#and if bones can't see that then I'm sorry for all the anime-onlys

[red-high-tops]

[cursedvida]

Clean Sky || Noa x Mae

Authors note: just a little oneshoot of this couple bc they inspired me so much. Not warnings, just Noa having a meltdown. English isn't my first language so i'm sorry in advance lol.

Humans were nothing more than echoes of a world that existed far from his own, outside the comfort of his village, and they had never sparked even the slightest curiosity in him. He knew they were wild, irrational beings, sometimes stealing ape's food if they weren't careful enough. Scavengers like any other animals, nothing out of the ordinary. Noa had never seen one in person, but he hadn't had any particular interest in doing so either.

Ironically, now he can't stop thinking about them.

Specifically, about her.

He often wonders what became of the human girl. Echo, Nova, Mae. As many names as faces, as many facets as secrets she holds. During the arduous mornings of work trying to rebuild the village, the young ape finds himself surprised more times than he'd like, thinking about how that skinny-legged, weak-armed human must be wandering alone in such a hostile world. Humans are quick and agile, but also fragile and delicate. During their time traveling together, Noa often felt that, if he wanted to, he could easily break her in two. If he had embraced her with the same fervor with which he pounced on Soona or Anaya, he probably would have broken her a bone. But then he reminds himself that it makes no sense to consider such a thing, because he would never have embraced a human, nor would he do so now.

Days pass and life in the village returns to normalcy, the routines that once brought him joy now become monotonous and bland, as if something inside him tells him that this is not where he should be. There is something within him, an inexplicable urge that pushes him to go beyond what he has always known. Perhaps it's because he hasn't completely shaken off the anxious anguish he felt watching his entire clan disappear, or it may be because of the infinite enormity of the world beyond the walls of his home he experienced during his travel. But at some moments, he realizes that maybe it's all because of the stars that, every night, remind him of the universe he saw through that human machine and that Mae seemed to long for as much as he did.

On clear nights, Noa can't help but wonder if the human is seeing the same sky as him, if the stars shining so brightly from his village are the same ones she can see. He never got to know much about her, and the little she wanted to reveal was probably lies, but there was something in her eyes the last time they met, a certain melancholic sparkle that has stuck inside him like a huge thorn he's unable to remove. He doesn't quite understand why the image of the girl's moist eyes comes to mind every time he closes his eyes on nights illuminated by the headlights of the universe, but every time he recalls her face, he feels a current that urges him to run away from there as fast as possible, leaving him utterly terrified.

He had never been interested in leaving his village or living away from his clan. His mother, his friends and the people he grew up with mean everything to him, and yet suddenly he remembers that human hands are terribly similar to his own, only much smaller, with fingers so delicate they almost resemble brittle branches. He had touched Mae's hand a couple of times, unintentionally, feeling skin devoid of calluses or roughness, smooth and soft skin that made him wonder how it could resemble him so much and yet be so terribly different.

[peachesofteal]

soap x cypher masterlist Soap/female reader - Cypher is neurodivergent - 18+ mdni

"What's goin' on?"

You whirl, eyes wide and tearful, taking him in. He didn't change, practically sprinted off the bird to your building, the ragged anxiety of being away for thirty six days bearing down on him like a god damn animal.

He felt like an animal. Tracking, hunting, killing, like an animal. Thirty six days of blood and bones and dirt in his nose. Carbine comfortable in his hands, eyes closed and still knows every detail.

Just like he knows you.

He hoped you'd be sleeping. Hoped maybe you'd be in bed, blissed out, nothing on but the sheets like always. It's the middle of the night, you should be sleeping.

"J-johnny." You look distraught. Lips bloodied and torn, nails chewed to the quick. The collar of his t shirt is stretched so wide he can see your collarbones and chest. You look like you haven't slept.

It turns his stomach. Drags memories to the forefront of his mind, things he's been trying to forget. The sound of your panicked scream, the shrill call of his name. Blood, splattered, dripping from your nose.

"What is it?" He steps closer, but you step back. "Cypher." He's stern, reverting back to Sergeant. You shake your head.

"Don't-" Your breathing is short, but controlled. You're not on the verge of an anxiety attack, but still, something is wrong.

"It's alright, wee sweet. Tell me what's goin' on."

"They moved the analyst center." He cocks his head. "They moved it, to another part of the building. There are no windows, and it only has overhead lighting. Fluorescent overhead lighting. Do you know what that's like? It's like... it's like... it's..." you tug at the collar, snapping your mouth shut. Pieces click together and paint a picture.

"Okay." He says softly, stepping closer. You don't seem to notice, because you don't draw away.

"They keep me up." You explain. "The lights, all day. And then- when I get back, and try to sleep... I can't turn off. And you're not here... to turn me off, and I-"

"I'm here now, Cy." He dares to reach, closing the gap, brushing against your shoulder, testing the waters. "Can we take this off?"

"What?" you blink.

"The shirt. Ye're stretchin' the collar, think ye might be more comfortable if we got rid of it." Your shoulders drop, a fraction, a tiny amount of tension slipping away.

"Yeah, okay." You lift your arms, and he smothers a laugh, pulling it up and over as quickly as possible. You glare at him. "Don't laugh at me."

"'m sorry, 'm not. Swear. Ye're jus' cute, is all. Genius analyst, could topple a country with the click of a button, but... puts her arms up so her Sergeant can take off her shirt." You scowl, and relief warms his heart. There you are. "Tell me about the new data room." He rubs your shoulders, and then sits you on the bed. Once you're settled, he begins the process of stripping his gear, keeping his focus on you.

"It's in the middle of the building. Second floor. I hate it. I guess they moved us because they've transferred some of our team-"

"What?"

"Yeah, like six. Seven? I don't know." His stomach flips. He'll need to talk to Laswell, make sure you're not on the transfer list. "But that's not the problem. It's the fucking... the lights! And the consoles are too close, now. I can practically hear the breathing." you huff, and he nods, pulling his shirt off and unzipping his pants. Your glaze flicks down, lips twitching.

"What can I do?" Your eyes go a little glassy, and then you look at your feet.

"I really missed you." There's a tremble in your voice, a wet choke, and he goes down on one knee, ducking into your line of sight.

"I missed you too, wee sweet." He pulls your hand into his. "'m gonna take care of ye now, alright? Give ye what ye need. Lay back." You were only wearing panties under that shirt, and he pats your thigh, instructing you to lift up so he can pull them down, rearranging your legs onto his shoulder. "Missed this bonnie pussy too." He thumbs your seam, licking his lips at how slick you already are. "Think she missed me?"

"I- I don't-"

"It's okay. She did, can tell. She's already cryin' for me. Poor wee thing. So neglected." You squirm, hips shivering, and he stills you with a wide hand to your lower belly. "Be still, Cy."

"Okay, sir." And just like that. Your voice is already an octave lower, relaxed-

and when he puts his mouth on you, you go boneless.

"Oh god." It's a choke as he spreads your folds, licking a long stripe from your clit and down. You moan, fingers twisted in his hair, and he sighs happily. This, this is where he belongs now. Face buried in your cunt.

He wrings your first orgasm out of you like water from the wash, quick and easy. You have been good, haven't touched yourself for thirty six days, making you malleable, lackadaisical, sweet. He gets another, and another, until your thighs are straight and tight around his head, muscles rock under his hands.

"Thank you." You practically slur, head lolling on his shoulder when he pulls you onto him in bed, hot as a furnace. He pats your ass, just once, just to feel it ripple, and then buries his face in your neck.

Sweet dreams.

[cyberwhumper]

Imran had already known, going in, that the conditions of the breeding facility where he now found himself standing would be less than ideal when compared to his old employer. He knew the smaller budget would reflect on the conditions the animals were kept, how the entire process was executed, and what the odds of the transaction working out were. Yet he is still shocked when the cages are small, cramped, filthy. His heart aches for each and every single one of the biopets kept within, but he knows he realistically can't possibly save them all.

Just one. Just the one. That would be enough.

With every step further into the facility, the mental image of Horus degrades in his mind. Guilt gnaws at the forefront of his conscience, and it comes crashing down heavily once he sees with his own eyes what had become of the once powerful animal he had met all those years ago.

Tied to the center of the tiny room, the creature barely had any slack to move. Its body is covered in a litany of sores and bruises, and the emaciated skin clings to bone like a tight-fitting suit. As soon as its gaze meets the handler's, a shrill noise leaves its mouth. Terror, it seems, was all that remained. The knot in Imran's stomach feels so tight it's nauseating.

He hopes to appease the animal despite the handler's amused comments over the pointlessness of the effort. Horus doesn't look at him. Doesn't even seem to recognize him. It pulls away from Imran as best as it can, tail pinned between its exhausted legs, tears streaming down its face, body shaking so hard it makes the chains holding it in place clink. Talking to it has no effect. Even touching it, an act that would have always promptly elicited a bite response, does nothing.

Imran barely remembers the rest of the transaction.

At some point money had exchanged hands, the biopet was sedated, and he now found himself clutching the battered creature tight to his body as if it could possibly flee. The walk back to his vehicle feels shameful.

What have I done? No. I couldn't possibly have known this would happen. But it only happened because of me, didn't it?

The device on the back of its skull has been removed. Vandermeer leaves no loose ends. Imran doesn't want to think of what the withdrawals must have been like for the animal to go through. Death would have been a kinder choice than this.

The disgraced doctor swallows his guilt, and gently lays the biopet on the backseat. The drive would be long, but the worst, he hoped, was already over.

I'm so sorry, Horus. I promise I'll take care of you this time.

[OC INDEX]

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[wannaeatramyeon]

THANK U FOR THE RECENT SAMUEL SEO im literally so obsessed with him i cant-

but!! he’s not the only one!!

could u try goo with a childhood friends!lover? (im just going through my list of red flags boyfriends with this trope heh)

To my requests. sorry for not answering in order. Btw I've got a school day/teenager long fic with Goo in the Gun + Goo masterlist... but how about this.

Goo Kim x Reader: Childhood 'friends'

G/N. Sorta childhood friends to lovers.

Goo descends into your life like an angel.

"Will you pay me if I beat up these boys?" he shouts over, giving the wooden baseball bat in his hand a few practice swings.

(He takes in your cowering body, cornered against the wall, the group of older boys slinging insults first.

Then your pristine, limited edition trainers and the expensive label on your clothes second.)

You look over at the short figure with the badly bleached blonde hair. He seems small for his age, same as you.

Best case scenario, he makes good on his word. Worst case, they beat both of you up.

You give a nod and all hell breaks loose.

.

.

Goo isn't an angel at all. He's a demon that has ascended and strutted into your life.

"Is this enough?" You ask, peeling open your velcro Sanrio wallet and removing a handful of bills.

