#Seven Arcs Pictures

[otakutale]

Tonikaku Kawaii Season 2 Premieres April 8 - New Visual & PV Revealed

https://wp.me/p4jiOt-dfQ

The official website of the anime adaptation of Kenjiro Hata’s Tonikaku Kawaii (Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You) has revealed…

#トニカクカワイイ #Tonikawa #anime

[normalpicturesofyugiohcharacters]

Hi and howdy! This is a blog to post normal yugioh screenshots, from Duel Monsters to Go Rush. Totally not edited or altered in any way, we prommyyyyy (lying, we are saying lyingly).

This blog is ran by two mods, mod ashurastar (@capriciousbuzzsawshark) and mod tricky (@ratthivolt).

Have a SILLAY day ( :

[transboykirito]

asuna has such huge seven by taylor swift energy. thank you.

[hybridreviews]

TIME of the SEASON Spring 2023 Edition: The SEQUEL SEASON Section

The Sequel Section is back!!!

Welp, you already know. We have a selection of 5 sequel season shows to cover but first things first, I’m going to go over on what I’m not covering on this season. The new Konosuba anime…. yeah, not covering it. Waiting on that one to be dubbed to be honest. Oh and the same can be said for the upcoming Ranking of Kings anime. And yes, I know Golden Kamuy is back or at least re-airing its season…

[bkglovergirl]

Hi there! So I was wondering if you could make a fic about bakugou x reader, where she and bakugou were childhood friends similar to him and deku, but the reader has been obvious about her crush on him, always complimenting him, telling him she likes him, even going to UA with him.

He would always straight up rejects her but lowkey likes her, (moving forward to kats arc where hes being a better person lol) the reader still makes him bentos from time to time, always follows him but it doesn't seem to 'irritate' him as much (hes just so happy with her always taking his side), patching him up ect. you get the picture

that is until a girl from class B started taking a liking to bakugou as well and theres a senario where reader gets the wrong idea and think that they're dating class B bitch who always tries to get on her nerves, but in reality bakugou straight up rejects her

reader changing bla bla bla, bakugou being like "WHYD YOU STOP BABYING ME STUPID ASS??!"

readers like "wtf?" bakugous like, "if you we have a problem talk to me, im your bf after all"

sorry if its long. i had a wonderful dream id like to relive ❤️

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Bakugou X Reader

Childhood friends to lovers

I love the miscommunication trope, the ending is a little bit different.

Word Count: 2.3k

ೃ⁀➷

Ever since you could remember and much to Bakugou’s dismay you, Deku, and him have been childhood best friends. One thing is very well known between the trio. You have the biggest crush on Katsuki Bakugou. You make sure it’s known. The first time you realized you liked him, you told him almost right away. You both were around the age of seven and were at a playground fooling around. Neither of you guys had gotten your quirks and you “trained” at this particular playground every day whenever you could. You were running chasing the “villain” Deku around and around. Both your faces had dirt covered and you knew with how your clothes looked your mom was gonna be upset at you but who cares? You didn't.

“I’m gonna get you!”

“Nuh-uh!” Deku runs behind the slide and you follow after. 

“Boo! Huh?” He had disappeared, quickly you looked around and saw him running up onto the base of the playhouse and into one of the small tunnels that connect the two. You run after. Not paying attention you miss one of the steps on the stairs and fall. Bakugou close behind went to go catch you and it was right then and there his quirk manifested and burned your arm as he grabbed you. “Ow! Ow!” You whined looking up at Bakugou. 

“Are you okay?!” Deku comes running back down towards you both and you are slightly dazed so Bakugou asks again, “Are you okay!”

“Your quirk! Bakugou your quirk!!” 

“I KNOW STUPID BUT ARE YOU OKAY?” You and Deku both give each other a look before looking at Bakugou. 

“Yes, I’m okay!” you lied. “Bakugou, your quirk!” He smiled, and it was almost like you watched his ego form right then and there. 

‘Hell yeah, I got my quirk before you two!' He turns and puts his arm out away from you guys and gives a small blast. “Look how cool it is!” After some of the excitement dies down, you manage to beg Bakugou to give you a piggyback as he walks you home after you both drop off Deku. “I don’t see the point in this.” He adjusts you on his back a bit to make it more comfortable for himself.

“Think of this as payback.” You giggle as you hear him groan. “Hey Bakugou?”

“What.”

“I like you.”

ೃ⁀➷

Years later you guys got into UA together and lucky for you and Izuku, in the same classroom as well. Confessing to Katsuki happens at least every other week, and him rejecting you happens every time. You both have gotten into a schedule. You’d walk to school and on certain days bring him a Bento box. You’d go to class and try and do everything with him if Mr Aizawa allows it. At the end of the day, Katsuki always walks you to your dorm before walking to his. 

You knock on Katsuki's door and hear some grumbling before he answers the door, “Why can’t I get you at your dorm? Why do you always come to mine?” You shrug and hand him the Bento box you made him. “You gotta stop making these.”

“You say that, but you love it!” he rolls his eyes and takes it out of your hands. You both start walking to class together. “So I was thinking you and I could pair up because I heard Izuku and Todoroki are gonna pair up.” 

“Why do you always wanna pair up together.” “To save you from the embarrassment of not getting picked.”

“I would get picked!”

“Absolutely not.” You go to open the door to the classroom but Katsuki quickly opens it for you, you smile and walk in. 

You follow him to lunch and sit next to him. He grumbles his small complaint but quickly eats the food he complained about. He never says thank you or compliments the food, but you know he appreciates it by how empty he leaves the bento once he’s done. “It’s cold.”

“Stop complaining, maybe you should have brought your jacket.”

“Alright asshole my fault I forgot it!” The bickering goes back a forth a bit before you stand up, “Walk without me I need to talk to Denki about something.”

“Whatever.”

ೃ⁀➷

You switch the song on your phone before putting it in your skirt pocket and walk to class. You smile seeing Katsuki ahead of you and run to catch up but stop quickly. Katsuki is handing a girl his jacket and she’s smiling at him. Your heart sinks and you feel nauseous as you watch him open the door for the girl. You look at his face. ‘Is he blushing?!’ you bite the inside of your cheek and walk into the classroom. You hear Katsuki call after you but you ignore him. The small banter between you two is non-existent and the whole class quickly takes notice because you are uncomfortably quiet. The notes Katsuki passes to you go unread and you push them off your desk. Katsuki is panicking in his head, he is going through every single thing he’s done today and he can’t think of anything he has done wrong. You were fine at lunch and if anything happened you wouldn't ignore him, if anything you'd whine and complain to him about it. To Katsuki’s surprise, he’s really annoyed you aren't complaining to him. The bell rings and you quickly stuff your bag with all your things and speed walk to the door. “Hi is Katsu there?!” of course, you would run into her and Katsu?! Who the fuck does she think she is? Everyone is staring at the two of you, you step to the side to let the girl in and she runs up to Katsuki. “Katsu!” Your classmate's eyes follow the girl and look at you thinking the same exact thing you are. You shrug and walk out.

ೃ⁀➷

The next morning you walk to the classroom by yourself. Denki and Izuku come to check on you but you wave them off saying you are okay. Before they both walk away you quickly ask Denki to be partners in training. He gives a look to Izuku before agreeing. Katsuki walks in minutes later, late. He tries to talk to you but Aizawa tells him to get into his seat and he obeys. 

Training starts a couple of hours later, and just like you guessed, no one wants to partner with Katsuki. He watched as you walked over to Denki when Aizawa announced that you all should grab partners. He’s crushed but shakes it off. His pride stops him from walking up to you. Kirishima takes one for the team and partners up with Katsuki. The training goes well, and surprisingly, you and Denki are a great team.

“I think we should be a team more often, Y/N!” You smile, agreeing with him. The next set of teams that are put against each other are You and Denki vs. Kirishima and Katsuki. During the whole fucking battle you manage to avoid Katsuki, you don’t know how you manage to pull that off and neither does he because he tried so hard to come after you specifically. By the end of the battle you and Denki come out victorious and Katsuki is pissed. Katsuki rips off his gauntlet looking at you and Denki walking off together and talking.

“Denki I-”

“Kaminari.” he corrects.

“Kaminari.” You smile. “I just don’t get it. Who the fuck is that girl?! Where did she come from? I’m with Katsuki so much how did I not notice there was another girl.”

“Doesn't he reject you all the time?”

“A part of me doesn't like it’s a rejection. He likes the things I do for him, but his rejection seems like a wait, not a no.” you put your hands up to your face, “I’ve liked him since we were little. The memory of me first liking him is imprinted into my body! How do you just get over that? How do you get over Katsuki Bakugou.” Kaminari puts his hand out to stop you from walking into a wall. You look at him and his face is looking at you with confusion.

“What do you mean by imprinted?” You roll up your sleeve and show him the big scar that was left on your body. 

“This happened when his quirk first manifested. It was by accident and instead of celebrating his quirk he made sure I was okay first.”

“That doesn't sound like Bakugou.”

“I KNOW!” You rest your back against the wall, and Kaminari leans against it facing you. You don’t know how long you talked, but at some point, the talking turned into scheming. Katsuki comes walking up and the girl is right next to him talking away and honestly, he’s annoyed. It takes everything in him not to scream in her face. He sees you first. Then he sees Kaminari leaning against the wall next to you. At the same time, you see him first. Then the girl walking next to him. He takes note that he’s changed and cleaned up after training, you guys aren't even changed out of your hero outfits and are still all messy. The training ended an hour ago. He stops walking which the girl next to him takes as a green light to wrap her arms around his arm. Kaminari notices and quickly stands in front of you to block your line of view.

“Don’t look it’s only gonna hurt more.”

“Come to my dorm.”

“What?”

“Come to my dorm right now.” You grab his arm and drag him away aggressively. Kaminari has to stop himself from complaining your grip hurts.

ೃ⁀➷

Katsuki got up early enough to get to your dorm room. He knows this is the time you leave, he knows your exact schedule to the T. He knows your whole life and who you're close with so he’s honestly so fucking confused why you walk out of your dorm room and run up to Denki fucking Kaminari. On top of that, you hand him a bento box. His fucking Bento box. He’s stunned and stands there like a dumb ass watching as you walk away with him.

Class is giving him a headache. He just feels the need to take as many pain pills as he can. You and Denki have been joking around non-stop and it doesn't help that you sit in front of Katsuki and Denki sits in front of you. The class feels like forever. There is no training today so it is just class and he doesn't know how long he can just sit here and watch as you painfully ignore him. He concludes he’ll talk to you before lunch but that plan is quickly foiled as the girl from class 1B comes barging into the classroom like she owns the place and attaches herself to him. Katsuki watches as you stare a second before Kaminari puts an arm around your shoulder and walks you out of the room as quickly as he can. He makes a new plan that he’ll talk to you at lunch but that plan is also quickly ruined as the girl blocks him at his table so he can’t get up and go to you. So as your plan goes perfectly, he gets a perfect view of you and Kaminari sitting and having lunch together. He then makes plan number three, he’ll follow you around until he gets the perfect moment to yell at you. It’s perfect. He follows you to class with the annoying girl talking away. He sits in pain the whole rest of class as he watches you and Kaminari fool around the whole time.

ೃ⁀➷

“Why are you following me around.” You turn to look at him. You landed at your childhood park once you realized Katsuki was following you around. It’s cold and you hug yourself.

“So she speaks.”

“Don’t be an ass Bakugou. Why are you following me?” Katsuki’s stomach sinks. At least he knows how you feel now.

“Bakugou?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

“What’s wrong with me?”

‘Don’t act fucking stupid.” He takes off his jacket and gets closer to you, You take a step back. “See what I mean?! I’m trying to give you my jacket and you step away from me! What the fuck Y/N!”

“Sorry, I don’t want what another girl got.”

