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guilty-pleasure-writings · 2 years

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Willing Participant - 2

Strade x F Reader (A boyfriend to death fanfic)

A story in which Strade’s next victim makes a suggestion. To his surprise he listens. OR Strade kidnaps a complete masochist who doesn’t fear death. He’s a bit taken aback by the situation.

Content warnings for this chapter: Kidnapping and subsequent bondage, torture, blood and knife play, sadism and masochism, penetrative sex, and if you look closely some humiliation, begging, and crying. Long story short, Strade tortures and fucks the reader and they like it.

2200 words. Banner was made from gatobob's art.

Masterlist - Previous - A03

When you come to, you’ve been moved. It takes a few blinks to clear the blur from your eyes, and your head feels awful. In fact, the rest of your body doesn’t fare much better. Your shoulders ache like you’ve slept in the wrong position, and your hands are beginning to go numb. It’s no surprise why – they're tied behind your back, around a pole of some sort – a support beam you think.

You sit in a basement, lit by fluorescents and haunted by the smell of old metal. The room is stained with brown and red splotches. The floor, the drains, the walls. Across from you are a handful of cabinets and one large work bench, decorated with tools both electric and manual.

The seriousness of your situation begins to set in, and you swallow. “Strade?”

A side door opens at your call, and the man emerges. He gives you a once over. “You weren’t out long. How are you feeling, bud?” His cheerful tone is jarring.

“Why have you tied me up down here?”

He leans against the work bench and gives you an easy smile. “Because I wanted to. Because I could. We were having such a nice talk, and I decided I had to get to know you better.”

You pursue your lips at his response. After a beat, you decide to speak honestly, addressing his first question. “My arms are going numb, and you did a number on my head.”

His brow creases and he makes a sympathetic noise. “Did I tie you too tight?” The concern in his eyes melts away, and the sweetness of his tone becomes almost mocking. “I couldn’t help myself. You’d look so good with some rope burn~”

You like it rough. You enjoy things scary. Fuck, you even enjoy it when your partners hurt you. Especially when they hurt you – the extent of your depravity had scared away many men. But this guy does not impress you.

His entitlement to your body, to your pain, does not impress you.

“There are more fun ways to inflict rope burn,” you deadpan, “don’t you think?”

Strade lights up. “Ahh, you’re enthusiastic~ <3” He draws closer before falling into a crouch in front of you. “Shall we see how long it takes for you to break?”

You clench your jaw. He’s told you nearly everything you need to know. You ignore your bitterness and give him an indolent shrug. “Be my guest.”

Something, perhaps irritation, flickers across his features. Tired of your bravado, he takes hold of your short bottoms and tugs them down.

“Most people buy me dinner first,” you grumble.

He ignores your gripe, instead pulling your shorts off and tossing them to the side.

In the following silence, your heart begins to race. You’re filled with trepidation. Death hadn’t scared you for the past few years. If anything, it had bored you. Living had become a little dull. A bit predictable since you’d had your close encounter. You’d seen what awaited you, and something had fundamentally changed because of it.

You did not fear death. Did not fear the grey of the river, or the swirling of its fog. That part of you was long broken.

Perhaps that’s why you feel something akin to excitement when Strade runs his hand up the exposed expanse of your leg. Your breath hitches when he unsheathes a knife from his side.

Your legs, half folded beneath you, press together, and you try not to squirm. You watch, enthralled, when he grabs your ankle and straightens your leg, calloused hand rough against your skin.

Strade watches your face when he plunges the knife into your thigh.

The air rushes out of you in a gasp. The pain – absolutely blinding – winds you. Doubled over, unable to make a sound, your arms are pulled taut. You can barely hear over the pounding of your heart – the rushing of blood in your ears.

When you meet Strade’s gaze you find him flushed, and his eyes are hooded. You cough out a little laugh, and when you can get some air down, you grin at him.

“I think you’re coming on a little strong, babe.”

He raises his brows. Glances down to where his knife is embedded to the hilt. It would probably scrape against the bone if he’d plunged it an inch further to the left. You hate to picture how that would feel.

He smirks, and twists it. “Am I?”

Your muscles contract in pain and you double over again. Your mouth hangs open in a wordless cry and your eyes unfocus. Tears spring to them, unbidden. This time a breathy groan escapes you.

It takes longer for you to recover. Sweat drips from your brow when you meet his gaze and quip. “Most people start with spanking.”

He gives a short laugh, and pulls the knife out. “I’m not most people.”

To say the movement smarts would be an understatement. You tense and untense, struggling to deal with the pain, the adrenaline, while bound. You tilt your head back and try to breathe through it all. Try to catch your breath. When you’re ready, you survey the damage.

At a glance you know the situation is dire. If you were still wearing pants they’d be soaked through. Without them, a large puddle of blood has formed beneath you. Your vision swims, and you wonder if you’re starting to lose too much. The thought fills you with distaste.

“I’m bleeding quite a bit.”

He tilts his head and considers, still flushed. “No, I don’t think it’s enough.”

You don’t have time to brace before he stabs you again, further up the leg. You let out a cry when the blade scrapes the bone. Your tears begin to fall in earnest, blurring your sight.

Strade licks his lips and smiles, eyes flicking between your face and your leg. “Ahh... I’m getting too excited...” He removes the knife and you jerk, panting from pain.

A bit distantly you regard yourself again, and frown. “I don’t think you’re very good at this. Five minutes in and I’ve already lost too much blood.”

He tuts, rubbing your thigh and smearing the blood further. When his fingertips approach the edge of a wound you stiffen. He squeezes and you let out a pained grunt. You shut your eyes, hoping to block out the dizziness.

You can tell he’s leaning in, because his breath brushes against your ear. “I don’t think you’re in any position to complain, schätzchen.”

“I guess not.” The bitterness rears its head again, and you scoff. “I was hoping to offer you a deal. But after our first session, I’m not sure you’d be capable of keeping it.”

Two of his fingers press into your wound and you kick reflexively. It only hurts you more. He smiles, but there’s no sweetness to his expression. “I don’t need to make a deal.”

“Yeah. But you would have liked this one.”

He releases you abruptly and lets out a sigh. Rests his chin on his hand, heedless of the way he smears blood along his jaw. “Oh?”

There are spots in your vision. The wooziness is making it hard for you to concentrate. To think rationally. “I was going to let you hurt me in any way you liked, do anything you asked, provided you agreed not to maim or kill me.”

Your cheeks flush at the confession. You’re so caught up in embarrassment at your admission that you miss the way he regards you, curious, with budding excitement.

You don’t miss the shrug. “I can do that anyway.” He grabs your thigh, digging his fingers into your flesh. “See?”

You cry out at the touch, and when he lets go, you’re panting with exertion. You lick your licks, and close your eyes against the spinning of the room.

“Yeah, but, like, when was the last time you had a willing participant? Somebody who enjoyed your work? Who asked – no – begged for it?”

Your eyes are closed, so you don’t see the stillness that settles over him. The predatory tilt to his head.

The blood loss has gotten to you, and you know you’re blathering on. You’ve said enough – enough that Strade must realise the depths of your lunacy. But you’re too delirious to restrain yourself, and there’s still alcohol in your system, and you’re probably going to die down here, so you just keep rambling on.

“I think it’s a fucking tragedy – an absolute travesty – that nobody has hurt me the way I need. That’s all I want. For somebody to hurt me. And use me. And make me scream – gods, I need somebody to make me scream. And then to fuck me afterwards.”

You sniffle into the silence, and on noticing the quiet, open your eyes. Strade is watching you carefully. His calmness, the blood on his chin, on his clothes, it all annoys you. You crinkle your nose. “But I don’t think you have the control to give me what I need. Not from what I’ve seen.”

Another smile ghosts his lips. He seems to come to a decision, and approaches you. For a moment, you think he’s wrapping you in a hug. You feel his breath against your cheek. Hear him inhale the smell of your hair. And then there’s metal along your wrists. The careful snick of his knife against your bindings. The pressure on your shoulders eases as your wrists are freed.

“What are you-”

You yelp when he grabs you by the knees and drags you away from the beam. His fingers dig into your thigh and a whine leaves your throat. He flips you and uses his knee to part your legs and push your ass into the air. One of his hands grip you by the hair, and presses your face into the concrete. “Is this what you want?”

You whimper, and try to nod.

“Do you like this?”

You don’t reply, and when he smacks your ass, hard enough to bruise, you yelp.

“Yes! Yes, I like this!”

He tugs your underwear down and pauses.

“... Interesting.”

You squirm under his gaze, knowing that he found you needy and wet.

You gasp when something cold touches your folds, and flinch when he turns the knife on its edge. You have to cease your squirming when he rubs the flat of the blade against your folds, afraid he’ll cut you.

“Tell me what you want.”

You tremble, terrified to move an inch, desperate to rub against him, to gain any ounce of friction. “I want you to fuck me.”

He spanks you again, and you flinch, cutting yourself on the knife. You whimper and sniffle at the pain.

“Please, Strade. I need you so badly.”

He laughs. “Wow. You really are pathetic.”

The knife leaves you, and you hear him undo his belt and pants. His hand fists in your hair again when he lines himself up to your entrance. You rub against him, keening, and he chuckles again.

He enters you without warning. You’re wet enough that he slides straight in, and after a few exploratory thrusts, he sets his pace. His free hand grabs you by the thigh and you cry out in pain. It only encourages him.

He releases his crushing grip on your head, instead grabbing you by the throat. He pulls you upright, pressing your back to his chest, to growl in your ear. “Ich denke, ich werde Spaß mit dir haben.” (I think I will have fun with you)

With the blood loss, the man handling, and the tightening grip around your throat, you’re light headed. Tunnel vision is setting in, and the sounds around you – Strade panting in your ear, the wet sounds of skin slapping against skin – they're becoming increasingly distant.

A small part of you is bothered by this development. Self-aware and critical of Strade’s actions (and your reactions). You had scolded Strade for his lack of control, but where was yours? You’re going to die. You’re going to bleed out, or suffocate, and nobody but this sadist will ever know, and you will have deserved it for begging him to fuck you, for begging him to hurt you.

You ignore that realisation. Because you’re awash in sensations, and you've never felt more alive. His fingers in your thigh hurt. You can barely breathe. Your heart is pounding in your ears. You’re gripping Strade’s arm at your throat, not to stop him but to balance yourself. His heat practically envelops you, his rasping breath hot against the back of your neck, his cock stretching you deliciously.

You’re so caught up in the moment that you miss the warning signs – the pounding in your head, the sluggishness of your grip, the darkening of your vision.

He finishes in you. You’re not awake to feel it. Nor do you notice him drop you and sigh.

“I guess we could try it your way, schätzchen.”

#btd #btd strade #boyfriend to death #strade #my writing #willing participant #guilty writes #the next chapter is spicier

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the-insomniac-emporium · 3 years

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Bound Blood (Cassandra Dimitrescu/Reader, Soulmate AU) Pt. 5.5 Bonus

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T+ for language Warnings: None Summary: Local feral human spends some time with their new family. Four short bits featuring Daphne (Maiden OC), Bela, Lady D, Daniela, and a surprise guest. Enjoy. Previous Chapters: 1: Sharing Is (Not) Caring; 2: Bloodbath, Baby!, 3: Haunt Me Dearly, 4: Portraits For Ghosts, 5: Heart Of The Matter

5.5: Family

“Wait, you’re telling me that you came here willingly?” You asked, mouth agape, eyes wide. It felt like every time you talked to Daphne she had something incredible to say. Which was, of course, why she was your favorite maiden to talk to. That, and the fact that she had adapted so quickly to your ‘charming personality’. So far she was the only servant you had been willing to be honest with. Mainly about your feelings regarding your blood bond, but also just about your relationship with Cassandra in general. Something about Daphne simply made her incredibly approachable. From what you had heard, you weren’t the only one to think as such, with her being fairly popular among the castle workers.

“More of us do than you might expect. Some consider it an honor to serve one of the four Lords, and Castle Dimitrescu is certainly… nicer than either the factory or the reservoir. Personally, I came here for a friend of mine. She, well, had less of a choice. I couldn’t bear the thought of her being here without knowing anyone, so it felt like I only had one option. Can’t say I regret my decision, if you can believe it,” Daphne explained, folding laundry all the while. At the same time, you carefully sort through the not yet washed clothing, separating them into two baskets. After all, you wouldn’t want Lady Dimitrescu to end up with a pink dress! Technically this wasn’t your job, nor did you have a job at all, but you hated having idle hands- especially when talking to someone who was working. At first Daphne had protested, but she had given in upon realizing just how stubborn you could be.

“That’s… impressive. I mean, holy shit, that's a real ride or die friendship right there. Is she, uh, is your friend still, you know, around?” You stuttered, cursing your tongue for asking such a thing. If the answer was no, you were going to feel like a real asshole. Which, admittedly, you had a tendency to be. But this wasn’t one of the times where it was intentional. Thankfully, Daphne is all smiles, and even seems amused by your spluttering.

“Yes, we’re even roommates. Well, us and five others. Possibly with a sixth one on the way, if we ever get someone to fill the empty space,” she replies, pausing to think. Then she’s back to work, refusing to waste any time. “Speaking of roommates… I know I said I’m not one for gossip, and I meant it, but a little songbird told me that Cassandra seems to be in a much better mood these days. Are the two of you, well, getting along? It would be nice to know that soulmates can overcome even the roughest of introductions.” There’s a hint of something odd in her tone, and you take a moment to wonder what she’s (unintentionally) hinting at. Had she met her soulmate, only for things to go poorly?... Before answering her, you make a mental note, deciding to see if any of the other maidens had a scar across their nose.

“It’s not like she and I are dating or anything. We’re just, you know, not hating each other. Currently,” you said, shrugging. But Daphne raises an eyebrow at you, and you find yourself instinctively feeling guilty, somehow feeling small next to the shortest person you knew. “Alright, alright, we might have… Okay we kissed. And promised each other not to die, because having your soulmate die hurts like hell. Also maybe she showed me her mom’s art collection and I made a joke about the titty sculptures because holy shit, this house has a lot of titties.” At this, Daphne bursts into laughter, grinning from ear to ear.

“Amen to that, for sure.”

ii.

“So… fan of science, I see,” you say, awkwardly, bouncing a little on your heels. Next to you is the eldest Dimitrescu daughter, who had unexpectedly joined your table in the library. There were several other places she could have sat, with both more comfortable seating and more workspace, but for some reason she had chosen here. So far she hadn’t said a word. Hell, you hadn’t spoken to her since your first meeting, where she had suggested killing you. Naturally, you weren’t quite sure what to make of her. Something told you that she felt much the same about yourself.

“Fan of oversimplification, I see,” Bela counters, after a few tense seconds. Then she sets down her book- a heavy text about Romanian avian fauna- to give you her full attention. “It would be more accurate to say that I enjoy studying biology, particularly the branch of zoology.” Well, this conversation was certainly… happening. Honestly, you couldn’t tell whether she was legitimately judging you, or merely chaffing you for her own amusement.

“You’ll have to, er, forgive me for being overly broad. Consider it a side effect of my nerves, those themselves being due to our unsavory introduction. In case you don’t recall, you put that sickle of yours into my shoulder,” you reminded, with a sarcastic smile. To your surprise, Bela chuckles at this, almost as if fondly remembering the incident. Seriously, you think, why did my soulmate have to be from this family?

“Staying silent was an option. Perhaps that would have suited you better?” Bela says, now clearly teasing, smile much more genuine than your own. Knowing she had a point, you’re quick to blush, mildly embarrassed.

“Touche. I am curious, however, why you decided to sit next to me in the first place. I certainly wouldn’t have tried starting a conversation if you hadn’t,” you explained.