"Thanks!" Goo swipes it out of your hand, tainting the notes with blood before tucking it away in his pocket with a reassuring pat.

A body at his feet lets out a groan and he gives them a hard kick. You think there’s a crunch of bone breaking. It’s not as sickening as you thought it would be.

"That one's for free." He gives you a gigawatt grin and you return it. In your eyes, not even what you just witnessed this boy doing could tarnish his shine.

"My name is Goo," he signals for your phone and you hand it over without a second thought. He taps in what you assume are his contact details before giving it back.

"Call me if you need any help." You reach out to take it and he leans in, smile taking a dangerous edge, "You'll need to pay though."

.

.

For fear of retribution, you ask Goo to walk you back home from school everyday for the next few weeks.

You text him a time and an address, and he texts you back his price. It's enough to drain your allowance, but not enough for you to risk your safety.

He waits for you by your school gates everyday, with his patchy hair and a scruffy jacket three sizes too big, and gives you a wave with both arms whenever he spots you.

He's chatty. Much chattier than you expected. Always just seemingly rattling off whatever is on his mind. Animes he has watched, manhwas he's reading. What he had for lunch, what he's craving for dinner.

You piece together that Goo is only a few months older than you. He should be in 6th grade by now but he never mentions school. You don't think he even attends school.

He also has a terrible sweet tooth, that you pay for of course. Stopping off at a convenience store together as he picks out a snack.

"Get whatever you want." you say the first time you catch him deciding between a drink or a bar of chocolate. "I'll pay for it."

He buys both.

That should have been a mistake. He drains your allowance further everyday. Yet you can't help thinking it's fine as he gives you a toothy grin that reaches his eyes.

The weeks pass by in the blink of an eye. When you reach your front door on the last day, Goo shuffles, fidgets uncharacteristically.

"I can keep walking you home," he says, eyes on the floor and kicking at dirt. "...I can give you a discount."

.

.

Goo starts seeing you at the weekend too.

You're the first person that sees him after getting his hair professionally done.

"I'm handsome, aren't I!" his bravado masks his nervousness. He doesn't know why he's nervous in the first place, but when you agree and ruffle his newly coiffed locks, it evaporates completely.

Payment comes in the form of food and drinks, snacks and street food, cinema tickets, small little gifts he has his eye on.

As consolation, at least he always shares.

.

.

When you first met you're sure he was shorter than you.

You don't remember when he matched your height, but now you notice you have to tilt your chin up to look at him.

You miss the scruffy jacket he used to have. The one that he rapidly grew out of, body filling out with muscle. It gets replaced by more and more luxurious brands. His hair looks more and more polished. He picks up glasses along the way to complete the look.

He still makes you pay every time you meet. You feel like he lets you off easy with cheap choices because his taste these days seems anything but cheap.

You wish you had more time with the boy you used to know, but you love the man he's growing into.

Goo never lets you sway too far away from him, keeps you by his side most weeks. Reaches out to send you silly memes or calls you just to ramble his thoughts when you're apart.

You're two peas in a pod.

.

.

The longest time you spend apart is when Goo is sent away to juvie.

An unknown number texts you, says they're Goo's cousin and breaks the news.

It doesn't come as a surprise, considering how you first met, the person he is. You've spent years together at this point and seen him at his most violent and bloodthirsty.

Still. For you, nothing can tarnish his shine.

.

.

On the day Goo is released, you're waiting for him outside the juvenile detention centre.

You're the first person he sees, and he waves at you with both arms before opening them, welcoming you, offering himself.

He’s even taller, more muscular. His features distinguished and jawline cutting. His hair, just like years gone by, is bleached and patchy. 

The grin is the same. It’s always the same.

You sprint and throw yourself full force into Goo, knocking the air out of his lungs.

He holds you tight. Clings on harder than he ever has. Missed you more than he will ever admit.

As if you're reading his mind, you murmur into his collar, "I've missed you.'

Goo takes a deep inhale, nose nestled in your hair and breathing in your familiar scent. Relishing your touch, your presence, you.

He doesn't plan on spending this long away from you ever again.

"Me too, Sweetheart."

[thefallennightmare]

Headcannon: reader gets into a an accident and she's rushed to the hospital. She's got a few broken bones but she's pregnant and hasn't told noah yet because he's on tour. Matter or fact she hasn't told him about the accident at all.

@thescarlettvvitch @mitchhbitch @missduffsblog @hayleylatour @sleepyomens @loeytuan98 @artificialbreezy @marvelousmal @bngurngheart @lma1986 @dsireland86 @wild-child-7747 @calleyx13 @illmakeyousaywow @jaded-and-hollow-souls @exitwoundsx @shayzillaaaa @lookwhatitcost @badomensls @princesspeach-00 @burning-outx @shadowseve @collective-heartbreak @klutzy-kay24 @sorrowsofsilence @sweetlittlekitsune @shilohrosechicken @itsafullmoon @toospooktocute @niicoleleigh @thatchickwiththecamera @hoe-for-daddywise @whenthesummerdies @cookiesupplier @concreteemo @thisbicc @sammyjoeee @pathion @flowery-mess @tashka

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

You sat on the hospital bed frozen, your brain trying to comprehend everything that happened in the few hours.

You were in a car accident. Noah's car was totaled but thankfully the only injuries you had was a broken bone and slight concussion.

The other driver ran a stop sign, slamming into the passenger side of the car. But it sent you spiraling into another car.

It wasn't the fact that you somehow walked away from that crash with minor injuries that rendered you speechless.

It also wasn't the fact that you were scared to tell Noah his car was a crumbled piece of metal that was scaring you.

It was the new that the doctor just broke to you that had you unmoving, staring at the plain, yellowing wall of the emergency room in front of you.

"Mrs. Sebastian?"

Your eyes snapped over to the doctor and blinked a few times. "I'm sorry. Can you repeat that?"

The doctor gave a small smile. "I said you're about ten weeks pregnant. We would need to do an ultrasound to make sure the baby is fine. Is that alright?"

Pregnant.

Ten weeks.

How the fuck did you not notice?

Your body wasn't acting any different and while you did miss your period, you thought it could have been from the constant state of movement your body had been through.

While Noah was away on tour, you spent your time working day and night setting up your new cafe and bookstore.

How would you break the news to Noah? He was all the way in the U.K and wasn't going to return home for another week.

You knew he deserved to know about the accident at least but maybe the pregnancy can wait until he's home.

After agreeing to the ultrasound, you watched in awe and love seeing your baby move around and heard the strong heartbeat.

"Baby looks healthy. Just take it easy for a few days," the doctor smiled while handing you a folder full of information about pregnancy and a few ultrasound pictures.

With Noah's car totaled, you had no way of getting home so you called Jesse to come pick you up from the hospital. It was seven in the evening in the states but three a.m in the U.K so you still hadn't called Noah.

"What the fuck happened?!" Jesse wondered as he saw you slowly walking out of the hospital in a sling and a few bandages on your forehead.

"I was in a car accident earlier," you sighed once he helped you into the car.

"Does Noah know?" He asked once back inside behind the wheel.

Jesse then saw the folder in your lap labeled "The early months of pregnancy" and his eyes widened.

"No fucking way!" He exclaimed, wanting to hug you but also fear of hurting you.

"Please don't say anything!" You begged. "Noah's been working non stop the last few weeks and I know he's asleep now. I'll call him when it's morning there and break the news about the accident. The pregnancy deserves to wait until he's home."

Jesse made a show of locking his lips. "I can't say he won't be upset about his car, though."

You groaned while resting your head against the seat. Besides you, his guitars, and his anime collection, Noah's car was something he held so near and dear to his heart. And now, it was nothing.

"That's why I'm avoiding telling him right now," you chuckled.

[acewithapaintbrush]

@cupcakeslushie s FeralLeo Au has me by the throat and I had to get this out of my head.

*************

It's too bright.

Pest hisses and then hisses again, louder, even more agitated, when his voice sounds unfamiliar to his own ears. The echo is missing in this place. Wherever he is, there is no metal to throw his voice back to him in an endless loop. 

(sorry I'm sorry I miss you I wanna go home it hurts) 

Only stone beneath his feet and hands. Rough where metal was smooth and warm where metal was cold. The air doesn't smell and taste like blood either. 

And it's too bright. 

This place is different. Everything is different and Pest presses himself further into the corner, afraid and angry and horrified. The big crack in his shell catches against an edge in the wall and it hurts, but it always hurts. It never not hurts. 

(that's a lie there was a time when nothing hurt when there was light and laughter and comfort and) 

"Leo?" 

The word is familiar, but not as familiar as the voices. 

Not as painful. 

Pest remembers a time when he would hear these voices all the time. He would float in the vast emptiness of the other place, waiting waiting waiting for the next attack, for the next hurt, for the next onslaught of insults and taunts. And he would hear the voices, all around him. 

"Leo." 

"Buddy." 

"Nardo." 

"Blue." 

He would hear them and he would turn around and around, flailing his arms and legs, calling for them despite his better judgment. Raising his voice brought pain. It brought insults and taunts. It alerted the Big One. But he would call and call even after the Big One found him and he would cry and cry big, fat tears that had nothing to do with the new scars or broken bones. 

He called for them, but they never came.  

"No one is coming, Pest! It's just you and me! Forever!" 

(just you and me just me and you it's better this way it's okay better me than them better me than… than…) 

Than who? 

Pest thinks he started to slip the moment he stopped hearing the voices. The moment he slapped his hands over his ears and told them to shut up and they did. 

Without the voices there was just the Big One. Just surviving. 

Survive survive survive. 

(why why why?) 

Don't ask. Don't question. Just live. Just bite and hiss and scratch. The less he talked and the more he fought without abandon

(like an animal you are an animal what happened) 

 the better he fared. The less interest the Big One seemed to have in him. 

"Wretched pest." The Big One would scoff with disgust and fling him away. Bored. 

Bored is good. Bored means less pain. Less attention. 

So he became a Pest. He hissed and bit and scratched. He started to fight dirty. 

(that's not the ninja way someone always used to say that's not the ninja way but what is the ninja way what is he supposed to do to survive why is he supposed to survive) 

Don't ask. Don't question. 

Just hiss and bite and scratch. 

He sees shapes in front of him. Colorful. Green like him. And red and purple and yellow and orange and brown and so many more. He forgot what colors look like. There were no colors in the other place. 

But he can't see more than that. His eyes hurt and his sight is blurry. It's too bright here. The echo is missing. 

He is lost. 

(no you are home home home you are home) 

He is lost and he is scared and he is tired. One of the shapes comes closer. Purple. 

"Nardo. Please snap out of it." 

