#but this is reminding me more of well. criminal minds like i said lol

[bazpitch]

mindhunter is good because it explores the characters and they get more and more interesting like i wouldnt watch it as a propaganda on anything tbh its worth it just for the characters and the mystery

yeah no i get that but also i just don' t understand the angle that they're writing this from if that makes sense? also do u mean mystery as in criminal minds type mystery? sorry i just don't understand what u mean

[clementine-writes-things]

"Run Rabbit, Run!" pt.3 - E.N

Summary: Edward is released from Arkham Mental Hospital, having been declared 'sane' and keeps his promise about coming after y/n. (I don't believe he would be let go, but let's pretend m'kay? <3 Also, for this fanfic trilogy, I made it so that the Riddler person is like the embodiment of his anger/darkest desires/hatred etc. So, like an alter ego except Edward is in full control of everything. Ykwim? You'll see lol.)

pt.1 here pt.2 here

Content Warning: 18+ MDNI, explicit language, angst, mental illness and coping with it, Bruce being a good older brother, dom!Edward, egotistical!Edward, megalomaniac!Edward, stalker!Edward, yandere!Edward, Edward being a HUGE perv (just in an extremely sexual way, not weird.), sub!Reader, AFAB!Reader, she/her pronouns, mentions of violence/death, threats, alcohol, fluff, smut, penetration, bloodplay (i dont like it, but it fit Edwards personality in this fic), sadism/masochism, bondage (belt/tape/gag), taking pictures/videos of sex, unprotected sex (wrap b4 u tap pookies), REALLY rough sex (like seriously), choking, hair pulling, slapping, spitting, biting, scratching, daddy kink, daddy issues, degrading, praising, semi-public sex, humiliation, orgasm denial, post sex blues, aftercare.

Word Count: 16k+ (oh gosh, i didn't intend for it to be this long i'm sorry)

Songs for Inspo:

MONTAGEM - PR FUNK - S3BZS

✻H+3+ЯД✻7luCJIo0T6... - vyrval

Princess - Ayesha Erotic, Petey Plastic

LET ME SEE YA MOVE! - Lumi Athena

Thirst For Me! - Lumi Athena

She's So Nice - Pink Guy

Disgusting - Lil Mariko, Zheani

~Read Below Cut~

~

It had been over a year since Edward was put in Arkham. Y/n tried to distract herself with acts of community service. She even started to visit Bruce more often. Everything sounded better than being alone in her apartment. When she was alone with her thoughts, she ended up going in a dark place. She would blame herself for what happened to Edward, telling herself that she could have done something and stopped it. She could have helped him, but she didn't. Now, none of this was true. Edward made a choice and nothing could change his mind. But, y/n was so distraught by losing her love and her friend that she blamed herself every single day. And on top of that, she was paranoid about Edward showing up. What he said was true, he was still a criminal after all. A mentally unstable one at that. Yes, he was a kind soul to her, but to everyone else he was a menace to society. Y/n feared that he would crack and break into her apartment and hurt her. Because of this, she spent most nights in Wayne Tower, though she didn't like it.

~

Y/n stumbled out of her childhood room, the walls still painted a soft pink from when her mom had painted it with her. It was nostalgic to stay in it once more, but also melancholic. It reminded her that her parents were no longer with her. But, she was lucky to have Bruce and Alfred still, that much was true. It was actually sort of funny, how cute her room was, surrounded by gothic interior. She remembered how her dad always found it to be humorous.

"Good morning Ms. Wayne, breakfast?" Alfred asked.

"Alfred, please, you've known me for 28 years. I'm pretty sure you can call me y/n." She laughed.

"Right, sorry, it's just been a while since I've seen you." He admitted

"Yeah, well I like living in the city. It's got a sort of gritty charm once you get past the drunks and dropheads." Y/n snorted.

"Sounds...charming." He forced.

"Where's Bruce? In his cave, I suppose?" Y/n asked, grabbing a waffle and eating it plain.

"I believe so. I don't think he's had a wink of sleep. Speaking of, how did you sleep? Is the old bed still as comfy as it was all those years ago?" He asked.

"Surprisingly, yes! Thanks for asking, Alfred. How did you sleep?" She asked, taking a bite of the waffle.

"Quite fine, really. There was a nice drizzle of rain last night, lulled me right to sleep like a baby." He chuckled.

"That's good, heaven knows you need the rest due to watching after Bruce. I know he's the oldest, but I feel like he's the most reckless." She shook her head.

"That is an astute claim, one that I'm inclined to agree with. Why don't you go down and bring him some breakfast? I doubt he'll eat it, but if you tell him to he might. He's missed you terribly, you know."

Y/n took the plate from the table, grabbing the glass of juice with the other hand. Groaning, she resorted to holding the waffle she was eating in her mouth. Giving Alfred a thumbs up, she walked towards the elevator. Using her sock covered foot, she pressed the basement level button. It reminded her of how she used to do the same exact thing as a young kid, but with her nose. She was a strange kid for sure, it was a miracle she didn't get sick all the time. Y/n, alone in thought for a little bit, though about Edward instantly. She missed him a lot, and she wasn't ashamed to admit that. Bruce knew that y/n loved Edward, but she never told him about what went on in that visitation room. No way. Instead, she told him that her and Edward agreed that they would try and move on from each other. But, Bruce was smarter than that. He knew that y/n still loved Edward, it was so obvious to see. It was a little jarring to know that his 'rival' was the person his sister was in love with, but he tried to be understanding. After all, she never knew until it was too late really. And, in all honesty, it did seem like he treated y/n well when they were friends. Bruce hoped that Edward would get the therapy he needed and would be released, that way his sister could be with the man he loved again. Yes, he murdered people, but it's not like he killed any innocent people. Murder is still bad, of course, but at least he killed the weeds in the garden instead of the flowers. The doors of the elevator opened. Y/n walked out and saw Bruce standing in front of the computer screens, looking pale and like death itself.

"H-" When y/n opened her mouth to talk, her waffle fell out of her mouth.

"FUCK!" She screamed.

Bruce flinched, grabbing a 'bat-a-rang' next to him and holding it up. When he saw y/n, he rolled his eyes and placed it back down, hand on his chest. Her scream scared the shit out of him, nearly giving him a heart attack.

"Sorry! I...I dropped my waffle..." She frowned, placing his plate and glass on the table.

"How did you drop it?" He asked, looking at his food.

"I tried to call you a cumstain but I forgot I had a waffle in my mouth." She huffed.

"Oh, that's charming, it's good to see you too." He shook his head.

"Yeah, it's good to see you. Look, you've been up all night, eat some breakfast, ok?" She sighed.

"I'm really not hungry." He answered simply, looking back to the screen.

"Bruce..."

He looked back to her, sighed. Glancing back down to the food, he did feel his stomach rumble slightly. Opening his mouth, he went to say something but just scoffed.

"Alright, fine. But, we're hanging out today if I eat." He said.

"Ok, that works with me. But, I get to pick what to do!"

"There's always a catch with you, isn't there?" He chuckled, taking a bite of some bacon.

"Always. You know this. Anyways, I'm thinking we go to a club!"

He hummed in amusement, taking a sip of the orange juice. Placing it back down, he swallowed it.

"A club? Really? You?"

"What!? I party!" She scoffed.

"Alright party animal, but are you sure it's safe for us to go to a club? I mean, we are Waynes. I don't doubt there are a few people who would love to get a chance to do something fucked up to us, especially you."

"We'll go to a spot I frequent! And, we just won't drink. I usually don't drink anyways." She shrugged.

"Ok then, when do you wanna go?" He asked, eating another piece of bacon.

"Well, tonight of course. I think afterwards I might go back to my apartment. I kind of miss it." She sighed.

Bruce frowned, but he understood. He just didn't think it was smart for y/n to be alone.

"Ok, but you're always welcome back here. I miss hanging out with you." He smiled.

"I know, Bruce. Don't worry, I'll come back soon. I just want to stay at my apartment for a week or so. Now, eat your breakfast!" She ordered.

"My mouth is only so big, ok?"

"That's what she said! Now go! Double time, go, go, go! Eat that bacon! Eat that bacon!" She cheered.

Bruce looked at her with a piece of bacon hanging from his mouth. His eyes were narrowed, bags underneath them. Slowly, he reached his hand out and put it over her face. With a push, he shoved her back lightly, causing her to stumble. She squealed, gasping dramatically.

"Oh I'm gonna kick your ass little man!" She huffed.

Groaning, he reached out his hand and covered her face with it again. She swung her arms everywhere, flailing aimlessly. He held her there and continued to eat his breakfast casually. The sound of the elevator dinged, but the siblings were too caught up in their 'intense fight'. Alfred stepped out, watching the scene before him.

"My, my, what happened here?" He asked amusedly.

"Alfreddddd! He pushed me!" Y/n whined.

"Master Bruce! Is this true?" He asked.

"Well, yeah, but she started it. She was being weird..." He mumbled in between bites of bacon.

Y/n continued to swat at the air, moving around every now and then to get a better angle. But, every time she moved, his hand followed her in suite. She tried to bite his hand, but it was just far enough from her mouth that she couldn't reach. Alfred sighed, a smile spreading over his face.

"You dress like a bat! What's weirder than that!?" She counteracted.

"W- It's armor that looks like a bat because it's ominous! Batman stands for vengeance!" He scoffed.

"Batman? More like Twatman!" She snickered.

Bruce's eyes widened, turning slowly to look at her. She stopped swinging, backing away slowly. He put down the piece of toast he was about to eat and stood up from his chair. Y/n looked at Alfred for help, to which he just shrugged playfully.

"Brucey my man, my brother, my compadre! It was a little joke, a goof if you will! A simple guffaw!"

He quickly grabbed a handful of bolts from on top of his toolbox and lunged towards y/n. She screamed bloody murder, running away from him. Bruce chased her down, tossing the bolts at her, making clinking noises as they hit the ground. The two siblings, both adults keep in mind, ran around the basement yelling and cursing at each other.

"ALFRED! HE'S THROWING BOLTS AT ME! STOP HIM!"

"CALL ME TWATMAN AGAIN!" Bruce threatened, nearly tripping over his feet.

"ALFRED HELP!"

"I'm afraid I can't help you, y/n. Master Bruce seems very passionate and I'd hate to interfere." He said.

"FUCK YOU ALFRED OH MY GOD! BRUCE STOP!" Y/n cried.

"Language, Mistress Y/n."

"I'M GONNA RIP THE FUCKING HEADS OFF YOUR BARBIES Y/N I SWEAR TO GOD!"

"WHAT THE FUCK YOU'RE INSANE! DON'T TOUCH THEM! I HAVEN'T PLAYED WITH THEM IN YEARS, THEY PROBABLY MISSED ME!"

Alfred chuckled, watching the two run around. Bruce was still throwing bolts at y/n. She was running away from him screaming for her life. He sighed.

"Just like old times."

~

That night, the two siblings did exactly as they said they would. Y/n gave Bruce directions to the club, and they both went inside. Everyone in the club was happy to see y/n, she did not lie, she was a regular there. However, they were shocked to see Bruce. Who could blame them? He never left Wayne Tower. It was amusing to see the difference in personalities between the two Wayne's. Y/n was as bubbly and friendly as could be, while Bruce was quiet and reserved. However, they quickly became the life of the party.

~

"Y/n you're fucking stupid! Get down from there!" Bruce scolded.

Even though y/n had said she wouldn't drink, she did. Bruce had one cocktail, but y/n was 3 drinks deep. And he knew that she could not hold her alcohol well at all. Currently, she was standing on top of the bar counter, wearing heels. She looked down at Bruce, blowing a raspberry at him.

"NO! I'M D-DANCING!" She hiccupped.

"Oh that's really mature! I'm so glad to see you've grown past the raspberries!" He shouted at her above the music.

People surrounded the bar, laughing along with y/n. She truly was a frequent goer here, as it appeared to be normal to the people there. But, Bruce was still worried about her safety, so he repeated himself.

"Get down! You're going to fall and hurt yourself! I'm serious!" He said.

"W-Whatev-"

Just like he said, she slipped and fell on her butt on the bar counter. Drunk as hell, she burst out laughing. But the laughter slowly faded into drunken cries.

"W-Why did you let me do th-that!" She whined.

He just stared at her, amused and annoyed all at once. But, he could see that she was sad, and he had an idea as to why. Sighing, he helped her off of the counter, apologizing to the bartender. Everyone seemed fine with it though, which he was grateful for.

"Alright, I think it's time to take you home sis." He said softly.

"B-But, I wan' keep partying! The people are crying my name out! They want an encore~!" She giggled.

Bruce wanted to laugh because no one was even paying attention to her anymore. No one was calling out her name. She was so shit faced, but luckily, she was easy to sober up. He had learned from past experiences at parties with her. It was funny, she was horrible at holding her alcohol yet she could sober up within an hour after drinking. She was a strange girl for sure.

"Well, we're all taking the party back to your apartment!" He said, faking a cheerful tone.

"What! B-But, I haven't cleaned up!" She frowned.

"Yes you did, you just can't remember." He said.

"Oh! Ok! L-Let's go!"

Bruce waved goodbye to the other partygoers, leading y/n out of the club. Little to both of their knowledge that someone was following them. Watching them. The cold air sent a chill down y/n's spine as they walked outside. Her brother led her to his car, helping her get in. But, she quickly bolted out and hunched over the side of the building. Bruce winced as she puked, feeling bad for even letting her drink. Her throat was going to hurt like hell in the morning after that. He wasn't so worried about her having a hangover, as she didn't usually get them. Again, it was so odd that she could get sober easily, not have hangovers, and yet not hold her alcohol. It was truly strange to him.

"Ok, ok, that's it. Let it out." He cooed, walking over and holding her hair back.

Y/n choked out a sob.

"I-I miss him so m-much, Brucey..." She wailed before puking again.

He sighed, ignoring the weird looks he got from people walking by. Instead, he patted her back, comforting her through her sickness. His heart hurt for her.

"I know you do, sis. I know."

"W-What if I n-never see him again? W-What if he doesn't get be-better? I l-love him so m-much..."

She dry heaved, making him cringe. The smell was awful, but he did his best to overlook it and focus on cheering her up. The cold air was hopefully helping her sober up, maybe then she would stop crying, as it was only making her throat hurt more.

"Don't think like that, y/n. You need to stay positive. If he really does love you, he'll do his best to get better. I bet he's thinking about you right now, doing whatever he can to get to see you again." He mumbled softly.

"Y-You think so?"

Upbeat music blared from the club they left, causing y/n to bob her head to the rhythm. Bruce watched in slight amusement, helping her gain her balance as she stood back up. A dribble of vomit stuck to her chin. He pulled out a handkerchief he carried around, wiping it away and putting it back in his pocket. He didn't really care about the smell or anything, he'd just wash his clothes when he got home.

"I do."

Bruce led her to the car again, helping her get in. A rustle was heard behind him, making him whip his head around. He didn't see anything, but he felt on edge. The music got louder in the club and y/n drunkenly giggled, clapping her hands.

"THE VENGABOYS?! I H-HAVEN'T HEARD THEM IN F-FOREVER! BRUCEY! IT'S THE VEN-VENGA- THE VENGABOYS!" She cheered.

"Oh Christ, that band? Weren't you like obsessed with their music as a teenager?" He asked.

"YESSSSS!"

"Ok, ok, shhhh! Use your inside voice."

"BUT WE'RE OUTSIDE!" She yelled.

"Um, use your inside a car voice?" He asked.

"Oh, ok!"

He rolled his eyes, getting in the car. Paranoid, he did one final check around. The noise he heard really made him uneasy. Sighing, he started the car and drove to y/n's apartment complex.

~

"Ok, can I have your key?" He asked.

Y/n handed him her keys. The lanyard it was attached to had Sanrio characters all over it. Bruce chuckled, realizing it was the same one from their childhood. It was neat that she still had it. Fumbling with the keys, he managed to finally unlock the door and open it up. Y/n ran into the apartment, not entirely sure where she was running to. Bruce rolled his eyes as she face planted on the couch, closing the apartment door behind him. He felt cold, looking around the apartment. His eyes landed on an open window, making his eyes widen.

"Y/n, you can't leave your windows open when you leave!" He scolded.

"B-But, how else will the stray kitties get in?" She pouted.

"Oh my fucki-, I can't with you right now." Bruce groaned, closing the window.

"Whatttt?" Y/n slurred.

"If you leave your windows open, who knows what kind of sickos could get in? It's not safe, sis. Promise me you won't leave them open when you're not home, ok?" He asked.

"F-Fine, you're right..."

He nodded, running a hand through his hair. Walking into the kitchen, he opened up her medicine cabinet. Y/n groaned dramatically as he fished out two Tylenol pills. He placed them on the counter before grabbing a glass from another cabinet. Bruce yawned, pouring some juice in it, because God forbid y/n had to take medicine with water. She hated that ever since she was a kid, she said she could practically taste the medicine if she took it with water. He opened up the fridge, making sure that she had enough food for another week. He knew that she could take care of herself, but he was still her brother. No matter what, he was always going to look after her. Satisfied, he closed the fridge.

"Alright, take these tonight, ok? Make sure you take a cold shower as well, it'll help you sober up. Are you going to be ok alone?" He asked softly.

"Y-Yeah, I'll be ok, thanks B-Brucey." She hiccupped.

He walked over, seeing how drunkenly she laid on the couch. Sighing, he placed her lanyard that he still had on the coffee table. She wasn't asleep, just wanted to lie down. Bruce walked towards the front door, stopping when y/n called for him.

"B-Bruceeeee!"

"What is it?" He asked.

"C-Can you..." She pointed at the T.V.

"Oh Jesus, really? You've watched that show thousands of times, aren't you going to get tired of it?" He scoffed.

"Never! Now, put it on!" Y/n ordered, sitting up lazily.

"Fine." Bruce groaned.

He walked over to the T.V, bending over and grabbing a C.D from a small cabinet. Y/n had brought a lot of C.D's from Wayne Tower to her apartment, as it was a comfort to her. She would watch movies that her parents, Bruce, and her used to watch, Alfred as well. There were also entire box sets of shows that she owned. And, a show that she watched a lot and never seemed to get tired of was: Breaking Bad. It was hilarious, actually. Bruce had watched it first, and y/n would sneak looks behind his back. Eventually, they watched the entire show together. Y/n got more obsessed with it than Bruce did. He remembered very vividly about her 18th birthday party and how it was Breaking Bad themed, a picture of Jesse Pinkman on her cake. It was strange, but surprisingly a fun party.

"Ok, which season?" He asked.

"Season 4!"

"Good choice."

He put the C.D in, pressing play on the first episode and giving it to y/n. Smiling, he ruffled up her hair and walked back to the door. Bruce waved to his sister.

"Good night, y/n. I'll call you when I get home. I want to make sure you're ok." He said.

"Ok, I'll keep my ri-ringer on, I looooove you Bruceyyyy!" She slurred.

"I love you too, sis."

The door closed, y/n groaning as she got up. She knew that she had to lock the door, but she was still irritated that it required her to get up. Once she made sure it was secure, she walked into the kitchen. Wincing, she took the two pills Bruce had laid out for her. She looked like a mess, honestly. Her thin strap dress ended at her mid thigh, the silver material glimmering in the dim light of her kitchen. Her makeup still looked good though, puppy liner, natural toned eyeshadow with glitter in the corner of her eyes, blush on her cheeks and nose like always, and glossy lips. Although, the gloss had been rubbed off from her vomit from earlier. That reminded her, she needed to brush her teeth, as her breath smelled terrible. Hurriedly, she tossed off her heels, forgetting she had them on. Y/n tossed them to the side, discarding them by the edge of the sofa. She went into the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush, putting toothpaste on it and brushing her teeth. She peeked out, looking at the T.V as she continued to wash away the vomit breath she had. Jesse Pinkman came on screen, and y/n drunkenly cheered, toothpaste dribbling down her chin.

"Shit!"

She spat into the sink, rinsing out her mouth. Cleaning the toothbrush, she placed it back in the container. With the back of her hand, she wiped away the toothpaste from her chin. She came back outside, too tired to even take a shower, she didn't need one that bad. Because she was walking around and actively doing things, she could already feel herself sobering up. It was good. Humming, she sat back down and watched the show. But, out of nowhere, she remembered something that Edward had said during their visit. All of her drunkenness left her body, becoming extremely aware. He could be in the dark corners of her room. He could be watching her right now. It sent shivers down her spine. Swallowing thickly, she looked around the room. From what she could see, there was nothing there. But, she had a sneaking suspicion. Carefully, she stood up. Turning her back to the T.V, she looked out of her window. She looked across at Edward's old apartment, feeling fearful. Her eyes widened as she felt someone's presence behind her.

"I've found you, rabbit."

Before she could do anything, Edward had wrapped his arm around her waist. His other hand went to her neck, gripping the front of it firmly. She could still breathe, but the shock caused her to gasp. He wore gloves, the fabric feeling crude against her skin. Edward hummed in her ear, muffled slightly.

"Now, you won't scream if I let you go, will you?"

She shook her head.

"That's my girl." Edward released her from his grip.

Y/n turned around, looking at him with wide eyes. Heat pooled in her stomach as she saw what he looked like. It had been over a year since she had last seen him, and yet it felt like she had been aroused the entire time. Desperately waiting for him to come back to her. He was in his 'Riddler' attire. Y/n had never seen him in it in person, but oh, he looked so good in it. She felt dirty for thinking that, but it was true. Edward took in her shocked state, smiling sickeningly under his mask as he reached out and brushed hair out of her face.

"W-What are you...why are you...how...?" She panted.

"I've been released from Arkham, isn't that obvious? I was going to escape, but I figured I'd get 'better', for you."

"Get better? Edward, you're dressed like the Riddler." She scoffed.

"Yes, that's because I faked it, y/n. Those doctors are so ignorant. Do I look better to you?" He asked sarcastically, leaning in to her face.

Y/n looked into his wide eyes, they made her feel threatened. Pupils glimmered behind his glasses, glazed with insanity and lust. She felt like she was in danger, but that could probably be because of his attire. Again, she had never seen him dressed like The Riddler, and it was more terrifying than she could ever imagine. He had a roll of duct tape hooked to a utility belt on his waist, along with a knife and a rag. She hoped that they weren't intended for her, and yet she did at the same time.

"N-No, you don't." She said.

"Oh, I can see the fear in your eyes, rabbit. You're so afraid of me, yet so delighted to see me. You've missed me so terribly, haven't you?" He hummed.

God, there he went again. He made her feel so small once again. Just like a year ago, she was putty in his hands. She was so pathetic. It was embarrassing.

"Y-Yes..."

"I know. I've been watching you alllll day, rabbit. I heard what you said to Bruce outside of that club. You love me still. You miss me. You want to see me again." He chuckled, stepping closer to her.

"Of course you were stalking me, I- did you get in through the window?" She asked.

He ignored the question, as the answer was obvious. Instead he looked her up and down, taking in her appearance. Scoffing, he slid his finger under a strap of her dress, letting it snap back against her skin. She flinched, every movement he made making her nervous.

"I'm gone for a year and you're putting yourself in harms way? Getting drunk around strangers, leaving windows open in your apartment, I'm disappointed, y/n. Extremely disappointed." He scolded.

"I-, I'm sorry..." She frowned.

"Have you been with anyone else, hm? Have you let someone's lips touch yours before mine?"

She shook her head frantically.

"No! I-I couldn't get you out of my head. I didn't want anyone else, Eddie." Y/n admitted.

He smiled behind the mask, happy that she hadn't moved on. As he looked at her facial features more, as he was admiring her makeup, he noticed how sad she looked. He tutted, stepping forward and pulling her into a hug. As soon as he did it, y/n broke down into tears, hugging him tightly. Edward came here to ravish her, intending on keeping his promise from a year ago, but he could see that she needed a little bit of gentle love first. So, he repressed his animalistic urge and brought out his nurturing side. As she cried into his chest, he removed his mask, tossing it on the couch. He cursed himself for wearing the cling wrap, ripping it off and shoving it in his pocket carelessly. Planting a kiss on the top of her head, he let her cry.

"I-I m-missed you so much. I know i-it's bad, but I f-felt so lost without you." She sobbed.

"Oh I know, rabbit. I missed you too." He cooed.