“Like I said… I enjoy studying zoology,” Bela replies, with a sly grin. It takes you a few moments to understand the intended implications. Once you do, however, you’re giving her a hard stare. Then you scoot your chair a few inches away from her, in exaggerated movements. “Don’t worry, I was only joking. Though you certainly are an interesting human. Much more, hmm, cheeky? Compared to the servants, at least.”

“Somehow I get the feeling that they simply prefer being alive, as opposed to not being as snippy. Except maybe Daphne, now that I think about it. Very sweet, that one,” you muse. “Regardless, I think I’ll return to my book now, for it lacks a tongue, and is therefore less likely to taunt me.” Doing just as you had said, you open the book, holding it a bit higher than what would be comfortable, so that it becomes a ‘shield’ of sorts. Nothing was quite as satisfying as subtle body language.

Accepting your words with a shrug, Bela also resumes reading, turning to a bookmarked page. Roughly an hour of relative quiet passes. Neither of you so much as glance at each other, not even when she drops the pen she had been taking notes with. In the end, you are the one who leaves first, and finally the silence is broken. You give your goodbyes, and Bela returns them politely. Though you do not know it, she sets her book down as soon as you leave, pausing to think about you. Now that things had ‘calmed down’, it was reassuring for her to know that you weren’t always full of spite. Still, you held onto your cleverness (for the most part), leaving her with no doubt about the universe’s decision. You were her sister’s soulmate.

iii.

“It’s official: I’m lost in a creepy castle. The universe hates me. Probably should have realized that sooner, considering how it decided to introduce me to my soulmate,” you mutter, scowling deeply, as you wander unfamiliar halls. How had you even gotten lost? Sure, you had taken a wrong turn, but it hadn’t taken long for you to realize your mistake! Evidently you somehow managed to make another one while backtracking. Now you were standing in the center of the corridor, hands on your hips, desperate for some maiden to come rescue you. What you really didn’t want was Cassandra to find you, because she’d make fun of you for the rest of your life. It’s not like she had specifically joked about you getting lost before. Except that was exactly what had happened.

A few minutes pass uneventfully. There aren’t even any distant sounds of life; no footsteps, nor echoing voices, nor the squeaking of floorboards. All you can hear is your own breathing. As well as the occasional sigh, admittedly. By this point, there’s a part of you that’s starting to panic. After all, there was a chance that the castle was big enough for certain sections to be abandoned. Hopefully that’s not the case, you think, I mean, they’d cut the power to those parts, right? Here’s hoping… With that in mind, you get back to wandering, figuring that you’d have to eventually run into a familiar landmark. Or better yet, someone who actually knew the castle’s layout.

When salvation at last reveals its holy visage, it is not in the form of a lowly servant, rather the muffled voice of none other than Lady Dimitrescu herself. Neither her exact words nor who she’s speaking to is clear. At first, you can’t even tell where her voice is coming from, but you quickly approach one closed door, then another, searching for the source. Several doors later you’re certain you’ve found her. By then you can tell that she’s not alone. Not wanting to seem rude by interrupting, you take a few steps back, leaning against the wall to wait. For the most part you still cannot make out what’s being said, but a few words do reach your ears.

“-expected more from you. How am I-” the voice gets cut off, not by Alcina, rather a sudden gust of air, akin to massive wings flapping. When the speaker continues, they are both louder and angrier. “Someone is listening. Have you not taken steps to ensure our privacy?” Then the door is swinging open, revealing your soulmate’s mother. At first she’s practically shaking with rage, but her expression turns to shock when she sees you.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with Cassandra?” Lady Dimitrescu asks, clearly stressed, as she steps into the corridor. There’s movement behind her, although you cannot make out any details. Besides, you’re quick to answer her, wishing to avoid her wrath (and that of whoever she was speaking to).

“I’m so sorry, Lady Dimitrescu, I was walking from the dining hall to Cassandra’s studio, and I took a wrong turn. I’ve been wandering for half an hour now. When I heard your voice, I thought perhaps I could, well, enlist your assistance. But you were busy, so I figured I’d wait outside. If I had-...” you pause, gulping, as the other figure steps into view. It’s a face you’re all too familiar with. One that popped up countless times through the village, and again throughout the castle, the owner’s name always spoken with acclaim, with worship. Mother Miranda, in the flesh, wings spreading out behind her, somehow cutting a more impressive silhouette than even Lady Dimitrescu. Instantly you’re falling to your knees, knowing that your sharp tongue was no match for this practical goddess.

“Who is this, Dimitrescu? Why isn’t their blood staining your claws?” Miranda questions, gaze never leaving your trembling form.

“This… this is one of my daughters’ soulmates. They were brought in with the last group of sacrifices,” Lady Dimitrescu explains, uncharacteristically hesitant. ‘Twas a true testament to Miranda’s power, as well as her influence, that she could make someone so powerful seem so weak. Which was exactly why you were shaking with anxiety. But to your surprise, the goddess does not immediately order your execution for your trespass.

“And already they know their place, hmm? Kneeling before me?” Miranda says, a strange smile dancing on her lips. Whatever anger she had been feeling a minute prior had faded, though you couldn’t even begin to guess as to why. Regardless, both Alcina and yourself are quite relieved, though neither of you are quick to show it. “Either they have a good head on their shoulders, or you still take care of some of your duties. Very well, they may live. For now. But I expect next week’s report to be far more favorable. I don’t need to remind you of the price for failing me.” With that said, Mother Miranda turned to leave, a swirling mass of dark feathers flying past you.

A minute passes, maybe two, before either of you feel capable of speaking up.

“Let’s get you back where you belong, yes?” Lady Dimitrescu says, quietly, before placing her hand on your shoulder to guide you. Tension hangs clear and heavy over both of you. Even as you walk down corridor after corridor, the feeling does not ease. At least not until you’re back in familiar territory, near where you had originally made your mistake, finally able to breathe a little. It’s here that Lady Dimitrescu pauses to speak once more. “Tomorrow I will assign one of the servants to give you a tour, in the hopes that this does not happen again. Furthermore, I ask that you forget everything you heard earlier, for it is neither your business… or my daughter’s.” You’re quick to nod, and with that she bids you farewell, leaving you alone. Now, you think, was it left from here, or right?

iv.

“I’m just going for a walk. Why do you care so much? It’s not like it’s any of your business,” Daniela assures you, despite the fact that all you had done was say ‘hello’. If this was her attempt at casting aside suspicion, she had done a terrible job of it. What made her so nervous? Was it even worth investigating? Only one way to find out.

“You’re rather bundled up, planning on being out for long?” You ask, trying to sound casual, leaning against the wall as you did. In response, Daniela pretty much stomps her foot. There’s something odd in her expression, however, that implies your question hit a soft spot. Certainly wasn’t what you had expected. “Don’t mind me, just trying to make conversation with my soulmate’s sister. Speaking of her… have you seen Cassandra? Is she, perhaps, going with you?” A little misdirection never hurt anyone. Probably.

“No!” Daniela replies, fast as a gunshot, too much emphasis to be unintentional. But she realizes her mistake as soon as she’s made it, and makes a clear effort to relax herself. “She’s probably in her studio, doing whatever it is she calls art, on the other end of the house. Besides, I don’t want any company for this walk.” For a moment you merely squint at her, unsure of how to proceed. In the end, you decide that it really is none of your business, being more than satisfied by what teasing you’ve already done.

“Alright, alright. Well then, I’ll leave you be. Just… be careful, yeah? If you get hurt, and your mother finds out that I didn’t stop you from going… not sure Cassandra could save me,” you say, with a shrug. At first Daniela can’t decide whether to be upset or relieved, but she seemingly settles for the latter, giving you a brief nod before heading outside. As the door shut behind her, you couldn’t help but wonder if you had done the right thing.

#cassandra x reader #cassandra dimitrescu #cassandra dimitrescu x reader #lady dimitrescu #resident evil: village #re8 village #yeah I'm back #don't be weird about it

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peppdream · 3 years

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Welcome to the final conclusion of “Home”! This is just a collection notes, interesting thoughts, and answers to questions some of you guys might have for the story!

A reminder to not read on if you haven’t read to the end of the fic yet 🙏 Major spoilers ahead!!

First off, starting with the layout of Sapnap’s shop! This is sort of the general gist I had in mind while writing the story:

It’s a really rough diagram and probably not architecturally sound for a plethora of reasons, but I thought I might as well include it here for the sake of having it ^^

I’ve also included a timeline so you guys can understand the order in which everyone became acquainted! (it’s a very general timeline, so excuse any inconsistencies)

In case you missed it, the reason Toby’s friend (Tommy) was “missing” in Ch4 was because he’d been taken away to complete his witch training! :)

Next, a couple fun facts for the making of this story!:

Bad’s original Mark was going to be fangs, but I eventually decided horns would be cuter~

The geese George pet in Ch6 were originally rabbits, and the appearance of swans in Ch8 was a replacement for a whole-ass deer. I just changed them all to birds in the end to make the story more cohesive!

I debated several times into making George a nature boi instead of an animals boi (for the good ‘ol mushroom bit), but I stuck with the vet witch in the end ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Ch17 was never supposed to exist! I wrote it as filler so I could reach the satisfying 20-chapter mark...

Why the constant reoccurrence of dandelions? Well, I read somewhere that was George’s favorite flower ^^

Why a willow tree? Because they’re the best trees, obviously~ (Go lie under a willow tree some time — you’ll see what I mean!)

And finally, some questions a lot of you must have (and also ones you didn’t even think of, probably):

Why did George lose his memories? The spell affects customers. If you come to the shop with the intention of finding something, you are a customer, and will be affected by the spell (regardless of whether you’re human or a witch).

This distinction was not entirely clear to the characters of the story, because they’d never encountered a situation before where a witch left a magic shop as a customer. This makes sense, granted that magic shops do not target witches as viable customers.

So why didn’t George lose his memories the first time he came to the shop? Part of the agreement between the shop and the customer is that the spell will erase their memories once they have been given what they came for. When George left the shop the first time with his new glasses in tow, the shop mistakenly believes George is satisfied and lets him go (and the memory-wiping spell does not activate). When George is lured back, however, the shop realizes that George is looking for something more than just a pair of glasses, and bars him from leaving until he finds it.

What was George looking for? A lot of you believed it was love/acceptance/home that George was looking for, and those were all very good guesses! What George was ultimately searching for, however, was a way to safely release the magic inside him and become a witch.

What part did Patches play in all this? A lot of you seem confused about what Patches actually did in Ch18. For one, she tried to lead George to his room so that he could sleep next to the dream doll. When he didn’t follow her, she personally brought the dream doll to George herself so that Luca would warn him about his powers in his dreams. She also physically ran to Bad’s place. While she and Dream do have some telepathic methods of communication, it only works within a reasonable distance.

Does George ever get his memories back? Never completely, but occasionally, yes. I like to think of George’s memory loss as akin to the feeling you get when you’re trying really hard to remember a dream you’ve forgotten. If you concentrate hard on recalling it, you won’t succeed, but if as you’re doing something irl and that activity reminds you of what you dreamed, you will remember only that portion of the dream.

What are the specifics of George’s powers? He can talk to, understand, and telepathically communicate with all living things (other than plants). He has trained his magic to automatically filter out conversations not directed at him or words said to him with ill-intent, but he can also switch that ability on and off as he likes. (Unfortunately, this does not apply to people, because understanding humans is something the brain processes, and not magic-related).

What was Philza’s mark? Wings! Now whether I mean real wings or tattoos is up for you to decide~

What’s the point of the bouquet? Tommy is a green witch, specifically a florist. It’s his job to make bouquets. The only difference between George’s situation and a normal customer’s situation is that Tommy offers the bouquet without George asking for one. (In response to kotoritoririn, George was not a middle man for a bouquet delivery. The flowers were made for George, as signified by the flowers’ meanings.)

So did Tommy and Tubbo ever reunite or?? Tubbo did eventually find Tommy with the compass. In my mind though, Tubbo is purely a human, so they must’ve met somewhere outside the magic shop.

Tommy, don’t leave us hanging! What do the lilacs represent?? Go read “I’m A Dream Doll” and you will find your answer :)

And that’s everything! I hope you all enjoyed this last tribute to “Home”. I had so much fun reading your guys’ theories, and I’m honestly gonna miss them a ton. Thank you to everyone that tagged along for the ride. And if you’re a new reader, thank you as well! The fact that you’re here means you cared enough about my story to want to know everything about it, and that means a lot to me <3

If you’re sad about the fic ending, don’t be! If we just use George’s example, home can forever live on in our hearts :)

#home #fanfiction #dreamnapfound #dreamnotnap #dream #georgenotfound #sapnap #mcyt #dreamnotfound #georgenap #dreamnap

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funtimebunnyblog · 3 years

Text

Pillarroomates (Chapter 2: Strange introductions...)

(Summary: It's time to meet your new Roommates and things are already off to a shaky start...)

"--and you mentioned you're a student aside from your work?"

Smiling, you nodded as the violet-haired man before you scribbled away on the neat lined paper laid out in front of him.

"Yeah. It's mostly online stuff but I do occasionally go for in person lectures when I get the time." You began, making Kars hum quietly to himself as you went into more detail.

This was honestly starting to feel like more of a job interview (or perhaps more of a Police interogation) rather than a simple interaction concerning becoming a roommate with hopes of living here.

Even though you had only spoken with him for a short time now, you could tell this "Kars" (or so he had introduced himself as) was all business.

The giant of a man was asking you all sorts of questions, jumping back and forth between ones boarderline ubsurd and ones you had expected.

He asked a little about your history and about your Family (most specifically your surname and any distant relations you might have). He questioned you on your work and what you did, your wages and your work ethic. He wanted to know every single one of your habits (annoying or not) and how you spent your free time; jotting things down as he went.

Every single time his eyes fell on you, you couldn't help but feel exposed under his gaze; like you were sitting completely naked before him on an operating table, cut open, and he was taking you apart piece by piece and examining every inch with a scrutinizing eye.

Speaking of eyes, you definitely didn't miss how inhuman his were. Maroon on crimson, like thick droplets of blood splattered onto the white of a fine ivory knife and cutting you just as deeply as one.

It was like nothing you had ever seen or felt before.

You told him the truth and nothing but during the entirety of the seemingly endless line of questioning but it still felt like it was all a spew of dirty little lies falling from your lips. It only made an icky swirl of anxiety churn consistently in your stomach, like the spinning of a washing machine, as you sat there talking away.

There was no telling how you would feel if you did tell a lie or if he happened to indeed smell one lingering on your breath; which you were also struggling to keep in check.

"Interesting..." he muttered quietly, more to himself than to you. The scratching of his pen on paper filled the long silence at the round little wooden table.

Your eyes fell to his handwriting a number of times in hopes of catching a glimpse of something that would indicate whether you were "passing" this little test or not but it was inevitable.

You were beginning to wonder where exactly this man was from as the entirety of his notes were in a language you couldn't identify at all.

Even if it was written in proper English, you doubted you'd be able to read it at all either. His handwriting was something akin to what you'd find on an ancient scroll being presented late at night on the History Channel; small and scratchy letters scrawled across white in quick flicks of the wrist.

As if things couldn't feel anymore stressful, you could also feel the eyes of two others burning into you.

The one whom you had an encounter at the door with, Kars informed you that his name was "Esidisi" after the man had retreated down the hall again, was now standing in the far corner of the little kitchen.

There he loitered, a piece of pizza cradled in each hand (was that.... macaroni on top???) and munching away as if he hadn't seen so much as a morsel of food in months.

Much to everyones relief, the man had put some clothes on by the time he ran to answer the door for the 2nd time that day; his long awaited pizza finally having arrived.

At the very least he had saved the poor delivery boy from becoming as startled as you had.

You didn't even want to think of how different things would've gone if his towel had somehow slipped...