The voice is so familiar. He feels like he should know it better than he knows himself, but all he remembers is flailing around in the dark and calling out and crying and the voices going away. Leaving him alone in the other place. Alone with the Big One. 

There is still that loop in his head (survive survive survive) and so when the Purple One reaches out to touch his shoulder Pest does what he has to do. 

Don't ask. Don't question. Just bite and hiss and scratch. 

He lunges. 

*****

Imagine this happens shortly before that first post, where Leo kneels on Donnie's back

[honestlyimstilllivinginthe90s]

"Enemies" to lovers with Matt | Aching |

thank you so much @fl3wers for the request!! sorry it took so long my love, college was on my ass 😭

warnings: all lowercase, angsty with a dash of fluff, slow-burn/pining

word count: 1.2k

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

he was just annoying. not necessarily mean or cruel. and you didn't hate him but he was so gorgeous and so unavailable that you didn't know whether to jump his bones or smack him. not that you'd do either of course. he's nicks brother.

you knew that matt was an anxious person, quiet at times too. maybe you freaked him out with how you talked nonstop whenever you got passionate about things, and maybe the way you always forgot where you put things made him impatient, and maybe the fact that you still talked to him even though you drove him crazy just pushed him into hating you more.

“why are you still here, don't you have a home to go back to?” matt asked, standing in the doorway of the kitchen, his hands gripping the door frame above his head as he tilted his head like an inquisitive puppy.

“why? you sick of me already sunshine?” you teased, poking his ribs as you rolled your eyes, brushing past him to grab your keys.

“hey! where are you going?” he asked immediately, his arm instinctively wrapping around your waist to pull you back to him. you immediately pulled his arm away from you, ignoring your heart pounding from his simple touch.

“you just asked me to leave dipshit.” you teased, looking at him with a dead stare, your arms crossed. he rolled his eyes at you but you cut him off before he could protest.

“I'm going home” you replied matter-of-factly, his eyes bore into yours before they moved to scan your face. you could've sworn they lingered on your lips for a moment but why would they? omfg focus.

“its past two am.” he stated.

“well done, you can tell the time bernard.”

he rolled his eyes at you, his jaw clenching. fuck why did have to look like that. you turned away from him, moving to grab your jacket but matt stepped in front of you, your head crashing into him. you shove him gently, his hands wrapping around your wrists in annoyance.

“I'm not letting you go home this late, it's too dangerous” he shook his head, a light blush dusting his cheeks, “nick would never forgive me if anything happened to you” he muttered, “stop being stubborn and accept me actually being nice to you for once”

you blushed, looking down at your feet. you hated that he was right, and you hated that he was being nice and you hated his beautiful face.

“fine” you spit out, like the word was on fire in your mouth.

“you can stay in my bed.” he said like it was obvious, letting your wrists go before swiping your keys from the counter and walking away, leaving you standing in the kitchen.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

you ignored his instruction, walking to nicks room instead to ask if you could stay with him. you opened the door, sighing as you see chris's head above the covers with nick snoring beside him. fuck chris and never sleeping in his own bed.

you sighed, closing the door and preparing your stuff to sleep on the sofa but to your surprise, you find matt laying on the sofa, his head resting on his arm as he scrolled through his phone.

“go to your bed matt” you sighed, hitting him on the head with a spare pillow. he laughed at your attack, throwing a cushion back at you.

“see this is why I'm not nice to you, you're never grateful” he smirked, “I told you to take my bed, I'm okay here.”

“you can't tell me what to do bernard” his jaw clenched at the nickname, his eyes closing in frustration.

“fine.” he groaned.

he got up, moving his stuff from the sofa. you hopped on the sofa the second he got off and started making yourself comfortable when you noticed matt do the same on the floor beside you.

“matt what the fuck, go to bed” you laughed. he ignored you, placing down his pillow (and stuffed animal) and getting comfortable.

“you're not the only one who can be stubborn” he smirked, looking up at you smugly as he pulled his blanket around his shoulders.

“youre ridiculous” you rolled your eyes but your cheeks gave you away. you laid back down so he could no longer see your blushing cheeks. you longed to see his face as he continued his teasing but didn’t trust yourself to not kiss him to shut him up.

“youre the one who passed up my gracious offer.” he teased.

“and you're the one who'd rather sleep on the floor than his own bed just to spite me” you teased back, biting your lip to stop yourself from laughing. there were a couple beats of silence before matt spoke again.

“it's not to spite you”

“what's it for then?” you asked shyly, turning on your side so you were facing towards him, despite still not being able to see his face, just the tips of his hair.

“I don't want to be alone” he whispered.

you quietened, looking down at him shyly.

“you must be pretty lonely if you'd rather have me for company than be alone”

“shut up” he laughed, throwing a pillow at you as you keel over, holding your tummy in laughter.

you both continued your conversation into the night, laughing and joking like you were childhood best friends. it almost felt like a sin, a secret crime committed by your forbidden friendship. you left behind your roles as rivals and simply existed in dumb jokes and embarrassing stories and fond memories.

the night made him softer and it made it harder for you to pretend to hate him. you wished that you were next to him, that you were in his bed with him and that you could hold his hand and play with his hair. you hated how he made you feel like a dumb child with a crush, craving domesticity.

you listened to him tell you about a hockey game where he ended up being sent off (again), his voice lulling you to sleep. everything in you ached for him, you craved closeness and sleepily you reached down for him.

matt noticed your outstretched arm hanging off the sofa. he reached to hold your hand, his heart aching for you close to him but stopped himself, blush rising on his cheeks.

you couldn't have possibly been reaching for him because this wasn't a movie where the boy ends up with his brothers best friend. he turned over, silently cursing himself for starting a dumb rivalry with you instead of kissing you when he got the chance. and so he fell asleep wishing that you had taken his bed so he could've laid with you instead of regretting his choices.

when you woke up, his stuff was gone and you realised he went back to his bed at some point during the night. you sighed, thinking that maybe you two were finally going to drop the facade. that maybe you were what he wanted and not the dumb fights. and so you stared up at the ceiling and wondered if your late night talk was all in your dreams when you should have been waking up with him instead.

THANK YOU FOR READING FEEL FREE TO REBLOG AND COMMENT YEAH THANK YOUUU

[bandgie]

Cursed

Yandere!Innie x fem!reader

a/n: another psycho innie cuz I can't get enough of him!

synopsis: At first you just thought you had bad luck. The things you loved always seem to leave you, abandon you. It didn't matter how hard you tried or what you loved, it would always leave you. Unlike I.N, your childhood best friend, now lover, who stays by your side through it all. He's the only thing you can count on, even if he can be a little possessive.

warnings: 18+ MDNI, yandere behavior, manipulation, animal cruelty, PIV, no foreplay, blood play (sorry), Innie is toxic, slight over stimulation, praising, idk I think that's it

song!

2.9k words

The first thing to leave you was your cat. You were about 7 when you first got it, cute fluffy tail and giant whiskers you adored. I.N, your best friend in the 2nd grade, seemed to share the same sentiment. You both dotted on the cat with him going to your house nearly everyday to feed it. You both would pretend that you were the parents and the cat tat baby. It was all fine.

Until Innie began feeling like you loved it too much, more than you loved him. How you would pet it, coo at it, let it lay in your lap for hours at a time. It's not your fault though, it was that feline's fault for taking you away from him. I.N could never get mad at you, even if you ignored him. He would just have to get rid of the thing distracting you, and you would go back to loving him and only him.

It's how you found your kitten mangled in its own bones. You had screamed, wailed to your parents about your dead kitty. It was mauled, they told you. The next school day, you had told I.N about the tragedy. He consoled you, held you as you cried. It's in a better place now, he said in your ear.

Since then, you refrained from having pets. The pain of losing them was too much, and you don't think you could stand another heartbreak. Innie was there for you, always there for you. Didn't matter how late it was, if he had work to do, if he had to scream at his parents to drive him to your place, he was always there.

So it makes sense when you told him about the guy that asked you out once you got to middle school. I.N had told you not to date him, but you brushed it off. "You're too overprotective," you giggled. He laughed with you, but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. The rest of the day, he was quiet. When you asked him what was wrong, he would say, "I'm just thinking."

The boy who confessed to you came back with a broken arm the next to school. Apparently, someone with a mask attacked him and threatened him. He didn't get into details, but he decided to withdraw his confession. You were bummed, but you understood his situation. You had Innie after all, you wouldn't be alone.

This bad luck persisted in high school. Friends didn't stick for too long, teachers seemed to give you the cold shoulder, almost all the boys avoided you at all costs.

"Am I that ugly?" You cried to I.N in your room. You both had been studying for your Econ final, but you ended up how lonely you felt all these years. Like always, he held you in his arms, wiped your tears, kissed the top of your head. "No, of course not," his voice was gentle. "I think you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen."

You dryly laughed as you wiped your tears. "You don't have to lie to me just to make me feel better." You expected him to laugh and agree with you, but his expression was serious. The air in the room shifted as he took your hands in his own. He spoke your name softly, lovingly. It made your breath hitch in your throat. "I would never lie to you. I...love you. I really do. I don't know if this is the right time or how to even say it, but...would you be my girlfriend?"

His timidness was obvious in how he rubbed his fingers over your hands. It wasn't often to see him like this, but it was cute whenever he did get all shy. Deep down, you knew he liked you. You knew from how he spoke to you, how he listened to all the things you wanted to say. You could even tell when he would get jealous when some boys would talk to you in P.E. It was cute, he is cute. And deep down, you've fallen for him too after so long.

You gripped his hands firmer for reassurance, "Of course, Innie. I think I've loved you for a long time now."

Years passed with you two together, now in college. Sure you may not have friends, yeah your coworkers eye you wearily, but you're happy. You're happy with I.N. You two are always around each other whether it be on dates, in the apartment, on campus. He would wait for you even if his class ended hours before yours. Love, you told yourself. He does it because he loves you.

It does come as a shock to you though when he seems upset at the thought of you adopting a cat. You assumed he would be happy for you for overcoming your fears, but his reaction was the opposite. "I just don't see why we need a pet," he argued. "Don't you remember what happened last time? I thought we agreed to stay away from animals."

You grimaced at the memory, but pressed on. "Yeah I know. But we were young. We just didn't know how to take care of it. Please Innie I just want something to keep me company." Your pleas don't stir him in the way you hope. "Keep you company?" He questions. "Am I not enough for you?" Uh-oh, that hadn't come out the way you had hoped.

"No! You are babe, you're more than enough. This is just for me for-"

"Great then," he cuts you off with a clipped tone. "You don't need a cat if you have me." You bite your tongue to keep from arguing with him. A part of you wants to believe that he's doing this for your own good. That he's just trying to protect you like he always does. Still, you leave the room with upset footsteps, ignoring how he calls out your name.

