#i cant even reference previous relationships

[ace-up-your-sleeve]

how do you. communicate abt being ok w "spicy" stuff in a new relationship. which is long distance.

[finniestoncrane]

mm I’m haunted by so many visions. When. When Egon Splenger. Makes that joke. The penis joke. And he has that smile. That look. With the bookcase behind him. TUMBLR USER FINNIESTONECRANE! I have NEVER felt such a STRONG urge to shove a man against a bookcase. He just. I. When he. When. Just like. He. When. Mm.

Egon Spengler x Fem!Reader, word count: 1.6k anon you and me both i cant express to you how badly that scene made me want him and i wanted him pretty fuckin badly before that lmao BUT here's some reader who is actually able to prove his theory that the chicks dig his epididymus moore so👻 request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: oral sex, flirting, handjob, good old fashioned ball gargling

"Studious, dedicated. Intelligent beyond need for the work I'd require you to do... Why do you want this position?"

You remembered the moment well. The interview with Egon that landed you the job in his research team. You'd fumbled over the words at first, your entire academic career flashing before your eyes. Ever since you had first seen him in those silly commercials, then watched him as he saved the world and went back to the field for his work, you'd wanted him. The opportunity to work with him was something you had waited your life for. And you thought you had ruined it in the moment.

"I'm a huge fan, Doctor Spengler."

Nothing about your academic achievements, your interest in this particular study, or any of his previous ones. No, you'd muttered a ridiculous statement with no substance that made you seem like a childish moron.

But Egon had raised an eyebrow, a smile raising on one side of his mouth in a knowing look. Almost flirtatious, definitely something behind it.

That's how your relationship had continued, the tension only building each passing day as you worked together late into the evenings and often on weekends, each others' only point of contact for days on end.

Nothing had ever come of it, though, past suggestive remarks and lingering touches, looks that felt like they lasted for minutes. You wondered if you were both far too shy to confront it, or if he felt it would push the boundaries of professionalism.

Either way, you harboured the crush still, and spent your days making sure you worked to his expectations, living to please him in at least one of the ways you wanted to. It was that level of concentration that meant you hadn't noticed when Egon's old colleague, Doctor Venkman, had entered the lab. At least not until he had begun making loud remarks and crude jokes, intended to be at the expense of Egon.

"Bet those science chicks really dig that big cranium of yours."

With a quick glance in your direction, Egon caught your eye. You looked away, trying to pretend that you weren't staring at him, but it was obvious he had caught you. And with a growing grin, he looked back to Venkman.

"I think they're more interested in my epididymis."

You blushed immediately, understanding the joke a lot faster than Venkman, who might not have gotten it at all. Trying to hide the reddening of your cheeks, you buried your face in your paperwork and didn't even bother to look up as Venkman said goodbye and left the lab. You only looked up when Egon cleared his throat, catching him just as he turned his back to you and continued filing through the paperwork and medical books lined up on the shelves in front of him.

That was a giveaway, a hint, securing the possibility in your mind. Egon had been talking about you. The joke, a reference to your clear interest in him, a sly but subtle nod at the unspoken attraction, an inside joke between you and him in front of his friend. The way he had looked at you, the way he always did. It was difficult to deny it. So you took matters into your own hands, a little bit sick of waiting for him to make the first move. You'd applied to the job, you'd complimented him first, you began the surreptitious flirting. You might as well be the one that started this too.

"Doctor Spengler..."

You spoke from the other side of the room, only beginning to walk towards him when he had turned away from the bookshelves and was paying attention to you.

"... do you have any evidence to that theory that you proposed?"

"Which theory?"

"The one about your... cranium, verses other aspects of your anatomy.

As you approached him, he smiled to you, a knowing grin that spoke volumes.

"I've observed a fair amount of evidence to support it, actually."

He turned from you again, filing the last of the files he held in his hands as he continued.

"Although, I suppose for it to be concrete, I would require some quantifiable data. An example that could-"

As he turned once more, he found you right in front of him, reaching your hand out to cup the front of his dark grey, woollen slacks. You stroked down the quickly stiffening length, letting your fingers reach further, teasing at his balls. Leaning into him, you pushed his back against the book case, watching as his eyes widened, his smile grew brighter, and his cheeks began to darken.

"Would this be sufficient evidence?"

Egon's voice shook on the first word, but he managed to compose himself.

"P-perhaps. Although, it wouldn't be much to write about in an academic or research sense."

"Oh, I can give you a lot to write about, Doctor Spengler."

You pressed your chest to him, hands around his neck and pulling him into a kiss. As your palms drifted around to his cheeks, they quickly fell to his tie, tugging on it as you brought him closer, feeling his own hands skimming over your side, settling on your waist as the kiss deepened. Satisfied that he wasn't going anywhere, you let go of your grip on him and began running your hands through his hair, playfully teasing at the curls before you pulled back, watching with glee as he followed you, lips outstretched, before opening his eyes.

"This isn't about your cranium, though, Doctor Spengler."

Sinking to your knees in front of him, you looked up as you unbuckled his belt and unzipped his fly. He reached behind him, resting his palms against the rows of books and files, trying to balance himself as he cleared the nerves from his throat. A short inhale choked in his throat as you gripped his cock, removing it from his underwear and letting it bounce free in front of you.

You wrapped your palm around his surprising, but slim, length and being stroking it slowly, watching the way his mouth moved, tongue pressing out, soft gasps emanating from his throat, as you felt him throbbing against you. And just as he adjusted himself to the sensation of your hand pumping his cock softly, you leaned forwards, tongue out, spread flat, and suddenly against his balls.

"Oh-ho... oh my."

With a soft laugh, you placed a kiss to his sack, lips wet from your drool, and let your mouth pull away for just a second before you went back in for another, tongue pushed out from your lips to lap at him as you kissed once more. On the third one, you let your lips enclose over a patch of skin, sucking slightly, tongue tip stiff and tracing over the skin in your mouth before you let go.

You stroked his cock a little rougher, placing your tongue just below it so his balls could bounce and slap on your tongue, the gentle impact rousing a heat in you, the sound almost electric in the air. Egon's fingers were stiff, tensed, tented against the shelves so firmly that his knuckles were white.

"This is... quite sufficient evidence... if you'd like to conclude the experiment."

"Do you want me to stop, Egon?"

He looked down to you, your gaze returned through your eyelashes as you blinked slowly.

"No. No. Absolutely not."

"Me either."

With a grin you kept going, fingers still wrapped tight around his cock, palm sliding against it as you pumped it rhythmically. You opened your mouth wide as you stroked, letting one of his balls rest on your tongue before you sucked it into your mouth, salivating at the taste of him, drool washing over his skin and dribbling down your chin as you hollowed your cheeks.

You let go with a pop, slurping as you released him from your lips, frothed drool spilling onto your chin as you tried to clean yourself up before diving back towards him, moaning as you jerked his cock and lapped at both balls now, futilely attempting to fit both of them in your mouth at the same time.

Instead, you let your tongue glide over them, flitting quickly from side to side as you tightened your grip on his length, only faltering with your speed when he stuttered out some words with a desperate, pleading tone.

"Ah... I think we have... sufficient evidence to... reach a... hmmm... conclusion..."

"Of course, Doctor Spengler. How would you like me to collect the results?"

A strangled laugh barked out of his throat, his eyes pressed tightly shut as he processed the words you had just said, so serious, so familiar, but so filthy.

"T-tongue... tongue, please..."

Still stroking his shaft, you picked up the speed and brought your other hand up to cup his balls, squeezing them firmly, easing up every now and then so he could feel the throb of pleasure as you tightened once more. Your mouth was open wide, a moan passing up and over your tongue which was laid out flat, ready for him.

It only took a few more seconds before his cum was painting your tongue, as well as the rest of your face. Thick, white ropes of his warm seed spattered on your skin, along your taste buds, a not unpleasant tang of salt lingering even after you swallowed what you had collected, still more of it dripping from the tip and onto your hand.

You stroked a few more times, until his body convulsed at your touch, and then you let go, standing up in front of him and wiping a drop of his cum from the corner of your mouth. He was unbalanced, his eyes half-lidded and hazy from the release, but he managed to speak through his lopsided smile.

"Wait until the scientific community hears about that."

