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badbatch-badfics · 6 months

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Padawan (TBB x Male Reader) Part 2

Part 1

Characters: The Bad Batch - Cross hair + Cid.

Relationship: All platonic

POV: Only 2nd (you/yours)

Pronouns: he/him

Species: Unspecified

Content: Smidge of angst and worry, but mainly found family growing into fluff

Warnings: General TBB stuff, a little bit about Order 66. Cringe lol.

Word Count: 2,796

Notes: If anyone has any requests/ideas for this 'series,' please let me know! I'd love to learn more about what ya'll like and incorporate it. (and i'll obviously credit you in the notes for whichever part it goes in)

The Bad Batch was sound asleep, exempt from their designated pilot. Tech was comfortably cruising through hyper-space, multitasking on a new upgrade for Echo’s arm-scomp and watching the scanners. A light beep alerted him, signaling that they were approaching Ord Mantell. He lightly pushed his goggles upwards, before pressing a series of buttons. The Marauder shook as it dropped from hyperspace, the tremors waking Hunter up from his nap in the co-pilot's seat. He would usually sleep in his bunk until Tech needed a break, but his bunk was… preoccupied, so to speak.

“We close to Ord Mantell, Tech?” Hunter asked groggily, cracking his neck. “Approximately 11 minutes and 36 seconds until we enter the atmosphere, and then another 23 minutes until we reach the landing pad. I would begin waking everyone else up.” With a sign, Hunter stood up, arms reaching far above his head, ever-so-slightly leaning backwards. He turned around and started heading towards the bunks, wondering how he should go about waking you up. He didn’t know how much you would remember, and he certainly didn’t want to find out the hard way.

Of course, there was always the option of letting your body wake up on its own time, and just having someone stick with the ship until then, but there was the risk of general clatter and ruckus occurring and startling you awake anyway, which would be a harsh wake-up call, to say the least. After a second more of contemplation, he finally settled on leaving you be, and simply shushing Wrecker the moment his eyes opened. He walked up to his brother, shaking his arm. Wrecker awoke with a large grunt, like an ancient monster waking from a coma in an echoing mountain, before Hunter aggressively shushed him. He sharply pointed across the walking strip to your body, an absolute tangled mess of limbs and droll.

Wrecker got the hint, making an ‘oohhh’ sound before slowly sitting up, careful to minimize the amount of creaking. Hunter walked on, heading towards Echo and Omega, shaking them both awake- Omega more gently. She yawned and stretched, smiling and greeting Hunter, before quickly grabbing her day-clothes before heading off to the fresher to change. Hunter went back to the cockpit, where his brothers were already making quiet discussions of what to do with you, the ‘teenager-that-had-essentially-magic-powers-and-was-being-hunted.’ Primarily how they would handle Cid. She tolerated them because they did jobs for her, and they didn’t really matter to the Empire- except for Omega, it was appearing. But a Padawan? That would be a lot of credits, and it would put someone on the Empire’s good side- at least for a little bit. Cid wasn’t above ratting them out for that kind of profit. Or, at least, she wasn’t above ratting out the Padawan while keeping them away from the Empire’s eyes for the sake of missions. “Perhaps we can convince Cid that his use in missions, among other things, would outweigh the reward from the Empire. Even without using the Force in a physical push-and-pull manner, it can still be used for mind tricks, sensing danger, and much more, depending on his skill set. We could increase our efficiency and time duration of missions greatly, which would hold a great profit for Cid,” Tech explained, preparing for the Marauder to enter Ord Mantell’s atmosphere.

“That's true, but there’s no way to know what Cid will say- if she agrees, great, but if she doesn’t…” Hunter responded, eyes glancing back at your sleeping form as he trailed off. If they told her about you, and she decided to tell the Empire, then no one would be safe.

“There’s no way for Cid to be kept in the dark long enough to find a better solution, and we can’t exactly just hide a whole person in the Marauder,” Echo added on, waving his scomp-link around the cockpit for emphasis.

“Of course, this is all assuming that (Y/N) will want to remain with us. He may know someone, or someplace, that is safe. Additionally, he may even know Cid. Echo said that she would occasionally report to the Jedi,” Tech countered, briefly glancing back towards his brothers, away from the planet and control panel. Echo nodded in confirmation. “Do we…” Hunter trailed off, sighing, and pinched the bridge of his nose, “do we have any place to go if Cid decides to tell the Empire? Echo, do you know anyone else who would help?”

“Rex, obviously- but he’s more involved with defeating the Empire than we are, so it’d be an extra risk to the kid. Maybe Cut and Suu, if we can get a hold of them. But I don’t think either of us want to put that kind of risk on them- not with Jek and Shaeeah.” Wrecker made a comment of agreement, briefly looking up from his game of Chopsticks with Omega. A heavy silence fell over the group, uncertainty thick in the air.

“Entering the atmosphere,” Tech reported, breaking the awkward silence. The Marauder shook as gravity’s presence took its toll. It settled back down to a smooth ride within a minute, the greens and browns- mainly browns- of Ord Mantell’s natural landscape coming closer. “I think Cid will understand, plus, like Tech said, (Y/N) can help us out!” Omega added, not looking up from her hands.

Hunter looked down, contemplating. Would the reward of Cid accepting the kid outweigh the risk of her turning him in to the Empire? Tech did have a point, your presence would make things go smoother- but if Cid didn’t care about that point? What then? Would they be able to escape the Empire, find a new place to settle down- there was bound to be some planet that was safe- but would they find it before the Empire found them?

They could keep you holed up in the ship for a while, but sooner or later, Cid would find out. And once she found out, that could damage their… relationship, so to speak. Assuming she wouldn’t tell the Empire immediately, anyway. So that wouldn’t work either. There was no good solution, and everyone knew it. Finally, Hunter spoke up- “Wrecker, Omega, you two stay with (Y/N) and help him with anything- food, water, applying new bandages. You get the idea. Echo, you're with me- we’ll get anything we’d need for a long-term stay on the ship; med kits, food, supplies, whatever. Tech, make sure the ship has enough fuel, and make any necessary fixes. Don’t let anyone else know. After you're done, I’ll tell Cid about… the kid. We’ll see where it goes from there.”

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

The Marauder drifted down, landing neatly in the center of the dock. Tech quickly pulled out his data-pad, scanning for any previously unnoticed internal damage. Luckily, the report came back negative- as he had guessed, there was no new damage. Satisfied, he checked the Marauder’s current fuel level, so he’d know when to stop filling. Tech, Echo, and Hunter exited the Marauder, swiftly closing and securely locking the ramp behind them.

The innards of the Marauder were quiet, Omega and Wrecker not really knowing what to do. They both sat on the bunk opposite you, staring, just in case you’d wake up and need something. Wrecker had rations and a water canteen to his left, while Omega had fresh bandages and bacta-spray to her right. “Uhhh…” Wrecker broke the silence, glancing down at Omega, “do we just… wait for him to wake up? It feels weird, just staring.”