Maybe it wasn't the best choice to get a cat behind his back, but you don't regret it. Not as you hold the small kitten in your hands as you walk into your apartment. It meows and yawns even though it had slept the whole drive home. You kiss its pink nose and nuzzle it close to your face. "I'll take care of you."

You would've taken care of it, you would've had it live forever if it was up to you. You tried keeping it in the garage of your house, hidden from I.N eyes. He'll warm up to it, you think to yourself. You keep deluding yourself into thinking that I.N would be okay with sharing your love. Deep down, you knew. Deep down, deep into the creases of your mind, you knew he would do anything to you for himself.

So it's really no surprise when you come home from work early to find him putting the kitten in a plastic bag. It was already dead, limp body hangin off his slender fingers with wide, lifeless eyes. You had screamed, thrown your bag on the ground and ran to the kitten corpse. The look was I.N's face was pure shock, confusion, anger. Still, not a hint of remorse in his eyes.

"You're home early," he managed to speak as you cried. You just screamed at him, cursed at him. You didn't;r even need to ask what happened. Not with his bloody fingers and the small scratch marks on his wrist. There was a curse on you, and that curse was Yang Jeongin.

No apology, no soothing, no nothing. You had somewhat expected him to at least pretend to care, but he just gave you that blank stare when he's deep in thought. You cradled the small kitten in your hands, petting it as if it could respond. I.N's hands finally came to rest on your shoulder to steady himself. He looked pained, irritated, unsure.

You chocked back your sobs, "Why?" Yes, you knew Jeongin was possessive, you knew he could get a little too jealous a little too easily. You hated that you knew that, and you hated it even more when you ignored it. Now, you're paying the price for your ignorance. You just don't understand why he had to go to such lengths, such desperation.

He heavily sighed, hanging his head down. "Baby I...I just love you so much. It hurts, I can't even breathe. I want you to be happy, with me. Only me. I just need you, and I hate it when you don't need me. It makes me feel like you don't love me, that you wish I wasn't here."

You know he's doing this to manipulate you, to make you feel bad for him. Even still, you set the cat down and embrace him. It shocks you just how much he was shaking. From anger? Sadness? You'll never know. All you can do is comfort him, and find comfort in him. How he can be your salvation and your curse, not even God could understand.

"I do love you Innie," you speak through your tears. "I love you so much, in ways you'll never know. But you can't do this! This is enough. When we were younger I understand but now-"

He cuts you off with a kiss. It's powerful, controlling, harsh. You whimper from the force of it, pushing on his chest lightly to get him off. He breaks away for a moment to look you deep in the eyes. A shiver goes down your spine with how wide his pupils are. "Do you love me?"

I.N's hands grasp at your hips, keeping you close to him as he awaits your answer. You know you do, you both do. For some reason, his question weighs heavy on you. Like he's asking for more than just your love. With a shaky breath, you answer, "Yes."

He's back on you in a second. He backs you up until you hit the dinner table. I.N's hands are a little harsh on your hips, but you find solace in his touch. He's familiar, he's warn, he's love. He's love in the filthiest form, impure. His touch sends goosebumps in your skin, and you tug on his bottom lip in response.

Rather than sucking on your tongue like he usually does, his lips travel down your jawline, your neck, to your chest. Your hands grip his hair, tugging and pushing him closer. "I love you, I love you," it's a spell you can't stop chanting. A promise to him that you'll love him forever, no matter the cost.

I.N gathers you in his hands and sets you on the table. You immediately open your legs to give him room. He's moved up back to your neck. His bites hurt, and it leaves you whimpering. Hid bloody fingers unbuckle his belt, undoing his zipper. You hoist your long skirt over yourself, holding it towards your chest.

No prep, no stretching, no feeling on I.N's tongue on your pussy. The penetration is going to hurt, you can feel it already with how he frees himself from the hole in his boxers. You quiver in anticipation, feeling how he rubs the head of his cock on your clothed pussy. I.N would love to finger you, but the thought of infecting you with the cat blood quickly shuts down the idea.

"I need you baby," he whispers in your ear. You moan in response, "You already have me." He pulls away from the crook of your neck to look down at your pussy. He uses his pinky finger (the only one not bloody) and moved your panties to the side. It looks so small, so unprepared. "I'm gonna hurt you," he looks up at you unsurely.

It's cute how considerate he looks in front of you. Hair going in different angles, lips red from kissing, chest heaving. I.N had just killed your shortly beloved kitten, but he looks unbelievable lovely now. You must think there's something wrong with you because you still crave his cock slamming into your cunt.

"You already hurt me."

Your words have an immediate effect on him. It's obvious in how is caring expression turn dark. He turns his attention back onto your soon-to-be-broken pussy and grabs his cock with his free hand. I.N smears your arousal over your clit, watching how you shiver from the contact.

He angles downward and presses into your cunt. The first stretch make you squeal. You open your legs wider to accommodate to him. Rather than staying sitting up, you find yourself laying full down on the table. I.N continues to push in against your tight walls. Tears sting in your eyes, and upon the sight, Jeongin wipes your tears away. Some blood manages to smear on your cheek, and it makes him moan outloud.

"You're so beautiful," he says it like it's a fact. To him, it is. With you laying down, eyes red from crying, cheek smeared with blood, your thighs wide for his pleasure. You look perfect, you are perfect for him. No one can take that away from him, he'll kill them before they even have the thought.

His hands are under your knees when he full bottoms out. The pressure in your pussy in unbearable, but you can't stop moaning with being full of him. He thrusts slowly, letting you adjust to his girth. It doesn't matter what I.N has done, or what he will do. If there's one thing for certain, your Innie hates the thought of giving you pain.

You bring your legs backwards so your knees are up to your chest. In this way, I.N is able to deeply penetrate you. His strokes pick up pace, and have to cover your mouth with how loud you've become. His hands are on the back of your thighs, leaving bloody fingerprints. I.N can't help but paint a mental picture in his mind of you right now. You're covered in absolute filth, and you still look like a goddess.

Both of your hands grip your breasts as you take him. You love the feeling of being under him, having him use you like nothing. Foreplay or no foreplay, I.N knows how to give you indescribable pleasure. The sounds your pussy and his dick make when meeting is pornographic. You could even hear the gentle scratching of the dinner table legs against the floor.

Jeongin doesn't hold back his praises from you. He's always ben vocal in bed, but he seems uncontrollable now. "My girl, fuck you're my girl. Pussy belongs to me, only me. Say-fuck!- say it." You don't know why he thinks you're able to speak. You're too busy being fucked to think properly. To get your attention, I.N uses one his hands to grip your chin. He forces eye contact, "Say it."

You babble nonsense for a moment before forcing your brain to think. "Yours! Jeongin I'm yours. Only you, only you!" Your hazy eyes focus on the smile that appears on his face. It makes your stomach warm with affection upon seeing it. Yeah, there's no doubt in your mind that I.N loves you. He just does it in a different way.

"Oh fuck baby," he groans. "I'm gonna cum, gonna make this little pussy so fucking wet." You can feel it too, your pending orgasm. You honestly don't know how you managed so long. He's cock has been stroking your insides in all the right ways. Stretching you out in delicious precision.

Your lower tummy heats up with pleasure, and your body shakes in anticipation. "I want it. I want it so bad," you whine. I.N's thrusts into you until his thighs clap against the back of yours. You feel him so deep, you think he's touching your heart literally and figuratively. Your walls squeeze around him a few times before you bursts. You series of whimpers and moans leave your lips as you cum.

Jeongin fucks you through it, eyes watching where your cream paints his dick. Your so tight, pulling him back in to the point where he feels like he no option but to cum in your womb. His hot cum spurts in you, leaving no room for escape. His tip kisses your cervix and you shriek at the penetration.

"Innie!" You cry out. "Too deep! I can't...I can't!"

He knows you can take it, that it hurts too good. He presses himself deeper into you, and you sob. It feels like fire, as if your body is overwhelmed with inhumane pleasure. You start shaking and twitching, a clear sign that he's pushing you beyond what you can handle.

Finally, he relents. His softening cock slips out of you and you whimper at the loss of contact. It's bliss to feel his arousal seeping out of you. It travels down your ass onto the table. I.N can't help but stare at your pussy, keeping your underwear moved to the side. "Such a good girl for me."

You're too busy catching your breath to care how his hands keep massaging your body. You think he's trying to soothe you, give you some aftercare, but you're wrong. He's trying to smear the dried blood on you, marking you. Your bruised neck and thighs are enough proof, but Jeongin can't help but use your body as a canvas.

"Such a pretty little thing," he coos. You smile lazily at him, trying to ignore the sudden possessive look in his eyes. "You're gonna stay with me right? You said that." His voice is sure, determined. It doesn't matter if you disagree with him, he's going to make you see how perfect you are for each other. All you do is nod and blink back your tears.

You're his, and he's yours. A curse you just can't find yourself to get rid of...not that you would if you could.

a/n: guys im so sorry. so much has been going on in my life its crrazzyyy I dont know how I'm keeping it together. is the ending rushed? perhaps... Should I have done a better job...perhaps. at least I did it please praise me

[stromuprisahat]

Remind me again, why is ~he~ here?!

Siege and Storm- Chapter 9

It's not a team effort, Malyen. Army won't judge you as a couple.

Macho lowly otkazat'sya doesn't get to strike (again).

Please do!

This would work as much more powerful statement, if Mal were genuinely concerned for Alina's well-being and her OWN choice, instead of being pissed he's the one, who called dibs on her.

*whispers* That's exactly what's he gonna do...

For allowing you to keep breathing?!

Yeah, me too...

There's nothing more pathetic than an insecure man shouting.

Perhaps maybe insecure man deciding for "their" woman.

A minute of silence for an alternative universe, where Nikolai isn't so unreasonably accommodating, and has actual guards stationed at door, so they rush in after hearing shouting. They see a deserter attacking their Tsarevich, so they step in...

Is acting like a mindless animal supposed to make him look attractive?!

HoW DaRe You fLiRt WiTh My aCcEsSoRy?!

Because seriously- what's his problem here?!

Really?!

That's what's bothering you, Alina?!

I know Alina has some serious issues regarding self-worth, but I'd be more concerned about him acting as if she were his property, and anyone even suggesting she might have different role in the world deserves to be beaten by fists (because control is overrated and true men make a pub brawl out of anything)...

You're supposed to sit by hearth and warm my soup!

Sorry Malaria, but Alina IS THE Sun Summoner, want it or not. You can't just keep ignoring it and hoping she'll just slip into your shadow AGAIN. ... wait... *war flashbacks from Cofton* At least not as long as there are people capable of finding her and dragging her back into the story.

