#but why is she automatically a she just because she's young and innocent and pure?

[meatballlady]

As much as I love Crowley's genderfuckery, I find myself somewhat iffy about the idea of the she/her angel. Something about femininity being tied to youth and innocence and purity. idk.

[darkscorpiox]

Utena – Kozue and the challenges of gender and growth

Warning: very, VERY long post, sorry

As twins, a duality automatically exists between her and her brother. In their case, gender and the norms/stereotypes attached to them are the most obvious. We can see it in the color of their respective items which have stuck even to their teenage years (blue for boys and pink for girls), a trait even their parents displayed in Episode 26. It shows the gender-based binary dynamics in a family (man/woman, husband/wife, son/daughter), but it can also present a parallel between the concerned individuals, meaning Kozue and Miki and their mother and father respectively.

(Based on where young Miki and Kozue and their parents are positioned, it’s like the children are facing the reflection of their future self.)

We know from the aforementioned episode that the twins’ parents had divorced a long time ago. I think it happened before the preparations for the concert, because she would have been seen with their father dragging Kozue to the concert hall otherwise. Since the show wants to make us sympathize with women, especially the ones not categorized as pure and innocent, I suspect the twins’ mother had left because she couldn’t stand being their father’s trophy wife anymore. It can also explain why Miki and Kozue’s stepmother took the appearance of Anthy or, more precisely, the Rose Bride. She had immersed into the role of the ideal their father could no longer see in his ex-spouse, like Anthy was to Miki because Kozue was no longer the (supposed) pure little sister and playmate of his childhood. However, she had also taken the role of the “evil woman” who had ensnared the “good man” and consequently thrown the balance of the world into disarray. Kozue saw Anthy as the disrupter of the (unhealthy) dynamic between her and her brother, and the latter viewed their stepmother as the reason, or at least one among many others (like the biological mother who had left her children), behind the deterioration of his idealized family structure. Miki blames theses “fallen women” for the wrongs of his life and doesn’t acknowledge the part his father and himself play in it. And Kozue has internalized that belief to some degree as well. She could have turned out like her mother, independent-minded and defying the expectations imposed by a male-dominated society, but she chose to stay with Miki and consequently, subjected herself to those same expectations through his two-dimensional perception of women.

Next, we have the ill-fated concert. Miki’s flashback has three scenes: before the concert, the day of the concert and after the concert.

In the first part, painted in Miki’s and Kozue’s color, she and her brother are framed like a mirror and its reflection, indicating their position of equals. After she had voiced her fear of performing in front of a crowd of strangers, the hand he had raised in support is positioned under a window-shaped light, looking like he was presenting her a cage. He was unknowingly telling her to be like the caged bird between them: confined to the role of entertaining people who cared little about her feelings. Not sharing the same enthusiasm as him, a wedge had begun to grow between them (zoom out with the caged bird in her corner). Miki tried to erase that distance by alleviating her fears, but came off as pushy, too in-your-face (close-up-shot).

In the second part, the twins’ colors are gone, showing us their lack of control of the situation they were in at the time. We also see birds taking flight through a cage-like window, symbolizing moving toward independence/freedom and we know who is going to do it. Miki being sick rendered Kozue completely alone against their father and the adults whose only concern was to have what they came for on time. As she was dragged away by her parent, her eyes never left her brother, the one who had promised to stay by her side no matter what. She cried for his help, but he was just as powerless as her.

In the third part, when Miki went to see Kozue, for the first time in the flashback, she didn’t look at him, couldn’t bring herself to do it. The moonlight of the full moon is directed toward her through the cage-like window, similar to a stage light. Like the moon showing its completed form, at that moment, Kozue revealed her true self: an ordinary little girl unable to keep up the appearance of being as talented as her brother. That little girl was a stranger to the latter and so meant nothing to him. Therefore, all trace of Kozue had completely been wiped out of his world, painting everything in shades of blue.

Kozue realized he wouldn’t always be there for her (like I’ve once mentioned in a previous post) and for that reason, left the cage she shared with him as her first step toward independence. However, while there are optimistic sayings like “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” (Lao Tzu), the quote “A journey of a thousand miles continues with the second step” (Larry Wall) exists as well.

I think these images represent perfectly my point about the twins’ situation: Miki shuts himself in a cage (his coffin) shaped by his past and the piano intimately tied to it; and Kozue can’t distance herself from the brother she still loves despite having long since turned her back to the role expected of her to play, painting a target on her back for Miki’s Madonna-whore complex in the process. However, she is not only a victim in this situation. She knows her brother still carry some degree of affection for her, so she punishes him for his rejection and cold treatment of her imperfect self by dating and having sex with literal bad boys, reinforcing his yearning for the (idealized) relationship he used to have with her.

In short, Miki refuses to grow up in fear of losing what remained of his innocence/purity while Kozue is stuck between the past and the future in fear of losing the one relationship she has had since she was little (no matter how unhealthy it has become); and since both are intimately tied to each other, they worsen each other’s bad habits through their own, turning their relationship into a vicious circle of stunted growth (if not self-destruction) and thus, keeping them prisoners of a coffin they both share.

Interestingly (or maybe not unexpectedly), that dynamic is not too different from Akio and Anthy’s. The brothers wish to go back to “the good old days” rather than welcoming the necessary change to revolutionize the world and thus, to improve their character (growth) and that of future generations (e.g.: the Madonna-whore complex Miki’s father had passed down to him). Instead, they turn their sisters into whatever role is fitting to their narrative. Meanwhile, the sisters had to face all by their lonesome a crowd of strangers who didn’t see them (and their brothers) as people. That traumatic event gave them a view more realistic at best and more cynical at worst of the world in contrast to their delusional siblings. Because of said perspective, they also do not see anything of worth beyond the limits of their coffin (which they share with their older siblings). That changed for Anthy when Utena gave her support, but Kozue didn’t get that.

It might be another reason for why she couldn’t leave Miki. Her parents have proven to be selfish: her father only sees his children as an extension of himself (gender aside, Miki, a child prodigy, is favored over his mediocre sister); and her mother, while still caring about her children enough to keep in touch with them, seems to not have hesitated to leave them behind (motherhood) for her independence (career woman). At school, it’s not better: the staff are unreliable; her “boyfriends” only pawns used to torment her brother; and the schoolmates she hangs out with see her as cool for sleeping around (a front) and/or a mean to get closer to said brother.

Kozue claims to be a wild animal in Episode 26 (meaning independent and self-reliant in context), yet deep down, she wants to lean on someone (Miki). She’s still a child (13-year-old, according to Episode 15) after all and children, especially teenagers, need stability to keep them grounded during the rocky years of self-discovery and growth. It’s also evident in the meaning of the twins’ names: in Japanese, Miki (幹) means “tree trunk” and Kozue (梢) “treetop”. The latter consists of leaves and branches which rely on the former to live. And the tree remains steady thanks to its roots, which is why (age aside) if the soil they feed from contains anything which could contaminate the organism, the entire thing will have to be taken down. Miki and Kozue’s situation is compared to that of an uprooted tree, but also of birds with nowhere to roost. Birds, or the ones that can fly at least, are a recurrent form of allegory for the twins (seen in their flashbacks and their bedroom). Miki is the bird residing comfortably in its nest/cage and Kozue the one who had taken flight from it. While it was good of her to leave it, a bird cannot fly forever. It needs solid and stable things to perch on, like, for example, the branches of a tree. Kozue’s identity (branches) is so interwoven with Miki’s (tree) and vice versa they would have to improve themselves if they don’t want to be both later “taken down” due to the toxicity of their relationship.

The only time we see them try to build something together is in Episode 26, when they are setting up a nest box for parentless chicks. Of course, their main issues hadn’t been solved yet: Kozue is too focused on reaching the end goal to care about the (right) means to do so, and Miki is too perfectionist to the point of not making much progress. But it shows they can accomplish good things together if they don’t get consumed by the issues of their current selves and instead become, like they are meant to be, the birds flying toward the shining future.

[eyecicles]

some bad dn takes for other characters as well?

Sorry this took me so long.

I’ve seen too much over the years I’ve been in the fandom. And while I tried to be as objective as possible (by mostly mentioning stuff that’s objectively inaccurate), this is obviously only my personal perspective. Subscribing to something on my list doesn’t make you inherently stupid/bad, etc.

Worst L takes:

– Ryuzaki Persona theory, especially when it’s combined with disproportionate disgust and hate towards “Ryuzaki” and his mannerisms + directly or indirectly calling him a “breaching experiment”

– L just wanted what's best for humanity, and all his inhumane methods are justified because he's utilitarian or whatever

– he genuinely considered Light his friend and trusted him & sadly got betrayed by him

– he’s so weird in “L: The Wammy's House/One Day” because Ohba and Obata don’t want you to ship Lawlight

– honestly any take that depicts him as the ideal boyfriend material and/or someone who just needs a partner to fix him

(related: “O&O wanted him to be unattractive? but he is conventionally attractive!” can you imagine how boring that would be?)

– he's just as bad as Light/Misa/Mikami/Mello/any character who regularly murders or participates in organised crime

– he's an unhygienic gremlin, stinks, has dirty feet and/or clothes, never washes his hair, probably has broken teeth, etc, in short: everything that depicts him as gross as possible because of his eccentric mannerisms

(about L being barefoot: I'm sure many people don’t know this, but designing eccentric/disordered/mentally ill characters with bare feet to suggest they’re “abnormal” is an old trope, and people’s reactions to characters like him are…telling. I’m not talking about finding the sight of bare feet disgusting, but biases that are worth dissecting)

– he treated Misa better than Light did

– “L would surely have developed diabetes and die at a young age anyway”

– any take that erases his Japanese descent

Worst Misa takes:

– what L and Watari did to Misa was totally justified

– she’s actually pure and has a good heart & just wants love, and Light is a bad person for not reciprocating her feelings

– she should have killed Light for not loving her and assume his role + absorb all his personality traits

– I dislike everything that depicts her in a "Girl Boss” kinda way. It’s so boring, and it feels like certain people can only respect female character if they view them through that lens

– she’s bad for not loving Rem (granted, it is shocking how little she cares for Rem, and their entire dynamic is messy, but I do understand why she never warmed up to her. She certainly doesn’t owe Rem love)

– anything that depicts her as extremely dumb and incompetent

– similar to what I mentioned in L’s list: any take that insinuates that she should have realised L would be a better partner for her

– she actually wasn’t being homophobic when she said two men chained together is gross & asked if L is gay—she was just kinkshaming/jealous, etc (as if this would make what she said less homophobic)

Worst Near takes:

– he’s just a little uwu baby without a single darker trait (he’s certainly more ethical in some regards than most DN characters, but he’s not entirely innocent)

– he’s somehow bad/worse than L because he’s too maladjusted to participate in society

– he’s a bad L copy and doesn’t have any personality traits of his own

– L did all the work for him (no, Near had to start from scratch, since every information on the Kira case got automatically deleted when L died)

– it’s unfair that the Task Force immediately believed Near when he started suspecting Light (first: they didn’t, two: the situation was completely different, third: it would be a huge coincidence if two very smart detective came to the same conclusion by chance)

– he thinks he’s just as competent/more competent than L (even though he said he needed Mello to surpass L & deeply doubts himself during the C-Kira case)

– he performed better than Mello in their exams because he cheated

– he can’t be autistic because he doesn’t have a beard (I only saw this take once, but I still remember it from time to time because it’s hilarious)

Other bad takes:

– Kiyomi deserved what happened to her, because she didn’t see through Light/treated Misa badly/killed Mello, etc

– Mikami wasn’t bullied enough

– Mello is more feminist than (insert male character the person with this take doesn’t like), because he gave Kiyomi a blanket (yeah, let’s just ignore this happened because of his habit of kidnapping women)

– anything that depicts Mello as this constantly raging, thoughtless and choleric who’s always insulting everyone

– B treated Naomi better than Raye Penber

– Rem was dumb for not working with L (hello... L wants to catch Kira, and even if he were to leave Misa alone, Rem knows Misa wouldn’t want anything to happen to Light—that’s an important plot point)

– anything that insinuates DN is supposed to be totally serious, grim and deeply philosophical (or: ”DN wants to be like Breaking Bad/Crime and Punishment!”)

– Soichiro should have been L’s or Matsuda’s father

[alexiethymia]

on episode 10 and consent

first to get everything out of the way. I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE GLAD TO BE PROVEN WRONG. sure there was a fade-to-black technically, but it was already while they were kissing. and honestly that scene was just so them. how jun-ho initially couldn’t help himself (BOIIII I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU WANTED TO INVITE HER IN AFTER NOT EVEN ONE DATE) but immediately backs off the moment young-woo looked uncomfortable, how as always she took the first lead - even that pause in the middle as they were figuring how to kiss didn’t feel awkward at all. it was natural because it was them. 

honestly, this was a difficult episode to watch. there were plenty of grey areas here. in a switcheroo from the North Korean defector episode, the jury finds the defendant not guilty, but the judge does. and while young-woo is absolutely correct that just because you’re a person with disability doesn’t mean you no longer have any agency, especially when it comes to love, his prior record and the money thing did work against him. while I don’t discredit that he may truly have loved her, like how he never seemed angry at her, it also seemed as if he was desperate to avoid jail time using the sweetheart defense. too often, we have many people who still don’t understand that just because a person didn’t explicitly say ‘no’ doesn’t mean it’s automatically a yes. so her loving him did factor into lessening his sentence, which would’ve been a lot harsher otherwise. (I’ll probably rant about my favorite cases in a separate post later on.) 

and that’s why I really love jun-ho and young-woo’s relationship. and this show in general. because it never fails to remind us of the beauty of consent in a relationship, even in many instances when it could’ve relied on tried and favorite tropes like the kabedon or forceful kisses, it chooses to go a different way. perhaps this case served as a contrast to them. and I loved that before that moment, young-woo makes her fears known. she tells him that it would be hard loving her. and I love, love, that he doesn’t sugarcoat it. he says, yes of course it’ll be hard, for the both of them. but when she asks if he’ll choose to love her anyway, that weighted pause and grave yes just shows to me the depth of his feelings. It’s not even just liking her anymore, but loving her. the choice matters so, so much in this case. for the both of them. 

I seriously love how they continue to break those norms. even as a couple, they take turns walking each other home. jun-ho is expressive about the things he wants from their relationship - like walking her home or holding hands - but never being forceful about it. he handles it with delicacy. and again, I love that he can be jealous because of her, and even be angry and hurt because of her, and tell her about it. too often, as was repeated in this episode, persons with disabilities get treated as if they’re made of glass, purely innocent and soft, so many people would handle them with kid gloves. but jun-ho, as he (violently later on) points out and demonstrates, he treats young-woo not as someone to be pitied, but as the woman he loves. 

speaking off, he really went OFF. as young-woo would say, wow. I was waiting with bated breath in that scene, but I didn’t think he’d actually go for his friend’s throat. while violence is not the answer, the scene was good for two reasons. one, it shows how serious he is about young-woo and that he’s firm in the belief that it’s the others who are weird, and not them. second, it shows that he’s not perfect. he’s someone who constantly has to work hard too, to be patient and kind, and that he’s also saddled with his own worries. (by the way, that mention of his parents may be just some one-off thing, but it could also mean something down the line. Seriously while I don’t think he’s Tae su-mi’s son since neither of them reacted during the umbrella scene, if they do go with that plotline, he’d probably be her adopted rather than biological son since he seems the same age or older than young-woo.) to add, another reason why that scene was good is because we finally get a preview of min-woo’s fate. rest in peace min-woo. speaking off, while he remains a jerkity-jerk, I gotta say he has pretty good instincts. 

speaking of tae su-mi. wow, young-woo’s father really went off. I really don’t want to hate tae su-mi. I want to think that there’s something more to it and that somehow she does have young-woo’s interests at heart, and it’s not just because she’s worried about the minister of justice position. but man oh man, I don’t blame him for reacting the way he did. 

addendum, young-woo tried to make the su-yeon x hairy ship work, and we love her for it, but alas dashed by food puns. and I seriously love how she describes su-yeon, ‘a spring sunshine angel’. my gosh, I love all of the girls in this show. 

[icerosecrystal]

Marijon - My Secret Older Sister

Her name is Marinette Amani Al-Ghul. Marinette is the first grandchild of the demon-head and the daughter of Talia Al-Ghul. She is also the older sister of Damian Al-Ghul by two years. Despite what others may think, both she and her brother came from the same man. Bruce Wayne. Although Damian has no idea who his father is, Marinette has known for eight years. Despite the young age of 12, she was an incredibly smart girl. She also possessed the ability to be happy and feel love. But not in front of anyone but her brother and sometimes her mother. She and her brother had a great relationship. They were always there for each other. Damian was there for Marinette when her grandfather Ra's would sometimes beat her for not doing well on a mission. And he would base it solely on her gender. Marinette was there for Damian the first time Damian had to kill someone. It disgusted him, but he continued doing it for the sake of his title.  

Then the day the League fell came. Slade had attacked when Ra's was showing the whole League to Damian and explaining that it would all one day be his. Marinette was standing behind them next to her mother. Ra's had told her mother to grab both of them and run. Marinette protected her brother throughout it all when suddenly, Marinette got shot in the stomach. She collapsed in pain. She saw her mother running back to them, so Marinette let go of Damian, who was looking at her worriedly, "Damian, my akhi, go run, save yourself. Tell Mother to take you to Father. I'll be fine."

Damian was crying now, "NO, I won't leave you, you have to come with me. Please don't leave me, ukhti."

Marinette smiled sadly. She then hugged Damian and kissed him on the cheek, "I love you. And I promise I will find you one day." She let go of his hand as Talia quickly grabbed his arm and lead him to the docks, glancing at Marinette once in worry.

Marinette was lying still for a little bit before she heard a voice say, "Tom, I found her!" Marinette turned her head to the side and saw her godmother, Sabine Cheng recently Dupain-Cheng, hurrying over to her, with her godfather Tom not too far behind.