"I-I had no one to watch movies w-with me. N-No one to feel safe with. N-No one to hug. N-Not like I did with y-you daddy..."

Edward squinted his eyes shut. He hadn't heard that name in a long time, and he missed it dearly. Swallowing his lust, he continued to stroke her hair. He wasn't sure how long he could restrain himself.

"But I'm here now, rabbit. I'll never leave you again, ok?"

"P-Promise!"

"I promise."

Y/n sniffled, pulling away from the hug. She wiped away the tears on her cheek, lucky that she was wearing water proof mascara. Edward smiled at her, she did the same as she finally saw his face since he removed the mask. He looked just as good as he did that last time he saw him, though, he looked a little more skinny. That was most likely due to living in a hospital for a year.

"There's the smile I love so much. You feeling better, rabbit?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I am. J-Just lots of emotions, I guess." Y/n sighed.

"That's good. Now, look at me."

She looked up into his eyes.

"Do you know why I'm here, rabbit?"

Y/n furrowed her eyebrows, not sure what he was referring to. He was here to see her, obviously. Right? She stood still, thinking about why he could be in her apartment. He watched her carefully, smirking as he saw the realization in her eyes. She wasn't scared about the realization, more so caught off guard and anxious.

"Oh, fuck..."

He laughed, nodding his head.

"Oh, fuck indeed!" He mocked.

He watched as she backed up slightly. Again, not because she didn't want it. It was because she was trembling in anticipation. She was anxious for what was going to happen, it excited her and scared her. It was an intoxicating feeling. He reached down and grabbed the roll of duct tape from off of his belt. Sighing, he held it in his hand, pointing it at her.

"You see, I thought about this a lot in Arkham. What I would do to you. Oh, so many twisted fantasies crossed my mind, but none of them really..."

He pulled the duct tape out, ripping a piece off. The harshness of his movements made her jump. Edward chuckled darkly.

"...jumped at me! But then, I thought a little more about it. Although I faked being 'sane', I do want to be a better man for you. Call me sentimental, but my love for you has a hold over my cold heart." He hummed.

Y/n nodded, listening to what he was saying. Edward looked at the piece of duct tape he ripped, shaking his head. He didn't think it was long enough for what he was planning. Crumpling it up into a ball, he threw it behind him.

"So, I thought, you know what would be better therapy than what I got in the hospital?"

Y/n shook her head, curious.

"A good fuck. No, a godly fuck. A fuck so passionate and depraved that words would never be able to describe it!" He explained, slowly getting closer to her.

He took y/n's silence as a signal to continue.

"The 'Riddler' persona, what drives it is my desire for power and recognition. When I get in it, I just want to...destroy someone. I believe that if I..."

He grabbed her neck tightly, gloved fingers digging into her skin. She whimpered, instinctively holding his hand. Edward's eyes were wide as he looked down at her, a twisted smile on his face.

"...take those desires out on you, maybe it'll suppress those urges for a while. Think of it like a shot you get every few months or so. It hurts so bad, but it makes you feel so much better afterwards." He explained crudely.

"E-Edward...I-I, fuck, this is all so sudden..."

"I told you that when I got out I would be coming for you. I told you what I was going to do to you, y/n. You knew this day was coming, and from what I remember, you wanted it to happen as soon as possible." He whispered in her ear.

"Well, yeah I did. B-But, I can't just jump right into sex...it's not easy for girls to do that." She said.

Edward looked at her like she was explaining simple addition to him. He knew what foreplay was. He knew how to get her ready for sex. Even though he hadn't fucked her before, he was still pretty skilled at making her wet. He was skilled at making her desperate.

"You think I don't know that, y/n? I'm not a fucking idiot. Who said I was going to bend you over and fuck you right now?" He raised an eyebrow, hand still around her throat.

"S-Sorry, you're right. I-I'm just nervous...you're really, um, intimidating me right now..." She mumbled shyly.

"Oh, I can tell rabbit. I can feel your pulse against my hand." He hummed.

"C-Can we make a s-safeword like you said during our visit?" She asked.

"If it will make you feel more comfortable, of course. What about..." He looked at her eyes, seeing the sparkles in the corners of them.

"...glitter?"

"That works, yeah." She smiled.

"You look so good, y/n. I missed your pretty little face so much." He sighed happily.

She blushed.

"I-I'm not really sure how to start..." She admitted.

"Oh, I know exactly how. I've been dreaming about this day for over a year, rabbit. All you need to do is relax and let me do the work. Well, unless I tell you to do something of course." He smirked.

He looked at her for a second, waiting for her to give him a signal to start. Once she did, he used his free hand to cup her face. His lips pressed against hers, moving in a gentle dance. Y/n couldn't help but melt into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. He slid his tongue into her mouth, pulling away and leaving sloppy kisses on her jaw line. Saliva was already smeared across her lower lip. Edward looked down at her, the T.V show still playing in the background as he hoisted her up, legs wrapping around his waist. Y/n gasped as he brought her over to the 'L' shaped couch, dropping her on the long part of it. He did this so he could climb on top of her, straddling her hips and pinning her down. Because of how clumsily he placed her down, her dress had pulled down slightly, exposing the tops of her breasts. Edward realized she had no bra on and he groaned, dick twitching in his pants. He gripped the sides of the couch, taking a deep breath

"You're ok with this, right? I don't want you to think I'm forcing you to do this. It's ok if you don't want to." He said, looking down at her.

She didn't respond, only whined as she bucked her hips upward. Edward groaned again. The action was hot, but it was not an answer. He wanted a verbal answer from her. Reaching down, he gripped her chin roughly.

"Use your words." He ordered.

"I want this, daddy." She whispered softly.

"Fuck, call me that again." Edward said, running his thumb over her lips.

"Daddy..."

Edward couldn't wait any longer. He had been waiting over a year for this moment. He quickly removed the jacket he had on, tossing it haphazardly across the room. He was left in a dark green, almost black, tank top and the pants he was wearing as well. The sight of him in a tank top, arms shown off and accentuating his pecs, it just made her melt. Her thighs squeezed together, but Edward reached down and placed his hands between them. Tutting, he slid off the couch, kneeling down and pulling y/n closer towards him.

"Fuck, ok. Here's how this is going to go. This is the last time I'm going to ask you if this is ok. If you say yes, I'm going to just...fuck...I'm not going to stop unless you say the safeword. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, I understand. Please, Eddie, I w-want you..." She whined.

Letting out a shaky breath, he lifted up y/n's dress and bunched it around her waist. But, he scoffed, instead he removed it entirely from her body and tossed it away. Her chest was on full display and he felt his pants getting tighter and tighter by the second. He stood up, roughly grabbing one of her breasts. Her back arched and he admired the sight. But, he changed his demeanor quick, pinching her nipple harshly, twisting it. She yelped, sitting up and glaring at him. Edward grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her closer to his face.

"That's for being fucking stupid and getting wasted in the Narrows." He spat, pushing her back on the couch.

"I-"

"Don't you ever do something like that again, I don't give a shit if you were with your brother. Got it?" He scolded.

"Y-Yes, daddy I won't do it again. I promise!" She whined.

Grunting, he lifted her legs up and rested them on his shoulders. He shivered at the sight before him. Y/n's panties were completely soaked through. It should be no surprise to him though, as he was able to make her wet with a snap of his fingers. He buried his face in between her legs without warning, inhaling her scent deeply. It was so vulgar and strange, but it made y/n moan. Edward was like a kid who was playing with their new toy on Christmas. Except, in this case, he was finally getting to break and use the woman he had been stalking for months, in love with for many months after that, and thinking about for a year. It was a dream come true for him and he wanted to enjoy every single moment. He was in charge and he was going to enjoy that power.

"Fuuuuck, you smell so sweet. I bet you taste even sweeter." He mumbled.

Edward planted a soft kiss against her clothed heat, making her buck her hips. He did not hesitate to slap her thigh harshly, signaling for her to quit. It was sharp and left a red mark on her skin. He continued to kiss her, slowly licking a stripe up the fabric. Y/n whimpered and shivered underneath him, filled to the brim with lust and anticipation. A burning sensation shot up her hips, startled by Edward ripped the fabric off of her. She scoffed, her legs burning slightly.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" She exclaimed, exasperated.

He looked up at her from between her legs, not yet looking between her legs. His eyes were dark and heavy, they were always like that though. It was hot as hell. Edward said nothing as he looked at her from between her legs. The silence made her extremely unnerved, feeling his gaze pierce her soul. What made it even more ominous, is that his face was completely neutral. He did not look mad, angry, frustrated, anything. He simply just looked at her. That was all it took for her to shut up and apologize meekly. But, he continued to look at her for a little while longer, making sure that she knew he didn't approve of her language towards him. Sighing, he looked down between her legs. It was his first time ever seeing her like this. Even though he had stalked her and watched her before, he never violated her in any inappropriate way. It was his first time seeing her naked body. He was so mesmerized by the sight, taking his time observing it. Humming to himself in delight, he used his thumbs to spread her open. She was absolutely soaked, dripping on his fingers as he poked and prodded at her like a science experiment. Now, he knew that he didn't need to eat her out. If he really wanted to, he could get a quick fuck, cum, and leave her helpless. But, he wasn't an asshole. He was so hopelessly in love with her. Yes, he could focus on his pleasure, but that wouldn't be fun at all. If he just focused on himself, then he wouldn't be able to make her squirm underneath him. He wouldn't be able to make her beg for him. He wouldn't be able to make her squirt all over his fingers, in his mouth, and on his dick. And if he couldn't do that, then what was even the point? He was going to make her orgasm so many times that she'd look like her soul had been drained from her body. A groan left his throat, but his arousal made it sound like a growl. His hands gripped her thighs tightly, still resting on his shoulders. He leaned down and pressed his lips against her dripping center. A pathetic whine left y/n's throat. A ring echoed throughout the room, making both of them jump slightly. But Edward ignored it and continued to sloppily kiss and tongue her clit. Y/n had reached over, grabbing her phone from off the couch. She groaned.

"I-It's Bruce, E-Eddie." She whined.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he slightly flicked his hand at her. Y/n took that as a 'Answer it' motion. She shook her head, biting down on her lip.

"B-But, you have to stop i-if I do!"

Edward kept his lips against her skin, snapping his fingers and pointing at her.

"Pick it up." He grumbled, voice muffled against her.

Y/n silently cursed Edward out in her head. If she said any of it out loud, he might pinch her again. Taking a deep breath, she tried to gain composure of herself before answering the call. Y/n put the phone on speaker, knowing Edward would want to hear.

"Hey Brucey!"

Edward circled his tongue around her clit. His lips came together, sucking on the sensitive nub. Y/n covered her mouth with one of her hands, legs squeezing around his head between her legs. A quiet chuckle left his throat as he watched her struggle.

"Hey, just got home. I wanted to call you and make sure you're doing ok." He said.

He slowed his onslaught on her pussy, letting her answer. Edward didn't want her to get caught. Instead, he wanted her to think that she might get caught. It was a fun little game.

"Yeah, I-I'm ok. I took the medicine you put out for me. I'm..."

She looked down at Edward.

"...pretty sobered up now." She squinted her eyes shut.

"That's good. Hey, um, I just found out that Edward was released from Arkham today. Did you know that? Apparently it was earlier this morning." He said.

She looked down at Edward, wondering if she should tell her brother that he was at her house. Edward could tell what she was thinking. He thought about it, not seeing any harm in it. After all, he had been released legally, even though he sort of cheated the system. As long as he didn't know about what he was doing to his sister, nothing was wrong with telling him. He nodded at y/n, shoving his tongue inside of her and sucking on her skin softly.

"Um, yeah. Shortly after you left he came over. He's here right now actually." She said.

"He is? A-Are you...are you safe?" He asked.

Edward scoffed, squeezing her thighs in frustration. How absurd Bruce was for thinking he could ever hurt y/n with intent of malice. That was impossible. He would never cause harm to y/n. Not without her wanting it of course...

"Yes, Bruce I'm safe. He's not going to hurt me. He's actually trying to be a better person, in his own way..." She trailed, looking down at him.

It was true, he was.

"Well, that's good. Um, is he nearby? Can I say something?" He asked.

Edward rolled his eyes. If he said no, he would get suspicious. Damn it all to hell. He silently groaned, pulling away from her pussy, a string of her arousal and his saliva attached to his bottom lip. With the back of his hand, he wiped it away. Y/n nearly moaned, biting on her tongue to prevent it. He nodded at her, irritated that he would have to 'pretend' to be shy little Edward once again. Though, to be fair, he was shy little Edward. It was his Riddler side that made him the complete opposite. But, that's what they were working on right now, in a strange way.

"Yeah, I'll give the phone to him. Um, he might be a little shaken up. Be nice with him, Brucey." She said.

Y/n gave Edward the phone, watching as he held it in his left hand. With his other hand, he brought it to y/n's clit, rubbing circles on it. Of course she wasn't going to get a break. Not with Edward around. Roughly, he pressed his thumb against it, moving it very subtly every once in a while.

"Um, hello?" He mumbled softly, staring at y/n's pussy.

It was impressive how good he was at acting. His facial expression was cold and focused, his actions were vulgar and erotic, and yet his voice was meek and pitiful. The whole situation was so messed up.

"Hi. So, I'm not really sure how to start this conversation. Um, you understand why I might be a little nervous of you being around my sister, right? Last time I saw you, you weren't exactly 'sane'." Bruce said awkwardly.

Edward rolled his eyes yet again, pinching y/n's clit between his fingers. Her back arched, gripping onto the back of the couch. He smirked, focusing back onto the call.

"Yeah, I understand. But, I'm not that person anymore, Mr. Wayne. I was in a really...dark...place. I know I did bad things, but I can't take them back." He said weakly.

"Look, y/n likes you a lot. She trusts you a lot. If she trusts you, then I'll do my best to trust you too."

"I like her a lot, too. She's the first person to have shown me kindness in my life. I...I want to...I want to be a better person for her." He fake cried.

"Uh, it's ok. I believe you. Just know that I've got my eye on you. Can you give the phone back to y/n?"

"Yes, Mr. Wayne. S-Sorry..." He stuttered.

Rolling his eyes, he tossed the phone back to y/n. He instantly snapped out of his 'shy' act. Though, he didn't really lie about anything. Everything he said was true. It was just his tone that he lied about. If he had been cocky and confident, well, that would have probably raised some red flags. As y/n talked to her brother, Edward sunk back down between her legs, resuming his sloppy tonguing.

"He seems so...small?" Bruce said.

Y/n winced as he dug his nails into her skin. She knew he was feeling insulted. Even though he most definitely was not small at all. He was just acting like he was.

"Well, he's going through a lot right now Bruce."

"I guess. He's not staying over there, is he?" He asked.

"Um, I'm not sure. E-Edward, were you able to get your old apartment back or do you still need to find a new place?" She asked, irritated that she had to make him stop eating her out.

"No. They took everything out of my apartment and put it in a storage unit." He said before getting back to work.

Edward had lost his apartment when he went to the hospital. The person who was in charge of the tenants talked with the police and decided to just keep his things in a storage unit. As soon as he had a place to live, he would go and collect his possessions.

"He doesn't have a place to stay. He's staying Bruce." She stated.

"I don't know how I feel about that."

"Well, it's not really your decision, is it? I'm not going to kick him out into the streets of Gotham late at night." She scoffed.

Edward grimaced.

"I'm perfectly capable of defending myself..." He mumbled against her skin quietly before biting her.

She bit back a whimper.

"Fine. Just be safe." He said.

"I will, Brucey."

"Alright, I love you sis."

"I love you too. I'll call you in the morning. Good night."

"Good night."

Y/n hung up the phone, tossing it to the side. Edward groaned loudly, spreading her open and devouring her. The wet slurping sounds were so vulgar and sickening. He was acting as if he hadn't eaten anything in weeks, and y/n's pussy was a four course meal. She squealed when he bit on her clit harshly, tugging on it with his teeth. He pulled away and stood up, spitting on her heat as he removed his gloves, tossing them behind him. Without saying anything as a warning, he shoved three fingers inside of her as he hunched over her body. The sensation was so tight for both of them. Y/n let out a loud cry, throwing her head back into the couch. He watched as he fingered her at a rapid pace, stretching his fingers apart inside of her to further elevate the feeling. Grinning from ear to ear, he remembered that he still had his utility belt. He had ripped off a piece of duct tape earlier, intending to gag her, but the time just wasn't right. But, it was now. Oh it most definitely was. He abruptly slid his fingers out of her, sticking them in his mouth immediately. He relished the taste, humming in satisfaction as he sucked every bit off. Removing his fingers from his mouth, he slapped his hand lightly across her face, smiling at her.

"I was right, you do taste sweet. Like pure sugar." He hummed.

Y/n moaned from the slap, making him chuckle. He slapped her again, a little firmer this time. She winced, humming in response. Edward knew she'd like to be slapped around a little bit. Like he said a year ago, she was so easy to read. He grabbed the roll of duct tape, ripping a piece off. He held it in front of her face, dangling it like a cat toy.

"I have a strong suspicion that you're going to be very loud with what I'm about to do to you. We don't want your other tenants to think you're in danger, do we?" He smiled sadistically.

"W-What are you gonna do?" She asked.

"No! That'll spoil the surprise! But, if you get uncomfortable, just give daddy a little tap or hit, I'm pretty sure I can take it, on the shoulder ok?" He cooed, ruffling her hair humiliatingly.

Before she could say anything, he smothered her lips with the duct tape. Looking at her, he shook his head, deciding that it wasn't enough. Roughly, he ripped it off, making her wince. He grabbed the rag he had and shoved it in her mouth forcefully. It was the perfect fit.

"That's much better. Hm, I did really want to use the tape though..." He frowned.

He thought for a moment, thinking about what he could use it for. Not sure yet, he decided to just tape over the rag with a few pieces. Once he was sure it was secure enough, he stood up completely. Y/n laid below him, gagged and bare. Edward crossed his arms over his chest after adjusted his glasses. He stood in front of the T.V, which was still playing Breaking Bad albeit quietly, creating an outline around him.

"You look so weak. Like I could just..."

He made a 'snapping' motion with his hands.

"...break you."

Y/n moaned through the gag, watching as he walked into her bedroom. She looked at the T.V seeing Walter White come on screen. Rolling her eyes, she groaned. She loved the show, but holy shit did she hate that bald motherfucker. Her mouth was dry and she so badly wanted to remove the gag. She was fully capable of doing it, as her hands weren't bound. But, she wouldn't because Edward wanted her gagged. Edward always got what he wanted. She was happy to give him it. She sat up, grabbing a blanket and covering her body with it to protect herself from the cold. A few seconds later Edward came back in and something was in his hand. Y/n couldn't tell what it was, but she was sure he would show her soon. He knelt down in front of her, resting his arms on her covered thighs. Acting like he was a magician revealing a dove underneath a cloth, he lifted his hand off of the other. Y/n's eyes widened, it was her vibrator. He faked a shocked expression, looking at the hot pink vibrator and then back to her.

"Look what I foundddd!" He chuckled in a singsong tone.

She tried to say something, but the gag prevented her. He held up a hand, a cheeky smile on his face. He was so flamboyant with his actions and words, just like he was in the livestreams he did. It was scary, yet exciting.

"Now, I know what you're thinking. How did I find out about this? You're probably expecting me to say that I spied on you, watched you use it once, right? Well, really, I just opened up the wrong drawer while looking for the spare clothes I kept here. I can't believe it was still in the same place, and you kept my clothes too." He grinned.

Y/n rubbed her thighs together underneath the blanket. Edward grabbed it, and removed it from her legs. Though, he knew she was cold so he covered her chest with it instead. Fascinated, Edward turned it on, watching it vibrate as he held it between his thumb and two fingers. He lowered it slowly to between her legs, watching as she closed her eyes. Making a 'tsk' sound, he pulled away.

"Have you been using it? Better yet, do you think of me when you use it?" He asked.

She nodded frantically.

"Oh, you have, have you? Interesting..." He trailed.

He lowered it back down between her legs. But, yet again, he pulled away before it could touch her. He tilted his head to the side.

"Why do you have my clothes, still? Did you hold on to them because you awaited my return? Probably. Hm, do you wear them, y/n?"

She nodded again.

"Oh, you really have missed me. That's so precious." He cooed.

Harshly, he pressed the tip of it against her clit. She squinted her eyes shut, arching her back. He watched, mouth agape slightly as he took in her helpless form. An amused chuckle left his chest, sliding the vibrator inside of her slowly. She moaned, muffled by the gag, but still audible just barely.

"It's so pitiful that you had to resort to this cheap...toy...in order to get pleasure. If only I had been here to help you after those wet dreams that you no doubt had while I was away." He sympathized.

She nodded, whimpering into the gag. Edward turned it up to a higher intensity, watching her squirm. He grinned, rubbing his thumb over her clit in addition.

"But, I can promise you that once I fuck you, this is will never satisfy you ever again. It'll feel like a mere tickle compared to how I'll make you feel." Edward teased.

Y/n kicked her legs slightly, hitting Edward in the side. He knew she didn't mean to, so he didn't get mad. The overstimulation of the vibrator and his finger was just driving her near the edge. And that's exactly what he wanted. She continued to flail her legs around, though Edward held them down, almost like she was begging him to stop. But, he said she needed to tap him on the shoulder if she wanted him to stop. She knew that too, and she did not want him to stop, so she didn't do it.

"Oh, looks like someone's getting closer and closer, isn't she?" He taunted.

She had her head thrown back. Her cheeks were red from the arousal she felt. Eyes were closed shut tightly, focusing on reaching her orgasm. Edward smiled, turning the intensity up higher. That was what broke her. She moaned loudly into the gag. Edward groaned as he pulled out the vibrator, putting it against her clit. She shook under the sensation, back arching. He dove his head between her legs, cupping his mouth over her pussy after taking the vibrator away. Closing his eyes, he turned it off and rubbed her thighs as she squirted in his mouth. It was almost too much for him to handle. He growled, reaching under her and grabbing her ass. He lifted her up, desperately trying to get her closer to him, almost melt into him and join as one. Edward practically made out with her pussy, tonguing, licking, and sucking as she climaxed. Once he knew her orgasm was over, he slowed his attack on her, swallowing what was in his mouth. He brought his lips away just slightly, letting his breath fan on her sensitive skin. He let out a shaky laugh, moaning afterwards. His hands still gripped her thighs roughly as he lifted his head up completely. He needed another taste. He brought the vibrator to his lips and licked off whatever was on it. Sighing, he placed it on the coffee table next to him and swiped his tongue over his lips. He felt drunk off of her taste. He removed the tape and the gag from her mouth, placing the rag on the table and crumpling the duct tape up, placing it down as well. She panted immediately, hands covering her eyes as her chest heaved up and down. Edward hummed, bringing his thumbs down and spreading her pussy open, amused at how sensitive she was.

"Oh, don't relax just yet. I'm not even close done with you. Rabbit, I think you're ready for me. Do you think you are?" He asked.

"F-Fuck, yeah, b-but just g-give me a minute..." She panted.

He laughed, picking her up and wrapping her legs around his thighs. She whimpered as her exposed skin brushed against the fabric of his tank top. He walked over to her window, the exact one that he came in through. Y/n looked confused as he opened it, but he just smirked at her. In one fluid movement, he bent her over the window sill. Edward removed his pants, kicking them away. Y/n tried to come back inside, but he pushed her head down as he stepped behind her.

"E-Eddie..."

"Oh no rabbit, call me something else." He corrected.

"Daddy, it's cold a-and people are gonna see me!" She pouted.

He laughed, grinding his clothed dick over her pussy. She moaned, covering her mouth with her hand. Edward leaned over, grabbing her hair roughly.

"That's the entire point of this degrading act. I was able to get in because this window was open. You're practically asking people to break in and harm you. You already had yourself on display for people, I'm just making it more obvious." He spat.

"P-Please, I wanna come in!"

"You can come back in after you do one thing." He rubbed her back.

"W-What?"

Without warning, he shoved himself inside of her, head leaning back at the tight feeling. It was better than he could have ever imagined. His hand came nowhere close to it. Y/n covered her mouth, nearly screaming into it. Edward stilled inside of her as he bent back over.

"All you have to do is yell my name out. Yell it right into the street. Let everyone on this block, all the people trying to sleep, let them all hear you take this dick." He smiled sinisterly.