How can you be so SELFISH, Alina?! What about his soup?!

Just when the heroine moves to assume at least ~some~ responsibility (although for different reasons than you'd expect), she's promptly shamed for not thinking about Maaal for one (1) second... I love how he uses position of honour as an insult, because he's the one with full ownership of a public figure.

I know I'm apparently too demanding, but shouldn't he be overjoyed he didn't get shot on the spot yet? And no one seems too concerned about his desertion...

But hey- gf not discussing her decision to stop hiding from expectations placed upon her is obviously the more pressing matter.

Y'no. if his objection was that she completely forgot to negotiate change of his status in First Army with Nikolai (DESER*gunshot*), I'd cheer and fully support him, but his position in her love life and bedroom is apparently more pressing matter.

Also a huge fan of body language here.

What could crossed arms mean in body language? Rude, angry and insecure?! Sounds about right...

Ordinary deserter ORDERS a Prince and Major of the very same Army he fled...?

Yeah, Alina!

Mal wants his sickly housewife back!

Y'no, I wanted to note how quickly Malyen changed his mind about coming back, but then I re-read the end of previous book to be sure, and it's always been Alina. He wanted to get out, get rid of her amplifier and live his happy life in obscurity consequences be damned:

Shadow and Bone- After

His girl refuses to get rid of all of the stuff that makes her different, so he just has to settle for her fancy clothes...

Wow!

Supportive boyfriend here!

But hey- admitting she IS strong would mean giving up his dreams of watching her trudging after him.

He doesn't even have any idea what the Darkling can or cannot do! It's not some sort of professional opinion!

This one's kinda funny in a way- Alina had very similar thought about him and volcra a chapter earlier...

Siege and Storm- Chapter 8

... ashamed ... given up EVERYTHING to be WITH ME ... Don't tell me, Malyen's so blind he never notices what his (rather pointed) remarks do to Alina?!

I thought we both wanted to help Ravka.

No, Alina. He never did. We've been both wrong. He cares only about himself and his ownership of a small, inconsequential you.

This could offer an interesting view into a mind of a soldier so alienated from his country that offers him zero promises for the future, he cares for nothing... if he weren't such an inconsiderate dick to Alina...

Love this aspect of their relationship! SO empowering!

Like... He'd need to be extremely dull, if I wanted to interpret this as anything but clear fucking MANIPULATION. This is psychological blackmailing 101!

And he's supposed to be the supportive boyfriend SOMEHOW...

[unreliablesnake]

Animals – part 2 (Simon "Ghost" Riley x reader)

Summary: You go on a date, but your date suddenly disappears. On your way out, you bump into Ghost. But little do you know he was behind that mysterious disappearance.

Note: This is part 2 (here's part 1), but it can be read as a stand-alone. There's no smut this time. If you want to know when I post new stuff, follow @unreliablesnakefics and hit the get notifications button. I don't have a taglist.

Part 3

Warnings: afab!reader (i think, i can't remember every word), toxic!Ghost, mentions of sex so MINORS DNI!

It had been way too long since you met a guy who actually entertained you. Most of those on dating apps were just looking for one-night stands, though you couldn't blame them since you were there for the same. But this guy? Damn, he was so nice and polite and handsome and perfect in every way.

Working as a research scientist at some pharmaceutical company on weekdays, volunteering at animal shelters on the weekends, talking about his sisters, nephews, and nieces so sweetly that it made you smile like crazy. And the best part? He wasn't taken aback by hearing you were in the military.

You definitely hit the jackpot with him.

"I'll go get another round," you told him, but you couldn't get yourself to let go of his hand. It was so warm and your hand fit so perfectly into his that you didn't want this to end. "Okay, I'll really go now," you added with a short laugh as you finally pulled away your hand.

As soon as you got far enough not to see the table anymore, Ghost sprung into action. He picked up his glass and walked over to your date, towering over him with a threatening look on his face. The poor guy only noticed him when he put his glass on the table and leaned down to make sure he heard every single word he was about to say.

"If I see you touch her or even talk to her again, I'll break every single bone in your body," he stated menacingly.

The man gave him a confused look. "I'm sorry?"

"You heard me. Leave. Now."

"Who are you, and why would I do as you say?" he asked, seemingly annoyed by this stranger bothering him.

Ghost let out an annoyed growl. "She's mine. Now, don't make me repeat myself." The man didn't move, instead he watched the soldier defiantly. He knew you'd be back soon, so he grabbed the front of his shirt and leaned even closer. "Trust me, mate, you don't want to know what I'm capable of. Get. Out."

This was enough to make him move. Shaking his head and cursing under his breath, he said a few words about how you weren't worth the trouble then left.

As he thought about what he had just heard, Ghost returned to the corner of the bar where he had been hiding until now. A part of him was outraged, having a difficult time keeping himself back from going after that asshole to punch him in the face for saying this about you. But there was another part, a much smaller one that fully agreed with him.

When you returned with the drinks, you found an empty table with only your bag on top of it. You looked around, utterly confused by the disappearance of your date. Even his jacket was gone, so he probably wasn't in the bar anymore. But where the hell did he go all of a sudden?

After fishing out your phone from your bag, you immediately dialed his number. "Where are you?" you asked when he finally answered.

"I left. Why didn't you tell me that you have a boyfriend?"

"What? I don't have a boyfriend."

He let out a huff and you could imagine him roll his eyes. "Well, some big, scary guy still came over to me while you were gone and told me to leave you alone," he explained.

You wondered what guy he was talking about. "I have no idea who it could be," you said after successfully going through the list of possible suspects in your mind.

"Whatever, I won't waste my time on you."

With that he ended the call and you were left standing there by the table. It was so strange, you had never experienced anything like this before. You had never been stood up like that by a guy you liked before.

Taking a deep breath, you thought about what to do. In the end you walked over to a couple sitting at the other table on your side and gave them the two glasses with a forced smile. "I don't need these anymore. Have a good evening."

You turned around to leave, but before you could reach the door, you bumped into someone. When you looked up, you saw a familiar face, brown eyes locked with yours in an instant.

"Ghost?" you asked, suddenly feeling a little timid.

He gulped, having an incredibly hard time restraining himself when being so close to you. You were his drug, something that was lingering in the back of his mind all the time, making him angry and desperate at the same time. The lieutenant didn't want to like you. He tried to fight it, tried to get you out of his system, but all of his attempts were futile. One way or another, he needed you to function properly.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to ask the same thing," you replied as you shoved your hand into your pockets.

Ghost buried his hand into his hair as he watched you. "I was meeting a friend nearby and came in for a drink before going back home," he told you, the lie rolling off his tongue without a problem.

"Wait, you live here? I thought you lived in Manchester."

"I moved a few months ago."

For some reason you gave him a doubtful look. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, I needed a change of scenery."

"Good for you. Well, my night is ruined, so I'm leaving. Have fun," you said before you walked past him and left the bar.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. He couldn't let you leave like that. He needed you tonight, he needed to hear you let out those sweet sounds, the whimpers and string of incoherent words as he fucked you. "Wait," he called after you once he was outside. You came to a halt and turned back with a questioning look. "I'll walk you home."

But you shook your head at this. "I'll be fine, thanks."

"This wasn't a question," Ghost informed you, his voice carrying the sort of authority it did during missions.

This obviously didn't go past by you because you shook your head and pinched the bridge of your nose in annoyance. "What do you want from me?" you asked, sounding exasperated.

He stepped closer to you, close enough to lean down and kiss you with his arms wrapped around your body if he wanted to act on his instincts. At first he didn't know what to say. He had been keeping an eye on you for so long that now it was a habit he simply couldn't shake off. And being with you, either in a friends with benefits or actual relationship would fuck up the balance of his life.

Because he didn't want to be friends. He didn't want to be your lover. He just…

Well, he didn't really know what he wanted. To control every aspect of your life? To continue his ritual of secretly looking at photos of you in the middle of the night as he jacked off? Or did he just want to keep his distance, to continue to watch you from afar without you knowing about it?

You could tell something was wrong, you could feel it in your bones. His icy stare gave you the chills, and the more time that passed, the more anxious you became. Ghost was too close to your liking. You could feel the heat radiating from his body which drove you dangerously close to the edge.

Something suddenly changed about his body language, as if a switch had been flipped in his brain. "You. All of you," he replied. "We had fun last time, didn't we?"

Oh, yes, the last time when you threw your pride away just to be thoroughly fucked by him. As much as you hated to admit it, none of your one-night stands could satisfy you the way the lieutenant could. You were drawn to him, and he could easily control you like a puppeteer.

But his cold, dismissive behavior on missions was still a vivid memory, something you couldn't easily forget about. It was strange that he was so different in private, when it was just the two of you on your days off. "I thought you hated me."

Ghost thought about his answer. "My feelings for you are a little… complicated."

"How so?"

Instead of answering, he moved his lips to your ear, playfully biting it before moving down your jawline, just until he could capture your lips. You hesitated, but the familiar feeling made you return the kiss in the end, and you slowly wrapped your arms around his waist to keep him close.

"You're so fucking annoying and disobedient on the field," he whispered against your lips. "But I can't keep my distance from you. It's hard to explain."

His big palms brushed over the skin on your arms until he peeled them off of himself then he intertwined his fingers with yours. You wanted to accept his answer because you were just as confused about your feelings for him as he was, but your instincts told you to run.

"I should go home," you told him as you pulled away, your eyes fixed on his chest. You couldn't look him in the eye, afraid of what he would say or do. He took a deep breath, preparing himself to say something, but you quickly spoke up to stop him. "Alone."

Ghost let out an annoyed groan. He was ready in every way to fuck you again, but now you ruined his fun with these words. How could he convince you? You seemed so sure of yourself that he wondered if it was even possible to change your mind.

When he reached out to touch you again, you immediately pulled away, taking several steps back to build a distance from him. "Why are you doing this? Just tonight. Just this one time," he tried, his voice steady and confident, almost demanding.

But you shook your head. "This would be the second time. And then what? You show up again and ask for another time? Then another?" Probably, although he wasn't about to say that out loud. "I don't wanna do this, Simon."

"Don't you dare call me that," he growled, his hand instinctively wrapping around your neck. Your eyes went wide and he let go at once. Ghost bit on his lower lip as he buried a hand in his hair and began to pace in front of you. "I'm sorry," he apologized. But he was mad because he never gave you permission to call him that. Never.

Your chest was heaving rapidly as you watched him, your eyes not losing track of him for a second. He knew you were scared of him, and he also knew that you had every reason to feel this way. He shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have attacked you. But when he heard you say his name, it made him angry.

"Just don't call me Simon again," he said.

"Goodnight, lieutenant," you told him, emphasizing the last word before turning around to walk away from him.