[mcyt-trios]

SEMI-FINALS

PROPAGANDA:

Familoier:

I CANT SPEND THE NEXT HOUR TYPING

THE TRIO OF ALL TIME TRULY- ALL 3 OF THEM LOVE AND CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER SO MUCH- LIKE ROIER AND CELLBIT ARE MARREID YEAH BUT THEY STILL CONSIDER JAIDEN PART OF THEIR FAMILY SHE IS IMPORTANT TO THEM AND THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO HER- ROIER AND JAIDEN WILL ALWAYS BE PARTNERS NO MATTER WHAT

theee relationship of all time: roier is husbands with cellbit and jaiden is his qpp, they are all so caring for each other and they have had their tension and their bad moments but there's a genuine want to communicate and grow better all the time :( <3

Cellbit and Roier are romantic married, Roier and Jaiden were platonic partners raising a child together, and all 3 are chaos together! But get along so so well! They support each other so much and care about each other so deeply and they are all Sillies

this is jaiden, and this is jaiden's partner/ the father of her child roier, and this is roier's cannibal husband cellbit

Eclipse Federation:

i dont like them. they ruined my life. Subz and Vitalasy had already partnered in previous seasons but this one, Vitalasy ended up leaving for a few months, leaving Subz alone, and Zam ended up getting close to him after immense trauma at the hands of his former teammates. Zam has done SO many wrongs, including to Subz himself and Subz STILL took him in and made him join Eclipse Federation after Zam died 14 times in a row and got banned then revived by the same player who's been killing him all this time. And it could've been perfect but no, Zam had betrayed his previous team due to them using dupes via exploits, and now Eclipse Federation ALSO has exploits! And he decided that yeah his morals were more important than being loved! And so he murders Vitalasy when he's at his most vulnerable point, lets everyone gaslight him into thinking Vitalasy is an irredeemable evil monster who will never change, even as Vitalasy SAID he was ready to change before the betrayal even happened, Eclipse threw out their whole revenge plans because of Zam's positive influence and he just broke everything. Subz couldn't be with Zam but also couldn't see himself at Vitalasy's side, leaving him alone. Vitalasy hated Zam and yet never killed him or hunted him down, despite Zam acting like he did. And when Vitalasy left, banning himself off from the server, Zam had some time alone to think and realized he fucked up SOOOO bad. And Subz revived Vitalasy and told him to kill him. And ban him. His last wish. His Deliverance. And to make up with Zam. And Vitalasy tried, and they kind of did make up over Subz's death, but then Zam was like "actually im going to kill everyone and destroy the server now. because i want subz back and also because i always do extremely drastic things when i don't need to because i have unchecked mental illnesses i refuse to get help for". And surprisingly when Subz came back he didn't like that! And they ended in tragedy! Eclipse is fucked up. It's a trio that's always about the absence of one person, it's a team that could only happen in one timeline and it was doomed from the very start. But the love was there. It made everything worse, truthfully. But it was there. And that matters. Also as a fun fact Zam himself on twitter has referred to eclipse as a throuple, which is not canon but that's pretty funny. he also stated on stream he didn't want to get therapy because it'd ruin his lifesteal character. and there was a saga where they would "marry" (challenge lost kinda shenanigans) and zam was the only one happy about it. he's not normal. there's something wrong with him. love that for him though sorry for the block of text. I really dislike them. They're my beloveds :3

[ewanmitchellconnoisseur]

"𝑭𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆" - 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕３ 𝑬𝒕𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

A/N: This is part three of the Anti-Love Ettore on-shot.

Summary: You and Ettore decided to give the love thing a shot only it's not what either of you expected it to be which forces you to make some choices that would end up haunting you.

TW: spitting, edgning, choking, smut, orgasm denial, nipple play, cuffing, degredation, sexual assault, blood

Word Count: 4.2k

← Previous Part • Next Chapter →

I cant remember who made the X Banner. If you know please tell me.

Everything had been going pretty well.

You and Ettore decided to give being in an actual relationship a shot. It was odd at first Ettore didn't know how to act or what to say, he felt off referring to you as his girlfriend and you could tell he wasn't fully into it.

For Ettore, he knew he was only doing it to keep you around. You wouldn't stay with him otherwise in his mind. If being your boyfriend was what he had to do so that you wouldn't leave him that's what he would do.

He tried his best and even did research about what normal boyfriends would do. He took you out on movie dates which would just end up being awkward as he sat next to you rigid. He tried to be sweet to you but it just came off cold for some reason. The only time he showed the smallest amount of intimacy and care was during sex and afterwards.

A part of you just wanted to end it. Go back to the way you were. But you were also scared, what if he decided none of it was worth the trouble? In a matter of seconds Ettore can find someone new and leave you in the dust. This thought scared you and wracked your brain. He could grow tired of you and find a new plaything in a matter of seconds.

So to make him think it was ok you acted like everything was just that. You tried not to show any discomfort when he was acting odd or pretended that the dates were amazing.

But as time went on you noticed his behaviour changing. Ettore insisted you moved in with him saying that that's what normal couples do after a while. You expressed that typically that doesn't happen for some time but he said you both wouldn't need to wait long.

Somehow without you ever physically saying yes you ended up leaving your old apartment and moving in with him. From there it got even worse. Ettore became specific about the clothes you would wear or when you would leave.

The issue is Ettore didn't think anything of the way he was behaving. Considering he was getting most of his information on relationships online and probably on the wrong side of it he was sure that what he was doing was working. And deep down it was helping him too. Every time you left in a revealing outfit he worried about another guy seeing you and you falling in love with him. Not to mention this was also how he saw the men his mom would date behave. Is this not how he was supposed to be?

When you were out too long he imagined you were on a date or secretly with some guy rather than coming home to him. He's scared that you want a softer love than he can offer. The worry tires him down just like his dark and possessiveness do the same for you. You're both on edge with eachother worrying about what the other would do if you were honest. It's become all too complicated and you regret ever agreeing to this.

You think back to the first and only time he has ever said "I love you". Although that he said he meant it you don't think he did. Ettore isn't capable of real love if anything he is against it. In his mind, the only thing that happens between men and women is purely physical.

So after 3 months of giving this a shot...you are ready to give up. But you know you can't do it like normal people. You know Ettore can kill people considering the one time you helped him get rid of a body. Would he kill you? If you tried to break up with him like everybody else on this planet would Ettore murder you right where you stand?

You had spent weeks thinking of what you should do...and finally, you think you found a solution...one you knew Ettore wouldn't like but could free you both of this mess.

Your mind was made up. You'd enjoy this last night with him and leave the next day while he was out.

You both had planned to stay home that night and just watch movies.

You lay on top of him as you both stared at the screen. You could tell he had fallen asleep as his breathing had gone from being controlled to relaxed. You took this moment to take him in for the last time. To truly get a look at him.

You slowly sat up so you were straddling him. You brushed some hair out of his face smiling as you remember the small argument you had when you tried to convince him to let you give him a haircut. He made it very clear he didn't trust your barber skills.

Ettore started mumbling in his sleep, something he does often. He shifts in his sleep his cock brushing against you in the best way.

Even in his sleep his a horny little man. His hips start moving more as his breathing gets deeper. You smirk lean down and kiss him gently. You get an idea in your head that you know he will hate you for but you can't resist. If this was going to be your last time fucking him you might as well make it good.

You get up to retrieve something as you walk away you hear shuffling and worry he got up but then you don't hear anything else. You get what you need and walk back over to the couch seeing he had flipped onto his stomach.

This works better for you as you gently grab one of his hands and cuff it before bringing the other behind his back to cuff it. Just as it clicks close you see him slowly open his eyes.

His brows furrow as he tries to move his hands. He calls your name with a tired and annoyed tone. You duck behind the couch covering your mouth to stop you from laughing out loud.

Ettore sits up rolling his eyes as he feels the cuffs around his wrist.

"This isn't funny." You get up and walk around the couch so you're standing in front of him. He looks up at you with a straight face. "Take 'em off."

You shake your head and get on his lap straddling his waist. He groans as you slowly grind down on him. He leans forward running his nose up your neck, something about your scent had him going crazy every time.

"If you wanted me to fuck you all you had to do was ask." He whispers in your ear as he lifts his hips up so you can feel more of him.

You yank his head back by his hair. He winces as he smirks.

You had never taken control before. When it came to Ettore there was no room for you to be dominant he liked to control everything. So this? This was an opportunity you could not pass up.

You tilted his head to the side as you kissed your way up his neck still grinding down on him. You listened as he gently panted in your ear. He tried to lift his hips but anytime he did you lifted yourself so he couldn't feel you.

"No moving." You switched to the other side of his neck. You gently bite down on his ear lobe before leaning back and sitting up to take off your shirt.

You move slowly as take the fabric off freeing your breasts. Ettore tries to lean forward but you push him back roughly. He gives you an annoyed look.

You lean back and gently rub your nipples in front of him. He calls your name in annoyance but you keep going. You stand up and slowly take off your shorts and then help him out of his sweatpants before getting back on his lap.

He was so hard that it almost looked painful. He again tried moving his hips and you once again sat up higher so he couldn't reach you.

"This is evil." He leans his head back. You lifted his head back up.

"Spit." He rolled his eyes to which you reached and pinched one of his nipples. He winced in pain as his eyes snapped back to yours. "I said" You lifted your hand to his mouth. "Spit." His jaw clenched.

But he gave in and did as you said and spat in your hand. You reached down and stroked him ever so slowly, gently running your thumb over the slit on his tip each time your hand came up. His head leaned back against the couch as he closed his eyes.

Ettore did his best not to move but it was so hard, you were going far too slow for him. Involuntarily his hips bucked forward as you squeezed him harder.

You quickly let go of him.

"I said no moving." You reach down in between your own legs and gather some of your wetness bringing it to your clit rubbing tight circles.

"Please." You could barely hear the words come out of his mouth. He looked down watching you as you slid a finger inside.

"Please what?" You started to slowly move your fingers in and out of you. You could never reach the same places he can but you could pretend it feels just as good to simply piss him off.

"Fuck baby- pl..please fuck me." He was so pent up at this point that all he wanted to was be buried deep inside you. You smirked as you removed your fingers and lined him up. You ran him through your folds repeatedly, and for the first time, you heard a genuine whimper come out of him. "Please please please."

Pride swells in your chest as you slowly sink down on him the second you're filled to the hilt he groans throwing his head back, mouth agape. An idea comes into your mind and...well since you were leaving anyway you might as well go all the way.

Ettore's eyes widened as he felt you spit in his mouth. You grasped his cheeks in one hand.

"Swallow." He stared at you for a moment before a smirk crept on his face. He would get payback later but for now, he'll play along. He swallowed before leaning forward to kiss you. You gave his tongue access to your mouth.

You lifted your hips just till his tip was in and sat down quickly. You moaned into each other's mouths as you repeated the same movement. Wrapping your arms around his neck you started going faster. Deep in your pleasure, Ettore lifts his hips to meet your pace.

You could feel him twitching inside of you as he got closer and closer. He knew you were close to him as he felt your pussy clenching down on him.