“What are you- oh…”

“Yeah oh! Kaminari told me I wasn't being stupid but maybe I am! Maybe I should have stopped liking you when you rejected me the first time! BUT NO!” you get closer grabbing his shirt, “You make it so fucking difficult to not be in love with you!” He stares at you and leans down, as much as you don’t want to, you push him away. “No this had gotta stop. I’m not gonna let you keep toying with me and I gotta stop being so delusional.”

“You aren't being delusional.”

“Really because that girl has gotten more attention than I have gotten from you in years. Every time I confess since we were kids you act like I didn't say anything!”

“I just wasn't ready for things to change.” you scoff at him.

“It was always going to change! Did you like dragging me along? Where did that other girl come from?” you sit down on one of the swings and kick some wood chips. Putting your hands on the chain.

“I just wanted to make sure I liked you and I wasn't just… I don't fucking know! You're the only girl who has been in my life that wasn't my mom!” you glare at him.

“Wow.”

“Listen Y/N, I know it was stupid but I just needed to know before our relationship changed and I fucked everything up.” “So what was this conclusion from your stupid fucking experiment?” Katsuki takes this as a green light to come closer to you. You don’t say anything.

“That no girl compares.”

“Wow, Romeo it took you that long?” Katsuki stands in front of you and puts his hand on top of yours. You look up at him.

“Yeah, I know.”

“I’m not confessing again.”

“I know.” He leans down and kisses you. 

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hi Raven!! Easter eggs in case you didn’t notice but Rook’s bedroom in his dream on the Neige side. It has many vector redraws over Epel poses! Credit to @/MoonlightEquin1 and @/lovesfirstkiss_ on Twitter for noticing this.

I think I found the Twitter posts you're talking about (here and here for those who are interested)! It looks like Epel’s Union Jacket, Suitor Suit, Birthday Boy, and School Uniform initial artworks were used as a basis for some of the Neige paper goods shown. (nxebwbkxnskw THE SUITOR SUIT BEING USED AGAIN… First it was for “Epel”, aka actually young Marja/this grandma, now for Neige…)

This just lends credence to Vil’s belief that Epel’s cuteness could rival Neige’s… thus making Epel Vil’s secret weapon and “poison apple” to defeat Neige in book 5. Maybe Neige copies many of Epel’s poses because Rook also sees the similarities between them (this is, after all, his dream). It’s great attention to detail on the part of the devs!! And, of course, very good eye to the fans who spotted this.

OH

You know what I caught while looking around Rook’s rook for any other potential Epel card matches??? Well, besides the fact that RSA!Vil STILL wears friggin tall heels as part of his uniform?? 😭

Enhance…

IS THAT.

IS THAT CHE’NYA IN THE TOP LEFTHAND CORNER… The cat ears and the colors are too similar NOT to be???? Rook knows who Che’nya is???? Somehow??? 😭

I get why there would be photos of Neige, a celebrity, but why photos of Che’nya…Unless… Rook acquired these pictures personally 💀 Like, he snuck on over to RSA campus and hung out in the bushes taking shots of Neige AND his classmates… Or he ripped it out of the RSA yearbook that he somehow got his hands on??? (The creepy part isn’t even that Rook is the type of character to do this, the creepy part is that this is behavior that’s “normalized” for Rook so we don’t even bat an eye at it when he’s involved.)

Also?? At first I thought the others in this photo card were the Dwarves (since, excluding Che’nya and Neige, there are 7 of them), but the hair colors are nowhere near the same. But they obviously must be RSA students because of the uniforms they wear. (Is one of them Vil?) And there seems to be a… redhead…

A… redhead… prince(ss)????

RIELLE???????? HONEY… IS THAT YOU???????? Is this foreshadowing for us meeting Rielle in the Octavinelle dreams and/or in the second huge arc of the main story????? here's exactly seven of them if you ignore Che'nya and Neige, meaning this count of RSA students would be perfect for another seven books of main story... aM I REAdiNG tOO MYCh JntO TH!S?????????

I didn’t expect to fall down this rabbit hole from an Epel and Neige centered ask but here we are, I guess 🤯

[jinkookspencil]

one to seven | jjk

you're finally ready to get intimate with your boyfriend one day... but it quickly turns into seven...

pairing: jk x chubby reader (f)

words: ~6.3k

tags and description: fluff but suggestive 18+ (read note) / established relationship but it’s early on in the relationship / i hope this is clear in the fic but it’s divided into seven days and the first bit before ‘one’ takes place during the seventh day, then it goes back to one (the first day) and leads up to that beginning (seven) / probably could be considered slice of life but yn does go through some sort of change/arc since yn is insecure.... at first / one-shot / obviously inspired by seven by jungkook / as requested by this anon! tysm for requesting!!

note on the rating and label: i labelled this suggestive, but it’s really all about sex (since it’s inspired by seven) and yn’s relationship with sex, especially in relation to jungkook / with that all said, i wouldn’t consider this smut because even though it’s all about sex, it doesn’t really go into them actually doing it and describing sex in graphic detail. that is what i stopped writing. this fic has more of the build up and the ‘after’ - the time surrounding the actual sex. i think this is as ‘nsfw’ as i’m willing to go. it alludes to many different aspects of sex though (yn is having fun).

author’s note: these past few days, i’ve been quite down. jungkook made me smile more than people i know and needed in real life, so i’m always thankful to him, but i’m also very thankful to the community on here and the anon who requested. writing this kept my mind busy on nights that were otherwise heartbreaking and tiresome for me - if i didn't spend those nights writing this, i probably would have cried myself to sleep. so really, thank you. i'm so happy to have this community and the other requests in my inbox to work on and give me joy in the meantime. i needed this, and the fact that i hit a follower milestone on here (1k yay!) while writing this makes it all the more meaningful. thank you guys. i hope you guys enjoy reading this, please let me know what you think <3 💕🌻

The sunlight streaming in beneath the curtains wakes you, interrupting the pitch-black darkness of Jungkook’s bedroom… But your boyfriend’s arm, suddenly wrapping around your naked torso calms your aching body.

Just a week ago, you’d been too shy to be so intimate with your boyfriend. Sure, you’d been together for months, but that’s how long it took for you to finally get comfortable enough - and Jungkook, the angel that he was, waited. Instead of making love, he spent all his time proving his love, kissing you as you liked, praising you, making sure you were always comfortable and always knew what you deserved… as well as how deeply he felt for you. He never rushed, never complained - only pleaded to be kissed and touched in the ways you were comfortable with, never more.

--------

one

It was a regular Monday when everything changed. No sudden, irresistible ‘turn-on’. No sudden urge of sexual desire that overwhelmed your senses. Not even a sexy picture from Jungkook - those he loved to send just because it made him happy to do so (and to receive compliments from you).

But rather, it was a settling feeling of happiness and contentment that did it. A magical ‘you know when you know moment” that shook your entire world and made itself apparent… when he sent you an adorable selfie of himself in a frog hat at work with the caption "prince charming". As expected, he was still wearing said hat when greeted you at his front door with a wide smile and wide arms, and you pull the hat off of him when you tip-toe to kiss him.

This was home.

A hearty meal (that Jungkook prepared himself) later, you stop the movie you’re watching and move to touch your boyfriend’s cheek. “I kinda really wanna make out with you, Koo.” He wastes no time and your lips are interlocked in seconds. You place Jungkook’s hesitant hand above your waist, guiding his fingers to the hooks of your bra, but he moves it swiftly to tug at your neckline and kiss you on your shoulder, where you’d just begun allowing him to kiss.

“I hope I’m loving you right, baby,” he whispers onto your skin, pecking it once more.

The words broke your heart. Of course, he was loving you ‘right’. His efforts did not go unappreciated or unseen, especially after years of heartbreak and boys who saw you as nothing but 'beautiful on the inside,' fetishes, momentary and secretive pleasures, or simply not a girl worth sticking around for. Jungkook, on the other hand, was almost hard to tame. He praised you constantly, but never just your appearance and never just in private. Early on, it seemed that neither of you was into PDA, but soon enough Jungkook was mindlessly touching, kissing, and holding you in public - and you found out that you actually loved it. You loved him.

“You’re loving me right, Jeon Jungkook,” you whisper back into his hair to reassure him, and you feel him smile against you.

“You deserve the world. You’re my world,” he says, breaking away to look at you and cup your cheeks, only for you to pull him closer once more, and he yelps when you return his hand where you’d wanted it. “Cheeky!”

“Jungkook, I’m ready. I'm ready to...,” you announce in a blurt, placing your hand on his chest.

“What? Hun, if this is about what I said, I didn’t mean-“ he panics.

“I knew I was ready before you’d even opened up your beautiful mouth, Koo. I saw the frog hat, and I just knew."

“Do you have a ‘thing for frogs’? Is that what did it? You’re teasing me, aren’t you?” he giggles. “Very funny. Let’s just kiss-"

“I want this, Jungkook. I want you. I’m scared… but I want you.”

Immediately, his eyebrows furrow, and he’s staring at your lips attentively. “What are you scared of, my angel?”

You’re unable to look at your boyfriend anymore, hanging your head low. “I'm afraid that you won’t like my body. I wouldn't have taken this decision if I didn't know for certain that you found me beautiful but... I'm still scared. Because what if you change your mind? I waited until I knew I wanted to be with you fucking forever, and… if you change your mind about me -”

Jungkook pokes his cheek with his tongue - and it’s so attractive but so damn nerve-wracking that you’re unable to complete your thought, the deep-rooted fear inside your head, and your voice trails off.

He breaks away, cupping your cheeks. “Look at me,” he says. When you muster up the courage to do so, he is already staring into your eyes. “I could never change my mind about you. What did I say, hmm? You’re my fucking world, and I already want that forever too.” He plants a soft kiss on the edge of your lips before continuing. “I know saying 'don't be scared' might not calm your nerves, but I mean it if that's what you're afraid of. I've felt your body, love. I've seen you a million different times and I think you're gorgeous every single time. I never said this to you before because I never wanted to pressure you, and I want to, you know, love you right, which is respectfully and the way you deserve, but baby… I’ve wanted to see... kiss your body for ages. Do you know how many times I’ve dreamt about this? About seeing you? About making love with you? I want you - in every single way possible.”

"You've been so patient, and I know it must've been hard... I'm sorry, Koo," you mumble, tears forming at your waterline as you take a deep breath.

“Don’t be, my angel,” he whispers, pulling you in for a hug and kissing your forehead. “I want you even if sex was entirely off the table because I want you.

When you first told me about everything, it's clear you went through a ton of shit you didn't deserve. It makes me so furious but I’m glad you know what you deserve. Someone who listens to you, who makes you feel comfortable and safe, and loves you. I’m trying to be that guy because you’re the girl worth waiting for, baby. The girl worth a thousand, million universes rather than this world alone…. and I love you more than anything.”

He kisses you, deeply and truly, more passionately than he’d ever done - and you know you meant your words as well.

“I love you more than you can imagine, and I said what I said too… I- I want..you, Jungkook. I’m ready,” you say, leaning in with your breath ghosting his lips.

“Are you su-“

“I’m sure, Koo…. I’m wearing lingerie under these clothes,” you whisper with a giggle that he echos.

“Oh, my love….” Jungkook says fondly, inching closer towards you to kiss you once, then staring into your eyes as he pulls you into a hug and moves a hand to rest where you’d wanted it before holding your hand with the other, kissing your knuckles as he led you into the bedroom. But he quickly lets go. In a flash, Jungkook hurriedly dashes around his room, muttering to himself while lighting every candle he owns. “I need to make this romantic - my girl deserves ultimate romance! If I’d have known I would’ve gone all out, I would’ve… I don’t know what I would’ve done other than jack myself off beforehand at the thought of it finally happening, but - fuck, Jungkook, what are you saying? No, it’s good you didn’t tell me beforehand. God, you’re so hot for being spontaneous.”