He kept his eyes on you, mentally kicking himself for not keeping his emotions under control. As you disappeared into the night, he caught a cab and went to your apartment, asking the driver to stop a few blocks away from it just to be sure you didn't see him.

Ghost had to see you again. He wanted to make sure you were home, sleeping peacefully in your bed. According to the GPS in your phone, you were just about to arrive when he turned around the corner. He managed to catch a glimpse of you when you opened the door of the apartment building.

Every bone in his body was drawn to you, but he tried to resist his instincts. He couldn't go after you, breaking in your door if he had to just to throw you on your bed and have you in any way he wanted. It was just him and his hand tonight, all thanks to his fucking mistake.

He glanced down at his watch–it was almost eleven. He waited for another hour on the street before you finally turned off your lights, giving him the signal that made him go home to his own place.

Far from you.

Far from the temptation.

[bonefall]

Hi Bones!! Thank you for you hard work on this project and for sharing it with us!

I've seen your posts about weird representation of society (regarding the "natural order of things") in xenofiction, especially in lion king, so I wanted to ask:

could you recommend any xenofiction media that has all (or most of the) animal species sapient? Or is the only solution to make just one or two species sapient while the others (especially prey) are plain animals?

Really sorry if you've seen this ask from me before - my account had a weird laggy period when I couldn't send or receive messages and asks, so I don't know if you got the previous one! I just know that now it's fixed so I double all the asks sent haha

Honestly I'm not totally sure! If any 3rd person has some good recommendations for "every being is alive" xenofiction types, feel free to weigh in.

If you want to jump in with me though, I am following the webcomic Africa. It updates every Wednesday. Africa is about a mother Leopard on the verge of a great ecological disaster, the relationship between her children and the animals around her, and the strength of both instinct and choice as the characters face an uncertain future.

Since it's ongoing, I still don't know how it's going to end and can't judge it as a full work! But it's absolutely fascinating and I think the author is doing a fantastic job so far. Bonus points for the way it portrays humans, btw.

No more spoilers though, if you're interested, it's on Webtoons.

(I'm also planning to read Oren's Forge soon. Ask me about it again in a few months over on Bonebabbles and I'll give you my thoughts)

As an aside though, funny you mention it because like... ever since I was a kid I've had a story I want to tell with the premise. It's a scintilla I've kept close to me for well over a decade but haven't done anything official with. So this is actually a theme I've thought about a lot.

It's rare to see it done well though because like... its very premise butts heads with reality. The "natural order" that an animal follows is not something it moralizes. A tiger doesn't have the capacity to think about how fucked up it is to kill to stay alive, the deer doesn't know that if its population isn't controlled it will destroy the forest.

They're animals. They don't HAVE that agency. Your dog does not care about being sterilized. A snake doesn't differentiate between a pinky and an adult mouse except in terms of if it will fit in its mouth. But the minute you put human morality in there... they have the ability to reason, create and agree on the rules of a society, make choices about MORALITY.

If nothing is going to change about their world, you just end up putting human arguments about "natural order" in their mouths and, well... start telling a parable justifying this "natural order."

(Genuine) Does what I'm saying make sense? Animals DON'T rationalize or negotiate. HUMANS do.

So the minute you're approaching a world with that logic, like it or not, you are invoking those "arguments from nature." And you're putting them in a being that is not fully an animal or a human, but an anthropomorphic mix which CAN rationalize but WON'T make an effort to change their world.

(Which is why tbh the best examples i know of are works with a theme of "change.")

OH WAIT I also remember another that's interesting!! Leafy: Hen into the Wild actually has a fascinating take on it. It's not interested in "moralizing" or really being about an animal society. It's a very emotional sort of movie, and it's about joys in adversity, the freedom that choice gives you, how bad things are going to happen and you can never completely prevent them.

INTENSE movie emotionally, the ending will wreck you (especially in the English translation which leaves out a really important theme making it feel abrupt x_x) but it's really good. Check that one out.

OH and also You Are Umasou. That one has more pitfalls imo (it does try to moralize a bit) but it's super unique as a movie. And is about dinosaurs.

[hools]

Sorry if this is a weird question, but how do you come up with your drawings? What does through your mind while making them? I find your compositions so gorgeous and intriguing but I can't really figure out how you approach things since everything's very shifty and abstract. It's really gorgeous work, I'm so glad I discovered your art :,)

hey first of all this isnt a weird question at all & i'm really glad you enjoy my art heheheheheehe. there's an incoming large largely unformatted block of text that i hope you dont mind!

Honestly there are a billion things going through my mind at a time while I'm drawing and they all sort of bump into each other and cancel each other out like opposing particles. If you've seen any of my streams i'm usually very fast and iterative in a lot of my process and i rarely ever slow down even past the early parts like thumbnailing and sketching. i kind of let my hands do the talking more, yknow? but even then theyre never talking about a single thing at a time. everything interacts with everything, which is probably why i always end up getting lost and meandering. composition is not independent from color & value and neither are they from texture and perspective. its hard thinking of all of the ways they mesh and react to one another so i spend less of my energy thinking and more of it doing, and then assessing once something interesting comes about it. i guess then i prioritize my Hand Movement Actioning and Eye Vision Seeing over my Brain Neuron Assessing. but even though iterations can come and go quick this kind of informed throwing-against-the-wall isn't really the Fastest. but its fun. and you get to stuff all the unused ideas in your pocket for later.

even though i did say how connected everything is i always seem to start with composition. it kind of affects and informs everything the most at least on an individual piece level. with thumbnails & composition in general i think youre supposed to think huge right. so i Always think huge. push everything as much as you can. start with a crazy angle (not necessarily angle meaning "perspective" but like an angle between two lines) and border your scene within it. take an already steep foreshortening and steepen it further with the transform tool & see what shapes form from the empty & filled space. shrink your subject to only fit 3/4ths of the canvas and build around it to make it work. blow things up (enlargen) and blow things up (remove & obliterate). with composition you have so much room for fuckery if you give yourself the grace to accept the fuckiness.

and i guess this freedom to fuck around and iterate and build and build and build upon comes from how most of the time my initial ideas are very. vague? abstract like you've said. sometimes its Just a song or a song lyric and nothing else (no characters to attach to just the feel and my gut). sometimes its a less than 5 word phrase i felt strongly about throughout the day. in my me-only discord server i have messages in #to-draw channel that just say shit like "something about guitar straps" "thanks for knowing me!" "angel don't look at me" "DITHER QUEEN" (<-been meaning to make something with that). for things that have specific guidelines i spend more time thinking conceptually (the "rare animal" coelacanth drawing being an example) but otherwise it mostly comes out after. again. the first strokes. after you put the meat and bones on the canvas. an artist at a workshop i was at last year when i was in my own head about Needing to have a fleshed tangible Profound concept before being able to start something told me not to underestimate the stories that can be told just by your hands. and i think thats what stuck with me the most.

& one last thing i wanna mention is how despite how much i revel in the chaos of the process ive found how important limits are. i don't like cutting back on everything but i like cutting back on some things. sometimes i cut out backgrounds for solid fills and i love them that much more. sometimes i have little subconscious rules in a piece that i try not to break to keep a little level of consistency. if somethings a big wonderful mess already then i love a limited pallet and i love keeping parts empty and i love being able to breathe a little. yknow. but still go over the top in the other parts you have so much permission to. less is more but have a little more in your art than less. YKNOW?

but yeah thanks again for your kind words and wanting to listen to me talk. i havent been drawing much at all so these arent too fresh on the mind but i think i got a lot of what i wanted to say out. i hope u and others can get things out of this! if i made any sense <3

[animebw]

Seasonal Reflection: Winter 2024 Anime

My feelings on the first anime season of 2024 can be summed up thusly: Most of my favorite shows from winter 2024 were continuations of shows that were already great from last season, not new entries. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and there were plenty of new anime I at least enjoyed watching. But it became clear about halfway through the season that aside from a couple fall 2023 holdovers, there was barely anything truly exciting going on here. Most of the adaptations I watched didn't do much to truly elevate their source material, and most of the few original series we got ended up the worst of the bunch. I can't say nothing good came out of winter 2024, but if this is any sign of how the rest of the year is gonna go, we may be in for a slog. For now, though, let's take stock of the anime I watched this season, and which ones are worth your time.

Metallic Rouge: 3/10

If you asked me what the worst show I finished this season would be at the start, I never would've guessed Metallic Rouge. I mean, it's a cool-ass original sci-fi anime from Bones with slick 2D mecha animation, surely that's gotta be at least a little cool, right? Sadly, no. Because this is, without question, one of the most baffling scripts I've ever seen in anime. Almost every single detail of its world and plot are barely explained, if at all, and the mechanics of what's even supposed to be going on are so nebulous that every attempt at a plot twist feels like a twist on something that never actually existed. Characters are plopped into the story without even an introduction. At times it feels like whole scenes have been cut out entirely. The only thing I can compare it to is the original Suicide Squad movie from 2016: a story so cut to the bone in the editing room that you can barely tell what's supposed to be happening half the time, and yet enough of the original story remains to suggest it was never any good in the first place. The one thing it gets right is the prickly chemistry between its two leads, and then it fucking keeps them separated for like half the damn runtime! How do you even unforced error that badly?

Bucchigiri: 3.5/10

Man, this was not a good season for original anime. Bucchigiri might not have been as staggering a writing trainwreck as Metallic Rouge, but its sin is arguably even worse; it's boring. It's a wacky, colorful high school delinquent romp with rainbow-haired Jojo's punks beating the snot out of each other with genie powers, it's sort of a re-imagining of Aladdin, it's got freaking Hiroko Utsumi at the helm, and it's boring. Why? Because this show gets absolutely stuck in the quicksand of its own status quo and refuses to budge an inch. Character growth is nonexistent, the protagonist is an aggravating loser wimp who never learns his lesson, and nothing of actual meaning happens from the first episode to the end. Literally everything you think is setting up a character arc where someone learns a lesson or grows as a person, all of it amounts to nothing. It's a limp, inert world that perpetuates the same overdone jokes and contrived, misunderstanding-based drama over and over again until all the outsized Utsumi visual personality feels like a tacky coat thrown on top of a lifeless corpse. What an utter waste.

Urusei Yatsura Season 2 (1st Cours): 5/10

I'm still not quite sure what to make of the Urusei Yatsura remake. is it charmingly dated? Annoyingly dated? A welcome throwback or a sign that some things should stay in the past? If nothing else, it never fails to get at least a couple chuckles out of me every episode. But the more it tries to lean into being actually sincere, the more its inherent cheesiness and lack of depth starts becoming a problem. I'm sorry, this cast of characters is just too abrasive and purposefully insane to take seriously, and none of their relationships are healthy enough to unironically root for. Lum and Ataru are not a couple I want to see actually get together, at least not unless Ataru stops being such a fucking shithead. And if him being a jackass could be charming in season 1, then this season is really starting to test my patience with him. It's one thing to be a serial skirt chaser, but his actions this season regularly cross a line from womanizing to unambiguous sex pest, and there's only so many wooden mallets he can get knocked over the head with before it stops feeling like like he's getting punished as much as he deserves to be.