"F-fuck." groaned deeply and you knew he was just there. As he was about to finish you get off him quickly. "What the fuck!?"

You reached down circling your clit as you used your other hand to sink two fingers inside of you. You finished yourself off as Ettore watched. When you opened your eyes and looked at him he was absolutely livid and still horribly hard.

"You have to uncuff me eventually baby." He lifted his knees quickly so you fell against his chest. He licked a bead of sweat off your neck savouring the taste. You brought the same fingers that were just inside you to his lips. He opened his mouth as he sucked them clean.

You reached over to the side table and grabbed the key. You eye him before helping him to lean forward so you can uncuff him. You only got one hand free before he flipped you onto your stomach and shoved himself back inside you.

One of his hands held your head down against the couch cushion as the other pressed down on your back deepening your arch. He wasted no time slamming into you over and over chasing back the high you robbed him of. The only sounds in the room were your whimpers and the sound of his hips meeting your ass.

Ettore watched as his cock started glistening with how wet you were getting. His hips and your ass becoming a sticky mess.

He pulled you up by your hair the same way you had done to him and wrapped his hand around your throat from behind.

"Is this what you wanted?" The angle had him hitting that lovely spot inside you over and over. Your eyes were rolled back and all he got as a response were moans. "Such a dirty fucking slut." He squeezed your throat harder. "Fucking answer me."

"Y-yes!" His other hand let go of your waist as he reached in between your legs and pinched your clit. Tears fell down your cheeks.

"Yes? Yes, your a dirty fucking slut?" All you can do is wince as you try to squirm away from him but he has you tight by the throat. He turns your head and licks one of your tears. "Yeah, I know you are. Come on then. Cum for me baby. Soak my fucking cock." He let go of you and grabbed your hips with both hands.

Ettore watched as your body shook as you came. Your pussy squeezing him so hard, begging him for his cum. "There you go. So pretty when you cum." He started breathing quicker as he felt himself about to finish. He came deep inside you still fucking you slowly even after you both came, fucking his cum back into you as it spilled out. You whimpered as he didn't stop.

"Shhh shh." He soothed you running his hands up your back. He moved you to the side not pulling out as he got comfortable behind you. His arm was under your head as his other hand ran up and down your sides. He kissed your neck and nestled himself in its crook, you could feel his breath fanning over your neck. "Go to sleep."

Ettore opens the door closing it behind him. He places a box on the floor before taking off his shoes and jacket,

Ettore notices how quiet it is which is odd considering whenever you home there's always some noise in the house. He checks the bathroom but you're clearly not in there. He has a gut-wrenching feeling and walks over to his dresser opening the drawers he had emptied to make space for you and your clothes.

His blood runs cold as he sees them empty. No clothes inside. He walks over to the closet by the front door and opens it. Your shoes are gone and your jackets are all gone too. Panicking he takes out his phone sending you multiple messages in a row demanding to know where you were and why your stuff was gone.

He paces around his apartment waiting for a response. No matter how many times she attempts to call you you never pick up. He leaves voicemail after voicemail but you never respond.

30 minutes later his phone dings. He almost falls as he runs to it hoping to see a message from with a lame excuse that will explain everything. But what he finds only breaks his heart. Though you tried to give him a heartfelt message it all went over his head.

His mind only focuses on the fact that you left him. You actually left him.

Ettore wasted no time getting his shoes and jacket back on as he left his house. He spent hours going to all your favourite places and where he would think you would. He didn't stop texting or calling and as he walked out of the last place he could think of he pulled out his phone and sent another text.

He waited a couple seconds before the message had an exclamation mark beside it and said it could not be sent. He tried again and again. He then tried to call you but it immediately went to voicemail.

"No no no." He kept trying and soon realized you had blocked him.

Just like that, he had lost you. The little light he thought he had found was gone and there wasn't anything he could do about it. There was no way he could get you back or track you down.

It sent him in a spiral. He starts searching for you in other women. Trying to see if he can get the same reaction. Two of them were dull, and two others fought back and were too dry for him. There were three others who he had been too rough with and he had managed to clean up their bodies well.

One day he thinks he finally finds one. She looks like you, dresses like you, heck she even talks like you. He was in the same bar as her watching from the corner. When she was finally leaving he followed her. She drunkenly walked home and made the mistake of heading into the park. Ettore made his move then.

He was rough and didn't even try to prepare her. He had hit her multiple times to get her to stop fighting back. When he was finished his dick was soaked in her blood and she was passed out. He sighed as it pissed him off that she wasn't anything like you. She didn't clench around him or cry in pleasure, just pain.

Considering he had some drinks in the bar, he made a drunk error...he had left her there...and that would be his biggest mistake.

Two more days had gone by before there was a knock at his door. He opened it not checking who it was and was met by police tackling him to the ground and arresting him.

The girl had woken up in that park and went immediately to the hospital without showering any evidence off. His DNA was all over her and inside her and that was all they needed to catch him. They tied him to the other three that had died recently and even got him to confess to two more he killed before he had met you.

Ettore knew he was going to jail forever. He would never get out. But that didn't bother him, it was the idea that he would never have a woman again that had him fucking livid.

By the time his trial was over he had been there for two months. He almost assaulted one of the nurses, just itching to be deep inside the poor unsuspecting girl, but he was being watched like a hawk.

There was no death penalty in the UK, so Ettore assumed he would spend the rest of his life in jail surrounded by disgusting men.

That was until he was called into a room where he was told he would be joining a mission. Ettore would head into space and do whatever fucking thing the guy said. He would never return to earth and would die up there. The idea wasn't appealing to him, he could give less of a fuck about stars and shit and didn't even want to entertain the idea. Until the lawyer with pants too tight mentioned it was co-ed.

His eyes lit up and he said yes immediately. Being on that ship was a better fate than being in jail. The chance to be around women again after months of testosterone was so appealing he felt his mouth pool with saliva.

He had never cummed by his own hand so hard in the past few months as he did that night. His brain came up with new material as he imagined the different women that could be on the ship. Surely some of them would be aching for the same thing. They had also been without sex for months just like him. At least one of them would be willing to give it up. And even if none of them were Ettore had no problem resorting to his old tactics.

When the morning finally came for him to leave this shit-hole prison he couldn't have been happier. For the first time in months, he smiled and laughed. The euphoria was all too much for him to contain silently.

That feeling died quick as he watched other inmates board the ship. And across from him sat someone he never thought he'd see again.

Leaving was one of the hardest things you did. For the first two weeks, you kept contemplating going back to him but you knew that wasn't a good idea. You cursed yourself for not staying but then patted yourself on the back for being able to leave.

It was tough for a very long time. You started stealing way more than before. Your new apartment was filled with stuff you never even wanted but just felt the need to take. But it wasn't enough. None of it was enough to fill the new void.

You made some new friends. Delinquents just like you. They too had a fond for stealing and grabbing whatever they could. Although you had become a more quiet person they enjoyed your presence and your experience in stealing. So they eventually invited you in on their more serious adventures.

It started small. Robbing people at ATMs, breaking into cars, even robbing houses when the owners were gone. You had no interest in stealing money but being out all the time gave you less time to think about him.

The group had grown over time what was once four of you became thirteen. With this new large group the self-appointed "leader", Jarvis, came up with a plan for an actual heist.

You would rob one of the banks in your town. You told him you had no care for money and that you weren't interested in this. Unlike the other members, he didn't have anything on you. Nothing to blackmail you with. So he used his other assets. As he continued to plan the heist he would spend time with just you alone. He could tell you were lonely, he didn't care why but knew he could use it to his advantage.

It had been so long since someone had touched you and you were quick to give in. It wasn't the same as when you were with Ettore. Jarvis finished too quickly and did too little to get you to your peak. You often had to fake it simply because you didn't want to hurt his feelings.

But one thing was different. Jarvis wasn't scared to take you into public. He was able to give you the soft love you wanted from Ettore. He wasn't awkward on dates and didn't hesitate to hold your hand or wrap his arms around you. He even kissed you often.

So how could you deny him when he came to you and asked you to take someone's place in the heist. He made promises that with the money the two of you would leave this shit country and go somewhere tropical.

You believed him and you should have. Jarvis was sincere though you'd always think looking back that he had lied to you, he didn't.

When the day of the heist came you were prepared. He had spent the last week teaching you how to shoot a gun and running over all the plans with you.

But when shit went south and the police managed to get in the building without any of you noticing Jarvis ran and didn't take you with him.

Out of the thirteen of you, four of you died of gunshot wounds, three of you escaped and six of you were arrested.

Some hostages had died and after the trial, it looked like you would end up spending the rest of your life behind bars.

Jail was cold and boring. Your fingers were still sticky and you often got in trouble for it. But you never stopped, occasionally stealing other inmates' commissaries.

You had built a bad rep for yourself and people were starting to get sick and tired of you. So you were also quick to take the offer to get off this planet.

You didn't care if it meant you would never come back. You had given so much to this planet and never got anything in return but heartbreak, pain and fucking depression. You'd much rather die staring at the beauty of space than the faces of women who want you dead.

Getting on that ship felt like confirmation of what you're doing. There was no turning back and even if you wanted to you didn't really have a choice. This was the only version of the death penalty they could give you so thats what you were getting.

You were sat in a chair as the man in front of you started strapping you in. Once he was done he moved on to the next person who was sitting next to you.

As you looked up in front of you your heart dropped to your damn toenails. Ettore sat in front of you with the same shocked expression. You watched as that expression went from something of a shock to happiness to anger then to lust.

You both sat there staring at each other as the rest of the inmates were brought on board and strapped in.