"W-What! No, daddy, th-that's humiliating! P-Please..." She whined.

Edward gripped her hips, ramming in and out of her. Y/n bit down on her lip, tears forming in her eyes as she held back her cries. He kept up the brutal pace, mouth agape as he admired the arch in her back. It was twisted, but her humiliation fed his ego and made him so power hungry.

"Rabbit, I know you're holding it back. Just let it out. I want everyone to know who's fucking your needy pussy." He groaned.

"I-I-I, p-please...c-can't take it..." Y/n pleaded.

"Oh, but you can and you will. You know why? Because..."

Edward slapped her ass harshly, leaving a bright red handprint. She whimpered and a tear trickled down her cheek. He grabbed a fistful of her hair, lifting her up slightly. He brought his head down to hers, raising his voice, and making it echo down the street.

"...I. Fucking. Told you!" He shouted between his thrusts.

He had no shame. Someone could walk in on him railing her and he'd pay no mind to it. He'd just pick up his pace and continue to fuck up into her. But, he knew y/n felt shame. And that's what made it more fun. She was mortified and he knew it. Y/n wanted to come back inside so bad. She had no choice other than to do what he said. But, if she was so mortified, then why was she enjoying it so much? Easy answer: because it was Edward doing it. If any other man had treated y/n like this during sex she would have kicked him out, slammed the door in his face, and called the police. But, with Edward...it was so much fun.

"E-Edward! Fuck! P-Please! It feels so good!" She cried out.

Edward hummed in satisfaction. He brought her back in, pulling his dick out of her. Closing the window, he grabbed her by the back of the neck and pushed her to the floor. Y/n's eyes widened when she saw his dick. It was well over average. Very well over average. He straddled her lap, hands wrapped around her neck the entire time.

"You know why I did that?" He asked.

"B'cause I l-left the window open?" She mumbled.

"Partially, yes. But I wanted to show you that I have no problem fucking you when you need to be fucked. I'll bend you over a windowsill, I'll push you up against a wall, I'll ruin you in an alleyway, I'll take you to a bathroom and fuck your brains out, and I'll fuck you on this floor. I don't need a cushy bed or couch to rearrange your pretty little guts." He seethed, tightening his grip on her neck.

"Ohhh, fuck meee daddy..." She moaned.

"No. You don't sound desperate enough. I don't think you really want it." He scoffed.

Y/n whined, trying to turn over. Edward noticed and lifted himself up slightly. She flipped on her stomach, completely naked on the floor as she stuck her ass up and backed it up against his dick. He watched in amusement, taking in how whorish she was acting. Laughing, he grabbed her ass, grinding against it agonizingly slow. He reached over to his pants and grabbed his phone from them, glad that he hospital held onto it for him.

"Ohhh rabbit, smile for the camera." He taunted.

She looked at him, batting her eyelashes. When she saw the phone, she didn't get uncomfortable. Instead, she increased her arch, shoving her ass up higher. Edward scoffed, taking a picture of the erotic position, his dick in the picture as well, poking at her pussy. She moaned, wiggling her ass back and forth as a way of asking him to fuck her. He rolled his eyes, flipping her over and slamming her hips down. Edward propped his phone up against a chair, angling it so it only had their bodies in frame before pressing record. He looked down at y/n.

"Are you going to be a good little rabbit and put on a show? Make a little movie for me?"

"Oh f-fuck, yes daddy please! A-Anything, j-just need your dick...p-please..." She begged.

Edward groaned, shoving himself inside of her completely. Y/n arched her back, letting a lewd moan leave her lips. He shushed her, covering her mouth with his hand as he continued to fuck her slowly.

"You already screamed out into the street, don't you think the people below you will hear you moaning my name? Do you really want to draw more attention to yourself?" He mocked.

She shook her head.

"That's what I thought. Oh, you look so pretty when I'm fucking you." He cooed.

He grabbed one of her hands and placed it over her lower stomach, near the pelvis. Pushing down, he held it in place while he continued to slowly yet fluidly rut into her. Y/n couldn't suppress the shocked moan as she felt his dick, albeit faintly, moving inside her. Again, the feeling was extremely faint, but she could still feel her skin move just slightly. It was enough to make her lose her mind though. Edward nodded his head, laughing as he pushed her hand into her stomach more, making sure she could feel it as much as she could.

"You feel that, rabbit?" He asked, groaning as he did a quick thrust, angled slightly upwards.

Y/n whimpered and nodded her head. She couldn't even get a single word out, let alone a syllable.

"That's how it feels to get your guts fucked." He spat.

Edward picked up his pace, grabbing her legs and wrapping them around his waist. The heels of her feet dug into his ass as he pummeled into her. She slid up and down the floor from the force of his thrusts, moaning the entire time. Edward was extremely careful not to push himself near the edge, as he wanted this to last as long as he could make it. But, y/n had a different idea in mind. She tightened around his dick, making him groan and hunch over. He hissed, going faster and faster, giving her a slap across the face. Needing her to be closer, he grabbing her waist and drew her close to his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he held onto her thighs. Edward continued to fuck her, wincing as she bit down on his shoulder to remain quiet. He moaned, feeling her tighten around him once again. She was getting close to her second orgasm.

"You're so filthy, letting me take you like this. And now you're about to cum on my cock. It's fucking pathetic." He whispered in her ear.

She whimpered, sobbing into his neck as her orgasm washed over her. It was so overwhelming and made her whole body go numb. He held her close as he felt her loosen around him. Her pants and whines echoed in his ear and he listened to them as if it was his favorite song.

"That's it, my filthy little rabbit. Worn out like an old glove, aren't you?" He cooed mockingly, turning off the recording.

"M' so tired..." She mumbled.

"But, I'm still not done. You've gotten to cum twice, and I haven't once. Does that sound fair?" He hummed.

"N-No daddy."

"Then get the fuck up." He spat.

Y/n whimpered, lifting herself off his dick and standing up. Edward grabbed his phone, stopping the recording, and pointed towards her bedroom. He slapped her on the ass before she scurried to her bed. Edward followed, ego inflated and attitude cocky. He saw her on her back, legs spread out, putting herself on display. Slowly, he closed the door, staring at her blankly. She practically shrank under his icy gaze.

"I've been gentle with you, rabbit."

She whined, rubbing her thighs together. Her eyes moved to his hand, freezing as she saw a belt. Edward could see that she looked uncomfortable, so he figured he should clarify.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you with it. I'm not comfortable with that." He reassured.

She nodded, relaxing instantly. Edward approached her, motioning for her to get closer. When she did, he quickly wrapped the belt around her neck, not hooking it, and tugged on it. She choked slightly, as when he pulled it, it tightened. He didn't say anything as he shoved her down in the mattress, hand keeping her head down. Y/n moaned, remembering that this was something he said he wanted to do to her during the visit. She cried out as he fucked down in her. He pulled on the belt, silencing her cry, pushing her head down with his hand firmly.

"No, no, NO! Stay STILL!" He ordered.

Y/n nodded, whining as a bit of her slick trickled down her leg. Edward saw and brought his finger down, wiping it up and licking it off. He groaned, slapping her ass as he abruptly started to animalistically drill down into her. She whimpered, the noises she could make being restricted by the tight belt around her throat. He laughed, enjoying the scenario a little too much.

"You're pathetic. I hope you know that. But, I love you for it. I love how you risked your entire reputation while I said all those vulgar things to you in that visitation room. I love how you let me eat your pretty pussy while you called your brother, when you easily could have made me stop. I love how you're such a perfect angel in public, but as soon as I even look at you, you grovel at my feet. I love how you'll do anything I tell you to." He groaned.

"A-Anything you want d-daddy!" She choked out.

Edward tightened the belt.

"Did I say you could fucking speak? No! So just shut the fuck up!" He seethed, spitting on her back.

He pushed her head further into the mattress as he got on the bed. His knees on either side of her, letting him get a better angle. He bent over, giving no warning as he bit down hard on her shoulder. Y/n screamed into the mattress as he broke skin. He said he would do this too. He told her he would mark her. He told her that he would sink his teeth into her skin and make her bleed. She knew him well enough to know he doesn't lie. He tightened the belt, continuing to fuck her as he sucked and bit her shoulder. Y/n knew that it would hurt like a bitch later on, but she didn't care in the moment.

"Fuck, you wanna cum again?" He asked, lips on her skin.

She whimpered, mumbling a soft 'yes' into the bed.

"Yeah? Oh I bet you do."

He pulled away from her shoulder. Edward felt himself get close to his orgasm. He grunted, pulling out of her and flipping her over. Leaning forward, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and turned her around so her head hung of the edge of the bed. He bent over and thrusted his dick inside her mouth, touching the back of her throat. He spread her legs open, hungrily licking and sucking at her clit. Y/n whimpered, clawing at the backs of his thighs in desperation to pull away. He moaned, shoving two fingers in her pussy and stretching them apart as he fucked her skull. He curled his fingers before pulling them out, gripping her thighs as he reached his climax, hot thick ropes shooting down her throat. She gagged, tears trickled down her face as her mouth was filled up with his cum. He pulled out of her, moving away and looking at her face with a blank stare as she hung upside down. She swallowed the thick liquid, grimacing as she did it. Edward slapped her across the face, squeezing her jaw to force her mouth open. He looked inside, watching as a string of cum trickled off her tongue. He caught it on his finger and shoved it inside her mouth, feeling her tongue swirl around it before pulling it out. He stood up once he was satisfied, sitting down on the bed and leaning his back against the headboard. Y/n whined, slowly sitting up.

"D-Daddy..."

He looked up at her dully. She had her hand between her thighs, squeezed tightly together. The bite mark on her shoulder was a dark red-purple, but it wasn't bleeding. He grimaced, upset that he hadn't caused her to bleed. Sadistic, yes, but he wanted to see if her blood was just as sweet as the rest of her body. Edward scoffed, motioning for her to come over to him. Not needing to be told twice, she crawled on his lap, legs straddling one of his thighs. Now, Edward was spent, that was for certain. Could he have done a lot more than what he did to her? Yes. But, he didn't. Maybe in the future, if he needed to have another 'therapeutic' fuck, he would be more rough and kinky. Yeah, he was already rough and kinky with her, but he could have done so much more. Not now, of course. But, some time soon. However, he could still rough her around a little more. After all, he could tell how desperate she was for an orgasm. Why wouldn't he toy with her a little?

"What is it, rabbit? Hm?" He cooed in a sickly sweet voice.

"Y-You didn't let me cum..." She whined, rubbing back and forth on his thighs.

Edward feigned innocence, though y/n knew he was toying with her. He shook his head, brushing hair out of his face.

"No, I made you cum twice little rabbit. Or do you not remember? Did I fuck you dumb?" He hummed.

"N-No, I mean right n-now..."

He made a shocked face, tilting his head to the side. Pushing his glasses up, he softly said 'ohhh'. Y/n continued to grind on his thighs, biting on her bottom lip.

"Is that what you're trying to do? Cum? Is that it?"

She nodded, gripping onto his shoulders. Edward stayed silent for a bit, letting her go a little longer. He watched the way her hips rolled as she moved back and forth. Her arousal was coated his thigh, smearing it all over his skin. After a few more seconds, he used his hands to hold her hips firmly in place. Y/n groaned at the sudden inability to move. Looking into her eyes, he let his nails dig into her soft flesh. Her face contorted and she hissed.

"Do we not ask for permission anymore? Huh?" He questioned lowly.

"I just r-really need it!" She stuttered.

"Yes, I can see that, I'm not fucking blind. But you're not the one in charge here, are you?"

"Well..."

"Are you?!" He raised his voice, digging his nails in further.

"No! I'm not!" She shrieked.

"Who is?"

"You are!"

"And what's my name?"

"E-Edward!"

"So, who's in charge?" He asked, yanking her forward so his leg grinded against her heat.

"F-Fuck! Edward is!"

During the conversation, Edward's dick had gotten hard again. He didn't think he'd be wanting a round two, but he just couldn't help himself anymore. Roughly, he pushed her on her back, hovering over her on the bed. Y/n instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, practically begging him to take her again. He felt something inside of him change. It was as if the 'switch' determining his persona was balanced in the middle, and now it was fully on 'The Riddler'. He felt that this was progress, hopefully this second round would be enough to suppress his alter ego for a while to come. Y/n could see it in his eyes, she could see the fire and craze. It was startling, as if she was looking into the eyes of a murderer. Well, that's the thing, she was. Except this time, it was the true murderer, not Edward. The Riddler was the personification of his darkest desires, his darkest thoughts, his hatred, and his anger. He was absolutely positive that this fuck would help him deal with that side of him, but he did know that he would also have to go to therapy sessions. He was ok with that. But, currently, he couldn't think about anything other than ruining y/n once again. It was as if he was back in his 'early days' of becoming the Riddler. After all, it was his research he did as the Riddler that led him to getting interested in y/n. It was the Riddler that gave him the confidence to go after her. Sure, Edward's 'normal' self helped with it too, but if it weren't for his alter ego, he never would have been here with y/n. Edward knew he would never be able to fully get rid of his persona, and he was ok with that. But, he wanted to learn how to push it down and make it more 'tame'. And, since y/n was ok with it, he figured he could just 'tame' it in the bedroom. Y/n could see the switch flip in his brain, and it excited her. It was obvious that he was fully in his alter ego state now, as he had the same insane look in his eyes as he did in that visitation room. Oh, y/n remembered it so well. Edw-The Riddler, looked down at her, a familiar wide grin spreading over his face. It sent a chill down her spine and made her ache between her legs. She knew that things were going to be more...harsh. Severe.

"Ohhh, rabbit, sweet, gentle rabbit. Enticing and delicate beneath me." He breathed out, gliding his knuckled over her cheek.

Y/n hesitated to speak, not entirely sure what she should call him. When she visited him, he was 'The Riddler' and she called him Edward. He didn't seem to mind. After all, he still was Edward. Just the 'darker' part of him. She had also called him daddy a lot, and he really seemed to love that. Though, it was surprising, he seemed to prefer being called it in sweet moments, granted with the occasional sexual moment.

"Edwa-"

He backhanded her across the face, way harder than Ed had ever done. She whimpered, bringing her hand to her face and feeling it sting. Laughing, he grabbed her face with both of his hands, the grip very tight.

"SHUT UP!" He yelled.

She nodded softly, restricted by his hands. His pupils were dilated, frantically scanning her face. Y/n dared not speak a word, not even a peep. He breathed heavily as he looked over her body and y/n could feel his dick poke at her inner thigh. His focus was on the bite mark on her shoulder, the slightly smudged mascara under her eyes, and the glitter that was in the corner of them and on the tip of her nose. She sparkled below him, ethereal and heavenly, despite being run through by his dick twice already. He licked his lips, gripping her hair with one of his hands roughly.

"Oh, there is so much potential...so many things to do to you..."

Y/n lifted her hand up, wanting to touch his face. But, she was cautious, as if she was trying to pet a wild animal. He smirked, knowing that he was making her nervous and wary. Oh, but that's what he wanted. He was a sly fox, baring his teeth at a jittery rabbit. And he so badly wanted to clamp his jaws around her supple throat.

"You can touch me, rabbit. I won't bite..." He hummed.

Leaning down to her, he hovered his lips near her ear. Y/n wrapped her arms around his neck, unsettled by how sweet he was being. In fact, it was gentler than before. Something was up. She just needed to be prepared for it. And she was right...

"...softly." He chuckled lowly.

His teeth sank into the bite mark already on her shoulder. It wasn't gentle at all, he was not holding back. But, as if his canines piercing her flesh wasn't enough, he reared his hips back and thrusted himself inside of her with brutal force. He went so deep that his tip hit the bundle of nerves inside of her, making her stomach drop and mouth hang open. The multiple sensations, painful and pleasing, overwhelmed her and she couldn't muster a scream. She was choking on her words. But, just to make sure she didn't get too loud, Edward brought a hand to her face and covered her mouth with it. He was gripping the skin of her face in an attempt to shut her up, and it was working. It was impressive how good he was at multitasking, but he was good at many things. Pearly white teeth grazed over her skin as he tried to draw blood. He wanted to tear her flesh away, but he didn't want to ruin her pretty complexion. So, he settled on a little bit of blood. He bit down harder, y/n screaming into his hand as he did so. Just like he wanted, a few drops of blood slid down from the small wound he inflicted. Again, he made it small as to not maim her pretty skin. But, it was still sure to hurt like a bitch. He pulled away, a tiny amount of blood smeared on his bottom lip. Panting, he watched as the dark liquid trickled down her collarbone. His hand was still over y/n's mouth, giving her cheek a firm slap while it was still near her face. His tongue rolled out as he lowered himself back down to her neck, continuing to fuck her ferociously. He was practically drooling as he licked up her blood, a horrifyingly erotic moan leaving his throat. His eyes rolled back in his head and he took a moment to enjoy the taste. He was right about it. It tasted like pure sugar. Liquid sugar staining his lips, tongue, and teeth a violent shade red. Y/n moaned into his hand and he gave a harsh thrust, signaling for her to be quiet. Sighing shakily, he pulled away from her neck and sat up straight as he ran through her. It looked like a scene from a horror movie. The killer, bloodstained and crazed. The final girl, helpless and scared. But, this was more erotic of course. This was like if the killer held the knife to the final girl's throat and she moaned, asking him to fuck her. She knew it was dangerous, but she loved the thrill.

"You taste better than I could have ever imagined. Than I have imagined." He shivered.

Y/n whimpered, the stinging sensation of her neck now taking over her senses. It hurt so bad, burning and throbbing. But, it felt so good at the same time. Edward wasn't done though. He still wanted to humiliate her a little more. Play around with her. Remind her that she was getting dicked down by The Riddler. He lifted her legs up, forcing them to stay wrapped around his waist. His pace inside of her was savage and brutal as he brought his hand off her mouth and slapped her across the face lightly. He did it again, and again, and again, chuckling as he did it. His fingers hooked inside her mouth, forcing her lower jaw to stay slack. He wasn't even sure what he was doing, he just wanted to play with her like a toy. His tongue swept over his lips, wiping away excess blood. After he did that, he spit on her chest, his saliva tinted pink. With her mouth still pried open, he spat on her tongue. She swallowed it, making him twitch inside of her at how she knew exactly what he wanted her to do without saying it. He lowered himself down, lips hovering over hers as he pushed himself back and forth over her body, fucking her up close and personal.

"You're loving this too much, rabbit. Don't you feel filthy? You look filthy." He hissed.

"Y-Yes, I-I'm fil-ilthy!" She pleaded in between his thrusts.

He pressed his lips against hers, making her taste her own blood. Humming into the kiss, he lowered one of his hands to grab her breast, pinching her nipple roughly. She groaned against his lips at the feeling, but was cut off with his other hand wrapping around her neck firmly. Edward pulled his lips away just barely, grazing over her own. The bed creaked below them, rocking back and forth dangerously from his rapid thrusts. Y/n's eyes were shut tightly, hands burrowing into his hair and gripping it for stability. Edward could feel himself getting close to his climax, and he could tell y/n was close as well.

"Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps." He laughed breathily.

Y/n opened her eyes, looking at him in confusion. She knew it was Shakespeare, but she wasn't in the right mind to process the meaning behind it. It wasn't necessary though, as Edward was quick to elaborate in her ear.

"You were lead into my trap, rabbit. And whilst you were trapped, you were shot in the heart. Falling in love with a muuuurderer...a staaaalker...a crrrrreep!" He laughed in lunacy, somehow fastening his pace even more.

"F-Fuuuuuck, Eddie! So close! Pleaseeee!" She whimpered pitifully.

"You looove my dick. You looove being handled like a toy. You looove being slapped around and getting fucked stupid. You are nothing more than my pretty, slutty, pathetic, little...rabbit." He emphasized his filthy words.

"M' your rabbit, p-please! Wan' cum so ba-ad, daddyyy!" She begged lazily.

Edward groaned, pulling out of her and bringing his face between her legs. He wasted no time sucking and shoving his tongue inside of her. Y/n squealed as he bit on her clit harshly, tugging on it with his teeth as he pushed two fingers inside her. He spread them out, making her kick her feet, squeezed his head between her thighs. He panted as he curled his fingers rapidly over and over again, biting and kissing her clit as she shook beneath him. She shot up from her laying position, grabbing his hair and shoving his head further between her legs, if it was even possible. Her orgasm washed over her and Edward squeezed her thigh, lapping up her climax greedily and hungrily. Groaning in pleasure, he pulled away, her arousal smeared over his mouth. He wiped it off with his thumb and sucked it off. Quickly, he grabbed a fistful of her hair he brought her over to him. He sat down on the bed with his back against the headboard, forcefully shoving her head down on his cock. She gripped the sheets of the bed as he held her down with a strong hand. Y/n sucked as best as she could, gagging on the length with tears in her eyes. She didn't have to suffer long though, as he went slack jawed and pulled on her hair, cuming on the back of her throat. Y/n swore she heard him whimper.

"Swallow." He ordered, pulling her mouth off his dick.

She did as he said, though the taste was not pleasant of course. He watched as her throat bobbed, making sure she followed directions. Once she did, he let out a deep sigh, pulling her close to his chest as he lay down on the bed. Y/n was confused, but she stayed in his arms. She could feel his breathing slow down, calming down from the actions they did together. His glasses were fogged up and he brought his hand up to clean them, running it through his hair after. Y/n spoke up to say something, but he hushed her gently, petting her head softly. It clicked in her mind that he must be collecting himself, so she was more than happy to give him time to adjust. After another minute, he patted her shoulder gently before sitting up. He rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses, sighing. Edward turned his head to look at her, smiling kindly. Y/n felt her heart flutter. The Riddler persona had such a hold over him, that he was never truly 'genuine' Edward. But, she was seeing a bit of that side of him currently. Now, Edward wasn't a shy little weirdo. Well, he was. But he wasn't weak. Everything the Riddler persona was, he was too, it just was 'heightened'. He looked at her shoulder, seeing the slightly bloody bite mark, eyes widening at it. Yes, he really wanted to do that to her, but it was still a jarring sight when he really took the time to look at it.

"Are you ok?" Y/n asked.

"I'm fine, a-are you ok?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I liked it. It stings a little though." She shrugged.

"You did seem to like it a lot, you're quite the masochist aren't you?" He laughed.

Y/n crawled on his lap, grabbing one of the blankets on the bed and pulling it over the both of them. She sighed, snuggling up to his chest. Edward was taken aback, for some reason he thought y/n would kick him out of the apartment as soon as they finished. Sure, she said she loved him, but it was still a hard thing to believe as he had never been loved before. He was glad she didn't kick him out. He was glad she was holding him.

"Is your um...the Riddler, is he gone?" She asked, cheek against his tank top.

"Uh, well I don't think I'll ever get rid of it. But, it's definitely 'satisfied' for now. I'm going to go to therapy, hopefully I can figure something out. The therapists in Arkham aren't exactly the most helpful..." He sighed.

Y/n nodded.

"Sorry, did that bring the mood down?" Edward groaned internally.

"No, I'm glad you're telling me this. I want to see you get better. You mean a lot to me. I love you..."

"I love you too, y/n. I'm glad I didn't ruin the moment." He mumbled, kissing the top of her head.

"Well, you certainly ruined me! I'm extremely sore, I don't think I can walk." Y/n groaned.

"Well, I seem to recall you wanting me to do those things to you."

"Yeah, I did. And, I don't regret it. It was rough, but that was definitely the best sex I've ever had." She chuckled.

"That was my first time, so I'm glad I held up to my promise of making you feel good."

Y/n sat up slightly, looking down at him. Her eyes were wide and mouth ajar. Edward raised an eyebrow, glancing to his sides nervously. She poked his chest, making him grunt.

"Liar! That was not your first time!"

"I'm not lying! Is it really that hard to believe?" He asked.

Y/n straddled his lap, leaning down and glaring at him closely. Her face was inches away from his. She looked at his facial expressions.

"Jesus, you're serious! Well, that's very impressive. Was I a good first time for you...?" She asked sitting back up, suddenly shy.

Furrowing his eyebrows, he sat up. He cupped her face in his hands, making her look into his eyes. A dorky smile was on his face, dimples showing.

"Is that even a question? Of course you were, rabbit. You were so, so, so good. Perfect, even." He cooed.