When they reached her, they gasped at the wound in her stomach. Tom picked her up and quickly walked to the docks with Sabine following. "Where we going?" Marinette said her voiced slurring, herself only half-conscious due to the blood loss.

Sabine answered, "We're going to Paris. We had a house there just in case we ever had to escape the League."

Marinette nodded in turn before she closed her eyes, letting the exhaustion take over. "Good night," she heard before she was fully asleep.  

Marinette woke up to an unfamiliar scene. She tensed, but when she caught sight of her godparents, she relaxed, "So what's the plan?"

Sabine was the one who answered", Well, you aren't allowed to act like the devil in disguise." Marinette scoffed, but she didn't argue, knowing Sabine was right. She may be sweet with her family, but with strangers and acquaintances, she wasn't the nicest. "Also, you are going to be Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You are the daughter of two bakers, Tom and I, and you are a designer. You will also be clumsy and stutter a lot."

Marinette nodded in understanding, "Okay, but what about Damian?"

Sabine sighed, "You're just going to have to hope that one day you find each other again."

Marinette nodded in understanding. She then went up to her new room, ready to put on a mask for the rest of the world to see.

(Time Skip)

It was now the start of the tenth grade for Marinette. She was now thirteen-years-old, and she was ready to play her part of the clumsy baker's daughter. She took some macaroons for her new classmates and then walked outside. While she waited to cross the street, she caught sight of a man crossing the street. A car was heading right to him. Regardless of who she was pretending to be, she wasn't going to let a man get hurt. She ran and quickly pulled him to the sidewalk, effectively using it as an excuse to trip over her feet. She handed the man a macaroon and then ran to school.

At school, she sat down quietly in her seat. When a dark girl, with brown hair and auburn highlights, picked a fight with a blonde girl. The blonde girl was supposedly bullying Marinette. Marinette and the blonde girl exchanged looks, acknowledging that the girl before them was a load of bull. Marinette then found out that the blonde girl's name was Chloe, and she was a bully, and the other girl was Alya.

Marinette looked around the classroom, analyzing everybody.

She then heard a voice scream, "Kim!"

She looked behind her to see a big, burly blonde kid, look like he wanted to beat up somebody. The teacher then asked him, "Ivan, what is going on?"

The blonde kid replied, "It's Kim! I'm so going to get..."

The teacher then pointed to the door and shouted, "Ivan, go to the principal's office."

Before Ivan could stomp off angrily, Marinette spoke up, quite surprised by the way the teacher was handling things, "With all due respect Miss, you didn't even listen to Ivan's side of the story. It could be Kim that's bullying Ivan, but you're rather playing favoritism."

The teacher sputtered, not knowing how to react, "Who gave you the authority to question my teaching skills?"

Marinette smirked, replying, " Common sense."

Mrs. Bustier walked out of the classroom to calm down, pure fury clear on her face. That day she turned into Zombispect. When she kissed them, they would automatically obey and respect her. That was also the day Lady Spots and Chat Noir resided in Paris.

While Lady Spots was a great superhero, Chat Noir was an incompetent fool. Marinette hated him. He would always flirt with her and never get anything done. And in many cases, if he didn't get what he wanted, he would either threaten to quit or sit out. Marinette never told him, but she honestly thought that she did better in battle when he wasn't around.

In terms of her civilian life, Alya convinced herself that she was Marinette's best friend and that Marinette had a crush on Adrien. In actuality, Marinette's best friend was and is her brother, Damian, and Chloe. While Chloe was spoiled, she was also neglected by her parents, which made her act rather bitchy at times. And she for sure did not have a crush on the spineless Adrien Agreste. No one in the class knew anything about the real her. But her godparents and even Chloe, who knew a bit about her. But, the one person that Marinette wanted to talk to was her precious little brother. She needed to hug him, spoil him, and talk with him about everything. But most of all, she wanted to know that he was still alive and happy somewhere.

Marinette would cry herself to bed every day, hoping that one day she would see him again. Thankfully, Tikki was on her side.

(Time Skip of one year. This is after Volpina, but before Chameleon)

It has been two years since Marinette last saw her brother. Alya was still going strong, coming up with ridiculous plans for her to date Adrien. She was still a "clumsy" baker girl. And while designing was her supposed hobby, after about a month, she really got into it. What pissed Marinette off the most was that she had to wear pink, have her room pink, and wear pigtails. Why? Because it strengthened the fact that she was an innocent, little, naive girl. While it did help people underestimate her, it annoyed the heck out of her. She actually ranted to her godparents one day about how bad her appearance was, "How can one color be so bright?! How could anyone like looking at it?! Why the hell do these pigtails make me look like a short-ass baby?! I look like a fucking moron! Where the hell is Damian when you need him?!" It was about three days later when her question was answered.

Marinette had been walking around town when suddenly someone bumped into Marinette.  Marinette caught herself and caught the person she bumped into. But the words that came out of the person's mouth had her reeling, "Tt, what type of imbecile are you to be bumping into people on the street?" Marinette would know that voice anywhere. And sure enough, when she actually looked at the person that she bumped into, she was staring into the face of her brother. When he realized who she was, he let out a timid, "Marinette," that had Marinette practically sobbing.

When she found that her face was wet, she realized that she was sobbing, but she didn't care. Damian was alive. She strangled him with a hug, cooing softly into his ear once he too started crying. They stayed like that for a while before they released each other. It was then that Marinette saw the boy standing behind Damian.

She blushed when she noticed his features, black hair like her own, the bluest, purest eyes she had ever seen. He was wearing glasses that gave him a nerdy look, but his body begged to differ. He was very tall, probably 5ft 11, and had huge muscles that gave off more of a jock look. He had so many characteristics that Marinette felt insanely attracted. She snapped out of her thoughts and offered the boy a hand, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, or Marinette Al-Ghul, Damien's older sister by two years."

He gave her a blinding smile that could rival the sun and then kissed her hand, "Jonathan Kent, Jon for short. It's nice to meet the sister of my best friend." The more she studied him, the more she realized that he looked familiar. It was then that she realized he was Superboy, the superhero Alya had been raving about last week.

Marinette blushed at him kissing her hand. She then decided to let her inner devil come out to play. Leaning closer, she whispered, "It's nice to meet you too. I hope that you have been nice to my brother. Because if I found out you haven't, I might get my katana and skin you. I know that you might be invincible, but with the kryptonite, which I do have, you would be weakened within a second. So make your decisions carefully." She then leaned back and watched how his expression changed. His face went from happy, to confused, to shocked, to scared, and the surprisingly, love.

He smirked, "Well, you are better than I expected." He then pulled out a piece of paper and wrote his phone number. "Call me, you're hot and a little devil, I like it." He then winked and gave it to her.

They both heard Damian scream, "KENT! Stay away from my sister before I skin you!"

Marinette giggled and took the piece of paper from him. She then asked, "You look to be about my age. Why are you with Damian?"

Jon replied, "I'm 15-years-old. So one year older than you. (I know that Jon is actually three years younger in Super Sons, but for this to work, Jon is three older, not younger. If you have any problems with that, fight me.) And Damian and I work together a lot. We're considered the Super Sons, so we're best friends."

Marinette nodded in understanding before suggesting that they all go to a coffee shop to talk. Damian and Jon agreed. Damian told Marinette all about their father, their brothers, and sisters, him being Robin. He told her everything. She offered him support and asked questions about their family.

When it was her turn, she explained how Tom and Sabine saved her and how she came to Paris. And how she is pretending to be a clumsy sweet girl who likes pink. (She wasn't totally over the whole pink thing along with the pigtails.)  That coaxed a laugh out of both Damian and Jon. But when she got to the part about Alya, Damian wanted to skin Alya. He was Marinette's best friend, not some dumb harlot. When she explained how she was Lady Spots, and Chat Noir had some major failings as a partner, it took both Jon and Marinette to hold him back. He continued trying to escape while shouting, "LET ME AT HIM, HE DARE FLIRT WITH MY SISTER!!! I'LL SKIN HIS SORRY ASS BEFORE RIPPING HIM INTO SHREDS AND DUMPING HIM IN A RIVER!" He then continued to explain exactly how he would kill Chat Noir. Marinette knew that he was capable of going through with his plan, so she distracted him by asking for his phone number so that they could stay in contact. Damian calmed down enough to give it to her.

When she realized how late it was, she gave a hug and promised to meet up with him for the rest of the week. She also promised that once he left Paris, she would stay in contact. She wasn't going to leave her brother again. She then went up to Jon and kissed his cheek before saying goodbye. She then turned around and went home. If she had stayed a second longer, she would have seen Jon blush and then touch the cheek that she kissed with his fingertips, a goofy smile adorning his lips. Although Damian wanted to keep Jon away from his sister, he supposed Jon was better than the mangy cat or the spineless model.

For the rest of the week, the three met up every day and did different activities. One day they went to the Lourve, another an arcade, the day after that a carnival, and so on. On their last day, they went to the park and then went for Andre's ice cream. When they arrived, Andre greeted Marinette, "Bonjour Marinette! Would you like a sweetheart ice cream."

"Oui Andre. This is my brother Damian, and his friend Jon." She then turned to the boys, "Andre is the sweetheart's ice cream maker. He essentially gives you icecream based on the characteristics of your soul mate. Damian, how about you go first."

Damian stepped in front of the cart, "Ah, Damian, one scoop of violet and honey for her eyes, coconut ash for her hair, and cherry for her mysterious and complicated past. Here you are." (There is actually such a thing as black ice cream. It's made with coconut ash that people sometimes flavor with burnt honey vanilla.)

Damian took the ice cream and looked at it. He then realized that it looked like Raven, his crush. He blushed. "Ah, I see the love fair and true. I suppose you know who is right for you?" Damian nodded and started eating his ice cream, a small smile gracing his lips. He then paid attention to his sister and his best friend. They were now getting their ice cream.

Andre looked at the two and said, "Ah, but here's the truth, the two of you are the right match. You complete each other just like one, so come, let Andre supply you with love." Marinette and Jon were both surprised by the turn of events. But they both just blushed and agreed. Andre then said, "Blueberry for both your eyes, strawberry for her lips, cherry for his secret, and cotton candy for your personalities. Enjoy!"

Jon and Marinette waved goodbye and then ate their ice cream. They were still surprised about the turn of events. Neither knew what to say to the other until picked up some courage and asked, "Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Marinette was surprised but agreed. They shared a chaste kiss. They then heard Damian gagging in the background. They broke apart, and Jon raised an eyebrow, "You're one to talk. I saw your ice cream. It really represented, mmph." Damian covered Jon's mouth before he could blurt out the name of his sweetheart.

"Kent looks like it's time to go! By the way, if you hurt my sister, I won't hesitate to kill you." He then dragged Jon off, leaving Marinette to chuckle to herself. The next day, she said goodbye to Damian and Jon. She gave them both a quick hug along with an extra kiss for Jon. She was so happy that she had found her brother again.

(Time Skip of three years)

It has been three years since Marinette bumped into Damian and Jon in Paris. The two visited whenever they could, the same with Marinette. But they never told their families. Marinette didn't tell her family because they didn't know she was Ladybug. Damian didn't tell because he wanted his sister to himself. Jon didn't tell because the other two didn't. Jon's and Marinette's relationship was still going strong. They loved each other very much. Jon loved how playful and happy Marinette could be, but she wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone. She was his little devil. Marinette loved Jon because of how pure and sunshiny he was. She loved how he cared for her and was always there for her no matter what. Damian actually started a relationship with Rachel Roth otherwise known as Raven as Andre's ice cream had indicated all those years ago.

During the three years, many things had changed, though. A girl named Lila came and turned everyone against her except Chloe. Marinette pretended that she was sad, but really she was ecstatic that she didn't have to hang out with morons anymore. She found Lila quite pathetic. Lila let others do her dirty work for her. She hid behind lies and morons. Marinette never found her as a threat.

She also defeated Hawkmoth a year ago, but it was because he surrendered. So, she didn't take him to jail, she made him donate thousands of dollars to people who needed therapy from the akumas and do community service. He agreed, so she let him go. She was glad that Gabriel Agreste had learned his lesson.

Yeah, for the most part, everything was going fine, she wasn't stuck with morons, and she had her brother and boyfriend. Until her brother and significant idiot forgot that her bio family didn't know about her.

It was the end of another shitty day for Marinette. She collapsed on her chaise. She looked at the time and realized that it was time for her's and Damian's video calls. She groaned before getting up and getting her phone. She dialed his number before waiting for him to pick up. Once he did, she saw that Jon was with him. They all talked together animatedly. What Damian and Jon forgot to do, was make sure that the Bat-family didn't come back from patrol while they were still on the call. But naturally, the two idiots forgot.

So, two hours later, when the three were still talking, they didn't realize when Jason came into the room. They only did when Jason screamed, "Demon Spawn and Supes Junior are talking to a girl on the phone!" This alerted the rest of the Waynes, so they all ran into Damian's room. When they entered, they were met with quite a sight. A confused Jason was watching a small pixie-like girl screaming at Jon and Damian in what seemed to be Arabic, Urdu, Russian, English, French, Spanish, Romanian, and Greek.

Once she calmed down, although she was still glaring at the two boys, she introduced herself, "Hi, my name is Marinette."

Dick asked her, "What's your last name?"

Marinette replied, "It depends on who your asking. Here in France, I would be Marinette Dupain-Cheng. In the league, I would be Marinette Al-Ghul. But, my real name would most likely be Marinette Wayne."

Jason yelled, "Your married to Demon Spawn!"

Marinette scowled, "No, Tt, are you always this incompetent? I am Damian's older sister by two years. I am also Jon's girlfriend of three years."

Bruce took a deep breath and pinched his nose, "And the reason none of you said anything was because?" He looked directly at Damian when asking the question.

Damian snapped, "I didn't want to share my beloved sister. She is too good for you imbeciles. She is also too good for Kent. But Kent is better than the mangy cat or the ugly model."

Everyone looked at Marinette confused except for Damian and Jon. She quickly shook her head, "Don't ask. If you want to ask me some questions, I'll be there in a minute."

Damian realizing that she was going to use the horse miraculous to transport to Gotham quickly said, "Wait, no, don't!" But she had already ended the call making Damian curse in Arabic.

Seconds later a portal appeared and a girl stepped out. She then spoke, "Kaalki, dismount." A flash appeared around her and they then saw the same girl on the phone now in front of them.

This left Wayne's gaping, while Alfred asked, "Mistress Marinette, would Kaalki I assume, need anything?"

Marinette replied, "Oui, she prefers sugar cubes to recharge. Merci, Alfred."

Then Jon got up and shouted, "My little devil!"

"Sunshine", Marinette exclaimed in joy before kissing him with full force. He kissed her back passionately. She placed her arm on his shoulders while he held her waist and lifted her a little off the ground. After a little bit, there was an awkward cough that reminded them that there were others in the room. They gave each other one more peck, before reluctantly pulling away. Although, Jon's arm was still around her waist. Marinette tried to not focus on the aching in her chest that was telling her to pounce on Jon and smother him in love and kisses while he did the same to her.

Marinette sighed and tried to focus on the situation at hand, "It's nice to meet all of you. My name is Marinette Al-Ghul Wayne, and I am Damian's sister as mentioned."

They all stared at her strangely until Tim asked, "Are you sure you grew up with Damian, or that your mother is Talia Al-Ghul? You seem a lot more different from Demon Spawn."

She smirked at them viciously, "First of all, I am for sure Damian's biological sister. Second of all, I may seem like an angel, but I'm the devil in disguise, hence Jon's nickname for me. Third of all, I'm not as arrogant as Damian because Ra's was always abusing me since I was a girl. So, I am a lot worse than Damian, I just don't show it."

No one knew what to do with this information. Sure Damian already knew about the beatings, but no one else did. They stared at her in worry, but she just waved them off, "Don't worry about me. Ra's is dead, I'm living with my godparents, and I'm happy."

Damian then rose an eyebrow, "What about your moronic classmates?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you. This pathetic girl who threatened to take my friends away, made it so that no one talks to me anymore. So, yay! Oooh, also I should probably explain my life to you?" She then went on to talk about everything, how her life was at the league, what happened when Slade attacked,  her life in Paris and when she became Lady Spots, how she met Damian and Jon, what happened after that.

By the end of her story, everyone looked like they wanted to kill her classmates and Chat Noir. Well, almost everyone. Bruce was on the ground muttering to himself, "Why, why, why? I just wanted one of my kids to not be a superhero. Is that too much to ask for?"

While Bruce had his breakdown, Tim asked her, "Did you defeat Hawkmoth?"

"Yeah, I did. He surrendered, so I let him off with some requirements in place. I actually was thinking of doing something to expose Lila. As much as I hate the morons, their future will be horrible if they keep on listening to that pathetic bitch."

Damian looked at her curiously, "What were you thinking?

"You are going to invite my class to the Wayne Gala. There we are going to introduce the whole family, including me. Damian, you are going to bring Raven. I'll bring Jon obviously. If we disprove that she knows the Waynes, the rest of her lies will come crashing down." Everyone smiled obviously pleased with the idea.

So they spent the next month getting the gala together. They organized a contest that Bustier's class won. During the month, the Waynes got to know Marinette. While Damian did have a problem with sharing her, everyone still go to know her. They were officially scared of her after she won after sparing against everyone and then cussing at Damian in many languages. It made Jon fall more in love with her though.

Another problem was that the Waynes would walk into Jon's and Marinette's make-out sessions all the time. Once, Jon, had Marinette pushed up against a wall and he was kissing her passionately. Marinette had her hands in his hair, one of them playing with the ends of his hair. She had taken off his shirt and was kissing down his neck. Jon had groaned and had stopped her so he could kiss her neck as well making her moan in want. He was whispering about what he wanted to do with her at the same time. Through dazed eyes, Marinette looked up and finally saw her family looking at her, both Damian and Bruce had their jaws clenched. When Jon noticed them, he quickly let go of her. Dick, Jason, and Tim started laughing, cooing, and teasing them, making Marinette hide her head in his chest. This made Damian launch himself at Jon, but before he could, Marinette had already disarmed him. She screamed, "Don't hurt my boyfriend, Damian." He just huffed, but let it go. From then on, they made sure to lock the door.