Jungkook ends his panicked monologue entirely relaxed and only an inch away from you, his demeanor transformed, and your endeared giggles stop at the scene of it all becoming very real.

“Stop me whenever you want me to,” he whispers, caressing your face.

You nod with a smile as you sit back on his bed, taking a deep breath when Jungkook hovers over you and helps lift your dress over your head, leaving you in the new silky lingerie set you’d bought.

It was hard to ignore the excitement on Jungkook's face, of which he made no effort to hide. “My beautiful girl,” he says, taking in the sight of you before finally looking at your face once again and pressing his lips against yours, undoubtedly feeling the rush of your heartbeat with your chest against his and his fingers at your neck.

“Let me ease your mind,” he whispers, letting his hands wander to your hips, gripping them as he lowers himself until he is face to face with your waist. He was steady in his pace, still not rushing while he kissed your waist and up and down your torso with careful touches…. despite the fact that he soon tore your new lingerie into pieces.

--------

two

Jungkook wakes up beside you the same way he’d made love to you both times the previous night: slowly and gently. Vanilla, just like the scent you inhale on the arm he wraps around you, but passionate and caring in a way that proved your feelings about him, and his towards you. Just what you needed.

The love and care he showed you that morning, from the sudden morning fuck session to the following hours twisted in bedsheets grazing each other's skin, and the soothing, soapy shower you took together, were among the most blissful moments in your entire life. Refreshed and giddy, you meet Jungkook in his kitchen in just your bra and one of his oversized tees - the most naked or revealing you'd been in front of him, save for the night before and the morning you'd spent together…. There probably was no need to cover up anymore, you happily thought… until he seemed to notice your stretch marks.

“Next time, we’re keeping the lights on. How’d I not notice these last night? Or in the shower?” he asks curiously, pausing while plating your meal just to see the lines at your hips.

“You were probably too mesmerized by my beautiful eyes,” you joke, ruffling his hair as he bent down to inspect your marks.

“Way more than just your eyes, baby,” he giggled. “Do you have them anywhere else? I think I see some on your thighs.”

“Yeah and on my stomach too. They’re all over,” you say, showing him, before finally dropping the question on the tip of your tongue. “Are they… a turn-off?”

“A turn-off? Not in the slightest. Why would they be?” he questions curiously.

“People don’t usually like em,” you say, grabbing Jungkook’s arm. “My skin isn’t ‘picture perfect.”

“It’d be boring if it is. Mine isn’t. Look at the arm you’re holding, babe. I added tattoos so my skin wouldn’t be picture-perfect, baby. Except your markings are entirely your own, and hey, the way they look like roots? It’s almost poetic, isn’t it? Wow.”

You kiss his lips immediately, tasting the berries he’d whipped up into your smoothies - but the breakfast was quickly forgotten. Jungkook places you onto the kitchen counter instead, tracing and kissing every mark on your body so lovingly with the daylight shining onto you…. and you’d discovered that Jungkook ate everything with passion and furrowed brows.

--------

three

Though you’d been spending days with Jungkook already, Wednesday was the day you had a planned date - one that was actually outside, after the back-to-back days spent intertwined all around his apartment.

A knock was at your door just as you were putting on the final touches to your outfit - a dainty set of gold jewelry - and you were still fiddling with the earring when you answered.

Jungkook showed up at your place to pick you up, dressed in a grey, collared shirt with a striped tank top underneath - adorable enough to drive you crazy - but more importantly, he’d shown up with a heartwarming bouquet of sunflowers in one hand and a picnic basket in the other - but he drops both at the sight of you.

“Oh baby,” are the first words Jungkook says, rushing in to pull you into a kiss. “Can we forget about the picnic? This… this is my fantasy.” His finger skim over the cotton fabric at your hips, scrunching up the fabric over your thighs.

“It’s forgotten,” you reply, letting his hand wander. “Tell me all your fantasies, Kook.”

“You, my dream girl. You’re my fantasy….. and fucking said dream girl - you - in a sundress… oof. This was… This always was….”

A laugh escapes you and a feeling of comfort floods your senses, seeing marvel on Jungkook’s face as he studied the floral dress that lay on your body. Neither of you bothered to move about the apartment for a while, kissing, touching, and more then and there behind the front door, until Jungkook pulled his hand from within your underwear to tug the dress off your body, revealing your sheer slip underneath.

“No fucking way,” he sighs, placing his hand behind you, fingers digging into your plush thighs and swiftly lifting you in his hands. With Jungkook still kissing your clavicle and ignoring your fearful, pleased shrieks, you have no choice but to comply, wrapping your legs around him and edging closer to his body, giggling as Jungkook rushes to the couch.

“Ride me? Ride me in this, pretty?” he pleads, kissing your neck once more before already leaning back.

“I’m scared, my love. What if I crush you?” you say, skimming his abs.

“Oh, wait - there’s another fantasy,” he proclaims with a smirk. “I’ll be fine. If you’ve crushed exes in the past, I’m actually jealous. though they probably weren’t strong enough.”

“No one ever wanted me on top, JK… but I guess you're strong enough since no one ever carried me like that before.”

“Fucking weak ass idiots. I don’t want to think about that now. I want you on top of me… in this pretty little dress that lets me see… everything,” he gasps, cupping your breast over the fabric before quickly adding, ”…if you’re okay with it.”

“Tell me if I hurt you,” you say as you help undress him.

“You could never.”

+

You could never forget the whimpers and the laughs you’d heard from Jungkook that evening, both when you’d asked him the same question. “Am I doing okay?” in the heat of the moment, was met with an ineligible whimper you’d heard for the very first time from Jungkook, who could only respond as such for minutes.

“Fuck, yes, you— you’re doing so good, baby,” he let out, continuously praising you afterwards, even until you asked the question again.

“Was that okay?” you ask him breathlessly when it was all over. He burst into a laugh, and if he hadn’t held onto your body so tightly, you’d have thought he was laughing at you.

“Okay? OKAY?! Honey…,” he starts, placing soft kisses on your skin as he talks. “Let me explain…This angle was… the way I could see you... your body...… and what you were doing to me. Oh, what did you do to me?! The way you wrapped around me, the way you rode… It was just right. And the fact that it’s your first time in that position? Then you pinned me down and I lost myself, I really did. You’re not a mortal human. You’re a witch. Some sex witch. That’s what you are - and you took my soul pleasuring me like that. No… no human woman could ever ride that way… that well. I’ve never felt that good… ever.”

Finally reassured, you wrap your arm around his tattooed one. “My spell worked! I’m glad you felt so good, baby.”

Jungkook sits upright, holding your hand. “Wait, did you feel okay? How was it for you?”

At that, you grab one of your nearby pillows to cover half your face, your shyness returning merely to answer his question honestly. “Jungkook… I know you’re big, but I’ve never felt you that deep before.”

“And? Does it hurt?” he asks with wide, concerned eyes that briefly trail down your sweaty body and how the fabric clung onto it even more.

“A bit,” you admit, throwing the pillow aside. “But it was… very good and very fun once I got over the scare and saw that you seemed to be enjoying yourself, playing with my tummy and tits and all, lifting me up a little too….” You trace his arms, hesitantly finishing the rest of your thought. “And then your hands stayed at my hips and ass. Albeit I missed the beginning, but god, was it heavenly - with your moans and the way you looked so helpless, in awe... pleased... because of me…. I kinda liked seeing you under me then, I liked having that….,” you pause, holding Jungkook’s face in your hands. “To have that control over you. To see you moan like that because of me. It was fun, baby. I wanna ride you again.”

“Yeah?” he asks, laughing again, and even harder when you nod eagerly.

“Oh, baby… You’re in for way more fun than you ever imagined.”

--------

four

Jungkook reluctantly left your apartment the next day and kept his promise to return by bedtime. But when he shows up at your door at midnight, entirely devoid of color, you’re concerned.

“I know I look like shit, and I do feel like shit, but I’m okay,” he says instantly, quickly explaining that because he’d been spending his days and nights with you, he’d barely had time to go to the gym, so he’d crammed in an intense session before the planned picnic the day before and spent hours boxing after leaving you that next morning.

“Couldn’t you have told them you’re doing enough cardio with me?” you joke, poking his arm, but Jungkook winces through his smile and grazes where you’d touched him - this was the most he’d do to admit that he was so sore.

You wrap your arms around your boyfriend to envelope him in a tight hug, and he does the same, squeezing your soft body and letting out a moan as he does so. “This feels so good. So cozy.”

“Then it’s just cuddles for you today, baby,” you say, rubbing his back and tapping his ass gently. “I’ll go change out of all this lingerie I’m wearing underneath.”

“No, no, no,” Jungkook pouts, shaking his head, nudged in the crook of your neck, as he begins to tug at the hem of your shirt. “My body is still strong, I promise. You proved that you’re not a mere mortal - I’m the same! I won’t let my physical human-appearing body stop me - wait, don’t learn this lesson from me, by the way. You have to tell me whenever you’re in pain, okay?”

“Okay,” you groan.

“Are you still in pain, actually? From all the riding?” Jungkook says teasingly, wiggling his eyebrows, with his hand softly resting on your stomach.

"Yeah, a little - especially this morning. But it’s like my body craves you so much that it basically got over it by nightfall… that doesn’t mean you’re not sore, though, Koo.”

“Please, baby,” he protests, kissing you. “I want you. It’ll help me forget the pain…. Do you really have lingerie under there?”

You allow Jungkook to pull up your top to see your breasts, held just right in pink lace.

“Fucking hell,” he says, rushing to take your top off when you let it drop over your body. “Please tell me you’re down to fuck.”

“Jungkook!” you yelp, pushing your boyfriend’s ticklish fingers aside until you’re able to hold his hands. “You’re in pain, and you’ve been making me feel better all week, baby… Let me do the same for you, hmm? Please?”

Jungkook cocks his brow as a reflex but doesn’t move. He lets you caress his face and kiss him deeply before leading him into the bedroom. He doesn’t say anything beyond quiet gasps of amazement when you begin undressing, down to your lingerie, nor does he say anything when you take off his clothes for him and push him onto the bed...until you let your hand skim down his torso...

“I can fuck, I promise,” Jungkook says in a panic. “Fuck… Are you su…?”

Looking up, you see anticipation in his eyes, his gaze flickering between himself and your salivated lips. You’ve never done this to him before. Surely, he’d been wanting it, and still, he never rushed you… It’s best you hurry up to it.

“Shut up, Jungkook,” you say. “Let me swallow your damn pride.”

--------

five

It was no lie you’d blushed often after your first night together - merely days ago - and though you’d had each other a number of times since, Jungkook kissed every inch of your face every time it flushed in the slightest. It was only natural for you to do the same to him when he spent the entire morning after your fourth night together flustered.

“You told me not to be shy, and now you’re going all red?” you giggle, kissing your boyfriend’s red ear.

“I can’t help it,” he says, touching where you’d kissed him. “My girlfriend is a fucking sex witch… Wh-where did you learn to do that?”

“The noises you made were a pretty good indication of how you like it,“ you say, letting your hand trail down his chest.

“…God you sound so fucking cocky right now, and it’s turning me on even more”, he groans, his hand resting over yours but letting you lead the way rather than guiding it himself.

“So…. you liked it, huh? Me taking control a little?”

“A little? Hun….” he trails off, so you kiss his forehead. “Can you….”  He fiddles with his fingers and his face flushes again, so you kiss his lips. “Aish....” he giggles, trapping your arms to finish his sentence in peace. “Baby, can you…. Can you boss me around again tonight?”

“You want me to dominate you?” you ask, taken aback.

A wide smirk appears on Jungkook’s face.

+

Such a request proved to be a night for your classic black lace lingerie set, with matching robe and dark lipstick… but Jungkook smiles too innocently when you enter the dimly lit bedroom, looking as such.