The burning intensity of Kars' glare (despite the fact it wasn't even aimed remotely in your direction) made you squirm in your seat as Esidisi came onto the interview scene with the pizza box in hand, a sunny smile stretched across on his face and the words "HOT DAD ALERT" emblazoned in bold white letters on his t-shirt.

Esidisi wasn't even so much as fazed by the look like you were. The man only smiling all the brighter, cheeks stuffed uncannily like a chipmunk storing food, each time he met Kars' sharp gaze.

Then there was the other one, the blonde with the mullet-like haircut and the stained apron. While he was doing his best to busy himself by cleaning around the stove, you managed to overhear Esidisi addressing him as "Wamuu" when offering a slice of the boxed Italian monstrosity he was savoring; which the other kindly declined.

Even through your talking, you didn't miss the fact that Wamuu had wiped down the kitchen surfaces at least 3 times during your little chat with Kars; he hadn't even moved an inch from his spot. You had managed to catch his gaze once or twice as he was sneaking a few little glances over his shoulder.

Much like Esidisi was doing (but with a lot more inconspicuous action) Wamuu was eavesdroping on the interview.

However, you also couldn't help but feel that he was was also standing guard. The man was keeping a close eye on the scene, reminding you of a bulldog protecting its Home from intruders while its master was away.

"And, uh... that's about it, I guess." You finished, a tight smile flashing across your face as you shrugged helplessly.

Kars pursed his lips, eyes skimming over his papers. For a long moment, perhaps the longest moment you'd ever had to endure, he was silent.

"Acceptable." He hummed, not exactly much emotion carried in that word, papers rattling as they were shuffled in his hands. "Perhaps the most acceptable I've seen in some time. You definitely fit our criteria."

You could only blink, unsure if you should even thank him for saying something like that.

"Uhh, I take it you've had your fair share of annoying roommates?" You asked, laughing a little, only making the man across from you hum again.

"Oh, you bet we have," Esidisi cut Kars off just as he opened his mouth to speak, wiping his hands with a paper towel as he waved the other off. "You wouldn't believe it! The last one we had was a real idiot. Lazy too, couldn't hold a job to save his life, he left the kitchen a mess every time he walked though it."

Hearing that, you could at least nod understandingly.

You definitely sympathized with them on that one, you had met your fair share of people when jumping from place to place who outright refused to pull their weight.

One of the main reasons you had been looking for a place to start with was because of one of those same types of people, afterall.

You had been happy living in an apartment closer to the edge of town for some time. Your earlier roommates had been nice, kind of fun too, and you had hopes things would stay that way at least until you finished school.

Everything had been just fine until the first one chose to move cities, then things only went downhill from there. Along came your other roommates boyfriend (better known as; the laziest, most childish piece of shit you ever had the displeasure of knowing) and after almost a year of just barely tolerating that shitshow you had decided enough was enough.

It was overdue for you to find another place to live.

Esidisi laughed as he went on, leaning on Kars' chair. "He really had it coming to him when we--"

THUNK! The table rattled, making you jump in your own chair. Esidisi's lips came tight together, a long breath sucked hard enough through his nose that the little gold ring dangling precariously on the ridge of his nostril shivered.

Kars acted as if you didn't know that he had just kicked the other under the table, clearing his throat.

"When that one was evicted," here Kars shot Esidisi another one of those looks, which the other actually paid attention to this time around. "It was unanimous that was the final straw, so we agreed to put some proper ground rules out there before allowing anyone else to even think about inquiring to live here."

Your head tilted, unable to hold back a chuckle as you pulled out the print out of their half-garbled "guidelines" you had kept for them to see.

"I'll be honest, at first I was sure this wasn't a real ad..."

Here, both Esidisi and Kars shared a pointed look, you had a feeling there was something more to the story there.

Kars' eyes fell on you again after a beat, thankfully his expression much more neutral.

"I'll ask you," he began. "Do you want to live here?"

"Well..." you honestly couldn't help but laugh a little. Even if things seemed a little worse here you probably wouldn't find yourself refusing, you NEEDED a place and you needed to jump on this before the opportunity was gone again. "Yeah."

"As you said, dear Kars, they fit all the criteria." Esidisi's voice dropped into a teasing little purr, you suddenly felt that heat you felt at the front door blooming in your face once again when the man tossed a wink and a smile your way. "They're cute too, just what I asked for at the very least."

Cute? You nearly sputtered out the word, lips tightening together as you had no choice but look away from the man and his cheeky little grin.

You sat there struggling to force down the memory of him in only his bathtowel again, face feeling hot enough to rival the sun.

Kars let in a deep breath, ignoring the way the other was shaking him in his chair, the sight of an actual smile working his way across his face brought you a little closer to reality again.

"In that case," here he stood, holding his hand out for you to shake. "Welcome to our Home."

A smile of your own spread across your face as you grasped his hand, cold and calloused and FAR bigger than your own, suddenly feeling as if a great weight had been lifted off your shoulders.

"I'm glad to be welcomed." You sighed, beaming up at Kars. Now he didn't seem so very intimidating (well, at least a little) when he was looking a tad more relaxed around you. "I don't have much stuff so getting it from the shelter to here won't be a stretch. I'll probably have it all moved by tomorrow."

Here, you were treated with the sight of not only Kars and Esidisi but Wamuu as well, still lingering by the stove, staring at you in surprise.

Here, Wamuu spoke up for the first time during this entire interview, "You... were living at a shelter?"

All you could do was shrug, feeling s little helpless. "Well, yes... I was." You sighed again as that heaviness on your back suddenly returned at their staring, a hand going up to rub the back of your neck. "Not the best place to stay, I know, but I've been looking around for a place for a quite a while."

It was better than sleeping on the street that was for sure. At least there you could shower and rest and get ready for work; really the only fears you had staying there was someone stealing something important of yours.

Not to mention, it was much more preferable than having to go back to--

The top of your head tickled as a warm and quick puff of air suddenly reached out and touched you, like a hand lovingly caressing your hair. Though the feeling was miniscule it made you suddenly stand on edge.

A beat passed before the very same thing happened again, just as fleeting as the first time. A strange itch crawled up your spine as the unmistakable heat radiating off another body sank slowly through your back, though its source not touching you directly.

Someone was behind you.

Slowly, though with much hesitantance, your head turned. You eyes were wide open as your neck rotated, the action best described as owlish, blinking at the words "seether" emblazoned across a barreled chest, only urging your eyes to seek more upwards.

Your eyes locked onto icy cold rings of blue, an unconcious shiver dancing through your body as the chill of them seeped deep within your body.

There, now right before you, was another man. It was best to assume this was your last supposed roomate as he was just as big and as muscular as the rest.

However, you couldn't shake the feeling that this one was strangely... different than the others.

A hot puff of air brushed the space between your eyes as the stranger breathed out quietly, the action only making you blink hard. He said nothing, he made no indication at all to say anything, he only... stared.

"Umm..." your mouth opened but the jumble of words sitting like a lump in your throat couldn't find your mouth.

"Y/N, this is... Santana." Kars piped up from behind, sounding more than tempted to sigh again today. "He is the 4th and last of us here."

Call it intuition but from what you could tell already, this Santana wasn't the chummiest one of the bunch. Tall and still, skin as fair as snow, almost every square inch of him was chiseled and, well, square.

That stoney expression of his didn't exactly give you an insight as to what was going on in the others head either.

Something told you you'd have to make the first move or else all this staring would get you nowhere.

A hesitant smile squirmed its way across your face, every effort you had inside to be polite straining to the point of almost breaking.

"Hi Santana," your voice nearly cracked. "It's-- nice to meet you...?"

Santana continued to stare at you as if he hadn't even heard you speak at all. A cold sweat prickled on the nape of your neck, you struggled to fight back a cough as the room fell into a dead silence again.

You were starting to wish you were back in the hallway where you had started...

"Santana," Esidisi spoke up next. "come on. Like we practiced..."

Santana exhaled again, the sound more like the huff of a disgruntled pasture bull.

A thick bubble of uncertainty ballooned in your throat as the red-heads arm extended, sticking out quite stiffly in your direction. A long moment passed, you blinking stupidly, before you realized what he was trying to do.

Your watery smile returned with much more force, reaching out to grasp his offered hand. Your fingers could just barely wrap around his ice cold palm.

Another beat. Nothing happened for another uncomfortable little eternity.

Across the room Kars cleared his throat, loudly. Another prompt.

That bubble of uncertainty in your throat dropped like a stone down into the pit of your stomach as his arm moved up and down, up and down, up and down. The movement was just as cold and robotic as his stare.

He didn't even wrap his fingers around your hand, keeping them as straight and pointed as dense meaty rulers.

You honestly half-expected to hear a feint squeaking come from his shoulder at the slight and stiff movement.

"Do not forget to smile..." It was Wamuu who whispered loudly to the other from across the room; as if that would keep you from hearing the plea.

Your own forced smile threatened to dissolve completely for good as you watched Santana's lips twitch, slowly peeling back to reveal two rows of white teeth.

Teeth of your own sank into the flesh your tongue as the glimmer of 4 very sharp K-9's hit your eye, making Santana's painfully cheered grimace all the more chilling.

Up and down, up and down, up and down.

"Nice... to... meet you..." Santana's voice was deep and gruff, the very tone of it shook your insides like an Earthquake.

Maybe it was just his voice, maybe he didn't mean to sound so very rough; the thought definitely crossed your mind. Though, you couldn't be quite sure about that by the way this interaction was going...

"Uhh, the--... the pleasures all mine..." Really, what else could you say?

The very second you let go, Santana's arm retreated back to his side, his face falling back into that stoney hard glare. And just like that, he pushed past you, marching quickly towards the fridge; a word was grumbled, too low for you to hear, but it was something about you.

It was more than clear to you and everyone else that he decided this horrible too-long-of-a-greeting was over.

The fridge door was yanked open, the movement harsh enough the bottles inside chattered. All of you watched as Santana made a grab for a container of lettuce, slamming the fridge shut and striding right out of the kitchen without so much as another grunt, let alone a glance, in your direction.

A breath you didn't even know you had been holding let go, a strange sense of relief washing over you like a warm tidal wave.

Talk about awkward. So awkward you almost wanted to shudder.

What the Hell was his problem?

You nearly jumped when a huge, warm hand clapped you on the shoulder, blinking up into the smiling face of Esidisi.

"He'll warm up to you," The man said, shrugging. "Santana doesn't care much for new people or, well, people in general I suppose. It's just the way he is..."

"We're trying to acquaint him with the concept of socializing and get him used to social norms of this time," Kars practically groaned, pinching the space between his eyes. "As you can see, it's still a work in progress..."

"It probably doesn't help that the last guy living here was the one to seriously piss him off in the end." Esidisi only shrugged again.

You, on the other hand, flinched hearing that. Like it or not, their last roomate had obviously left a lasting impression of newer people on him.

You wouldn't be surprised if Santana thought that you would be the very same thing judging by what you had been told about the last guy and the last thing you wanted was this near-to-stranger having some sort of hard feelings on you when you hadn't even so much as moved in yet.

"Would you like to see your room before you go?" You were most thankful that Kars spoke up again.

"Ah-- yeah." You said, blinking. "That'd be great."

"Wonderful, Wamuu will show you where it is." The kitchen chair creaked as Kars pushed himself in closer to the table, settling back into his comfortable working slouch as he pulled his laptop out again.

He still had work to get done afterall.

Your eyes drifted across the room, meeting the more stern gaze of the blonde, making you realize that Santana wasn't exactly the only one in the house you couldn't quite read just yet.

Nonetheless, the man made no move at all to argue with Kars for being volunteered like so.

Wamuu peeled off his stained apron with a huff, hanging it neatly on the wall.

"This way," a huge hand waved you along, Wamuu's back already to you as he was heading out of the kitchen.

You fumbled for a moment, head turning not-unlike a pet budgie, choosing to wave to Esidisi (Kars was already too focused on whatever he was working away at) before moving to catch up with Wamuu.

Something told you that he wouldn't exactly appreciate having to wait up for you.

This day was far from over yet but at least the hardest part of it was....

Wasn't it?

#funnybunny #pillarmen #kars #esidisi #wamuu #santana #my writing #pillarroomies

51 notes · View notes

eggrestes · 3 years

Text

ladrien fic recs!

there are SO MANY amazing ladrien fics i cant possibly cover them all but here are a few!

(all the ratings used are ao3 ratings)

((this is a very long post!))

FLUFF

Of Ivy and Sunlight by cyanise [ T, 1509 words, 1/1 ]

When Adrien takes to wandering the streets of Paris in ungodly hours, Ladybug has no choice but to keep an eye on him. Still, things are bound to get a little out of hand between two overloaded teenagers with a lot of love and not enough self-control.

a lovely post-chat blanc fic :’) it has a great flow and is just soft and so sweet and it’s just perfect. gosh i cannot really say more other than read it!!! also almost all of their other stuff is also ladrien so do check it out!

This can't be happening by PlaPla [ T, 6,467 words, 1/2 ]

Ladybug is unsure whether accompanying Adrien to a gala as his not-date is the best or worst thing that has ever happened to her. But when their table mates turn out to be none other than her long time friends Alya and Nino and with Adrien acting weirder and weirder she finds herself with bigger worries than an unrequited crush.

a djwifi/ladrien double date? hit me up! i love identity shenanigans, ball dancing, ladrien, and djwifi and this is a perfect mix for me. i know it’s incomplete but it doesn’t end in a cliff-hanger really, the part 2 is just a promise of more so it doesn’t feel incomplete! PlaPla also has a short oneshot of ladrien going for a motorcycle ride.

Falling again by emsylcatac [ M, 4,506 words, 2 Works ]

They had been dancing around each other for a while now, and while fifteen year old Adrien would have been ecstatic at the idea of dating Ladybug in secret, twenty-two year old Adrien knew better. But Ladybug wasn’t making it easy. It was like… she, too, was falling for him. And that surprisingly enough, she didn’t mind.

* * *

Or Adrien trying (and failing) to keep things professional between him and Ladybug when the two of them partner up for a mission. Older AU

things are a little steamy~ here (don’t worry, it’s only implied it’s very mild and closer to a T rating than the M) but it’s a great mature take on their dynamics! emsy has more ladrien one-shots in her collection of one-shots!

i'd love to go on a date with you by sae_what [ G, 6,480 words, 1/1 ]

Once it had been falsely announced throughout Paris that Adrien and Ladybug are in a relationship, Ladybug pays him a visit to turn him down gently.

Only, she doesn’t. And instead, she has a formal dinner date. With Adrien. At 8 pm. Tonight.

LADYBUG IN A SUIT!! aaaaaaaaaaaaaa. okay but for real it’s so sweet and also??? they are on a date!!! a rooftop date!! (too man exclamation marks oops)

Always Welcome by chatonne-rousse [ T, 1,683 words, 1/1 ]

Ladybug knows that Adrien's window is always open for her to swing by and stop in, whether for video games or a chat or, like tonight, for soft kisses and sweet nothings.

He loves these visits. His girlfriend is always welcome. Always. (Especially for kisses.)

Written for Ladrien June, day 8: bluebell eyes.

established relationship, pre-reveal ladrien. there is something very home-y about this fic and it’s all about the comfort and quiet that i adore about it!

Five Times Gabriel Agreste Caught Ladybug in His Son’s Bedroom (and the One Time He Caught Chat Noir) by agrestenoir [ T, 1,923 words, 1/1]

Gabriel Agreste keeps finding Ladybug in his son's bedroom. As a super villain and father, this will not stand.

this crack fic is... honestly so hilarious. it’s all through gabrie-i-am-trying-to-parent-and-failing-a-lot-agreste’s POV so it is so much ridiculous!

an uncurtain discovery by Missnoodles [ T, 4,684 words, 1/1 ]

When he returns from school on Wednesday afternoon, Adrien discovers the darkness in his own home. He struggles to come to terms with it. To his utter mortification and delight, Ladybug is nearby to rescue him.

