores him for the menu, which was over 30 pages long. What did they merge with Cheesecake factory?

“That wasn’t the question you asked.”

“Why are you deflecting Detective?”

Gavin’s eyes glance up from the menu screen, eyes narrowing suspiciously. He felt like he was being interrogated, but lightly? Almost like he was being teased, but also the man was genuinely curious. Fine, time to see how good his skills were. 

“I’m not deleflecting, it's not the same question!” He chuckles, adding a cheeseburger with all of the fixings, fries, and a chocolate milkshake.

Connor eyes the total calorie count worryingly before deciding to just allow it. 

“So, you haven’t had sex with an android?”

“Nope, just you. Lap dances don't count as sex.”

Connor flushes all the way up to his artificial hairline. 

“Oh. I see,” Connor chuckles, understanding the loophole now. 

“You're more than that, by the way.”

Connor looks at Gavin perplexed, attempting to understand what he could be referring to. 

“More than what?”

“Just an android. I mean, I don't think you shutting down on me would have freaked me out as much as it did, if I, didn’t believe I killed something. That there was something in there to kill. I know I’m an ass, but I’m not stupid. t’s not beyond my belief that technology finally got smart enough to create a perfect, indistinguishable, soulless mimic. But that's not what you are.”

Gavin can feel Connor's eyes on him, burning through his skin all the way down to his nerves. Not actually, but when he felt already scrubbed raw, Connor might as well have heat vision. He continues talking to distract from it. 

“Before the revolution, before, all of you woke up, or whatever, the androids, here especially, were different. Way different than you, and I felt that way before you deviated. You’ve always had, I don't know, something in there. Something deviant. I mean, you mouthed off to me on your first day! I’ve never had an android talk back to me, freaked me the phck out. Thought I was actually gonna get shot in the break room.”

Connor laughs at that. 

“I wouldn't have shot you. I didn't have a gun.”

Gavin finally shot him a look, and Connor’s stupid, pleased as shit fucking smile made his heart clench. Goddamn post sex hormones. Always turned him into a sap. 

“The new you is still a lot like the old you. Sassy and cocky as shit. But I can also clearly see Anderson’s bad influences mixed in there too.”

“Mm, yes, I have grown fond of the word ‘fuck,’ and sex.”

Gavin snorts. 

“Yeah babe, I know.” 

There was something else Gavin needs to say, and if he doesn't do it now, it might stay inside for another year. After everything Connor’s done for him, he deserves to know. “Hey, Connor?”

When Connor’s huge expressive eyes are on him his heart clenches. He needs to push through this. Connor’s worth it. “I was wrong. Before. You are alive, and I was pretty phcking stupid to think otherwise. So, I’m sorry about that. About how I treated you. All of it. Really.”

When Connor doesn’t immediately say anything, Gavin instantly worries he fucked up, again. Despite trying to do everything right. When he takes a closer look, he realizes he’s just been shocked silent. His mouth actually drops open after the out of character apology. At least until Gavin glares at it. He didn't like feeling mocked. 

Connor snaps his lips closed and his cheeks flushed pink. Connor was obviously thinking several things at once trying to figure out which is the right to ask first. It was making Gavin edgy to wait. 

“Will you just ask me whatever you’re frying your breadboard over-analyzing?”

Connor’s face scrunches together adorably, and Gavin hates how stupid hooked he was on Connor already. 

“Would, you consider dating me? Officially?”

Gavin obviously didn't expect that question because now his mouth drops open. Unfortunately for him that freed his tongue, which answers without his brain or hearts consent. 

“You, want to date me? Like more than just hook up?”

Connor nods immediately, pink still dusting his cheeks. 

It wasn't a good sign that he actually missed the blue right? That feels like a four-letter-word red flag warning. 

“Yes, and that's not my social relationships program speaking. I swear.”

Gavin looks at Connor for a moment before saying, 

“Yeah, I believe you.”

Connor closes the distance within a fraction of a second but once he was just a breath away, he took his time, looking Gavin in the eye and making his heart sputter and choke weakly like a winter-frozen engine. 

“You mean it,” Connor says finally, and Gavin bites his tongue before it can answer on reflex again. 

Instead he nods, and then Connor’s lips are on his, hard and bruising in a way that took his breath away. He hasn’t felt this plummeted by a kiss since his first kiss with Hank in 2029. He hates what this means for him, but he can’t get himself to pull away. 

Connor kisses differently than Hank, differently than random hook ups he meets at bars, than most people Gavin’s been with because Connor’s curious, genuine, and deliberate. Probably taking fucking notes in that big brain of his, studying him, studying how his body responds to each press and brush of lips. No one’s ever bothered to pay this much attention to him before and Gavin’s overwhelmed by how it makes him feel. Connor tastes like clean silicone, but he feels so much softer than that. Different enough from human skin for him to notice but not enough for him to want to stop.

They are startled apart by Gavin’s arrival of food and the older man actually growls out his disappointment. It causes the sweetest chuckle out of Connor.