“I can’t be all bossy if you look at me like that, Koo.”

“I can’t change my round face and round eyes, baby… but then again, I thought you couldn’t switch up your ‘sweet, innocent girl’ persona until yesterday,” he smiles.

You roll your eyes. “Keep saying more things like that. That’ll make it easier to dominate you. I’m not so innocent, you know?”

“Oh, I know. I was there last night.”

“I have no idea how to go about this,” you admit, shoulders dropping in front of your boyfriend. “Tell me what to do.”

“No - you tell me what to do. Boss me around a little. No ‘please’. No pet names for now. Just commands. Tell me exactly what you want. What you want me to touch. What you want me to do What you want me to say. I'll help, and the instructions will help me please you just the way you like it in the future.”

“And if you get uncomfortable?”

“We have the safe word.”

A final kiss and nod of reassurance give you all you need to go on.

Trying it out, you manhandle your incredibly strong boyfriend until his arm wraps around your waist, his left hand resting just where you wanted it at your hip, while you guide the other hand to your heat. Already, you’re electrified by the control and decide to prolong this for as much as possible…. Might as well have some fun...

“First things first….” You say, backing away to lie on the bed and gently pushing Jungkook off when he follows, so he still stands in front of you, waiting. “Strip. To that song from your Calvin Klein ad.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

+

Jungkook was a smartass. He clearly didn’t mind being bossed around for a little - the ‘clear instructions’ did help him, and he seemed to be enjoying every minute of it, as he’d claimed - but when you’d tapped out from it all at dawn, there was not only amusement behind the smile on his face, but pride as well.

“That’s my girl,” he said, kissing your hand when you were both ready to pass out. “Oh, I worship you.”

The little brat knew the effect it’d have on you, and you didn’t wait until the next morning to call him out on it.

“Did you want me to take control because you thought it’d make me more confident?” you ask while Jungkook cleans you up, and he smiles at your question.

“If you feel that way, it’s all you, baby,” Jungkook says, kissing your body. “Is that how you feel?”

“I feel… powerful,” you admit.

A moan promptly escapes Jungkook at your words, and his kisses grow hungrier, finally meeting your lips and letting out another noise when you tug at his lips. Jungkook only breaks away to look into your eyes and sigh in adoration before kissing you once more.

--------

six

The night made you feel like a whole new woman. And you were ready for more, too, feeling the urge to grab Jungkook the moment you wake up…. but you soon realize you had his bed to yourself. Seeing the messy sheets and his hairbrush tossed onto the mattress, you briefly recall being nudged awake at noon and him muttering some words about a sudden work meeting. A Post-It note tacked onto the bedside table backed up the fact with a short message in Jungkook’s handwriting.

“Baby - Got called into the company. I’ll be there til 7 at least. Text me when you’re awake. I love you.”

Washing up didn’t do anything to wash away the urge to have Jungkook once more - if anything, it only prolonged your steaming shower. Wrapped up in a robe with nothing to do in your boyfriend’s apartment on a quiet Saturday, you get an idea.

Risque pictures were never something you’ve done before, and an hour passes by the time you’re comfortable with the ones you’ve taken. Looking through your camera roll, you weave through and delete awkward photos until you were left with a variety of shots that left you surprised by how hot you’d looked, whether you were entirely bare or with the lingerie you’d worn the night prior.

Though it’d been the afternoon and a long while since you’d woken up, you send the photos to Jungkook.

you🌻 [5:01pm]: “good morning baby :)” (5 attachments)

A text arrives a minute later.

jk💕💫 [5:06pm]: “Oh fuck.”

jk💕 💫[5:09pm]: “what have i done”

jk💕💫 [5:09pm]: “what have YOU done”

you🌻 [5:13pm]: “well besides take the photos, i took a very, very long, very hot shower… since you’re not here. hope you’re having fun at work xx”

No texts arrive while you lounge around the apartment in one of Jungkook’s T-shirts, reveling in the image of him being hot and bothered for you during some meeting … but close to an hour later, you hear the familiar beeps of the keypad at Jungkook’s front door.

Your boyfriend storms through the door with furrowed brows and a stern look, his jacket thrown aside and his shirt already off of him and discarded by the door. Somehow, he manages to squiggle out of his trousers on his way to you, and he’s naked save for his boxers by the time he gets to you on the couch - which all took mere seconds.

“Jungkook!” you squeal with joy when he lunges at you, biting your neck and quickly taking off the t-shirt you were wearing. His bites resume at your clavicle and above your chest, which he aggressively holds in his hands, tutting at the fact that you hadn’t worn any underwear or a bra underneath it. But his fingers move to the small of your back, forcefully pushing your hips upwards and towards him while he wedges his leg between your thighs.

“Brat,” he whispers. “Missed me, huh?”

“You’re one to talk. What happened to staying til 7?” you quickly ask.

“Fuck that,” he says, continuing to kiss you, but soon you’re unable to let go of a nagging worry.

“Baby,” you stop him, placing your hands on his bare shoulders. “I don’t want the boys to hate me. I don’t want to be the reason you’re missing work.”

“You’re saying this now? After you sent me the sluttiest photos I’ve ever seen in my life? While knowing I was at work? And right before the fucking we were going to do because of said photos?” Jungkook asks with raised brows, but you feel his shoulders slouch, and he squeezes between his eyebrows before his hands stroke your arms.

“Baby, it’s fine. I guess I have something to say about it, too. Taehyung hyung…… fuck… he accidentally saw the photos. I was so distracted and obviously aroused by your nudes that I just stared into my phone for a damn while. He was sitting right beside me and peeked. Since I gave him an earful for not looking away until I caught him, he’s apologizing by covering for me. I’m sorry he ever saw it, baby. And for what it’s worth, they all told me they love you already - apparently, I’ve never been so giddy. They can’t wait to meet you, honey….So even though it’s unfortunate that he saw it… at least we get to fuck, mm?”

Smiling, you hold Jungkook’s hands in yours and kiss him quickly. “So… Taehyung didn’t look away, huh?”

Jungkook’s jaw drops, and for the first time in your relationship, he looks genuinely irritated. “And why do you care?”

“I like knowing I’m sexy, boo,” you say, leaning back on your hands. Jungkook seemed to be just as you expected and hoped him to be - the jealous type. “Aren’t you proud to have such a hot girlfriend? One the guys are so jealous of?”

Jungkook’s eyes turn feral, and suddenly, he lunges at you with the same hunger he’d met you with earlier. His lovebites on your neck and shoulders are sure to leave very visible marks, and you couldn’t be happier.

Suddenly, he whips his head up, his nose brushing yours, while his fingers wrap around your neck, grazing over where his mouth had been.

“Listen to me, brat,” he says, obviously resisting the smirk that appears on his face when he catches your knowing, anticipating glare. “I think I let you have too much fun, hmm?”

You nod, slowly, and his fingers tighten around your neck while his other hand finds your chin.

“Don’t you ever forget: I’m yours.”

+

The both of you try to catch your breath, and Jungkook realizes that tears are streaming down your face before you do. His behavior stops at once.

“Baby? Baby, what happened? Did it hurt? Was I too much? I’m sorry,” he says with a croak in his voice, kissing your wet cheeks.

Your angel - though minutes ago, it seemed as though Jungkook had transformed into your own personal sex demon, torturing you with endless, repetitive, fiery bouts of pleasure. It felt too good - why were you crying?

“Jungkook, no,” you let out, catching your breath. “No, it was… electric. Can you cry from feeling too good?”

He lets out a sigh of relief as he wraps his arm around your sweaty waist. “I’ve read once that it can happen to some people, yeah. I’m just glad to know you’re okay.”

“Angry sex hits different I guess,” you say. peeking at Jungkook through your periphery. His eyes seem to be wet too.

“I still haven’t forgotten what you said, you know?” he says, bringing his leg up to wrap around your thighs in a cuddle. “Are you really happy that Tae saw your photos? You want him to think you’re hot? Do you think he's hot?”

“I don’t care at all, my love,” you say, softly scratching Jungkook’s scalp and seeking his gaze. “I just had an urge. To fuck or be fucked angrily - but the thing is, you never get angry. I figured jealousy might do the trick, but… it was childish, and I didn’t mean what I said in the slightest - so I’m sorry.” Jungkook remains silent, tracing the marks on your stomach in thought, so you go on.

“You fuck me passionately enough, Koo - too passionately, even - if that’s what you’re wondering. I guess what I said is only half the truth. I knew it might work because I get jealous over you, too, you know? I get angry. Sure, it’s rare nowadays since you’re always there for me and make my world happier and calmer…. but I guess I buried my anger and jealousy, how pent up I can sometimes get seeing other girls - models, idols, staff, fans… everyone - they ogle you and visibly want you for themselves… and I won some cosmic lottery because you’re you and you’re mine! Naturally, I get worried. Jealous.”

He takes a deep breath, and you quickly whisper an afterthought. “I hoped you felt the same way about me. That I’m yours.”

Jungkook sits up, grazing your hair now, before placing a soft kiss on your forehead…. and flicking it right afterward. “My beautiful idiot - and I will only call you an idiot this one time because you’re acting like one! Did you miss the part where I gave Taehyung an earful? I know he respects me, and he respects you, but I still got jealous that he even saw it. I rushed here, so hot and bothered and ready to fuck because of the photos but also because of that anger. I wanted to fuck my beautiful girl. You know how you say you love it when I wrap my arm around you in public - I do that all the time since you said it, but do you know the first time I did it was because a guy wouldn’t stop staring at you? It’s happened far too many times.”

“I was probably too happy to have your arm around me to notice,” you whisper.

“Maybe, baby. Exactly, actually. Baby, you need to look at me when you see those girls you mentioned because if you do, you’ll see what they see: someone so ridiculously in love already. I never took notice because ever since I met you… every other girl ceased to exist in my eyes. The only one I see is my beautiful smartass witch who has taken over my brain and magically transfigured herself into my whole world.” You chuckle, but he goes on. “My love, I can’t tell you not to get jealous. God knows I can’t stop myself, either. But if there’s one thing in the world you shouldn’t worry about, it’s me thinking of anyone else.”

“Neither should you, Koo,” you say, holding onto him.

“I’m yours… and you’re mine.”

“I’m yours, and you’re mine,” you repeat, tears streaming down your face once more.

And once again, Jungkook kisses your tears away before kissing you more deeply, and you discover make-up sex to be more passionate than angry sex.

--------

seven

The sunlight streaming in beneath the curtains wakes you, interrupting the pitch-black darkness of Jungkook’s bedroom… your boyfriend's arm wraps around you, pulling you tightly against his body in his sleep. You remain that way, happily pressed against him and breathing to the magically rhythmic beat of Jungkook’s snoring and mumbling. A feeling of sleepiness returns as you close your eyes with your mind drifting away in your feelings of contentment… so much so that you don’t notice that his snoring has stopped.

“I think I met you in another life,” he whispers.

Sharply exhaling at the most romantic words you’d heard your entire life, you face Jungkook, brushing away the hair on his face, and to your shock, he opens his eyes widely.

“Oh, baby. I didn’t realize you were up,” he mumbles, with his face flushing.

“I think so too,” you say back, instantly kissing your boyfriend and suddenly bear-hugging him underneath the covers. Ready to fall asleep once again, you rest your head on Jungkook’s shoulder while he moans, happy as ever to lay underneath the weight of you…. but you soon pull away to confirm your suspicion. He is excited.

“Oh, Jungkook, baby…. With the week we’ve had…. I’m exhausted,” you admit while still clinging onto him tighter.

“It’s not a week yet, baby,” he moans, his hand finding the small of your back. “I’ll take it slow.”