It was finally the day of the gala. Marinette saw all of her classmates. They mostly looked nice, but Lila was wearing an incredibly revealing dress.

It was then time for the reveal. Bruce went up to the stage and announced, "Good evening, everybody. I am pleased that you could all attend. Today, I would like to introduce all of my children along with their significant other. To start, my oldest son Richard Grayson, also known as Dick Grayson along with his wife Kori Grayson."

(Bruce's suit)

(Dick's Suit)

(Kori's Dress)

"My son Jason Todd."

(Jason's suit)

"My son Tim Drake."

(Tim's suit)

"My son Damian Wayne with his girlfriend Rachel Roth."

(Damien's suit)

(Rachel's dress)

"Finally, my new found daughter, also Damian's biological older sister Marinette Wayne. With her date Jon Kent."

(Marinette's dress) 

(Jon's suit)

When her classmates saw Marinette they started screaming insults. She just raised an eyebrow at them, "Is there a problem?"

Alya yelled, "Yeah there is. You're not a Wayne, you never told me that you were."

Marinette replied, "We were never best friends so I was under no obligation to tell you anything. I am a Wayne. I just lived with my godparents in Paris until my dad found out about me. I am dating my handsome boyfriend, Jonathan Kent. I have given you so much proof. How about you question Lila. She claimed that she was dating Damian. Damian is two years younger than her and he is dating Rachel. She isn't close to the Waynes, I am. So, stop questioning me and question her."

Everyone looked at Lila, but she was incredibly pale. That showed everyone that she was lying. They started yelling at her. Bruce then spoke up, "Security, escort this class out of the gala." As security did so, no one stopped yelling at Lila.

Marinette and Jon then turned to the reporters and Marinette said, "Five questions go."

She pointed to one reporter, "Where do you live?"

"Paris like I mentioned earlier."

She pointed to another, "How old are you?"

"I am 17-years-old, almost 18."

She pointed to a third one, "Were you surprised about being a Wayne?"

"No, I knew that I was a Wayne my whole life. But I was sent to my godparents instead of my dad like Damian. But I still knew." She pointed to her family, "They were surprised about my existence."

She pointed to a fourth reporter, "How do you like being a Wayne?"

"I really enjoy it. They are so nice to me. I really cherish them and we all have a lot of fun together. "

She pointed to a final reporter, "Do you like being Jonathan Kent's girlfriend and how did you meet?"

"We met when I bumped into him and my brother in Paris. We spent the week together. We got this thing called sweethearts ice cream. The ice cream tells you who your soulmate is. The guy who runs it Andre said that we were meant to be together. Jon asked me to be his girlfriend after. We have been a couple for three years. I love Jon a lot. He's really sweet and considerate. I wouldn't trade him for the world." Everyone awed.

Jon then picked her up bridal style, "Now that this is over, we'll be going home to have some fun." He winked at everyone.

Marinette blushed at the implications, "JON!" But, Jon silenced her with a passionate kiss, carrying her off the stage.

As Marinette kissed him back, she felt so happy. She had a loving family and boyfriend. They accepted her and cherished her.

She didn't know that the league was going to be attacked, but it helped her grow as a person and escape abuse. She didn't know that she would get a boyfriend. She didn't know she would ever meet her little brother ever again or meet her family. She didn't know what the future had in store for her. But she did know that she was going to spend it with her boyfriend and her family, and nothing was going to stop her.

(Sorry for the pictures smack in the middle of everything!)

[gintamatranslations]

Gintama Extra Volume 25 - Toyako Summit #2

(I scanned the page as best as I could without destroying the manga. I translated it from german into english, so deviations from original japanese texts might happen.)

Oishi: Yes, I have returned there. It feels like when I first started drawing manga.

Onishi (laughs): Then maybe you should go back to your parents first, Sorachi-Kun. Go back to a time when you were young and innocent and drew your manga with a glow in your eyes.

Saito: Exactly! To a time when you were still thinking, "Dirty jokes?!" "What's that?"

Sorachi: I wondered back then what my parents thought about dirty jokes.

Saito: And I, as the editor of this series, wonder if it wouldn't be better to have me replaced and return Gintama to Onishi-san's editorial care.

Onishi: No, I'm finished with Gintama. I won't put up with such a small number anymore. Anything that doesn't have a circulation of at least two million per volume doesn't interest me.

Oishi: Two million?

Onishi: That's right, two million. Then we can talk about it again.

All: ...

Onishi: At the end of the day, uninspired drawings also affect the overall quality of a manga.

Oishi: People buy a manga just because of a nicely drawn cover. That's also why gag manga usually sell so poorly.

Onishi: While we're at it... the cover of Gintama volume 23 was so bad... The guy with the cannon for an arm looked like Cobra: The Space Pirate.

Sorachi: You mean Kanemaru? I didn't have any other chara for the cover.

Oishi: Or the cover with Prince Hata. I also wondered why you put him on the cover.

Sorachi: Because there were no other characters in that volume that I could have used!

(Text under image: Posing in front of the lake of Inokashira Park! A (at least in theory) successful souvenir for the participants who had heated debates!)

Saito: At least what Gin-san on the sleeve, that distracted people from the cover. However, with Hedoro, I also wondered why he was on the cover.

Onishi: We put him on because he was a key character... But we still got hit on the head for that. Our deputy editor-in-chief just said, "Gosh! Think about it!"

All: (laughing)

Gintama lacks eroticism!

Onishi: Well, I guess that brings us to the crux of the matter. It's about time a new character joined the main characters. It's a breath of fresh air for the title.

Saito: And what role should she play? Name any other series as an example.

Sorachi: Gin Tama lacks eroticism?

Onishi: She could take a role similar to Lala in Love Trouble.

(Translator Note: Lala is the protagonist's love interest in "To LOVE-Ru", so basically they suggest Sorachi should introduce a love interest for Gintoki)

Oishi: That would make Gin-san and the others smaller ...

Saito: Small enough to fit in her cleavage?

Oishi: Yes, exactly!

Onishi: Because the female characters in Gin Tama don't exactly sparkle with eroticism.

All: !

Sorachi: And what's the best way to go about it?

Saito: It would be great if she looked like the actress Mikako Tabe.

Sorachi: What kind of chara would be good?

Saito: Didn't I just say a character that looks like Mikako Tabe?

Sorachi: Somehow I get the feeling that you're not concerned with the readers' wishes, but with your own.

Onishi: There's something really wrong with you.

Saito: I have Mikako Tabe as a desktop image on my computer at the office!

Onishi: Mikako Tabe? Well... it's okay.

Saito: Excuse me?! She's insanely pretty!

Oishi: Let's ask what Sorachi-san's ideal female character looks like. And that is purely from the appearance.

Sorachi: Purely by appearance? Well... actually I like all girls who are pretty.

Onishi: That's the worst!

All: (laughing)

Sorachi: When I was walking to Inokashira-Park, I noticed that the girls at Kichijoji are all really pretty.

Saito: Yes, that's right.

Sorachi: Isn't that right?!

Onishi: How come you're both on one wave length at once?! (Laughs) Well, you really can't say that ALL the girls here are pretty.

Sorachi: Yes, pretty much all the girls here are pretty.

Oishi: That's just because pretty girls automatically attract your gaze, while you just overlook not-so-pretty girls.

Onishi: Just saying "all" doesn't count! You must have some visual preferences after all. For example, big eyes, or long hair, short hair....

Oishi: Or big breasts, small breasts...

Sorachi: Well, I like big breasts better.

Onishi: What?!

Sorachi: What "what"?! (laughs)

Oishi: There are no characters with big breasts in Gintama.

Onishi: That's right! In fact, not a single character with big breasts appears in your manga...!

Sorachi: Yeah, because I'd be kind of embarrassed.

Saito: Ah, I see.

Sorachi: Yes. There's just nothing I can do about that. But maybe I would manage to jump over my shadow ...

Saito: Good. Then do it.

Sorachi: You might think I have a Lolita complex because I only ever draw charas with small breasts.

Dishi: Kagura is also your female protagonist.

Onishi: Yes. All of your charas have small breasts. That looks an awful lot like a Lolita complex.

[imaginesbymonika]

Maybe...just maybe.

Pairing: Din Djarin x Reader

Plot: Love comes in all shapes, sometimes you only see it in the details.

Warnings: angsty but fluff towards the end and inbetween

Masterlist

Song to listen to while reading

The razor crest was silent. Besides the calm breathing of grogu and herself, Y/N couldn’t hear anything. 14 months. She had joined the Mandalorian fourteen months ago, after his invitation. “I could need a mechanic like you on my ship.”, he had explained and you shortly accepted his offer. You always yearned to see more of the galaxy, considering how much there was to discover being on one planet and only one came off like an awful waste of a lifetime.

The young woman gently stands up from her thin mattress and stretches. She listens to the cracking of her backbone. When was the last time she walked further than ten meters without having to walk in a circle? She turns around and glances at the sleeping form of the little green creature and a small smile arises on her lips.

She couldn’t recall the last time she admired something so much... well, she could... but Y/N was still attempting to assure herself that the way she feels about the Mandalorian wasn’t love. Even though she couldn’t explain what else it could be. All she knows is, that he didn’t feel the same.

The woman walks over to the ladder and climbs up, the second she stands in front of the door she hesitates, before softly knocking against the metal. “Can I come in?”. The door opens automatically and she hears the deep voice of mando:” I’ve told you, you don’t have to ask.”.

Y/N nods as she steps in and sits down next to him on the copilot seat:” Sorry.”.

“Don’t be.”.

She glances at the side of his helmet for a few seconds before she stares out of the window into the depths of space. “How’s the child?”, he unexpectedly asks, making her jump slightly in her chair. “He’s sleeping... He’s so tiny, but has so much energy it’s insane.”. She could swear she heard him chuckle underneath his helmet. Sometimes she wished she could see it, but then again- it was both, stupid and steeping over any sort of line.

“You like him, don’t you?”, Cara asked, making the young woman jump slightly. Y/N and the Mandalorian were taking a break on Nevarro, where she met his friends for the first time. “I don’t-.”.

Cara just laughed:” Yeah right, as if I don’t see how you look at him when you assume he isn’t looking.”.

You turned to look at the Mandalorian. He was squatting in front of the small green creature. She sighed before looking at Cara again:” I’m not sure if-.”.

“Crazy.”, the former rebel shock trooper took a sip of her drink:” He’s the most feared bounty hunter in the whole galaxy, but he has two weak spots. That kid and.”, she pointed at Y/N:” You.”.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?”, she asks and gets up. She moves to the copilot seat, before once again looking out into space. She hears how Mando walks up to her before sitting down on his chair. “Thank you.”, she adds:” For allowing me to see all this.”.

Mando tilts his head and Y/N wonders if he’s looking at him.

“You do understand, that being with me makes you wanted as well, right?”, he asks, his voice more soft than usual. Y/N turns to gaze at his silver helmet, before nodding. Yeah.”, she let out:” I do.”. “And you don’t care?”. “Not really.”.

“I do.”, Mando thought to himself:” I care.”. Of course, he would never admit it out loud. Because acknowledging his feelings out loud made it terrifyingly real. Instead, he just hums in response, looking out of the window.

His love for her came slowly, he didn’t even entirely registered it until one morning he smiled more genuine when he watched her play with Grogu. He didn’t even know that he could care for someone that much.

“Why are you up?”, he asks, breaking the silence. He used to like the quiet, because stillness meant peace. Before she and the kid entered his life, he would periodically spend months isolated in his ship- alone, without hearing any other being's voice. But now, Y/N’s voice was enough to send Din into a state of unlimited comfort.

She sighs:”I don’t know, just couldn’t bring myself to fall asleep. What about you?”.

Din shakes his head:”Me neither.”.

He often wonders if she feels the same about him, if she longs for him too.

“Did you-.”, Y/N begins but stops herself:”Nevermind.”. “What?”,he tilts his head.

“No, it’s stupid.”. Nothing she says could ever be stupid to him. “Tell me.”.

“Did you ever- tell anyone your name?”,she asks and his breath hitches in his throat:”I’m sorry, it’s stupid, I know-“.

“No, I didn’t.”, he confesses:” Do you- do you want to know it?”.

A silence follows and for a second Din regrets asking her that question:”You don’t-.”. “I’d love to.”. His eyes widen, did she...? “I’d love to-.”, she clears her throat, turning her body around to face him:” I’d love to learn your name.”. That’s it. Din’s heart is lost.

“It’s Din.”,He softly says, turning away from her for the first time:”Din Djarin.”.

“Din Djarin.”,she repeats. It’s a name, others often spat out as if it’s a type of disease or a plague. But now while it’s rolling off her tongue, it’s pure and honorable. His name is innocent again. “It’s a lovely name.”, she adds, smiling, before she mumbles it to herself a few times.

And for a second he dares to dream. Maybe he can be innocent again, maybe he can wash some blood of his hands. Maybe... just maybe, he can feel worthy again.

[forget-me-not-s]

Spies at Work

Day 3 of Elriel Month

Word count: 1573

Content Warning: NSFW, minor injury, some mention of blood. 

Summary: Elain and Azriel used to know one another, when they were young and innocent. They shared a love so pure that even when life pushed them apart they kept loving each other. Life forced them to become ruthless, a deadly weapon to be used, tasked with spying for the ruling kingdom of Prythian. They wouldn’t meet again until a few years later when they both were tasked to spy and kill an enemy of Velaris. 

Elain woke up feeling like today would be an interesting day. Feyre had asked her to use her connections as a former spy to do some recon on a potential job. Velaris was being threatened by outside forces, and she would never deny her little sister anything, even if it meant going back to her dark side. It had been months since she left her night job, she had been injured during her last mission and Nesta and Feyre had begged for her to take some time off. That’s why Elain decided to do this, because if Feyre had asked this of her it must be really important. 

At the end of the day it would be some recon and not the actual job. Feyre had told her that Rhysand would send some of his men to do the actual killing if it ended up being necessary. She really liked her brother-in-law, but Feyre marrying into the ruling family of Velaris had meant a huge change in their lifestyle. She had been working as a spy for the government for years before Rhys had taken charge and now not only did she work for him, she also was part of his family. 

She had her knives already sharpened and only needed to strap them on her body alongside her concealed guns, and she would be ready to go. Once she arrived at her destination, she felt like the shadows had eyes, a chill ran down her neck, she wasn’t easily spooked but she knew someone else was in the room with her, but surprisingly she didn’t feel threatened, which scared her even more. Her training kicked in, she tried to act normal while her hand got closer to her knives, and when she felt someone behind her move, she let her knife fly home.

Azriel felt the knife before he saw it piercing his leg, normally he would have been able to  stop it but he was in shock, Elain was standing in front of him. He hadn’t seen her for more than 2 years, and he was blinded by her beauty, his memories didn’t do her justice, she was even more beautiful than he remembered. 

“Elain it’s me” 

“Azriel? Is that you?!” she said while throwing another knife this time she missed, hitting closer to his head than he was comfortable with.

“Fuck I’m sorry, are you ok?! What the hell are you doing in here?” Elain rushed to his side, her hands automatically went for his leg, where he was about to take the knife off. “Stop! Just let me take a look” she didn’t have any bandages on her so she broke a piece of her shirt to stop the bleeding.

“It’s ok, I shouldn’t have sneaked on you, I just… I had to see you again. Rhysand didn’t mention he was sending you” he couldn't help the grunt he let out when Elain pulled out the knife. 

“Wait Rhys?! You knew that I was working for him now?” Her hands were all over him, tying her ruined shirt to his leg. He couldn't stop the thoughts that were running free on his mind, the last time her hands had touched him, it had been in a more passionate embrace but even if she was the reason he was now bleeding, her touch was still soft and couldn't stop other parts of his body from taking notice.

“Yes I knew, once Rhys mentioned he was marrying your sister. I knew it would be a matter of time until we saw each other again” 

“But why didn’t you say anything before today?” she said in a trembling voice.

“I was deep undercover for a few years in Hyber, I just came back a few months ago and after those missions, I need a while to recover. I’m not 100% me, when I spent so long surrounded by darkness it is inevitable that some darkness stares back. I would hate me if I ever hurt you” he told her while he grasped Elain’s face, he couldn't help it, he had missed her. They still had a long way to go, but he would be forever grateful for his brother, as he made this reunion possible. 

“So after months of undercover Rhys put you also on the trail for Beron? Feyre mentioned he might send someone to help me but she never said your name” Azriel gasped as Elain gave him a kiss on the palm of his hand. Sending a chill down his spine.

“I don’t know why they wouldn't mention it but I’m in debt with Rhys, I’m finally holding you in my arms again” Azriel said while he gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. His arms holding her close.

“I have so much to tell you, I’ve missed you so much, the job wasn’t the same without you covering my back” she said moments before she kissed him, those lips would always be the death of him. He tried to keep the kiss sweet and slow but Elain took charge by slowly gracing his lower lip, asking for permission with her tongue and turning the kiss into a savage battle for dominion. 

“We’ll have time, I’m not letting you go any time soon” Azriel said laughing in between kisses. It had been so long since they last held each other, Elain’s hand were wreaking havoc on his hair as he traded kisses down her neck, making Elain whimper. “You will be the death of me” Azriel said while his hands graced her breast, Elain’s core melted at that voice, Azriel’s hands awakening feelings she had long forgotten they existed. 

Azriel scooped up Elain, looping her arms around his neck. “Hold tight,” he ordered her while he grabbed her tights and wrapped them around his waist, “and don’t make a sound or someone might hear us.” he continued kissing her, leaving a trail at the top of her breasts, one of his hands going in between her legs, making Elain see stars. She knew this wasn’t the moment or the place for this but she didn’t care, she had missed him, despite the years they had been apart their love had always been there. She had never stopped loving him, so if the universe decided to cross their paths again she would take this chance and never let him go. 