Undead Unluck (2nd Cours): 5/10

Good news, everyone: Undead Unluck finally gave up on those awful groping gags that were ruining its central romance! Bad news: at the same time, it spontaneously developed one of the worst cases of recap padding I've ever seen! I'm not just talking overlong recap segments at the start of the episode, I'm talking constant flashbacks to events we just saw just moments before, straight up playing the same footage again just minutes apart, all climaxing in a truly unforgivable episode that spends seven goddamn minutes on recycled footage. Not even Tokyo Revengers was this bad with its time-wasting. And to add insult to injury, once it finally gets its feet unstuck and returns to a reasonable amount of recap for the final arc, it's probably the best arc of the entire show! It's some of the most bonkers high-concept emotional storytelling I've ever seen attempted, let alone pulled off so spectacularly. It's proof that there is so much brilliance to Undead Unluck, if it could just get out of its own way. But as long as it continues suffering from such massive systemic flaws, it's only ever going to be an also-ran.

Solo Leveling: 5.5/10

Okay, look; is this show dumb as a bag of rocks? Absolutely. Is it as nakedly an adolescent power fantasy as any anime has ever been? Ditto. Does it solely exist for dweeby incels to feel like swaggering douchebag chads getting revenge on all the normies who looked down on them by becoming The Bestest Strongest Chadliest Awesomest Of All Time? You know it. But god dammit, it's actually fun. I cannot pretend I'm too mature and sophisticated to enjoy a big, helping heaping of dumb edgy schlock when it's actually done well. I'm the one person on the face of the earth who still caries water for Akame ga Kill, for crying out loud. And Solo Leveling makes two really smart storytelling choices that keep it (mostly) on the entertaining side of dumb fun: building a genuinely interesting and intricate world that exists well beyond the scope of the protagonist's actions (for now, at least), and making sure that no matter how stupidly overpowered Jinwoo gets, his opponents are always just a little bit even more stupidly overpowered, so he's still pushed to his absolute breaking point and barely scraping together a win by the skin of his teeth every time. There is an art to edge that's too often taken for granted, and this show is proof that being the living embodiment of a twelve-year-old boy's wet dreams is no excuse not to be at least a decent version of that. That said, let's be real, Jinwoo was so much more attractive before his supposed glow-up. Give my boy back his scraggly rat locks, you cowards.

Bang Brave Bang Bravern: 6/10

What happens when a campy, cartoony 70s-style super robot anime crashes headfirst into a much grittier real robot anime? Well, what happens is Bang Brave Bang Bravern, the latest ten-car pileup of mismatched genres from the Cygames masterminds behind "What if horse racing but idols?" Take a desperate war story of survival against impossible odds, airdrop a skyscraper-sized superhero into the mix, and watch him completely shatter the original tone one cheekily ironic powerup and power-of-friendship speech at a time. It's a beautifully bonkers sendup of mecha tropes that has some of the funniest individual moments in this entire anime season, and the absolutely wild twist it pulls with the titular robot's identity in the back half is more than worth the price of admission on its own. Unfortunately, if it wanted to be as perfect a parody-until-it-isn't mecha series as Akiba Maid War was a parody-until-it-isn't mob flick, it probably should've tried being as long as most mecha series tend to be, i.e. more than just twelve measly episodes. There's just not enough time to develop any of the characters or world beyond the most essential parts, resulting in huge chunks of the supporting cast hanging around with nothing to do but take up space. And it leads to this show, which is trying to be so big and over the top, instead feeling so small and half-formed. Also, the secondary romance is gross. Like, really gross.

A Sign of Affection: 6/10

I think this show has helped clarify something for me: I'm really getting tired of how quickly modern romance anime get their main couple together. As much as we rag on the endless will-they-won't-they of ages past, taking so much time to build up the characters and their relationship before they finally make it official can result in some truly one-of-a-kind storytelling when done right. I might agonize over how long Sawako and Kuronoma take to get together in Kimi ni Todoke, but the payoff is so transcendent that none of those complaints matter. Whereas Yuki and Itsuomi getting together so quickly in A Sign of Affection... I mean, they're cute, I guess? His cool demeanor plays off her sincerity very well? But it feels like the show's in such a rush to get to the good stuff- and so determined to make Istuomi the dreamiest, most perfect boyfriend ever- that it skips over so much of the careful character-building that makes all the best anime romances so special. It's a sugary sweet confection, but wipe the frosting away and there's just not that much cake underneath. Honestly, I find the side characters a lot more interesting because they're allowed to have messy internal conflicts with a bit more meat on their bones. But hey, props for putting a deaf heroine at the center of your shoujo romance and taking so much time to explore how that affects the way she interacts with the world. That's a cause well worth celebrating.

Sengoku Youko: 6.5/10

Rejoice, everyone, we finally have an adaptation of a Satoshi Mizukami work that doesn't look like absolute garbage! After the flaming disaster that was Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer's barely animated hackjob production, Sengoku Youko has arrived to give the cult fave manga artist a chance for his work to actually shine on the silver screen. As someone who only knows him through Planet With, I've always wondered if Mizukami deserved the reputation his manga gets, and with White Fox delivering as tight and intense a production as they gave Re:Zero, I guess it's time to finally find out. And the answer is... mostly? Like, the biggest problems in this sci-fi/feudal fantasy mashup are the characters being a little too eager to state the themes out loud and one pretty crummy death that's about as hamfisted and over-telegraphed as I've seen in a while. But there's a shockingly gripping narrative underlying it all, a story about the scars trauma leaves on people, of characters making bad decisions and facing real consequences for them, of hatred and poisonous ideology forced to reckon with the more complex reality of the world as a whole. And it all climaxes in an absolute barn-burner final episode that knocked my score up a half point all on its own. If future seasons can make good on all the potential this first season has set up, then I may just end up a Mizukami fan myself when all is said and done.

Blue Exorcist Season 3: 6.5/10

I'm of two minds about Blue Exorcist's second return after a six-year gap between seasons. On one hand, it's clear the new staff is just nowhere near as talented as the folks who first brought this series to life at A-1 Pictures. The action is abysmal, the storyboarding is clunky, and the animation feels like it's constantly fighting for its life to maintain a passable standard. And it sucks that a series that once brought such great life to its story is now held back by such a mediocre production. But on the other hand... holy fuck, am I glad Blue Exorcist is back. I once described The Devil is a Part-Timer as the mathematical average of anime as a concept, but if you were to ask me what the best possible version of that mathematical average looks like? It would be Blue Exorcist. This is, hands down, one of the best straightforward shonen action stories in the whole medium, a reminder of why all the most generic and overused tropes were once powerful enough to become generic and overused in the first place. It's proof that even the simplest of "superpowered teens kick demon butt with the power of friendship" concepts can result in a wonderful goddamn series when handled with good old-fashioned storytelling fundamentals. And not even the rough-as-hell production is enough to keep season 3 from delivering on the thrills, tears, laughs, and cheers that make this series so magical. Just, please, give the next season more time in the oven so it doesn't feel like it's wading through molasses to hit those heights. Okay?

Delicious in Dungeon (1st Cours): 7/10

Delicious in Dungeon's biggest problem is that it takes a while to really settle into itself. The opening scene of the protagonist's sister being devoured by a dragon sets the tone for an intense and desperate rescue mission, but the actual series that follows this harrowing opening is as lackadaisical as can be. And it's jarring to be thrust into a gag-filled, character-driven fantasy cooking comedy where the harsh tone of that opening scene and the ticking clock of Falin's digestion completely disappear from the characters' heads in favor of how beast to cook and eat the various fantasy monsters they encounter in the dungeon. Yes, it makes a little more sense once the mechanics of death and resurrection are explained later on, but it's a weird note to start on. Which is a shame, because once Delicious in Dungeon gets a handle on what kind of story it's trying to be, it's really fun! Its sense of deadpan comedy coupled with Trigger's expressive animation makes for some really unexpected gags, and the way it explores its fantasy cuisine is genuinely some of the most creative stuff I've ever seen in the cooking anime genre. Plus, with the dark tone coming back in at the end of the first cours- and landing much more naturally this time- I have high hopes for how this series will marry those two sides of itself moving forward. If the manga fans' reactions are any indication, I think we're in for a damn good time.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (2nd Cours): 8/10

So remember in my last post how I said that it was kind of disappointing whenever Frieren turned into an action show because of how disconnected the fights were from the beating heart that makes this show so special? Well, apparently the writers heard me and decided what I meant was I wanted this peaceful, meditative tale about grief, change and the passage of time to turn into the goddamn Hunter Exams for ten episodes straight. It's one of the most shockingly ill-advised storytelling swerves I've seen in an otherwise good show, discarding all this series' strengths in favor of a half-baked tournament arc with tonally jarring grimdark elements and a bland, overstuffed cast of characters who only start becoming interesting in the rare moments they're allowed to stop slinging spells at each other and just, like, talk about life? You know, the stuff that Frieren's actually good at? Not this brainless slice of shonen envy that only avoids being a complete slog thanks to how spectacular the action is across the board? Ugh. Look, Frieren is officially the most beloved anime on the goddamn planet right now, and its best moments are so incredible that I wish I could join that chorus as well. But it's so disappointing to me that a show this singular and special has so often chosen to be the least interesting version of itself.

The Dangers in My Heart Season 2: 8.5/10

It's official: director Hiroaki Akagi is the master of middle school rom-coms. No other creator so perfectly grasps the specific blend of immaturity, awkwardness, cringe, and heart-on-sleeve sincerity that defines the love stories of early adolescence. That was already clear with his work on Teasing Master Takagi-san, but now that he's pulled it off twice, there's no room left for argument. And just like with Takagi-san, the second season of The Dangers in My Heart takes a show that was already shockingly good and catapults it into all-time greatness. This is a coming-of-age triumph, a soaring tribute to embracing your own cringeworthy self, flaws and all, and sharing that self openly with the people who matter most to you. Ichikawa's journey toward maturity, Yamada's journey toward self-love, and the way their romance sparks the best in both of them is the stuff that dreams are made of. I laughed, I cried, I squealed like a little girl, and I felt my heart grow three sizes by the time it was done. This is a new gold standard for anime rom-coms, and if you can stomach a bit of groanworthy fanservice, it more than deserves your attention.