(He does not discover that his father is supervillain. That will happen on a different Wednesday.)

Adrien is being a cat and gets tangled in the curtains on his window and it’s utterly ridiculous. all the bug and the cat tendencies make it funnier and adrien’s inner monologue is just a cherry on top!

secret valentine by a_miiraculer [ T, 12,245 words, 1/1 ]

this is the moment that we will come alive brace yourself for love sweet love, secret love

If Adrien had known that getting himself stuck in a tree would end like this, he would've gotten himself stuck sooner.

A drabble series.

i just,,,, don’t have words for how much i love it! it’s ridiculous, it’s cute, it’s funny, it’s whole-some and just ladrien. the writer also has a M rated multi-chapter ladrien kissing (no the M is very much real here) and a heroic adrien and ladybug one-shot too!

Those Benevolent Stars by peachcitt [ G, 23,696 words, 3/3 ]

“Will you come back?”

She looked up at the deep blue sky, as if she could somehow find the answer there. “I shouldn’t,” she said, shaking her head and looking back at him. But the stars were still there, caught in her eyes, and Adrien persisted.

“But will you?”

adrien meets his soulmate, a thief who calls herself ladybug. he falls for her, but she seems determined to maintain a space between them.

oh my god this au.... just no words!! it’s poetry and it’s tender and it’s about the yearning and just!!! perfect :’). Her current ongoing ladrien june fic is also akin to this (and the fic i linked before it) so do check it out too! (literally check out all of their works it’s so beautiful)

Flowers on the Window Sill by LNC [ G, 2,144 words, 1/1 ]

The first time Ladybug saw him, really saw him, the universe stopped.

this fic feels like poetry and it’s so lovely. LNC is always short and direct but it always hits right in the feels while also being hilarious. Her other ladrien works are just as good and i highly recommend going through them because it fulfills all of the ladrien needs (along with Reiaji)

whatever a sun will always sing is you by komorebirei [ T, 32,980 words, 37/37 ]

“I didn't think you'd actually... do anything," Adrien admitted, cheeks prickling with warmth. "I-I mean, I never expected... I didn't know you watched my interviews.” That definitely wasn’t how he'd imagined confessing to Ladybug.

“Of course I do!” Ladybug squeaked. “Uhh, that is…” She looked down at her hands, nervously turning her yo-yo over, over and over. “Maybe you’re not the only one with a crush.”

(After an unexpected confession, Ladybug and Adrien start dating in secret. A progressive character- and relationship-study quilted from drabbles, with the intention of digging treasure out of the cove that is Ladrien. Written using kashimalin-fanfiction's kiss writing prompts from Tumblr.)

it does such an excellent job at exploring this dynamic along with the characters. it’s such a sweet fic, each chapter short and fun!

ANGST

whose woods these are (I think I know.) by Reiaji [ T, 105,000 words, 25/25 ]

Four years after his future turns to cinders, Adrien is a servant in the house he was meant to inherit. Disowned by his father and abused by his stepmother, his days are filled with drudgery until he meets a masked huntress in the forest behind his father's chateau.

As his friendship with Ladybug turns to first love, he dreams of a future spent at her side.

Then, on the eve of the Princess's masquerade, he meets his guardian—and is granted a wish.

[Ladrien Cinderella AU]

Warnings: Child abuse, Graphic depiction of violence

this is absolutely gorgeous. it has so many troupes and so many amazing character arc and great build up and everything just flows so well. it left me in awe for weeks and i just. want to experience reading it for the first time again. look at this gorgeous art inspired by this! {and you have to read leonard bernstein too because LETTERS and LADRIEN and YEARNING}

i would do it again (oh, a thousand times) by bugabisous [ T, 2,266 words, 1/1 ]

Knowing you can bring someone back doesn’t mean you’re free of the pain of seeing them disappear before your eyes. He can’t imagine he’ll be able to look at her directly without replaying every horrifying moment when he felt her slip away in a puff of smoke.

When it happens once again, he already knows he’ll be trying again. He just can’t give up.

it expands on adrien’s feelings in the episode desperada (my beloved <3) and it is just ouch. such great angst, such great potential. the kind of tragedy that it offers is unusual for ml (it gets only rivaled by chat blanc tbh). to rival this angst bugabisous also has a fluffy one-shot :)

when the world gets too heavy (put it on my back) by Taliax [ T, 4,720 words, 1/1 ]

Chat Noir isn't allowed to cry over his father. But even when he's just Adrien, Ladybug won't abandon him.

Hawkmoth reveal hurt/comfort + Ladrien

the plagg and adrien bond written is just perfect, and oh this hits right in the feels :’) it hurts all in the right way. tali also has so many other ladrien works in all genres too

By Your Side by omniousunflower [ T, 4,361 words, 1/1 ]

(Angry and alone, Adrien waits on top of the Eiffel Tower for his lady.)

“So, how did my kitty get stranded up here?” Ladybug asks.

Groaning, Adrien pulls his knees toward his chest and presses his face against them. “Because he’s stupid and impulsive.”

“Chasing pigeons, then?”

“No.” Shame burns in Adrien’s veins, white-hot now that Ladybug is here to witness his stupidity. “I threw my Miraculous, and Plagg wouldn’t get it for me.”

post-hawkmoth defeat, and adrien is not doing well at all. i am cheating because it is post reveal, pre relationship but it’s still ladrien. this fic is a roller coater of emotions, starting from a slightly crack scenario to a cute, awkward, hopeful ending. More Than You Know is another of sunny’s angsty ladrien work!

Breaking The Rules (AKA The Ladrien Fistfight) by ThisKwamiNeeds_aNap [ T, 8,714 words, 1/1 ]

Marinette may or may not be dying, but she’s still going to do her best to fix every single problem in the world. She’s not expecting Adrien to be the one who tries to stop her. (Takes place immediately after Kwami Buster)

Warnings: panic attack, broken bones, PTSD. please read the tags!

*slaps this fic* this fic can fit in so much angst. it just?? left me in PAIN oof. it says ‘ladrien fistfight’ on the lid but nooo there is marinette is just having a freak out and it’s all so much??!! and it’s not just marinette there is adrien too and chloe and alya and- wow it’s amazing. love it so much it fills up my angst needs :’)

so that’s it for now! my personal commentary isn’t impressive nor does it do justice to the fic but i still hope you read a few of these!! happy reading!!

#ladren #fic rec #ml fic rec #miraculous ladybug #i know i dont do the fics justice but. oh well #lovesquare #ladrien #obviously check out the writers other workd too but this is ladrien so i am trying to give it a bit more emphasis #also i am so sorry i couldnt include more lesser known writers but unfortunatley they dont have ladrien uRGH anyway maybe sometime later!#i spend a lot of time on thi n got lazy so plz be considerate #also add recs if u want even self-promo is cool duh

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rahleeyah · 2 years

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opening lines meme

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories. (If you have less than 20, just list them all!) See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Tag some people to play the next round!

Tagged by @gabolange thank you friend!!! i love this.

1. The wind whipping in off the water carried with it the salty tang of the ocean, and the floorboards of the old wooden porch creaked beneath his feet.

2. It began, the way all the best stories do, in a bar.

3. Monstrous.

4. There's been too much uncertainty, lately.

5. "It's an awful lot of money," Jean said with some dismay, staring down at the neat pile of paperwork in front of her.

6. This time when she came to see him she brought her own beer.

7. For a second she just stood there, staring at the door.

8. It was raining.

9. Christmas is coming, and he promised mami he would stay in the city, promised her he would go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve because he has never really believed in heaven or hell or god or the devil but he has, always, believed in mami, and she is old now, and grey, and he doesn't know how many chances he has left to make her happy, and he will not lose this one.

10. Her hair smelled faintly of flowers, and he breathed it in, slow and deep.

11. There is, and always has been, something about her hair.

12. As young girls will, Jean Beazley, née Randall, learned a great deal about life at her mother's knee.

13. His heart hammered in his chest as he raced up the stairs.

14. Eddie was something of a letdown, in the end.

15. "How are things, Olivia?" he asks her warmly.

16. They're in the park on a warm day in early spring.

17. The van was his idea.

18. Do it.

19. "Maybe she should just go home instead," Kat said, a little apprehensively.

20. "Seriously, dad?" Kathleen asked as she spun slowly on her heel, taking in the chaos around her with an expression akin to horror on her face.

and my favorite??? oh my goodness. i love them all. It’s probably either #2 (hearts on fire) or #9 (collateral damage) or #14 (promises).

as for patterns, i tend to favor short and snappy opening lines, and i like to drop y’all right in the middle of a story without a ton of exposition. i have been thinking recently about how i often open chapters with dialogue so i’m honestly surprised there aren’t more lines like that on this list lol

i will tag @andallthatmishigas @goodthingscomeinthrees @idoltina

#fic #long post

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keilemlucent · 4 years

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lavender latte: iv

(T (for now!))

hawks | takami keigo x reader

ao3

chapter 1 || chapter 2 || chapter 3 || chapter 5 ||

word count: 7.7k

sucks when things go south, huh.

warnings: description of bodily injury, blood, mild? gore (it’s just describing injury), description of overstimulation, capital h and c hurt/comfort

------

chapter 4 :’^) thank u for all of the love so far. i appreciate. every. single. one of. u. bottom of my lil rat heart.

this chapter was nearly split, but giving y’all a cliffhanger seemed mean

this the turning point and set up for the rest of the story so buckle up and enjoy ;^)

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Things between you and Hawks didn’t change too much, not externally anyways. Both of you still continued to indulge your feelings, even if you desperately tried to ignore them.

You continued to honestly spoil Hawks in lavish drinks of many sensations. Truthfully, you loved nothing more than seeing his face as he sipped at your new creations, watching the curiosity and pleasure spread over his features made your heart soar in your chest.

And Keigo continued to bask in your company. The drinks were always amazing, but the chatter and discourse between the two of you was what he loved most. Or, maybe it was his learning of you through watching your small gestures and cues. His analytical, interpersonal skills were, for once, being put to a use that didn’t involve espionage or deception.

It felt cleansing.

Despite these quietly greedy interactions, there was a great deal of repression between the two of you. Aimless flirting aside, squishing any growing feelings caused you both a great deal of strain. It worked, avoidance, for a while anyway. It wasn’t without consequences, but they wouldn’t get nasty until later.

One of the most apparent tolls was Keigo’s physical state. Having to actively ignore and quash his feelings for you caused such a deep amount of emotional turmoil. It made him ache all over. This was in addition to an asinine amount of extra hours he was spending staking out the villain syndicate that was indeed in the neighborhood of the tea shop.

(He wouldn’t admit it, but he was being overly diligent in scouting out the organization's doings. They were very close to you and your home, and the thought of you getting caught up in anything to do with his profession fucked him up on-premise alone.)

The combination of both physical and mental exertion made him messier than ever. It physically clouded him a lot of the time. Exhaustion had well and truly seized nipping at his ankles and proceeded to fully rip a chunk from his skull.

Keigo had yet another long day, dawn until at least midnight, no matter his aching body.

He’d be listening in on out some sort of meeting between the villain syndicate and one of its allies, some more reclusive group of villains from the far-off mountains. Neither organization was particularly noteworthy, but they did have some nasty criminal connection that needed to be monitored. That meant a late night for Keigo and an even greater need for caffeine.

He paid you a visit in the early morning.

The moment Hawks came through the door, you lit up, beaming from behind the counter.

The shop was empty, just having opened a few minutes before he appeared. The only sounds were the hum coffee machines, quiet music, and the tapping of your own tinkerings. Normally, there’d be more bustle, but you were alone in the din of the shop.

“Hey, angel,” He flashed you a winning smile, sliding down into his usual stool and propping his elbows on the counter. “Where’s the calvary?”

“Oh, the other openers?” You jerked your thumb to the door. “Running late. They all stayed up late working on a project for school, so I took one for the team and am manning the ship alone for this first bit.”

You sighed, looking quite tired yourself.

There was mutual recognition of your twin state, though it wasn’t verbally regarded in any way.

Hawks was far better at hiding his poor health from you, but that didn’t stop you from seeing the pinholes in his facade. You’d gotten better at it with time.

“What can I get you today, Hawks? Inspire me.” You set the glass on the counter between the two of you, gesturing to the expanse of the coffeeshop. “It’s just you and me today, so I can go all out.”

“You don’t already?” Hawks chuckled, running a hand through his hair with a sigh.

“I try,” You shrugged. “I really do my best work for you, whether you’re a glorified guinea pig or not. Gotta serve up the best for my best customer.”

On any normal, Hawks would’ve bantered right back at you, keeping you on your toes with quick words and wit.

That day?

He just laughed, something weirdly neutral, almost off-putting because you knew it was manufactured.

You opened your mouth, brows furrowing. You wanted nothing more than to ask ‘hey, are you alright?’.

But, that would’ve broken some of your own, mentally-imposed boundaries. It hurt, to just laugh with him, but it was all you would let yourself do.

“So,” You broke the air with words as opposed to giggles. “What would you like?”

Hawks hummed, “Surprise me.”

“... Like, fully?”

Hawks nodded, slowly.

Keigo, in a movement of full vulnerability, (he told himself it would just be for a few minutes), laid his head on his folded arms, “Go wild, angel. I trust you. Make me anything you’re feeling. Wing it, no pun intended.”

You blinked at him, nodding. His sudden, almost submissive action surprised you. Something in you ached, seeing him so worn down.

You channeled this feeling into a desire to make him top-tier drink.

Reaching into your apron, you fished out your idea notebook. Many had been crossed off over the many weeks (months now?) that Hawks had been visiting the tea shop. You fairly consistently wrote down new ones, so there were always options, but on that day, none appealed to you.

Your gaze flickered back to Hawks, watching the soft movements of his breath through the tight fabric of the back of his shirt.

You needed to make it extra good, help shake Hawks from his stupor.

You’re gonna wing it.

You’ll make a feel-good drink.

It was your only self-imposed criteria.

You hadn’t ever made Hawks a drink without a concept and feeling beforehand, so the concept of not having one seemed novel.

You activated your quirk and began.

“How’s your day been?” Hawks called from behind you, words muffled.

Keigo still didn’t look at you; resting on his arms allowed him a little bit of a reprieve before his grueling day. He’d take it. Hearing your voice would make it that much better.

You described your day with a decent amount of detail for how much it hadn’t gotten started yet. Hamming up the detail meant more time for you to craft the drink. Your mind spun, grasping onto pre-existing, mental abstracts in your oddly calm headspace to create something tangible.

Though your quirk was activated, you weren’t really identifying a feeling specifically, rather just letting your quirk draw from whatever material you had laying around in your brainscape at 6 AM on a weekday morning.

You pulled as many espresso shots as Hawks usually liked (maximum, five, you refused to give him more than that in a single drink), pouring them into some steamed oatmilk and several other ingredients you had mixed into a cup. You tapped some cinnamon on top of the foam, polishing everything off with a dash of sweet cream.

Carefully, you set it between the two of you. Hawks hadn’t spoken since you had begun to make the drink, so oddly silent.

It almost made your skin itch, his lack of response. You reminded yourself with quick glances that Hawks was very obviously out of it and exhausted. You were sure that without the concealer he wore under his eyes (a secret he revealed to only you), he’d have purple circles punched from how overworked he was.

You hoped your drink would be enough to brighten up his day.

You bit your lip as Hawks raised his head, blonde waves more unruly than normal. A small, lopsided smile stretched across his face as he sat up, grabbing the drink and bringing it closer. He had learned long ago to allow them to cool.

“Sorry for not being as peppy as I normally am!” It was almost imperceptible, the off-kilter tone in his voice.

You caught it but said nothing.

He sheepishly rubbed at the back of his head. “Been running on empty it seems, angel.”

“Then take some fuel, bird boy.” You nodded to the foamy drink. “When are you supposed to be done today?”