Your name was then called a couple of times but you were too focused on Ettore to even hear anything.

You felt a hand touch your thigh and turned your head to see who it was. Clearly whatever higher power there was wanted to torment the fuck out of you.

Jarvis sat next to you with a smile on his face. You looked back over to Ettore who now wore a look of pure rage.

"Shit..."

A/N: Heyy!!! Sorry this took me so long. I kind of had writers block and then I also had school assignments but im back now!!

There's only one more chapter of this series and im super excited!!

Gen Taglist : @thought--bubble, @valeskafics

"Fuck Love" Taglist: @scarletbedlam @fan-goddess @qyburnsghost @hi-eleonora

*Bold means I couldn't tag you. If you want to be tagged let me know in the comments.

[therhythmafterthesummer]

I'm the anon who sent the ask about Pack Mum and her frustrations; your version is fucking top notch (I'm just a switchy bitch lol) and let's be real, don't we all need a bit of that in our lives? 😩😩😩 would love to see Chris' version of that too, whatever you write is going to be amazing either way 😍

previous ask for reference

fun fact, i have a handful of drabbles written for these two that have never left my google docs (some of them probably won't, ever), since i use them as practice. for this particular scenario i already had something written, so might as well share it with y'all. please bear with me, this is barely proof read sjkdfhsdkjf

Pairing: Werewolf!Chan x Human!F.Reader (one of the main pairings of my WereRoomies series, but you don’t really need to read any other instalments to understand/enjoy this one). | Word Count: ~2k. | Warnings: smut | established relationship · pet names · oral [F.&M.Rec] · edging · face sitting/fucking, all that good stuff · spanking

minors do not interact.

> Chris💕🐺: pretty baby  > howre u feeling today > ???

< You: hey darling < i’m very meh < but still standing so it’s fine < you? 

> Chris💕🐺: im having a really bad day > dont wanna get into details but god i just wanna be home

< You: oh no ): < can i help you in any way?

You saw the ‘Typing…’ text under Chris’ contact name pop up and disappear a few times before he finally replied.

> Chris💕🐺: actually… > maybe > u can say no btw > but > would u sit on my face and let me edge you for a long while when im back home?

< You: how long is a long while?

> Chris💕🐺: a really long while > as much as u can stand it > just wanna dive between ur legs > want to suffocate on your cunt and your thighs baby > so bad > fuck > had to come to hide in the restroom for a bit cuz im so hard rn just thinking about it

You couldn’t help but chuckle. But being honest with yourself, the proposition certainly gave you a similar reaction to Chris’. All you could think about now was having your boyfriend’s tongue between your legs, aided by his lips and his nose to bring you to that sweet, sweet edge over and over again…

Wetness was starting to pool at your centre, your thighs pressed together to ease some of that familiar ache, and you honestly had to make the conscious effort to remember you were still at the office, in a very public space.

Your phone vibrating again in your hand brought you back from your little day dream.

> Chris💕🐺: again > u can totally say no

< You: mmm🤔 < i’d love to sit on my alpha’s handsome face < would you let me grind on it baby?

> Chris💕🐺: fuck… yes > anything as long as u just dont come > not until i tell you to > or until u cant take it anymore > yeah? 

< You: yea 😇

> Chris💕🐺: fuck > ure so good to me pretty > seriously > im gonna make u feel so good love > hydrate yourself as much as u can > its gonna be so worth it > love u prettiest

< You: love you babiest

The rest of your workday was honestly a blur. All you could think about was the evening that awaited you. So, when you finally reached home–with your boyfriend nowhere in sight–you simply took a quick shower to get squeaky clean and got yourself into one of his t-shirts to ensure his scent was all over you when he came home.

As soon as Chris made it through the front door he gave you a quick kiss, dropped his belongings wherever, and made a beeline to the bathroom to take a shower–all as he discarded pieces of clothing on the way. A very delightful sight, you’d admit.

Now here you were, laying on the sofa and scrolling on your phone, waiting for him to come out.

The second he’d gotten out of the shower, barely even patting himself dry, with his hair still wet, Chris made his way to you.

Before you could even stand up, he was already hovering over you, kissing you deeply for a moment, only to finally trace a path of kisses to your neck so he could nibble at your pulsepoint.

“Been thinking about you all day, pretty baby”, he mumbled against your skin, licking the area and kissing it after. 

“Me too, darling…” A sigh of relief passed your lips, while you all but melted under the attention your boyfriend was providing to your neck. “You got me so wet”, taking a hold of his hand, you guided it to your core, where his fingers traced your folds, spreading your essence with a deep inhale. “So fucking wet just thinking about you, Chris”. 

“Fuck…You smell so fucking good…” Burying his face further in the crook of your neck, he sucked on your pulse point, just as he eased two fingers into you, making you moan in surprise as he diligently massaged your walls. 

You bared your neck, giving your boyfriend plenty of room for him to paint purple roses on your skin. Holding tightly onto his arms, you couldn’t help but squirm a little when he started to thrust his fingers in and out of you, once he started curling them to hit that sweet spot within your warmth.

“So tight, baby…” Chris mumbled as he eased a third finger into you, making you whine at the delicious stretch. “We don’t fuck for a couple of days and it’s almost like your cunt has forgotten me…” 

You shook your head, swallowing the saliva that had pooled in your mouth. “Impossible. She–she knows who she belongs to”.

“Fuck…” Pulling his fingers out of you, he straightened himself. “Come here, beautiful”.

Chris laid down, motioning for you to place each knee next to his head. You did as asked, staring at him between your legs as you lowered yourself, hovering just a bit while he caressed your thighs. 

“C’mon, baby”, Chris borderline whined, bringing his hands to your hips and holding you tightly. “Sit”. 

“I’m…baby, I don’t wanna crush you”.

This was a common debate when you found yourselves in this situation. Sometimes you didn’t even need to think twice about complying, but, as a heavier person, other times you were a bit unsure. Today was one of those days, clearly. And as usual, your boyfriend was quick to reassure you.

“Babe, we’ve been through this. I’m a fucking animal, remember? All that werewolf thing? You’re not gonna crush me”, he chuckled. “Sit on me, get comfy, and brace yourself, yeah?” 

With a deep inhale, you nodded, finally lowering yourself all the way. You couldn’t hold back the gasp that left your mouth as soon as you felt Chris’ tongue make contact with your heat. “Oh–”

His tongue running through your folds, teasing your entrance, licking your clit, sucking on it…Every single one of his motions had tingles of pleasure travelling up and down your spine, had your chest heaving, and quiet whines coming out of your mouth.

Bringing his hands to your thighs, he held you tightly in place, so tight you wondered if you’d see a mark left in the shape of his fingers later–something you were admittedly eager to see. He was groaning a lot, you were moaning a lot, and, in no time, he had reduced you to a whimpering mess.

Maybe it was all that daydreaming you’d been doing after he sent you those texts, maybe it was just how good your boyfriend was at working you up, but you were very quickly getting close to the edge, almost ready to tip over it.

“Baby…Chris, fuck, I’m…close”, your voice quivered a bit, and Chris simply hummed in response, finally slowing his movements. 

His hands roamed your body as his tongue flicked your sensitive nub, the pressure was light enough that the signs of your approaching orgasm seemed to be fading away. In all honesty, you weren’t sure if you were going to stand this at all. You’d try, of course, but you realised very quickly how badly you wanted your relief.

Kneading your breasts, Chris simply continued his motions, slowly licking your clit, or dipping his tongue inside of you for a taste. You couldn’t help but roll your hips, trying to get some extra stimulation. And whenever he licked at your entrance, his nose would bump your clit, and it had you pathetically whining as you ground your core on his face. 

When Chris finally opened his eyes to look at you, you stared right back. 

That stare-off had the fine hairs on the back of your neck standing on end, and you were immediately trapped in that undeniably predator look of his.

It was kind of amusing, how that look seemed to have the complete opposite effect it should have on you. It should’ve made you feel intimidated, scared, but after spending this much time with Chris, after giving yourself to him so many times already, the trust you had in him made it so that stare of his just made you want to be closer to him. It enticed you, it made you shiver, made you wetter, and, right now, just by looking at him, at that utterly primal desire in his eyes, you could feel yourself grow closer to your climax again.

You genuinely couldn’t tell how long you spent right there. You had already lost count of how many times he’d brought you to the edge by the fifth time. Your legs were starting to burn, your lower back hurt, and you suddenly felt like you needed something in your mouth. 

“C–Chris”, you tugged on his hair, gasping when he quickened the pace of his tongue. “Baby… Want–”

He squeezed your bum, one butcheek in each hand, surely bruising you with the strength of his grip. It made you dizzy, and you were sure you were dripping all over him by now. He released his hold on one of your buttocks, only to land a harsh smack on it after, urging you to speak, making you shamelessly moan with the action. 

Chris hardly ever spanked you–aside from a playful, mild smack here and there. He’d told you before that he felt like he already put your body through so much with everything else, adding that, too, was just unnecessary, and that it could possibly hurt you too much. But, fuck, if the sting felt good whenever he did.

“Need your cock, baby”, you finally sighed, trembling with your upcoming release. Chris gave you a curious look, not stopping his tongue for a second, so you decided to clarify. “In my mouth, Chris. Please…”

Taking a hold of your hips, he lifted you up a bit, enough to talk. “Turn around, pretty”.

Your legs were incredibly unsteady, but you managed to do it, finally laying on Chris with his tongue once again in its rightful place within your warmth. 

Saliva pooled in your mouth at the sight of your boyfriend’s cock. Incredibly hard, twitching, and with an impressive pool of pre-cum under his tip where it laid on his lower abdomen. He was clearly enjoying this a lot, and just the sight had you clenching with need..