“I don’t know… on Kamino, we would usually wait, but this is nothing like injured clones on Kamino.” She sighed, wringing her hands together. “I just…feel so bad. I mean, our home was destroyed, but at least we have each other. (Y/N) doesn’t have anyone, and he’s been alone on that ship since the Empire took over. I can’t imagine what it must have been like…”

“Well, at least we found him before the Empire did, and any situation we’re in will probably be better than Bracca. Plus, he’s probably dead to the Empire, so they won’t be after him!” Wrecker responded, finding the silver lining. He and Omega looked at eachother, smiling. It felt good to help people.

On cue, the blankets opposite the pair began shuffling, a long groan sounding out through the metal walls of the Marauder. You turned over, eyes droopy and your Padawan braid/beads hanging by the corner of your mouth, covered in drool. Slowly, you put your weight onto a hand and pushed yourself up, leaning against the back wall of the bunk. Your head lolled back, another sigh escaping. Everything hurts. “Good morning! Er, afternoon! You slept forever, little Jedi!” Wrecker enthusiastically shouted, causing you to immediately sit up straight, hand shooting down to your waist for the familiar feeling of your lightsaber, only to be met with nothing. Kriff.

Wrecker immediately sensed your panic, and put his hands up in an attempt of looking unhostile. “Don’t worry, you're safe! We’ve had our heads cut into, so we won’t be doing any of that Order 66 stuff!” All you could do was stare, a comically surprised expression etched across your face. He had an interesting way of wording things.

Wrecker stood up and handed you the canteen and ration bad. “Here, rations and water! They’re not the best, and we can pick up some better food soon, but I bet you're starved!” And you were. True, the mantell mix Omega had gifted you was delicious, but after so long of never having a proper meal, you certainly wouldn’t refuse any more food or water.

“Thank you…” You glanced down after taking the food, quietly chewing on the ration bar, occasionally taking sips from the canteen. You were never good socially at the Temple, and you certainly weren't any better at the moment. Omega asked you some more questions; if there was any pain, did you bleed through any bandages, and such. You responded in short answers, so quiet she was struggling to pick up what was said. Eventually, she deemed you healthy- or, at least, as healthy as you could be, given the circumstances. She stayed with you, telling stories about Kamino and the few trips she’s had away from it. Mainly, though, she talked about her brothers.

After Maker knows how long, the Marauder’s ramp opened, Tech, Echo, and Hunter coming in, one by one. Tech was lugging fuel, and the other two held general equipment, food, med-kits, and more. While Tech didn’t pay as much mind to your waking, Echo and Hunter sure did- Echo more so.

After setting down the cargo, he practically spritened to the bunk you were on, crouching down on one knee and using his scomp-link to lift up your jaw, and do other inspections. “You need a shower- desperately. And new clothes, these are completely ruined! Our old room is nothing compared to this! Even Fives smelled better! And you need some proper nourishment- I know how I felt after being in that stasis chamber for so long. And mantell mix is not nourishment, no matter what Wrecker and Omega tell you, got that?” He finished his spiel, pointing his scomp-link at you. “Iba’ oskik’la…”

* (“what a mess” in mando’a)

“Yeah, I think he’s got it, Echo,” Hunter chimed in, smiling. “C’mon, kid. I need you to meet someone. She used to work with the Jedi, so I don’t think she’d do anything. But, just in case, we have everything ready to go. And if all goes well, ” You swallowed, a large lump forming in your throat. You really hoped she wouldn’t do anything bad- you were already enough of a burden. You and Hunter walked down the ramp, Omega gleefully waving goodbye.

He could hear your heartbeat, your anxiety- but he didn’t know much on how to help, given the circumstances. Kriff, you didn't know about the chips until they found you, and he couldn’t imagine what that must have felt like. When Wrecker had been affected and tried to kill everyone, at least they all knew it wasn’t his fault, that he hadn’t betrayed them, and that he would never try to do that when he was in control. But you had no clue about any of that. You thought all the clones who were your friends, or even just ones you were polite with for the sake of being a good person, had all wanted to kill you, and all the other Jedi. You had thought that for months. Cursing yourself, wondering why, and if there was anything you could have done differently to prevent it. And now, irony at its best, you had been rescued by clones, coming to remove their chips.

“We’re on Ord Mantell, by the way… don’t know if anyone told you. Ever been?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. You shook your head, eyes darting from sign to sign, stall to stall. “Most planets I’ve been on, except for Coruscant, were just… military occupations, occasionally the natural landscape of Separatists planets. Never got to travel outside of that,” you said, still taking in all the colorful decor and people of the city. “I mean, you know what that’s like, obviously- being a clone and all, you went to the same type of planets I did. I think, at least.”

Hunter nodded his head in confirmation, not really sure where to go from there. What you said was pretty accurate, but he felt like he shouldn’t talk about the war much. And in any case, they were approaching Cid’s.

You and Hunter trotted down the steps, the automatic door sliding open. Cid’s bar was empty, spare for an Ithorian and Weequay who were bickering over who knows what, and obviously, Cid herself. You placed yourself behind Hunter, something you would do with your Master during the war to avoid any interaction with… anyone. Slicing droids was easy, making conversation with soldiers was not.

You slowly glanced around the parlor, taking in anything that could be a trap, or could help you escape if this ‘Cid’ decided she didn’t want a padawan on her doorstop. Hunter called out for Cid, and the distant sound of claws tapping against the cold, hard floor echoed out. Emerging from the back rooms was a rather short female trandoshan, a cane gripped in her three claws.

Her eyes went back and forth between your semi-hidden figure and Hunter. “Where’s the rest of ya? And who’s that kid in the terrible robes? They stink.” There was an obvious scowl on her face, her left brown rose in an annoyed and questioning manner.

Hunter took a deep breath, and then- “He’s… a Padawan.” Cid’s brows rose, and then lowered into a vicious scowl. “Before you say anything- hear me out. He was trapped at Bracca, and the scavengers didn’t know- Tech checked the Empire’s wanted, and he’s dead to them. The Empire won’t come here, and it’s not like anyone on the street will know- he’s just a padawan. Not a full-on Jedi, not a general. But, he can still help. Even without using the Force to push and pull, he can still sense danger and… stuff.” Hunter wasn’t really sure how the Force worked. But he knew it was useful. Before Cid could rebuttal, he continued. “And imagine how helpful a padawan would be in making sure your deals go right! Being able to sense a bad deal, or if someone unwelcome is coming. And some of them can do mind tricks. He’ll be very useful to you- just let him stay with us.”

Cid looking down, in thought, a scowl etched on her face. Finally, she sighed. “Fine! But if the Empire comes knocking, I’m not keeping his hide a secret. Too much heat.” She walked away, already planning what to do with you.

Hunter looked back, smiling. You tried your best to smile, but you knew full well it looked incredibly awkward and forced. Not that you weren’t happy, by any means. You just weren’t prepared, and he knew that. Hunter placed a hand on your shoulder, attempting to provide comfort. And it worked. For the first time in months, despite the constant dread of what was to come, everything seemed to be going right. You could stay with them, and they could stay with Cid.