Y/n smiled, but she sniffled. Edward frowned as a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away, smudging her eyeliner that was miraculously still on her face. He felt his heart sink, stroking her hair and holding her chin gently.

"Oh no, no, no what's wrong? Did I say something? Was I too rough with you?" He frantically spewed.

"N-No, I just...I feel gross..."

Edward hummed, wiping a tear away with his thumb. He knew what she was experiencing. Well, not exactly, but he knew that some people would get sad after sex. Tutting, he pulled her close to his chest and enveloped her in a hug.

"...you said I was filthy and pathetic. Is that true?" She asked.

He felt his heart shatter.

"Shit, no it's not true. It was just dirty talk, y/n. Did you not like it? You should have used the safeword, rabbit. If I had known then I wouldn't have done it."

"No, I loved it, but I-I was just...I was worried you actually felt that way about me." Y/n mumbled.

"No. I don't. It was just dirty talk. Do you understand?"

She nodded, her bottom lip quivered, tears pooling in her eyes. Y/n couldn't explain it, but she just felt sad. She was not upset about what happened, she was never uncomfortable, she was not mad, she was not feeling guilty, she just had an overwhelming feeling of sadness. Perhaps, she doubted that Edward truly loved her? Or, maybe she just felt insecure? Vulnerable? Edward stroked her hair still, kissing the top of her head. He could tell she didn't even know how she felt. All he could do was comfort her. So, he remembered what she had said about accepting love back in the bookstore. He had done it in the visitation room, but he wasn't exactly sane during it. He would do it again now. Sane, holding her in his arms, and just as vulnerable as she was.

"Doubt that the stars are fire. Doubt that the sun doth move his aides. Doubt truth to be a liar. But, never doubt I love." He said softly.

Y/n lifted her head off of his chest, looking him in the eyes. She felt herself tear up again, but it wasn't from sadness. A small smile spread over her face. Edward brushed hair out of her face.

"I would not wish any companion in the world but you." She sighed.

Edward blushed. It was such a strange thing. He had snuck into her apartment after legally being released from Arkham. He had taken her on basically every surface he could. He had bit her, made her bleed, slapped her, and now he held her face in his hands. His gaze was gentle and loving. After an intimate and raucous night of rough love making, they both sat in her bed, quoting Shakespeare to each other. Their hearts were swollen and overflowing with love, filling their bodies to the brim. Edward intended to never leave her in his life. He intended on marrying her. That was what he wanted more than anything. She wanted that too. Alas, small steps. Baby steps.

"You feeling better now, rabbit?" He asked.

"Yeah, s-sorry..." She sniffled.

"No, don't apologize. There's absolutely no reason to. Now, why don't we get cleaned up, yeah?"

"Yes please, I feel so...icky." She laughed softly.

"Me too, I'm very sweaty. It's not a great feeling." He grimaced, shaking his head.

"Do you want to take a shower together?" Y/n asked, straightening his glasses for him.

"Yeah, I'd like that a lot actually..." He blushed.

"Edward, are you blushing? What's there to blush about? You literally just saw me naked and fucked the soul out of me!" She laughed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Well yeah, but...shut up." He mumbled, getting off the bed and standing up.

"You're such a dork." Y/n joked, taking his hand that he offered to her.

"Shit, wait stay right there" He said.

Y/n raised an eyebrow, but she did as he said. Funny, even when he wasn't being 'dominant' she still followed his orders. He left the room and y/n watched his ass as he walked away. She couldn't help it. Sue her. After a few seconds, Edward came back in with something behind his back. She tilted her head.

"What do you have? Is it a puppy?!"

Edward rolled his eyes, bringing it out in front of him. In his hands was a sketchbook. Smiling, y/n grabbed it and opened it up. She gasped as she saw drawings littered over the pages. Almost all of them were her. Others were sketches of places Edward felt were important. There was the bookstore, rooms of y/n's apartment, the coffee shop that Edward and y/n went to a lot, and the subway station. She looked back up at him, pride and love in her eyes.

"They uh, they let me keep a journal. The therapist said it would be good for my mental health. She said that I should sketch and document things that I remembered from before the hospital. Uh, like things and places that made me really happy. Nothing that evoked any bad feelings or thoughts. So um..." He trailed as she flipped through the pages.

"So you drew me? A-And the places we went to often? Edward, that's so sweet. Your art is so good, too! Um, why did you draw a subway station though?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, uh, well when I would get off of work and wait for the train, I would spend that time thinking about you. Like, what we had planned for that day. It was something to look forward to." He said shyly.

"Eddie, that's so romantic. How many of these drawings did you do?" She asked.

"That's my third book."

"Third book?!"

"I had a lot of time on my hands. It was one of the things that kept me occupied." He smiled.

Y/n sighed, hugging him after placing the book on the bed. She was so happy that he was back. Edward hugged her back, sniffling as he tried to hold back tears. He hated being vulnerable and crying, but he felt comfortable around her. He could be himself around her and not get judged. He felt loved.

"Y/n, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked abruptly.

She didn't even hesitate.

"Yes. I'd love to, Edward."

There went the water works. Edward couldn't hold them back anymore. He felt his inner child come out, jumping up and down and clapping his hands, happy that someone finally loved him. Tears streamed down his face, holding her tighter in his arms. She rubbed his back, letting him cry as he wiped his tears away. He was such a kind soul tormented by his past and his own self. Y/n intended on fixing that. She was going to give him the love he always deserved. She was going to help him get better, get him the best therapist that money could buy, and let him cry whenever he needed to.

"You're so nice to me..." He sobbed.

"Oh, Edward, of course I am. You deserve it. C'mon, let's go take a shower." She cooed.

He pulled away, removing his glasses so he could wipe his tears away. Putting them on the nightstand, he nodded. Edward blinked away the rest of the tears. Clearing his throat, he held y/n's face in his hand, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Smiling, he pinched her cheek gently, watching her pink dusted nose scrunch up in amusement.

"Alright, let's go rabbit."

~

[peppertaemint]

I'm curious about your analysis or even just your take in the meaning of Guilty (both MV and song together as a whole). Along with the teaser/trailer and the mention of Bataille's book, the whole thing seems to be a complicated onion with so many contradicting facets. But if you ignore all of that and just watch the MV, then it is rather a straightforward "hurt people hurt people" and some Lord of the Flies reference. But my head keeps thinking it's more convoluted than that lol. Would you tell me what you think the MV is about? :D

My initial take is pretty straightforward but completely undercooked, lol. This is my unvarnished and un-researched take.

I think that the concept has to do with sin and behaviour outside of expected moral bounds. I think this is where the eroticism comes into play. The dance involves self touching, which can be a hint towards the "sin" of masturbation. His character seems to be held in a place where he is tightly controlled and conditioned, and he experiences physical abuse as a form of behaviour control. It seems like he could be in a place where children are taken to correct "sinful" behaviour, perhaps to correct gender dysphoria, or androgyny, or homosexuality, sins of masturbation, promiscuity, et cetera.

Some of the George Bataille quotes I've seen centre on how eroticism and violence and death are linked. I think the eroticism here is less surface or obvious. People expected this sort of Madonna style sexuality of his previous work, but that's not what we're getting here. It's taking criminal to a whole different level.

There is a link between the sensuality of violence and that of traditional eroticism. This is a bit mindbending. The best example I can think to explain right now is David Cronenberg's Crash. Passion and eroticism are linked literally with the bodily experience of a car crash, its violence and trauma. The violent climax of the car crash is likened to the ecstasy of orgasm. In Taemin's Guilty, the ecstasy of orgasm is linked to a different type of harm to the body and the mind. At the very beginning of the video, how he runs away and has a sort of fit, it's rather orgasmic. I think he's showing us the ecstasy of harm and losing control in many parts.

The video is more complex than it seems on the surface, I think. On first watch, I think it's easy to say okay well he's breaking free of something blah blah blah. I think over the coming days when we actually look at the details closer, we'll see a lot more there.

The entire sequence in this outfit and its setting hasn't been touched upon. The dance that he does in thus setting reminds me of the just me and you contemporary dance performance. I do think there is the struggle of gender underpinning the entire concept, but also a struggle with sexuality and the corporeality of eroticism that so many find sinful.

In quite a few concepts, he has explored the idea of ecstasy through being destroyed or destroying oneself. I think this is another iteration of that. Another exploration. And I think he's done a brilliant job of elucidating that ecstasy in a new way that is really centred on a unique contemporary dance style.  many people have said that he's able to tell a story through his dance and I think this is another great example of that. He's merged cinema and dance into a narrative form to the point where almost feels like it's own language.

I'm not sure where I fall in the Lord of the flies references anymore, but surely there are some present. And we see his character becoming worshipped. But I think there's also a consideration as to what is real and what is not and how many narratives are present in this piece of cinema. Perhaps certain sequences are the daydreams of someone locked up. They could be the fantasies of someone who is not free. Does he escape? Does he get liberated? Those are interesting questions to consider.

[autisticempathydaemon]

I'd love to get a match if you're still doing them!!

I'm currently listening to American Teenagers by Ethel Cain. There's something about the lyrics that remind me of my angsty teen years. I'm really stuck on the lyrics "crying in the bleachers and I said it was fun", super relatable lol. I'm also stuck in Hummingbird by The Haunting. My favorite lyrics are "I wish you'd walk in and I miss you pillow talk"

My ennagram type is INFP

I love video essays, the longer the better, but I especially like the ones about videogames I'll never play. I just finished one about no more heroes that was fun.

My go to way to fall asleep is my fan on full blast, covered in a large blanket, and kicking my foot back and forth until I fall asleep, which is pretty fast since the motion soothes me for whatever reason.

I love the Guy confession audio. I love Guy's energy and how he goes from light hearted to fairly serious. He seems so chill and funny and his confession was so sweet.

I'm not a big fan of David. He's cool, but I like guys who are more gentle and emotionally open I guess?

I'd love to be best friends with Gavin because he's so supportive and fun. I think he'd be tons of fun to hangout with. Or Huxley, he's so sweet.

I've researched criminal minds more times than I can count. I love crime shows and such, but I'm not a fan of the personal character drama. I just want to see people solve crime. I know the endings to them all but still like them.

When I'm tired I love to ramble about human behavior. I'm really shy and bad at social interactions so it's usually me hyper analyzing an interaction and pointing out all the ways society's social standards are weird, at least to me lol.

Other stuff- I'm a fairly artistic person, I love paint and drawing, I also enjoy cooking. I'm shy and soft spoken in public but loud when I'm around people I like. I also love sleeping and naps. I'm a bit of a pushover and need people to like me but do like helping people. I also love listening to music, picking just 1 song to write about was hard so I picked two because I like so many, sorry!

Thanks!!

Okay, so hear me out. He gets a little bit of a bad rap because of the whole Sadism’s Hold thing, but you and Ivan, specifically FlyBoi!Ivan, would be so cute together, give him a CHANCE-

I get the irony of pairing you with someone who could have once been on Criminal Minds, I swear, but I feel like Ivan is a wonderfully gentle soul when not being otherwise manipulated. His normal voicemails are proof of that, that he’s thoughtful and communicative and not afraid of being vulnerable and putting his heart out there, you know? This would wonderfully complement the sensitivity that INFPs are known for.

Overall, I think you’d have a lovely, sweet, domestic sort of life together. Ivan also strikes me as a people pleaser which is great because when you pair people pleasers together, you get a couple who consistently looks out for one another’s needs. He travels for work and never forgets to call home or ask what new creative project you’re working on, never lets you forget he’s thinking about and missing you.

Song:

You could be dancing on tabletops/ Wearing high-heels/ Drinking until the world/ Spins like a wheel/ But tonight your apartment/ Had so much appeal/ Who needs stars?/ We've got a roof/ But there's nothing/ Like doing nothing/ With you

I don’t have a firm grasp of what genre Ivan would like, but I do like the slower, swaying vibes of this song for you. It’s sweet, relaxing, the soundtrack to when he finally comes home from a work trip and is grateful to see you napping on the couch in the dimming, sunsetting light of your living room.

Runner-Ups:

Morgan is a runner-up because he has a lot of similar vibes to Flyboi!Ivan, though I don’t know him well enough to match him confidently and he doesn’t strike me as forthcoming with his love and emotions. Cam was a closer candidate if I had not really liked the domestic vibes of you with a human or unempowered person.

note: if you don’t like Ivan and I took too big of a risk I am SO SORRY but he’s a darling and I love him he’s so lovable

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[brookheimer]

Sorry but can you actually name a single “abortion plot line for the Strong Female GirlBoss character”? Because literally every time pregnancy is introduced for a character that Is Not Really Womanlike, it’s to remind her that she is a Woman and she suddenly discovers that being a Woman means she has to be a Mom and suddenly her life changes

oookay i'm guessing you don't watch a lot of shows about, like, female politicians or businesswomen or something. you asked for a "single one" but just for shits and gigs i'll give you a whole goddamn list.

important to note that a) this isn't to say Women Should Not Get Abortions To Focus On Their Careers or anything at ALL like that, it's literally just proving that there is indeed a pretty fucking prominent trope of Strong Female GirlBoss characters getting abortions, and b) i'm not saying all of these plotlines are bad or poorly handled, but that there is 1000000% a trope of high-powered career women getting abortions, and that trope is only growing with each year. how have you not- ? nevermind. lol. anyways, here are just a few:

amy brookheimer from veep (a plotline so abhorrent it should really count for five)

claire underwood from house of cards

olivia pope from scandal

if you want to go old school, erica kane from all my children in 1973 (sidebar that it was to pursue her career as a model rather than a businesswoman, but it was still framed as a Strong Female GirlBoss move and given that those are your requirements i'm including it)

christina yang in grey's anatomy

diane nguyen from bojack horseman but also not entirely -- she simply doesn't want kids, it's not a girlboss thing. that said she is a Strong Female GirlBoss character who has an abortion and you seem to think those characters don't exist so i'm including her entirely

okay it's late and i'm tired and also you only asked for one so this'll do for now. also like google exists, lol. didn't need to send this strangely aggressive ask implying i don't know what i'm talking about when i've said that i've literally written academic papers on this topic, but thanks anyways i guess! or maybe i'm reading the tone wrong and you're not being condescending you're genuinely asking. in that case sorry if i'm being bitchy and pretend my tone here is really really nice because i genuinely would mean it to be if this sounded more like a real actual question rather than an attempt to prove me wrong or something !!!

and, just for a few more shits and a few more gigs, here are some articles and scholarly papers talking about the weird overrepresentation of Career Women Getting Abortions For Their Careers in television when in reality, that's only the motivation for like 1 in every 5 women who get an abortion rather than fuckin 4 in 5 or something as it is on prestige TV

"Fictional women are much more likely to say that continuing a pregnancy would make it harder them to pursue their education or career dreams, though just 20 percent of women report that those are the reasons they want to have abortions"

from above as well -- "television’s emphasis on women... who want to prioritize their careers or educations" + "these storylines often suggest that it’s impossible to parent and pursue professional ambitions"

there's also the great resource of the abortion on tv and film database if you're actually inclined to look into this

"Most recent abortion plotlines on legal dramas focus on personal stories, specifically the revelation of a past abortion [i.e., The West Wing (2004), Criminal Minds (2008), House of Cards(2015)] and the decision to obtain one [i.e., Third Watch (2000), Boss (2012), Scandal (2015, 2015)]. However, the characters’ personal experiences are often shared within the context of professional and political consequences" (this great research paper has a lot of stuff) --> another from that paper: "when medical and legal dramas tell women’s stories in more detail, they are usually professional lawyers, detectives, and doctors, most of whom are older, white, and career-focused."

well. this is more than you asked for but you sounded so incredulous i couldn't help it. OR in case i read the tone wrong and you're actually just curious then i'm glad you want to learn more and i hope this helped! LOL

[booksandchainmail]

Pale 6.4

Avery was awake. Saying Verona was working on it might have hurt her, karmically.

lol

On the reverse side were their names. Beneath each were keywords, key traits, and random thoughts that each of them had had about themselves.

oh I want to read this. Maybe an extra material?

Lucy characteristics:

sense of justice injustice

conscious

protective

frustrated

clearheaded when upset

I like all of these for her! I think the justice/injustice thing makes sense: not so much seeking out right as correcting wrong. Not that people get what's deserved, but that they don't get away with what's not. And on the "clearheaded when upset" thing: even when dealing with Paul and let loose her emotions, she stayed really focused and coherent in a way I don't think the other two could/would have.

“The coolest moments I’ve seen with you and the practice is when you shine through. It’s great when you… I don’t know the term.  Illustrate yourself?  Exaggerate yourself? Even when you’re not actually using the practice, you’ll do this thing where you seem to decide ‘oh, it’s on’.  A lot of people who aren’t used to it would run away screaming or get stuck.  I go quiet with all that.  And you just tackled it."

yesss. I feel like this meshes well with the setting an arena thing Guilherme taught her: making people meet her on her terms and ground.

I mean… I think I definitely don’t want a weapon. I don’t regret using it for awakening, but like… if I used it for awakening, and then I used it in the Paul thing, and I choose it as my path for the future…? Is that me? I don’t want that to be me.

she brought this up early on! After the confrontation with John, wondering if she should look for a familiar who was comfortable with combat so she wouldn't have to be. Which is part of why I've been focused more on her as the face of the group than as a fighter.

This whole thing was asking her to do a lot of introspection.  At the same time, she was opening herself up for the analysis of her friends.

the mortifying ordeal of being known

“The kind that runs six days a week, eight to five, with study sessions in the evenings and on Sundays.  If you aren’t part of a study group the teachers will give you very disappointed talks and call your parents until you focus appropriately on your studies.”

what the fuck. possibly more disturbing than the fucked up practice bits

“A forswore B, and then A got expelled,” Melody said.  “And friends of A and B were up in arms, fighting over who was right.  This feels like that.”

wonder if either of these guys will show up

“It’d suck to avoid all friendships for the whole summer just because things are hairy,” Avery said.

and Corbin and Melody are Dabblers, which probably means their family isn't that powerful, so I'm inclined to be well disposed toards them

“My dad says I can’t get a familiar until I’m older,” Melody said, scratching Snowdrop.  “I have to turn sixteen, then live with it for two years before I seal it with the ritual.”

honestly pretty reasonable

I was personally involved in one case where an Apsasû, a divine servant and protector of humanity, took it on herself to shelter a group of humans.  She kept them in what you could describe as a Garden of Eden, curing all that ailed.  Faith, physiology, and mind twisted and knotted despite or because of her efforts.

... this reminds me of the Doe that Avery talked to

Lucy’s notes consisted largely of ‘yikes’ ‘frigging yikes’ ‘huge yikes’ ‘yikes and yikes’… and ended with the ‘oh no’ line. Subhumans? Wow and yikes.

I am going to let Lucy's notes speak for me here

It felt weird, just taking for granted that he’d said he wanted to apologize.

I guess the not-lying thing could end up helping with the uncertainty that's normally an issue with microaggressions?

“If you were to draw a picture of yourself, no context, in the utmost quality, meant to hang in a gallery, what would you be doing?”

(for me it would be reading)

Theft, some violent crime. He dealt with some criminal groups as a youth, only a few years older than you are now.

huh.

It would be ugly to forgive Charles but not Alexander, simply because I know Alexander’s victim but Charles’s were anonymous.

I'm with Lucy on this one, I don't agree with this but I'm having hard time articulating it. Two elements: Charles was actively working on making amends, while we haven't seen any signs that Alexander even regrets his actions. The other: the difference between societal forgiveness and interpersonal forgiveness. I'd argue that everybody deserves the chance at a fresh start and new approach to life, but don't have the right to that second chance coming from the same group the offenses were committed to. I think it's hard, as someone who was friends/colleagues with both men, to forgive Alexander without taking his side over Charles. Meanwhile Charles's victims aren't being further harmed by some guy they've never met looking past Charles's actions.

[the-firebird69]

If they're still around they're messing around with us you took the spotlight from me you little bastard and my husband says he probably should be. And that's what we sound like

Hera

Thank God for this you need this so bad and all jokes aside this guy is a Wonder and Ken you're kind of an idiot and so am I it's kind of saved us Matt kind of plan to do that and Tommy f and they're fighting over it and their controls this is so damn weird it's working so well someone wants to planted it says they were going to take me there and they're trying the whole time take me and Ken there and arrest us and say we escaped and we went there and we're working with Communists and all the this other b*******. He said the last sentence and he's been walking around saying minor remind you that you're the criminals and I'm not going to do anything for you cuz you're f****** around with me and forcing me to court and your minds and he's across the street from the courthouse saying it every time he went to Max place to the two Utes and they didn't get it and they still don't is it how hard do I have to write this down don't f*** with me now they don't see it cuz they're getting their asses handed to them here by everybody but the two parties.

And we hear that the clothes might take over out there for a Time then it looks like mac as a Cuban or ken. And then they all break out of there but not for a week cuz I'm not there I'm heading there that's another dumb thing

Garth says.

This is so sweet I have to spit it out to make sure it's real I can't believe this it is so weird and it's happening and our son is please because of Ken doesn't it's going to attract a lot more attention from the right people and now Preston is in a mind and then see what was going on and he's amazed at what Ken's position was and he should have told him you said so people would have already fought it but this will work better and Ken is amazed at what he's saying no he sees it there are massive armies offshore fighting and he can't believe how big it is. He's not saying anything because the forces are so big and he's in shock basically he's in shock right now pretty soon we'll snap out of it and have some one-liners but it's about five octillion troops each side about 2 billion ships each side hammering on each other. It's a huge huge battle and it looks like he's enthused now he is he is consumed by fear and says this is way bigger than I thought and he's sitting there commanding these things to happen it says taught by ghwb and Hera that's your work bud. And he's smiling slowly and he's saying I see it this is what we do to survive and he hasn't been doing it that long and they haven't and they laugh a lot and they're actually doing it cuz that's what we say oh my God and he sees his step his son-in-laws like stabbing himself with a big pin and says I will understand this in a moment... Drink it in Ken this is your moment this is your time and I'm glad I got you some money lol. Well he's listening to he's standing there in shock. Lot of people are wondering if he's just standing there cuz he's been doing that for years. But no he's trying to take it all in and he sees it on the monitors on the ship of his and he said at dock and they're offloading the money and his people it's easy to be smiling and giggling about something and they do get something wow it's quite a wallop coming from the other side.

Thor Freya

Im enthused this is awesome that is way too many ships. And Ken is a bit dismayed he went to haul you in himself and he couldn't even stop there's so many people around the ships. He says this I got stuck and sucked into what they were doing cuz it's so big and he goes I think it's illegal and it is and I see something they're all freaking nuts it's true Preston to say it and has been. We were the intended victims and I see it. I see it it's huge it's so big I'm going to vomit I can't believe how big it is I'm at the center of it right now I'm glad you let me drink it in CAA cuz this is the most impressed I've been with anything in my entire life that's done to these people I've never seen these Max die like that at all this is impressive it says it really pissed me off but Tommy F was the underlying factor and he's been there for 14,000 years and he says this it's way too long for this kid to have done this on his own and I now see the problem you could not stop them from this childish s*** and that's what's happening and I do get that it had to and back Daddy was running the world when people knew about it it went full blown. And the foreigners will face the max after the clones are gone they're just kids. Is it here in his eye he said thank you for this since I can't say you're welcome because this is what we had to do I will say anytime. He's smiling because he knows he has a decent son-in-law and he still won't let him have the locket.

Thor Freya

That was me above you knucklehead wow he's really really out there and enthused and lost and he's happy it's happening and thinks he might find her

Hera

God bless you all and let's turn our attention towards Hera and we have to help her and she is in peril no she is not so we're going to help her move and relocate and it's funny because she's mad because the spotlight but now sees what it is and it's one of our sons ideas and she's been and Trump are mad and she's been cheesman because it's so huge no they're not mad they're just saying it should have been them and he tried to do it and Ken took it.

Olympus

[yesimwriting]

Dying Starlight

A/n: i dont think an audience for this exists?? ik it’s not shadow and bone related, but ive been reading red queen and i wanted to try writing maven and ive been playing with this idea. umm...on the off-chance that there is an audience for this i do think of this as more of a series but i’ll probably end up deleting this lol 

(Series?) Summary: reader is a childhood friend of Mare’s who isn’t officially part of the Scarlet Guard but gets captured by Maven. As a prisoner, she feels like her mind is being messed with as she begins to see a more human side of Maven. The new King tells himself the only thing he sees in her is that she’s a way to get to Mare, but something about her genuiness is infectious. 