They had a long way until they could go back to what they had all those years ago, but she didn’t care, not right now. She wanted to make Azriel fall to his knees and ride him until they both screamed so hard that they would forget all those years they were forced to be apart. So she stopped their kisses and pushed him on the floor, being careful of his new injured leg, she sat on his lap, making both of them groan at the friction this position granted. Azriel immediately went for Elain’s shirt “This needs to go” he said, biting her where her neck met shoulder making her squirm. Elain’s hands were busy unbuttoning his trousers, Azriel chuckled “Someone is a little eager” he said while taking his own shirt off. 

“Stop it!” she said while grabbing his cock, Azriel groan could have been heard from miles away “Believe me love, I’ll always want your hands on me, I missed you so much” he thrust his hips making contact with Elain’s core, the friction so delicious that she couldn't contain her moan. They disposed of the rest of their clothes, she needed to feel him, without any barriers, she had been starved for his touch for so long. 

“We will talk about this afterwards, but I just need to feel you”, she said while she started grinding on his cock, his hands on her hips urging her along. Their moans the only sound that could be heard in the room overlooking their target home “Please” Azriel said as he took one of her nipples to his mouth, he had missed this, biting it while his other hand grasped the other, making Elain moan harder. Elain repositioned them in a way she could impale herself on his cock, both of them moaning at his entrance. Azriel held his breath as he waited for her to get used to the size of him but he didn’t have to wait long as Elain started moving her hips in a circular motion that made them both crazy, with every thrust her rhythm increasing taking them higher, the sound of sink on skin and their moans eoching in the walls making a symphony as they chased their climax. Azriel kissed her to stifle her moans, his hand touching her at the apex of her tights making her go over the cliff, Azriel joining her thrusts later.

They both knew this was a new beginning for their relationship, they had so much to discuss but for now they would keep making love and catching up on lost time.

This would be the first night of many to come, Elain and Azriel would reconnect while trading kisses and soft caress, their mission forgotten for now, but as they started to relearn their scars, they would become a team again, an unstoppable weapon against their enemies. Together they would become the eyes and knives of Velaris, ensuring the safety of their family and city. They would be once again partners in crime.

[ruthlesslistener]

god yeah @ your post about wl like its so weird when people paint her as like. the gentle motherly type when most of her dialogue regarding her children pretty actively dehumanizes them. she CHOSE to participate in the vessel project bc it literally couldnt have happened without her consent and honestly she seems to have less empathy for thk than pk does (not that this excuses his actions ofc). like shes a great character and i love her but she is in no way an innocent victim

It’s literally just plain misogyny, lol. People want strong female characters, but they can’t handle said strong female characters when they end up being morally grey and thus accountable for their actions, bc of course Bad Evil Men always are the driving force between a woman doing horrible things, or she just happens to be a bitch because apparently that’s just how she is or because the creators hated her enough to not make her a Mary Sue. Write any female character to have actual significance and act like an actual important person and I assure you, if they don’t fit the perfect ‘good’ protagonist trope, then people are gonna fuckin’ hate them.

As for WL in particular, I blame it on a mix of this, as well as her having a husband who also ended up doing awful shit. Stick a man and a woman together in any sort of crime, and the male is 100% always gonna be villainized while the woman gets woobified to hell and back. And it gets even worse when they’re in a relationship, because of COURSE a healthy m/f relationship can’t ever exist while also doing fucked-up shit, it’s ALWAYS the man being viewed as a complete irredeemable asshole who’s dragging the woman into this against her will, no matter what the actual canon storyline says. Pretty much all PK bashers I see always think he’s some cold, arrogant, self-assured asshole while also depicting WL as this sweet motherly figure who’s deeply hurt by him killing a bunch of her kids, when in canon, it’s arguable that she’s even more detached than he was! The scene at the end of the Path of Pain showed Hollow when they were fresh out of the Abyss, still in prime baby form- hell, the scene he remembered could have come the moment after he brought them into the Palace and looked at them and felt pride in creating a Pure Vessel. There’s no argument here that PK loved his baby, his guilt is literally the reason why the Path of Pain exists, and it’s clear that he started to care for them when they were pretty damn young- but WL, upon seeing Ghost, acts as if they’re just another mindwiped servant puttering about. Sure, she warms up to them a bit later after they visit her a few times, but she’s still fucking frigid, and cleary sees them as an asset to Hallownest’s perpetuation rather than her kid. Hell, I felt more gutpunched by her coldness than I was when I saw PK pulling Hollow out of the Abyss and realized he killed all those kids, because once I saw the Path of Pain and all the evidence pointing to him hating what he did, I was like ‘ah, so it was a desperate political maneuver’ and didn’t take it as something he was personally invested in. WL, however, took me aback because I think the fandom already trained me to think of her as kind and fragile, and she ended up being just as cold and distant as any queen should be. Like, I was straight-up going ‘they’re your CHILD!!’ at her because I KNEW she knew that Hollow was dying due to an ‘idea instilled’ (oh, the concept of LOVING YOUR FAMILY, INSTILLED IN THEM BY. HER. HUSBAND.), and she was talking about them like a leaky pipe that needed to be replaced instead of a child of her flesh and blood. 

...Which, again, was misogynistic of me, because I made the mistake of automatically assuming that she would be a good parent on account of her gender, when gender has no bearing on parental capabilities. And like, she...doesn’t really have a need to be a doting mother, when you think about it?? First off, we canonically know that Ghost’s small stature is because they’re developmentally stuck at the level of a very young child, possibly even a newborn if we assume that PK picked Hollow on the day of their hatching, and they’re extremely mobile and more than capable of defending themselves. Like, I know it’s tempting to wanna make Ghost the cute little toddler, but we see in canon that even if they’re still just a baby god, they’re more than capable of handling complex problems and killing creatures. So they don’t NEED to be babied, they don’t NEED someone to fuss over them and treat them like a delicate little child. And if they were mobile at birth, then it’s very possible that both PK and WL’s parenting instincts reflect that, with them acting more as teacher figures to their very independent children...if they had that at all. With PK, I assume that he has SOME childrearing requirements in his species due to the fact that we know he cared for Hollow, and because there’s often little other reason, evolutionarily speaking, for important mate bonds to occur- and we know that he feels that deep mate bond, because he loved his wife enough to give her his soul. Like, it’s not the king and queen’s soul, he didn’t force her to be tied to him, the Kingsoul is literally a charm manifested from his end to commemorate him marrying her. Which, in turn, implies that he’s a creature whose offspring benefit from extended parental guidance out of the egg. But WL?? WL is a fucking TREE. She doesn’t operate NEARLY on the same level as anything that we can understand, hell, she probably doesn’t even HAVE childrearing instincts at all. Trees are well-known for mass producing viable seeds that have a very slim chance of survival, and she’s a tree who serves as a fertility/life goddess for a kingdom of bugs. Who, as we all know, also like to do the whole ‘mass-breed to win’ sort of deal. We see that in practically all of the other matriarchs of the feral bugs in Hollow Knight specifically, where the mother will birth children to strengthen her claim as queen; it’s not a personal thing, it’s a bug thing. When you think about it from that perspective, she really doesn’t need to give a shit about her kids. Nor should she! She is an immortal goddess that thrives off of the worship of mortals and the domination of other gods. She needs unyielding devotion to thrive and territory of her own to survive, and the fact that she’s a natural breeding matriarch ties into that. It’s not something to be ashamed of, nor is it something that PK ‘tried to control’, it’s merely a way for her to establish and hold power- if anything, the fact that she feels guilty about it at ALL is proof that there’s some scrap of compassion left in her, because the more you think about it, the more it makes sense for her to engage in the Vessel Plan and not care about the fate of her offspring. She is a tree, she doesn’t rear her young. She is a queen with a duty to her people, and keeping that position secured is a direct benefit to her status as a goddess. She is a matriarch in a kingdom of bugs, from a time before ‘’’advanced civilization,’’’ she doesn’t NEED to be a good mother. Like I said, it’s the fact that she feels guilty at all that shows she’s got a scrap of kindness in her, but even if she didn’t, that still wouldn’t make her an evil character. It’s just blue-orange morality, you can’t judge her based off of a scale she doesn’t even fit on.

Admittedly when I was in the period of ‘hate PK and WL’ about a year ago, when I was still a fandom newbie, I ended up hating WL longer than I did PK, but that was before I really figured out that she’s also incredibly...detached from the world? Or, at least, the perception of the world in Hollow Knight. And also, the only reason why I hated her for a longer duration of time was because she seemed dismissive and wasn’t doing anything to save Hallownest- because I don’t give a shit about massive character death, if you are a ruler it is YOUR responsibility to care for your civilians, even over your own children- but again, once I figured out how very alien she is, it made it hard to stay mad. Because like, she’s just on such a different plane of existence that you can’t expect her to have done a better job than her husband; of the two, she’s the more alien, godlike being imo, because it’s very clear that even if she played the role of Queen, she was much more of a goddess figure than a king that just so happened to be a god, like PK. And you can’t expect the gods to care, or to comprehend the vast scale of mortality and the tragedy of death. Your anger at a god is less anger at a direct person and more anger at a mountain, a hurricane, a creature so large that it didn’t even notice your suffering. Obviously, this doesn’t dismiss her, because she was still in control and knew that it was wrong, but she probably doesn’t process that grief in the same way that we do, or even in the same way that other bugs do, because again- she’s alien to all of us. Which in turn is why woobifying her is so stupid, because she is just barely human-analogous, and infanticide is, surprise! Extremely common in the animal kingdom. And if it’s not infanticide, then it’s high death rates via other causes- we’re just unusually squeamish about that because our kids take such a huge toll out of us and require so much care and time to raise that we’ve evolved superparent instincts. WL has not, she doesn’t need to, and I’d argue that the vessels don’t need her that much either, even if having her around would be nice. Claiming that the Pale King kept her from rearing her young when there’s indicators that he’s more inclined to be the one who has parental instincts is fucking stupid- she chose that route for herself, likely because she felt like she had no other choice. She’s a queen, it’s her goddamned job to save her kingdom, holy fuck. None of the characters in Hollow Knight are morally pure.

Also, I don’t usually like to bring the topic of racism into worlds that are non human-analogous, but another reason why I don’t like the issue of woobifying the White Lady is because there’s a chronic issue with treating pretty little white girls like they’re incapable of doing anything bad in their lives so they can turn right around and perpetuate racist ideals and behaviors because they’re like ‘uwu im baby’. I don’t think Hollow Knight is guilty of this at all, because WL and PK are NOT shown in a good light- and also because, like I said, they’re fucking bugs, and I don’t view the gods as colonizers as much as I view them as rival rulers from neighboring kingdoms acting like assholes to each other at the expense of peasent lives, like in medieval Europe- but when you’re dealing with fandom as a whole, filled with people who want to humanize the fuck out of these very clearly inhuman characters, you have to step back a little and squint suspiciously at people throwing bitchfits about a (literally, in this case) white female supposedly being more innocent and victimized than she actually is. Because even if there’s nothing going on with the actual material, the fact that someone is willing to get legitimately angry at other people over fictional characters on the basis of that trope-especially when the game itself makes it a damn clear point that all the gods had good intentions in mind that they executed in the worst way possible- it is REALLY not a good look.

(Also just for the record, I really love WL now, by virtue of also loving PK- but I probably would never have cared much about PK if he DIDN’T kill a fuckton of his own kids and angsted over it. I like horrific falls from grace, preferably with a lot of murder and other horrifying shit, so he’s like, PEAK content to delight my angst/horror hunger. So I’m def. not dissing on WL here because LITERALLY the only reason why I like her now is bc she and her husband are child murderers, otherwise they’d probably be too boring/vanilla for me to give a shit.)

[carmichealroyals]

CHARACTER INSPIRATION // C H A L L E N G E

Rules: Write up a blurb or make a visual collage of the people or characters (from books, TV shows, movies, etc.) that inspired your OC, either visually, personality wise, or just a general vibe.

I was tagged by this by so many lovely pals -- @thelockwoodroyals, @wa-royal-tea AND @ourwillowcreekroyals !!! I only feel bad that it took me so long but I wanted it to be as perfect as it could be while taking time to fiddle with Photoshop more (thank you @royaldevilliers for answering my silly questions). Below the cut are the descriptions for the personality types and tropes for each of the main three kids of this next generation! 

Not sure who’s done this yet, so if you see this and you want to do it, this is me telling you to do it!

CHARLOTTE:

The Protagonist:  Protagonists are natural-born leaders, full of passion and charisma. Forming around two percent of the population, they are oftentimes our politicians, our coaches and our teachers, reaching out and inspiring others to achieve and to do good in the world. With a natural confidence that begets influence, Protagonists take a great deal of pride and joy in guiding others to work together to improve themselves and their community.

Spirited Young Lady:  She is the girl who bends the rules just a little. Oh, she can dance a country dance or pour tea with the best of them, but she may also be a good walker or horseback rider. She may be the most intelligent girl in the story, and she is almost certainly the wittiest and the most outspoken, sometimes earning her the title of spitfire. She may be talented in more practical ways, as well: if given the opportunity, she may turn out to be a wise investor, and she may harbor talent for music, writing, or art that goes beyond drawing room entertainment and might become a means of financial independence if necessary. In rare cases, she may even solve a murder. Though she occasionally runs into some trouble, especially if she fails to obey the powers that be, she usually comes through in the end.

Deadpan Snarker: A character prone to gnomic, sarcastic, sometimes bitter, occasionally whimsical asides.The Deadpan Snarker exists to deflate pomposity, point out the unlikelihood of certain plans, and deliver funny lines. Typically the most cynical supporting character. In most cases, it is implied that the snarker would make a good leader, strategist, or consultant given their ability to instantly see the flaws in a constructed plan. More often than not, their innate snarkiness is the only thing preventing the other characters from comprehending this for themselves.

Politically Active Princess:  The Politically Active Princess is a princess that takes active interest in and plays an active role in politics. Naive courtiers and commoners alike might view her only as a figurehead, but in truth, she discreetly uses her position and guile in order to achieve her ends. Skilled in diplomacy, she will usually attempt to solve conflicts via conversation or bargaining, rather than combat. Her defining trait is her involvement in politics or diplomatic matters, without letting herself serve only as a bargaining chip.

Inspired by: Mia Thermopolis (The Princess Diaries); Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls); Vex’ahlia (Critical Role); Jenny Lee (Call the Midwife)

PETER: 

The Architect:  It can be lonely at the top. As one of the rarest personality types – and one of the most capable – Architects (INTJs) know this all too well. Rational and quick-witted, Architects may struggle to find people who can keep up with their nonstop analysis of everything around them.

The Dog Bites Back:  Unlike the Bastard Understudy and The Starscream, this character attacks as a crime of opportunity. There is no danger that he will take over the villain's place in the grand scheme of things. There is, however, a possibility that he will menace the others as a True Final Boss. The backstabber often ends up dead, but this is usually not Redemption Equals Death because their motive is not noble. Innocent victims who turn on the villain typically do it only for revenge, while evil victims prove that they were fine with all of the Big Bad's crimes except the one committed against them.

Middle Child Syndrome: Everyone loves the oldest child because the parents can rely on them, they watch out for their siblings, and they're so confidently attractive. The Youngest Child Wins because they're the "baby". But what does that leave the one in the middle? That's essentially the definition of Middle Child Syndrome, in which a child automatically may become The Unfavorite or the rebellious Black Sheep, specifically because they are the easiest child to overlook. They're not old enough to be given the responsibilities and privileges of the oldest, and the youngest child took their spot as the spoiled and doted-on "baby" of the family. This tends to be more of an issue when there are three children rather than four or more. Oftentimes in media, the middle child ends up becoming more of the Deadpan Snarker or the quirky one for this reason.

The Un-Favorite: Where there's an Alpha wolf, there's got to be a Beta. When there is a first banana, there is a second banana. This is the person in the family who can't get a break. For example, this is the child who's the big let-down to their parents, the daughter that was supposed to be a son (or vice-versa), the child the parents had by accident when they'd already decided they didn't need another mouth to feed, the adoptive, foster, or stepchild that came before the parents had a biological child, the illegitimate child conceived by infidelity on the part of one of the parents (if not even worse). But all in all, this is basically the kid who is always getting the short-end of the stick. In some extreme cases, this may cause Rich Sibling, Poor Sibling, especially if one sibling is forced into service to the other. A regular line that may be entailed with this is a variant of, "Honestly, [name], why can't you be more like [favorite's name]?"

Inspired by: Edith Crawley (Downton Abbey); Fiyero (Wicked: The Musical); Logan Huntzberger (Gilmore Girls); Rafael Solano (Jane the Virgin)

PEGGY: 

The Mediator:  Idealistic and empathetic, Mediators long for deep, soulful relationships, and they feel called to help others. But because this personality type makes up such a small portion of the population, Mediators may sometimes feel lonely or invisible, adrift in a world that doesn’t seem to appreciate the traits that make them unique.

The Baby of the Bunch: Being the youngest of your group typically comes with some perks and challenges. On one side you're probably the cutest, have a pass to act immature, people like taking care of you, and you can embrace your fun side, knowing that the elders are there to handle the serious stuff. And if there's anything you're naïve about, you have plenty of others to give you the realest unfiltered advice without the generational gap and detachment that your parents or the Old Master have. On the other end, sometimes people don't take you seriously. There you're kinda stuck because no matter how old you get, you'll always be "the baby" in their eyes.

Indifferent Beauty: A character who is attractive, aware of their effect on other people, but doesn't care or at least doesn't value their physical attractiveness over their other traits. Often, this character is a consummate professional who is well aware of the fact that they could use their "assets" to get what they want by other means, but feels that it would be unprofessional or beneath their dignity, and is instead focused on proving that they can compete purely on skill, often to the exclusion of romantic opportunities. While such characters are not averse to dressing in sexy outfits, they don't plan on relying on or even exploiting their sex appeal - but the camera will often do that for them. Other characters' indifference is not due to regarding relying on appearance to be beneath their dignity, but rather that they consider it to be unimportant.