“Let’s go get you some proper fitting, and smelling clothes, yeah? Echo wasn’t wrong when he said it was worse than our old barracks.” Your smile shifted to a natural one, not forced or awkward. You certainly didn’t think you’d ever see a clone again; and it certainly wouldn’t be a happy experience, but it seemed like this batch was going to be the best thing to happen in a while.

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brucebocchi · 9 months

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Ranking every new anime I watched in 2023, Pt. 3: #10-6

hey, i just started a ko-fi for my writing and possible other creative outlets. this post will also be available there, so please check it out and consider tipping/donating as i'm currently between jobs. the tumblr version of part 1 can be found here and part 2 here.

I didn't mean to drag this out quite so much, but I ended up writing a TON for the top 10, so for the sake of everyone's attention spans (and so I can buy some time to finish my top two) I broke it up into two more posts.

ALSO! I've embedded a link to each show's OP in the title of each entry. I wanted to give more of a visual element to each show outside of the header images, plus there have been some incredible OPs this year. I've gone back and edited them into the prior posts as well.

10. Trigun Stampede

It’s funny, I had fond memories of watching Trigun on Adult Swim in my adolescence, to the point where I used to count it among my all-time favorite anime for a while, but I didn't realize until this year that I hadn't actually sat down and watched it from beginning to end. It’s honestly a very uneven watch, and it’s clearly split into two parts: The first, a dieselpunk western revolving around a mysterious goofball with a big-ass gun and a bounty on his head, and the second a slightly more somber revenge quest as he is forced to survive his way past a rogues gallery while vowing not to take any lives. Still, it was a hit among western anime fans for a reason, and it was formative to me even back when I thought anime was kinda cringe.

Trigun Stampede is far from a faithful reinterpretation of Yasuhiro Nightow’s manga nor of the original Madhouse production. Meryl Stryfe is no longer a jaded veteran insurance adjuster but a much younger muckraking journalist. She’s no longer tailed by the gentle giantess Milly Thompson, but rather following her senpai, the gruff, bleary-eyed Roberto De Niro (the names in Trigun have always rocked). Nicholas D. Wolfwood isn’t an affable priest with a dark past; he’s all dark past now. And Vash the Stampede, now rocking a fuckboy undercut, is less of a mercurial wisecracker with a soft side and more of a reluctant gunman freaking it in a sensitive style.

Stampede wastes no time differentiating itself from any previous version of Trigun. Vash’s history is no longer a mystery waiting to be uncovered; it’s a driving factor of the plot as his brother Knives seeks revenge on humankind for their use and exploitation of “plants,” an alien race to which the two seem to be connected, as an energy source. This was always an element of the original anime that I felt went unexplored, so it was fascinating to see Stampede dive right in. It’s a great introduction to the story for people who haven’t seen the original, and full of unexpected turns for existing fans. It’s still built on the bones of Trigun as we know it, but it is very much its own thing.

People made a lot of hay about Vash’s new appearance, but I think it works. The huge pleather trench coat, spiky flat-top, and tiny glasses remain an iconic 90s design, but I believe the 90s is where it belongs. This take on Vash is just as capable but much more self-effacing, tortured, and averse to violence. This is a younger Vash, and it’s clear that his history with Knives is a much fresher wound, rather than the dull, nagging ache in the original. This is a gentler (but no less talented) Vash, so I think the softboy look suits him this time around.

I also spent most of the season quietly insisting to myself that the original version of Meryl is much better (and cuter) than the Stampede variant, and I still stand by that, but the updated version definitely grew on me. I mean, just look at that hat. But it’s clear from the jump that Stampede’s first season is very early in this version of the Trigun story (you may notice that the bounty on Vash’s head is much, much less than the famous 60 billion double-dollars), and Meryl has some growing to do (and presumably a whole lot of professional frustration) before she becomes something like the one we knew and loved around the turn of the 21st Century.

I’m still yet to watch Beastars, but it’s immediately apparent why Studio Orange was entrusted with the Trigun IP. This show looks incredible. This is some of the best CG animation I’ve ever seen outside of a Pixar or Spider-Verse movie. Characters are amazingly expressive and oscillate between naturalistic, weighty movement and cartoony flailing. Action scenes are inventive and dynamic and stand up to even the wildest sakuga. And yet, it still looks like an anime. It still retains the classic 24fps look and even occasionally trades in the CGI for hand-drawn animation for effect. We are long past the botched Berserk revival: This is what CGI anime should look like.

It’s plainly obvious that Trigun has always carried influences from landmark western media like Mad Max and Dune (not to mention Fist of the North Star, but that one always wore its Mad Max influence on its sleeve), so it’s been an unexpected delight to see those influences take a new shape now that both franchises have seen major updates since the last iteration of Trigun went off the air. For all of the alien technology and technicolor glowing lights, Trigun takes place entirely in a desert setting, and it’s impossible to see these chase scenes and not immediately think of Fury Road, or halfway expect to see Villanueve’s take on the Fremen popping out of the dust clouds.

Stampede is a very welcome entry to a franchise long believed to be well and truly over, and the more eyeballs on Trigun, the better. It’s evident by the end of this season that this take on the story is only just beginning, and it has already taken unexpected departures from the story as we already knew it. I can’t wait to see where it goes from here, but that’s mostly because we have confirmation that Milly will be in the next season. It can’t get here quickly enough.

9. Insomniacs After School

I watched and read a frankly absurd amount of romance-centric anime and manga this year, especially of the slice-of-life variety, to the point where even by the early summer I thought I'd had my fill. I'm overjoyed to say that Insomniacs After School proved me dead wrong.

What a treat this was. It's a simple enough premise: A boy with insomnia is sent on an errand to his high school’s abandoned observatory, where he finds a classmate sleeping because she suffers from insomnia as well. They quickly find out that the observatory is a perfectly quiet environment for the both of them, and that they actually get restful sleep around one another. In order to get away with making use of the area, they resurrect the school’s astronomy club and find a genuine love for astrophotography and, you guessed it, one another.

You couldn’t have picked a more apt studio to adapt this work than Liden Films. Call of the Night made a splash last year for its saturated, vibey nightscapes, and Insomniacs’ gorgeous astral visuals carry that mantle. The nighttime backdrops of the quiet suburbs, wide-open beaches, and lush countryside are nothing short of stunning, and Isaki’s adolescent wonder at the world’s hidden beauties reminded me, and I do not say this lightly, of something Miyazaki would’ve animated.

On a couple of occasions this year, I’ve been able to step back from an anime, take a breath, and simply say “That was beautiful.” Insomniacs gave me one such occasion. Even putting the visuals aside, the story itself is lovely and would have made this the feel-good anime of the year, if not for the next entry on this ranking. I would have more to say, but Insomniacs After School speaks for itself. Give it a shot.