-- 

Irony twists things. Right now, the irony that my last thoughts might be about how I wish I had been trusted with a suicide pill twist my impending doom into something almost comical. I’d laugh, but I’d rather not startle the rats in my cell. This has been their home for presumably years, but I’ve only been down here a few hours. 

I scratch the back of my wrist, staring at tired stone walls like they’ve done something to me. I wish I knew what time it was. How long have I been down here? How long has it been since I was separated from Mare? An hour? Three?Each passing minute strikes me like a bullet, but I can’t count them. I’ve never had a talent for accurately feeling the passage of time.

My head aches, frustration and dread tangling themselves in the pit of my stomach. Mare told me the Queen can search through someone’s mind, seeing memories even they can’t remember. What will they do when they see I know virtually nothing? What will happen when they see how close Mare and I truly are? i can’t do anything and the unknown hurts more than my bruised rib. 

The sound of the heavy door that divides the luxury of the castle from the wasteland of the cells creaks. I only let my arms flinch, moving from my side to wrap defensively around my stomach. Dull footsteps echo down the pathway that lead to the cell I’m in. I don’t cringe, not even when the sound of walking stops. 

I was not born into a rich family, but I was born into a proud one. Fear was practically a criminal act in my household. I’ve been trained to suppress all signs of weakness. My eyes don’t leave the stone wall, I mentally trace the pattern of a long crack in a specific rock. It reminds me of the slope of the Big Dipper. 

Will I ever see stars again? The answer leaves a sharp pain in my chest. 

“Mare told me about you.” 

The words jar me, my stomach dropping in revulsion. Mare had trusted him, and here he stands--successful because he’s a traitor. I know what it’s like to be the most overlooked sibling and to crave to change that. I know what it’s like to want to succeed more than you want air in your lungs, but I don’t think I’d ever betray someone. I like to think that there’s a line even the monster in me won’t cross. 

I don’t look at him, partially out of an attempt to protest and partially because I’m afraid of what I’ll see. “She might have mentioned you in passing.” 

His scoff is ridiculous. “She didn’t lie about your sense of humor.” 

That almost makes me wince. His words are too close, too personal. It’s like he knows me. I turn my. head, ready to cut through the uneasy beginning to get to the miserable middle if it brings me to the end faster. 

“You’re here to torment me, not make small talk.” Turning had been a mistake. I regret it instantly. His expression is unforgiving--cold, sharp, and made up of only angles. But that’s not why I stare. I did not expect him to be objectively attractive. The fine slope of his nose, the sharpness of his cheekbones, and the ice blue of his eyes. I need to snap out of this mindset. I’m sure his beauty will not be so distracting when he’s burning me. “Though some might consider that the same thing.” 

He scoffs again, the sound dry. The sneer of his lips does not diminish his attractiveness. The fact makes me loathe him. “I wonder if you’ll still be so prone to humor after you’ve been broken--any information of worth extracted from your thoughts.” 

“Let me save everyone the trouble and just tell you everything that I know now.” My back straightens despite the pain in my ribs. I look pathetic, dirty and in a torn dress. He’s regal, dressed in fine, all black clothing. “I know that Mare wanted to kill you today, I know that she needed a distraction and that her distraction needed to be expendable, which is why I’m sitting in front of you.” I squeeze my hands together awkwardly, a bit of genuine irritation rolling in my stomach. “That’s literally all I know, I’m not even part of the Guard.” I scratch the back of my wrist. If I were him, I wouldn’t believe that, but I’m being honest. How pitiful can one person be that they’re worth more disconnected from the group they work for than as an actual member? “You don’t take that kind of risk for someone that’s only skill set is in thought.” 

I didn’t mean to say that out loud, but I don���t regret it. Maybe he’ll think that my story is so pathetic it has to be true. “You have to know more than that.” 

“The Scarlet Guard only reaches out to me on a need-to-know basis, and anything worthwhile to you is something I clearly didn’t need to know.” In a way, I’m glad I can’t give him anything. “So are you going to kill me with a bullet or do you prefer more flamboyant executions?” My death should be plain. I am human completely--I bleed red and I have no powers. “I do think anything more than a simple death is more trouble than I’m worth.” 

His lips press together oddly, something beneath his expression tightening. “You don’t think your dearest friend will return for you?”

The sarcasm in his voice sparks something in me I thought only my sister could. “I think she has a lot of responsibilities and I wouldn’t blame her for having priorities.” 

His eyebrows draw together. “I think you’re painfully unaware of how attached to you she is.” I press my lips into a thin line. “She’ll come for you.”

Something selfish in me hopes that he’s right. No one has ever wanted me enough to come back for me. My mother wanted perfect daughters that knew how to only think in terms of trapping men with stable careers. My sister did it, but I could never manage, and to my mother that made me useless. 

“If you believe it,” I mumble beneath my breath.

I don’t know if he hears me. I can’t bring myself to care if he did. “For your sake, you better not have lied to me.” 

My back relaxes against the raspy wall, fighting down a grimace as the motion irritates my rib injury. “Cross my heart, Your Highness.” 

I watch him carefully, his expression turning into something much more grim. “A King is referred to as His Majesty.” 

“My father was a prominent war general and my mother only wanted daughters she could use to social climb.” I fight down a grin. “I know what I said.” 

His expression darkens into something bone chilling. “I am the King and you’ll refer to me as such or deal with even less pleasant circumstances.” 

I fight against the urge to cower, picturing Mare’s strength in my veins. There’s weakness in everyone, and if I squint I can see the thin cracks in him. “You have everything--the crown, the power, the support of the people, and it’s still not enough. You won and you still feel like you’re competing.” 

“You don’t know anything,” he seethes, practically growling. 

I shouldn’t press him, but the more he reacts, the more weaknesses are revealed. “I know what it’s like to have a sibling that’s the sun, and no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you’re always trapped in a shadow.” 

The lighting makes his eyes look almost glazed over. “My mother will be here soon and the truth will be revealed.” 

He can run from me, but not the truth. Cal has nothing, he has everything--the father that never cared for him is dead, and yet he’s still trapped. Our similarities hurt me more than my physical injuries. 

Maven turns, his gaze moving off of me feels like the removal of heavy shackles. “It would do you well to not press me. You’re worth as much whole as you are broken.” 

There’s the strangest hint of something more to his voice. I wonder if he’s speaking to more than just me. “You haven’t won until that voice in your head telling you that you’re not enough is silenced.”

“You’re a powerless girl who isn’t even wanted by a dying cause and couldn’t find a husband to drag her above the poverty line. You know nothing about me, and if you keep pretending I’ll slaughter you in front of your dear friend.” 

He leaves without another word. I fall asleep with my back against the wall and my ribs aching. 

[jslittlebirdie]

Here Without You

Pairing: Soft!Ledger!Joker x Reader

Summary: Your last days have been really bad and exhausting. There are always new problems you have to take care of, you feel tired and burnt out, and on top of that, J hasn't shown up for several days. That was until today.

Word count: 1,344

Genre: probably a bit angsty / fluffy comfort / self-insert

Warnings: Reader has a bad day, low self esteem

Notes: A very big thank you to my dearest best friend @fan-of-pretty-much-2-much for encouraging me to post this fic. What would I do without you, your support and love? I own you so much🥺😭 Also, thank you so incredibly much for this simply beautiful title💜

Well, this fic is a total self-insert😅 I basically wrote it for myself as a comfort. So it's probably too cheesy and my characterization of J is way too soft and ooc. But maybe someone will like it anyway, I don't know. So read at your own risk lol🙈 Also, the text is unedited and English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes.

Taglist: @ajokeformur-ray @sacredempressnatlyia @rommies

It had been days now since you last saw your clown. News reports were your only clues as to his whereabouts and well-being. You didn't blame him, he was a busy man - a free man who came and went as he pleased - and you wouldn't keep him from his business. Even though, if you were honest, you would love to not let him leave your apartment ever again, and instead keep him with you where you knew he was safe; not that he couldn't take care of himself.

But you missed him terribly. And on top of that, your doubts and insecurities were getting worse with each passing day. You probably weren't good enough for him, too boring and annoying with all your worries. Would he ever come back to you? Was he tired of you? Had you perhaps upset him without knowing it?

And today... Today was a particularly bad day. Already early in the morning the day had started with bad news, new things you had to take care of. Problems kept coming up, there just seemed to be no end in sight. Once you had taken care of one thing, two new things popped up. You felt overwhelmed, burned out and tired. You longed for a break. You longed for him.

A familiar noise. But you only heard it very distantly. You were far too lost in your sad and gloomy thoughts. You sat on your bed and stared at the wall. Your eyes hurt because you tried to hold back your tears as hard as you could, even though you knew it was wrong. But you wanted to stay strong, not show any weakness.

The noise came closer, heavy footsteps. The door to your room cracked open and a face painted with makeup peered in, looking for you. When J spotted you, he grinned mischievously. But his good mood soon changed when he saw you in this miserable state. He immediately noticed that something was wrong, even if he didn't quite know what it was yet. So he entered your room without waiting for you to give him your permission. And even when J stood right in front of you and looked at you with his beautiful dark eyes, which actually showed a hint of concern, you hardly reacted, which admittedly only worried him more. Because you normally ran up to him at the first sign of his presence. But today was... different. And he didn't like it at all.

"What's the matter, toots, hm? I'm back, I'm here."

You stared at him, but you couldn't see him. You hadn't quite realized yet that he was truly standing in front of you. It seemed more like your mind was playing a trick on you - an evil trick to torture you even more. "I'm so sorry, J," you finally uttered. It wasn't so much directed at him as you were talking to yourself.

"You're sorry for what?" He frowned thoughtfully. He couldn't remember anything you had done that you needed to apologize for. But it wasn't a surprise that you apologized in the first place. You apologized for the smallest things, sometimes even for apologizing. But this time, he was a little bit confused.

"I don't know. That I annoyed you with... with me being the way I am. I don't know, okay?!" That was the moment you snapped back to reality. You saw him. Standing in front of you, in his usual slightly bent posture, his head tilted to one side as he tried to figure things out. And that's when you couldn't hold back your tears any longer.

Intuitively, J leaned down towards you and reached out to cup your face with his gloved hands. But you flinched away from him, too ashamed and insecure. "No, J. Don't!"

But he didn't let that stop him. Even though you had said the exact opposite, he could tell by the look in your eyes how much you wanted him. And it caused a strange feeling to rise in his chest - he wasn't sure what to think of it, so he just shrugged it off and focused all of his attention back on you. He sat down next to you, wrapped his arms around your body that was trembling with tension, and gently pulled you to him. This time you let it happen; the second he touched you, you were like putty in his hands. Moments later you found yourself on his lap and you couldn't help but cling to him as tightly as you could, your tear-streaked face buried in his broad chest, inhaling his scent between heavy sobs - a mixture of burnt rubber, gasoline and sweat (he had been out there for days, of course, he hadn't had time to worry about such trivialities) and something so specifically J that your heart ached. Oh, how much you had missed him. All you wanted and needed was him. Your J. It was kind of ironic. While others ran away from him in sheer panic, you longed for him. You had never been like others, you saw so much more in him than just a criminal. To you, he was your charming, sometimes pretty grumpy, but still in his own special way caring and loving clown - but you better not say this out loud. You just loved him. This realization hit you so hard that a new wave of emotions washed over you.

"Shush. I'm here, I gotcha." He shifted beneath you, loosening his grip around you, causing you to sigh in frustration. Rustling of expensive material and then suddenly you felt all warm - he had wrapped you in his royal purple coat and then put his arms around you again like a vice. You were in the warmest, safest embrace you could ever think of. Immediately, your body relaxed, your trembling finally subsided. You listened to his steady heartbeat and mimicked his breathing. J hummed and smiled to himself as he noticed your reaction.

When you finally felt calm enough, you lifted your face off of him so you could look at him; your eyes were bloodshot and dark rings stood out beneath them. He hated to see you like this, but he said nothing; he waited until you were ready to talk. And you were ready. You took a deep breath and finally murmured, "Today was just a shitty day. There's so much to do and it seems to never get any less. Everything is too much. And I... I missed you so much... I thought you weren't coming back."

"But here I am, right?" He squeezed you a little tighter to put emphasis on his words. "I know you've got a lot going on right now. But ya got this, toots. You're tougher than you think you are. Aaand..." A huge and devious grin formed on his lips. You could literally see him thinking about all the things he had done in the past few days. "I need to lay a little low for the next few days."

"Yeah, I picked up something like this on the news. What is it this time?" You're no longer able to suppress a weak giggle. And a yawn. You were so very tired and exhausted, you hadn't slept well since J left, when he wasn't by your side. But now that you were cocooned in his protective warmth... Your eyes grew heavier and heavier. "So does this mean you're staying home, J?"

"I'm not going anywhere, sweets." He moved you both on the bed until you were in a lying position, you still on top of him wrapped in his coat. Even though he would never admit it, he had missed you too. And holding you in his arms like that - feeling you, knowing you were safe and relaxed - made him aware of his own exhaustion. He pressed a sloppy kiss to your forehead, leaving a beautiful reminder for you when you woke up in the morning, and then closed his eyes himself.

[raineydays411]

So warm and tender

Tony Stark x Daughter!reader

A/n: Hello! finally the last part of Ember. I hope you guys like it and sorry for making y’all wait so long for the confrontation lol)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/n’s POV

“Aunt Pam?!” you say in shock as you stop struggling against the vine wrapped around your body.

“Y/n, is it really you?” your aunt said as the vine loosened its grip and gently lowered you on the ground. “ Where have you been? Everyone has been going crazy looking for you”

You don’t answer as you look at your aunt. You didn’t realise you missed her as much as you did but now all you want to do is throw yourself in her arms. So you did.Pam, sensing you needed comfort rather than an interrogation, wrapped her arms around you. “I missed so much my Petal.” 

With those five words, all the hurt and pain you bottled up came out. and you cried.

As you cried, your aunt looked at the girl she hasn’t seen in eight years, and wondered what she’s been going through and if she did the right thing by giving you to your father all those years ago.

“Petal, I think you need to explain what’s going on”

You look up and sniff, “ Yeah, i think an explanation is well in order.” and you tell her everything. From the years of being ignored by your father, your last argument, the two weeks you spent in captivity, and your new powers. 

“ And that’s when I found you.” You finish looking at the grim faces of Pam and the other woman, who now that you think about it looks really familiar. 

“Oh, you poor puddin’!” you found your face being squished between two ands and then you were comically pressed against a body in a tight hug. 

“Don’tcha worry bout a thing, me and Pammy will take care of everything, you just sit here and---”  This seems familiar...

“ Harley, I don’t think she can breathe.” “Oh right, now you remember, it the blonde woman who used to sneak into the apartment”. You think to yourself as you struggle to get loose from her grip. You hear someone snicker and see Danny looking at the commotion. 

“ Shut up Danny, where have you been?” You say, forgetting that you’re the only one who can see him. 

“Exploring, do you thing she could hug me like that too?” 

“ If you weren’t already dead, I’m sure they would kill you for that comment”

Pam and Harley look at each other in concern as it seems like you’re talking to yourself. 

“ Hey kid, if you’re gonna talk to yourself, try an’ do it when other people can’t see you, like me.”  The blonde says as if someone talking to themselves was a daily occurrence for her.  You explain that with your powers, you were basically dead and can speak and see other dead people. Hearing that, Pam’s expression darkened

“He let you die?” she said in a grim tone. All the vines and plants in the room started whipping around angrily as if they were looking for the person who wronged you. It was then when you realized it wasn’t your Auntie Pam who taught you how to plant petunias you were looking at, this was Poison Ivy. 

“ Men, you can never trust em’. Well, whadda say little flower, ya up for a little premeditated murder?” and that was the infamous Harley Quinn. 

“ It would’ve been nice to know that you’re related to scary criminals y/n....” Danny said in a fearful voice. And if you were being honest you just found out that your aunt Pam was also the Poison Ivy but to be fair you haven’t seen her since you were like eight. 

“I don’t want to kill him” you finally say. “ I don’t want anything to do with him. Nor his precious Spiderling.” The plants calm down as Ivy calmed down and was your aunt Pam again. “ What do you want to do?” she asks.

You think to yourself and say,” I want him to know how he made me feel, and then I want to stay with you.”  Your aunt and Harley froze when you said that. 

“Petal, there is nothing I want more than for you to stay with me again,” She started, “ But it isn’t safe for you to stay.” Your eyes started to water

“But I-I have powers now, I can defend myself! I won’t be any trouble, it’ll be like I’m not even here” At this point, anything was better than going back to being invisible. “Please...I don’t want to go back...” 

Hearing the desperation in your voice broke Pams, Harleys, and Danny's heart. Pam because this was the daughter of her closest friend. She vowed to protect you from anything the day you came to her after losing your mother. Seeing you like this just reminded her how she, in her mind, has failed you. Seeing you so desperate to get away from the man who broke your heart reminded Harley of herself. The nights she would sneak into the tiny apartment you shared with Pammy, in hopes of escape only to get drawn back with empty promises. So yeah, she had a small soft spot for you. And Danny, you were the only person who saw him after months of being invisible. He felt like he needed to help you in your mission to get your father regret ignoring you.

“Hey Pammy...maybe we should call him...” Harley started to suggest. 

“NO, I’d rather drink weed killer than go to that...orphan collector for help.” the red head spat. “ No. We’ll figure it out but she can stay here for now.”

Hearing that you had a place to call home now, gave you the motivation to go and confront your father. Not only for ignoring you, but for leaving you in that..cell for two weeks. He didn’t even attempt to look for you as far as you knew. You’d have thought at least one of the other Avengers would have came to save you. But no one came. After all those years, no one came.

“Y/n.. your eyes” Danny whispered, his cold hand touching your arm snapped you out of your mind. The neon glow of your eyes faded to your normal e/c. 

“ Aunt Pam, Harley is there any way you guys can get me to New York and back?” You ask, finally ready to confront your father. 