The Apothecary Diaries (2nd Cours): 8.5/10

Most of the time when I cover a two-cours show on these seasonal reflections, I end up in a pretty different place by the end of the second cours than I did at the first. Either it sort of fell apart in the second half, or found its footing and took it to the next level, or it changed in some interesting way that affects how I view the show as a whole. But The Apothecary Diaries has stayed the course from the first episode all the way to the end. Start to finish, it's remained pretty much the same show, with the same ideas and attitude, exploring the same themes in the same ways. And you know what? When you're as good as The Apothecary Diaries ended up being, there's nothing wrong with that. This is a spectacular historical drama that builds such a rich, compelling world for its equally rich, compelling characters to inhabit. It's a powerful exploration of how old society treated the disadvantaged- women, poor people, people with all severities of disability- and how one deeply abnormal girl carves her way through this viper's den with her body and soul intact. It's the kind of mature, thoughtful series we so rarely seen done this well, and with the announcement of a season 2 already confirmed, we may well end up with close to 50 episodes when all is said and done. That, folks, is what a true shoujo/josei renaissance looks like. And I'm so happy such a deserving series is leading the way in reminding us how damn good women's stories can be when they're given a chance to shine this brightly.

DROPPED

Cherry Magic: Dropped at 2 episodes for looking like butt and the central romance feeling pretty lifeless.

High Card Season 2: Dropped at 1 episode because I realized I didn't care anymore.

Ninja Kamui: Dropped at 2 episodes for being dull tryhard edgy bullshit with overdone fight scenes that are impossible to follow.

[sweetheartmotives]

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ Yandere Magical Girl ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Desc and possible Cw: Yandere themes, bone breaking, Ripping off someone's head and putting it on a pole, obsession, and mentions of murder towards a date of yours.

Let me know if I missed any!

(Lucky Star Opening)

It was a normal Monday afternoon, you were on your way to class. You attend a rather fancy college, whether you're rich and got in that way or you got in for good grades.. It doesn't really matter at the end of the day. She's dotted on you and you can't do anything about it.

• Yandere Magical Girl who… became your friend by "accidentally" forgetting her pencil.

Tap tap! "Excuse me.. could I borrow a pencil?" She asks

• Yandere Magical Girl who… slowly but surely made her way into your life. Going from a simple acquaintance to a best friend.

"It's funny to think about sometimes, 2 months ago we were just two girls who sat next to each other. Now we're best friends!" Yumako chuckles. You were having lunch together, in the school courtyard.

• Yandere Magical Girl who… roots herself into your life, permanently. She's always around, and it's to the point where it feels strange whenever she's not by your side.

"Sorry! I was sick yesterday, it must've been miserable here without me!" Yumako jokes while grinning "Seriously though, let's eat together during lunch!" She smiles

• Yandere Magical Girl who… enjoys spending as much time with you as possible. Studying? Count her in! Even if it's boring, if she's by your side, she doesn't care.

"Oh? Studying? Let's do it together!" Yumako smiles

• Yandere Magical Girl who… secretly fights in the nighttime. During the daytime, she's your best friend who's always by you! During the nighttime, she's wearing a cutesy outfit you'd see in animes, specifically a magical girl anime.

• Yandere Magical Girl who… has a new purpose to fight. She doesn't fight for the purpose of saving the world anymore, she's fighting for the purpose of you and her having a world to live on so you both can get married and grow old together.

• Yandere Magical Girl who… likes to drive away your dates. She'll be touchy-feely and come with you to dates, therefore making your date uncomfortable. You're hers, she's fighting for YOU, You are her everything.

"A date??" Yumako gasps dramatically "With who? Where? When? Why? How?" She's asking so many questions "Let me come with! It'll be fun, I don't mind third-wheeling!" She smiles... it's a lie though. She hates third-wheeling. But it's okay, in the end, your date will be so uncomfortable that they'll leave and ghost you!

• Yandere Magical Girl who… would kill your dates. Oh, they tried getting you to do something you are uncomfortable with? Bone breaking time!! Skull crushing!! Meat grinder!!

"That's terrible (reader).. I'm so sorry they did that. Its okay, you'll probably never see them again!" Yumako says knowing damn well she killed your date the night before

• Yandere Magical Girl who… fights monsters and other evil entities all the time.. yet, if you were ever threatened or found out by one of her enemies, she would personally brutally murder her enemy. She will hang their head on top of a very tall pole.

"How do you know about (reader)? That's funny.. GOODNIGHT" The enemy's head is found severed from their body and stuck onto a pole.

• Yandere Magical Girl who… sounds like Mitsuri Kanroji! She's very soft spoken and sweet.

• Yandere Magical Girl who… brings you gifts all the time! Sweets, trinkets, plushes, etc.

"Here, I got this for you!" Yumako hands you a Kirby plushie "It got it since it was cute and sweet, just like you!"

• Yandere Magical Girl who… after a few weeks of thinking and planning.. decides to pull the ultimate move of all time. Even if you reject her..

• Yandere Magical Girl who… finally confesses.

"I love you (reader).. I always have. The love I hold for you is like no other! My love is pure and sweet, not lust-driven and deprived. (Reader) please accept me as your one and only, for all of time."

• Yandere Magical Girl who… in the end, would do anything for you. Destroy the world? You got it! Discover an alien species? On it!

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Welcome to the end credits! This is Yumako's new and improved fic! I hated how I wrote her other one and it made me so angry. I couldn't even read my own fic! It was so confusing! (𖦹ᯅ𖦹)

I hope you enjoyed reading as I enjoyed writing! (>ᴗ•) !

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[calisources]

BOUND   TO   THE   MOON.   all   sentences   and   tropes   actions   are   based   around   the   concept   of   lycantrophy   and   werewolves.   taken   from   different   media   across   literature,   television   and   movies.   you   can   change   the   names,   pronouns   and   locations   as   you   see   fit. beware of warnings regarding body horror, harm and such.

SENTENCES AND QUOTES.

I'm a werewolf trapped in a human body.

When was the last time you shape-shifted?

I was going to fight vampires, and my name wasn't Buffy--I was so screwed.

A fucked-up family's a fucked-up family, whether or not werewolves are involved.

A werewolf is courting me with a dead rabbit. There’s nothing subtle here.

Why go for something cold and dead, when you can have something hot and panting?

No shifting in my car Blake,I don't want to slobber all over my seats.

Once a month, for one evening, we are free to wear our natural skins. We are on the outside as we are internally.

I warned you if you got any closer, I'd devour you.

You're my mate. The distance won't change that. It never has.

When the full moon rises and the wolfsbane blooms, you will be as cursed as I am.

The bite is a gift.

Why do you always have to prove you are the Alpha male?

I don’t need to prove anything, love, I am the Alpha male.

I tried to kill a werewolf, I failed. Now I feel like I'm not living up to the version of my best self.

If it were a choice, it wouldn't be called "a curse"

Werewolves will attack humans, but instinct in centuries of rivalry have hard-wired them to hunt their prey of choice. Vampires.

Hundreds of years ago vampires hunted them to almost to extinction.

Legend has it that a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires.

Werewolves are stronger in groups. That’s why they form packs. 

No one wants to be the Omega of the pack.

I was a small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure.

Well, I'm so sorry that I can't be the right kind of monster for you, Bella.

The truth is if a werewolf behaved like this psychopath it wouldn't be because he was part animal, but because he was still too human. Only humans kill for sport.

You've tasted the power. How can you not want more? What is it you care about so much?

I healed when we were all together again when we were a pack.

Now, you being the first werewolf I’ve come across in many a moon, pun intended.

You're not a monster. You're a werewolf.

It’s fascinating, actually. A werewolf who isn’t beholden to the moon, a vampire who doesn’t burn in the sun. A true hybrid.

You've been bitten. Bitten by a werewolf. Now you will become that which you have hunted so passionately.

The ancients thought pure metals purified the blood.

Tyler has to kill someone to activate his curse. He's not a werewolf yet.

Sorry about your pet wolf. You should have kept him on a tighter leash.

You might be an alpha, but you’re not mine.

Yes you. Glow your eyes at it. Something. Be the Alpha.

He is going around building his pack.

There’s no such thing as werewolves.

It’s wolfsbane. It’s like toxic for werewolves, hurts them.

Did you forgot today is a full moon?

Whoever is bitten by a werewolf and lives becomes a werewolf himself.

Just like us. Werewolves.

Start the car. Or I'm gonna rip your throat out. With my teeth.

Do you want to earn a place in his pack? You want redemption? Find another way to stand and fight.

We have to go. It’s werewolf territory.

You're cooking up werewolves out of every self-esteem deprived adolescent in town.

Do you know why wolves hunt in packs? It's because their favorite prey are too large to be brought down by one wolf alone.

You've been given something that most people would kill for. The bite is a gift!

You're one of mine, aren't you?

What's it like when it comes over you?

Every single bone in your body breaks.

Sometimes the transformaction can take up to hours. Specially the first couple of times.

Are those chains in the wall?

Don't get yourself killed for a human. She is not one of us.

Our packs have...a long history of animosity.

You can't be here! Get out, now!

What did I do?

I found others like me. They are helping me...get better.

I can smell him all over you.

Maybe the wolf was in love with the moon and each month they cried out for a love it would never touch.

Werewolves mate for life. You can't just runaway.

The lone wolf dies but the pack survives.

You are one of us, even when you haven't realized it.

I could recognize that scent everywhere.

You are the next in line. To be the Alpha.

A beta can always challenge an Alpha if they consider them weak.

Most challenges end with one wolf dying.

ACTIONS. add a +reverse if you want the reverse action.

[BITE]: sender bit receiver and now receiver is experiencing the fever of the bite.

[ENEMY PACK]: sender and receiver are from rival packs and get into a fight.

[LYCAN ROMANCE]: form rival packs, sender and receiver begin a forbidden romance.

[DISCOVERY]: sender finds out receiver secret lairer where he turns.

[WARM]: sender is a werewolf and cuddles to receiver side to warm them up.

[ITS YOU]: receiver realized the wolf they found it's sender.

[FOR THE PACK]: sender and receiver get married to join their packs into one.

[NATURE IS AGAINST US]: sender is a vampire and receiver is a werewolf who fall for each other.

[MATES]: sender declares receiver their mate.

[FOCUS ON ME]: receiver helps sender to calm down after they turn.

[ITS A GIFT]: sender bites receiver to save their lives.

[NAKED]: sender is without clothes the morning after turning and needs clothes. they arrive at receiver door for help.

[PROTECTION]: sender protects receiver whole in werewolf form.

[ONE OF US]: sender discovers that receiver didn't attack them because they are also a werewolf.

[ALL OF YOU]: sender witnesses receiver turn into a werewolf .