8. Skip and Loafer

There are so many standalone adjectives I could use to describe this one, and most of them are ones that would normally make me want to impulsively run the other way like “comfy,” “feel-good,” “wholesome,” what have you, but I think the most comprehensively I can boil it down to a single word is “lovely.” Everything about it just gives you the warm fuzzies, and almost makes me think that the “I want more stories with no conflict” dorks might actually be onto something.

It’s a simple one: Mitsumi, a dorky teenage go-getter with her entire life planned out, moves to Tokyo from her no-horse beach town to attend one of the country’s best prep schools, but much like everyone who played the first two hours of Persona 5, she quickly gets lost in Shibuya’s subway station on the first day of school. She runs into Sousuke Shima, a laid-back boy from the same school who’s also running late, because that’s, like, what he does, and manages to wrangle him into running to school with her.

Mitsumi quickly draws attention from her classmates, not only from delivering a speech as the incoming class representative (and subsequently barfing all over her teacher), but because she inadvertently made fast friends with the hottest, most popular first-year in the school. This attracts the attention of social climbers and jealous hangers-on, but Mitsumi hardly notices. She’s used to knowing everyone in her school back home, so she wastes no time reaching out and seeing what’s up with anyone who’ll give her the time of day.

A lot of Skip and Loafer revolves around the roles for which we think we’re destined in a controlled social environment like high school, and how easily the preconceptions you have of other people can be shattered if you just get to, like, talk to them for 20 seconds. Mitsumi’s friend group quickly fills itself out with people who wouldn’t give each other so much as a passing glance at first, but come together so naturally that you almost can’t believe they weren’t friends already.

Shima, for his part, also struggles with those preconceptions; for as laid-back as he seems on the surface, he’s a habitual people pleaser and is constantly playing a role. He’s so caught up in the performance that he doesn’t quite know what’s going on half the time or how he really feels about most things. Mitsumi is so naturally magnetic, though, that he does seem to genuinely enjoy his time with her, and vice versa. You can see where this is headed, if the gorgeously-animated dances they do together in the OP weren’t enough of a tell.

Everything about Skip and Loafer is just downright pleasant. Character models are simple and sketchy, the color palette is awash in pastels and neutral tones, and the soundtrack is peppy and whimsical. It’s a warm hug of a series, and at no point does it feel cloying or manipulative. High school slice-of-life is pretty bloated as a genre, and I watched a ton of those this year, but there’s just something so charming and magnetic about Skip and Loafer that instills in me a sort of false nostalgia for the ideal high school experience I never had.

Also: Nao-chan. Exceptional trans representation. We do not get enough of that in anime and she is a breath of fresh fucking air. I would die for her.

7. The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You

And now for something much less wholesome.

I really don’t seek out harem anime. Tenchi Muyo was formative to me as a tween, and a rewatch last year ended up being a major catalyst in getting me back into anime, but despite it being widely considered the second-ever harem anime, it hasn’t left much of a legacy in the ones that followed. Harem anime from the 00s onward has largely been formulaic wish-fulfillment slop that runs itself in circles as a perpetual money-making machine rather than developing any sort of plot (see: Hina, Love and Girlfriend, Rent-a-). I know I covered Girlfriend Girlfriend earlier, and while that’s nothing like Tenchi either, it does scratch an ever-present itch for stupid, madcap, relentless anime bullshit.

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, [...] Really Love You, meanwhile, sees that itch and takes a fucking chainsaw to it. To say everything about it is over-the-top would be an understatement: The top is Hyakkano’s floor. This show gives you everything you could ever want in a harem comedy, but to the extreme: It is your dad making you smoke the whole carton. It is Hell’s donut machine, and you are Homer Simpson. Satire is often at its best when it pushes the boundaries of absurdity, and 100 Girlfriends revels in that push like a horny bulldozer. This is not genre subversion, it’s genre explosion.

The headcount isn’t the only wildly outsized element of this series; every single member of the titular harem, each a tick on the checklist of every -dere archetype you can imagine, pushes the slider of each of their character tropes so far to the right it’s breaking the track. The deredere is a ball of deranged horniness, the tsundere betrays her intentions so compulsively that she’s functionally incapable of lying, and the kuudere is so robotically devoted to pure efficiency that it’s salient to mention that her name is literally pronounced “Nano A.I.” If you can think of an anime girl archetype, she is in this (or will be in future seasons), and she is the apotheosis.

And yet, this show still bothers to make each one of them an actual character. Harem anime has such a low bar to clear on that front, yet most entries in the genre still bang their dicks against it. Hyakkano's titular girlfriends, at least the ones introduced in the first season, are actual characters with actual backgrounds, actual motivations, actual growth, and actual reasons to like the protagonist beside the premise. They’re all founded on stock anime tropes, to be sure, but the original manga’s author actually put in the work to give them, you know, personalities. And above almost all else, they actually like each other too! This isn’t exactly a full-on polycule (though two of the girls are prone to making out with each other on occasion), but for as deeply weird as this family unit is on paper, they actually come across as a group of people who love and care for each other rather than everyone cattily jockeying for the same position.

And not for nothing, but Rentaro is easily one of the best harem protagonists I’ve ever seen, and again, this is coming from a Tenchi Muyo fan. I do enjoy Naoya’s over-the-top earnestness in Girlfriend Girlfriend, but Rentaro is the gigachad version. He is exceedingly patient, kind, and understanding of each of these girls’ unique quirks and qualities and quickly grows to learn to manage them in conflict and help them work through their insecurities, and he loves them back in kind and puts in the work to make equal time for each of them. He doesn’t want to “fix” these girls; he sees them for who they are and proactively does everything in his power to accommodate them. He's like if Tadano from Komi Can’t Communicate actually got the harem he deserved. Putting aside the fact that he’s, y’know, 100-timing his girlfriends, he comes across as just a really good partner.

I also want to be clear: For its rampant, fanservice-laden anime bullshit, this show is genuinely hilarious. It’s not some kind of “how did this shit even get made” trainwreck; it is a comedy first and foremost, and the comedy hits exactly as intended. The comic pacing is buckwild, the visual gags are so rampant that they’re almost difficult to keep up with, and the translators, at least in the version I watched, did an outstanding job of localizing the constant wordplay. It’s also so unapologetic in its horniness that you can’t help but admire it a bit; 100 Girlfriends knows exactly what it’s about, and it dares you to say something.

There’s a very good chance this won’t be for you. 100 Girlfriends is constantly pushing the boundaries of good taste, but never in an offensive way and never truly at its characters’ expense. Geoff Thew calls it the “most 'harem' harem anime,” but I'd argue that it’s the most "anime" anime: It is every trope you’ve ever seen in romcom anime cranked up to a thousand and smushed up against your nose. This shit hits like Panera lemonade. It is peak trash. If you have a tolerance for anime bullshit, this show may very well test that, but I still cannot recommend it enough.

6. Heavenly Delusion

Didn’t think I’d be getting into more than one post-apocalyptic anime this year, but I’d seen this one recommended so many times that I felt this list would be incomplete if I didn’t watch it. Don’t ask me about Pluto.