“ Well....” Harley say as with a smirk

~~~~~~~~~one terrifying ride on a stolen batplane later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Upon arriving to New York you made Pam and Harley wait a few blocks away from the tower, as you really didn’t want the Avengers to find out your aunt was a wanted criminal. You “went ghost” as Danny like to call it and snuck into the Tower with ease. You then snuck into your room, seeing everything covered in a layer of dust as no one has been in there for over two weeks. You packed a bag and filled it with some clothes, books and a picture of you and your mother. You took that bag and walked to the door, looking around at the room that was both you prison and safe space. It was decorated with multiple trophies, medals, and ribbons all from the multiple sports and clubs you joined to impress your father. Not like that ever happened. Danny wander around looking at the multiple teams photos you had hung up.

“ You’re a volleyball girl?” he said, “ Huh. I’d never have had guessed.” 

You rolled your eyes as you finished packing. “ Hey I have a job for you.” you say turning to him. “ I need you to go to the control room and turn off the power for thirty minutes. Then turn it back on and come find me in the common room.”

“ Yes ma’am” Danny says, saluting and disappearing through the wall before he comes back. “Ummm, wheres the control room?” 

You roll your eyes and explain how to get to the control room and wait. When the lights go out and you’ll make your move. Your father would have to pass through the common room to get to the control room from his lab, which you assume he’ll be. There you’ll be waiting for him. 

The lights go out. It’s showtime.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tony's POV

The team spent three more days searching for you. They followed every lead and half of the team even flew out to the building that collapsed an hour ago. Tony, Steve, and Natasha stood behind to look at more clues. It was a little past midnight, and both Steve and Natasha went to bed leaving Tony to tinker in his lab. Tony was making improvements to a certain spider suit as he thought about what his daughter said to him before she went missing.

“Sir, there seems to be someone in Y/--” FRIDAY started to say when the power cut out.

“FRIDAY??” Tony questioned as he walked out to check the control room, making sure to get his nano bracelet just incase. As he walked down the hallway he thought about waking up Steve and if he was brave enough to wake Natasha when he heard it.

“Hi daddy.”

Tony stopped dead in his tracks as he looked up in disbelief. The lights turned back on to reveal his daughter. Wearing a black halter top, spandex leggings, grey boots with elbow length gloves. She looked skinny, as if she hadn’t had a proper meal in the weeks she was gone. And for some reason the air was cold in the room. But there she stood.

‘Y/n” Tony said breathlessly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/n pov

As you wait for Tony to walk in,you look around the common room and reminisce. You think about the time when you first moved in, and you got lost trying to find the bathroom and accidently walked into Natashas room. YOu thought she was going to kill you but ended up walking you to the restroom and back to your room. Or when you made the volleyball team way back in eighth grade, and you ran home to tell your dad but ended up telling the whole team, who were rarely all together, and they all took you out to get ice cream, minus Tony. You had to admit, even though your dad didn’t pay attention to you, Nat and Steve did. As well as the whole team, but those two really became the parental figures in your life. That’s why it hurt when not even they came for you. Even they had forgotten you.

“Hi daddy” you said in a mocking voice. Your father stopped dead in his tracks, as he looked you over in disbelief.

“Y/n”, he said in a breathless voice. 

“Oh, you remember my name?” You say in an sarcastic tone. “ Didn’t seem like you did when you left me in a hydra cell for two weeks.” 

Hearing that you were a prisoner of Hydra made Tony’s blood freeze. 

“Hydra? Oh Y/N are you okay? What did they do to you?” He asked frantically as he walk towards you with the intent of checking if you were injured. You jerk away from him, avoiding his touch and say

“ Oh, I’m wonderful. Just so fucking fantastic. I was just experimented on and injected with various liquids that caused excruciating pain. No big deal” 

“ Y/n..we spent days trying to look for you. Me and the team--”

“You and the team what Tony? I was there for two weeks. TWO WEEKS I WAS POKED AND PRODDED. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE.” You scream, anger filling your heart as you remember the agony you went through. You think about the scratches on the wall of the cells, the taunts from the guards, and screams of the undead.

“ You have no idea what I went through. What I’m going through.” You say, feeling your body grow colder as you lose control and start to shift. “ You don’t care about me. If I were Parker, you would have saved mem within SECONDS.”

“That's not true. Y/N you have no idea how much I love you.” Tony tries to say. He’s filled with the need to tell you everything he didn’t tell you before. “I know I haven’t always been the best father. Trust me I know that now. But if you give me a chance, I want to make everything right. Please.” 

You didn’t think it would go like this. In fact you were not at all prepared for Tony to say this. You expected to walk in on him continuing his life as normal, tinkering in his lab and such. You had always yearned to hear him say those words to you. But now, they just fill you with anger.

“You think you could just tell me what I want to hear and what? I’ll just act like nothing happened?? I know you’re not that stupid.” You spit, the room growing colder as you get angrier. “ It’s too late for all that Tony. I’m not the same girl i was two weeks ago.i won;t take it any longer.” 

“Y/n..your eyes” Tony says as he slowly starts to put his gauntlet bracelet on, realising that you are becoming a threat. 

“ Oh do you like them?”, You ask “ This is what happened when they injected me. I can also do this.” You shift, shades of blue taking over brown skin. Tony stared at you in awe and a bit of fear. 

“ Y/n this isn’t you. I know you’re angry but--” “ Isn’t me?” You interrupt.” You don’t know me. You don’t know what I’m like. And even if you did the old me died in that cell. Literally I died” You and Tony stared at each other. and that's when you heard the doors open. Two sets of footsteps started rushing to the commotion. 

“Y/N some red head and beefy blonde are on their way” You hear Danny say as you realize you had to wrap it up. If anyone can convince you to stay, it’s Steve and Nat.

“ It doesn’t matter anymore Tony.” you say as you start walking to the window. “ I can’t stay here anymore. There’s nothing for me. You win. Peter can be the child you always wanted cause from now on, consider me dead.” and with that, you phase threw the window and let yourself fall, knowing that you won’t actually fall as you can fly. 

Tony freaks out and calls for his suit, only to see a blue blur shoot up and across the sky. Then he just sits there and stares. The footsteps reach the common room and he hears someone ask 

“ Stark..what was all the yelling. What's going on?” 

“she's gone” He says, and that's when he truly realizes his mistake. He became what he never wanted to become. He became his father. And now you were gone.

Taglist: @vxidsti1es @big-galaxy-chaos

[palbabor-writes]

I know you said you only might accept pregnancy requests depending on what it is so I wanted to try 😅 how about shigaraki and reader break up while she’s unknowingly pregnant with his child and he bumps into said child years later and connects the dots that it’s his? If you don’t like it feel free to ignore this request 😊

I liked this nonnie.

I am terrified that by saying that I’m going to be inundated with pregnancy HC’s, lol. But, this request I really leaned into. Plus, it’s more about a kid than a pregnancy. 

So, thank you for asking and letting me slip out of my comfort zone. It’s always good to do that every once in awhile and this ask was a great reminder of that.

It’s a bit melancholic, but I think it fits with Tomura, at least, in my mind.

Now, this is not in canon. This is not like, pre-war arc, or post-war arc. If anything, it’s more of an AU. I’d put Tomura in his late 20s to early 30s.  

warnings: none really, just some sweet, sweet interactions and mild angst 

Hestia Hestia, in Greek religion, is the goddess of the hearth, a daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and one of the 12 Olympian deities. When the gods Apollo and Poseidon became suitors for her hand, she swore to remain a maiden forever, and Zeus, the king of the gods, bestowed upon her the honor of presiding over all sacrifices. 

The shouting noise of children set his teeth on edge.

Toga had insisted that the bus stop by the school was the best place for the information exchange.

They won’t look for you there, she’d assured him. It’s like hiding in plain sight. Yeah, it’s patrolled, but it’s only an old security guard who does the rounds. Besides, he’s retired from the police force, she qualified, and was more like a lazy cat than an attentive scent hound.  

It’s the best place, really.

So, Shigaraki had made the long trek across Tokyo.

He kept to the shadows as he weaved his way through back alleys and streets. Although the dominance of the League had waned some over the years, he was still a wanted criminal, responsible for countless death and threats on hero society.

He was still the King of his slice of the underworld.

Besides, he reassured himself as he loitered by the bench under the bus stop, he could trust Toga.

She had improved in leaps and bounds as she came of age; deadlier, sleeker, more attuned to the ebbs and flows of the world around her. She wasn’t that girl who chattered about blood anymore.

Oh, she still held a strange fascination with the fluid. But she had more control over those impulses that drove her. If she said it was the best place, well, who was he to argue? Toga had been with him from the beginning, a vital ally. Hell, at this point she was close to being a friend.

Shigaraki is still musing when the ball taps its way to his feet.

It clatters against the pavement; the rubber shuttling it along the loose rocks and leaves. Unthinkingly, Shigaraki lifts his shoe to balance against its unbound movement, stilling its lulling bounces.

Must be from that schoolyard, he thinks, his red eyes flashing up at the low chain-link fence that separates the school grounds from the busy street.

There’s no child dashing their way to retrieve it, so he lets his gaze slip from the teeming masses of giggling youngsters. It’s a pretty blue. The ball looks new. Hardly a scuffed and battered thing.

He keeps it under his sole, toying with it, rolling it meditatively as he slips back into his thoughts.

“Hey! That’s mine!”

It’s a small voice that calls to him and he turns his head back to the fence, looking for the source.

It’s a girl.

She’s leaning against the metal, her hands clutching into the links, cocking her head inquisitively at him.

Her nose wrinkles at his silence, and she shouts another demand.

“Mister, that’s my ball. Toss it back.”

“Aren’t you supposed to say please?” Shigaraki taunts, his lips lifting in a quick grin. He’s not sure why he’s bothering to engage with this kid, but something about her plucky attitude resonates with him.

She leans away from the fence, that scowl deepening on her soft features.

“Aren’t grown ups not supposed to steal things?”

He laughs at her snark. He can’t help it. Oh, this kid’s fun.

Carefully slipping the ball into his hands, he moves closer to the fence. He can see her a little better now.

She’s still got that deep frown on her face and her dark hair is gleaming in the afternoon sun, some strands catching the light, reflecting a deep, auburn, hue. He’s just about to chuck the ball to her when he catches sight of her eyes.

They’re red.

Not that red eyes are unusual. There are plenty of people milling around Tokyo with them. But hers are different.

No, these eyes are like looking into a mirror for Shigaraki. They flint and glare with the same sheen as his own. It’s a prefect reflection.

His feet suddenly feel heavy, leaden, and he can’t lift his arms. Who is this child? Why does she-

“Ok, ok, mister. Can I please have my ball back? You’re still stealing it if you don’t, so I’m not apologizing for that. I might... if you give it back to me, cuz’ it’s my ball, not yours. And, stealing makes you a thief.”

She’s rolling those uncanny irises at his stiff form, and a huffing sigh escapes her small mouth.

“What’s your name?” Shigaraki asks, hands trembling over the rubber of the ball.

“Not supposed to tell that to strangers, mister.”

He smiles again, bemused. Well, he thinks begrudgingly, she’s a clever little thing. Whoever she is.

A sharp bell echoes across the yard and she turns her head at the sound, her dark hair tumbling around her shoulders.

“Here,” Shigaraki relents, gently flipping the ball over the fence, bouncing it to her feet.

“Thanks,” she murmurs, quickly snatching up her prize. Those red eyes of hers meet his own, and he can feel a low shiver echo up his spine. What’s up with this reaction? It almost feels visceral, like some sort of otherworldly pull on him.

“Sorry I called you a thief,” she apologizes, quickly bowing her head, ducking those eerie eyes from view.

He’s not sure what to say, so he continues to watch her. She doesn’t seem perturbed by this, opting to giggle at him as her little head lifts.

“You’re weird,” she assess, a smile finally spreading over her lips, her cheeks rounding and softening. 

Tch, she’s rude, but she’s also cute, Shigaraki thinks, snorting at her frankness.

She turns, dashing away from him, her dark hair flowing around her back as she goes.

Shigaraki shakes his head, trying to dislodge those lingering questions that keep floating to the back of his mind.

He’ll never see her again, he reasons, wandering back to the bus stop. Trying to tamp down the urge to look for her again, to pinpoint her from the other giggling and shouting children on the playground.

But he did see her again.

He comes back to the stop a few weeks later.

There’s no information pickup this time. There’s no real reason for him to even be on this side of town.

He just can’t get her out of his mind.

This little kid had shaken something within his psyche. He kept dreaming about her. Well, not her, really. No, there was someone else haunting his dreams.

He hasn’t thought about you in years.

But now? Now, he can’t get you out of his head. He even feels like he can feel you some nights, warm against his side. He sulks in the memories of the familiar touches that the two of you shared, the love that you’d pressed into him, so, so long ago.

He saw the girl in those moments. Resting in your arms as you looked up, your eyes bright against her dark head. The girl would laugh and run to him, those reflective red eyes shining with mirth. 

It was fucking strange.

He both hated, and loved, the repetitive nature of these illusions. They made him feel safe and warm, but they also chilled him to his very bones. It was unsettling.

Unsure what else to do, he’d back come to the bus stop.

It’s early afternoon. Close to the time he’d visited it before. He waits on the lonely bench, his hands pressed together and that strange tremble races through his veins.

This is stupid, he thinks, his eyes lowering from the sea of kids, all twisting and turning in a heap as they play. It’s an impossibility, really. The chances of that girl losing her ball again is minuscule. There’s no way he can call to her either. It’s a waste. He shouldn’t even be here.

He’s standing to leave, when that small voice reaches him.

“Oh! You’re back.”

His head whips around, his long white hair glowing against the sunlight.

There she is.

She’s gripping the fence again, and she’s staring right at him.

Shigaraki smiles. It’s a gentle lift and he can feel his heart tapping a rough tattoo against his ribs. He steps toward her, kneeling when he gets close, careful to not overstep his bounds.

He’s not wanting to startle her.

No, he’s wanting to talk with her. Maybe she’ll drop some kinda clue why he’s so drawn to her. Or maybe she’ll morph into any other child again. Plain, uninteresting. Slipping from that odd ghost that she’s become to his subconscious. 

He hopes it’s the latter. But part of him also longs for it to be the former.

She’ll hop to the fence around 3:15.

She looks for him now, used to the routine of his presence.

He told her to call him Tomura, and the name falling from her lips made his heart ache.

Tomura stopped by on Fridays. Careful to not stay too long, to not draw too much attention to himself.

At first, he’d sneak her little trinkets. 

A little plastic toy of his, one that he had since he was a kid. She’d squealed with delight and clutched it to her. He’d grinned at that, remembering how he’d once held onto the thick plastic himself. 

Once, he’d just plucked a nearby flower as he walked to the school, presenting it to her outreached grasp. He’d watched proudly as she tucked it behind her ear, the color glossy beside her hair.

She’s still a sassy little thing. But she’s softened a little, too. Her voice losing that early, untrusting, edge.

He didn’t ask her much. Sometimes they both just sat in silence as she sketched designs into the dirt. Sometimes he would listen to her chatter about her day. Her classmates, her teacher. Once, she’d even pressed something over the fence to him.

It was a drawing.

He’s not sure if it really was all that well done, or if it’s just his heavy bias toward her. But he loves the mix of color and lines. He’d asked who the people were.

One was her friend, Kenji. One was her teacher. One was him.

He’d pinned it to the wall in his room. Displaying it, flaunting the gift. He looked at it every morning, admiring her work.

He’s late one day, and she scolds him, her small arms draping over the fence.

“I didn’t think you were going to come,” she chatters, her red eyes lingering against his, the two colors casting back the same hue.

“Was running behind,” Tomura replies, leaning against the low concrete barrier, resting his back against the fence.

Her little hands reach for his hair, playing with the pearlescent tendrils, weaving some into knots and braids. 

He doesn’t mind.

“Hey, Tomura,” she says, working a tiny hairband into her creation, her voice curious.

“Hmm,” he hums, careful to not shift his head, not wanting to disrupt her hard work.

“You didn’t ask my name again. At least… not after that one day.”

“Do you want me to ask?” He queries, his pulse lifting.

He’d wanted to ask her again, but he didn’t want to startle her, to shatter these innocences that they shared.

“It’s Beryl,” she answers. She says it confidently, and he turns to face her.

She grins at him, wiggling one loose tooth playfully at his serious expression, trying to tug a laugh from him.

“Beryl?” he repeats, unable to keep that awed hush from his raspy tones. It’s a pretty name. It suits her, really. But it’s strange. It’s not Japanese. 

You hadn’t been Japanese. 

“That’s a good name,” he assures her. “But, it’s not… you don’t hear that name very often.”

“Yeah,” Beryl concedes, her vermillion eyes roving over his face. “My mom’s not from here.”

His nostrils flare at that.

He hasn’t asked her about her mother. He’s unsure if it’s a general disinterest on his part, or trepidation. He fears it’s the latter.

Gulping, he tilts his head at her, feeling that soft braid she’s plaited into his hair shifting.

“Who’s your mother?”

“Who is she? She’s my mom, silly.”

“No,” he pauses, ignoring that creeping tremor that’s working its way to the top of his skull, his skin prickling and cooling. “I mean…what’s her name?”

“Oh! Her name is-”

“Beryl! Beryl, it’s time to come inside.” A teacher is calling for her. 

Tomura startles away, drifting to his feet and pacing quickly back to the bus stop. He can’t help the snarl that etches its way across his lips. He’d been so close. So fucking close…

He chances a glance back at the fence and catches sight of Beryl. She’s dashing across the playground, her dark hair waving in the sun.

Japan is about to slip into summer. School will come to a close, moving into a long break. He won’t see her again for almost a month.

His heart sinks at that realization and he grits his teeth. Slipping his hands into his dark trench coat, he steps across the street, away from the bus stop, away from the little girl that’s feeling more and more like his own.

Edit: oh hey. so, i couldn’t stfu about this and created a sequel: Materfamilias 

hahaha & part iii

[whatifxwereyou]

The Oncoming Storm Part 5: Peace of Mind

Liu Kang x Reader and Kung Lao x Reader (gonna do both, two paths!)

I've decided that when I get to a point where the "choice" is made between Liu and Lao, the stories name will change to help avoid confusion. That way you can follow either path or both. Then I will try to update those as much as I can. I know where both are going for the most part. God, I'm such a cock-tease lol.

This bit is a bit shorter than usual but I plan on updating AGAIN tomorrow! Surprise: Kung Lao will be back tomorrow. Side note: should I draw MC? Anyone into that? And as always, open to suggestions and will include any I like.

Part 4 Part 6 Chapter Index

You jumped upright in bed, the breeze from the window making your sweat covered body shiver. Wiping your face, you searched the room and found that you were utterly alone. In your mind’s eyes you could see the writhing of bodies that had woken you.

It had been a dream.

A wildly inappropriate dream.

Hands trembling, you held your head in your hands. Your face was red and hot and when you closed your eyes, you could see Liu Kang’s strong body over yours and feel his familiar hands. You blinked your eyes and kept them open wide. “Oh boy.” You laughed at yourself and then flopped back against the bed with a frustrated whine. It had been miserably difficult not to let your imagination run wild the day before but apparently all your self-control disappeared when you slept. After the day you’d had and the tension that had built like static when you were fighting, how could you be upset with yourself?

You knew Liu Kang well at this point. Well enough that his touch was familiar. It was cruel and unnecessary of your imagination to do that to you during your sleep. How were you supposed to find your arcana when your brain was made of Liu Kang spaghetti? The attractive, confident, and kind Liu Kang was your teacher and you had to find a way to set a boundary between that and whatever this was. “Calm down, Y/N.” With that you took slow and deep breaths.

Adjusting yourself on the bed you crossed your legs and closed your eyes to meditate. But your imagination betrayed you, and you could feel his breath on your neck and hear his voice in your head. Pinching the bridge of your nose you laughed at yourself but flopped again on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

This was a natural thing. To be attracted to someone you were forming a new relationship with. You were finding your footing as friends and the draw between you would change with time. Deep down you were certain it was more than that and you were dismissing a very obvious attraction between them.

No matter what it was, there was no chance you would trust your imagination to let you sleep. You would have to clear your thoughts and find some peace before you could rest again. Getting up, you changed into the red and black flowing hanfu and decided to take a walk. That would get your mind off the day before and erase the memory of Liu’s, well, everything.

There were very few others walking through the temple that late at night. You decided that you hadn’t slept for long before your dream had woken you. Not dwelling on the memory of it, you kept walking until you were utterly lost and honestly nothing had felt quite as good or wondrous in some time. Raiden’s Temple was beautiful and ancient. Exploring it made you feel like a curious child, which in your opinion, was better than a frustrated adult.

There were many sprawling hallways and you felt that this one was particularly high within the ravine. You caught sight of the night sky through an archway and leaned against the stone. A monk walked behind you with a polite bow carrying a heavy pot filled with water. You nodded in greeting and then stepped onto the platform. At the end of the short platform was a huge statue of Raiden, seated cross legged in meditation.

The sky was radiant, and you wished to be closer to it and considered the roof but instead you set your eyes on the hat of the statue. You carefully climbed up with a few skilled jumps and then sat atop the edge of the hat, overlooking the ravine. Below you could see the fight pit, but it appeared small from there.

Seated atop the statues wide brimmed hat, you got comfortable and admired the brilliance of the night sky. The glassy moon filled the night around it with brilliance, dimming the stars in its halo. Wisps of pale clouds traversed the sky as if carried by invisible birds. You could see the milky way and the sparkling of stars that you had never seen before. You couldn’t remember ever thinking that the sky was this magnificent. In those moments you felt lucky to be alive and privileged to see the world in such a way.

It seemed funny then that your home popped into mind. There had been times where you’d sat on the roof of your apartment above the dojo and watched the sky, but it had never felt like this. That life felt so foreign now that you were oddly detached from it. Hopefully, your sister was okay. Your mother had passed away years ago and your father had stayed with your sister while you took care of the dojo in his honor.

Did they think that you died in the fire? What had become of the dojo? Had any of it survived? Did they think you’d done it and murdered those men? Were you a wanted criminal now? Had Kung Lao told anyone what had become of you? You had a thousand questions for your childhood friend, but you weren’t sure that you were ready for the answers either.

“Y/N?” You sat upright and turned in search of the voice. Liu Kang was staring up at the statue curiously. You peeked over the edge and offered him a wave despite your stomach doing a flip at the sight of him. With a confident grace, he leapt atop the statue and joined you. You returned to your spot, sitting comfortably on the hat and he sat next to you. Together you stared into the starry night, admiring the beauty of Raiden’s Temple. Every so often you heard the footsteps of another monk making their way but there was little else besides Liu’s controlled breathing and the occasional shifting of his prayer beads from his hand to his wrist. “Are you okay, Y/N?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” You decided to be honest. You weren’t a big fan of lying but telling Liu the absolute truth of your dream was a level of embarrassment and honesty you weren’t prepared for. “My mind and heart were all jumbled up, so I came to find some peace.”

“Did you find the peace you were looking for?”

“I did.” You decided with a smile. What you were feeling toward him wasn’t a bad thing, you’d decided. It was a conflict in your mind still, but not all conflict was bad.

“Seated atop a dangerously tall and ancient statue overlooking the most perilous of pits?”

“The view can’t be beat. And it’s private.”

“And yet I invaded your privacy as I often seem to do.” Liu turned to face you, his arm rested against one knee.

“It’s only an invasion if it’s not welcome, Liu.” You reassured him. Silence fell again but it wasn’t the warm and comforting silence you’d become accustomed to with Liu Kang. He radiated with both fire and uncertainty. “Are you okay?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” He brushed his fingers again over the prayer beads. “I decided I would check on you and as I made my way, I felt that someone was up here.”

“Oh?”

“Your energy is tangible,” he said all while avoiding your eyes. Your eyebrows shot straight up your forehead.

“So, you knew it was me?” The butterflies were back. He was good at that. Liu nodded. “That’s remarkable.” So much for peace of mind. Were you ever going to manage sleep again without your renegade thoughts getting carried away? “I’m glad that you found me.”

“Your energy reminds of a shadow flickering beneath the lamplight. I’m curious. Can you sense my energy, as well?” The confidence had returned to him. There was still something beneath his confident exterior that you couldn’t decipher, and you watched his thumb carefully brush over each of the beads in his hand. “I think it could be common to sense others with a dragon marking.”

“Yes, I can.” You chose your words carefully. “I always thought that your presence was fiery, but I didn’t realize that was literal until earlier.” Liu turned to face the edge of the statue again and his brief smile faded. You adjusted to face him better, careful of your footing. “What’s on your mind, Liu?”

“You were in my dreams.” He seemed sad. Inwardly, you panicked. He’d been in your dreams too, but something about his demeanor made you feel as though it were in a quite different context. How were you supposed to process any of this? “I lost you.”

You made sure not to let the sigh of relief be audible. “You lost me?”

“Not the best phrasing but no less the same. You died.” Liu said this with such finality that it shook you, and a chill ran down your spine. “I couldn’t go back to sleep with that image of you in my head. Selfishly, I needed to see your living and breathing self.”

“Liu…”

“I know that you’re capable, Y/N. I can see why Kung Lao values you so highly. I suppose that it is natural to fear for someone that you’ve bonded with. And we have bonded, haven’t we?” You were at a complete loss for words. He’d said a lot without saying much at all and you were left to interpret it as you would. What terrible timing. Your heart was so confused. “Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re not wrong. We’ve bonded.” You decided then to confess at least part of what was keeping you awake that night. No details, just a small bit of truth. “I dreamt about you too. It woke me up and when I couldn’t find the peace to return to sleep, I wound up here.” You smiled weakly and turned back to face the sky. “I tried to meditate the stress away but in truth I’m used to meditating with you, so it brought me no peace.” Liu seemed oddly relieved by your confession. If only he knew the truth. You weren’t sure how he would react. In fact, your face burned just thinking about it.

“I assure you that I’m capable, Y/N. I’ll be fine.”

“I know.” You said nothing else on the matter. He hadn’t been in danger in your dream, in fact, quite the opposite. You sat in silence again and much to your surprise, he shifted, scooted closer and slipped his arm around you shoulder. His hands were warm even through your sleeves.

“Until you’ve mastered your arcana and healed then you are the one that we should worry about. There’s still time before the tournament, but it doesn’t mean that we will be entirely without danger.” Liu gave your shoulder a comforting squeeze. “The sooner you can control your arcana, the better.”