“Late, like late. Early morning, probably.” Hawks sighed, taking a sip.

...

As the liquid coated his mouth, Keigo’s mind seized.

What.

What the fuck.

Any and all thoughts he had disappeared. They were incinerated from his mind by the drink’s heat.

A sun-scorching sensation like he’d never even known tore through his body.

It was so different from the other ‘warm’-toned drinks you’d made him in the past. The flavor and feeling filling him up was nothing like the hearth-like drinks you had made prior. You had treated him to plenty of beverages that felt akin to open flame, warm blankets, a cat purring over your chest, a candle on a cold night—

But, nothing even close to this.

This was such a strong feeling that if he was a less trained man, his eyes would’ve rolled back in his head. If he’d been standing, he was sure his legs would’ve been visibly shaking, probably given out.

Sure, the feeling was abstract, not as concrete as your other drinks but it was ineffably strong.

It felt like the flutter you caused in his stomach, but somehow all over and inside of him.

It was the heat in his cheeks when he saw you, but reaching from his toes to the skin of his scalp.

It was the shock in his throat when you smiled so honestly at him, now forcing his hands to twitch around the cup.

The consuming sensation was all of that goodness and more, magnified and exponentially deeper and marvelously burning.

It was hot, fiery as it ripped through him, completely unignorable. But, it was also soft, colored with the earnestness that he admired about you so much—

Oh.

It clicked as the sensation stirred in his stomach, fluttering to a point of near nausea.

It was you.

The moment he realized it, that all of that sensation was you feeling, as you had made the drink, something began to broil in the apex of his chest, rolling and all-consuming.

His mind stalled as he took it all in, taking another sip.

The feeling washed over him again, equally as wonderfully crushing.

“Soooo,” You drawled, setting a jar next to you on the counter, beaming him a smile. “What do you think? Gimme your judgment, bird boy.”

Keigo struggled to keep his face neutral as he quickly searched yours.

Even in his state, it was clear that there was no deception or riddle laced into the creaminess of the drink. The expectancy in your face was derived from admiration, not waiting for the punchline of an unfinished joke.

“It’s warm! Like, in your stomach.” Hawks looked down before taking another sip, the even smile on his face not wavering for even a moment. “What is it?”

“It’s a miel,” You tapped the jar next to you, pointing at the amber goo inside. “This is some wildflower honey from the owner’s sister’s farm, right outside the city. We have a bunch of extra stuff, so there’s no better time to make a honey-based drink.”

Hawks eyed the steam, “What goes into a ‘miel’?”

Watching Hawks’ shoulder go slack with the next chug he took, you hummed, “It’s a latte, so espresso and milk, then it has the honey in it which is what makes it a ‘miel’. Topped it with some special sweet cream, a bit of cinnamon. My extra touches in it as well, just based on my quirk.”

Hawks met your gaze, his eyes softening with what you could’ve sworn was desperation, but was quickly swallowed up but stoicism, “And what was this drink’s inspiration?”

You laughed, shoving your hands in your apron from the typical anxiety, though the feeling itself was somewhat normal and thereby dulled, “It didn’t have one! I just winged it, like you said. My quirk was activated though, so it was just sort of the concept of what I was perceiving and feeling, I suppose.”

There was a pause as you waited for Hawks to speak.

He didn’t.

Keigo stared down at the drink, then you.

Holy fuck.

This was ambient?

The sensation that made his toes curl and every part of him yearn to reach out to touch you and give all of himself to you—

It was unintentional?

The feeling was familiar, one that he had organically all the time when thinking of you, being with you at the teashop. It was the one that he shoved down over and over again around you, yet craved more than anything.

And here you were, unknowingly returning it to him.

You hadn’t intended it to be shared and you had no idea you even did.

Keigo was one of the most perceptive people on the planet— he knew that many of the feelings between the two of you were mutual. As much flirting as there was, a lot of it was real from both of you.

He just didn't think it ran this far deep.

(Mutually.)

“What... What do you think it tastes like?” You asked, that nasty rot in your gut rearing itself as Hawk’s lack of response ate at you. You turned fully to him, actually taking him in.

Keigo did what he was so skilled at doing—

Lying.

Hawks waved his hands in front of him like he was trying to put out small flames, “Nothing bad! Promise, it’s really good! It tastes like how the coffee shop feels. Warm, comfortable. It makes sense that your quirk would reflect that.”

You breathed a sigh of relief, “Oh, good. I’m glad it's good.”

“Very good. I might have to put miels on my list of favorite drinks you’ve made me,” Hawks gave you a relaxed grin, standing and passing a wad of cash to you.

You didn’t expect him to be leaving so quickly, but he did say he was busy.

“Oh, hey, Hawks?” He perked up when you said his name, blinking at you. “I’ve got a project I’m working that I’m doing for the owner, so I’ll be here late. If you’re around, you’re welcome to come by after close if you want another drink? For your long night.”

Hawks softened for you like he so often had come to do. He fluffed up the collar of his jacket, wings ruffling up behind him, “I think I’ll take you up on that. I’ll have some ideas for you then too, how about that?”

“Sounds lovely,” Your voice was like the honey of the drink, warm, sweet, and vibrant. “I’ll see you then, Hawks.”

“See you then, angel,” Hawks practically glowed as he walked from the door, the chime of the bell sounding with his exit. “I’ll text you when I’m close!”

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Over the course of the day, an odd feeling grew in the pitch of your stomach. You did your best to ignore it.

You alternated between serving customers and working on the ‘project’ the owner had saddled you with. Making centerpieces for his sister’s bridal shower was not something you should’ve been doing on company time, but they were giving you a handsome sum of cash under the table for it.

You couldn’t complain too much, other than that it was laborious. Masons jars stuffed with wired lights and frosted glasses, tied with twine and ribbons were all to be prettily arranged by your hand.

During the middle of the day, you went back home, spending your time between shifts catching up on sleep and making some decent food.

The odd gnawing only grew in your stomach.

Keigo’s long day was wearing on, though somewhat uneventfully. Most of his patrolling time was the effortless thwarting of petty crime and easy rescuing.

He even had the time to go back to his agency and snoop.

Because, for how lame his day was, the drink you made him (which he had greedily chugged all of shortly upon leaving the tea shop) caused him to think particularly hard about your quirk.

(As opposed to the asphyxiating awareness of your shared feelings.)

He didn’t get it.

You’d managed to perfectly create a drink that communicated complex feelings. You’d told him in the past that it could be used for any sort of feeling as well, but you were so vague beyond that. You were abstract in the same way you quirk was.

So, he decided to abuse his power a little.

He decided to actually take a lunch at the agency, munching on takeout while clicking through the HPSC’s databases.

Civilian quirks, especially those that had never attempted to pursue any sort of career with them, weren’t documented incredibly well. Maybe a few details that were used in public research projects, but not much beyond that. He had hoped he could dig and find something that would assuage his curiosity and confusion.

He tapped your name into the HPSC’s hero-accessible database, scrolling and pulling up your file.

There was a picture of you, one from an ID that must’ve been a few years old. There were personal details Keigo wasn’t all that interested in, though it was neat to finally know your birthday.

He clicked on the tab for your quirk.

Quirk: Synesthetic Manifestation

Description: Allows the user to materially manifest abstract, synesthetically-created feelings into reality.

This quirk does not allow the user to alter reality, only tangibly create abstracts through the means at their disposal.

Drawback: This quirk causes severe synesthetic overstimulation and appears to be activated unintentionally in instances that expose them to high amounts of stimuli.

Quirk potential:

Keigo knew the concept of ‘quirk potential’ well. Most of the time, this portion on files was only filled out if the individual had ever trained to use their quirk in a profession.

Oddly, your’s contained a few details.

The user showed high potential in initial assessments, but due to the nature of the quirk, its drawbacks, and its recorded usage, this user’s quirk is now classified as lowest potential.

Keigo frowned.

All this just made him more confused.

The file didn’t get into much more detail than you did. The only thing that was new information to him was that at some point you had tried to use your quirk in a training setting and that somehow got you demoted from high potential to lowest potential.

Keigo’s own quirk in the database was regarded as highest potential; you, at some point, were only a step down from him. Something knocked you down from pursuing quirk-based work, and based on your current employment at the tea shop, you never got up. Keigo figured it was the intricacies of your quirk that he didn’t fully understand.

He’d have to be a bit more careful getting any more information out of you, considering how much you disliked talking about it.

Keigo continued to stew, finishing off his lunch while thoughts of you and your feelings danced across his mind.

Though it was clear his adoration was obviously returned, it was much easier for him to muse over the nature of your quirk than the way he wanted to pull you over the teashop’s counter and kiss you breathless.

You went back to work, a few chalky tablets of stomachache medicine in your tummy. They were all you could do to try and quell the twisting in your gut.

By the time you arrived back to start your ‘night shift’, it was late evening, the sun already having fallen into the horizon.

Most of your time prior to closing was spent in the front, helping make drinks and clean up as you could. Part of you was actually excited to throw on some good music and grind after the tea shop was shut down for the night.

Also, seeing Hawks twice in the same day? Absolutely fantastic.

You wanted to try and make him a knockout drink, to make up for the lackluster one you’d prepared him earlier. Seeing his eyes get all gooey with happiness would more than push you through your night of work.

Your phone chimed a bit before close.

[birdboy]: hey ;^) mind if I come by in like a half an hour?

[you]: yeah!! just call me and i’ll unlock the door for you

Your closing coworkers giggled at you. They all knew that that big smile stretched across your face meant you were texting Hawks. You used to get a bit shy about it, but now you just gave them shit. He was your friend, right?

[birdboy]: what if i like, hit the glass, like fly into it like birds do into windows

[you]: okay one- no, that would definitely shatter the windows and idk if i wanna deal with that AND you tonight ;^)

[you]: and TWO- are you speaking. from experience. about hitting windows.

[birdboy]: please dont @ me like this

You snorted.

[birdboy]: i had to pay off a tabloid who got it on camera bc it would ruin my brand

[you]: do u still have those photos

[birdboy]: ... maybe

[you]: hawks

[you]: gimme

[birdboy]: idk if i can my publicist will kill me

[you]: u hear what i hear?? a coward

[you]: how does ‘your brand’ feel about that

[birdboy]: ...

[birdboy]: gimme one of those honey sticks u have at the register and the pics are yours once i get there ;^)))

[you]: DEAL!!!

You pocketed your phone in your apron, unable to stop the almost ridiculous smile that you wore.

Hawks made you uncomfortably happy. You knew that he didn’t feel the same, but he was still there. Even if you were just entertainment to him, you were happy to perform on any stage he was watching.

As closing crept up, you shooed your other coworkers off. Most of the closing tasks were done, they could leave a few minutes early.

As they began to pack up, chatting about some party that night, your insides twisted.

You squeezed the counter, rubbing your forehead while wishing your coworkers a good evening.

Weird.

It was about then that things went to shit for both you and Hawks.

Keigo’s was supposed to be in for a hellishly long shift of surveillance based on the intel he’d received about the syndicate and its impending meeting.

Apparently, that meeting was happening earlier, rather than later.

The chaos started quickly, the meetup going from a strategic talk to an all-out fight between two groups.

It spilled into the nearby streets, both sides unabashed in their destruction.

Perhaps, if Keigo had been faster (what a tall order, for the fastest man in all of Japan), things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand.

But quickly, things erupted and the streets dissolved in mayhem as he dove and sent feathers flying.

You stood by the front entrance, waiting for Hawks, idly sweeping. The cleaning tasks were almost done, the world outside was dark with the late evening.

You froze when the ground beneath your feet rumbled with revving engines, the air splitting with the sound of car horns and alarms.

Everything that happened next moved so quickly, it was difficult to follow.

Windows began to shatter all across the street, near and far.

They cracked, spraying glass as a figure cloaked in black flew down the asphalt outside. A red barrage followed after it, nearly subduing it as it raced past the tea shop.

The massive glass panels at the front of the tea shop filled with frosty lines, just feet in front of you.

It clicked for you a few moments too late.

Adrenaline shot through you, but it wasn’t enough.

...

You weren’t Hawks, you weren’t fast enough to outrun much of anything, let alone quirk-shattered glass.

You were just barely able to turn around before the spray of shards reached you.

You would later be incredibly thankful that you wore denim jeans and a wool sweater that day. Without the thick fabrics, you were sure that you would’ve been shredded. The problem was your low-top shoes and thin socks.

Just as you turned, searing pain shot from the back of your left ankle. You urged yourself to forget the specifics, flesh-tearing, mind beginning to buzz.

You just had to keep moving.

Except, you couldn’t. Your left leg gave out with your next step.

You shrieked as you fell to the floor, barely catching yourself. Your palms smacked against the ground, pieces of sharpened glass driving into the flesh.

You couldn’t help screaming, your voice mingling with the sound of alarms, cries for help, and the war cries of a nearby fight.

Oh.

You were in the middle of a fairly nasty villain attack.

...

So much for giving Hawks a better drink.

The mental joke seemed macabre, especially in your state.

You willed with all of your might, for your quirk to not activate. Overstimulation was just inches away from your current state, the sounds outside the teashop boring through your skull like diamond drill bits.

The pain that was radiating from your left leg was nearly unbearable, but you knew that getting out of the front room was imperative.

How you managed to keep your injured leg straight, you’ll never know.

You locked your jaw and pulled yourself along the floor, hoping that Hawks had this all under control. More people were bound to be hurt by the same sort of attack you got caught in, right? How many more folks had been sliced up like you? Worse than you?

Keigo wasn’t having much trouble subduing the villains. They, of course, had no idea that he had been watching the syndicate for three-odd months. He knew their quirks, their tactics, their escape routes, everything. What he didn’t know as well was the other group’s specifics.

From what he had understood before the fight, the two had somewhat friendly relations. Still, Keigo mentally kicked himself for not being more diligent in his gathering of intel.

His mistakes aside, the much more pressing issue was the two-kilometer stretch of shops that were now collateral damage in what was essentially a mobile mob war.

This damage included the tea shop.

When he’d flown past the shop, he’d only caught a glimpse of your face through the glass before it shattered.

You’d looked terrified.

Every part of him wanted to stop, dead in the air, rush in, and make sure you were okay, but he had to at least get things under control until more heroes showed up. Then, he’d be able to get to you.

By the time Keigo subdued several villains of either group, more Pros had arrived on the scene. He sped off to the teashop far too quickly when he saw others gathering. It was an ill-advised move, but he was clouded by a different set of instincts than those cultivated in his hero training.

The flight did allow him to fully take in the damage of the district, though.

It was about as bad as it could be.

Whatever the villain’s quirk was must’ve shattered glass within a certain radius from his body, Keigo observed.

Thankfully, the villain’s quirk didn’t appear to affect anything past two stories of height, sparing all above it. Those panes and pieces that did shatter had sprayed businesses, restaurants, shops, and the street with shards of glass. Not to mention that they flew at the speed of projectiles.

(At the full-minded revelation that there was no way you weren’t hurt, Keigo felt his stomach flip and eyes burn.)

Keigo shuddered to think how bad the damage would’ve been if the encounter happened during broad daylight.

Keigo curled in his wings, dropping onto the floor at the front of the teashop through the broken window.

He kept his expression somewhat neutral, though the scene before him tore at his heart in a way he wasn’t expecting.

The tea shop was destroyed.

The pretty, warm lighting fixtures had shattered, fine filaments exposed, and a few sparking. The glass jars on your wall of tea blends were broken, spilling leaves and dried herbs across the back counter. That wasn’t even to mention the layer of shards from all of the glassware stored around the coffee machines.

Seeing the destruction of one of the only places he had ever found real comfort in was awful, and it tore something hidden and vulnerable in his heart.

But far, far worse was the absolute horror that bloomed in his chest when he saw the sizeable spot of blood in the middle of the floor, smearing to the back doorway.