Heavenly Delusion (Hulu lists it under its Japanese title, Tengoku Daimakyo, for some reason) splits its runtime between two different stories: The first, a pair of young travelers making their way across a ruined Japan in search of nebulous goals neither is sure even exist; the second surrounding a group of adolescents in an unnervingly idyllic walled garden in some sort of school setting. The narrative flips between these two sporadically, rarely ever showing its hand in how they are even remotely connected.

On the post-apocalypse side, we follow Maru and his bodyguard-for-hire, Kiruko, as they trek across the country to deliver Maru to someplace called “Heaven,” while at the same time, Kiruko is in search of a pair of men from their youth. They are often beset by bandits, cults, and most crucially, horrifying monsters called “Man-Eaters,” which Maru has the unique ability to kill. On the school side, we see a group of gender-ambiguous kids in an enclosed space, constantly monitored and kept in a very controlled environment. Everything feels… wrong. Nobody seems entirely human. There is a lingering and seemingly taboo curiosity about what lies outside the walls. I hesitate to say any more.

There is phenomenal human drama in here, and sparks so many conversations about transhumanism and human nature, gender, trauma, community, all things I’m not smart enough to really dive into. But to even address these topics here is to give the game away, and Heavenly Delusion is a story better left unspoiled, even if, a full season in, I’m still not 100% sure what’s going on.

This show is gorgeous in ways I’m still struggling to articulate. The character designs, animation, lighting, and cinematography are so immaculate that I repeatedly had to remind myself that I wasn't watching a movie. Heavenly Delusion looks like a grungy Shinkai film: Character models are immaculately realized and fluidly animated, the light and shadow effects are some of the best I’ve ever seen in TV animation, and action sequences are visceral and unpredictable. Maybe all I needed to say is that it was made by much of the same Production IG staff in charge of Psycho-Pass.

I want to say as little about what happens as possible, because the mystery is the main draw of Heavenly Delusion, but I feel the need to warn that there is a very dark and sour turn near the end of the season in the form of some strongly implied sexual violence. It was thematically unnecessary, and once that side of things is resolved, everyone just kinda… moves past it. It doesn’t ruin the show, I still recommend it heartily, but be forewarned. I found it upsetting, but more in the “did this REALLY need to be in there?” sense. The mounting tension and slowly-unfolding existential horror in this series are otherwise expertly woven into the narrative, and this part landed with a wet thud.

This is a much longer story than most of the season would have you believe, and it ends with far more questions than answers. One side of the story leaves off with an open end, and the other with a massive cliffhanger, which left me a little cold but with interest piqued for the next season. For what it is right now, though, Heavenly Delusion is a nearly perfect, endlessly thought-provoking mystery and one of the most gorgeously ugly things I’ve seen this year.

#anime reviews

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ithoughtitwasobvious · 2 years

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In Sickness And In Health

Rating: Explicit (18+ Mature Readers Only)

Pairing: Hunter x Female Jedi! Reader

Words: 3k

Warnings: Here be smut! PIV Sex, Unprotected Sex (Wrap it before you tap it folks), mentions of sickness.

Summary: After coming back from a mission on an ice planet, you begin to not feel quite like yourself. You are determined to suffer through this mysterious illness alone, however your clone sergeant/lover has some other ideas about how to make you feel better.

Tags: Hunter x Female Jedi! Reader, Smut, L-Bombs, Porn with feelings, PIV Sex, Thigh Riding, Shower Sex, Reader is sick, Hunter is determined to take care of her, in more ways than one.

As you climbed the steps leading back into the Marauder that night, you could already tell that something was off. You’d been running a job for Cid with the boys that led you to a remote ice world. The job had been simple enough; retrieving information from a contact of one of Cid’s mysterious clients on their hidden base in the outer rim. In fact, it had been one of the less eventful jobs that the squad had pulled off in quite some time. You were all thankful for the reprieve, and excited to return to Cid’s for a bit more down time before the next inevitable death-defying assignment turned up.

At first you attributed your sore throat and abnormally hot skin to the change of temperature from the freezing tundra to the climate controlled air of the Marauder. However as Tech put the ship up and made the jump into hyperspace, your symptoms only got worse. By the time you emerged from the fresher after your designated turn in the shower your whole body shook from chills. You layered a spare set of Hunter’s blacks overtop of your normal underclothes, yet still couldn’t seem to get warm. Your body swayed uneasily as you stumbled through the fresher door, completely foregoing the cockpit in favor of entering Hunter’s private quarters. It was very uncharacteristic of you to not visit with your squad to discuss the day’s events or what your next moves were, however the insistent pounding in your head took precedence.

The door slid shut behind you, plunging the space back into darkness as you crossed the small room and climbed into Hunter’s bunk on pure muscle memory. Just as you were pulling the blankets up over your shoulders, you heard the whoosh of the door sliding open once again. A beam of artificial light briefly cast across the bed, causing you to hike the blankets up even higher to shield your eyes. The door shut again just as quickly as it had opened and, before you knew it, you felt the familiar dip in the mattress as the weight of a larger body settled behind you. One of his strong arms wound around your waist to pull you closer as you shifted backward to meet him, welcoming the added warmth of his body heat.

“Cyare,” Hunter’s gruff voice beckoned to you, his breath tickling the shell of your ear. “What’s wrong? You haven’t said a word since we got back to the ship.”

“I’m fine,” you lied, attempting to hide the way that your voice cracked as the words crawled their way up your throat. “Just tired.”

Hunter let out an exasperated sigh.

“Well, your heart rates’ elevated. I can hear it beating out of your chest. And you’re hot to the touch, even though you feel cold judging by the double layer of my blacks that you’re wearing and the way your teeth keep chattering.” You immediately locked your jaw in an effort to stop it from shaking. Hunter chuckled quietly behind you in the pitch blackness.

“When are you going to learn that you can’t hide from me cyare?” You flipped over to face him, choosing to burrow into his chest in favor of responding. Another shiver coursed through your frame as his arms encircled you, bringing you impossibly closer.

He dropped an affectionate kiss to the top of your forehead as his hand rose to gently brush a few stray strands of hair from your face. Even with his sense of sight taken away he could still see you perfectly.

“You don’t have to be alone,” Hunter reassured you, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “I’m here for you, always. Just let me help you.”

“It’s not a big deal,” You grit out. “I think I just picked up a virus while we were out there on the surface.”

“I know,” He murmured into your hair. “Tech said that might happen. I’m sorry. I forget sometimes that you’re not like us, with our genetically engineered immune systems and all.”

“It’s s’okay,” you reassured him. “Just been awhile since I was sick…I’m sure I’ll be okay in no ti-“ Your sentence quickly devolved into a coughing fit as your body lurched and writhed against the sheets. You tried to roll away but Hunter was faster. He tightened his grip on your body, tucking your face beneath his chin before beginning to rub your back.

“Easy there sweetheart,” He soothed you. “Take a deep breath, I’ve got you.” Slowly but surely your throat relaxed and your breathing began to slow as you settled against Hunter’s chest once more.