“You’re lucky it’s Sunday, and that we have the whole day to ourselves, you little sex demon,” you say, grazing up his chest until your fingers find his nape and you’re able to pull him in for a sleepy, sloppy kiss and mindless touches.

“Let’s sleep in.”

[demilypyro]

I don't know what the first game was that I ever played, but I definitely recall the game that made the biggest impact on me as a kid.

When I was seven or eight, my parents took me to a flea market, and there, we found my first love. The Playstation 1. It was already old at that point; the PS2 had been out for years and the PS3 was on its way. But we were poor, and we were never getting our hands on those things. So home we went, with our PS1, and several games that came with it. Games that would shape me as a person. Chief among them were the Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Crash Team Racing, and Rayman 2: the Great Escape.

Crash Bandicoot.... It was tough as nails. But so colourful, so dynamic. Like a cartoon you could play. I can picture all the levels, jump arcs and death animations when I close my eyes. I remember crying because I couldn't beat it. I remember playing it again years later and being surprised by how easy it was.

I still have that original copy of Crash Bandicoot. I didn't keep most of the games or even the PS1 itself, but this? It's on my shelf, it never leaves my room. I grabbed it and took a picture of it real quick. This disc has been in my possession for almost 20 years now. I'd never part with it. It's a part of me.

This game created a demon that devours games whole.

[m1d-45]

a soft place to land

summary: life can be hard. when the day is long and your body is weary, your lover is there. features zhongli, diluc, kaeya, alhaitham, and tighnari, in that order.

word count: ~800

-> warnings: none.

-> gn reader (you/yours)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay

< masterlist >

zhongli.

his arms are sturdy around your shoulders, pressing you into him. one hand rests on your head, letting you hide in his shoulder. hes frowning, upset at seeing you upset, but carefully keeps it from his words.

“you’re alright, beloved. this will pass.”

you squeeze him tighter in response, a fresh set of tears sinking into his suit, but he doesn’t mind. you could ruin all of his clothes, and he only asks that you would be okay on the other end.

he promises you that, now. his hand slides down to the other, his embrace nearly crushing as he turns to whisper into your hair.

“it will be okay.”

you sink further into his arms.

maybe it will be.

diluc.

diluc holds you close within his office, leaning against the closed door. he’s not sure what brought this on, but it’s clear now is not the time for questions.

he presses a soft kiss to the side of your head, gently wrapping his arms around you. soft coos and sweet words fall from his lips as easy as air, slipping into your ear and slowly driving the dark, thick muck of helplessness from your mind. his words are slow, his voice quiet, but you hear him clearly.

“im right here, beautiful. it’ll be alright.”

you take a shuddering breath, pressing your face further into his jacket and breathing in his cologne. when you exhale, some of the weight lifts off your shoulders.

kaeya.

his hands are almost kneading where they’re holding your sides, keeping you sat firmly in his lap. yes, he was technically on shift, but his paperwork could wait until you weren’t crying into his shoulder.

he’s hoping the repetitive motions of his hands will help ground you, his silver tongue failing when he needs it most. he wants nothing more than to reassure you, to say exactly what you need to hear and banish your tears to a far off corner of teyvat where they’ll never harm you again, but all that escapes his mouth is the soft, gentle sound of your name. it’s careful, filled with empathy, every shake of your shoulders reflected in the harsh twist of his lips.

he lets his head rest on your shoulder, taking deep breaths in an attempt to encourage you to do the same. in, and out, in, and out, every breath measured, an inaccurate picture of his mind. he wants to hyperventilate with you, to fret and worry over his love, to ask what’s wrong and how to fix it, but that’s not what you need right now. so he counts his breaths, in (one, two, three, four) and out (one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight).

slowly, surely, you fall back to earth, right into kaeya’s open arms.

alhaitham.

alhaitham’s eyes were fixed on his book, on the theorized etymology of some of the runes in king deshret’s ruins. he kept his voice low, calm and clear, reading slowly. one hand propped the pages apart, and the other was entangled in your hair, gently sweeping arcs with his thumb.

you were lying with him on the couch, head in his lap and face buried in his side. your hand occasionally flexed and tugged at his shirt, but you didn’t speak up when he paused.

he was fine with that.

he’d sit here with you for as long as you needed, picking another book up off the end table if he needed to. whether you wanted to vent off whatever was bothering you, or simply lie in his company, he would be happy either way.

alhaitham turned the page and continued to read.

tighnari.

tighnari’s tail flicked behind him, thankfully outside of your view. you hadn’t given much explanation before you’d pulled him into a crushing hug, but his jitters weren’t from irritation. no, he could never be upset at you; he was worried.

your arms were tight around him, a sharp contrast to the gentle circles he rubbed into your back. he wasn’t sure if you wanted to hear his comfort, so he settled for non-verbal signs of it instead, leaning the side of his head to yours.

for however long you wanted to stand there, he’d be there. when the moon sank below the horizon and stars glittered in the window, he’d smooth his ungloved hands over your shirt, only speaking to offer a cool cup of water.

when you inevitably collapsed into bed, he’d lie at your side, holding you close until morning.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Chelo Alonso (Sign of Rome Morgan the Pirate La ragazza sotto il lenzuolo)— She was an international star, and she was so hot she had to turn down marrying a prince, and became so famous for being hot that Fidel Castro sent Che Guevara to beg her to go back to Cuba. She was also called the Cuban H-Bomb. She makes me light-headed.

Ingrid Bergman (Gaslight, Casablanca, Notorious)—Where do I even begin with Ingrid Bergman? I fell in love with her with her astounding performance in the 1956 version of Anastasia -- the best Anastasia movie in large part due to her wonderful and touching performance. She's got this amazing, fascinating intensity to her in whatever role she's in. She commits 100%, and she's got this light in whatever she's in that's stunning. She's utterly convincing no matter what she plays, from an amnesiac possible lost princess, from a nun, from a woman taking her revenge on the town that wronged her, to light romantic comedy. She's never missed in any role I've seen her in! Also she became quite the MILF.

This is round 4 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Chelo Alonso:

"forgive me sending in more pictures of her but i CANNOT be normal about here asdhgkljhahgjkhgkajshgajghshgjl"

Ingrid Bergman:

God, she's fantastic. She's both beautiful and a compelling actor who's more than capable of putting the whole movie on her shoulders if necessary. It's worth noting that while her beauty is conventional, she was seen as refreshingly "natural" with more eyebrows and less makeup than many other leading ladies of the time. She's well known for her role in Casablanca, but in Notorious, Spellbound, (both available on archive.org ) and Gaslight (1944) she shows how immensely capable she is.

I mean...she's Ingrid Bergman. I feel like that should be enough, you know? She's physically beautiful (her eyes!) but watching her is like a transcendent experience. Her voice, her expressions... beautiful woman, beautiful actor.

I'm a gay man but even I understand her appeal. I'll watch any movie she shows up in. Gorgeous woman.

Just try and watch her movies without sighing wistfully, then get back to me!

Choosing 1-3 movies where Bergman was at her hottest was agony because, of course, she was always at her hottest. Not just because she was beautiful but because she was absolutely willing to go up against the bs women in Hollywood were constantly dealing with. When exiled from Hollywood for having an affair with Roberto Rossellini, not only did she refuse to apologize at any point, but she went on to say that Hollywood's films had grown stagnant and boring to her. Though she said she appreciated her time working there, she wanted to try new, different techniques (hence starring in Italian neorealist films, working on stage, and acting under directors like Ingmar Bergman). She was not afraid to chase after her artistic ideals and go outside the box regardless of what society had to say about it. From her first movie to her last she killed it. There's so much more to say about Bergman's career and life, but I've already written five million words so I'll stop at that.

ion words so I'll stop at that.

One of the most incredible actors I've ever seen on film. Her facial expressions are so intricate and poignant that I cannot look away. I'm either ace or straight, but damn she made me question that.

SEVEN TIME OSCAR NOMINEE QUEEN. Girl also PULLED, having affairs with famously hot men Gary Cooper and Gregory Peck IN ADDITION to her three marriages...sexy

She has a very natural beauty to her, and she's from Sweden!

She left Hollywood and only became more beautiful. You could drown in her eyes. She can look innocent AND like she's seen it all. She is effortlessly elegant. She's played Joan of Arc (automatically hot) AND was in the movie that coined gaslight as a term. And where would we be without that!

She was known for being a breath of fresh air on the movie scene at the time with her windswept hair, dreamy smile and soulful eyes. I have loved her in every movie I have seen her in - she was just magnetic!

Where do I even start. There's a neighborly quality to this beautiful, talented actress that makes her hotness one of a kind and her looks impossible to forget

With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cinematic history. Known for her naturally luminous beauty, Bergman spoke five languages – Swedish, English, German, Italian and French – and acted in each.

She's hot, don't get me wrong, but I've always found her very approachable, like she could easily be a member of my friend group

A lot of the time hotness in a movie is just about words and framing. "You're the most beautiful person here" [vaseline lens] well I sure hope so because that's who you cast. But when, in Casablanca, they call Ingrid Bergman the most beautiful woman in the world... they were not fucking lying. And such a dynamite actor too!! I'd only seen Casablanca up until last year, and there she's confined to love interest. But in Gaslight she was maybe one of the most incredible actors I've ever seen!!!! Goddddd shes so fucking hot and cool.

[blushstarot]

PICK A CARD: In what kind of anime would you live?

Back with another fun one, this time I decided to throw an anime quote in there too! Any and all feedback appreciated.

Pick whichever picture you feel more attracted to and skip to that pile.

!! I DON'T USE THE RIDER-WAITE TAROT DECK, SO MY INTERPRETATIONS OF THE CARDS' SIMBOLOGY IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT !!

PILE 1

judgement, the tower, two of pentacles (reversed).

Your anime is… seinen. This adult anime category usually incorporates an action and adventure storyline with graphic content like violence, erotic, horror, etc

"I don't give a rat's ass about going to hell. I guess it's because I feel like I'm already there." (Mugen, Samurai Champloo)

This one at first gave me big shonen vibes, especially since in the judgment card kinda looks like there's a training arc going on, but as soon as I got the tower I knew this was going to the seinen direction. Based on the three cards combined, I would guess that you're in an anime were superpowers exist, and only a select few have it. You, of course, happen to have them, sadly the public opinion it's not on your side, as they view your kind as dangerous people that could harm them any minute. An accident happens were you end up hurting and killing innocent civilians, which causes you to leave your home and seek refuge with a group of people that also have powers. Turns out that accident that caused you to flee detonates a hunt for all the people with powers, were the government is looking to lock them up and isolate them from their communities, to do experiments with them. Your new found family and you decide to help rescue all the people you can, and all while you battle with coming to terms with all the damage you done and all the lives you took in the past, and train to be better at controlling your powers.

**As in all the PACs, just take what resonates and leave what doesn't, this is for entertainment only, so have fun with it!

PILE 2

three of swords, seven of swords, the hanged man.

Your anime is... josei. This adult females anime category revolves around romance and drama themes but is also grounded in reality.

"Love, passion, why do we get caught up by such troublesome feelings?" (Takumi Usui, Maid-Sama!)

This, this is the kind of drama that breaks you, the anime that lefts you crying for days when it's over, but also that changes the way you see life. I feel like this drama is romance oriented, the backstory is that you and your partner are very close to this friend, and them together started these unfortunate events in your life. You and your partner started to grow apart, as they start to be more and more closer with the friend, and even though you know what's happening, you don't want to accept it so you keep playing pretend as this perfect in love couple. Eventually you come to terms with what's happening and decide to confront you partner and that friend, of course they deny everything and try to gaslight and manipulate you into believing that it's all in your head. You feel trapped in this toxic relationship/friendship and don't know how to get out of it, thankfully you manage to free yourself from them, and start your healing journey, were you struggle to learn to trust people again. I feel like the anime will focus on your journey of healing, like giving cero context at first on why you are struggling to make friends, and then giving flashbacks of your backstory. Of course at the end you learn to trust people again and even start to consider dating again, either giving a chance to someone who supported you during your journey without expecting something in return, or with someone new that just started to catch your attention.