“(Y/N)!” Keigo shouted, ignoring any stealthy elements and hurriedly following the trail.

“B-back here,” Oh, your voice was so weak.

Keigo couldn’t make himself move fast enough.

You’d managed to get yourself to the back, biting your lip so hard you were scared you’d break the skin. Part of you was lucid enough to know that making too much noise could be bad. Then again, the shop was supposed to be closed. Did anyone even know that you were there?

Hawks did.

You gripped at one of the edges of the stainless steel countertops, using all the strength you could muster to pull yourself upright. As careful as you were not to jostle your injured leg (that you still hadn’t looked at properly because you were terrified), the moment you bent it, you had to suppress a scream, turning it into a slow, nasty exhale. You let yourself sink to the floor again.

Something was seriously fucked up.

Then Hawks called your name.

You were sprawled out on the floor, injured leg awkwardly turned and extended to prevent the pain from being made worse.

The moment he saw you from the doorway, the remnants of his wings flapped, practically throwing him to the ground next to you.

The moment you saw him enter the back room, any and all fronts you had put on for yourself fell apart.

“H-Hawks,” You hated how small your voice sounded as you pushed yourself closer to him.

The details of him, how ruffled his remaining feathers were, how wide and scared his eyes were, how different he looked from the times you’d seen him on the news confidently saving the day, were lost on you.

Though, Keigo noticed your poor state easily. It was more obvious.

He scanned your form with the trained precision he was known for. He took in the shattered piece of glass sticking from your leg, bleeding lightly. Your palms weren’t bloody, but they were dotted with shards of glass.

He also noticed your panicked shaking and your unnaturally dilated pupils, beyond anything he’d seen while you’d made drinks for him.

“Is your quirk active?” Keigo asked, pulling off his gloves and grabbing one of your wrists. He turned your palm, using two of his smallest feathers like tweezers to pick at the shards pieces of glass.

“Y-yeah,” You replied, using the back of your other hand to wipe at your eyes. “It does this when I’m under extreme stress. I can’t turn it off.”

Keigo managed to laugh, relieved that the cuts in your hands weren’t that severe, “You just focus on me, okay, angel? That’s all you gotta do.”

You nod, trying to hold your overstimulated mind back. It’s fruitless, truly, because the moment Hawks reminds you that he is, in fact, there, and that you are safe, you quirk-addled mind spasms.

The awful mix of sensations whirled in your skull as you leaned forward, pressing your forehead into Hawks’ shoulder. In other circumstances, it would be a romantic gesture. But, the only purpose you had in the contact was hoping, praying, that the heat of his body would distract you from the swirling of sensations you couldn’t stop.

In that mental soup, within the fear, intense pain, and loss, oddly enough, was the unignorable, pleasant feeling of being so close to him. It made your heart squeeze. But, it was a single spice of sensation in a foul-tasting stew though, and it was hard to isolate the good in the muck of your mind.

You shook against him as sounds and pain blended inside your skull, thoughts becoming murkier and harder to understand.

Keigo finished tweezing your other hand, that one worse off, and wrapping it in some gauze he had stuffed in his jacket.

His mind screamed for him to wrap you in his arms, to pull you close and keep you safe. It was all he could fathom doing, just nearly moving to do so—

That was until the popping rumble of a nearby explosion interrupted his thoughts.

You jumped against him, muffling a scream in his shoulder.

His heart ached.

“(Y/N), I know this is all scary,” Hawks’s voice came through your sensational slurry. “But, I need to be back out there right now.”

“No.” Your mouth spewed with no discernable thoughts behind it. “Don’t leave. Please, don’t. Please.”

You caught Hawks’ wince, but barely.

He was already repositioning you, scooting you under one of the countertops, “Angel, I’m sorry. I need to go, but I’ll be back. I promise.”

Your eyes screwed shut, vibrating in your skull as pulling your uninjured leg to your chest.

Hawks looked equally as torn up about having to leave, brows creased with his lip worried between his teeth.

Despite how messy your brain felt, you knew that you were beyond defenseless. Even if your mind could easily conjure up an infinite number of ways to bring a person non-lethal (and lethal) pain, you were turning to mush mentally and you had glass sticking out of your leg. You had no fucking way to create it with your body.

Your back hit the wall under the counter and you managed to wrench your eyes open, taking in Hawks and his visage while you spun.

He looked so sad.

The feeling of mourning and fear spat so hotly in your mind, it was like you’d been intangibly burned by his expression.

You choked on your own stored tears, reaching out for him.

He caught one of your hands, the wrapped one, and squeezed it lightly.

Even with so few feathers left, Hawks plucked one, about the size of your forearm. He replaced his hand with the plumage.

“(Y/N), I will be back. I promise,” Hawks (so weakly) smiled, trying to reassure you. “You snap that feather if anything changes, okay? If anyone comes into the shop who isn’t another pro, or if you start to feel faint. Do you understand?”

“Yeah.” You gritted out, somehow laughing. Your vocal cords rubbing together sends a wave of agony up the back of your neck, burying behind your eyes. You press your forehead in your bent knee.

With one last, fleeting look, eyeing your wound and remembering slate-colored eyes, Keigo took flight into the fray once more.

Keigo hated leaving you. He hated it so fucking much. It burned him, felt wrong in every way. You were so vulnerable in your state. Both of you knew that without him there, you were entirely exposed and fairly defenseless.

It perked up that protective instinct he’d repeatedly had towards you for months. It was probably something related to his avian mutation, but it was just blood-boiling need to keep you safe.

Yet, he just left you, wounded and mentally spiraling, in the middle of a destroyed building.

If he wasn’t trained so well, he would have acted differently. But, it had been burned into him time and time again what his needs were in disaster situations.

Neutralize, stabilize, clear out.

Through his exhaustion, he fought and soared with all he had, fatigue forgotten and replaced by hot cortisol. He forced himself faster, zipping down alleyways and across rooftops at some of his top speeds.

While Keigo tracked down all of the villains (he managed to miss the first time), he trusted that the other Pros could deal with the heavy collateral damage. He was number two, he could catch some organized criminals.

Beyond his training, Keigo had an even bigger motivation.

He could feel you.

The feather he left with you must’ve been pressed right up to your chest, maybe under your neck with the way Keigo could so intensely feel your breath and heartbeat. He could sense it gradually speeding up to the point of what had to be panic. If Keigo focused, he could make out your terror-stricken babbling.

“It’s okay.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“This is fine.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“Hawks is okay.”

“He’ll come back.”

“He won’t leave.”

...

“Everything's gonna be okay.”

With that last one, your words gave out and it turned in gasping breaths.

Keigo worked himself harder, striking down the last of villains with absolute precision, all distractions forgotten in the most pivotal moments of combat.

The instant the villains were in custody, restrained, he was flying back towards the tea shop.

You don’t remember any of this well. Your mind was liquified, your body throbbing in pain.

It had been an incredibly long time, years since you’d been in any situation resembling a villain attack. There was no way to stop the synesthetic storm that was choking your mind. Every sensation was magnified, mixed with another, and shoved down your throat without any ability to change it.

A few minutes after Hawks left, giving you time to stew and roll, you spiraled more harshly.

When you realized how pitifully helpless you were, you fell away, pressing your wet face into the Hawks’s feather. Your vision muddled between black and red.

You felt the cold of the blood wetting your pant leg.

Your wound is bad.

You hadn’t fully looked at it in awhile.

Opening your eyes, you suppressed a wave of nausea at the small puddle of blood growing under the bottom half of your useless leg.

The way the denim of your jeans stuck to your skin mixed with the smell heady smell of blood made you gag.

You couldn’t keep it up anymore.

Letting your eyes shut, you sank down to the floor, cheek pressed into the dirty cement.

You don’t know how long you idled, drowning in your mind’s colors and vibrantly violent sensations.

You were only half-conscious when the feather pressed to your neck twitches.

“(Y/N)!” Keigo shouted as he landed in the teashop, flying straight to the backroom, bypassing the mess of broken glass.

His breath caught, seeing you slumped over.

“Fuck,” Keigo couldn’t stop the tremble in his voice as he noticed how much blood had pooled beneath your injured ankle. “Hey, hey, (Y/N)—”

He sure fucking sucked at admitting his faults, and recognizing the severity of wounds was indeed one of them. He didn’t usually stick around long enough to deal with casualties so closely.

Keigo threw off his gloves, tossing them behind him without looking.

“‘M fine,” You started to push yourself up, hissing at the pain that surged from cuts in your hands. “Brain’s mushy.”

“That all?” Thank god Hawks still managed to joke. The humor dashed across your vision like little sparks. You stifle a weak snort.

“There’s my angel.” Keigo was so relieved to see you conscious that he didn’t notice his own possessive slipup. “Are you lightheaded?”

Gingerly, he helped stabilize your body upright as you wrenched your eyes open.

“A little, it’s okay, this is what happens,” Your voice was so loud in your own skull, it hurt. Though, the pain of your words was only a prick in the wet dough of your overworked mind. Sensation was pain, rolling over you and making it harder and harder to stay lucid.

Keigo swallowed thickly at the sight of your fully-blackened irises.

He needed to get you out as fast as possible, but that required assessing the gash in your leg.

His gaze flickered to your ankle, “Can you move your toes?”

“I don’t want to.”

Keigo frowned, weakly, pushing you as upright as possible as you began to slip to the side.

“Please, you have to try, okay?” Keigo begged, not noticing his own voice wobble.

You shook your head, grabbing it in within its own motion. The dizziness made your insides knot and stick together.

“(Y/N), please.”

You shifted your gaze to him, vision tilting as you did.

The frown on your face split as you just barely moved your toes within your blood-soaked shoe.

The fresh pain, vibrant and boiling, cut through the fog like a heat-blackened knife.

Your own fist flew into your mouth to mouth to suppress the cry that bubbled from your throat. You half-recognized it was the one holding Hawks’s feather.

You couldn’t see the way Keigo flinched at the sound, immediatly trying to soothe the two of you.

“Alright, good, okay, you can still feel them,” Hawks managed to laugh, cutting into the miasma of your psyche. It was something light and airy, tasting like packet sugar on the sides of your tongue.

Chasing the goodness of Hawks’s voice, you mustered up as much clarity as you could grasp, willing yourself into full sentences, “Hawks. I swear to fucking God, if you do not get me out of here right now, I will never make you a drink ever again.”

Keigo blinked at you, nodding, watching your attempt to focus on him, though the fully inked irises seemed to refuse to stay put.

So, this is what the file meant about the cost of your quirk.

“Don’t have to tell me twice, dove.” Hawks scooped you up before you could manage to put more thoughts together. A few of his feathers flew to stabilize your injured leg.

His touch felt good, like incredibly good. Even as the crunch of his boots on the broken glass of the tea shop scratched at your inner ears and burned your sinuses, the heat and texture of his jacket caressed over your cheeks. His warmth tasted like honey and cream.

Your head lolled onto his chest, idly playing with the filaments of his feathers that you refused to let go of.

(Keigo didn’t want you to, anyway.)

He couldn’t fly well, not in his mostly-featherless state, so he took to walking instead. He sidestepped as much glass he could, mostly watching your half-lidded eyes fixate on the feather you had pressed up to your face.

It was a weird circle, Keigo feeling your heat and breath so close, both on his body and on the sensitive plumage. Technically, he was doing his job, so he let himself indulge just the smallest bit in being so close to you. When Keigo squeezed you, nearly at the medic’s area, you tucked your face into his collarbones, breaths slowing from panic. You were even slack in his grip.

A paramedic rushed up to the two of you, guiding you to a setup stretcher and a waiting line of ambulances.

“We can take it from here, Hawks, no need to stick around,” The paramedic’s voice cut through the air, dripping bitterness on your tonsils and iron nails in your lungs.

Hawks set you half-down onto the lip of the vehicle, “Nah, it’s okay, I’ll hang out with them for a sec. They’re a friend of mine.”

He’d never said it before. That you were friends.

Heat rushed up to your fingertips, sweetness washing over your wounded leg, topped off silken air settling around your ears.

You’d drown in the sensation, a million times over.

The paramedic ran off quickly, a man with a nasty head wound taking precedence over your leg (which seemed to have clotted somewhat with your somewhat more relaxed state).

Hawks still didn’t leave.

Rather, he moved closer.

So did you.

From your spot sitting on the edge of the ambulance, your injured leg was twisted and propped up while the other dangled off the edge of the vehicle.

Keigo was right up against the metal, allowing you to lean on his side.

“You good?” You asked him, bumping your leg into his lower back.

Keigo couldn’t help jumping. You’d never casually touched him.

(He really liked it.)

Though the setting and circumstances were fucked, he figured it was okay.

You were friends, right?

Hawks wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pressing you into his side.

You took it a step further, wanting to simply soak in the amber, milky feeling of his touch.

You squish your cheek low against his collarbone, drinking in the smell of his sweat, stale, spiced cologne, and rich, expensive smelling hair oil.

The scents washed over your skin, rolling over your burning wounds like aloe and clean water.

“Thank you.” Your voice is small and soft, kept gentle by your last sparks of lucidity.

You heard Hawks chuckle, your vision swimming in honey and yellow with the sound, “Just doing my job, you know.”

“I mean, yeah,” You laughed too, pressing your nose harder into him. “But, it’s you, and I’m just glad you’re here.”

“You better stop being so sweet,” The hand around your shoulder rubbed slowly, up and down your spine, sweet spices and sugars dancing on the roof of your mouth. “Gonna give me ideas.”

The touch, something you craved and denied yourself, pushed you over the edge as his touch dissolved across your overstimulated mind in cresting waves of rushing, blessed heat.

Finally succumbing to the flood of your quirk, drowning your mind in both agony and absolute calm, you muttered out the last clear thing you said that evening, “We always give each other ideas, silly.”

God, the many meanings behind your words spun and stuck in Keigo’s mind like the taste of the miel he drank that morning. They relentlessly clung to his psyche, wanting to know more.

He stayed close while you were assessed and strapped into the ambulance. He sent a few of his last feathers to retrieve your jacket and purse from the wrecked shop.

All the while you clutched his bare hand, irises black while the whites turned bloodshot.

As the ambulance drove off towards that public hospital, he could feel the steady beat of your heart through the crimson feather he made sure was tucked in your hand the moment he had to let it go.

He felt you squeeze it, and he wanted nothing more than to return the gesture a thousand times over.

#salem writes #lavender latte #hawks x y/n #hawks x reader #hawks x you #takami keigo x y/n #takami keigo x you #takami keigo x reader #takami keigo reader insert #hawks reader insert #hawks fanfiction #reader insert #mha x reader #tw blood #keigo x reader #keigo x you #keigo x y/n

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meimae · 4 years

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Language Learning Through Immersion: One Year Japanese Update

11/03/2021

I did it, you guys! I’ve successfully reached my very first year of Japanese language immersion! I honestly thought that I would have given up by now, but this really has been a fun and ultimately rewarding endeavor.

Studying the language has been at the back of my mind for years since elementary school, I just never really knew how to go about it before, and I always thought that I could learn it in a classroom setting someday. That someday for me was in two elective courses in university, and while those were fun as well, it did not give me the same gains that I have achieved in this past year.

It’s probably easier to quantify learning a language in a classroom setting, especially when going through a program to earn a language degree. Learning through immersion, however, I had to really consider what my goals should be on my own. Eventually, I stumbled upon an article saying that for an English speaker, Japanese was exceptionally difficult to learn and that at least 2,200 hours must be spent with the language to reach a certain level of proficiency. So I said to myself, “well okay internet, if you say so!”, and set that as my long term goal going forward.

Spoiler Alert: I did not hit that goal in my first year. I am not crazy and will never listen to Japanese in my sleep regardless of what Khatzumoto (the creator of All Japanese All the Time) says.