“What do you need cyare?” He asked you. His voice was soft, though the underlying worry in his tone was unmistakeable.

“I’m just…really cold..” You stammered out as another shiver violently rattled it’s way up your spine. Hunter was quiet for a moment, seemingly deep in thought as he toyed with the hairs at the nape of your neck.

“The fresher’s open.” He offered up finally, in a similar way to when he would offer up a new strategy on a mission. “We could go get you back in the shower for a little while.”

“I don’t know if I can stand for that long,” You murmured, not trusting your limbs as the heat from your fever pulsed through them, making your joints ache and your muscles feel weak.

His hand moved upward to cup the back of your head as he drew you in to drop another kiss to the crown.

“I’ll come in with you.” There was a brief beat of silence before he amended; “To make sure you don’t fall.”

You rolled your eyes. “Of course, Sergeant.” Hunter gently untangled himself from your grasp before climbing back out of his bunk.

“Come on cyare.” Through the heaviness that seemed to seep to your very bones, you slid to the edge of the bed. Once you had lifted yourself back to a standing position, your head spun from the movement and your knees nearly buckled beneath you. However Hunter sprang into action, wrapping an arm securely around your waist to stop you from collapsing.

“Take it easy,” He cautioned you, his gruff voice right by your ear. A shiver rose goosebumps across your skin for an entirely different reason. “There’s no rush.”

You took in a deep breath, calling upon the force to center yourself even through your discomfort.

“Okay,” You confirmed. “I’m good.”

You both made your way out of Hunter’s private quarters back toward the main part of the ship. The rest of your crew mates must have already went to their bunks or up to the cockpit, because you saw none of them along your slow journey to the main hallway where the fresher was located. You were secretly thankful for this fact, having not wanted to field any knowing glances from the boys or questions from Omega as you and Hunter filed into the small chamber together.

By the time you had shed your clothes Hunter had already turned on the shower and dropped his own set of blacks to the floor. He then untied his bandana from around his head and placed it delicately onto to the side of the sink, a ritual he’d performed countless times before. His hair fell freely in front of his face before he tucked it away behind his ears. Even through the fog of your illness you couldn’t help but appreciate the way that his dark brown locks flowed around his handsome face. Seeing him in his natural state was always one of the best parts of your day. You hadn’t realized how long you’d been staring until his gaze met yours, an amused smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Within a moment he had closed the gap between you, wrapping one arm around your waist while the either reached out to activate the door panel that opened to reveal the shower. A puff of steam burst from the compartment to beckon you inside. As the two of you made your way beneath the spray, Hunter stayed true to his word and never removed his hands from your sides. His elbow bumped the door panel to seal you in, before he turned you to face him.

His arms wound around you as you snaked yours around his waist in kind. You pressed yourself as close to him as humanly possible, allowing the heat from the water and the heat from his skin to overtake you. You closed your eyes and rested your head against his chest, feeling your body immediately begin to relax. The steam soothed your throat as you breathed deep, allowing it to flow through your sinuses. The chills that had previously plagued you were now long gone, replaced by a heat that seeped through your skin and warmed you to your very core. Slowly, you felt yourself being shifted once again to lean against the wall. Hunter’s back blocked the water from spraying in your face as his knuckle curled beneath your chin, lifting your head until your eyes met his. His expression was soft as he gazed down at you, and you felt your heart flutter in your chest.

“Feeling better cyare?” You couldn’t help but smile back at him as you nodded.

“Yes, much. Thank you.” He pressed his lips gently to your forehead.

“You’re welcome. Although…” He trailed off as the hand that wasn’t beneath your chin gripped the flesh of your hip. He pressed into you again, except this time one of his thighs managed to wedge its way between your legs.

“I think I can help you warm up even more if you’d like.” You giggled softly as you wound your arms around his neck.

“See, I knew your motives for this shower weren’t entirely innocent.” He hummed quietly, not disagreeing with you as his eyes followed the way that his hand skimmed up your side to cup your breast. At that exact moment he flexed the muscle in his thigh and your laughter quickly devolved into a whimper.

“I assure you this is just a bonus.” He teased, his voice dropping an octave as he observed the way your hips automatically jolted. Though your desire was apparent, he still caressed the side of your face and murmured your name to draw your attention back to him. Your eyes fluttered open to lock on to where he was already intensely staring down at you. You were captivated by the way that his damp curls stuck to his forehead. A single droplet of water fell against his cheek. It ran down the tattooed side of his face until it got caught on the plush skin of his lower lip. You had to suppress the urge not to lean forward and lick it off.

“I’m all for distracting you, but this only happens if you feel up to it.” Your heart once again swelled with love for your sweet, caring sergeant as you smiled up at him and eagerly nodded your consent.

“I do Hunter. I want you to. Please, touch me.” The corner of his lip curled upward into a brief smirk as he leaned in to capture your lips with his. His kiss was slow and building as he pressed more of his body weight against you. You’d forgotten about the hand that was still resting on your breast until the callous on his thumb brushed across your nipple. You gasped, and Hunter took the opportunity to slide his tongue into your mouth. His other hand caressed your cheek, brushing a few wet strands hair out of your face on its journey to cup the back of your head. Your hips flexed as you began to grind against his thigh, seeking out any form of relief that you could for the heat that was now rushing south to pool in your gut and between your legs.

“That’s it sweetheart.” He mumbled, his lips brushing against yours as he spoke. “Does that feel good?” Your brow furrowed as you as gripped his shoulders, using his frame as leverage to pick up the pace.

“S’good…but I need more,” You whined. He hummed his acknowledgement as he pressed his lips to yours again in a brief but passionate kiss.

“Tell me what you need pretty girl.” You moaned desperately as a fresh wave of arousal ran through you. He only used certain nicknames for you during intimate moments like this because he knew exactly what they did to you.

“Hunter…I…please, I need you…just you.” Your senses were on overload as your blood simmered with a high that you just couldn’t reach. You knew you needed more stimulation, but you were long past any coherent trains of thought.

“Shh, it’s alright.” Hunter cooed, taking pity on you. He pressed one last chaste kiss to your lips before dropping his hands to grasp onto the sides of each of your thighs. His leg abruptly moved out from between yours. You whined at the loss of contact, but before you could protest any further you let out a yelp as you were you were hoisted upward through the air. Your nails scraped along Hunter’s shoulders as you clung to him for dear life. Once he had secured your legs around his waist, he leaned himself against you to press you back against the wall.

“Easy meshla, I’ve got you.” He mumbled into your neck. You could already feel the head of his cock rubbing against your entrance, and you eagerly flexed your hips.

“Hunter please,” You begged him. “Please fuck me!” He peppered kisses along your shoulder and chest as he lined himself up. You opened your mouth to continue to beg, but before you could say anything more he bit down on your pulse point and pushed inside you in one fluid motion. You cried out as your head fell back against the wall, the breath being punched from your gut with the force of his thrusts.