“We can always kiss after. We can stay in here as long as you want.”

“Yeah, like I can afford to spend more than I’ve already spent here this week,” Gavin scoffs playfully, but in reality he was hiding his profuse disappointment. 

“I’m sorry for the ambiguity, I meant on the house. I take breaks between clients all the time.”

“Whoa, what? Seriously?”

Connor nods before pointing to his rapidly cooling meal. 

“Eat your food, and then you can ask me more questions.”

Gavin flushes, temporarily forgetting about his food for the conversation but now suddenly starving. 

After he ate three bites Connor continues. “I make my own schedule, Elijah doesn't take a cut of my tips. I can work the floor or in here whenever I want.”

“Sounds too good to be true, sure he's not playing you?”

Connor shrugs. 

“Not entirely, but so far he’s kept things professional, more or less.”

Gavin didn't like the way that statement made his skin feel. Or the way the name struck a familiar, unwelcome cord in both his heart, and his gut. 

“What's more or less?” He didn't really want to press, but he felt a duty to Connor, Hank, and his job to push. 

Connor appreciates his concern. 

“Everything has been mutually consensual Detective, he’s running a clean operation, in legal terms at least. Though I doubt this place would pass a health inspection.”

Gavin unfortunatly agreed with that statement. 

“Alright, well, good. You make sure to let us know if that changes. Hate to learn our ‘isolated incident’ was a pattern in front of our faces all along.”

“I’m very lucky to have two strong officers to protect me.”

Gavin barks his laughter, but it sounds genuine and not forced.

[omg-hellgirl]

I’m glad there is some level of awareness of Angie’s contributions (creative and otherwise) to David Bowie’s success & legacy. For a man who was a god to the “freaks” of the 1970s, especially during the glam rock / glitter rock era of the 70s, I perceive his dynamic with Angie as a mirror of the corporate world / sexism in the corporate world (and in society in general) where women are exploited for their brilliant ideas and/or have credit taken from them by men. Like, absolutely love David Bowie’s music… so, so much. Just an infuriating analogy I’ve noticed. Sick of women being exploited in general but especially for their intelligence and creativity.

hey anon, thank you for saying that. Angie Bowie was part of David Bowie's story and actively contributed to it, mainly by encouraging him towards the glam rock path that EVERYONE appreciates him for. Not taking away his merit as a good singer and performer, but there is more than one account of Angie pushing him in that direction and supporting him; she was a force in his early career. It's absolutely frustrating that David (according to Angie HERSELF) and his fans have always tried to erase her.

For those who don't know (most of them): Angie studied in Switzerland and had and theatrical experience — years of it! And unlike David and his friends/associates, including the people in charge of managing and promoting him, she had nine-tenths of a degree in marketing.

Angie was very popular with Bowie fans in the 70s and was very kind to them. She spent hours answering fan letters and even wrote to them from JAPAN. She fought in Japan with the local police to defend them. After the divorce, David's attitude changed and over the years his fans became what they are today.

It's a shame that many fail to recognize the extremely sexist and absurd attitudes he had towards Angie just because they don't like her. Ask any of them why they don't like her and you will get an unsatisfactory answer either because David himself didn't like her or because she said something about David in public that they didn't like.

I won't put it all here — there is all the content on my blog under the Angie Bowie tag — but in her book it is implied that he even used photos of her in sexual moments with other people to put her at a disadvantage in court. Would this be acceptable by today's standards, or any standards? Do we have a name for men who do this nowadays? Also:

Angie attempted suicide in Switzerland at Christmas time in 1977, when she arrived and found out that Zowie, contrary to her expectations, was in Berlin with David.

He put a gag clause in the divorce to force her to keep quiet. Not very feminist or cool, right? Not very liberal. Wearing skirts and makeup and all the gender revolution didn't help him be a better human being with Angie.

Is there anything to be called besides Parental Alienation for a mother who in 2016, even after David's death, needs to send messages to her own son via Twitter?

How many years of being away from his mother and knowing about her only through David's distorted words did it take so that even after David's death they didn't have a mother-son relationship again.

No one has the right to disrupt a mother-son or father-son relationship, and that's what he did. His fans still won't admit it.

Anita Pallenberg, Yoko Ono, and Angie Bowie are demonized while fans can forgive paternal neglect, domestic assault, hard drugs, underage girls, and the parental alienation of several rock stars. I'm definitely aware of and recognize the sexism and, dare I say, misogyny of some fandoms.

Thanks again for this, anon. These aren't even all the sordid details of the pain David Bowie inflicted on his first wife. It's also not possible to describe all my sadness about this situation — I could spend hours talking and crying about it. I'll keep posting about Angie in the hopes that one day the blindfold will fall off people's faces.

‼️and shout out to Keith Richards who never belittled the role and influence that Anita Pallenberg had on him and in the whole rock history even though she hurt him badly; he was always FAIR and respectful to the mother of his three children‼️