**As in all the PACs, just take what resonates and leave what doesn't, this is for entertainment only, so have fun with it!

PILE 3

queen of wands, seven of wands(reversed), king of wands (reversed)

Your anime is... Idol. This anime is centered around the life of male and female idols.

"I'm not pure, and I'm dishonest and dirty. I don't have a good grasp of what it means to love someone… I told pretty lies that would please everyone… To me, lies are love. And in my own way, I though I was expressing love." (Ai Hoshino, Oshi no Ko)

I'm 100% sure that your anime would be about the reality of being an idol, "the dark side" of being loved by millions and having all eyes on you. When I was pulling the cards, I got the queen of wands and the seven of wands together, but the queen of wand was on top, and at first didn't let me see the other card, it wasn't until I pulled the king of wands and try to move them out of the way to continue shuffling that I realized I already had the three cards I needed. Based on that, I see the anime telling your story at first through a superficial lens, were we can only see this famous, successful idol that everyone likes, that's outgoing, optimistic, full of energy and is just the type to have YouTube compilations named "x being chaotic for 7 minutes straight". You hide your true self behind a mask of being energetic, courageous and passionate, while in reality you feel like you're weak, exhausted, burnt-out, and that you lack experience in life in general, so you try to overcompensate. Your life is basically a play were you're scared of stepping our of your comfort zone, maybe you want to leave the stage and have a normal life, or you are planning to leave your group and being a soloist now; either way you care too much about others opinions and that makes you feel powerless. In this one I'm not really sure if you overcome your fears and anxiety since I'm getting this conflicted feeling that you do and don't at the same time, so maybe you overcome some things and still need to work on some others.

**As in all the PACs, just take what resonates and leave what doesn't, this is for entertainment only, so have fun with it!

Thanks for taking the time to read this! I have another PAC you can check out here, or go directly to my master list where you can find all my PACs.

I'll really apreciate if you guys can tell me if there's any spelling mistakes so I can fix them, and if you have any suggestions on future PACs you want to see me do, you can send me and ask.

Bye byeee ✨

[fayes-fics]

Teacher Bridgerton

2k Celebration Masterpost

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader, Modern AU

Summary: Modern AU Benedict, primary school art teacher

Warnings: none... fluff, dad!Benedict

Word Count: 830

Authors Note: Last of my 2k follower celebration drabbles. This is for @guiltywaves with the prompt of art teacher Benedict (ask here). i had to end with some soft dad!Benedict, Unbetaed. Enjoy! <3

“Is this right, Mr Brid-etun?” a boy holds a piece of paper aloft, struggling to enunciate the last name a little, wiggling in his tiny chair.

“Daniel, this is art,” Benedict explains softly as he drops to kneeling next to the little boy. “There is no right or wrong; just whatever you want to draw, do that. And please call me Ben.”

The boy looks at him wide-eyed, almost suspicious. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am sure. I am your art teacher, remember?”

The boy nods solemnly and reaches across the low table for a crayon. 

“Fank you, Ben,” he murmurs, a little peek of tongue at the corner of his mouth as he draws an arc in bright green.

Benedict smiles at the little boy and then stands back up to survey the cheery art room filled with 5-year-olds, preoccupied with crayons and their imaginations. It never fails to make him happy when Reception Year has its lesson every Wednesday morning. And not just because of one very special person it contains.

He never saw himself as a teacher, but a 2-month volunteering stint at summer classes on a whim became a temporary placement the following term that somehow became a job. That was seven years ago—he has never felt more content.

“Uncle Ben, I drew a cat!” a voice pipes up proudly, and he turns around to see Mary Bridgerton beaming up at him, holding a picture of what could possibly be a cat. It's a bright purple circle with rather demonic-looking red eyes and lightning-bolt yellow whiskers.

“Mary, that's very… colourful,” he offers diplomatically, bending down to ruffle her hair. “But remember, I'm just supposed to be Ben at school; I'm Uncle Ben at home,” he whispers as his brother's youngest child taps a finger to her nose with a wink, her pretty brown eyes shining as if agreeing to safeguard some grand secret. 

“I want to draw a car,” Mary’s friend Lila sighs wistfully.

“You can do it, Lila. Here,” Benedict hands her a blue crayon. “Try with this. I can help if you get stuck. I’ll be right here. And look, it's blue, just like your Mummy’s car.”

Lila rolls her eyes. “Yes, I know, Daddy. I’m not colourblind like Uncle Colin,” she replies dryly, eliciting a peal of laughter from Mary. She is often far more mature than her years, and she is growing up so fast that sometimes it terrifies him.

“Lila!” he admonishes quietly. “Remember, you must call me Ben when we are at school! And Uncle Colin isn't colourblind; he is just clueless about how to dress himself,” Benedict adds with slight relish.

“But Mary just called you Uncle Ben,” Lila retorts, drawing a quite impressive version of a blue car for her age—Benedict's heart wells at the sight but schools his expression the best he can.

“It was a accident!” Mary pipes up, indignant.

“It’s okay, Mary,” Benedict soothes. “Just remember to call me Ben at school if you can.”

She agrees and returns to her art—starting on a quiet terrifying-looking green dog. 

_____

“Mummy, look!” Lila runs up to you as you walk in from work after a long day, the delicious scent of garlic and herbs greeting you as soon as the front door opens.

She is holding aloft a remarkable drawing of a blue car. Very much like the one you just climbed out of.

“That's wonderful, Lila!” you compliment as you drop your work bag and take the paper from her for a closer look, kissing her cheek before she runs back to the kitchen table excitedly.

You wander in after her, admiring her handiwork, to be greeted by your husband feeding your baby boy in his highchair as dinner simmers away on the hob.

“Somebody is taking after her Daddy,” you smile indulgently, leaning in to kiss his jaw as you watch his face light up with joy, seeing what you have in your hands. He turns his head to capture your lips instead.

“I am so ridiculously proud; she's my star pupil. That's bad to say, isn't it?” he confesses over your lips, grimacing slightly in an utterly enchanting way.

You chuckle, nuzzling his face, enjoying the slight rasp of stubble. “It's just fine, Mr Bridgerton. I do believe it’s okay to play favourites if the class contains your own daughter.” 

“I'm just glad she draws better than Mary,” he confesses, keeping his voice soft enough that Lila cannot hear.

“That bad, eh?” you laugh, dropping a kiss on your son's hair as he mashes banana into his own cheek, burbling happily.

“Stuff of nightmares,” he shudders, and you can’t help but giggle.

“Well, I'm certainly not telling Anthony,” you warn, wrapping your arms around his shoulders as his twine around your waist, pulling you into his comforting embrace. “Or Kate.”

“Yeah, me either; I’ll give Mary a gold star and lie at parents' evening,” he jests into your hair.

“Smart man, teacher Bridgerton.”

Benedict taglist: @makaylan @foreverlonginguniverse @iboopedyournose @colettebronte @aintnuthinbutahounddog @severewobblerlightdragon @margofiore @writergirl-2001 @heeyyyou @enichole445 @enchantedbytomandhenry @ambitionspassionscoffee @chaoticcalzoneranchsports @nikaprincessofkattegat @baebee35 @crowleysqueenofhell @bridgertontess @fiction-is-life @lilacbeesworld @angels17324 @broooookiecrisp @queen-of-the-misfit-toys @eleanor-bradstreet @divaanya @musicismyoxygen84 @benedictspaintbrush @miindfucked @sorryallonsy @lilithseve @cayt0123 @hottytoddyhistory @truly-dionysus @fictionalmenloversblog @zinzysstuff @malpalgalz @panhoeofmanyfandoms @kinokomoonshine @causeimissu @delehosies @mlovesbridgerton @m-rae23 @last-sheep

[shaunashipman]

I'm a new 9-1-1 viewer (binge watched the first 6 seasons like two weeks before the new one came out and been watching season 7 as it comes out) and I'm so glad I found your blog because it annoys me how most of the conversation around the show is always about b*ddie and I really needed to find people who weren't b*ddie shippers. Like, I get why people ship it even if I don't particularly see it or agree with it but they're always trying to prove how this plot point or the other points at them becoming canon next episode and it's so annoying? Especially now that Tommy is in the picture because I think he's such a great LI for Buck and has so much endgame potential but they're all talking about him being a "stepping stone" for their ship and completely ignoring how this is a chance for him to be in a loving, stable relationship in the long run, something he absolutely deserves.

Honestly sometimes I feel like b*ddie shippers don't even care or like Eddie and Buck, they just want them to kiss onscreen and ignore their well written arcs just because they don't end up in them being canon (which honestly after seven seasons of the same clownery they should have learnt by now that maybe it's just not happening and that's okay! they're well thought out, fully fleshed characters that don't need to be involved romantically to have a satisfying storyline!)

welcome to the fandom, and my blog 👋👋👋

it is unfortunate that the show has so many great characters and dynamics that get consistently drowned out by a single fanon ship. i get it if you're just here for b*ddie, but to make a big fuss over losing a single scene in another couple's big episode? when you still got something? sometimes you need a reality check that the show is actually about other people too

fandom is not about hunting for hints that your ship is going canon. like, i have never seen a fandom that seems to spend more time "proving" their ship is gonna go canon than actually, you know, doing fandom stuff. (i was not in spn/destiel, idk what nonsense went on there) we're supposed to ignore what the TPTB say while we play with our dolls because it doesn't matter, not ignore what they say because clearly they're lying and misdirecting and building up to do what they have have said, as explicitly as they can in tv world, won't be happening. this obsession with "going canon" is, frankly, weird in fandom.

my blood pressure goes up when i read the phrase "stepping stone". even if bucktommy doesn't last, they will never have been a stepping stone. one, because it is a relationship, and relationships can't be stepping stones, that is such a cynical way to look at things and really makes me wonder about some of these people's real life relationships (yeah i know it's fiction, but y'all take it too far in your vitriol for it not to be invading your personal lives) and two, because b*ddie is not happening, so it can't be a stepping stone to it.

they have done everything they can except saying "b*ddie isn't happening" because in tvland ambiguity is your best friend. but ryan calling eddie heterosexual twice is not ambiguous. and i've already said, but ignoring what ryan has said about the coming out scene because it doesn't fit your headcanon is extremely disrespectful. it is fiction, but it is fiction made by people drawing from real life experiences and y'all are shitting on that

and tommy does have such potential!! they like to shit on us for saying that, "oh he's only been there for 4 eps, we don't even know anything about him", and, ignoring that we actually do know some stuff about tommy, more than we've gotten for other LI's, that's why we say potential. we are looking at possible future storylines and seeing how tommy could fit. we are looking at what was lacking in prev LI's (not in a deficient way, just in a compatibility way) and seeing how tommy can fill the spaces they couldn't.

we're basing our theories of him at least sticking around for a bit, not on wardrobe hints and coded gazes and what actors post on their socials, but by what we've seen on-screen, what has been said in interviews in black&white no hidden meaning, and by simple knowledge of story pacing.

and we could be completely wrong. that's part of it being a theory; the acknowledgement that it is not guaranteed . once you start insisting something is 100% going to happen, it's no longer a theory

wow this got long 🫣 sorry for making you read all that, if you're still here lmao. but conciseness is not my strong suit, so enjoy my babbling if you stick around, and feel free to drop in my inbox anytime

[howlingday]

Jaune has a hidden power. He can make any lesbian into bisexual just by being himself. Just imagine the encounter of him and Ilia would look like.

Ilia: I just don't get it!

Coco: Neither do I, but it's there.

Ilia: Like, how does he do it? He just smiles and looks at me like... like...