When you took him in your hand, his thighs jerked a bit, and a moan muffled against your skin as he continued to feast on your cunt. You simply pumped him in your hand, once, twice, relishing just how hard he was. 

Wasting no more time, you licked a long stripe from his base to the tip, swirling your tongue around it for good measure. Until, finally, you took him in your mouth, eliciting a shared moan from the both of you. 

Chris’ hands dragged up and down your back, kneading your flesh as he went, moaning against your heat whenever you got him deeper into your mouth, whenever your nails dug on his thighs. 

All of a sudden, you felt Chris’ hand land harshly on one of your buttocks. The sudden sting made you moan around his length and clench around thin air. He did it again on the other, holding the supple flesh of your bum tightly in his hands right after in an attempt to soothe your skin. 

His length popped out of your mouth with a sinful sucking sound. With a hazy mind and a needy cunt, you were speaking before you could think twice about it. “More…”

Chris immediately complied, smacking one of your buttcheeks again, groaning lowly as your moans spilled freely out in the room without his cock in your mouth.

He repeated the motions a handful of times, all while you jerked him to the best of your now compromised motor skills. Your moans got increasingly more desperate the more he spanked you, and your whole body trembled with arousal.

“Pretty…” Chris mumbled, keeping you off of him enough so you could hear him, although you barely could, you were too far gone. “Put my cock back in your mouth, baby. Suck me off, and when I spank you again, you can come. Okay?” 

“Okay…”

“Good, good girl”, Chris pulled you back on his mouth, eliciting a shaky moan from your lips. 

You did as asked, taking him once again into your mouth and sucking him, rather eagerly, if you might add. Your lips caught on the ridge of his head time and time again, his tongue and his lips focused on your clit, licking and sucking harder and faster by the second, just how he did whenever he wanted you to come, and when you finally felt the sting on your ass again, you could hardly make sense of your surroundings anymore.

Before you knew it, your entire body shook with your release, desperately moaning around Chris’ length as pleasure tears fell from your eyes. It was so much, so intense, and when Chris held the back of your head in place with one of his hands and started to thrust up into your mouth you were sure you had already died and gone to heaven.

It felt like you were coming for an eternity, the sheer intensity of your release had you shaking and squirming in your boyfriend’s hold. The most satisfying part of it all, though, was when you vaguely registered Chris’ warmth flooding your mouth, making you moan once again just at the feel of his cum going down your throat, making you dizzy just by the blissed-out sounds that were coming out of his mouth. 

You swallowed it all, sucking on his tip until the very last drop of his release had coated your tongue, and as soon as Chris detached himself from your core, your body slumped, your vision clouded, and a ringing broke free in your ears.

“Baby? Baby, please. Talk to me”, Chris sounded so close. But how could he if your heads were in completely opposite directions?

“Pretty?” You felt his hands on your cheeks, and once you opened your eyes and saw the worried look on his face, you realised you were laying on the sofa, while he was crouching on the floor next to you. When did he move? He was just below you a few seconds ago. 

“Did I…Did I pass out?” You blinked at him, reaching for his hand on your face to softly caress the back of it. 

“Fuck, you did. For a few seconds. I thought I had choked you to death. Are you okay? I’m so sorry”, he was going into his Protective Alpha mode, and it made you smile. 

“I’m fine, baby. Don’t apologise. Give me a kiss”, you did feel a bit lightheaded, but you also felt light all over, as if your crushing orgasm had taken all the tension off of your body completely.

Chris sighed, pecking your lips, your nose, your cheeks, all over your face. “Fuck, give me a second. I’ll bring you some water”. 

You simply hummed, stretching your achy limbs and turning on your other side to face the backrest.

When Chris came back, you gulped the glass of water in one go before you gave it back to him so he could place it on the coffee table. 

You made grabby hands at him, and he chuckled, laying behind you and pulling you to his chest so he could press kisses on your shoulder.

“That was insane”, you mumbled while you caressed the arm he had wrapped around your waist. 

“It was, fuck…I got too carried away, you’re all bruised, love”, his fingers gently traced the curve of your bum, and you leaned into his touch. 

“Felt so good, though”, you sighed, content, further pressing your back to his chest. “So good I passed out, baby. That’s a new record”. 

Chris giggled, and you couldn’t help but giggle as well. 

“Do you feel better?” You asked, snuggling closer, relishing his warmth on your back, his warmth all around you.

“I feel like I won a million euros, a billion dollars, a trillion won…You get the point”, Chris nuzzled your nape, pressing lingering kisses there, all as he brought a hand to your belly to lightly squish your soft flesh. “Honestly just what I needed. For my pretty girlfriend to feel insanely good, and to blow my load in her perfect, warm mouth”.

You chuckled, taking a hold of his hand and bringing it to your lips so you could press a kiss on his palm, right before you turned around in his hold and cupped his cheeks, smiling at him. “I love you”. 

“Love you”, he repeated immediately, diving in for a kiss. When he pulled back, he held you tightly, pressing kisses on your cheeks. “You’re so good to me”.

“And you to me, baby”, you mumbled back, kissing him on the cheek before you tucked your head under his chin.

You both laid there for a moment, a moment of just your soft caresses on each other’s exposed skin. Until Chris heaved a satisfied sigh, pulling away from your embrace to stand up from the sofa.

“C’mon, pretty. Time to be pampered and cuddle in the tub”, Chris took you in his arms. A soft chuckle left your lips, and you held onto him, pressing tender kisses on his neck all the way to the bathroom.

© therhythmafterthesummer 2023. all rights reserved. do not repost or translate my stories.

figured i’d tag anyone that wants to be tagged in my wereroomies instalments. if you don’t want to be tagged in little ask responses like these let me know !

@222wonnie · @staaa96 · @oiminho · @straylightdream · @starshine-moon · @biribarabiribbaem · @100layersofdaddyissues · @dearalice · @alexis-reads-fics · @xcookiemonsteer · @knowleeknow · @chanlovesme · @liminaldaydream · @sstarryreads · @svngiem · @notastraykid · @princelingperfect · @violetpenguinkris · @leedunno · @peepeepoopooharrie · @aestheticsluut · @skzhomiehopper · @cessixja · @mimzibee · @hipsdofangirl · @djeniryuu · @floatingcoffecup · @minnysproutgriffinteddy · @moonmooncr · @phobia0325 · @leebitsimpracha · @viviixlyy · @casualenthusiastexpert · @kileidoscope · @kpop-bbdoll · @crispytigerearthquake · @meloncremesoda · @amaranth-writing · @fawnpeaks · @dalamjisung

[adrianlikesdinos]

while it is funny to think and joke about, i think the genuine belief that Erik's wife and daughter were used for the main purpose of trying to erase Cherik is just such a truly awful take. there is no contextual evidence to even back up the claim, by the end of the movie Erik still choses Charles yet again.

so I'm here to present my succinct, evidence-based claim: Erik's wife and daughter only worked to further cement his and Charles shared narrative.

in the film, these two girls act as flat characters; very little information is given about them, no character development takes place, and they take up very little screentime. what they add to the films story however is a point emotional attachment outside the world of mutant vs. humans for Erik to settle into, heal, and escape from his previous life as a literal terrorist. unfortunately for die hard Cherik truthers, this means an emotional attachment out side the world Erik shares with Charles. this is a genuine attempt by Erik to remove himself from the cycle of fear and rage he has been a slave to since his childhood, and it really did all work out for him. he had a job, a community, and he was able to create a life perfectly for himself. despite needing to hide his powers, this was probably the best outcome he was ever going to achieve.

but, now that the franchises main antagonist has settled into a life of warmth and comfort, its time for the narrative to get moving again. you cant tell a story without its antagonist. yes, Apocalypse is the main antagonist for this specific movie as he is the source for the majority of the films tension and conflict, but this movie is a part of the over arching narrative primarily concerning Professor X, his X Men, and their arch-nemesis, Magneto. being each others narrative foils and their decades old disputes they are quite literally a package deal, there will never be a Professor X without his Magneto. So, what better way to pull our protagonist his literal other half into the mix than a good old fashioned fridging?

"women in refrigerator's" is a literary trope originally coined in 1999 by comic book fan Gail Simone. this term is used to refer to the trope in which a female loved one is killed, injured, or otherwise hurt in order to further the plot. the trope is one in which women are used as disposable. (there is so much more i could say about the sexism rooted in this fairly common trope but its fairly self explanatory and doesn't pertain to directly to the topic at hand.) once you actually learn about this you cant stop noticing it (ever seen a Disney movie?). it is particularly common in comic books as a heavily male dominated field of media. it is an easy, fast way to get emotion and anger out of a character and gives them the motive to fulfill whatever is needed for the story to continue. in this case, the rage born from Erik's grief lead him to join Apocalypse as one of his horse men. ultimately pushing him towards yet another fated conflict with Charles, the climax of almost any X Men film.

if the writers were truly conscious and concerned with fans perception of Erik and Charles questionably platonic relationship, they wouldn't have used a trope to sling shot the man directly back into his fandom assigned love interest. its incredibly unreasonable to claim a device clearly intended to send him closer to his other half was in an attempt to separate them.

and, claiming that his family was just an attempt to erase Cherik feels like completely ignoring Erik's past experiences with fridging that truly work to build the complexities and tragedy of their strictly canon relationship. this is the second time he has had his whole world ripped away from him. the second time he has turned to rage and violence to protect what little of himself he has left. this is the first time however that he realizes he has more than just a little broken piece of himself left. this is the first time he is able to realize there is another soul out there who can see past the rage he is blinded by. the first time he has had someone who continues to see the good in him.

and this is me looking at this from as unbiased a perspective as i can. this is hardly even subtext. Erik's flashback wasn't stuck in there just because they needed more screen time, everything holds significance. it was blatantly telling us that in that very moment Erik realized he still had Charles, the one person who can actually claim to know someone, the one person who genuinely knows HIM.