“I know that with your help I’ll manage sooner rather than later.”

“That’s a lot of faith in me.”

“In us both.” You smiled at him. He adjusted, arm falling away from your shoulder. You missed it instantly. His arms were warm and strong. “This is a hurdle we will conquer.” You turned to watch the stars again and pulled your knees closer to your chest, resting one arm over them, the other resting between you and Liu. Liu’s eyes were on you. You could feel them watching you rather than the sky. He needed to see that you were okay and that his dream was just that. Whatever came next, you were ready for it. One way or another, you would fight. Still, he did not turn his gaze and you were distracted by him. “You’re staring.” You let your gaze flitter to him out of the corner of your eye.

“You get this look on your face while you’re thinking. It’s fascinating to watch your expression shift and change even minutely.” The fondness of his voice was overwhelming. To be spoken of with such reverence made you feel better than anything ever had. “You feel your emotions very deeply. It is a gift.” He turned his gaze back to the night sky, right arm rested on his knee. His left hand then found yours between them and rested atop it.

You swore you might be blushing for the rest of your days at this rate. The fondness of his voice and the gentleness of his hand made your heart race. You supposed that when you thought about it, you had flirted on and off. At the very least you had grown fond of each other. There’d been plenty of close calls the last few days, but you hadn’t been sure if you were overthinking or not. But this moment was far more transparent. An arm around you. His hand over yours. Deliberate displays of intimacy.

You weren’t sure you could sit still much longer thinking like this, so you turned to ask him if he wished to study. Instead, you clammed up and found him far closer to you than you had anticipated. You could feel his breath, the warmth radiating from his energy, surrounding you like a distant and welcome flame. He admired your face, stopping at each of your features with his dark eyes, and then brushed your hair away. This was an intimacy that you had grown quite fond of but also it was different than before. His fingers left a ghost of a touch against your forehead and your cheek, gently tucking your hair behind your ear. The fear in his eyes had gone, the nerves and uncertainty had gone with them. All that was left to his stare was warmth and admiration.

His hand brushed against your jaw softly and then rested against your cheek, his thumb brushing just beneath your eye. He tilted you closer. Your heart stopped in your chest and you didn’t breathe for fear that it would stop him. It was a moment you never wanted to end. Eyes half-lidded you caught a glance of his lips, parted ever so slightly and nearing yours. Then a horrid crash echoed from behind the statue.

In an instant, you were apart and both sliding to the other side of the statue in search of the sound. Liu leapt from the statue gracefully and you peered over the side, catching your breath. Below you could see a monk there, speaking with Liu. There were pieces of something shattered on the ground. You carefully climbed from the statue to join them.

The monk muttered his apologies. Liu had bent down to clean up the shards of the pot that had been dropped. Water was spread over the stone floor. Your fingers were numb and the action of helping clean up the shattered pot felt surreal. Honestly, the entire night had felt surreal. From waking up from an inappropriate dream, to staring at the stars with Liu. The monk bowed his head and took the shards with him as he made his way to wherever he was meant to. You stood upright and fixed your hair. You could feel that Liu’s eyes were on you again. Even though you were no longer seated close together or even touching, the tension hadn’t faded.

“We should rest.” The fog of the moment had at least cleared, and you knew that if you didn’t go to bed now then you’d likely wind up doing something irresponsible with Liu Kang. Why were you resisting this obvious tug? It seemed oddly taboo, though you couldn’t place your finger on the reasons why. You were both consenting adults, so why shouldn’t you embrace this? Oddly enough, you felt guilty even at the thought.

These emotions were far too complex for the middle of the night.

“I’ll walk you to your room.”

“Thank you, Liu.” Together you walked through the hall of the temple and you were suddenly grateful to have him guiding you. You’d wandered so far and so aimlessly that you had no idea where you’d wound up. It would have taken you ages to find your way back. You opened the door to your room and leaned against it with a smile. “Try and get some rest, will you?”

“You too, Y/N.” He peered behind you into the room, and you followed his gaze to where the book laid on your desk.

“…did you want to read?” You were sure sleep wouldn’t come easily and Liu seemed reluctant to leave. You were reluctant to let him go.

“Are you sure? It’s late.”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t.”

Liu didn’t ask twice and so you opened the door the rest of the way and allowed him inside with you. You sat on the floor, leaning against the bed, and Liu picked up the book and joined you at your side. His familiar voice was like a lullaby and only a few minutes past before you were drifting in and out of sleep with your head on his shoulder. If Liu noticed, he didn’t say anything or move you. He kept reading. Before you knew it, you were out cold.

[aerynwrites]

Specter

Boba Fett x F!Reader

A/N: For @autumnleaves1991-blog Writer Wednesday! I had a lot of fun with this one as Sci-Fi is definitely my passion when it comes to writing, watching, reading stuff! So I guess a little backstory with this, is my inspirations for the reader came from the above image (left) as well as kind of mixing that with the idea of The Winter Soldier/Bucky from the MCU. Also I loved the idea of Boba facing an opponent that hes never faced before and getting his ass beat lol. So...here ya go! I hope you all enjoy! <3

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: fighting, guns, and knives.

Specter: Specter refers a ghost, or something that is widely feared or is a source of terror or dread.

⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

In all his years as a bounty hunter traveling the galaxy, It still surprises Boba sometimes that he doesn’t know all of the planets. Granted he is usually only called to the same ones over and over. So, seeing a new planet is something that causes surprise to tug at the edges of his mind. This is how he feels when the bounty he receives is said to be last spotted on a rather large yet secluded planet by the name of Zonuc. The memory of the exchange a few days ago replays in his mind as the ramp to Slave I lowers.

⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

“I’ve never even heard of this planet before, and you expect me to fly triple the distance I usually do to capture a bounty that you can’t even give me any information on? No age. No species. No name-”

“I gave you a name,” the client interrupts, waving his withering hand dismissively. The client is a wrinkly old Zabrak bastard who has caused Boba more frustration in the last half hour than he’s experienced in years.

“No,” he barks, “You have me an alias, which isn’t that helpful when they can just dump it for a new one whenever they please.”

The Zabrak rolls his eyes, “I was told you were the best. If you feel this is too much of a challenge I can just find someone else to-”

“Save your ultimatums for someone else, Kar,” Boba snaps, “I’ll get them. But I expect heavy compensation for the trouble this causes me.”

Kar sneers at the bounty hunter, “If you manage to bring them back to me alive, I assure you,” he leans back in his chair, “you will never have to worry about credits again.”

Boba scoffs before turning on his heel and leaving to find his bounty.

⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

The sight that greets Boba as the ramp of Slave I opens before him, is definitely different than anything he’s seen. Immediately he is struck with a familiarity. The city he’s landed in is teeming with life, bustling streets, towering buildings, neon signs hanging everywhere. It reminds him of Coruscant but less…refined. This place is definitely a place where those who want to disappear go. This place also reeks of trouble and shady dealings. What strikes him as the most odd however, is the people that seem to inhabit the place.

They look like humanoid droids. But not the kind that can’t do anything but follow their master around and translate languages. No. These things look like humanoids that have been transformed into machines. 

Boba treads carefully - senses on high alert while also listening to the tracking fob that beeps steadily at his side. He spends his first few hours on the planet trying to simply get his bearings, finally having found a non-robotic person to ask about the place. He learns that the people that inhabit the planet in majority are called Exos, a species he’s never heard of. He also finds that this place is exactly what he thought it to be - 

A place for criminals and wanted people to come and live and thrive in a life of crime. A safe haven for those on the run from people like him. 

He huffed at that information. No place is ever truly safe, and as his tracking fob starts to beep faster, he knows he’s about to teach that lesson to yet another bounty. 

He follows where the tracking fob leads him, surprised that the bounty does not seem to be moving. Finally, he rounds a corner at the end of the street he is on and he immediately feels when the bounty clocks him. You are at a stall in a marketplace in the middle of the street. He sees you turn to look just as he rounds the corner and he immediately recognizes the mask from the pictures shown to him by Kar. It's black, with orange glowing detail around the visor, creating a haunting effect. The second that visor lands on Fett, you turn on your heel and sprint in the opposite direction. 

The hunter curses to himself and gives chase.

He has faced many different bounties in his lifetime, but this one is the first that he has ever had a sliver of a doubt about. The way you dart nimbly through the streets before literally leaping off of walls to reach the roof tops, giving you a height advantage. Fett follows as best he can with his jet pack, but between dodging speeders and hanging signs he loses sight of you. For a moment, as he lands in a side alley, he thinks he actually lost the bounty. 

Until the fob at his side starts going haywire. 

He glances up above him and raises an arm just as you come crashing down onto him, razor sharp blade glancing off his vambrace as you land. Fett pulls his blaster from it’s holster and aims faster than most could blink, but not fast enough for you. You reach out and grab the end of his blaster before it even reaches chest level, and you yank it from his grip with a force that strikes a tinge of concern into hunters mind. He watches in utter shock as you break the solid metal in half over your knee before rearing back and throwing a knife in his direction. He barely dodges it and immediately reaches for his own blade to defend the attack he knows is coming. This time he is at least able to draw his weapon completely before you are on him again. 

You go to throw a punch at his head, and on instinct he leans into it, used to his opponent crumpling in pain once their fist makes contact with the solid metal. However, this time, he is the one that stumbles when a deafening ringing fills his ears as metal connects with metal.

Wait - metal on metal?

He glances up from where his eyes fell to the floor to see you rearing back to hit him again, and he just manages to finally realize what is happening. The black color of your hand that he had assumed were gloves, is actually smooth metal.

He’s fighting a fucking robot. 

Before he can dwell on it too long however, he dodges another blow and thrusts his blade forward and up with the intent of burying the blade in your stomach. But before he can, you reach out and wrap your fingers around the blade - stopping it in its path. You wretch the weapon from his hands before landing a herculean blow to his chest, sending the man flying backwards into the wall behind him. He collapses to the ground in a heap and is forced to watch as you snap his blade in half too before approaching the downed hunter. He can see that you think you’ve beaten him, and perhaps you have to some extent. But Boba Fett is not going out of this galaxy sitting on his ass.

So, just as you approach him, he swings his feet out and takes your own from beneath you. And in a puzzling turn of events, he reaches for the mask on your face instead of a weapon at his side. His fingers just manage to slip the plastoid from your head before a boot is placed into his stomach and he is flung backwards with otherworldly strength once more. This time, he is again surprised to feel his helmet being ripped from his head, watching as you launch it down the alley way before hauling him to sit upright against the wall.  

You crouch down in front of him, and it's then that he finally gets a closer look at the first bounty that has bested him. The first thing he thinks is that you’re pretty. too pretty to be hiding behind some mask. The second thing he notices is the rhythmic whirring and clicking of the mechanics coming from the, what he can see now, is two mechanical arms. 

He huffs, cringing at the stabbing pain in his side as you glare at him. “So, what are you anyway?” he finally asks, eyes tracing over your arms once more before returning to your face, “I feel like I at least deserve an answer before you kill me.”

Your head tilts to the side slightly at his words, and unbeknownst to him, similar thoughts to his own are running through your head. You find the bounty hunter somewhat attractive and very intriguing

“All you need to know is one thing-” you finally breathe, and Boba finds himself entranced by your voice, “Come after me again...And I won’t go easy on you.” 

You stand then, but not before shoving the man back into the wall harshly. You scoop up your mask and slip it back over your face and turn to exit the alley way, leaving the defeated bounty hunter on the ground.

“That was taking it easy on me?” Boba huffs out a laugh and shakes his head.

You pause and turn to look over your shoulder, visor glowing ominously as you say, “I don’t think you want to find out.” and then, with a mighty leap, you disappear into the rooftops.

Boba lets out a defeated sigh as you leave his eyesight, yet, he can’t help the way his lips tug up at the corners slightly. 

“I don’t know princess,” he mumbles to himself, letting out a low groan as he finally stands, “I think I want a rematch.”

And in that moment, in a damp ally on an unknown planet, Boba decides that he isn’t done with you yet. Not by a long shot.

⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Permanent Taglist: @ajeff855 @kaermorons @imnotakilleranymore @hiscyarika @hail-doodles @mrpascals @bestintheparsec @forever-rogue​ @leaiorganas​ @wille-zarr​ @ahopelessromanticwritersworld​ @princessxkenobi​ @phoenixhalliwell​ @theocatkov​ @swimmingsloths​ @getinthepoolkeanu​ @engie115​ @somnibats​ @rosiefridayrogersunday​ @recklessworry​ @gooddaykate​ @niki-xie​ @amneris21​

Boba Fett: @words-way-of-life​  @itssmashedavo​ @gallowsjoker​ @princessbatears​ @c-a-v-a-l-r-y​

[stillness-in-green]

MVA In Memoriam (3/5)

The Comprehensive Account of the Butchering of My Villain Academia

(Introduction and Part One, Episode 108: My Villain Academia) (Part Two, Episode 109: Revival Party)

Part Three, Episode 110: Sad Man's Parade

Chapter 229 – All It Takes Is One Bad Day

• The full first page, of Jin getting mobbed by Puppet!Jins, them tearing his mask off, and flinging it and then him away. Saved them a bit of budget, I suppose, but it’s a shame to lose the drama and the violence of Twice having his mask pulled away, since it’s decent foreshadowing (indeed, possibly intentionally so, on Skeptic’s part) for the violent bewilderment he’ll be subject to shortly.

• Re-Destro’s line, “Not when he’s using his meta-ability to puppeteer, unless you want another nagging lecture.” They didn’t keep the first nagging lecture, so of course they wouldn’t keep this. I’m still annoyed, both on general principle and at the loss of RD’s implication that these nagging lectures are a regular occurrence, especially if one tries to bother Skeptic when he’s using his meta-ability. Has RD himself been on the receiving end of one? Possibly so! But you’d be less likely to think so just from the anime.

• Re-Destro’s line, “This allowed our warriors to momentarily hold back and stay out of danger.” Because why would the audience need to know that Skeptic planned for and Re-Destro cares enough to observe something like that lol?? Obviously the MLA is perfectly content to just throw their peoples’ lives away because, whatever, more where that came from! Dammit, anime, the fandom believes this enough as it is without confirmation bias from your cuts!

• Skeptic’s “fufufu” laugh, because the anime is allergic to the MLA having fun.

• The police officer’s line, “Sure, but in a case like this, you’re still to blame.” The rest of the exchange hints at it, of course, but there’s a horrifying callousness to a police officer just saying straight to the face of a teenaged orphan facing his first offense, “Yes, you were obeying the law perfectly and this guy just ran out in front of you, but it’s going on your criminal record anyway, whatever.” A weight the anime lost, and another that makes me very suspicious of the patterns behind what, precisely, was put on the chopping block.[1]

• Jin’s narration, “That police officer couldn’t have known. Me neither.” Demonstrates that Jin doesn’t really hold his fall against the one policeman. It’s a consistent thread with Jin’s character that, while he’s very jaded, he’s not actually vengeful, nor is he looking to enact systemic change. While he’s very defensive of his friends, people who hurt Jin himself are never in any real danger of him coming to collect his pound of flesh in return; he just rolls with it as part of how the world works, in the way of someone who was never given reason to believe any different. This line is a good example of that.

• From Jin’s old employer’s angry rant, deletes the note that the client that called is angry, and that the client said, “That young punk of yours did this!” It’s nothing that wasn’t obvious from the rest of the conversation, but I do I think cutting it loses a sense that this guy is just unloading all of his frustration and fear on Jin. The length of the screed, the extra details—it clearly communicates that Jin’s boss is so angry and upset he’s not paying any real mind to filtering, but just recounting every point of contention the moment they come into his mind.

• In modern society, when you’re someone without roots… Well, not a lot of people can relate to that.” It isn’t just the police that failed Jin; it’s a whole society that’s distrustful of people who don’t have a place in the fabric, and thus are unwilling to try and bring them into it. Like Tenko, there are a thousand little places where someone could have reached out a hand, but no one ever did. The audience can intuit this, but I feel it’s better to be clear about it—it’s not just the legal system that screwed Jin over; it’s every other person that never tried to help him because they were afraid of his eyes or distrusted a guy who had no connections. When Shigaraki comes, he’s not going to be coming for heroes alone; he’ll be coming for this entire tapestry of indifference and timidity.

• Skeptic’s lines, “Hrm? Fighting back? I was sure he’d either flee or cower in place... We didn’t anticipate such unity between them.” This gets at two things. Firstly, and once again, that the MLA did their research; that they came into this with educated expectations and a definite plan. Secondly, an in-character observation of what the arc has been showing the audience all along: that the League isn’t just a disparate gang of hoodlums anymore; that they’re developing real bonds. Those bonds mark them as unusual—Re-Destro comments on it in 223, as did Overhaul in 147; even Mr. Compress remarks disapprovingly on Twice’s “habit” of getting overly attached to people. It’s striking that, even though the MLA knew from Giran’s records that the League was uncommonly well-bonded, Twice’s devotion still fell outside Skeptic’s parameters.[2]

• Again Skeptic’s line, “Now his legs.” The drones don’t actually get this far (though you can see them gearing up for it on the next page), so it’s a reasonable enough cut, but it does emphasize the ludicrous, over-the-top extremes Skeptic in particular is willing to go to in securing what he wants. If, you know, “Kidnap the doubler so we have a method to make copies of the Grand Commander at our leisure,” wasn’t bonkers enough.

• Twice’s line, “Even against Gigantomachia!” It really highlights just how much mental energy Twice has been dedicating to avoiding injury, that he was able to keep it in mind even fighting a foe as overwhelming, and for as extended a period, as Machia. And like, the anime blitzed over the Machia fight so quickly, and with so little visible wear and tear to the League, that it really could have used all the reminders it could find room for about how intense those six weeks were.

• Twice’s line, “I won’t watch a friend die!” Such an important line that the composer named an entire track for it, not that the anime gave us that track in the moment it was clearly scored for. They added in a new line later in the scene which mostly gets the important sentiments back in, but loses out in being slightly less fitting to his breakthrough. See the Additions portion of the write-up on Chapter 230, following.

Framing Shifts

• The policeman in Jin’s flashback looked up at him in the anime, where in the manga, his eyes stay down on his paperwork the entire time. I realize that anime can’t just still-frame every panel of a manga and call it an adaptation,[3] so characters will do things like move and look around in different directions just in the course of inhabiting a room, Still, in this case, it has the effect of making the officer look more alert and engaged than he was in the manga, and given that this whole chunk of backstory is about Jin slipping through the social safety net, it feels appropriate to me that the officer should be completely checked out.

Additions

• A new shot of Jin(s) in his pre-massacre doppelganger army days. Didn’t tell us anything we don’t already know—it’s little more than a new angle of the gang in the truck—but it was nice to see.

Bonus Note

• They left Re-Destro’s phrase, “My company,” alone when he was talking about the micro-transceivers Skeptic was using. That’s accurate to the manga, but I’d like to remind everyone that, at that point in the anime, viewers whose only reference is the anime itself have no idea that Re-Destro is a businessman. The show skipped the commercial, RD’s intro, the dinner scene where his company comes up, and Giran’s association of RD with Detnerat; it will further go on to skip Shigaraki recognizing him from the commercial. The news report mentioning Detnerat was ten full episodes prior to Episode 110, and was followed up on in not the faintest degree. For heaven’s sake, would it have been so hard to have Hirata Hiroaki say, “My Detnerat’s,” instead of just, “My company’s”?

Chapter 230 – Sad Man’s Parade

• Deleted the MLA members that are attacking Compress as they get pushed off by the Twice wave. Not the first time, and not the last, that the anime didn’t animate the random MLA people on the street. It’s hard to take the threat of their numbers seriously when the anime kept deleting them from what are supposed to be crowd scenes, you know?

• Mr. C thinking worriedly about Dabi as he’s mulling over Geten’s strength and disregard for catching his own people in the collateral damage. It’s just a, “Dabi—!” but it’s yet another tiny cut that shaves away at the manga’s clear depiction of Leagues’ concern for one another—even Mr. Compress, who claims that such things aren’t very villainous.

Framing Shifts

• Changed the random MLA’s exhortation to kill all the Twices to a generic, “Damn—!” I know American censors have often taken issue with the words “Kill” and “Die” in kids’ cartoons, but I was never of the impression that that was the case in Japan. And it’s not like the show made any bones about Curious planning to kill Toga. A rephrase to save a second and a half on dialogue, maybe?

• Had Skeptic give his lines about failure on the way over to the elevator instead of stalking over in silence, and then dumping the whole monologue all at once. The manga’s extended silence over three identically sized panels is much funnier and more characterful. I grow ever more confident in my assessment of Skeptic as the second-most ill-treated MLA character in this adaptation.

• The return of the Doom Choirs for the Twice Parade. I really wish the anime would lay off slathering Doom Choirs all over everything, especially a moment like this: a triumph for Twice, and, true to form for Twice, also crammed to the gills with visual and verbal gags. The Doom Choir is out of keeping with both the victory and the comedy—Mine Woman, later on, served the Parade much better.

Additions

• Gave Twice a new line, “I will protect my comrades!” It was nice to make up for his, “I won’t watch a friend die!” but the latter is more characterful, especially since a more literal translation is, “I won’t kill my friends!” Which is, you know, relevant to the fact that Twice has problems telling himself apart from things that just look like him, and he just had to intervene to stop some of those look-alikes from killing one of said friends. At least it got his use of nakama back in.[4]

• A new little cut of animation as the action went back to Geten and Dabi. I suppose the Dabi fans liked it, and it was nice to see more of Geten’s ice dragon, but I’d have much preferred they could keep the scenes we already have before adding new ones.

Chapter 231 – Path

The scene of Hawks wondering why he hasn’t heard from Dabi and his subsequent flashback to the last time they spoke were relocated to the beginning of Episode 102, the first thing the audience saw after the prior episode ended with Shouto inviting Bakugou and Deku to come intern with him at Endeavor’s. In the manga, of course, it’s not “a few weeks ago in Kyushu,” it’s “meanwhile in Osaka.” Also, the order of the scenes was flipped—the episode led with the flashback, then returned to the modern day. It really makes the timeline needlessly confusing—the viewer has no real context for what we’re seeing and when, especially since the anime neglected to specify how much time passed between the two scenes. You have to assume it was enough time for an outcry to be raised over Jeanist’s disappearance, but the random shot of a bird flying over was not at all helpful there.

          Alterations included (as usual, outright removed material is in bold text):

          1. Cut Hawks’ thought, “That’s why you keep calling,” and his line, “What’s the job?” I know I should give a breakdown here about Hawks’ mentality and training, but I’m afraid I don’t have it in me to complain about any lines Takami Keigo loses. God knows the anime gives him plenty enough bonus material.

          2. Spliced in the flashback scene of Hawks reporting to the Commission from Chapter 243, but subtly changed it to suggest that it took place after the phonecall in which Dabi demanded Hawks kill a non-Endeavor top hero, rather than it taking place right after Hawks and Dabi’s first contact, which is what the manga implies.

          3. Deleted several key shots in the Jeanist apartment scene, with the effect of making Hawks way less creepy. We got an anime-original shot of his eyes, narrow and serious, but not either of the shots of his big, off-putting grin and widened eyes as he pulls a feather-blade on Jeanist. We also lost a shot of Jeanist turning to face him, framed between extended primaries of Hawks’ Fierce Wings. It’s not like the anime dropped the fake!Dead Jeanist plot, so I’m not sure why the shift, unless it’s just that they wanted to keep Hawks likable for the merch-buying crowd, not creepy and unsettling. And while I personally never believed that Hawks really killed Jeanist, a lot of people thought it was plausible, no doubt based on how off-kilter he comes across in this scene. It loses a real frisson, to just play it straight.

• Shigaraki decaying a missile in mid-air. So Dabi can get those little animation flourishes but Tomura can’t, huh, anime? I see how it is. I. See. How. It. Is.

• Spinner’s little side comment about all the ice everywhere. A nice demonstration that Geten and Dabi’s fight really is affecting huge swathes of the city; that’s certainly apparent already in a bunch of the wide shots showing exactly that, but it’s helpful to have the more zoomed-in moments, too. Also, I do enjoy those little side quips wherever we get them, and the anime often removes them.

• Thinned out the crowd guarding the route to the tower somewhat (it’s particularly noticeable on the mid-distance rooftops) and, as best I can tell, removed Shigaraki and Spinner from the shot. Why keep all the lines harping on the 110,000 number when a) it’s not even accurate to the MLA’s forces, just the League’s assumptions, and b) the studio doesn’t even have the resources to adequately convey the numbers the manga does portray?

• Somebody in the crowd being defiant about Twice’s multiplication and vigorously declaring that the League are all just sacrifices for the MLA’s Revival Party anyway. The background nobodies? Allowed to express even bog-standard over-confidence? Well I never. How dare those people think their lives count enough for them to get dialogue.

• Spinner’s, “This keeps happening!” Of course he couldn’t have that line in the anime, since the anime cut the other big place Trumpet clearly used his power to rile up his followers. What other times were you even talking about when you said, “Every time he talks,” Anime!Spinner? That scene was the first time we even saw Trumpet since he welcomed you guys to town.

• Twice calling Re-Destro a cult leader. He just called him a damn moron (bakayarou) in the anime; he uses the considerably more specific baka kyouso (Google Translate gives “guru”; jisho gives “founder of a religious sect”). He uses the same term again immediately afterward—Viz’s translation gives, “More like chrome dome cult!”—which the anime also deleted.

          So here’s another example of the anime doing everything it could to erase the presence of cults in the HeroAca world. The easy assumption to make is that this was tied to broadcast standards about the depiction of what Japan refers to as “new religious movements,” which—and pardon the brief swerve into real life historical horrors here—have been very unpopular in Japan since Aum Shinrikyo and the sarin gas attacks in 1995. But were these elements removed because the anime didn’t want to represent anything that smacks of new religious movements at all, or because the depiction of both the MLA and particularly the CRC are explicitly villainous and calling religious movements, even made-up ones, evil on TV leads to a lot of angry phone calls?