Coco: Like you're a person?

Ilia: Yes!

Coco: Yeah, he does that a lot. It's why a lot of people like him. Some more than others.

Ilia: Is it a semblance? Does he have magic?

Coco: Nope. Just being himself.

Ruby: Hi, Ruby Rose, Council of Jaune Arc's fan club. Heard you guys were curious about Jaune Arc.

Coco: Oh boy...

Ruby: I can answer almost any question you may have about him.

Ilia: How is he so attractive?! Like, it's like he was born a man, but is actually a woman!

Ruby: That's a great question. Have you seen Jaune in a dress yet?

Coco: Yes, I was there-

Ruby: Super! Here you go!

Ilia: Whoa... He's in a dress AND dancing?!

Ruby: Uh-huh! And that's kind of part of his charm. See, he grew up in a home with seven sisters and is very open minded to the goings ons of the woman. Would you like to see more?

Ilia: YES!

Coco: Does Jaune know about you guys?

Ruby: ...Here's more pictures of Jaune.

Ilia: WOW!

Meanwhile, where Jaune is...

Jaune: ...Hello? (Looks around empty hole) Is somebody out there?

Jaune: ...I'd like to go home now.

[quasi-normalcy]

Surprising Things I Learned From Rewatching All of Star Trek (as of mid 2022)

The first season of the original series is good. Like really, really, good. You can definitely see why it caught on.

"Spock's Brain" isn't actually all that bad. Like, for all it's infamy, I wouldn't even put it in the bottom 5 episodes of TOS. Maybe not even the bottom 10.

The Motion Picture is an amazing movie if you watch it like a symphony with incredible visuals, rather than an action movie.

The weird utopianism of TNG season 1 is actually really appealing now

Wesley was just as bad as I remembered

I actually like Worf. Quite a bit, actually.

Kinda wish that Deep Space Nine had kept a major focus on Bajoran politics. Like, the Dominion War stuff is good, but the political arc in the first few seasons is actually really fascinating.

Voyager has lots of absolute banger episodes, and they're good enough to forgive the overall lack of continuity

Seven of Nine's arc has uncomfortable overtones of reparation therapy when you know that she's queer (and even when you don't, it's basically seems like learning how to mask neurodivergence)

Tuvok is actually a brilliant detective. I didn't notice before.

Enterprise is...well, I'm not going to say "good", but I get what it was going for now. And the Xindi arc is way less jingoistic when considered as a whole than I remember it being.

(The fourth season isn't as good as I remember, just because the constant continuity references have gone from being an exciting novelty to being freaking everywhere)

The 2009 movie really doesn't have a lot going for it, in retrospect. The cast are good, though.

Into Darkness...was even worse than I remembered. Like I'd forgotten just how unlikable it made Captain Kirk. That said, the "anti-militarism" messaging felt somewhat less "tacked-on to the last five minutes of screentime" than I recalled

Even though I don't think it ended well, the first season of Discovery is actually a lot better than I remembered when I already knew where it was going.

The second season of Discovery fares much worse, though. Strange, because I'd thought it an improvement over the first when it was airing.

I'd been disappointed by how the first season of Picard had wrapped up it's plot threads, but on a rewatch, I actually thought it was close to being a masterpiece

The first season of Lower Decks is kind of lacklustre compared to all of the subsequent ones.

[oxymorayuri]

❞𝐍𝐨 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬❝

Part seven

If you haven't read the first part yet, you can find it here or the storys masterlist. ♡♡♡

✦ Pairing: Portgas D. Ace x Reader ✦ Warnings: none ✦ Spoiler: A lot about Dressrosa, which is no surprise because we're in Dressrosa. lol. So from here on you can expect a lot of spoilers about the Dressrosa arc.

wordcount: 4653

tagging: @lazyninjatheorist - @sassyyassi - @cottoncandyloverrrr - @littleleelee

! ᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ !

ᴍɪɴᴏʀꜱ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛ

𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓: aokamei

Getting the one earphone back was easier than expected. Ace had lured a cleaning girl out of the staff room and wrapped her around his finger.

She was completely carried away while Ace leaned over to her. With one hand on his hip and the other arm leaning against the wall, he asked her about her. The girl was blushing to the tips of her ears and giggling like a schoolgirl… How cute you thought to yourself as you rolled your eyes, but you have to admit Ace is doing a pretty good job though… it reminds you of yourself.

With your sneaky fingers, you snatched the key from her, to their staff room, to get another key card for all the passenger rooms. With this key card you could then enter the gangster's room, while they were in the restaurant for breakfast.

The woman was supposed to hide the earbud between the mattresses and, to your delight, everything went as planned...

After you stepped off the ship, you took a stroll through the bustling city.

Dressrosa is truly a charming place. It is so clean and beautiful, almost too clean… as if licked to perfection. The people seem happy, reeaally happy… as if problems do not exist. Your critical eyes look with suspicion over the people. The whole picture is just too good to be true…

"Doflamingo goes to great lengths to keep the dirty corners hidden…" Your eyes wander over the faces of the people and the strange toys that seem to live with them. They seem unconcerned and so happy that it's fake again.

"A bit strange but also kind of interesting, don't you think?" Your eyes move to the side, for a moment you look at Ace but your gaze passes him by. Strange is the perfect word. You wonder what secrets you'll uncover.

Even though you walked around the city a bit, you in particular didn't notice anything special. Except that everything seems so artificial... No dubious pubs, just fancy bars. No casinos, just the one at your hotel. A lot of cute cafés or luxurious restaurants. As if there wasn't a single place for any shady figures, but you're sure Doflamingo is just doing a pretty good job of hiding that part.

Once you arrive in your hotel room, you step out onto the large balcony, which offers a wonderful view of the city, the Coloseum and the Royal Palace.

Ace, who threw the suitcases on the kingsize bed, joined you and walked past you to the railing. He sighed a little pleased as if you had finally arrived on vacation.

"Pretty nice here, isn't it?" He remarks as he rests both hands on the balustrade. You watch him in silence. It's a bit windy up here and his loose shirt is fluttering, so his skin is showing. Luckily, he doesn't see you pining for his exposed skin, as he has his back to you.

You stepped to his side and look over the city and how the people from up here look like ants. Your room is on the top floor and not just because of the beautiful view, no, there are specific reasons for this.

"What are we going to do first?" - "Nothing special is planned until tonight…" You look up at him with a small grin on your lips.

"I thought maybe we'd go out for a nice meal first? After all, we didn't have breakfast…" - "Oh my God thank you, I thought I was going to starve."

You enter the room and open your suitcase, rummaging through your clothes. Again and again you deny the piece of clothing in your hands and throw it on the bed. As the mountain on the bed gets bigger and bigger, a little mumble keeps coming out of your mouth; too sexy, too tight, too short, too long… You can't find a suitable dress for dinner.

Ace looks at you with a stunned face as he tries to understand how the whole pile managed to fit into your suitcase. It can't fit. You pull the clothes out of the suitcase like a magician pulling cloths from his sleeve.

“Ah! That's it!” you say, beaming with joy as you hold a strapless dress in your hands.

As you walk past Ace to disappear into the bathroom to change, you tell Ace to get ready.

"Ready for what? I'm already ready." Should he change too? He looks down at himself. He has two more shirts, but that's it. With the door half closed, you look him up and down.

"Oh, well, then you'll just have to wait, I guess."

You feel a little excited inside as you put your earrings on, standing in front of the mirror. On the ferry you read a guidebook about Dressrosa and it praised a small restaurant that offered a few local delicacies. You wonder how Ace will like it?

It's not a fancy restaurant, you're sure he wouldn't like that. It's said to be a lovely family business with a casual atmosphere. You sure won't feel out of place there.

You pause for a second in front of the mirror and stare into your own eyes. You should stop worrying so much about what Ace likes and doesn't like. You shouldn't even remember what he likes and doesn't like. You should stay professional.

You hold on to the sink and clench your hands into fists.

This is going to be more difficult than you thought. These thoughts come all by themselves…

Just before you go into the room, you take a deep breath to maintain your act. It's a little tiring, but it's for your own good...

"Mhhmhh, ohhh my god, that tastes so good!"

With his mouth already full, Ace stuffs more and more into himself. You, on the other hand don't even have the chance to open your mouth because it's so full and with a satisfied grumble you nod in agreement.

In a small corner of the restaurant, you can peacefully live out your lack of manners, after all, you are pirates and you're not even sure if Ace has ever heard of table manners.

You've ordered what looks like the entire menu and both your hands are busy reaching across the dishes.

Your stomach is already fighting back and doesn't want to let anything else in, you're stuffed up to your throat and you feel like you're going to burst, but it just tastes too good to stop. It's pure agony. The agony of deliciousness.

"Hah… okay, I can't take any more." Satisfied, you lean back and exhale exhausted. One more crumb and Ace can wheel you out of the restaurant!

"Don't worry, I can handle it." You can't help but laugh at Ace's greedy grasp for the remaining dishes.

"Enjoy yourself."

Ace looks over the various plates with a thoughtful look. Empty plates are already piled up, but you can barely see anything of the table.

"Let me pay for it, after all, I've eaten most of it." - "Don't worry, Father gave me a nice sum for this mission. We don't need to worry about money."

He pauses abruptly and looks up at you with his black eyes. Did he just hear you right?

"Pops gives you money for the missions????!" Utterly flabbergasted, he speaks with his mouth full, dropping some food that he stuffs back into his mouth with a slightly red face.

You lean on the table and rest your chin in your hand. You watch him with amusement as food hangs all over his face.

"Well, of course." Ace is still a little surprised. He wipes his mouth with the tablecloth and finishes his drink in one go.

"I've never been given money before, not even for food!" - "I'm sorry Ace, I think I'm the only one in the gang who gets 'pocket money' so don't take it to heart…" Your voice is surprisingly gentle.

Whitebeard of course makes sure that everyone in the crew gets the resources they need for a mission or fight, but no one gets money directly. Since your missions tend to develop spontaneously over time and last a long time, you get money.

"Hahhh, how does it feel to be the favorite?" he teases you, there's no trace of his sulking look now.

"Oh come on!" You moan with a little pout.

"I may be the favorite, but there are other reasons why you're not getting any money." - "Ah yes? And those would be?"

Your gaze wanders through the restaurant, watching passively people eating their food and have a nice chat.

"When you go on your missions, you all have the chance to say what you need and in the end, father equips you for your battles. Take a look at our mission… We don't even know what we're preparing for, so I just get money so that I can prepare myself on site with the necessary supplies" - "You have a good point there… I hadn't thought of that." Ace admits with a thoughtful face.

"But no, you still use the money for food! How much money do you get?" He looks you up and down with narrowed eyes. You avoid his gaze a little nervously.

"And that brings us back to be the favorite… I always get a lot of money… But I usually give money back." - "I'm honestly still confused… I can understand why you get money but it seems suspicious that you don't say how much…" He leans forward and examines your face. You are a little surprised at the sudden closeness and lean back slightly.

You've already told Whitebeard your own thoughts on the matter, that it's not necessary to give you so much money. If Ace heard the amount, his jaw would probably drop…

Most of the time you only spend a fraction of the money and give the rest back, but Whitebeard always gives you a considerable sum 'just in case' as he always says.

Ace swallows the last bite of his meal and thinks hard.

“Wait a minute, didn't Pops also gave you those cool spy buds? I mean, he also takes care of your equipment…” Thoughtfully, he holds his hand to his chin and then points his finger at you as if he's on to something.

You look at him, looking taken by surprise. Slowly you run out of arguments, but you quickly gather yourself. What is this supposed to be? An interrogation? You also don't know why Whitebeard is treating you so special. A little bored, you rest your chin in your hand and look at him with a steady gaze.

Just steer the conversation in a different direction, y/n.