[dangans-ur-ronpas]

Chapter 21

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BYAKUYA ok i said i would be going on hiatus but i got really inspired and also it's my guy's birthday today so surprise update. going on hiatus fr now tho

SEE HERE FOR GENERAL WARNINGS AND FIC SUMMARY

Some pre-chapter notes:

trust ended with makoto and never really started with kyoko now celeste is my new conversation partner

cant believe hes 31. and blond

@digitaldollsworld roman my friend romannn !!!

Content warning tags: description of depression/PTSD, mention of suicide, description of eating disorder

< previous - from start - next >

“Your hand.”

It’s the first thing Byakuya says to her as they leave the bathhouse. Kirigiri pauses mid-step, already halfway to the stairs, and turns over her shoulder.

“What of it?”

He gives her a pointed look. WIth her gloves on, he can’t tell the extent of the damage, but remembering how hard he’d tried to shut that door, he can imagine it’s not exactly pretty. “Is it broken?”

In response, she raises the hand in question, flexing it in front of him with the soft creak of well-worn leather. “It’s fine.”

Like hell it is. The fingers of her left hand hadn’t even been moving when she was typing, curled into a half-moon that skittered clumsily over the keys. But if she doesn’t want to admit it, there’s no point in him pointing it out. He has other questions, anyway. “Did you already know?”

He doesn’t mention Alter Ego out loud, but he doesn’t need to; there’s nothing else he could be referring to. She lowers her hand slowly. “Why do you think so?”

Of course, she would answer with another question. It was nothing but ambiguities and obstructions with her. “You didn’t seem surprised at all. You opened up the locker without any trouble. And you were very quick to volunteer yourself to take full responsibility.” It had been a thought in the back of his mind since the possibility of having to reveal Alter Ego to the others was brought up. She was the one who gave the computer to Chihiro, after all. He lowers his voice: “Considering how you were the one who passed that computer off to Chihiro, I can’t imagine that you weren’t aware of what he was up to.”

She doesn’t reply immediately, instead glancing around the ceiling for any wayward cameras, then behind Byakuya for any stray ears. But everyone else was still gathered around the bathhouse entrance, preoccupied with discussing their next move. Hiro was at the head of it, voice loud and excessively optimistic. “I’m curious as to how you perceived me as being unsurprised, all things considered.” She says flatly, and he feels a muscle twitch in his cheek. “And it wasn’t as if there was any lock on the locker itself. And it was the most logical thing to do, considering our room assignments.”

It doesn’t escape him how she hasn’t bothered to respond to his last statement, and it was too risky to make her answer it out loud, and especially not here or now. He hated having to concede, and especially not to her of all people, but the risk outweighed his pride. “Fine.” He grits out. Let her keep her secrets. “And where are you going now?”

He can probably guess, but he wants to hear it from her anyways. “The third floor was recently opened to us.” She replies coolly. “I am going to investigate.”

“Alone.” He doesn’t say it like a question. “You’re not bringing Makoto?”

“I always investigate alone. Anyone else…would get in the way.” She says that last part hesitantly, as if she’s not sure of her own reasoning. “I doubt he’d want to go with me regardless. Not after yesterday.”

Yesterday? He tries to think, if there was anything that happened yesterday that could have affected their relationship, but all he comes up with are the worst parts of the trial, the body discovery, the confrontation with Fukawa. The memories of everything else had blurred, melting together to become indiscernible.

She’s answering before he can even open his mouth to ask further. “I was the one who told Makoto to out you in the trial.” She says, monotone and unreadable, and then stands there, almost expectantly, as understanding sinks in.

He tries to feel angry, that familiar rush of fury, but there’s nothing, and it leaves him feeling jarringly cold in its absence. At his silence, she continues: “Let me be clear, Makoto did not want to betray you to begin with. I told him that it would be unavoidable, and the only way to clear you of all suspicion.”

“The two of you made me into a bigger target.” He points out, bitterly. A person who would be of no help in investigations or otherwise, who was helpless enough on his own to be an appealing victim who couldn’t retaliate. 

“There’s only ten of us left, in an enclosed space. With smaller numbers, it’s less likely for any one person to be willing to kill. Or get away with it, at least.” If she was trying to reassure him, she was failing miserably.

“Why Makoto? If you were aware, why couldn’t you have told them instead?”

She takes a step closer, and he barely keeps himself from stepping back. “Would they have been as ready to believe me?” She asks quietly. “You said it yourself: I’m someone who you all know nothing about. If I was the one who did it, would they be as quick to accept it? Or would they have started wrongly accusing me as well? Where would we be then?” She reaches out and grabs his lapels - in her left hand - and pulls him close, just enough to whisper: “I am the only one who can get us out of here. I’m sure you know that well.”

He feels his hands clenching into fists at his sides, but she’s right. Of course she is. Out of everyone here, she was the only one who was actively searching, trying to escape, and probably the closest to succeeding. That was the most frustrating part; that he couldn’t even properly argue back.

She releases him and retreats, tucking her hair behind her shoulders. “I will admit. If I had been the one to absolve you, then maybe you wouldn’t have had to be betrayed.” She says simply, and it’s probably the closest thing he’ll get to an apology. An offhanded acknowledgement of his miserable state.

He’s heard enough. He turns on his heel, but hasn’t made even a step when she grabs his arm so suddenly that he almost stumbles. “What?” He demands. Her fingers are tight around his forearm, and he can feel her leather glove, smooth and creased at the knuckles, digging through the fabric of his jacket.

There’s another pause, as she opens her mouth, but she’s silent long enough for him to wonder if there was something wrong with her. Then she releases him. “Nothing. Go eat.”

He was already planning to head to the cafeteria to do just that, but her tone irks him so much that he’s almost tempted to turn around and stomp back to his room. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

“Starve, then. But don’t wear yourself out.” She was already brushing past him, hair streaming behind her like a ghost. “You still have some use yet.”

He watches her go, a little stunned and more than a little scandalized. For her to belittle him, patronize him, and mock him, after he tried to help her - demonstrated concern, even - he clenches his fists to stop them from trembling, and smothers down the insult that she was already too far away to hear.

What an-! Insufferable little-! He sputters silently. To go from blatantly labeling him as ‘useless’ just a few days ago to saying this now, when his most fatal flaw had been laid bare to everyone…even more frustrating, was how underneath the anger, a smallest shred of pride had curled to life in his chest, undaunted by the disgust that immediately followed. As if he were a dog easily placated by nice words.

…The hunger must have started to interfere with my thoughts. He shakes his head, and turns back to the cafeteria. Behind him, he can hear the squeak of sneakered footsteps, pattering to catch up with him, and starts walking a little faster, knowing full well who it could be. And sure enough:

“Byakuya!”

It was just one after another. Makoto’s hand pinches onto his elbow sleeve, and Byakuya jerks out of his grasp with enough force that he almost stumbles, staggering awkwardly to maintain his balance. Makoto steps back, one hand still raised hesitantly, and his breath stutters slightly as he freezes, unsure what to do.

There’s a lot that Byakuya can say here. He’s envisioned this interaction a thousand times, in between chess and shogi games with Alter Ego, as he showered, as he rested his exhausted, sightless eyes. But the vitriol he prepared doesn’t come; the very act of trying to come up with something to hurl at him just leaves him feeling drained. Hollowed out.

Luckily, he’s saved from having to say anything at all. Seemingly out of nowhere, with only a sudden rustle of velvet to announce her arrival, Celeste appears by his side, placing one hand delicately on his elbow.

“Oh, excuse me,” She hums serenely, entirely ignoring the strange, tense air between the other two. “I pray I am not intruding. Byakuya, won’t you please join me for tea?”

She’d never shown interest in him before. He scowls, instantly wary. “What for?”

“There’s no need for such frightening looks. I have no ulterior motives.” She’s probably smiling, though he can’t make out her mouth on her pale face. Just her eyes, pinpricks of an artificial, unsettling red. “But you have not eaten since yesterday’s breakfast, no? Hifumi’s milk tea is almost passable, and I would appreciate it if you could offer your refined opinion on it.”

He doesn’t move, arm held at an awkward position away from himself to keep her at a distance. Makoto is still there, watching them, hesitating. “Um, Byakuya-”

“And…I would like to apologize for my actions during the trial.” Byakuya’s eyes snap back to her. Her posture has relaxed somewhat, and she speaks slowly, as if every word was pushing against her pride. “I spoke rather callously, and…shed some rather insulting suggestions of your relation with Chihiro. At the time, I genuinely thought I was doing the right thing, but it seems I should not have been so rash.” The hand on his elbow slackens, just enough to be in danger of sliding off his arm entirely. “I can’t imagine how you are feeling now. It’s clear now, you were one of the people closest to him, if he was able to entrust you with something so precious.”

He feels his lip curling with disgust, at her shamelessness. It was unsurprising that someone such as the Ultimate Gambler would use words like cards, and know exactly how to play them. But even despite knowing that she wasn’t likely to be genuine, the stifling, uncomfortable pressure on his chest dissipates, just a little.

And he was hungry. And he has no desire to be face-to-face with Makoto at all, and he doubts Celeste’s intentions to kill him. And there was no motive, nor had he slighted her in any way - and besides. Prepositioning him here, in the middle of the hallway with Makoto to witness it, meant that it would be very difficult for her to free herself of suspicion if he were to turn up dead.