Hunter immediately set a bruising pace. The build up had clearly affected him too judging by how he withdrew himself nearly completely out of you before slamming back in. The angle allowed him to brush against your g-spot each time he bounced you on his cock. It sent delicious waves of pleasure shooting up your spine and pooling down in your gut. All the while you cried and moaned, a senseless string of praises and whimpers of his name slipping past your lips. You were consumed with everything that was Hunter until not a single other thought remained. One of your hands rose to tug gently at the curls at the nape of Hunter’s neck, eliciting a noise that was more akin to a growl from somewhere deep in his chest.

“Fuck cyare,” He groaned. “You feel so good, you always feel so good.” You whined high in the back of your throat, a sure warning sign that you were reaching your end.

“Hunter…I…’m gonna cum.”

“Yes Meshla,” He encouraged in a rush. “Cum for me, I’m right there with you.”

With a final cry of his name, you tumbled over the edge. You didn’t know if it was from your orgasm or the fact that he was holding you up, but you felt as though you were floating. All that existed was the pleasure blooming within you and the way that your cunt fluttered around Hunter’s cock as he reached his own end. The way that he moaned your name as he came was one of the most beautiful sounds that you’d ever heard. The movements of your hips began to slow as you rode out your highs. Hunter’s plump lips pressed a kiss to your pulse point, soothing the spot where his teeth had previously dug in.

Even as the water grew cold you held onto each other, waiting until you’d completely come down before you dared to move. Careful to not jostle you too much, Hunter leaned backward to shut off the steady stream. He then lifted you off his cock and untangled your limbs from around him before you setting you back down onto your own two feet. The door to the shower opened and any remaining heat quickly rushed out into the rest of the fresher. Goosebumps immediately began to rise across your skin, however before you could become too cold Hunter was there once again to take care of you. He wrapped a towel around your shoulders and dropped an affectionate kiss to the top of your head before turning to grab his own.

The contrast between the way that he had just fucked you within an inch of your life in the shower to how he now so delicately cleaned you up and dried you off was nearly enough to give you whiplash. However, it more so reminded you of exactly why you loved this man so much. He was sweet and loving and selfless, while also being captivating and passionate and intense. Hunter was all hard lines and soft edges. He loved with his whole being, and gave everything that he had to those who he cared for the most.

It wasn’t until he began to dress you in another set of his blacks that you were drawn from your reverie. He had somehow already dressed himself again, and had even tied his hair back behind his signature bandana.

“Credit for your thoughts?” He asked as he urged you to lift your arms so he could slide his shirt overtop your bare chest.

You smiled sweetly once your head poked back out from beneath the collar. Your hand rose to cup his tattooed cheek.

“Just thinking about how much I love you.” Hunter grinned back at you, placing his large hand overtop your own. He turned his head so he could press his lips against the inside of your palm.

“I love you more cyare.” You shook your head.

“Not possible, but I’m way too tired to fight with you. Can we go back to bed?” He snorted a laugh before gathering up your remaining clothes and towels and placing them in a neat pile.

“That’s fair enough.” He agreed. “Come on, lets get some rest.” You happily shuffled back to Hunter’s quarters before drifting off into a pleasantly exhausted slumber as Hunter held you in his arms. Even in these most uncertain times, you’d never felt safer or more secure in your life.

#hunter x reader #sergeant hunter #sergeant hunter x reader #hunter x you #jedi reader #hunter x jedi reader #hunter x female reader #the bad batch #star wars the bad batch #the bad batch smut #the bad batch x reader #star wars #star wars the clone wars #star wars rebels #star wars smut #star wars fanfiction

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uniquejobs · 1 year

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Dassault Systèmes Jobs Openings | Best Latest Mechanical Jobs 2023

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kaigarax · 5 months

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Evanescent

Mikage Reo x Reader

Quote: "Fall in love with someone you can't have."

My Dearest,

I used to think that I fell in and out of love easily - that the fluttering in my chest meant the most beautiful four letter word had once again fallen into my lap. I used to think that I fell in and out of love easily - and then I saw you and my heart stopped.

Yours Truly

---

“Hey.”

Mikage Reo, who’d been staring off the ledge of the balcony, turns his head abruptly, the world spinning around him as his eyes bolt around his surroundings before finally landing on you.

The first thing that Reo thinks is that you’re pretty.

With a glass of wine in one hand and a handkerchief held out to him in the other. With your pretty clothes loosely hanging off of your shoulders and your nicely powdered hair falling out of its elaborate design specifically made for a party such as this. The most eye-catching thing though has to be your smile. Reo finds it surprisingly pure and naive despite the fact that you’ve likely had one too many drinks if you’ve found yourself out on the balcony with him.

He thinks that he should know who you are.

Has a slight inkling that there’s something important about you.

But those thoughts seem to elude him at the moment.

Actually, most cohesive thoughts seem to elude him at the moment. Parity because of the alcohol being served and the other part because of you. Looking up at him with a pretty smile that sends his heart into a tizzy of flutters.

“Hi.” Reo says stupidly, “what’re you doing here?”

You tilt your head to the side cutely, staring at him for a moment before smiling, “the same reason as you, I suspect.”

Hesitantly, Reo asks, “and what reason is that?”

“To get away from the chaos of the wedding.” You smile softly, taking in a deep breath as if trying to capture the moment in your mind, “the air’s so much fresher out here and it’s so much quieter.”

“Not a fan of weddings either?” Reo asks as he turns away from you and back towards the ledge of the balcony.

“Mm,” you sigh softly, falling into place beside him, “something like that.”

“Bride or groom?” Reo asks.

“Bride,” you take a sip of the glass of wine in your hand, “and I suspect you’re here for the groom?”

“I, uh, think so.”

“You think?”

“Yeah,” Reo scratches the back of his neck sheepishly, “I only came here because my parents forced me to come.”

You laugh, “so you came to celebrate the gathering of two people you don’t know?”

“Basically.”

“Sounds like a hassle.”

Reo laughs along with you, “yeah. It definitely is.” He’s not usually this candid with people, especially strangers, but he feels comfortable with you. Perhaps it has something to do with the alcohol he’s been drinking.

“So,” you finish the glass of wine in your hand before placing the glass on the ground beside you, “you enjoying yourself?”

“No.”

“Really?” You ask leaning in towards him, “you bored or something?”

He leans away slightly in a polite manner, “was it that obvious?”

“Mm,” you bring a hand to your chin as if pondering deeply on the topic at hand, “you do a good job at hiding it.”

“You’re just really good at reading people, huh?” Reo teases.

You roll your eyes but smile warmly, “I try.”

Reo finds that he quite likes how your face looks when you make an expression like that. Wonders what it would take to get you to make an expression like that again.

“So, what do you think about weddings?” You ask.

Reo shrugs, “not really my thing.”

“A bachelor's life for you then?”

“I’m sure my parents will arrange something for me eventually.”

“Lame~”

Reo’s head snaps over to you so quickly that he almost falls to the ground. Basically gives himself whiplash as he meets your playful grin. He’s not sure if he’s more surprised at how carefree you look or at the words you said.

“Excuse me?”