Spoiled Sweet:  The Spoiled Sweet character is a naive, spoiled, rich or comfortably upper-class or upper-middle-class girl, who has everything they could ever want, but instead of being mean, she is as nice as can be to everyone. While still spoiled, slightly naive, perhaps shallow, maybe even a bit selfish at times, when it comes right down to it, she is a loyal friend and doesn't use her money or popularity as an excuse to treat everyone like garbage — though the trope Rich in Dollars, Poor in Sense is in play, especially since a particularly common sticking point is that characters of this type often believe their friends and other loved ones deserve to live just as well as they do.

Inspired by: Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls); Beth March (Little Women); Pike Trickfoot (Critical Role); Peggy Schuyler (Hamilton: An American Musical)

[hiddendreamer67]

Just a Tiny Bit of Crime

Here is my gift for @short-on-main for the G/t secret santa event happening over on @secret-shifters! Hope you enjoy! :D

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Sharon checked and double checked her bag, making sure all of her heist gear was properly sorted before heading into the bank. She was cool as a cucumber as she slipped by security, heading for the women’s restroom. From there Sharon shimmied into the loose ventilation shaft that she had prepped a few days prior. Not a peep was heard as she braced against the metal walls and began descending into the underground vaults. Yes, everything was going fantastic. 

Crime is easy when you’re a few inches tall.

The cat burglar scaled up the vault door, using the paneling on the wall to press herself against the surface and carefully scurrying across to the control panel. Sharon pressed the correct keys from her time spent memorizing her enemy’s every move, careful not to fall as every button sprung back into place and threatened to send her tumbling. 

With a slight whoosh, the airlock released, leaving the vault door open just a crack. Sharon zipped in through the gap, knowing the door would shut automatically in just a few moments. 

“Nailed it.” Sharon grinned, slightly out of breath from the adrenaline of making it inside. This is as far as she was able to plan ahead. Sharon had never been on this side of the vault before; she panted, gazing around the area and keeping a firm grip on her bag. It was dark, so Sharon dared to turn on the headlamp she had crafted out of an abandoned LED bulb. Sharon jogged forwards, careful to keep her wits about her as the lamp only illuminated a few inches surrounding her in a soft blue glow. 

Sharon heard a clinking to the north, adjusting her setting to all but run into a high table. Digging through her bag, Sharon pulled out the suction cups, pressing them into the metal surface. She used her upper body strength to pull herself up further, pressing the other suction cup in. With a satisfying whuck, Sharon uncupped the first to place it higher up, repeating the process to drag her body up onto the table.

“Jackpot.” Sharon scrambled to remove her suction cups, hurrying over to the glowing orbs placed in glass containers on the table. Each orb was larger than she was tall by a good inch or two. Pure Sizytium like this was hard to come by, but a valuable commodity in modern society where people of multiple statures lived in relative peace. After all, Sizytium was known for its size shifting capabilities. If left alone, Sizytium would slowly grow to unfathomable sizes; however, once it came in contact with carbon-based lifeforms, it could shrink in on itself until it was inconceivable to even those with the most powerful microscopes. That’s why the top of these glass containers was lined with a set of algae, to keep the orbs from outgrowing their containers. 

Sharon removed her glove, reaching her bare fingers inside to caress one of the orbs. Upon contact with living matter, the Sizytium shrank until it was more appropriately sized like a marble in her hand. She tossed the ball up into the air, catching it once again in her palm before placing it in her bag and moving onto the next sample. Every so often Sharon would swirl her hand inside her bag just to make sure the fresh Sizytium stayed small enough for all the pieces to fit. Just glancing inside her glowing bag made Sharon ready to squeal with glee, already eager to see what sort of possibilities this amount of riches could bring her.

Most commonly, Sizytium was processed into size shifting coins constructed of alloys, but now that Sizytium was in short supply it was difficult to craft more currency. The amount of Sizytium available in this vault was enough to let her life comfortably for the rest of her days, if she chose to give up a life of crime- but where is the fun in that?

So involved in her glee, Sharon didn’t hear the keypad being punched in until the whoosh of the airlock was once again heard. She cursed under her breath, trying to scan for any sort of suitable hiding spot. Lacking a better option, Sharon dove behind the algae covered tubes. There was no time to search further before the entire room was flooded in fluorescent light. 

In the doorway, a young human security guard scanned the area, his inexperienced fingers fiddling with the gun at his hip as if uncertain he should raise it. “Hello?” He asked the seemingly empty room. “I uh, I heard the door open. Standard procedural search now. Oh, I’m Kyle, the intern.”

They let interns into the Sizytium vault? What is the world coming to these days?

Even worse, a second glance made it clear that Sharon knew this man. Kyle Jacobs, who attended the same high school where Sharon graduated as the only tiny of her class and graduated one year before Sharon. 

Per state law, every tiny citizen attending a public school was assigned a human student as their steward between classes. It was a degrading practice that was only brought about because it was cheaper than properly adjusting the infrastructure to install minute transportation between classrooms. It also shined light on the fact that forcing tiny students to travel from room to room is a bizarre and outdated custom, forcing those students to focus more on sprinting across hallways than actually gaining an education.

But the important point of the matter here is that Kyle was assigned as Sharon’s guardian. He was a straight-A class president who always wanted to help Sharon get on the right path, but even from a young age Sharon was destined for evil; of course, that didn’t mean Sharon didn’t appreciate his misguided efforts. It just made him easier to manipulate.

“Kyle?” Sharon spoke up, pushing herself up over the top of the glass. “Kyle Jacobs? Is that really you?”

Kyle gasped, his attention drawn to the miniature voice on the table. “S-Sharon? Sharon Mare?”

“Who’s to say?” Sharon shrugged, dangling her legs over the edge and ignoring the way the algae made her black catsuit wet. “I can’t exactly go self-incriminating myself, given the circumstances.”

Kyle winced. “So you are stealing, huh.”

Sharon ignored his question. “What’s got you working in a place like this, Kyle?” She tilted her head. “I always thought you were destined for better things.”

“I could say the same of you.” Kyle retorted.

That got a chuckle out of Sharon. “You helped get me out of detention every Saturday for two years. We both knew I was going nowhere.” Sharon glanced to the side, catching his fallen expression out of the corner of her eye. “Speaking of that, I was hoping you’d do the same here.”

“Wait- what?” Kyle took a few steps forward, glancing around hastily. “Sharon, I’m not gonna help you steal!” 

Sharon huffed, balancing carefully on the lid so she could cross her arms and glare up at him. “And why not? Are you planning on turning me in?”

Kyle paused just short of hovering over her, fingers twitching as he bit his lip in that classic sign of hesitation. 

Sharon batted her eyelashes. “You know I couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this. You understand, don’t you?”

Kyle didn’t respond.

“You’ve seen how it is out there.” Sharon wiped a bit of dust off her sleeve. “The world’s just not built for tinies. You’re not gonna throw a gal in a cage for doing what it takes to get by, now would you?” 

After a moment, he let his hands fall to his side. “...no.” He admitted. “But I can’t just leave you here, either. The cams saw me come in. People will ask questions.”

“Then come with me.” Sharon insisted, doing her best to hold her feral grin back in exchange for her innocent damsel in distress. It was far from convincing. “You and me, this much Sizytium, and we can live like kings in the next town over.”

“We’ll have to go farther than that.” Kyle muttered, already distracted calculating their next move as he laid down his palm. 

Sharon grinned, knowing that despite being the one to climb into his palm, Sharon had him wrapped around her little finger.

[turtletimewriting]

Logan’s Adventure- To the doctor’s

Summary: What it says on the tin!

Note: Woop woop! I actually found some motivation to write so feeling good about these ones! I will say, there isn’t any tickling in this one so if you’re reading purely for the tickles then sorry! 

This is based on the tickle forest idea by fluffomatic so check them out!

Beginning!--- Patton’s part!

_._._

“Well where do you think we should go?” Virgil asked. Logan took a pause to consider the options.

“Well all options are valid and useful so I guess-”

“Cool because if you don’t really have a strong opinion, then I say we’re going to the doctors,” Virgil stated and marched on the stoned road leading straight into the village. Logan huffed a laugh at him, “Just... I guess now that you’ve mentioned it, I don’t want to end up getting bitten or a rash or whatever.”

“Sounds good to me,” Logan smiled before shyly linking their hands together.  

Now it was of course no surprise to see that the side that looked like a prince straight from a Disney film would create a medieval European village. The houses all stood tall with dramatic black wooden frames but still somehow made them feel at home immediately. Maybe it was because everyone they passed waved and nodded at them and the first house they passed had a mother placing a hot apple pie on the windowsill. There was colourful bunting strung up the old fashioned oil lamps and they could both almost hear the Disney-esque music playing in the background. It was a short walk until they came across the doctors. 

Walking in, the receptionist smiled widely and waved them over. Luckily, the waiting room was pretty much empty with only one girl fidgeting and tapping her foot. “Hello lovelies! How can I help?” The receptionist spun on her office chair to face them. Despite how friendly everyone was, Virgil automatically kept looking around the office leaving Logan to do the talking.

“Hello, I’m afraid we don’t have an appointment nor are we actually ill. This is our first time... travelling through and we wou-”

“Oh!” The lady butted in and started typing furiously on the computer, “That’s no problem. So would you like a drop-in session to go over how to protect yourselves and basic aid for the wildlife here, right?”

“That’s sounds great, thank you.”

“No problem. I just need to ask some questions so the doctor knows what to ask you all about?” 

“Go ahead.”

“Right, so firstly names?” The receptionist asked much to both of their surprise. Usually most of Roman’s creativity meant that any imagined space and people knew them. Typically every villager would rave about a certain red clad prince hero, they would bake for a certain lovely young man in bright blue, Logan made an effort to challenge the professors and every villager knew to leave the poor shy man in black to himself. 

They both answered basic questions about themselves before the receptionist boredly asked one last question that froze them, “Okay last one, are you lees or lers or switches?” 

“Uh... what?” Virgil whipped round to actually face her for once and Logan simply bluescreened. 

“Do you prefer being tickled, the ticklee, or tickling someone, being a tickler? Or, of course, a little bit of both?” The receptionist asked as if she was simply asking them what they’re favourite colours were. 

“Of course Remus would also create not only paperwork but... stupid questions,” Virgil grumbled but he already knew he was going to answer quickly. Yes this was an anxious nightmare but then he wasn’t about to cause a scene to someone innocently doing their job. He’d just have to get Remus later.

“I’d say both... switches?” Logan asked with a nervous look to Virgil. 

“Yeah?” The lady asked clearly wanting a bit more.

“I’d agree with that but I do think it’s important to note that Logan here leans strongly to the lee side,” Virgil quickly butted in.

“What?” Logan demanded.

“Okay great! You’re all good to go. You won’t have to wait long. Probably no more than five minutes. The doctor will call you. You can take a seat while you wait but I will say that the girl also waiting was bitten by lersquitos so maybe keep you’re distance,” She smiled widely and submitted the form before Logan could fight against any of their answers. 

“Thank you,” Virgil smiled before dragging his bumbling stuttering boyfriend by the shoulders and sitting them a couple of seats away from the girl. 

“You. Are. A... nightmare,” Logan finally snarked once his mind finally loaded from the betrayal. 

“Eh, the doctor’s need all the information they can grab. That means they need to know about your ‘stress relief’ mechanisms,” Virgil breathily whispered into his ears while trailing his fingers up his arms, leaving Logan flinching and childishly giggling. They stopped however when the girl groaned at their teasing. 

“Uh, excuse me. I’m sorry if this is really rude, but we heard you got bitten by... a something. Do you mind telling us about that?” Logan asked 

“Oh, uh a lersquito,” The girl answered with a judgemental look. She answered as if they had asked what colour the sky was. 

“Yes. That... What is that?” He asked. The girl took a deep breath and releasing an obnoxiously long sigh.

“Yeah it’s just a bug. It bites you and you get into a ler mood. It’s like...” She awkwardly paused but continued while never once looking at them, “you can’t get the idea out of your head and it’s like your fingers can’t keep still, y’know. They mostly hang out around water, so yeah.”

“That has got to be a Remus creation,” Logan nodded to himself and the girl simply shrugged them off and continued staring at the wall while slowly flexing her fingers. 

“Yeah wait!” Virgil suddenly perked up, “how on earth do we fight against that! A bug that bites you! I didn’t pay attention to any bugs. We may have already been bitten! And, and, the map goes through the forest. How on earth are we meant to-”

“That’s why we’re here. Surely the doctor can help us,” Logan answered and smoothed his bangs out of his eyes, much to his dismay. 

It wasn’t much longer until they got called by the doctor. She was dressed like any other doctor with no indication that she specialised in any tickle related stuff. “Hello, c’mon in!” She waved them inside a room. It looked also completely normal. There was a typical notice board behind her desk filled with different flyers and information. This was the only indication that they were in a world created and based on tickling. Even Logan had to admit that it was distracting to see a massive poster of a a cartoon man getting absolutely destroyed by bugs with glowing pink mushrooms in the background. 

He snapped back to attention when he noticed the silence. The doctor laughed at them both considered Virgil was still entranced by the poster. “Sorry! Uhm, can you repeat that?”

“I just asked if this was your first time through?” She asked with a polite smile. 

“Oh yes! Right. Yes this is our first time travelling and we would like to be prepared for anything that may get us... in trouble.”

“Ah well there’s not much advice I can give,” She responded.

“Of course it wouldn’t be that easy,” Logan mumbled under his breath but the doctor kept talking without pause.

“Just apply basic common knowledge and you’ll be alright. Don’t mess around with any weird plants, leave the white flowers alone, be careful around animals. Remember if you do get into trouble then come see a doctor if you’re worried. Did you have any more specific questions?” She asked Logan who was still flicking back and forth between the blatant poster and her.

“What is the most common reason people visit?”

“Well usually it’s the ants. Not a lot of people remember to look where they’re standing and, to be honest, their colonies are not obvious. They sting you and can almost triple your sensitivity. Not a problem if it’s a kid but if you’re in the middle of work then it can be a nuisance. Also, if you do get stung and it lasts more than four hours without treatment then seek medical help immediately.”

“Is there any way to... cure the sting?”

“It’s a simple lotion. It won’t make it disappear, you’ll still be quite sensitive, but it really helps dampen the effects. The sting is enough so that your clothes tickle you so a lot of people will buy it in bulk,” She answered while handing them both the tiniest travel bottle of the lotion. It wasn’t much but then he guessed it made sense that they wouldn’t hand them loads of it. 

They chatted but otherwise the doctor was reluctant to give them anymore considered her stance was thoroughly ‘just use common sense’. Virgil kept his gaze fixed on the notice board but the longer they talked, the more confused he looked. Even Logan ended up nudging him to try and get him to pay attention. 

As they were leaving, Virgil finally spoke up. “Wait, can I look at something?” He asked but he was already leaning over her desk to pull off one of the notes. Unlike the other leaflets, it was just plain paper with a scrawled hard to read chicken scratch. 

He showed it to Logan with a concentrated frown. It read:

The treasure is kinda smelly and gross but you’ll love it!!!!

“Is that a clue!” Logan gasped, intentionally snatching it from his hand. 

“It just stuck out as weird,” He pretty much said to himself because now Logan’s mind had latched on. Any mind based puzzle and Logan was in his happy place. The wording all screamed that this was a treasure that Remus created or at the least Remus made the clue. Had they missed more clues? Were they supposed to have any idea what this means? This was so vague! It spoke about the treasure but not about what the password to unlock was. Maybe the password is what the treasure is! 

Logan absolutely didn’t pay attention to Virgil saying thanks to the doctor and shoving them out the door. Virgil merely fondly rolled his eyes and pushed them out of the village and up to the path. Back to the adventure! 

The path led straight into a heavy forest with vines and the constant chirping of birds. The bushes seemed like they were always moving with different animals scuttling about and Virgil could already feel himself start to sweat as the heavy trees trapped the heat in the forest. All this time, Virgil had to admit he did feel a little worried about getting unfairly sneak-attacked but also that was nothing compared to now. The thick heavy forest only showed that they were truly in the thick of it now. They weren’t sightseeing around a village. They were in an adventure. 

They had barely stepped through the forest before stopping. Across the path was a weeping willow. It was just as gorgeous as terrifying. The soft pinks and white rustling together in a beautiful dance of a feathery bright petals. But also that was the most obvious trap he had ever seen in his life. Logan was still mumbling to himself staring at the clue so he carefully plapped the clue out of his hands and silently pointed at the tree. 

“Ah,” Logan said.

“Yeah. Ah. What do we do?” Virgil sighed. Logan looked around with a wince. The path carved through extremely thick trees and bushes and dense foliage. 

“There’s no good option here. We could keep to the path and just take whatever this tree does or we could go around it.”

“But god knows what’s in there!” Virgil gasped!

“So do we go forward knowing we will get tickled by these... feathery looking branches or get tickled by the unknown. There isn’t a good option here,” Logan sighed. 

This adventure took 20 minutes!

Total time: 46 minutes.

OOH BOY THAT WAS SOO LONG, I’M SO SORRY!

The adventure continues, but what shall our boys do?!

1) Go forward

2) Go off the path 

Now, Logan and Virgil know about lersquitos, tickle ants and discovered a clue! But now Logan is distracted with figuring out the clue!

[deejadabbles]

Touch (Yami/Atem x Reader)

Summary: Atem's love of affection became apparent to you rather early on, even before you two started dating. The touch-starved ex-pharaoh meant well of course, but, what happens when his affections lead you to realize that you're the exact opposite?

(or, to put it simply, an Atem stays AU where Atem's a touchy-feely cutie, but you have to work through the fact that you flinch and shy away when touched.)

AN: I've been wanting to do a little something centered around my headcanon that Atem's touch-starved for a while now, I just couldn't think of much of a plot until now. The reader's situation is based on my own experiences and feelings, my own "problems" with physical contact that I've been trying to work through. It was actually a bit therapeutic to write about and hopefully some of you guys identify with the reader, or are at least interested in the contrast between them and Atem <3

It became clear to you even as early as a month or two after Atem regained his body; after he was sent back to earth and freed to live his natural life with Yugi, you, and the rest of the gang. You suspected that he became more comfortable, once again being in his own skin and in possession of his memories, and that comforted state made him more willing to...indulge, or perhaps explore his own habits and wants.