Your eyes lock with his. “Ace, could it be.. that you want to know how to be father's favorite?” Your voice a little teasing and sweet.

With a single laugh, Ace shakes his head. His eyes rest on you for a moment as he considers his next words. His irises turned into a sort of dangerous shade as he looks deeply into your eyes, yet the effect on you is rather hypnotizing.

Excitement builds inside you, his mischievous laugh sounds promising and you're eager to hear what's about to come from his lips…

“If it were about that, I'd rather ask everyone what it takes to become your favorite.” A playful smile appears on his lips as he runs his tongue over his lower lip… Your silence is his victory and proudly he leans back with his arms folded behind his head.

Even if your face still looks calm, while looking up at him, you can't control your own body temperature and a blush forms on your cheeks.

Before you could answer, a waitress came by to check if everything was okay and if you needed anything else. Your face suddenly returns to a normal color and you put on a friendly smile.

“Everything is great, but we'd like to pay.”

Maybe it's a good thing that your conversation was interrupted. Who knows how far it would escalate between you. But Ace can't take off his cheeky smile, he's left you speechless and that feels really good.

Being curious, Ace looks over your shoulder as you unpack your equipment from your other suitcase. you pull out a black full body suit and hold it in front of Ace.

“Yep this should fit!” you turn again and rummage around to find your own suit and two pairs of binoculars.

Ace looks a little skeptically at the onesie you pressed into his chest as you passed him and disappeared into the bathroom with your own suit. You slip into the jumpsuit, pull up the zipper at the front and put your hair up in a bun in front of the mirror, which you then hide under a black cap.

When you return to the room, you see Ace, who is also dressed completely in black. The suit seems to fit him well, it looks a bit tight at the top but for your taste that's pretty perfect.

His muscles are clearly visible through the fine fabric and the whole picture looks quite athletic. The lower part is rather casually fitted, not like your suit for women.

Every curve of your body is highlighted in this tight piece and you check each other out for a while until you cough into your hand to get his attention.

A little dazed, he shakes his head and his eyes travel up and down your body one last time.

“Here, take this cap and the mask, when we go up, nobody should be able to catch even one small detail from us.” He looks at you, a little confused, but grabs the things you're holding out to him.

“Going up? Where to?” You point over to the balcony door while you take a climbing kit out of your suitcase.

Before you open the balcony door, you put a mask over your mouth. You swing the rope a few times and throw it upwards, making the hook at the other end get stuck on something. With one or two strong pulls, you check whether the hook is really secure.

You give him the thumbs up, while pulling your mask down so he can see your silly grin.

“Age before beauty.” you say, gesturing for him to go first and climb up the wall.

Ace looks down at you sideways and loosens his shoulders before reaching for the rope.

“Wish me luck.” he speaks from over his shoulder and winks at you.

Once you have safely reached the top... well, halfway safe, because when you tried to climb up the edge, your foot slipped and you lost your grip. Ace grabbed your arm at the perfect moment, just before you were about to fall backwards.

Even through his mask you could see his typical smirk and he pulled you up to him. You murmur your thanks and clear your throat, turning away from him. Ace looks after you and your fine figure. Damn, this suit flatters her ass…

At the top, you look around to get an overall image of the city.

Through your binoculars you look down on all the alleyways, paying extra attention to any dubious groups strolling through the night or the side streets you didn't see during the day.

Dressrosa is surprisingly lively, even in the early hours of the night. Bars and restaurants are still open in public squares and people are out dancing in the streets to exciting music. The scenery is quite inviting and the sight of it makes you want to mingle with the crowd down there.

You don't even notice how Ace moves next to you and looks down through his glasses at the same sight.

“Looks like fun down there.”

His whisper startles you, your heart jumps into your pants and you take your binoculars from your eyes to look over at him with a serious expression. Damn you Ace!

Ace looks over at you WITH his binoculars and just to make it clear, he's standing right next to you…

“Damn you're pretty.” You roll your eyes and push against the binoculars so they press into his eyes. Ace startles a little and whines theatrically as he rubs his eyes but you can tell by the wrinkles around his eyes that he's laughing.

You give him a stern look before looking through your binoculars again.

“The streets are pretty busy even at night, which gives us the opportunity to move around without being suspicious…” You ignore his compliment and concentrate on your work. Luckily, in the darkness and thanks to your mask, Ace doesn't recognize your red cheeks.

Your gaze lingers a little longer on the cheerful crowd and you realize why Whitebeard didn't want you to go alone. People are quite direct with each other here.

In a few corners you have already seen one or two lovely ladies being put in a tight spot. It was no different in Alabasta, just a bit more stylish and in the VIP rooms of the casinos, but Whitebeard doesn't need to know that.

Your gaze goes over to Ace, who is looking at the castle from on the other side of the roof. Still, you don't need a 'guard', you think to yourself.

“Psst hey, y/n!” He calls over to you in a quieter voice. “I think something's going on in the castle, though it's hard to say exactly what.” You jog slightly over to him and glance hurriedly through your glasses.

From your position, you can see that there are a few people bustling around on the King's Plateau, but nothing more. You're just too far away for you to see anything clearer.

“Well done Ace.” You put down your binoculars and keep your eyes on the castle.

You somehow have the feeling that Doflamingo has his villainous activities very close to him. This plateau also looks very suspicious…

You wanted to take a closer look at the plateau, but the binoculars didn't give you a proper picture, so you went back to your hotel room, stowed away the climbing gear and got changed.

Once again, you search in your suitcase and take out another case that is a little narrower. There are two different combination locks on each buckle and before you dial the right numbers, you look over at Ace, who flinches a little at your sudden movement.

You raise your eyebrows and Ace quickly turns his head and taps his knee innocently.

The click of the buckles makes Ace look over at you again and he peers over your shoulder as he sits on the bed while you sit on the floor.

You carefully remove the cloth covering the contents of the case, revealing a fancy and polished sniper rifle.

“Hohohoho, hello sweetie… Long time no see.” you mumble excitedly as you take the rifle out of the foam case and look through the aiming eye.

Yep, that should work.

You prepare a sniper rack on the balcony and position yourself with your chair and sniper in a way that the castle is in your field of vision.

You zoom in on the Kings Plateau and observe the people on the ground. They seem to be preparing something in the palace and on the plateau, but unfortunately you can't see into the containers they are carrying.

Ace joins you, places two beers on the table and sits down on the other chair.

“What the hell are they transporting in the middle of the night?” you wonder. Ace's gaze is on you, he can't tell or see what's going on in the castle anyway, so he prefers to focus his attention on what's in front of him. You.

Does the sight of you sitting in front of him with a super cool sniper rifle turn him on? Definitely. Would he like to have this sight as a poster for his cabin? Without a doubt.

You turn your eyes away from the aiming eye and furrow your brows thoughtfully.

“Ace, this plateau seems kind of suspicious…” His gaze goes to that strange hill.

“It's kind of unnecessarily big, isn't it?” - “Yeah, exactly.” You're glad he somehow always knows what you're getting at straight away. As you smile at him, you see the beer on the table and reach for it. You lean back on the chair and let your thoughts run free while you let the beer moisten your throat.

You know that something is rattling around in the back of your brain and an idea is on the tip of your tongue or as if a light bulb is about to come on. You're just missing a little spark to see the images in your head clearly.

You decide to go into the room to get your notebook while Ace's eyes follow you.

You turn to a particular page as you drop back into the chair and your eyes wander along the lines. As you read the words, you don't say a word. One might think you've forgotten that Ace is sitting in front of you, but Ace likes the fact that he can watch your pretty little head working.

He likes the way your eyebrows are drawn together as you look at your book or the way you run a finger over your lower lip, deeply in thought.

It's the little quirks about you that make him want to tell you that he wants to get to know your every little oddity.

But he holds back and waits for the right time. He doesn't know when it will be, but he will find out.

You gesture with your finger as if you're on the right track and collect your guesses.

“You know, that Pica in Doflamingo's crew had some pretty interesting skills. That's definitely stuck in my mind…” - “Uh huh… Like what?” You turn the page with his info to him and point to the line where you made notes about his devil fruit power.

“He can manipulate any kind of solid stone…” Ace reads and looks at your smiling face.

“Interesting, isn't it? Especially since the castle and the king's plateau is a lot of stone, no?” Your grin widens, but somehow Ace doesn't seem to get it this time.

You sigh a little at his puzzled look and cross one leg over the other.

“I think we should get into the castle somehow. If Pica can manipulate any stone, I'd like to take a closer look at everything there… don't you think?” - “Yes, I think so… but don't you think that's a bit too difficult? How are we supposed to get into the castle?”

You're a little offended that Ace doubts your abilities and cross your arms, but he has a good point. Doflamingo's crew is strong and you're not here to fight. You have to wait and see. You take a more relaxed stance again.

“Yes, you're right. We'll probably have to dig around a bit more and see what comes up, but my gut feeling is never wrong.”

Ace's gaze sweeps over the sight below you as he drinks his beer. He exhales deeply and looks over at you. You tilt your head a little questioningly, he looks as if he wants to say something.

With a light laugh, you ask him what's wrong and finish off the last drop of your beer.

“You know, I think I know what they're up to in the palace…” His pause is a little dramatic, his eyes look like he's trying to stop himself, but you ignore his uncertainty and urge him to speak up.

He sighs again. Now that he has spoken, he has to finish explaining himself. Otherwise you'll force the words out of him, he's sure of it.

“When I went to the toilet in the restaurant, I heard the staff talking about how they got an order from the palace. They are supposed to be arranging some specialties for a party at the palace…” You raise your eyebrows in disbelief. Why is he keeping this from you?

“Ace, you idiot! Why are you hiding something like that? This could be our golden ticket!” You're a bit shocked but not exactly angry with him. After all, he didn't exactly keep the information to himself for very long.

“I don't know, maybe because pops told us to stay away from Doflamingo???” He raises his arms defensively but you wave him off.

“Oh nonsense!” You get up and go to the minibar to get yourself and Ace another beer. You toss him his and he catches it with ease and thanks you.

You open your beer on the edge of the table and Ace seems to be impressed by that stunt, you cheekily wink at him and take a big sip. With a slight grin, he also opens his beer and takes a sip without taking his eyes off you.

“Dad doesn't need to know about this and he never will. Trust me, I know how to handle this.” Ace is visibly charmed by your confidence and leans back as he rests his foot on his knee.

The night is a little chilly, but there's something warm about it, especially with Ace in front of you. It's pretty quiet up here, but you can still hear the occasional sounds of the nightlife from the streets. As the clouds continue to cover the moon, you and Ace talk about various things. In fact, you are beginning to find it really pleasant to have a partner. If you were alone, you might have just gone to bed.

“Marco told me that you've more or less taken my place?” He looks at you a little nervously. Is that a reference to the fact that he's been given the position of second division commander?

You can literally hear his thoughts and put your hand over your mouth, laughing.

“By that I meant you're playing tricks on the others too, hehe, calm down Ace…” But the panic in his eyes is too sweet to keep your mouth shut. Ace pouts a little, but how can he be angry with you even if you laugh at him?

“So you played the pranks before?” He leans a little towards you and you can't help but notice how his lips glisten in the moonlight from the beer. Damn, why do his lips have to look so inviting under the moonlight!

Time flew by as you talked about your favorite pranks and you even had a prank in common. When Ace told you how he always hid Marco's reading glasses, you spluttered out the beer in your mouth and said with a little squeak that you did that constantly too. You start laughing together and while you both reminisce for a moment, your thoughts drift off.

“A party at the royal palace? Now we just need to know how to get in there…” - “And when the party begins.” Ace adds.

Good point. A somewhat mischievous smile forms on your lips, causing Ace to shake his head with a wide grin... you're just too cute.

You love it when the plan slowly comes together.

Masterlist

I hope you enjoyed it my sweeties ♡

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