I did, however, hit a total 1,226.65 active immersion hours in my first year, so I guess I’m still a bit nuts. That is 874.96 hours of active listening and 351.69 reading hours. I also did 270.59 hours of passive listening, also known as the time in the very beginning of my immersion where I was using Japanese subtitles (therefore not really concentrating on listening alone). That’s a cumulative 1,497.24 hours spent with Japanese. That’s more than halfway towards my goal!

To further break that down for curious animanga fans out there, that’s 973 episodes from 109 anime, 765 episodes from 33 dramas, 7 movies, and 967 chapters from 107 volumes of manga (21 series). Here’s my anilist and mydramalist to see what I’ve read/watched.

During all this, I was also doing my daily Anki reps and now I have a 530 day SRS streak (includes the time prior starting immersion and only doing RTK and some vocabulary cards) and a total 8,857 sentence cards. I’ve been averaging 406 cards daily (because I’m trying to cure my leeches) and I spend about an hour per day doing reps and learning new cards. I don’t really track my time on Anki, but I do have a set timer that goes off after 1-1:30 hours.

What I haven’t touched upon at all is output. I have not gone out of my way to find a tutor or a language partner. There’s still plenty of input out there to immerse in before I even consider outputting.

Graphs, stats, and more thoughts:

Here's my current card count in my main deck (minus the cards in my new/learning queue and leeches I've been relearning which are in separate decks):

That one day in 2019 where I did not do my cards because I was seriously doubting whether I can actually stick with language learning this time around will forever haunt and inspire me to keep going everyday.

Workflow and Tips

You might be wondering, how do I have a lot of time? I started this whole endeavor in the middle of a pandemic, which eliminated the option of me going to a language school, and a slew of other things I were considering doing last year became impossible (and if anything, very scary to do in a pandemic). All I can say is that, things work out eventually if it is His will, and if I can learn a skill before everything properly settles back down again, then why not?

I wake up at 5 in the morning everyday to either do my Anki reps or read until the time when I need to get up and I listen to compressed audio throughout the day. The biggest tip is to switch the time you spend watching/reading in your native language to your target language instead. Listen to a podcast during your commute, watch an episode during lunch break, read before going to bed, do your Anki reps in the bathroom if you have to.

But, if you’re feeling burnt out, there is no reason for you to not take a break! I have been watching a lot of Among Us streams before bed, and I chat with my friends from time to time. Language learning is not a race.

More Stats

Here are a couple of grids of the kanji characters that I have encountered at least once in my immersion and how well I have answered them in my vocabulary/sentence cards.

It's interesting that after almost 9000 words, I have yet to encounter every single character from the Remembering the Kanji 1 (RTK 1) book by James Heisig, which teaches you the most common use characters that are part of the 常用漢字. Which brings me to the question, was writing down every single character being taught in RTK worth it every time it came up in my reviews for the first 3-ish months I was reviewing them? Maybe, maybe not. It certainly removed my anxiety whenever looking at blocks of text in Japanese, but the longer I think about it, the more I feel I should have switched to Recognition RTK earlier. Still, being able to write in proper stroke order is cool I guess, and it also helps me when looking things up in the dictionary.

Here’s the same grid but in JLPT order:

I clearly need to grind those N2 and N1 level cards! Speaking of which, I have apparently almost covered every single character that could possibly appear in the JLPT (except for the N1 which I have only covered half of) in just a year's time. If the JLPT word frequency lists I’m using are accurate, I have about 2,000 words more to go to to cover most vocabulary that could appear in the test. This makes the "10,000 sentences/words to fluency" argument a reasonable milestone to aim for for Japanese learners if said aim is only to pass the test. That said, 10,000 words is just that, a milestone. It's more akin to a comfortable level of comprehension, but not my own concept of fluency which is being able to read with ease, speak articulately, and write comfortably.

READING IMMERSION GRAPHS

My biggest motivation for tracking my stats is for the purpose of seeing whether my reading speed is improving over time. Reading speed is also easier to measure than listening comprehension which is kind of subjective, so I had a lot of fun making these. What I found is that for the first volume or chapter of whatever it is I’m reading, I always take the time to get used to the writing style of the author. My speed really improves whenever I keep reading the same topic over and over again. On the other hand and quite obviously, looking up many new words in a row and trying to parse sentences slows me down.

Manga: Reading Speed Progression per Volume

I clearly love ちはやふる and I am not ashamed to admit it.

I need to start reading longer manga. When I do, I’ll probably split this graph into less than and greater than 20 volumes. Imagine if I start reading something ridiculously long as 名探偵コナン or ワンピース, these graphs will start breaching the bounds of time and space.

Novels: Time Spent Reading per Chapter

#neverforget the time I read chapter six of Norwegian Wood for 9 hours when it took me less than half that time in English RIP. Also, my interest in Kitchen plummeted LOL. Still planning to finish it don’t worry.

I also need to start branching away from manga and start reading more novels and light novels, too just so I can make more pretty graphs.

Visual Novels: Time Spent Reading and Daily Word Count

Also known as images that clearly show that I’ve already spent several days only reading the prologue of Island. I’m not sweating. 切那 needs to stop using words I don’t know in succession. More thoughts on this VN far into the future.

Thoughts on Immersion

I can’t really say anything else other that that it works for me, and needless to say if you’re considering this method, remember that the SRS is your friend but immersion should be your one true love.

Prior to all this, I couldn’t even read a sample paragraph from Genki without being confused to my very soul. Yes, I know, it’s embarrassing, but that’s the truth. I was way more scared of failing my Japanese classes than my actual thesis for my bachelors degree, I kid you not. I would quite literally spend all my free time in university trying to understand grammar, memorize vocabulary, and answer my workbook exercises with little to no success.

I tried so hard to get all the grammar “formulas” into my head for 1.5 years and it only brought me more confusion. I’m never going back to traditional classroom study for language learning, but I will still refer to grammar books when I need to, and not because I feel like I need to answer 4783342 different workbook exercises like my life depended on it.

I still can’t believe it, but with immersion this statement is actually true to a point, don’t try shadowing anime/or calling your boss anime language slurs, use your common sense:

study anime to understand Japanese > study Japanese to understand anime

Future Goals/Plans

2,200 immersion hours was my initial goal, but honestly I feel like that number could be much higher. There’s still a lot of stuff I don’t understand (news, politics, sciences, etc.), so I’ll make attempts to cover more of those things in my immersion.

I’ll continue reading more, because that’s a natural SRS in itself. Try to read longer manga, more novels, visual novels, and light novels, and maybe news articles.

I’ll try to mine as much “JLPT vocab” as I can before making any attempts at taking the JLPT. I noticed that a lot of the words I know don’t appear in the JLPT word lists as much, even though they appear a lot in media/daily conversation.

Continue mining all words I don’t know because all words are useful anyway. There is no such thing as useless words. I never really understood mining only “interesting words” or words that “pop up” in your immersion. As I said in my previous blog post, ��人局 is an interesting word and I certainly caught it being said in my immersion, but in the three languages I know, I wouldn’t know when I would be able to use such a word, as compared to something like ジャガイモ which is a significantly less interesting word, but is certainly useful to know.

I have managed to talk up a storm, but if you have any questions regarding my process or recommendations for new immersion material, please feel free to send an ask/reply to this post. I love hearing about other people’s language learning/immersion journeys.

See you on my next post!

#language learning #japanese language #language acquisition #study blog #langblr #studyblr #graphs #language immersion #japanese #visual novels #manga #novels #anime #dramas #movies #youtube #podcasts

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sarahjtv · 3 years

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BNHA Chapter 323 Spoiler Analysis: It’s About The Details

Another 2 week break has come and gone! I hope you all and Horikoshi-sensei had a nice break. I feel like we needed it after that game-changing apology from Bakugo last time. This chapter focuses on our Zero Gravity Hero: Ochako Uraraka. She’s awesome and she played her part well, but I’m not going to go over her entire speech because it’s the smaller details this chapter that grabbed me the most and I want to talk about those more. So, this might not be too long this week:

Imma start with the Ochako stuff first. She does what most of us thought she was going to do last time which is stand up for Deku. She floats herself up to UA’s rooftop to yell at the civilians using Present Mic’s megaphone. It’s basically about how important Deku is and how he doesn’t deserve all this undeserved anger thrown at him; how he sacrificed his wellbeing to protect everyone. It’s really stuff that we know as the audience, but that the civilians are still trying to understand. Ochako’s speech actually seems to be working, though I still suspect that there’ll be people stubbornly opposed to Deku in general. There always is. But it’s a step in the right direction.

I’m also really liking the artwork on Ochako. She gets a lot of panels, so of course Horikoshi needs to draw her as pretty as he can. The paneling is well done too this chapter as well as the smaller details which I’ll mention soon. There’s also a little comedy this chapter with Kaminari, Bakugo, and Shoto to help relieve some stress which is always appreciated. Also, Bakugo and Shoto are besties at this point, I will not argue this 🧡💙

One more thing before I get into the smaller details: The first 1/3 of this chapter is a flashback to after Class 1-A decides to rescue Deku back in Principle Nezu’s office. Nezu describes what the UA Barrier can do and it’s A LOT! Like, I’m not going to describe it to you, but basically it’s a lot more sturdier than last time and it has a fail-safe where the school will move into shelters and those shelters will be transported somewhere else underground. I need to read it again to make sense of it, but it’s basically and underground transportation system. Like Kaminari says, it’s like something out of a Mecha anime. Very complicated stuff.

Now onto those small details I talked about. Most of them are told via panel and panel art rather than words, so I’ll interpret them as best as I can:

We do see a few of the kid’s parents this chapter! Bakugo’s mom is trying to hold Deku’s mom, Inko, back from rushing into the angry crowd (she’s crying btw and I don’t blame her), Jiro’s dad is there, and Ochako’s parents are present of course. I wonder if we’ll see the other parents too. Same with some of their sibling if they have any like Shoto does.

There is one panel showing that Eri is staying with the 1-B kids. Monama is helping care for her. It’s a sweet panel that shows that Monama is more than the madman we’re used to. Dude has a good heart, we just don’t see it often. Maybe Eri sees him in a better light now too. But, it’s clear that Eri’s worried, so I think she knows something’s wrong. God, what will she say to Deku if they reunite 😭. Oh, and Tetsutetsu and Komori (the mushroom girl) are looking out the window, so it’s safe to say that Class 1-B have an idea of what’s going on.

Kota and Ragdool are in the crowd too. It’s been so long since we’ve seen them. I feel so bad for Kota who’s watching his hero get yelled at like this. Give this child a break pls 😭. Also, I don’t think we got confirmation on what happened to the other Pussycats, so I hope they’re alive. Especially Mandalay for Kota’s sake.

There’s a panel of someone’s smartphone showing articles/videos of people theorizing and talking about Deku, AFO, and OFA. So, the word’s out and everyone knows. There’s no hiding OFA anymore. Pandora’s box is open and there’s no way to close it.

While Best Jeanist is saying his piece on why Deku needs to stay at UA, there’s a panel of Shoto, Endeavor (wearing a trench coat and hat; you undercover, my dude?), and Hawks. They’re listening to Jeanist too, but Shoto in particular looks frustrated. His eyes are scrunched (or closed?) and his teeth are clenched. It’s hard to tell. I don’t think he’s frustrated at Best Jeanist. I think he may be frustrated at himself for not doing more to protect Deku, his best friend. Maybe... I honestly don’t know with Shoto. Based on his face in the last chapter and this panel, I have a feeling Shoto’s got something to say himself. I always thought he probably had more to say back when they were rescuing Deku. I bet he’s got a lot on his mind now. Whatever it is, I hope he says it soon 💙.

There’s this one page in particular where the crowd is expressing their fear and anger towards Deku and the heroes. Deku in particular has his Danger Sense going off like crazy! Even the panel lines are in the shape of those Danger Sense lightning bolts. Deku mentioned that Danger Sense felt like a sharp pain in his head akin to a bad headache. I wonder if he ever got used to that feeling. Regardless, his head must be spinning right now. It also shows how hostile the civilians are now... ALSO INKO IS THERE WATCHING EVERYONE GO AFTER HER SON WHO IS IN AREADY TERRIBLE SHAPE AND SHE’S CRYING I CAN’T DO THIS LET THIS WOMAN HAVE SOME PEACE 😭💚

For the first time since probably the beginning of the series, Ochako calls Deku by his full name, Izuku Midoriya, during her speech. That’s how serious this whole thing is. The two people who called Izuku by his nickname, Deku, are now using his real name. He’s not just Deku the hero, he’s Izuku Midoriya a student at UA.

The large animal woman from before shows up again and recognize Deku as the hero who saved her. Maybe other civilians will see Deku as the boy who saved them instead of the danger they see him as they do now.

And I think that’s it! A good chapter for Ochako especially 💖! Cool to see her have another moment like this. I know Ochako gets a lot of controversy, especially with her feelings for Deku, but I think she’s a good character. I do agree that I wish Horikoshi gave her more to do in regards to herself as a character, though. Like, this is great, but I would like more of this. Kinda like Kirishima’s arc back in the Yakuza Raid: Mina was a big factor of his backstory, but it didn’t revolve around her. Kirishima found his drive on his own and used the words from Crimson Riot as the reason he should become a Hero with no regrets. I’m not going to argue with this further. We do have that upcoming battle between her and Toga, so maybe that’ll help her character development more. I hope so.

But regardless, this was a good chapter that sets up things for the future. I’d like to know what’s going on with the kids’ parents and/or siblings, Ragdoll and Kota (and the other Pussycats), Class 1-B, Eri, Aizawa (where the hell is he anyway???), Shoto, Inko, etc. I gotta feeling might be coming to a new arc soon.

Me defending Deku from the angry mob:

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joonie-beanie · 4 years

Text

Wet Dreams

Pairing: Belphegor x Reader

Word Count: 3,564

Preview: Basically, the 4th night of "Good Night Devil", but if you ended up alone with Belphie instead. Seriously...his brothers are idiots to trust him. He's just as horny as the rest of them. Especially for you.

“Do you want me to fuck you? Do you like that I’m toying with you while you’re asleep?”

“Yes. A lot."

WARNING: This chapter focuses on Sonmophilia. If you are not comfortable with this, or the idea of con-noncon/dubcon, please do not read.

** Please note that this is a cross-posting **

This chapter was originally posted on 2/14/20 as a part of my “Devil Doms” series on AO3.

Belphegor finds himself staring at you as you sleep.

For the first time in 3 nights, you’re actually resting—curled up in the middle of your spacious bed, breathing softly. Thanks to Lucifer’s ongoing “sleep experiment”, tonight Belphie has been instructed to stay in your room with you.

Originally, he had been paired with Satan, but after Satan had teased the eldest brother with a remark on how “Belphie being around won’t stop me from doing what I want”, Lucifer had taken it upon himself to keep you protected while rooming with the Avatar of Wrath.

So now, on the final and fourth day, Belphegor finds himself alone with you.

Honestly, he’s a bit offended that Lucifer had paired just the two of you together. Does his older brother not think he’ll try anything? He likes you just as much as the others, he just…doesn’t show you as much affection as Beel, or Mammon (even though the second oldest will definitely deny that he does at all).

Sighing, Belphegor runs a hand through his messy hair, his eyes refocusing on your sleeping form once more. You really do look cute like that…

At that moment, you shift in your sleep—the covers around you sliding down your torso as you flip to your other side. Immediately, Belphegor’s gaze focuses in on your squished-together cleavage, and his cheeks redden. Why do you have to sleep in only a tank top and shorts? Shouldn’t you be a little more careful around him and his brothers?

After all, it’s not like they don’t have desires…

His eyes rake over your soft skin—settling on the curve of your neck, as he imagines how pretty you’d look covered in hickies. A dull ache settles in his gut, and while he knows he should stop, he continues to let his mind wander.