You would have never suspected it, seeing as how the pharaoh had always been a bit distant in some ways. Always caring, supportive, and kind, of course, but distant. You would have never suspected it, but Atem was actually a rather touchy person.

It was never anything bad, never lewd or anything that crossed a line. Rather it was his hand on your shoulder paired with an encouraging squeeze. It was a gentle touch brushing between your shoulder blades as he came to stand beside you. His fingers wrapping around yours in a brief greeting, and maybe even lingering there as he smiled at you.

It wasn’t even just with you, he clapped Jonouchi on the back all the time, touched Anzu’s upper arm when she talked to him, hugged Yugi as often as he could. The list went on.

Still, despite the innocence of his touches and the fact that they weren’t directed solely at you, it made something of your own come to a sudden light. Something you hadn’t given much attention to, or even realized on a conscious level- not until you found yourself tensing against those gentle touches and flinching ever so slightly as his fingers brushed against you. You hadn’t ever realized it, but it seemed that had a bit of an issue with casual touching.

You hated your reactions, hated the way you seemed to instinctively recoil from him when he put his arm around you, or the way your very mind jolted when his hands touched yours. You hated it because you didn’t want to feel that way with Atem’s casual affections, you didn’t want to feel ill at ease or downright edgy and upset when he held you.

When you realized just how not-okay you actually were with touch, you did plenty of soul searching and reflecting on your past, wondering where this came from. There was perhaps an incident or two that might have led to this. Words said or an action done that had tarnished your association with physical contact, though you hadn’t realized it at the time, or the coming years since. Not until now.

It didn’t sit well with you at all. You wanted to like Atem’s displays, you wanted to not have those automatic reactions when he showed you those affections. He didn’t seem to notice at first, at least not before his casual touches became something more. Not before he was able to show you that he felt something more, for you.

When Atem kissed you for the first time, your body and heart were at strange odds. Your heart raced with want and elation, even as your shoulders shifted ever so slightly away from his hand as he stroked your back to pull you deeper into the kiss. You didn’t want to ruin that moment, that first wonderful kiss, because damn it you loved Atem and wanted to show him that you did.

He didn’t notice it then, but as one would suspect, after entering a relationship with each other, his affections only increased. He loved hugging you from behind, loved brushing your hair away from your face or neck so he could place a chaste kiss on your cheek or shoulder. And when you two sat together, even with friends, he seemed to almost always have a hand on you, rubbing gently across your knee, grazing the small of your back, or taking your hand in his own.

Atem hadn’t noticed your “issue” at first, but with that increased intimacy, it wasn’t long before he started to. Notice the way you tensed even as you hugged him back, or the barely noticeable flinch you gave when he rubbed your back even as you smiled at him; the way you seemed to pull away from his hands before you caught yourself.

He must have noticed eventually though, because before you knew it, Atem was starting to pull away. You noticed the way he’d reach out to you, just short of grazing his fingers across your side or taking your hand in his, before suddenly pulling back. You didn’t miss the way he shortened his hugs and lessened his chaste kisses; not lingering in the embrace nearly long enough and only giving you pecks on the cheek when you said goodbye. And though his consideration was appreciated and moved you, in the long run, you hated it. Hated that he felt like he had to deprive himself because of your reactions- especially since another part of you didn’t want him to pull away at all.

You wanted to be okay with touch, with his affections, you yearned for a day when you wouldn’t instinctively flinch away from his hands and hugs. Because no matter how or why you had that aversion, you wanted to be...better. You wanted to welcome his affections and return them in kind, but it seemed that simply wasn’t the case. Simultaneously craving touch as well as disliking it on some deep barely explored level, it was an odd situation to be in.

Slowly, you tried to get used to the physical contacts and did so by initiating them yourself. You actively told yourself to lean on his shoulder during quiet moments, to hug him with every greeting and parting, or reach out and take his hand as you walked. In some small way it might be working, but again, much like when he had first kissed you, your heart and the rest of your body were at odds.

One second you were wanting to sigh in content as you leaned against him and felt his arm wrap around you, but the next your skin started to prickle with an anxious unease. It was rather infuriating, honestly, the waring reactions making you want to scream! Perhaps you just needed time, but you wanted to be over this personal hurdle now. Or at least sooner rather than later.

***

It took Atem longer than he wanted to admit to notice it. Perhaps at first, when he had been granted a second chance at life, he was too caught up in his own reality, his own wants and habits. Having his own body as well as his memories back was astonishing at first and in some ways, he almost had to rediscover himself. In that discovery, he actively took notice to a quirk most may not expect a powerful pharaoh to have.

He noticed it in the way his hands reached out before he even thought, the way his skin tingled and warmed when someone hugged him back or touched him in turn. He remembered when he was young, how he had gravitated towards Mana not only for her bright and pure heart but because she was one of the few in the palace who never withheld her affections around him. He carried royal blood and, among his people, that made him a god- and mortals were not permitted to touch the body of a god so lightly.

There was a word for it in the modern age, and Atem admitted to himself quite early on that he was “touch starved”. His father had hugged and held him plenty when he was a child, but that decreased as he got older and most around him were barely willing to look him in the eyes, let alone show him any kind of affection that wasn’t verbal. He supposed five thousand years trapped alone in darkness didn’t help either. So much loneliness, endless and unyielding until the moment Yugi solved the puzzle, the mere memory of it still kept him awake some nights. No, it hadn’t helped at all. Nor did the years he spent as a specter, only able to view and receive the world through the lens of Yugi’s body. Even when others did hug him and clap him on the back when in control, it felt...numb in away. As if the skin not truly being his own made it impossible to truly feel touch the way he once had. And that only made him crave touch more.

It was easier now, with you, Yugi, and the rest of the gang. None of you cared that deeply about his (now irrelevant) royal status, and given how close he had become to all of you, no one seemed to think much of it when he brushed his fingers along a friend’s back or hugged someone just a second or two longer than most.

Then of course, there was the touch he wanted most. The rare times he felt you hug him back or give his hand a gentle squeeze before pulling away made him feel a level of warm content he has never experienced before. He should have noticed it then, long ago, but perhaps he was too caught up in how you made him feel to notice. And of course, he was too busy figuring out the best way to act on the feelings he’d had for you even as a spirit sharing Yugi’s body.

Now that he was his own man again, free to live a life of his own, there was little stopping him from finally showing you how deeply he cared for you- Well, little aside from his own failings when it came to romance. That department was the only place he seemed to become awkward and inept, but he pushed through it all the same!

The first time he had kissed you it felt like his body was soaring; his hand rubbing along your back and pulling you closer, your own fingers gripping his biceps as if you needed grounding or held up so you wouldn’t fall. And now that the door to romance was open, Atem could...indulge even more and sate his need for touch by holding your hand, pulling you into his arms, and planting loving kisses along your skin.

Well, that is until he finally took notice to something. To the fact that you didn’t exactly seem all that comfortable with physical contact.

He finally noted the way you almost- almost, seemed to pull away from him. The way you flinched when his hand brushed your side or slid across your stomach as he hugged you from behind. You always smiled at him and seemed to put effort into returning the affections, but he couldn’t ignore those reactions.

Never, not for one moment, did Atem want to make you uncomfortable. Perhaps you didn’t like how often he showed affection, perhaps you were simply uncomfortable with his kinds of affection, or perhaps it was something else entirely. Either way, Atem hated the idea of making you uneasy, no matter how much he craved you. So he pulled back, he made himself stop when he found himself snaking his arms around you, or brushing his hands against you. He still showed you affection, especially on the nights curled together on your couch, but he decreased it by a notable amount, and prayed you would forgive him for not noticing your discomfort sooner.

You must have taken notice of it because soon enough, you were increasing how often you initiated affection. More often than ever you pulled him into hugs, you reached out to take his hand or pressed your lips to his. And though he wanted to melt into your touch, he hated it. Hated that you felt the need to satisfy him at your own expense, hated that you thought you had to put aside your discomfort to appease him.

Atem loved you, by the gods did he love you, and he’d be damned if his love turned into a selfish one. He refused to cross your line of comfort, refused to let his own needs and wants override your boundaries. No matter how much he ached for you, no matter how elated your touch made him feel, he would not let you suffer for that, for him.

***

You stretched your arms over your head after taking the last bite of pizza, full and content. It was Friday, a night you and your beloved boyfriend always set aside for movies and some alone time. Hanging out with the gang was great and all, but sometimes a couple needed time to themselves. You caught the way Atem smiled before shifting his gaze back to the TV as you leaned back against your couch.

After a moment, you stole a glance at him, how relaxed he looked with his arm resting on the back of the couch and supporting his head as he watched the movie. He shifted slightly as you looked on, and you noted the way he almost (almost) seemed to lean in closer to you. You knew he was probably wanting, wishing to cuddle you close like he had so often on these nights alone.

You scooted closer until you were nestled under his arm and against his side, before resting your head on his chest. As if on instinct, Atem’s arm moved from supporting his head, to wrap tightly around you. His warmth felt nice and you could hear and feel the steady beating of his heart under your ear. However, you already sensed that irritating unease creeping up, waiting to crawl across your skin the longer he held you.

Then, you felt Atem heave a sigh and he whispered your name- before he pulled away!

You looked up at him, wide-eyed and mouth agape, “Atem? What’s wrong?”

He wasn’t looking at you, instead scratching the back of his neck as he sighed again, more frustrated this time. Finally, he looked at you again, but only for a moment before he breathed your name again and grabbed the tv remote. After smashing the pause button and setting the remote aside, he moved again and faced you fully.

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, tone firm, but gentle, almost abashed. “You don’t have to force yourself to show me affection like that.”

Your heart sank and an uneasy heat rose under your skin. So he had noticed, everything apparently, not only your discomfort but your efforts to push through said discomfort.

“Atem, I-”

“I’m sorry,” he cut in, averting his eyes, hands tightening as he shook his head. “I should have noticed sooner, how uncomfortable I was making you. I was being selfish, I didn’t even realize I was forcing my affections on you.”

“You weren’t!” your voice was louder than you had meant it to be, but you couldn’t help it with the borderline panic rising in your chest. “Atem, you weren’t- I mean I didn’t-” you cursed under your breath and ran a desperate hand over your face, trying to collect yourself. After a moment, you found your voice again and tried to push through the awkwardness. “Atem, I know you didn’t mean anything bad by it. You weren’t ‘forcing your affections’ on me. I get it, you’re a touchy person, I’m not going to hold that against you.”

“But now you feel like you have to put aside your own feelings to please me,” there was a bite in his tone and he still wasn’t looking at you, instead narrowing his eyes at the coffee table. “I don’t want you to feel that way. I love you, and I want to respect your boundaries, I want to respect you .”

A not entirely unwelcome fluttering started in your chest. You really had won the boyfriend lottery with Atem. After a few beats of silence, you whispered his name and reached out, brushing your hand along his cheek until he finally looked at you, gorgeous eyes meeting your own.

“The truth is, I want to be as affectionate as you. I want to be okay with your PDA and touches- damn it I really really do! I hate that I can’t reciprocate, hate that I can’t even really control how I respond. But I’m trying to get better with it. Yeah, part of it was because I wanted to make sure you weren’t...unsatisfied in the affection department, but it wasn’t just that. I want to be more affectionate too. I want to sit here and cuddle with you for hours, I want to hold your hand while we’re walking down the street, I want to rest my head on your shoulder while we’re spending time with the gang- I want all of it! I think...I think I just need time. Time and practice.”

You took a deep breath, feeling a bit shaky from your mini-rant, then your hand fell from his cheek to take his hand in yours. He finally seemed to ease a little, his shoulders losing some of their tenseness and he leaned in a bit closer.

He whispered your name again, “I just...I don’t want to push you. Promise me you will take your time with this? If you want to hold my hand or be held, that would be nice, but only if you want to. I can wait until you’re completely comfortable in my arms.”

You smiled at him, feeling as though something achy was finally being lifted from your whole body. It felt nice, to be honest and open. Then you leaned in and pressed your lips to his, relishing the way his breath caught in his throat and how he moved in perfect sync with you. The hand holding yours tightened a bit, and a jerk of movement indicated that he was wanting to do something with his free hand too. To test the proverbial waters, and also genuinely wanting to deepen the kiss, you took his free hand in yours and guided him to cup your face. His thumb ran along your cheek and he moaned a little when you nipped at his bottom lip.

“I promise,” you whispered against his lips sometime later, “promise I’ll take my time getting better at this. I love you.”

“I love you too,” he breathed, pressing his forehead to yours as he continued to stroke your cheek.

The two of you lingered there for a while, simply enjoying each other and this open, honest state. Then eventually, Atem pulled back and gave you a small smile.

“I could tell you were getting tense in my embrace earlier, so we don’t have to cuddle during the rest of the movie if you don’t want to.”

You bit your lip, mulling over the truth of his words, even as you wished they weren’t true. “I think I’d be okay with holding hands while we’re sitting here, if that’s okay.”

Atem’s smile softened and he began shifting his pose back towards the TV, “I would like that.”

You settled back into a more comfy position too as he pressed play, one hand resting in your lap, the other holding his as he gently, rather absentmindedly, stroked the back of your hand with his thumb. Only a minute or so passed before you got a certain almost whimsical urge. You brought your clasped hands up and pressed a chate kiss to the back of Atem’s hand, before dropping them back to his lap. You relished the almost bashful smile he flashed you, since a bashful Atem was a rare Atem.

Yeah, it may take some time, but being with a man who was equal parts respectful and loving, you were pretty confident you could reach that higher level of affectionate someday.

[kayokos-villain-imagines]

Maybe Spinner headcanons with a childhood friend turned romantic?

// Ooh I really loved this request. //

//So, this turned into a scenario, but I didn’t want to reformat it, so here you go. //

As a child, you’d always automatically accepted those who were different than you. So much so, that you never understood why no one ever talked to a certain Shuichi Iguchi in your fifth grade class.

He seemed like a normal 11 year old boy to you, he liked cars, video games, and wanted to be a hero when he grew up. Yeah, his quirk was a little unusual, but you thought it only made him cooler.

When you came up to him at lunch and introduced yourself, he seemed a mix of surprised and suspicious.

As you continued to sit with Shuichi during the year, he slowly opened up to you. You even began hanging out at each other’s houses.

By summer, people had begun avoiding you too. This broke Shuichi’s heart, but you reassured him that you were fine.

As the years went by avoidance morphed into full-on aggression, directed at both of you.

Shuichi could handle being roughed up, he was used to people treating him poorly because of his quirk, but he couldn’t stand the thought of you getting hurt for his sake.

So, when he was old enough, Shuichi scrapped up enough money (mostly loans from his parents), and left town without so much as a goodbye.

He told himself that it was for your own good, even if you’d be sad at first, you would eventually come to realize that you were better off without him.

In actuality, you were devastated that he left and tried everything you could think of to find him. But there was only so much you could do. He hadn’t told anyone, not even his family, where he was going, so you had no leads to go on. The only way you’d ever find him now was if he wound up on a nationally-aired news segment detailing Japan’s most wanted villains and their last known locations.

So.

By a stroke of luck, you happened to turn the TV on just as the camera cut to footage of the league butting heads with a small group of pro heroes, and you happened to look up just as it focused in on one particular member.

Despite the Stain cosplay, it was no secret to you who the villain “Spinner” actually was.

You stayed by the TV long enough to catch the name of the city they were last seen in, before dashing off to pack a small bag of essentials, and scribble a note for anyone who came looking for you.

Was it crazy to chase after someone who ran away to become a villain? Probably. But that’s exactly what you planned to do.

When you left your house, you were worried that you’d never find Shuichi. But as you drew closer to where he was last sighted, you thought about what could go wrong if you did find him. What if he didn’t want to see you? He was a villain now, so why would he want to risk rebuilding bridges with a civilian who could easily sell him out to the police? Maybe you were the reason he ran away in the first place. Had you been too smothering with your kindness when you were young? 

You were just about to get off the bus and go home when your more rational side took over. It didn’t matter where he was now or who he was with, Spinner was still your Shuichi. The same Shuichi who you sat with everyday at lunch in elementary school, and who introduced you to the wonderful world of video games. You’d come all this way to see him, and you’d be damned if you let him get away without a decent explanation this time.

Your initial fears about not being able to find your childhood friend were quickly crushed as, after only ten minutes of wandering the outskirts of the city, you caught sight of one of Spinner’s teammates huddled in an alleyway. You hadn’t paid attention to his name, but the black and grey spandex suit was hard to miss.

Momentarily forgetting that this was a dangerous villain, you raced over to where he was crouched down and only froze when you heard him muttering incoherently to himself.

You heard yourself call out to him, meekly, and ask if he was alright.

He spun around, with wide eyes, almost as if you were the villain, and he was the innocent civilian wandering around an unfamiliar city at night.

Only then did you notice that his mask was torn nearly in half, and he was bleeding from a deep gash on his forehead.

Before he could even respond to you or ask who you were, your instincts- the same instincts that prompted you to sit by Shuichi that day in fifth grade- took over, and you found yourself tearing pieces off a spare shirt in your bag and using them to dress his wound.

The man stayed quiet throughout the process, seemingly confused as to what was happening, so you only ceased your ministrations when you heard somebody give a dry chuckle behind you.

“Who might you be, dollface?”

You turned to face another of Spinner’s teammates. Dabi. You remembered his name since he’d gotten most of the screentime in the news segment, most likely due to his captivating blue flames. Something about him made you feel uneasy, in comparison to the other man.

“Didn’t you see the news? It’s not safe out here at night. You never know who you might run into.” The way he was slowly stalking towards you made your breath hitch and your heartbeat quicken. “Maybe someone should show you what happens to dolls who stay out past their bedtime.”

Luck was on your side, however, as the villain you had helped jumped in front of you, effectively acting as a human shield.

“Dabi, you can’t! Go ahead. She helped me! See if I care.” You blinked, wondering if you heard him right.