“Sorry,” you chuckle, “that was rude of me.”

“Isn’t this wedding an arranged one?” Reo asks.

You shrug, “my statement still stands.”

“Don’t let the bride or groom hear you say that.”

“I’ll take my chances~”

“Ah…” Reo trails off, not sure of what to say next. What can he say next?

“Sorry. The alcohol has made my tongue looser than it usually is. Though I suppose that might be a blessing in disguise.” You smile playfully, turning to look at him as he listens to you ramble on, “I’ve been told that I have a sharp tongue and that alcohol softens the edge but also loosens the words I allow to slip through. What about you?”

“What?” Reo stutters, “what about me?”

“I suppose it loosens the mind more than the mouth for you, huh?”

Reo pouts, feeling an insult there but can’t exactly place it.

He finally manages to turn his gaze away from you.

You remind him of a summer breeze. So soft and gentle as your gaze sweeps over him and everything else. Reo imagines you fluttering from place to place as you please, enchanting people with your presence and with that stupidly pretty smile you wear. Something people so desperately yearn for when you’re not there and then suddenly gone as quickly as you’ve appeared after people no longer have any need for you.

You’re exactly the kind of girl that would have entranced him when he was younger.

And yet, you’re also seemingly everything that he hates in a person.

Reo can’t decide if you are willfully negligent towards the feelings of others or if you’re simply manipulative. Pushing and pulling him in any which direction simply because you want to see how he might fall. He leans more towards the former of the two options but one can never really know when it comes to pretty girls like you.

Gosh!

Where has Reo seen you before?

It bothers him more and more as he stares off the ledge of the balcony; not really bothering to focus on the environment around him and instead simply staring off for the sake of looking anywhere but you.

“Do you know who I am?” Reo asks suddenly.

You hum softly in what Reo assumes is an amused manner, “isn’t it more exciting to think I don’t?”

Reo scratches the back of his neck, struggling to grapple with your words, “so you do?”

“Do you know who I am?” You ask in response.

“No.”

You laugh again, “I figured as much.”

“Should I know who you are?”

“Mm, I doubt it’ll matter much in the long run. I’m not someone very special. I imagine I’ll go on to lead a rather ordinary life after this.”

The words ‘after this’ linger in Reo’s mind for a moment but not as long as they should have. Instead he mind chooses to focus on the earlier half of your words. Reo gives you a distant sort of smile in response, “I could never live an ordinary life.”

“No?”

“I’d rather die than live an ordinary life.”

You laugh softly in response.

Reo rolls his eyes but smiles, giving you a playful shove, “what?”

“You’re so dramatic.”

Reo feigns offence, bringing a hand to his chest as if wounded, “why, I think you’re the first person to ever say something so horrible.”

“Oh, I doubt I’m the only one.”

“The only one brazen enough to say it to my face.”

“Well,” you say as if it’s a matter of fact, “there’s nothing wrong with being dramatic. In fact, I’ve always had a soft spot for dramatic people. Sure, there’s all the stereotypes and a bad reputation but at the end of the day I always preferred someone that wears their heart on their sleeves over someone quiet.”

“Do I?” Reo asks softly.

“Hm?”

“Do I wear my heart on my sleeve?”

You lean in close to him as if trying to scan his face deeply.

Truthfully, it feels kinda weird to ask a stranger about something so intimate. Sure, this stranger happens to be someone he feels an instant connection to, but they’re a stranger nonetheless. There’s only so much that a stranger can conclude no matter how well they know people. It’s simply the way that things are.

Reo leans in close to you in response.

“Well?” He asks softly.

“Hm,” you smile, “I think you’re more expressive than you think but not as expressive as you would lead others to believe.”

“That’s…” Reo’s eyes wash over you. Watching how your lips purse slightly and the space between your eyebrows creases slightly as you attempt to get a better look at him. He wonders if the alcohol you had earlier has impaired your vision slightly or if you’re just not wearing glasses that you usually would. He thinks you look awfully pretty from this angle though in retrospect Reo just thinks that you’re pretty in general.

“That’s… good?” You ask.

Reo shrugs, “that’s cliche.”

“What? Cliche? How?” You seem to pause briefly between each word as if needing a moment to process what it was you just said after saying it.

Reo smiles warmly, “you’re just saying that because you wanna sound all smart n’ wise. Really, it just just makes you come off as a tryhard.”

“Wow,” your jaw drops but Reo can spot the amusement in your eyes, “a tryhard, huh? I think that’s the first time I’ve ever gotten that insult.”

“Don’t worry,” Reo teases, “there’s nothing wrong with being a tryhard. In fact, I like tryhards.”

You pout cutely, clearly noticing the fact that Reo’s recalling your own words from earlier, “you’re a tryhard.”

“Guilty as charged, pretty girl.”

“Pretty girl?”

Reo blushes brightly, “w-well yeah. You… that’s- you are…” the words slipped from his mouth before he could stop them. One moment he was laughing and the next he was stumbling over himself trying to figure out the right thing to say to you.

“I’m only teasing,” you hum, “and thank you.”

“Y-yeah.”

“You’re pretty too.”

Reo clears his throat, “well, it’s not the most manly thing to be called pretty but I suppose I can accept the compliment.”

“You can, can you?”

Pushing aside the embarrassment and suddenly filled with a burst of confidence Reo finally turns his body to face you. He thinks a little bit of it comes from the alcohol finally finding a place in your stomach while the other has to do with the way your eyes sparkle as you look at him. He places an arm on either side of you, caging you between himself and the railing of the balcony. He leans down close, chuckling slowly, “I’m very sure, pretty girl.”

He wonders if he should lean down and kiss you.

Sure the two of you are strangers but it wouldn’t be the first time that Reo’s kissed a stranger. And it most certainly wouldn’t be the strangest thing he’s done before with a stranger but he doesn’t.

He doesn’t lean forward and press his lips to yours despite seeing how easy it would be.

In retrospect, Reo isn’t sure if he should have taken that kiss or not.

A part of him is glad that he didn’t kiss you knowing what he does now. But there is another part of him -a less thoughtful and selfish part- that wonders what your lips might’ve felt like against his own.

After a brief moment (which felt like an eternity to Reo) you pull away. Well, you push him away. Place your hand on his chest and gently push him away from you and Reo doesn’t resist. He takes a few steps back just as he feels you want him to.

Did he read the situation wrong?

Was this too much?

Gosh, now he’s going to look like a total loser.

This is why he doesn’t drink.

“Sorry.” Reo manages.

“It’s okay, it’s my fault too.” You scratch the back of your neck sheepishly, “I did have a bit too much to drink. I guess that’s what happens when you go around having a glass with everyone else in the party.”

“Hm? Why would you do something like that?”

“Well, when it’s your wedding it’s usually your job to make sure all the guests are enjoying themselves.”

“So you’re…”

“Guess the mystery’s gone, huh?”

Fall in love with someone you can’t have.

---

Her: Forever and always.

#blue lock #blue lock x reader #mikage reo x reader #100 ways to fall in love

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