• Re-Destro’s line, “Unlike my good Miyashita, there’s nothing charming about you.” Of course they’d cut this, having cut the Miyashita scene, but I hate it anyway. As I said earlier, RD’s invocation of Miyashita in front of two people who are going to have not the slightest clue who that is tells me that Re-Destro really does miss and feel bad about killing the guy. Cutting the reminder that RD still feels that sting makes it much too easy to assume that Shigaraki’s right about RD hiding up in his tower, uncaring of the blood shed on his behalf, when if you read Re-Destro with even the slightest of attempts at good faith, it’s clear that those losses weigh very heavily on him.

          Incidentally, and not to harp on the art again, but in the manga, Stress is still visibly spread down from RD’s temple to the ridge of his brow over his eye socket. The anime returned it back to its normal resting state, again suggesting that the death toll mounting in the streets below (as well as, possibly, the new stress of confronting a quirk as powerful as Double) left RD completely unmoved. The spread was back in the following shot, so it was probably just an art error, but it would be nice to have had fewer of those, especially when they impact characterization as much as what RD’s Stress blots are doing at any given time.

Framing Shifts

• Had Machia doing this weird cannonball skim just over the ground, when in the manga, he’s still half-buried, spraying earth and stone everywhere. The manga never namedrops Machia’s Mole quirk during the story itself, but it’s important to know for later that Machia can not only tear through obstacles, he can tear through obstacles extremely quickly.

Additions

• Gave Hawks a few new lines about how too many unexpected things happened for their last arrangement, and that Dabi should have given him more warning. Largely seemed to be there to give the anime an excuse to flashback to the High End fight, in case the viewers had completely forgotten about Hawks and Dabi having a clandestine meeting and sniping at each other in the aftermath of that event. An understandable addition, but deeply frustrating in the context of all the lines that got cut.

Chapter 232 – Meta Abilities and Quirks

• Dropped a third instance of Twice calling Re-Destro a cult leader. I don’t know what the S&P restriction is on this, but given that the movie was allowed to create and villainize an entire international terrorist cult, it is really incomprehensible that the MLA doesn’t get to keep their designation as such. Why?? Because the movie involves going out and defeating its cult, but the series is going to engage in a more sympathetic treatment?[5] Because the self-selecting movie crowd is less likely to complain than the TV audience? Did they just not want to draw attention to how much the movie was ripping off the MLA’s whole shtick? What??

• Missed that RD’s swole arm swipe wipes out the puppets Skeptic left behind; they just vanished from the scene entirely after Twice’s arrival. It’s hard to blame the anime for this; the manga also seems to lose track of the fact that they’re right there in between RD and the elevator—they’re nowhere to be seen anywhere between the end of Chapter 231 and the aforementioned arm swipe, where you can see them getting obliterated. Both versions could have stood to be more attentive to this; indeed, the anime could have fixed it, small error though it is.

• A sort of twitchy sparking around Shigaraki’s hand right after he decays the tower. This is foreshadowing that Shigaraki’s big AOE decay attacks are hard on his body, which will become extremely apparent after he unleashes it on the city at large during the climax, and factors into his decision to accept the mysterious power Ujiko offers. The damage Shigaraki sustains there doesn’t come out of nowhere; Horikoshi is, on the whole, extremely good at layering in foreshadowing many chapters before the foreshadowed elements come fully to light. It makes the writing look much messier than it actually is—more convenient, more pat—to delete this stuff.

• Shigaraki recognizing RD from the Detnerat commercials. Well, they ditched the Detnerat commercial, so of course they ditched this. Still, it lost one of the indicators that Shigaraki is, despite not receiving a formal education, actually quite up to speed on current events—even, apparently, when those current events are happening while he’s been fighting Machia in an isolated stretch of mountains for six weeks! I already suffer enough through fanon characterizations of Shigaraki in which he’s a basement-dwelling feral manchild glued to his gaming console whom AFO bans from accessing information about the outside world, anime! I don’t need you dropping the scenes that most clearly demonstrate otherwise!!

• In the anime, Baby!Chikara’s face was unmarked, just a normal infant face—you’d never even know the kid had a meta-ability just to look at him. In the manga, the skin of his face is clearly darker, contrasted against the paleness of his mother’s hand. It’s obvious that he’s not “normal” looking, and thus equally obviously would have attracted negative attention in his era.[6] Also had his mother smiling; her face in the manga is too shadowed and vague to make out an expression, befitting the murky tragedy of her story and the fear she must have been living with.

Framing Shifts

Additions

• A little thing: they had Twice echo, “Cushion?” when Clone!Shigaraki told him to get ready to cushion Giran’s fall. If anything, Re-Destro and his little thought-bubbled question mark is probably the one who should have had this reaction line.

• Added a visual for Clone-araki catching himself on the window. A perfectly reasonable way to fill screen time while a dialogue beat was ongoing.

• Added a panning still over a reaction shot from a bunch of Twice clones when the tower came down. It had a few good faces in it.

                                                           ---

So, generally, this episode was better. I definitely still had issues with it, but compared to what came before, when they were trying to cram 5+ chapters into the episodes, there were far fewer cuts, and what cuts and tweaks there were, were relatively minor. Definitely nothing that made me want to throw chairs Jerry Springer-style the way 108 and 109 did.

Sadly, I can't say the same for the remaining two episodes. Come back next time for Part Four, Episode 111: Shimura Tenko, Origin.

FOOTNOTES

[1] After witnessing the massacre that was Episode 108, I was convinced they were going to cut the policeman scene entirely, and just go right to Jin getting fired for hitting someone with his bike, letting the audience think it was his fault completely rather than cast aspersions on police and the justness of the law. I was pleased they kept it at all, but less pleased with the steps taken to soften the sharpness of its accusation.

[2] Of course, it’s not like the MLA themselves don’t understand the willingness to give everything for the people who matter. They just label those feelings Devotion To The Cause, and don’t think the League is capable of such resolution.

[3] Netflix’s Way of the House Husband, be told.

[4] Nakama is, of course, a shonen standby, but, to the best of my knowledge (which is admittedly limited; I don’t follow a lot of shounen series), it’s pretty rare to hear the word coming out of a villain’s mouth! Jin calling the League his nakama ties into how the League are both sympathetic villains in the larger story and also the protagonists of the current arc, thereby operating under a lot of protag tropes for the duration—foreshadowed by Spinner’s earlier talk of Shigaraki and his boyish, dream-chasing eyes.

[5] Sometime after the mass arrests, one hopes.

[6] This could well be a coloring error in the manga, but if so, you’d think they’d have corrected it for the volume release. Especially given that, again, the color is in a different shade/screentone than the shadow that covers most of his mother’s face, and her hand stroking Chikara’s chin isn’t shadowed at all.

[imonthinice]

The Criminal Psychology Majors, Jason Todd x Fem!Reader Part 6/?

Word Count: 2.6-2.7k idk exact

Author’s Note: Y/N - Your name, A/N - Any name (your best friend’s name)

MUSIC IS INCLUDED THIS TIME! Please enjoy my personal music playlist, or at least a snippet of it.

TO THE PERSON WHO REBLOGGED AND SAID THIS WAS CUTE (at least the first part) you straight up made me cry omfg

Warnings: Swearing, gets really fucking heated at the end (no sex, yet), no beta bitch we die like Jason Todd

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12) (Part 13) (Part 14) (Part 15) (Part 16) (Part 17) (Part 18) (Part 19) (Part 20)

Outfit Context:

Y/N:

Jason:

(Cause I finally found an outfit I liked on the boy, men’s fashion isn’t my strong suit,,, heh :) )

“Sorry, is my mouth hung open?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. Very much so,” she mocked.

Jason closed his mouth and outstretched his hand for Y/N’s, cupping it with both hands and kissing the top of it.

“You just look so lovely, Y/N.”

“And you’re chivalrous, Jay. Now, should we get going?” she asked, putting her free hand on top of his two.

“Yes, let’s go,” he let one of his hands go of hers and lead her to the Porsche he brought with him, not intertwining his fingers with hers.

He opened the passenger’s side door and let Y/N get in, not letting go of her hand til the last moment he could hold it. He got in an turned on the radio,

It felt like a good night, for dancing in the moonlight,

In empty streets, well, everybody's got a reason why,

If we could only just get it right,

Maybe it will all work out like in the movies,

But I know Romeo must die before the ending,

With a final poison kiss delivered gently,

Because you don't get lucky twice, and that's the truth,

“Sing to me sweet just like my memory, 

If New York City Still moves me then I’ve found something real,

I’ll be okay, I could go on for days,

But I just don’t have the courage that it takes to be real,

And even if it’s dark at least we’ll be together,

Slowly sinking in the Earth to lay forever,

You better grab a hold and hold on for your life,

Because you don’t get lucky twice,

No, you don’t get lucky twice,” She sung with the tune.

Without the Bitter the Sweet Isn’t as Sweet - Mayday Parade

“You, you have the voice of an angel,” he said.

“It’s not that hard to mimic works of art with my voice.”

“Did you ever take singing lessons?”

“I did when I was younger, so I could sing French lullabies to my cousins.”

He placed a hand on her thigh as he drove them through the countryside of Gotham to Metropolis, taking the long way on what seemed like purpose. So he could encapsulate the moment in his memory for as long as he knew her and what she was to him. She was an adventure waiting to happen, a love story not yet written to tell for ages, a rock ‘n’ roll song written to please the masses in hidden corners of the world.

And to her, he was a masterwork of intertwining memories of pain, sadness, luck and beauty. A mind of complexity she was just waiting to dive into and see how it functioned. A story behind the white tuff of hair he had, why he was jacked to the masses if he was a book nerd. A story of his favourite book and his favourite sibling, his favourite trope, his love, his pain, him.

The moments where she stuck her hand out the window and traced symbols into the Autumn air swirling past the two as they cruised down the empty back roads. When he laughed as she sang Reste by GIMS and Sting. He didn’t understand the lyrics, but she did, and she called it a love song. Well, he got the parts Sting sung, but French wasn’t a language he knew like she did.

“I guess being Bilingual helped you out massively with that one, huh?”

“It’s a talent I never knew I needed, apparently.”

“Well, you did know you needed.”

“That’s fair,” she laughed, “ I guess I did always need it as a skill.”

“Do your cousins speak English too?” he asked.

“Yeah, a bit? It’s better English than my father.”

“Can he not speak English?”

“Well, he can, just not well. But my mother is also Bilingual in English and French so they never had to worry about my father being bad at English. My twin sister and I grew up knowing both languages,” she rambled, still playing with the wind, “I guess it’s a one-up I have on a lot of people, being able to just talk and talk in another language, travelling advantage,” she kept going, Jason intently listening to her as she went on and on, he liked the silence being filled by her voice, “You know? You might know, I don’t know how you were raised to a T,” she finished.

“Well, I can assure you I only know English so you have that theoretical one-up on me, too. But I choose to see that one-up as something you can teach me as time goes on and we progress,” he paused, “If you’re down to get serious eventually, that is,” he panicked.

“Well, maybe we’re at that point where we can say we’re casually seeing each other and exclusive, but not serious. Hopeful, but not pressuring ourselves into something that’s going to be put under a lot of pressure as we go on,” she said, still playing with the wind.

“We’ll see about that after dinner.”

“Where are we even going?”

“Fancy little restaurant with a balcony facing over the city,” he assured.

“Really out here living for the moments?”

“Well, most girls crack under the pressure of the paparazzi, you, however, flipped them off, and that’s being rewarded for showing that you can’t give a fuck about those dingy ass tabloids and how they treat you, by taking you out to nice places,” he said.

She laughed, “I’m glad I’m never going to live that one down, it was really fun to do.”

“I hope it continues as we go along, I would hate to see that behavior change when it brings a smile to everyone who’s ever been harassed by paparazzi” when they pulled over for a second, Jason quickly loosened his tie a tad, “Honestly, I want to ditch this fucking tie,”

“It’s not you,” she said, “It’s just not.”

“And you know me that well to take that guess?”

“I could see you struggling with it from a mile away, Jason. Maybe the fancy restaurant isn’t us,” she laughs, “But we aren’t going to not take that dinner date.”

“Oh we’re so going to take that date, but I’m thinking from here on out we do whatever the fuck we want, no fancy dates. Thoughts?” he asked.

“Done deal,” she said.

----------------------------

In the restaurant, the two of them were basically the worst people to be there, it was levels of fancy that neither of them actually wanted, they both wanted simplicity, but they both thought the presence of the other person was enough of a takeaway from the completely wrong choice of restaurant. They had Dick to blame for this one, and Jason made that clear to Dick in a joking text while Y/N snuck off to the bathroom to ‘fix her hair, she was actually checking her breath.

Dick, this fucking restaurant is a god damn bust, man. We aren’t you and Barbara, that’s what we’ve discovered today. lol.

Bummer! We really like that place.

I can see why it screams Dick and Barbs.

You kissed her yet though?

No.

Wuss! Cat got your tongue? Just do it, man.

And at the same time, Y/N was texting A/N about Jason and what to do,

Girl! Thank you so much for reminding me to bring mints, my god, food ruins your breath so much.

You really want the pretty boy kiss huh?

No, I’m eating the mints to not kiss him, YES I WANT THE KISS.

Ha! Honesty is key, just go for it.

She laughed as she packed her phone into her dress pockets (Yeah there’s fucking pockets :) ) and went to leave the restroom to meet up with Jason again. To which, Jason had already paid and tipped the waiter.

“I could have at least helped on the tip, Jay.”

“I tipped him 200%, but if you want to drop more cash, go for it.”

“You tipped that much?” she asked while slipping in a 50$ she had on her.

“Of course, food service workers deserve a lot more than what they get, especially when they have to deal with terrible customers,” he said as he went and grabbed her hand again, not intertwining fingers again, “And my best friend, Will, he complains about people who don’t tip and praises people who quote ‘over tip’ but I think that he deserves 200% each bill for the shit he puts up with.”

“Did you tip him when we went there?”

“No, I called in a ‘No questions asked’ favour. And before you say anything, he did the same to make me babysit his daughter-”

“Your best friend has a daughter?”

“Well, he’s older than me, but yeah, he’s a single dad because her mum kind of sucks, lovely little girl, I’m her godfather.”

“Does she call you Uncle Jason?”

“Well, Uncle Jay, it’s like one of the only works she knows how to say properly, and Dada,” he laughed, “Great little girl,” he said, nervously, “This doesn’t change anything, does it? ‘Cause if he, knock on fucking wood, lord forbids, dies that will be my daughter.”

“Well, he’s not dead and you’re not worrying that he’s going to die, so nothing has to change. God kids are god kids, noble that you took on your best friend’s kid if, lord forbid, anything happens to the man, really,” she assured.

He sighed and kissed the back of her hand, “Then that is just a gift on top of what I did,” he smiled and lead her back to the Porsche once again, opening the car door for her and she slightly turned on the radio, he let out a small laugh to himself, he got the pretty girl. He got into the Porsche again and began backing out.

“There’s something about ditching a really expensive dinner date that leaves you wanting more,” she said, absent-mindedly.

“What kind of more?” he asked.

“The kind you see in the movies, fully exposed and adventurous, you know?”

“Well, we could always sneak into the Wayne Manor Gardens and dance the night away under the stars like lovers do,” he half-joked, placing a hand on her thigh again and pretending like he did it subconsciously, but he was hyper-aware, especially when he caught her smile as she laughed.

“Wayne Manor? With your brothers, sisters, dad, and grandfather?” she paused, “If you’re serious, then no, not tonight. If you’re pulling my leg then, hell fucking no,” she joked.

“Maybe one day, then, huh?”

“One day, for sure. When it isn’t scary to accidentally run into your family on their property running around with you,” she said.

“Well, we can always go into the Wayne Enterprises Ballroom and dance the night away, no one should be in the office for a while and even then since there are no classes in the entire school tomorrow you can just hide out in my office if we stay too long,” he paused to make sure she was still listening, “Security can’t question me because I’m Bruce Wayne’s son, and security is tight as fuck so paparazzi can’t get to us,” he paused to put a little bit of pressure on her thigh, “What do you say? Can I have this dance, Milady?” he half-joked.

“You want to know something Jason?

“Always, Y/N.”

“I took dance lessons when I was younger, can you Waltz?” she asked.

“Yes ma’am, I can.”

“Then I’m in, let’s go.”

-------------------------------------

She loved the feeling of being back in her new hometown, Gotham. So when they pulled into the massive black building, she felt even more welcomed, security at the gates did ask ‘Who’s the girl?’ but Jason just explained it very easily,

“You know that date of mine that flipped off the press and you lot loved it?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” the man responded.

“You can call me Jason, you know that. But this is that girl.”

And they were let through the parking gates and into the underground parking system, they had to travel surprisingly far to Jason’s reserved spot in the lot, but the did get there before it hit AM. Once out of the car, Jason grabbed her hand and they ran into the building’s employees doors. It was a tight squeeze, but the feeling of Jason pressed so close to her sent chills down her spine. They went through many halls and reached the Ballroom, and entering it was like a dream for her.

Walls lined with intricate shapes and colours, but the colours never brought away from the stage at the far end from the door, the curtains seemed to redden with each step towards them, the 3, maybe 4 chandeliers hung above her like crystals in the ocean, it was amazing and beautiful. Checkered floorboards to give it a little bit of dimension, but it was the same colour as the main wall so your brain and eyes wouldn’t hurt after looking at it. It was stunningly beautiful and that’s what drew her in.

When he grabbed her hand and put on Never Let Me Go by Florence + The Machine, pulling her close to his chest and slowly Waltzing her around the room, spinning her when it felt right for him to do. Neither of them worried about the sloppiness or how it looked to the naked eye because it was for them. no one got satisfaction like they did at that moment. And grabbing her for one last dip was Jason’s goal when the ending of the song hit, although out of breath and his face stuffed in her chest as they both panted, he did pull her up so they were face-to-face on the dancefloor that they wiped clean.

“Did I tell you that you look stunning, Y/N?”

“I think you mentioned it a few times, Jay,” she said, staring directly into his eyes.

“Well, I mean it.”

“And I’m going to mean this,” she paused, taking her hand and placing it on his cheek, “ The way your eyes are a green-blue tint makes me lost in them, they’re like a sea of this mind I find myself liking more and more every day,” she paused to put her other hand on his other cheek, “And the way your nose and cheek freckles frame them is amazing.”

And he went for it. Somehow when he pressed his lips into hers, it felt like they were meant to match, and they both opened their mouths to play the coveted game of tongue-war, but they didn’t play by the rules, it was soft and sweet but full of passion and love, not lust. His hands would travel to her waist and lightly grip her, while her hands would travel to his neck and drape around the back of it.

They pulled away at the same moment to take in air, something they had clearly been missing as they were connected, they both let out a small chuckle before she put her hands in his hair and went in for round 2.

This time it was hungrier, and they both played with the shapes of the other so much more as time went on, he would grab her ass and she would pull on his hair slightly before he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist and moved one of her hands to the nape of his neck, this time, they would break for seconds only to start moving towards his office, which, conveniently, had a couch.

To say he threw her on that couch would be an understatement, he fucking thrust her on that couch and climbed on top of her, it was like 3 days of passion and lust combined themselves in a matter of minutes from their first kiss to them meeting on the couch. They both knew deep down that it couldn’t escalate further than this, especially at 1 in the morning, but time moves fast when you’re connecting in this way.

They finally broke after their passionate exchange and he fell to her side and began to spoon her, “Worth it,” he whispered.

“Worth what?” she asked.

“It was worth it to take a chance and defy my anxieties to ask you on that first date.”

“I don’t like a reality where you didn’t ask me on that date.”

“Neither do I, and I’m positive of that.”

[tweedlydumbtweedlydoo]

JJ Maybank x reader

Requested by anon/Summary: JJ begins to doubt your love for him. 

A/N: I’m not quite sure about this one. I had this whole idea for this request and it turned out horrible. I think i rewrote this 3 times lol. But anyways. Anon who requested this --- I hope you like it! xx 

Tag list is at the end. Let me know if you want to be added xx

**MASTERLIST**

Requests: OPEN {CLOSED}

I am currently taking requests for:

The Vampire Diaries/The Originals

Elijah Mikaelson

Damon Salvatore

Criminal Minds:

Spencer Reid

Derek Morgan

Supernatural (I’m only up to season 2, so please don’t request something with spoilers)**

Sam Winchester

Dean Winchester

Outer Banks (Netflix):

John B Routledge

JJ Maybank

Rafe Cameron

********************************************************************************************NOT MY GIF, CREDIT TO OWNERS

JJ was busting tables at the country club when you came up behind him, wrapping your arms around his waist, “Hi baby.”

He pushes your arms off his waist, “I’m working, y/n.” He’d watched you with a group of kooks eat lunch and couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. You were laughing and enjoying your time with them. He wondered how you could ever love him, a pogue, a bus boy at the country club? Why were you with him when you could have someone like those kooks you were hanging out with.

You frown and step back, “I always come visit you at work and it’s never been a problem.”

He picks up the black container full of dishes and faces you, “Yeah well, now it’s a problem.” He heads off toward the kitchen and you follow after him.

“What’s with the attitude?”

“I don’t have an attitude, y/n. Why don’t you go find you a country club rich boy and get out of my way?” He pushes open the kitchen doors and they swing shut in front of you.

What was his problem?

~

You didn’t want to go to Midsummer’s. You’d begged your mom to let you bring JJ, your boyfriend as your date, but she wouldn’t allow it. Your family was the guest of honor at the party and you weren’t going to walk in with a pogue and you would find someone else to escort you to the party is what she told you. So, here you are stuck walking in with Rafe Cameron. You knew this would start shit.

You and Rafe walked arm and arm through the double doors out to the patio, where everyone was clapping for you and your family. You wanted to roll your eyes but instead stood tall and smiled. Your eyes scanned the crowd for a certain bus boy and you finally spotted him. He was already looking back at you. You could see him shake his head and storm off back inside. This is what you wanted to talk to him about first, but he wouldn’t answer your calls or texts.

Rafe started to pull you toward his crowd of friends, “Rafe, I’m going to get a drink.”

“Bring me back one, doll face?” He asks, letting go of your arm and giving you a wink. You roll your eyes before walking off, heading toward the kitchen.

JJ rounded the corner and bumped right into you, “Sorry.” He mumbles, stepping back.

You shake your head, “No its okay.” You smile up at him, “You look good in your tux tonight.”

“Can I get you anything, miss y/l/n?” He asks politely.

You frown, “What?”

“I said, can I get you anything, miss y/l/n?”

“Yeah, my boyfriend JJ Maybank.” You cross your arms over your chest.

“Sorry. He’s unavailable right now. He’s got a job to attend too.” He pushes past you and starts to head back outside. You quickly follow after him, grabbing his arm, “JJ Maybank. What the fuck is your problem?”

He pulls his arm from your grip and faces you, “Why don’t you go back to Rafe Cameron, you know your date?”

You roll your eyes, “I tried to warn you about that, but you haven’t answered any of my calls or texts.”

“Well you two look good together.” He looks you over and whispers sadly, “He’s perfect for you.” He then slips through the door and heads to the back patio.

Your heart sinks at the words. You knew JJ was sensitive to this kind of stuff. He was from the cut, you were from figure 8 and you two weren’t made for each other. He always felt that he was never good enough for you and of course you’d remind him that you loved him, but sometimes a part of him knew this was too good to be true. Him, a pogue, with you, the most beautiful kook of the island? How did that happen? How could you love him?

~

Later that evening after dinner you finally spotted JJ again and quickly followed after him. He was going toward Pope and his dad. “JJ!”

He stopped and turned around to face you, “What?”

You walked right up to him and grabbed his arm, pulling him out toward the beach where there was more privacy.

“What the hell, y/n? I have a job to do.”

“I’ll take care of it.” You cross your arms over your chest and step in front of him, “Right now I want to know what your problem is, and we aren’t leaving until it’s settled.”

He rolls his eyes, “Just leave it y/n. Please?” He goes to walk by you, but you quickly step in front of him, blocking his way. “Y/n, move.”

You shake your head, standing your ground, “Talk to me JJ. I visited you yesterday at work and you blew me off. Then you wouldn’t answer my calls and now you’re acting all polite like I’m one of these rich snobs, calling me miss y/l/n.”

“Because you are one of these rich snobs y/n. And I’m a pogue, your bus boy at the country club. I don’t understand why you’re even with me or can even love me when you can have literally any guy up there at that country club, including Rafe Cameron himself!” He points back up to the country club.

“All of them are assholes, JJ! I don’t want any of them, I want you.” You reach out to grab him, but he steps back from you.

His eyes are filling with tears and his voice is soft, he shakes his head, “I can’t give you the life you deserve. I can’t give you what they could give you. I don’t see how you could love someone like me. I’m a kid whose dad beats him up. A dirty pogue who has nothing, came from nothing. I mean I’ll never be anything.”

You shake your head, eyes filling with tears as well, “JJ.. stop it. You are not nothing.” Your hand goes up to his cheek as he lets out a sob.

That’s when you wrap your arms around him, “I love you, JJ Maybank. More than anything in this world.”

His arms grip your body as he sobs into your shoulder. You gently rub circles onto his back, ���I don’t care what life I have, as long as you’re by my side. You are the love of my life. You have my heart, every day for the rest of our lives. You’re not nothing, you’re a human being who has been dealt a horrible life, but you have trucked on. You’re a hardworking person and I’m so proud of you.” You pull away and cup his cheeks in your hand, making him look at you, “No amount of money in the world would make me love you any less. I didn’t fall in love with how much money you have or what kind of life you live. I fell in love with you, your heart, your smile, your laugh and those damn blue eyes.” You gently rub your thumb along his cheek, wiping away a tear, “I love you so much JJ. I mean you have no idea.”

He sniffs and pulls you back into his arms, “I’m sorry I ever doubted you. It’s just seeing you the other day with those kooks at lunch and then walking in with Rafe. I didn’t think I was good enough for you.”

“I should have never came with Rafe and I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. If you’d walked in with me, it wouldn’t make your family look good.”  

You shake your head, “You know what?” You pull away to look at him, “Screw my family.” You smile and grab his hand, “JJ would you be my date to the Midsummer’s party?”

He chuckles, shaking his head and wiping his cheek, “You don’t have to do this. Plus, I’m on the clock.”

You shrug, “I want too. Let’s go.” You grip his hand in yours and pull him back to the party, right passed your parents and onto the middle of the dance floor, where everyone can see you. He twirls you and pulls you to him, his arm around your waist, “Everyone’s staring.”

“Let them stare.” You smile and kiss him softly, “I want to dance with my boyfriend.”

He shakes his head, pulling you closer, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

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