Dabi seemed to notice the other villain’s bandage for the first time. His eyes glinted with amusement, mouth turning upwards in a smirk. “You really don’t know who we are, then? You must be more naive than I thought, dollface.”

This sparked something in you. You weren’t some lost child who wandered here by accident. You had a reason for seeking them out, and with the comfort of knowing that the first villain (probably) didn’t want you dead, you spoke up.

“I came here to look for my friend, Shuichi Iguchi. I think he’s with you guys.”

“Iguchi, hm?” Spinner had never shared his real name with the league, but Iguchi would definitely be the family name of someone with a lizard quirk.

Before Dabi could make any further remarks, another voice joined the conversation.

“There you are! You were taking a while, so Tomu-chan sent me to find both of you!”

Dabi said nothing, but stepped to the side, allowing you and the blonde girl to lock eyes.

“Ooh! A new friend? I can't wait to taste her blood!” You tensed at this. Was Shuichi even here?

“Actually she’s Spinner’s old friend. She came looking for him and found us instead.” You swallowed down your fear as Dabi said this. 

‘Dabi acts like no one else matters to him, but he stopped threatening me when he realized I knew Shuichi.’ Maybe you had a chance after all.

As if to confirm your thoughts, the man in the grey and black costume spoke next. “We should bring her with us! Let’s leave her here. I’m sure Spinner would love to see her again! I wouldn’t.”

The blonde girl seems all too excited about bringing you with them, and Dabi’s as indifferent as ever about the situation, so you decide to go. If you had to endure everything that just happened, you’d at least get to see Shuichi.

You shyly agree to come with them, following close behind the man you had helped and being careful to keep a distance between you and the other two.

The girl takes you down another alleyway, skipping ahead as she hummed an odd tune. She stops suddenly and peers into the darkness as if waiting for someone.

With a start, you realize that there’s someone there, blending into the shadows, though you probably wouldn’t have seen them if it weren’t for the two glowing yellow eyes.

The eyes fall upon you, and you hold your breath. “Who’s this?” a deep voice questions.

“Spinner’s friend!” the man in the grey and black suit remarks, and you are surprised to hear nothing else said.

The shadow man pauses, and you imagine him quirking an eyebrow, but he says nothing and you get the feeling it’s not his place to challenge their decisions. He looks to the side as a purple and black portal opens up, and everyone but you and the shadow guy step through. 

He turns back to you and holds out what you assume is a hand. “My name is Kurogiri. I apologize if any of the others have scared you.���

“I’m, uh, (f/n) (l/n).” You can barely concentrate on your words as you process the feeling of his ‘hand’. It seems like pure mist at first, but it gets firmer the more pressure you apply, like pushing together the repelling ends of two magnets.

Kurogiri clears his throat and gestures to the portal.

“Oh, uh, right.” You let go of his hand and take a few tentative steps towards the gaping hole in the brick wall. You inhale sharply as you put one foot through and step onto a solid surface, slowly pulling the rest of your body through.

You open your eyes to find yourself in what appears to be a run-down bar, with five pairs of inquisitive eyes on you, but none of them Shuichi’s. You do, however, see two new people. The first you recognize as Tomura Shigaraki, the league’s current leader. He stares at you for a moment, before stalking off. He was probably advised to leave you alone for now. The second dashes up to you the moment you’re through the portal. He’s wearing an ochre trench coat, a top hat, and a black and white mask. He introduces himself as Mr. Compress as he offers you a bouquet, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Don’t overwhelm her, Mister.” You hadn’t even noticed Dabi until he spoke up.

Mr. Compress huffed and took a seat at the counter.

“Spinner’s room is down there” Dabi motioned his head towards the hallway behind him. “Third room to the left.”

You give a nod of thanks and manage to move your body down the hallway, stopping in front of the third door to the left. You held your breath as you knocked several times.

You heard footsteps leading up to the door, and watched anxiously as it creaked open.

Shuichi was in the same Stain costume he had been wearing on the news, but his hair was down, as it had been the last time you were together. Upon seeing you, he froze with the door still half open.

“(Y-y/n)?”

“H-hi, Shuichi.” It occurred to you that you hadn’t planned on what to say.

“What are you doing here!?”

“I saw you on the news. I came looking for you and found them.” You briefly glanced at the entrance to the hallway.

“You shouldn’t have come. It’s dangerous.”

“It was my only hope of finding you again.” You could swear you saw a faint blush appear on Shuichi’s scales.

“You’re better off without me around. Especially now that…” He trailed off and you realized that he didn’t want to admit to being a villain.

“If everyone else wanted to tease me for being friends with you, then that’s on them. I was happy as long as we were together.”

Shuichi tried and failed to stutter out a response, eventually settling on “You should go.”

“Shuichi, can’t you hear me? All I want is to be with you. I don’t care if you’re a villain or what” You stepped towards the door and he turned away.

“I won’t let you get hurt because of me.”

The corners of your mouth quirked up in a smile. “That’s sweet, but I think it’s beyond your control.” He looked up at you concernedly. “Two of your teammates have threatened to kill me, and I’m not sure they’ll let me leave at this point. Don’t you think I would be safer if I stayed with you?”

Shuichi glanced at you before looking away again. “...I guess,” he said, and you internally squealed.

“Well then, we should go tell the others that I’m here to stay!” He nodded and moved to walk in front of you, but you stopped him.

“Shuichi?”

“Hm?”

Without warning, you pulled him close and pressed a kiss to his snout, before pulling away and leaving him standing in the hallway, speechless.

// I don’t usually put notes at the end, but wow the formatting is a mess. Sorry I mutilated your request, anon. //

(￣ω￣)/

[johnismyreason]

Use your imagination // Michael Gray x Virgin!reader

I had this request for so long, this is a fucking shame I only post it now lmao but in my defence, there were the holidays, my finals, and also it was the first time I wrote smut. So please, be indulgent and let me know 

@burnitup​, that was your request, I’m sure you forgot about it lmao, but here it is, hope you enjoy it ;) xx 

Words: honestly, I have zero idea.

Warnings: virgin reader, fingering (masturbation and male giving), cursing, smut. MUST BE +18 TO READ IT. 

You are such a good girl. That’s what he always says. He never wants to rush things, too scared to lose you. But you want more. So you tried to tease him when you were alone, sending him huge signals to make him understand what you were feeling, so close to write it on a sign and shake it in front of his eyes. You want more. You were fed up to hear his speech “Love, it’s not that I don’t want you, it’s just… You’re so innocent, and I’m not. We’ll go there one day, alright ? Just not now.” You always sigh and roll out of his laps, crossing your arms on your chest. He always kisses you on your cheek and then on your pouty mouth. So you're waiting for the day when he'll deign to touch you elsewhere than just your lips. But that doesn’t stop you from driving him crazy whenever you had the occasion, hoping that this day is the day. For example, you’d drop your book on purpose so you can lean in front of him, giving him a good sight of your butt with a devilish look “I’m so clumsy.” His lips always part a little, holding his breath and pressing his palms on his thighs. He rises from the sofa, and you think it’s happening now, but he just walks away, without saying anything.

If Michael wouldn’t give you what you want, then you must do the job on your own. When he’s out with his cousins to go to the pub, for business or whatever reason, you slide in you bed, get comfortable and let your mind drift away and your hand moving down. You imagine all the things you dream Michael does to you. His lips on your neck and then your breast, his hands all over your body, gripping on your skin, never letting you go. His fingers lingering your stomach, making their way to your core. Teasing you so machieviously. “You like that baby girl ?” he asks after hearing you moan. You nod begging him to keep going. “So if you like that, you may will love this” he would slide a finger in your wet pussy, going back and forth on your demanding clit. You always imagined it rough because of Michael’s gangster side. He would use you as a toy, a simple object and you wouldn’t even mind it, as long as he touches you and makes you feel good. Of course, all of this was just your imagination and your fingers. You were so damn tired of waiting.

What you didn’t know is that, one day, when you were playing your little game of imagination and you thought he was out with the boys, he actually came back earlier to your place and heard you calling his name. He walked to your room but didn’t enter, realising that you were not calling him but moaning his name. He looked at you, spread on your bed, eyes closed, your nightgown rose just above your thighs, fingers dancing in circles on your sex, chest panting, going up and down, lips shaking sometimes drawing his name. You were too caught in your pleasure that nothing could distract you. Gosh you were so beautiful like that. He wanted to step in, take off his clothes and give you what you wanted once and for all. His heart was beating so fast, adrenaline kicking in, he was so ready. Until you came. He missed his chance to make you feel good, maybe another time.

Tonight was an event at Tommy’s house. Family, friends and important people will be there to celebrate the third year of the Grace Shelby Institute. Everyone was invited, and since you are Michael’s girlfriend you must go. Not like it was a chore at all, you like going out, especially if you can wear a very nice and fancy dress. Yours for tonight is long, silky and baby pink. You also wear long sleeve gloves in matching material and color. You took a lifetime to prepare yourself to get nice and voluptuous hair, and soft makeup, but it was worthy because in the end you were breathtaking. “Y/N, we’re gonna be late !” Michael yelled at the bottom of the stairs. He’s been ready an hour ago. 

“I’m coming !” you yelled back from your room. “Wish I was saying this in another circumstance…” you muttered to yourself. You looked at yourself in the mirror one last time, pressing your lips to make sure your lipstick was in place. You stood at the top of the stairs and saw Michael walking in circles waiting for you. “I’m here” you announced.

“Ugh… Final-” Michael didn’t finish his sentence when he saw you coming down the stairs. You stopped on the last step to have your face at his level. He didn’t say anything, he just stared at you, eyes analysing every inch of your face with a spark. 

“I guess you like it” you chuckle breaking the silence. 

“I like it ? No, no Y/N… I adore it” he sighed with a choked giggle. You tried to hide your smile tightening your lips. He took your hand and helped you go down the last step. He then cupped your face in his big yet soft hands and gave you a chaste kiss, to not ruin your lipstick. Oh how you wished he ruined it. “Let’s go ?” he whispered.

“Let’s go” you confirmed. He took his hands off of you and instead, placed one in your hand. You both walked out to your car where your chauffeur was waiting.

Michael opened the door for you and helped you climb in. Michael, once sat down, automatically rest his hand on your thigh on a respectable level. You looked at it wishing he would bury it between your legs. You chuckled a bit realising you were having those wild and dirty thoughts while wearing the fanciest dress ever. The ride was silent, with of a few glimpses sometimes. Your heart was beating so fast, you didn’t really know why. Maybe it was his hand still on your thigh, squeezing it each time there was a bump on the road. Or maybe, it was the memory of his face when he saw you walking down the stairs twenty minutes ago. Or maybe just because you were simply in his company, and you felt like a 12 year-old hanging out with her crush. Finally, you saw Thomas’ house in the distance. When the car stopped and the chauffeur got down, Michael leaned to your ear and whispered “you look angelic Y/N”. You turned slightly your head to face him, lips so close yet so far from each others. He looked alternatively to your eyes and lips, leaning a little more. Time stopped, space disappeared, it was just you two. You closed your eyes in anticipation to receive a kiss from him, but it all fell down when the chauffeur opened your door, making you jump. Michael and you straighten, a bit embarrassed. Your cheeks coloured in red. “Wait here” he just said. He get out first, walked around the car to your door, and reached out his hand to you. The party already started and you could hear laughters and music inside.

When you both entered, a butler offered you a glass of champagne that you accepted. “Cheers” Michael said tinkling lightly his glass on yours. You nodded in response before lip-dip the alcohol. Polly arrived a few minutes later, greeting you both and congratulating you on the way you look tonight. Polly always loved you, which was something you were very proud of, since she hated all Michael’s girlfriends. You were different, pure, pushing Michael to be a good man, even though that’s not your job. He just wanted to be a better man when he was with you. Someone interrupted your conversation, asking Polly and Michael to join Tommy in his office. “Now ?” Michael asked annoyed. “Yes, sir” the butler confirmed. Michael turned to you “I’m sorry I gotta go-”

“It’s alright” you replied. It was not. You wanted him to stay with you. “I’ll wait, don’t worry”.

Michael sighed and gave you a light kiss on your cheek “I’ll be quick”. He left his glass of champagne on the nearest table and walked away. You looked around and saw people having fun, laughing and some of them were dancing. You were not really the type of person that goes and chat easily with others so you just stayed in your corner, waiting for Michael to come back.

“It looks like I’ve found someone more bored than I am” a man’s voice said. You turned to see who was speaking. He was young, around 25 years-old, dark hair, deep blue eyes and a little taller than Michael. He was handsome.

“Me ? Oh no no I’m not bored” you replied a bit embarrassed by his comment.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell the host.” he chuckled, amused by your awkwardness. “I’m Pete. You ?”

“Y/N” he took your hand to place a light kiss like every gentleman would do. If Michael saw this, he would burn the poor man down. 

“Nice to meet you, Y/N” he smiled. Gosh he’s really pretty. He started a conversation, and you found yourself pretty comfortable in his presence. He told you about his new business in London, his hobbies and you found out he was a distant cousin of Grace. The conversation was fluid with light laughters here and there. The orchestra played a new song and Pete’s eyes lit up. 

“Y/N would like to dance with me ?” You hesitated, thinking of Michael. But you still agreed. It’s been almost an hour and Michael wasn’t back. You too, wanted to enjoy your night. And it’s just a dance, right ? Pete took you by the hand and guided you to the middle of the room. He placed his left hand in the middle of your back and the other in yours. He then led the dance, making you twirl when he felt like it. It was nice. All of this was nice. But it wasn’t perfect, because he was not Michael. Your thoughts have been stopped by a hand on your shoulder, making you jump and forcing Pete to stop the dance. 

“What’s going on ?” a familiar voice said. Michael. You felt bad for a second for accepting Pete’s invitation. 

“Um, you’re kind of the middle of something…” Pete responded.

“I’m just dancing, Michael” you intervened innocently.

“Do you know him, Y/N ?” asked Pete

“Yes, she does” replied Michael for you. “She’s my girl”. That was definitely not the right moment for this, but your temperature heat up for a second after he called you that. His girl. Not anyone’s else. His. Michael left, leaving you and Pete in the middle of the dancefloor.

“I gotta go” you told Pete, “It was very nice to meet you”. You ran behind Michael, calling his name so he would stop. He didn’t. Instead he took his coat and yours handing it to you. 

“Let’s go home” he spat, barely looking at you.

“Michael, it’s alright, it’s just a dance-”.

“I said, let’s go home” he cut you through clenched teeth. Again, not the right moment, but the way he got closer to you and his hot breath on your lips, made you a little horny. The car arrived in front of the door but this time Michael didn’t take the time to open it for you, instead the chauffeur did. The ride seemed longer than the first one. Cold and silent. Michael didn’t want to talk to you but neither did you. It was just a dance after all !

When you finally entered his house, you sighed expecting to begin an argument. But again he didn’t say a thing. So you just got to your shared room, leaving your coat downstairs. You looked at yourself in the mirror and thought it was a shame to wear such a nice dress and coming back this early from the party. In the reflexion of the mirror, you saw Michael who entered the room, standing behind you. “It was just a dance Michael” you said starting to take off one of your gloves. 

“Don’t.” he replied. You looked at him through the mirror, confused.

“What ?”

“Don’t take off your gloves”. He stepped closer to you till his chest brushed your back. This slight touch made you lose your mind. This all night was already making you lose your mind. You felt his breath on your neck, but he didn’t touch you.

“What do you want, Michael ?”

“You”. That was quick and dry, like a knife. You coughed, not expecting this answer. You tried to formulate a response but all that came out was mumbles 

“I… Yo… I-I”.

“I want you Y/N” he whispered softly in your ear, sending shivers all over your body. And he noticed. He turnt you so you face him, pulling you close. “And I thought understand that’s what you want too ?” he teased. You nodded. 

“Why now ?” you asked lips shaking.

“Seeing you and that bastard at Tommy’s… I don’t know I just clicked. I’ve been wanting you for so long now, I didn’t want to rush things, too scared to lose you. But when you were dancing with him, I thought…” he leaned a little placing his lips next to your ear “You’re mine.” you flinched, feeling your legs slowly crumble “But to make you mine in the eyes of everyone else, I need to show them. To mark you.” you let a shaky breath closing your eyes. Your heart was beating so fast and thought you might faint. Suddenly it was too much. 

“Michael…” you managed to whisper.

“Shhh… Don’t worry, love, I got you” he slid his fingertips on your arms until he reached your hands and guided you to the bed. “Y/N before anything happens, I need to make sure you trust me. I need you to tell me to stop if it’s too much, can you do that for me, darling ?” You nodded frantically. “No, baby, tell me, use your words” he corrected you.

“Michael, I trust you. I know you will never hurt me, or make me feel bad and uncomfortable. I-I… I love you”. His eyes that were staring at your lips to see if a lie would slip out, now locked on yours. “I love you” you repeated answering the questions in his eyes. He cupped your face in his hands and gave you a passionate kiss. Here it is, the touch you’ve been craving the whole night.

“I love you too, Y/N” he looked at your dress one last time before taking it off of you. He started with your gloves, taking it one at a time, slowly, gently, sensually. Your hands finally touching. Michael kissed you from your fingertips and all the way up to your shoulders, on both arms. He then placed his lips on your neck, sucking on your sweet spot. “Here’s my first mark” he said proudly and you moaned in pleasure.

“Make some more” you pleaded.

He moved his hands on your back, on the top of your dress, slipping his fingers on the edge of it. “Can I take it off ?” he kissed you more.

“Take off your shirt first” he stepped back to unbutton his jacket, his vest suit already gone. “No !” you stopped him with your hands on his. “I...I-I’ll do it. Please ?” he dropped his arms down his body, allowing you to do the job. Your hands were shaking, you were clearly nervous. Why ? You’ve been wanting this for months. Plus it was Michael, the person you love and trust the most on this planet. You knew him by heart. You were so nervous you forgot how to unbutton a shirt. Michael saw your attitude and decided to put his hands on your shoulders, gently caressing them. His touch immediately calmed you down. It’s just Michael. Your Michael. Because if you’re going to be his, then he will be yours. That’s what soulmates do. You finally managed to take off his white shirt, tossing it on the floor. His chest was broad and panting. Maybe he was as nervous as you are. You traced your fingers on his muscles that you were seeing for the first time. Gosh, he was so perfect, better than in your imagination. You lift your eyes, meeting his that were devouring your every move. “Your turn” inviting him to take off your dress.