“Fine.” He forces his posture to relax. At that, her hand twines around his arm with the grace of a snake, much like how a lady might be led by a gentleman, resting there lightly.

She radiates smugness, and the self-satisfaction of a pampered cat as she leans into him. “Then, shall we go?”

He doesn’t really want to. But sometimes sacrifices were a means for a better end, and he only spares a single glance at Makoto as he leaves, standing ignored and alone in the middle of the hallway. 

___

“Ah, Princess!” Yamada calls as they enter. And then, slightly panicked: “And - M-Mister Togami-?”

Byakuya scoffs, disgusted, but Celeste tugs him along. “Yes, I am aware of the nature of the company that I keep.” She sounds almost apologetic about it, as she half-guides, half-steers him towards a two-person table near the far end of the cafeteria. “But I assure you, he has his uses. He’s loyal where it counts, and accomplishes things decently well.” She pats his arm, a gesture that feels far too familiar for his comfort. “I’m sure you understand?”

He makes no comment, seating himself with a scowl, and eyeing Celeste warily from across the table, a graceful shape of black and white before him. The girl had always been an enigma - much like Kirigiri in her careful, conniving ways - but he hasn’t forgiven her for how she so carelessly dropped the mention of his meeting with Chihiro. It hadn’t been to clear anything up either; he was sure that her intentions were for her own self-satisfaction, and nothing more.

Yamada waddles out of the kitchen, a large, silver tray balanced between his hands. He sets it on the table with a flourish, its contents rattling slightly - an intricate porcelain tea set decorated with a swirling black design, with a plate full of small teacakes, cookies, and other such deserts - and begins pouring out two cups of tea. He’s surprisingly graceful about it, making a show of pouring the milk in a large arc and stirring it all with a tiny silver spoon, before he sets one down in front of both of them.

Celeste lifts her cup to her lips, taking a careful sip. “Hm. Better,” She praises, and Yamada swells with pride, his chest puffing out. “Thank you. You may go.”

He deflates immediately. “Ah, but-” He clutches the empty tray to his chest like a shield. “Er, to sit alone w-with another man-!”

“Now, please.” There’s a firmness behind her gentle politeness, and after a moment’s hesitation, Yamada retreats to the kitchen with a quiet grumble.

There’s some sound near the entrance of the cafeteria, and when Byakuya looks up he sees Hagakure leading Owada towards a table, talking jovially about the importance of health and food, asking about any preferred dishes, and launching into some inane story about a hamburger and aliens.

“He’s been like that since this morning.” Celeste comments, and he turns back to her. She sets her teacup down with a gentle click, and laces her fingers beneath her chin as she leans forward, her voice lowered to an exaggeratedly conspiratorial degree. “You were not there, but Hiro declared himself the de facto leader in Taka’s absence. He stated that he has rights by age, but thus far he’s only taken responsibility for Owada.”

De facto leader…as if they had such a thing. “Good. Someone has to.” Byakuya grunts, as he lifts the cup to his lips. Owada was the farthest thing from stable at the moment, and he would rather avoid having to participate in another trial so soon. The tea Yamada made is passable, though too sweet for his tastes and richer than he would like.

“Hm, quite right.” She sighs. “I have no interest in repeating yesterday’s events for as long as I live.”

She says what he was thinking out loud, and somehow, that bothers him deeply. He didn’t like how similar the two of them were, how similar she was perceiving them to be. How similar they already were.

“But let’s not waste time on depressing things.” She claps her hands lightly. “I am curious. How is your relationship with Makoto now?”

He chokes on the teacake he had just taken a bite of, crumbling into crumbs and dust into his throat, and takes a hasty gulp of tea. It’s too hot and scalds his tongue, and the raw, healing wounds on his inner cheek. He almost doubles over with the pain, just barely managing to keep his posture. This whole time, he was painfully aware of Celeste watching him over her crossed hands.

“Are you alright?” She asks, offering him a handkerchief. He ignores it and takes another sip of tea, ignoring the burns.

“M’ f-ine.” He spits. He has the feeling his eyes are watering, though there’s not exactly a clear difference in his vision to suggest if that’s the case, and counts himself lucky for not choking. He tries to blink the tears inconspicuously away, and clears his throat. “Why - why do you ask about him?”

She tilts her head as if his question is the odd one. “You underestimate how much attention you drew when you accepted Makoto’s company. In the course of just a few short weeks, we’ve seen you two develop a sudden companionship, then a sudden lull, and then rekindle that relationship as if nothing had happened at all.” He has the feeling she’s smiling, though he can’t make out the gleam of her teeth compared to her chalk-white face. “Would you like to hear some of the rumors that have been spread?”

“Not in the slightest.” He can imagine what tasteless things have been whispered already. “The truth is nothing as scandalous as you’re hoping to hear. He was the first person who discovered my blindness, and was simply assisting me. Though-”

He grimaces inwardly now, at the memory of the trial. The earth-shattering feeling of betrayal. The quiet, hesitant way that Makoto had reached out to him afterwards, guilty as a thief. “Though, I have no need for people that can’t obey orders.”

That’s not the exact reason for his avoidance of Makoto, but he’s not interested in analyzing exactly why the other boy was bothering him so, and especially not now. It’s also not the sort of answer he would expect Celeste to be satisfied with, but to his surprise, she simply shrugs, and nods as if she understands it completely.

“I am the same. Though given our situation…I have had to be a little accommodating.” She flicks a hand carelessly in the direction of the kitchen. “I am surprised, however. Given your nature, I hadn’t expected you to be so merciful. You seemed to let Makoto off very kindly compared to the injustice he did you.” She leans forward slightly, staring at him. “You’ve changed, it seems.”

“Excuse me?”

“It is not an insult.” She says, with the same, gentle tone as a nanny with a displeased child. “If anything, it is praise. You’re far more open now, when compared to before.” She taps at her face. “You’ve stopped wearing your glasses, which you didn’t need in the first place. It’s a sign that you have become less shut off, no?”

“It’s not a sign of anything. My glasses broke when Owada punched me.” Never mind the fact that he has several spare pairs in his room. Trying to wear them now when everyone knew they were pointless would be more humiliating than anything, though he still has to consciously refrain from reaching up to touch his temples, fighting the habit to adjust something that wasn’t there.

“But even so, my point still stands.” Her eyes narrow as she smiles. “Before, you seemed very distant, but now it is more obvious that you are of flesh and blood.”

He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. That was what he was afraid of, becoming more human, more like those around him. His glasses had been a part of him for as long as he could remember, even before there was a real need for him to wear them; they made him look older, Pennyworth had told him, and more mature. Less like a boy, more like a proper heir. Less like his mother, and more like a Togami.

He notices the pale, spindly shape of Celeste’s hand reaching for his face just in time, jerking backwards and out of her reach. If she’s surprised, she gives no sign, and simply retreats slowly. “I apologize. It seems I’ve said something insensitive once more.”

“...You said nothing of the sort.” He lies. Has he become that easy to read? He presses his lips into a thin line. “Even if I still had them, there’s no point in wearing them anymore. Not when everyone knows they’re pointless.”

“I see…if it is any consolation, I do find your appearance appealing now.” She says this hesitantly, shyly, hiding her face demurely behind her cup. But either she had layered on enough makeup to completely conceal her face, or she was an exceptionally skilled liar, or most likely both, because not the barest hint of a blush is visible on her at all. “You were uncomfortably perfect before, more like a little porcelain doll than anything. I rather enjoy this new, human side to you. Even the…imperfections, if you will forgive the term, are quite endearing.”

He can feel her gaze, bright red eyes, roaming his face. “Save your flattery.” He mutters. The burn on the roof of his mouth was making itself known again, and as he glances down at his plate at the remains of his earlier pastry, all he sees is an unappealing, sand-coloured blur. “Asides from the change in supposed ‘leadership’, what else happened when I wasn’t around?”

Thankfully, Celeste doesn’t push the topic, and instead launches into a detailed recount. Monokuma opened up the third floor as a reward for a successful trial, which included new amenities: an art room with just about everything needed for any medium, from sculpting to calligraphy; a very robust physics lab with a very large and elaborate air purifier; an equipment room without anything particularly noticeable; and a recreation room with a pool table, darts, board games, and a weekly magazine rack.

Byakuya raises his eyebrows at this last mention. “Weekly magazines?”

“Yes, but unfortunately, Monokuma has no intention of providing us with any new issues.” She sighs. “I asked him myself.”

He clicks his tongue, disappointed again but unsurprised, and leans back in his chair, taking a biscuit. Everything that Yamada had brought out was too sweet for his tastes, and tasted cheap, with the chemical-ly staleness of preservatives. It was killing his appetite, and he was ready to retreat back to his room.

“It seems that our school life has gained more opportunities to become enjoyable, however.” Celeste continues, ignoring his apparent sourness. “Won’t you join me for a game of Othello, sometime? I’m sure someone of your caliber is familiar with the rules.”

“I’ll pass. I have no need for a partner.” He doubts that she would be a better opponent than Alter Ego, in any case. Especially if he couldn’t see the board.

“A shame. But it was worth asking.” She doesn’t sound surprised by his blunt rejection. “I’m sure I could not compare to the games you have witnessed among the aristocracy?”

He hesitates for a moment. Her intentions were clear, full of the subtle eagerness of a child trying to wheedle out a prize for good behavior. “Witnessed, and participated. But I have to disappoint you, they’re more or less just like the gambling games that the commoners play, blackjack and roulette and such. The only difference is the wagers.”

“Very high wagers, I presume?”