He imagines your breasts in his hands, and the quiet little sounds you’d make as he touched you—unable to help yourself. He’s sure your skin is soft, and he wants to caress every inch of it, until he knows of each mole, scar, or otherwise.

Shit, he thinks to himself, hand moving down to palm at his crotch. He’s hard thanks to his roaming imagination, but…as much as he wants to touch you, that would be wrong, right?

His thoughts return to last week, when he’d accidentally run into you at the junction of two hallways. He’d ended up on top of you—one of his hands firmly planted on your breast, and his knee pressed up against your pelvis. You’d both immediately flushed red once realizing the position you were in, and Belphegor had stumbled off you—stuttering apologies.

“It’s okay,” you’d told him, attempting to laugh it off. “No worries, Belphie. I know that you didn’t mean to touch me in that way, but…I’d trust you anyway.”

Your words had weighed heavy in his mind following that day. You’d reassured him that it’d be okay if he touched you, even though he hadn’t meant to in that moment. Did that mean you wanted him to touch you like that?

The Avatar of Sloth swallows harshly, his hand reaching down to grab the edge of your covers. Slowly, he peels them down your sleeping form—not too surprised that you don’t awake. Beel had informed him that during the time he and you had roomed together, he’d picked up on your sleeping habits—one being that once you got to sleep, it was very hard to wake you during the first few hours.

Belphegor hates that he gets aroused at the idea of touching you while you’re unaware. But…it would be so easy. To just slip your tank top down your shoulders…listening to you quietly moan as he sucks on your tits—his fingers finding their way beneath your shorts…

Before he can think twice, he finds himself lowering onto the bed beside you. Gently, he grips your shoulder and rolls you onto your back, releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding when you don’t stir.

If he were a human, surely he’d be going to hell for this, but since he’s already here…

Reaching out, he cups your breast though your shirt—the flesh squishing beneath his fingertips. He feels your nipple harden—pressing up against the flat of his palm—and a quiet chuckle sneaks past his lips. Even in your sleep, your body can’t deny it’s desires, huh?

Gaining a little courage, the Avatar of Sloth slips the straps of your tank top off of your shoulders—additional inches of skin becoming exposed to his hungry eyes. And despite wanting to rip your shirt off of you—Belphie works slowly—peeling the fabric down inch by inch until finally, your breasts are fully accessible.

Immediately, he leans over—flattening his tongue against one of your nipples and giving an experimental lick. At the sensation, your breathing hitches slightly, but you don’t awaken. He grins, hand reaching out to claim the other mound as his mouth continues working at the present one.

Despite being asleep, it’s clear that your body has sensed a change. Quiet whines begin to build in your throat—eyebrows furrowing on your forehead. However, the sounds only urge Belphie to proceed.

His tongue continues swirling around your taut nipple—teeth gently nipping at the bud on occasion, and the whines that leave you in response has the Avatar of Sloth’s cock straining against his underwear. Without ceasing, his eyes drag down your torso, pausing at the crotch of your shorts. He can see your thighs clenching ever so slightly.

I wonder, he thinks to himself, his hand releasing your breast. His fingers sneak beneath the hem of your shorts—oh-so-very-gently parting your folds—and sure enough, immediately your arousal coats his skin.

“Do you want me to fuck you?” he mumbles to himself, his hot breath fanning against you. “Do you like that I’m toying with you while you’re asleep?”

Belphie sucks your tit into his mouth, his fingers rubbing at your clit, and you mewl beneath him. You stir slightly, your limbs stretching against the sheets, but Belphegor is too distracted to care. If you wake up, then you wake up. However, until then, he has no intention of stopping.

His hard-on presses against your side as he teases a finger in between your walls. Your juices coat the digit, but it’s not enough to draw you out of your slumber. So, he pushes in a second—realizing that the current situation is becoming something akin to a game to him. At this point, he’s curious to find exactly how far he can go before you finally wake up.

“Mmm,” you moan, your body shifting. Your hips roll against his hands—clearly your subconscious knows something is going on—and Belphegor laughs quietly. He curls his fingers against your walls—his lips nibbling at the skin on your chest.

“You look pretty all marked up,” he whispers, admiring the fresh red marks he’s created. He knows by morning they’ll be a delicious shade of purple, and the thought causes him to ache. Frowning, he reaches down and strokes himself over his pants. Oh, how he wishes he could just fuck you awake.

…wait.

Tongue darting out to wet his lips, Belphegor scoots down the mattress and in between your thighs. Arousal has pooled between your legs—wetting the fabric of your shorts—and Belphie peels the cloth to the side. Your cute, glistening folds stare back at him, and he reaches his hands forward, spreading his fingers in a V shape so he can see you in all of your glory.

“You haven’t let any of my brothers see you like this, right?” he questions, his tone possessive. He shoves his sweats down his thighs, his hands grabbing your lower half. He drags you down to meet him, his cock rubbing between your soft folds—his pre-cum smearing with your own arousal.

The Avatar of Sloth toys with you for a few seconds—basking in the way your fingers curl into the sheets when the head of his cock flicks against your clit—but finds his self-control wearing thin. He wants to be inside you.

Reaching down—he grabs his length with one hand, and lifts your hips off the bed with the other (really, sometimes it’s easy to forget he’s a demon, and has strength you can’t fathom). Slowly, Belphegor aligns himself with your entrance, his eyes glued on the space between your bodies as he slowly pushes himself inside of you.

In fact, he is so preoccupied with drooling over the way your pussy feels around him, that he fails to notice your fluttering eyelashes—your groggy gaze shifting around as you try to figure out what’s going on.

Until just a moment ago, you’d been having a strange dream. At first, it’d started off as nothing out of the ordinary—you were wandering around the House of Lamentation, doing nothing in particular—but part way through, things had suddenly turned…sexual. Belphie had appeared out of nowhere, whispering dirty things into your ear as his hands found their way beneath your clothing.

Now that you’re awake, the images are beginning to blur in your memory, but you remember, at the very least, that things had just been starting to get good. His mouth on your tits, his hands parting your legs as he prepared to enter you.

“Mmm,” you whine, eyebrows pinching as you feel some pressure in your lower half. You feel…stretched, full—and instinctively clench your muscles, wondering what could be wrong.

“Mm, fuck,” you hear someone’s voice catch—a groan caught behind closed lips—and your eyes open a little wider. You brain fully boots-up, and you become aware of quite a few things at once.

One, your chest is in the open air—your nipples hard, and sore, but somehow, you feel that the reaction isn’t from your lack of covers alone.

Two, the pressure you’re feeling in your lower half is not just a figment of your imagination. Something is inside of your pussy and—

Just as you begin to panic, your eyes flit downward, and you pause. You spot the Avatar of Sloth between your legs—his bottom lip caught between his teeth, and a pure look of ecstasy on his face as he bottoms out inside of you. You can feel the head of his cock pressed up against your cervix, and you gasp—cheeks going red as you finally realize that you hadn’t just had a wet dream coincidentally. No, Belphegor had actually been touching you in your sleep.

“B-Belphie?” you question, pushing yourself up slightly to stare at him. He startles out of his bliss, his orange eyes meeting your embarrassed gaze, and in that moment, you can see an array of emotions flash across his face. He’s embarrassed at being caught, scared of how you’ll react, but…in the end, he still desperately wants to fuck you.

“You know,” he says, experimentally rolling his hips against you. The feeling of his cock inside you is suddenly very prominent—his girth a little overwhelming—and you struggle to catch your breath.

“You got really wet in your sleep. Were you dreaming about me doing this to you?”

“I…,” you can’t find the words to say, your blush creeping down your neck and onto your chest. Belphegor grins happily, his fingers pressing into your skin as he drags his cock out, and then forces it back in again.

“Oh? I was just teasing, but it looks like I hit the nail on the head.”

Your mouth opens, but no words come out. How are you supposed to respond? Had he really been touching you in your sleep? It’s not like you weren’t interested in the youngest brother, and hadn’t daydreamed about him before in this light, but…you hadn’t imagined him ever being bold enough to literally fuck you out of your sleep.

Belphegor grinds into you once more—his cock pressing into your sweet spot—and you moan, your spine curving upward off the mattress. You can sense the pleasure that has already pooled in your gut—the sensation either left over from your wet-dream, a product of Belphegor’s actions in real life, or both.

Humming, the youngest brother coasts his hand up your torso—his fingers dragging across your supple skin and causing goosebumps to rise. His touch ghosts between your breasts, his warm palm settling against your throat as the pads of his fingers squeeze firmly on either side of your neck.

“Do you like that I played with you without you knowing?” he asks, but you can tell he already knows the answer. He rocks against you—his length dragging between your walls at an agonizingly slow pace. One that has a whine building in your throat—your body shifting down to try and quicken his thrusts.

In response, Belphegor squeezes your neck a little harder, and you feel light headedness beginning to set in.

“I’d really like it if you answered my question.”

“Yes,” you respond. As if rewarding you, the Avatar of Sloth bucks his hips a little harder—his pace speeding up incrementally.

“Have you been wanting this to happen?” he continues, an edge to his tone. You realize that as you reaffirm his suspicions, his arousal grows. He wants to hear you admit all the dirty things you’ve thought about him and have kept to yourself.

“A lot.”

Again, Belphegor ups the intensity—lewd, wet sounds echoing throughout your room as he penetrates you. His hair is messier than usual, a dark look in his eye that lets you know he’s enjoying this a bit too much.

Despite not being the best of friends with Lucifer, he certainly has inherited a bit of his older brother’s sadistic tendencies…

“Belphie, mm, please,” you beg, your eyes half lidded as you glance at him. He’s pounding into you with no remorse, the bedframe creaking with his movements. At the same time, his fingers continue to tighten around your throat. You can still breathe perfectly fine (albeit your breaths coming out short and hitched thanks to his cock and the wonders it’s doing to you), but things are starting to become a bit fuzzy thanks to the lack of blood flow. Yet, somehow, the sensation only causes the fire smoldering in your gut to reach new levels.

Belphegor feels your pussy clench around him, and he basks in the way your head falls back against the sheets—your eyes mindlessly watching him as he unravels you. Really, he wants to choke you even more—keep you a mindless little puppet who can do nothing but take what he gives—but he doesn’t want to hurt you. You’re a human, and this is the first time you’ve both been intimate like this, so. Despite his deep, dark desires, he loosens his grip.

Immediately you breathe deeply, your eyes regaining their light as your mind becomes more aware.

“Do you want to cum?” he asks, his hand still holding your neck firmly. You nod your head, bottom lip catching between your teeth. The look on your face is one of pure ecstasy—a hint of desperation beginning to knit between your eyebrows—and Belphie licks his lips.

Truly, he wants to burn this memory into his mind. You—writhing against the sheets, filled to the brim with his cock—your tits bouncing at every thrust, and your fingers gripping at the sheets. He’s not sure he’s seen anything so beautiful.

“I want you to beg.”

“Please,” you respond immediately, never breaking eye contact. “Please, Belphie. I want to cum so bad.”

“How bad?” Even if his member throbs painfully at your words—his own release taunting him—he doesn’t feel like letting you off so easy.

“V-Very bad,” you stutter, knowing that you could cum at any moment. You’re only holding on by a thread. However, there’s a submissive part of you that wants his permission first—even if holding back makes you feel like you’re going insane.

“I need to cum, Belphie. Please. Oh god, please!”

Your spine curves, eyes pressing shut and knuckles turning white, and Belphie knows this is it. You’ve reached your breaking point.

“Cum,” he commands, permitting your release. Immediately, your walls hug his cock—a guttural groan sneaking past your lips as you let go of yourself. The Avatar of Sloth loses himself in the way your pussy grips his length—attempting to milk his orgasm out of him—and it works.

He curses, his fingers once again pressing against your neck as he empties himself inside of you. You whine at the feeling—wet, and sticky, and perhaps you’ve gone a bit light headed again from his grasp (but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t love it).

“Belphegor,” you whisper once you’re sure his bliss has subsided—his eyes fluttering open as his gaze falls on you. You look a little helpless now—and immediately the youngest brother sweeps down to kiss you. The gesture is sweet—his lips soft—and you lift your arms to wrap around him.

“I’m sorry,” he says, a little heartbroken by how defenseless you look now that the heat of the moment has subsided. Even if you had both enjoyed yourselves, Belphegor is guilty of quite literally fucking you out of your sleep, and he’s sure the entire scenario is a bit startling.

Beneath him, hugging him to your chest, you shake your head.

“No, it’s okay,” you reassure him, your cheeks flushing pink. “I enjoyed that. It was just…unexpected.”

“That’s what makes it fun,” he mumbles, pressing a kiss beneath your jaw. You giggle, your hands petting through his hair.

“I suppose you’re right.”

You’re quiet for a moment, and Belphie blinks when your hands suddenly leave him. Glancing up, he finds that both of your palms are now covering your face—your blush beginning to sneak down onto your chest.

“Ahhhh~ I can’t believe I woke up with your dick inside of me,” you whisper, clearly frazzled. Belphegor laughs, pressing more kisses to your naked skin.

“And you loved it. Now stop freaking out, and let’s go to sleep. I’m exhausted.”

“Lil brat,” you grumble, but the Avatar of Sloth only laughs again. He rolls beside you—his head still resting on your chest, and you sigh. Of course, the demon who had decided to startle you awake is now the one so easily passing out atop you.

“You can dream about round two until we get to it in real life,” he says with a yawn, his cheek nuzzling against your breast. Your face feels warm again, but you don’t respond. Instead, you soak in Belphegor’s warmth—and within minutes, his steady breathing has lulled you back into sleep.

“How was your night?”

Lucifer’s voice startles you as you walk into the dining hall for breakfast the next morning. You jump, turning to face him with wide eyes. There’s an innocent smile plastered on his face.

“Good,” you respond, forcing a smile of your own as you try to keep any intimate memories of the previous night from resurfacing in your head. “I actually got some sleep.”

“Whhhhatttt? I figured Belphie would keep you up all night. He’s the king of night owls,” Leviathan speaks up from the table, turning to look at you and Lucifer.

“Well, he did wake me up, at some point,” you respond without really thinking, and immediately seven pairs of eyes are on you.

“Why?” Satan questions, his eyebrow raised curiously. Gazes shift between you, and Belphegor—who is sat at the far end of the table. He seems unbothered by the entire situation.

“I was feeling needy,” he says, and you can hear the grin in his voice, even if it doesn’t show his face. “Y/N helped me out.”

Immediately Mammon is choking on his food—Beel reaching over to smack his back. Asmo looks a little too giddy at his brother’s proclamation, eyebrows wiggling suggestively as most of the brothers turn their attention back to you—awaiting your response.

Obviously, the only logical option is to roll with it.

“Why are you all looking at me like that? I can tell what you’re thinking, you perverts.”

Neither a confirmation, nor denial. So, not necessarily a lie!

“Wow, what kind of person do you take me for?” Belphegor joins in, enjoying the moment way too much. Lucifer’s eyes narrow, not very convinced, but he doesn’t press the matter.

“I’m glad you managed to get some sleep. I’ll be awaiting your report,” he ends up saying, and then leans in a bit closer. “I expect it to be written in full detail.”

A chill runs up your spine, and he smiles at you once more before stepping away from you and heading to the table. You join him after a moment, your eyes landing on Belphegor as the youngest grins—dancing around Mammon’s questions as the second oldest begins interrogating the Sloth Avatar on the true meaning of his words.

Belphie is practically beaming as he teases his brothers, and you find yourself rolling your eyes—a fond smile tugging at your lips.

Oh gosh, what are you going to do with him…

…and oh fuck, what are you going to do with your report?

#om!#obey me #obey me! smut #om! belphegor #belphie! smut #belphegor smut #belphie x mc #belphegor x mc #belphegor x reader #belphie x reader #boy I hate tagging #belphie fic

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