Slowly but surely, he let his hands slipping the silk material on your soft skin. You didn’t wear a bra, not with this dress, so your breast was immediately exposed, surprising Michael who saw your body for the first time. You were standing there, only wearing your garter belt, glowing under the moonlight shining through the window. And he couldn’t talk, couldn’t say a damn word, because it would be useless. What can he tell you ? You’re beautiful ? Not enough. You’re perfect ? You are beyond that. I would die for you ? That could work. So he just kissed you. Again and again. His hands in your hair, yours on his forearms to keep you from falling. Michael then moved them down to your chest but didn’t touch your boobs yet. 

“Can I touch you like that ?” He whispered.

“Please, Michael”. He didn’t waste any more time and carressed the delicate skin, before pinching your nipples. You moaned surprised by the sensation. You never thought of doing this by yourself, how could you not ? He then licked and bit them, alternatively. Gosh… you thought out loud. He sucked the upper part of your tits making a second mark. You’re his a little more.

He pushed you, never leaving his mouth from your breast, until the back of your knees hit the bed, making you fall and him on top of you. “Move back” he ordered you. So you did. You’d do anything. Your head rested on the pillows and you placed yourself to be comfortable enough. Michael was still on top of you kissing you everywhere now. On your chest, stomach, neck. His hands were travelling the same way. He reached your panties but he suddenly stopped moving. 

“After that, there will be no returning, love. Do you still want to do it ?” Michael asked wanting to make sure of your intentions. In response you dragged his face to yours, and kissed him to make him understand you were more than fine with what is going to happen.

“Make me yours, Michael.” He kissed you back before placing himself between your legs. He first traced small and wet kisses down your thighs, stroking them in the same time. When he reached the bottom, he looked at you one last time to have your consent. You nodded, breathing sharply when his warm fingers took off all of your lingerie set and tossed it on the floor. “Tell me when to stop”

“You should begin first” you joked causing him to give you a cheeky look. He put a first finger on your clit and you swore you could come just from this. He started moving it slowly letting the pleasure grow. He draw small circles forcing you to close your eyes. You moaned his name and few curses.

“You know… I saw you one time getting off.” you settled back on your elbows

“What ?!”

“Yeah I came home earlier and you were there… on your bed… moaning my name, playing with your clit” you were so embarrassed and you wished you could say something but Michael was doing such a good job with his fingers, you were too caught in your pleasure, words couldn’t come out. “I saw you fingering yourself until you came. I should’ve have done that to you. Finger you, make you come all over my hands. Fuck, when you came and screamed my name… ‘Made me lose my shit, baby” you hummed in pleasure, his fingers still working on your clit. “Now I get to do that.” and with that his slide a finger in you. You gasped, grabbing the sheets. “That’s alright, honey, I got you” he started pumping agonisingly slow, letting you adjust. Honey. That was your favourite pet name. Honey is sweet, sounds like spring or a summer night, tastes like love and intimacy.

“Fa-faster…” you managed to exhale. He followed your order, wanting nothing more than making you feel good. You gasped loudly, eyes opening wide when he unlocked a particular sensitive part of you. “Wh-what was that ?”

“Your sweet spot, my love. Do you want me to do it again ?” You nodded eagerly. He brushed over it again, coming back and forth.

“Oh god.. Michael, it feels so good…”

“You like that baby girl ?” exactly like you imagined previously. Better actually. “Maybe you will like this then” he buried his face between your thighs and starting licking your soaked pussy, tongue flat. You automatically grabbed his hair making him hummed, sending vibrations. All of it was too much: the finger playing with your g-spot, the sucking on your clit and the vibrations of his moans. It was too much but so addictive. He kept his pace for a while before going a little faster when he felt you clench around his finger. 

“Mickey… God… Fuck… I-I’m gonna… Ugh… I’m gonna come”. His slid a second finger in you, helping you reach your orgasm. He watched you and your opened mouth, one hand playing with your tit, the other pulling his hair. You looked like a goddess. He knew he would never get tired of this picture.

“Come for me Y/N, that’s it… Fuck I waited to see you like this for so long, making you feel good. You’re mine Y/N, you’re mine. Come on baby, come on my fingers and my tongue…” His words sent you off, the explosion of pleasure hitting you like a hurricane as you came, screaming his name. He moaned proudly. Finally, he did that to you. Your legs were shaking and you were all tensed up. “Shhh…” he whispered, stroking your legs sweetly. Your chest was panting hard as you tried to recover from your first orgasm with Michael. “I got you, love, that’s it…” he trailed small kisses before locking his lips on yours after you took your breath back. “Y/N, you’re amazing” he coughed a laugh, not believing what just happened. So do you. What just happened ? That was a dream ? It can only be a dream. His hands on your face brung you back to reality. No it was not a dream.

“I want more, Michael” you said shyly, looking at him.

“You’re sure ?”

“Yes. I want you in me. I want you to come with me. Please Michael…” you started kissing him, sucking different spots on his neck.

“Fucking hell Y/N” he moaned “you’re gonna be the death of me”. You travelled your hands to his pants, unbuttoning them never breaking the kiss. You then slid one of them in, and pumped him. His lips parted letting out a loud moan, ending the kiss.

“Let me take them off” you offered. He rolled on his side to let you have access to his suit pants. You straddled on him, and took his pants off. Your few pumps of before made hard, so when you looked back to him, you saw his cock resting on his stomach. Your eyes widen and mouth watered.

“Can I… touch it ?” you asked hesitantly

“Yes, you can” he answered almost desperate. Your hesitation flew away when you had his whole in your palm. It was warm and a perfect weight. Michael hissed at your touch and you realised the power you have on him. You stroked him a few times when you heard his moan. It was music to your ears. You never heard something this beautiful. So you did it again, and again.

“Stop, stop, stop !” he urged you.

“Did I do something wrong ?” your voice was shaking

“No, no, love. It’s just” he sat back to touch your arms. “if you keep going… I might cum too soon, and I don’t want to. I want to make you feel good first, ‘right ?” he whispered that last sentence close to your lips, giving you goosebumps all over your thighs and arms. He closed the space between you two by kissing you. This time, you invited him to slide his tongue to make it more passionate, by parting your lips slightly. He then wrapped you in his arm and rolled you so he was on top of you.

“You’re ready babygirl ?” You nodded nervously but you were totally confident. “Use your words”.

“I’m ready Michael. Please make me yours” you sighed. He stroked two times his cock before placing it at your entrance and finally sliding it into you. You both exhaled a low moan, feeling each other for the first time. It didn’t hurt as much as you heard. He looked at you under him to see how you were handling things and you didn’t seem to have much trouble. So he started moving slowly, letting you feel him entirely.

“Gosh Y/N, I can’t believe I’ve waited so long before doing this. Fuck…”

“Aaah… I can’t believe it either” you moaned. “Michael, that feels so good, oh my god !” you felt him going a little rougher, realising that your words had this effect on him, so you continued. “It’s so perfect Mickey, you make me feel amazing, please keep going…” He grunted going faster and faster, kissing you everywhere he could.

Everything was divine. Really, this moment should be in the Bible, only gods can create that. It was a thousand times better than just your imagination and your poor fingers. You were one now. Both of your bodies mixing, creating this beautiful creature, glistening because of the sweat and the moonlight. The pleasure came back to your body signalling you that you were close.

“Michael… I-I”

“I know, honey.” he breathed out “me too. I’m close too. Fuck-” his pace intensified as you digged your nails in his shoulders and buried your face in the crook of his neck. “Are you gonna come for me love ? Uh ? You wanna come with me ?” You couldn’t respond but he guessed your confirmation. “Let’s do this babygirl, come on, let’s come together” he kept his pace until both of you came undone, at the same moment, in screams of pleasure. He slowed down till he fully stopped moving. You were seeing stars and you didn’t really know if you were still alive. You were breathing heavily, looking at each other, chuckles escaping your mouths.

“Fucking hell” he breathed out, still supporting his body with arms on top of you. You giggled, thinking exactly the same thing. He slowly fell down on you, resting his head on your sweaty chest. You ran your fingers through his messy hair and you wished you could stay like that forever.

“Thank you” you whispered

“I’m sorry I made you wait so long, I just,... I don’t know… I didn’t want you to turn into something you’re not, make you dirty” he admitted.

“It’s fine, don’t worry, I already forget it. I’m yours now.” he rose to face you, your hands falling and on his cheeks.

“And I’m yours. Forever” you smiled widely as you kissed his lips softly like you were making a pact. He returned his head on your chest, never wanting to let you go.

Yeah, definitely, it was better than your imagination.  

[all-things-mlqc]

hi! sorry i dont know if your askbox is open, sorry if its not 😰. If it is, can i ask a scenario for who from more to less if the boys whould have "stronger stomachs", i mean who could deal with more extreme situations. (like a s/o who gets severely hurt, or has a bug acident or dealing with a pregnant s/o who has to deliver at home, etc) Thanks!

Ofc! Asks are open and I’m slowly but surely getting through them doing a few at once as well.

To be honest, the boys all have pretty strong stomachs when it comes to injuries and accidents considering the amount of chaos they’ve already been through. However, they’re all different in a way as well which I will get to. As for pregnancy at home, yeah some of these boys are a mess. Full summaries under the cut!

Victor:

I honestly believe Victor has the weakest stomach among the five of them. As far as we know, he hasn’t been through as much as the others. Sure, he and MC went through some childhood trauma together, but as for more severe incidents, he doesn’t seem to have as much experience. He very much seems like he would have a hard time seeing someone dear to him in an accident and/or severely injured. The same goes for seeing unknown people this way but it hits him a lot harder when it’s someone he knows. We already know this man has anxiety levels at 100 when someone dear to him gets hurt please stop having guards follow me into the women’s bathroom for the LOVE OF GOD IM FINE. But anywho, weak stomach > strong stomach for Victor. More on the weaker side just because he has a shit ton of anxiety and doesn’t want to believe it when he sees it.

Do I have to explain for pregnancy at home? The man is FREAKING O U T. He has called guards, personal doctors, a whole team of people, literally anything his money can buy him to help MC in this situation. He doesn’t know what to do at all and tries to play it off but miserably fails at doing so. Anxiety levels have reached 1000%. His weak stomach here is also mainly from anxiety rather than blood and such but lord help his soul.

Kiro:

SPOILER ALERT. Kiro’s will include spoilers from both the main story and information from his latest rumors and secrets which has not yet been revealed in the main story.

Kiro is a confusing one. The best way to explain it is by putting him in a certain scenario:

One of his very close friends/loved ones has been seriously injured. Upon seeing these injuries and the blood that came with them with his own eyes, he covers his mouth from naseuousness. The idea of someone so dear to him being in such pain—

However, theres a sense of nonchalantness he couldn’t quite make out. While he may not have the strongest stomach after seeing severe injuries, he doesn’t seem as bothered as he expected to be; Almost as if he was used to it. He has an idea why but they’re only fade memories. **CHAPTER 10+ SPOILERS** Having an “alter ego” is difficult considering he doesn’t always remember everything as the other person. Kiro only has partial memories of Helios while Helios only has small fragments of Kiro. But was he really Helios that often to become used to such injuries? He can never remember but he always assumed he was Kiro more than Helios. **Rumors & Secrets Spoiler** While that may be true, Kiro isn’t his core self. Deep deep down, he isn’t Kiro at his core and only became Kiro when instructed to as a child (it was revealed that he was told to become Kiro at a young age. We don’t have too many details on this yet but I’m assuming it was either an experiment tested on him or someone’s evol getting in his head). At his core, he has seen much violence. He has been a pawn for Black Swan and has been on many missions. Blood and injuries don’t faze him in the slightest anymore. He doesn’t like making a mess of things but he also doesn’t hesitate if a job needs to be done. He’s been injured far too many times to care at this point. The reason for Kiro’s calm composure is purely because of how nothing affects him as Helios, but he, as Kiro, does not know this. This also explains Kiro’s serious hacker side as well as Helios’ soft side when it comes to MC. Kiro and Helios act so different yet have very similar traits all because they affect each other as a whole.

Now as for pregnancy, Kiro is surprisingly calm. Sure he’s nervous but he’s a lot more encouraging and reassures MC that everything will be ok. He makes calls, texts for advice and what to do in this situation, but he still remains as cool as ever. He has a pretty strong stomach with pregnancy because he knows and understands the beauty in life. After all, he is our sunshine. Seeing the baby coming doesn’t scare him, it makes him beam with joy as he continues to encourage MC to keep pushing and that she’s doing a great job. He keeps a smile on his face the whole time as to not make MC worry.

Gavin:

Gavin is a complicated one. He has worked with the police force ever since graduating high school. He’s a captain for not only the police force but for the secret evol organization as well. This doesn’t just mean he’s one of the strongest and most intelligent individuals in the force, but also one of the most capable during missions. You can’t freeze in a mission; You can’t hesitate in the slightest. You have to be prepared for anything and everything and that includes serious injuries or even death. You can’t let things like that faze you or you won’t make it. This tells us that Gavin has a pretty strong stomach when considering injuries or accidents. HOWEVER, as told to us in later chapters, Gavin lost his mother in a fire. Because of this, he gets much more anxious and shaken when fires are involved. Eli, Gavin’s partner, also mentioned how Gavin hates fires in general, confirming that fires are unsettling for Gavin. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Gavin can’t handle the situation, but that he has more anxiety when dealing with anything fire related. Anxiety is a different kind of effect on someone’s stomach compared to not being able to handle the sight of blood. Gavin’s weak stomach to fire incidents is purely from stress and anxiety. Other than that, Gavin has one of the strongest stomachs out of the suitors.

As for pregnancy… haha oh lord you bet your ass this man is nearly on the floor. You probably have to do the contraction count for him so he doesn’t pass out, himself. Like I said before, blood doesn’t faze him especially when he knows it’s natural during pregnancy. However, the idea of not having a professional or someone to help you gives him more anxiety than he’s ever had. He only wants you and the baby to be ok. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he suggests the idea of him flying you to the nearest hospital. And to be quite honest, that may even work considering how FAST he flies. Overall, he has a pretty strong stomach here as well. He just has a lot of anxiety when it comes to MC.

Shaw:

**There will also be spoilers on Shaw and his background/where he comes from. I will try to make it as discreet as possible so not too much will be spoiled for those who don’t know yet, so read at your own risk**

Again, this boy has been through thick and thin his whole life. Considering his dad is a big shot in the military/police force as well as some Evol organization, Shaw has very likely seen a lot. Because his father was a very important part of an evol organization, he wanted a child with a powerful evol and ended up having Shaw who possessed an evol at a very young age. And because of this, Shaw was taken away from any family he had and was raised by his bitch of a father if I must say so myself. In later chapters, Shaw takes out a big group of people all by himself and laughs it off (just the kind of person he is, I swear he’s not crazy, he’s just broken on the inside). While Shaw and Lucien are very similar when it comes to being mysterious, I actually think it’s more difficult to read Shaw. He’s very unpredictable so I really don’t know if injuries or accidents faze him more than I believe. However, from what we’ve seen, I don’t think he minds all that much. He has a strong stomach and can handle these sort of events but I can’t say for sure if he hates it deep down or not just because he seems very sad and lonely behind his facade.

As for pregnancy, he’s somewhat in the middle of being calm and freaking out. If any of y’all play Ikemen Vampire, think of Leo in this case. Tries to play stuff off, panics on the inside, but still knows what to do in this situation. He’s more or less quiet in this situation as well. No sassy remarks, more focused and even supportive Shaw? supportive??? Yes he can be a good boy too, he’s just an asshat 99% of the time. I’m also convinced he doesn’t know much on pregnancy considering he doesn’t know WHAT A MCHECCIN DATE IS. But Shaw being Shaw probably knows exactly what to do just because he’s an intellectual little SHIT. To be honest, I feel like he may even have more of a weak stomach when it comes to pregnancy in general. He has this sort of innocence to him so he isn’t fully prepared for what is to come with pregnancy. Especially if MC is delivering at home, he probably has no idea what is right or wrong so seeing something completely natural may make him panic on the inside because he’s really unsure. He just has a natural talent at knowing what to do in situations.

Lucien:

Lucien has seen some shit. Nothing fazes this man, let’s be honest. Out of all the suitors, I believe Lucien has seen the most gruesome and disturbing events this goes without including Helios. **CHAPTERS 10+ SPOILERS AHEAD**

Lucien has practically been a test subject his whole life. His evol is still very confusing to us, but the best way to explain it is by saying he has the ability to “copy” or “steal” evols. There’s not much information covering this yet so I won’t get that far into it, however, he was only one of the many experiments, such as Hades, who have been tested on and survive. Being grown up as an experiment automatically helps develop a stronger stomach for him. Even if he might’ve had a weak stomach as a child, constantly being put through this stuff his whole life surly would’ve had an affect on how much he would be able to handle. Seeing the same stuff over and over again, consistently would eventually build up tolerance to the point where he can handle almost any sort of injuries or accidents. So Lucien has one of the strongest if not the strongest among the group.

Then there’s pregnancy. He is there. He is ready to deliver the baby himself. Yes, he can do that. No, I don’t think he is completely qualified LMAO but let’s be real here, he’s a prodigy and one of the most intelligent people in Loveland City honestly probably even the country. This is like a walk in the park for him. He knows everything about pregnancy MINUS THE PAIN and everything to do in this situation. He keeps a smile on his face the whole time as well. Very loving and supportive while delivering their own baby. The blood and sight of pregnancy doesn’t faze him one bit. He only gets worried when MC looks terribly in pain. He does everything he can to soothe the pain for her and takes care of everything after to let her rest. Honestly hate how amazing of a husband and dad he would be. Overall, he has one hell of a strong stomach with pregnancy and a very strong stomach with accidents/injuries.