“Yes, but not in money. Most of the time, all the participants have enough money to their name that mere cash becomes meaningless. So they place their stakes in other things- properties, businesses, liquid assets and even people. A family castle, their favored butler. Things that have more value to them than just monetary.” She leans forward on her elbows, listening intently, and after another moment’s pause, he continues. “I’ve only played once, and wagered a genuine second-generation [Delafoy] portrait bust. I won the original copy of the opponent’s family records.”

“A rather underwhelming prize.”

“Not at all. There’s nothing more valuable than information - especially when it’s limited.” He replies, smugly. That book of records was the only copy to exist, and the stupid, sheltered boy who had wagered it had gone nearly catatonic when he lost. He was outright disowned when his family discovered what he’d done, and the family head offered a fortune for the return of it - but Byakuya had kept it, both out of spite and necessity. That book ended up being a precious bargaining token later, when the game of inheritance found him and he needed a place to lie low.

Celeste is captivated, leaning as far as she can over the table with her chin tucked on her laced hands, eyes so wide that the red of her irises - contact lenses, surely - are twin, bloody suns on her milk-white face. Like a vampire bite, he notes distantly, with a hint of snide amusement. “It has always been a dream of mine to sit among those tables.” She says, and her voice is hushed and passionate, eager, expectant; a demand hidden in plain sight.

“It would never happen. Someone of your status would never be afforded the chance.” He scoffs immediately, matter-of-factly.

“Do the wealthy not recognize the value of skill? I’m sure I can provide a stimulating enough game for them.”

“And I don’t doubt that you could. But that wouldn’t matter.” She was certainly clever, but if she was still dreaming such foolish things, then he suspected that she would not last much longer in the mastermind’s game. He leans forward, fixing her with a stare. “The only reason why I could participate at all is because of my lineage; the Togami name is the only reason that family offered to buy back their precious records, rather than simply assassinate me and pick it off my corpse. Someone like you wouldn’t even be allowed to leave that table alive.” Those esteemed elderly with nothing to do and those spoiled brats with lofty ideals would let her join their table, for the novelty of having a member of the peasantry try her luck, but the moment she humiliated them would have marked her end. 

That answer seems to discourage her, and she sits back, plucking another cookie from the tray and turning it in her hands. “Such a violent reaction…it seems that the nobility are much less civilized than given credit.”

“Do you think yourself uncivilized for shooing away an insect? Like I said before, do not flatter yourself into thinking that we are on the same level.”

They’re quiet for a moment, sipping their tea and nibbling at the deserts. Hagakure was trying to coax Owada into eating a bowl of rice porridge, pressing a spoon into his listless hand. Byakuya watches with a strange, uncomfortable feeling growing over him, and suddenly wants nothing more than to leave.

“Ah, speaking of being human,” Celeste says suddenly, as if remembering something. “Makoto found a particularly interesting photo in the third-floor maintenance closet. And a very odd one, at that.” She pauses to take a delicate bite of a pastry, making him wait as she chews. “One of Mondo, Leon, and Chihiro laughing together in a classroom setting.”

“What?” He frowns. Were the three of them that close? He hadn’t noted them having any particular interactions between them to suggest such a thing. “When was the photo taken?”

“That, I cannot say. Monokuma seized the photo, so the only one who saw it was Makoto.” She shrugs, an elegant lift and fall of one shoulder. “But from what he said, they couldn’t have been much younger than they were when we first arrived.”

Perhaps they knew each other before enrolling here. It would be the most logical explanation, and it wouldn’t be impossible based on what he knew of them. He says as much aloud, and Celeste simply shrugs again.

“Perhaps.” She agrees, and takes another bite. “But if they did, they gave no indication of it, and certainly did not act like they knew each other at all. Though, I am inclined to believe it was nothing more than one of Monokuma’s pranks, intended to shake us.”

That wasn’t an unlikely possibility either. Byakuya certainly didn’t doubt that the bear might do such a thing. But for some reason it bothers him, sitting stubbornly in the back of his mind and refusing to be brushed away. Like a conspicuously empty patch of dust in an old room, marking the place where something unnamed once occupied and was now gone. Was it really just a prank, and nothing more?

From the kitchen, Yamada was humming, accompanied by the sound of pans and sizzling oil, hissing steam. Hagakure was still coaxing Owada into eating, while regaling him with another long-winded, far-fetched story. Despite everything, everyone was still going about their lives, domestic and carefree.

He thinks about Kirigiri, who never seemed to stop moving. Always thinking, always searching, always leagues ahead of him. She was similar to the girl in front of him now, clever and scheming and concealing everything behind an unreadable face. But different as well; Celeste speaks in an elegant, lilting cadence that reminded Byakuya of the children of the nobility that he had bumped elbows with before, and he can’t imagine himself having tea and small talk with Kirigiri in a similar setting.

“What will you do now,” He finds himself asking. “In regards to the killing game?”

Celeste tilts her head as if this were an obvious question. “I have no interest in dying. Nor do I have the stomach in me to imagine taking another person’s life.” She shudders slightly, as if the very thought of it was horrifying. “But all our amenities have been accounted for here, and I imagine we have all the provisions to live very comfortable lives. I can be content with this, so long as it ends the pointless tragedies.”

As he thought. Despite all her secretive, careful ways, the way she took to lying like a second skin; she was nothing like Kirigiri. Kirigiri had spine, at least.

He stands up suddenly with a screech of his chair, and she makes a noise of surprise. “You are leaving?”

“I have exhausted your company,” He says bluntly. “So there is no reason for me to stay.”

“Is that so…” There’s a sharp click as she raps her fingers against the patina. “In that case, thank you for the conversation. It was very insightful.”

He has no doubts about that. This was not a simple excuse to have a leisurely chat, but an exchange of information. She gave him what he wanted to know about the third floor, and he gave her a story to stave off boredom. Something to daydream about while they waited to escape.

He doesn’t bother deigning her with a proper goodbye as he turns to go. On his way out, he catches sight of Owada, sitting across from Hagakure, spoon still unmoving, watching him. Faceless and blank.

< previous - from start - next >

[a-slut-for-smut]

Nanamin deserves better than Mei Mei

Don’t forget how creepy she is towards Ui Ui

Ya know, I really wish people were more willing to think critically about the stories they consume vs taking every at face value. Sure, when you see something questionable in a story, question it, but immediately writing off the story/story element as “problematic” just because you don't like it or triggers you is such a disservice not only to the storyteller but also yourself by stunting your own media literacy skills.

As ive addressed why NanaMei pair well in previous asks, i'll focus more on the controversy revolving around Mei Mei because its something i really want to get off my chest. The more i think about the arguments made against her the more i get these puritanical and anti feminist/non-conformist vibes from them and its really concerning to say the least.

She's Greedy/Selfish

Yes, shes money hungry. She shamelessly honest with what she likes and what she wants; she has a personal code/credo and stanchly follows it and its hard not to respect that energy. She's motivated and grounded in a way that seems out of place in the 'sorcerers must protect humans' fantasy world, but in the real world? Of course we'd look out for our own self-interest/preservation- shes as real and relatable as they come. She's logically driven (vs emotionally) and honestly if she was a man i bet the fandom wouldn't blink an eye (and prob would slobber all over him) but as always God forbid women have a strong sense of self and refuse to conform to the patriarchal ideals of what a woman should be.

THAT panel

A lot of the fandom screaming in*cest & p*edophile for this panel and i'll admit not surprised it raised eyebrows but not really reading this as sexual. Yes theres nudity, but body language makes it pretty obvious if nudity is sexual or not and well, its not- and how the first thing fandom thinks is "omg they f*cked" because shes topless or whatever is very telling. It's not a stretch to think she would be comfortable with nudity and a sense of propriety seems out of character with someone as shameless as her. She probably splurges on 1000 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets with all the money she makes, who wouldnt regularly sleep nude on those?

As for UiUi its inferred he used his CT to escape/save their lives directly before, all the more reason he would be tired. Mei Mei even apologies for waking him, implying his CT exerts him and he should rest for the day. Ui UI’s “oh my how shameless!” is said in surprise, indicating he probably blacked out after his CT and woke up fully clothed in bed with her, NOT that he’s tired from having a wild night banging his sister 🙄

I wonder about the japanese dialogue and if there is any nuance/context lost from the english translation, but I interpreted her "Do you not like me that way" was in reference to the shamelessness of her personality, essentially asking him "do you not like me the way I am?" and not her nude body because the translation used "that way" vs "this way", the latter being suggestive. And the fact that they shared a bed to sleep didnt seem OOC given their close familial dynamic.

Sibling Relationship

Its established in-universe that they are "calculating", so naturally they work very much in tandem as far as motivations go and re-enforced from what we seen in their battle tactics. Clearly Mei Mei is offense and 99% of the time can handle any issue on her own, but for that 1% she cant? Thats where Ui Ui steps in.

Ui Ui would never be in danger if Mei Mei is around, and fandom seems to ignore this fact when they say Mei Mei manipulates him to self-sacrifice himself (and her crows) for her benefit. If Mei Mei is fighting and her life's at risk, yall think Ui Ui (or the crows for that matter) stand a chance?? Maybe if he could teleport away himself which is what his CT suggests, but who really knows, and more importantly would he even consider abandoning his sister from what we seen?

I see it as a failsafe CT, only to be used in emergencies since it drains him considerably as Malaysia scene suggests- which is why he wholeheartedly waits (and binding vow) for permission from her to use it, not as a form of control or abuse or simply to please her, but to know if/when as accordance to the battle strategy mapped out by her. Shes shown as a tactician/extremely logical when it comes to battle and will use whatever is at her disposal to win if it means self-preservation (even if it means abandoning the battlefield altogether). Her loyalty is to herself above all.

And her asking “are you willing to die for me” is literally asking consent- she is asking, 'this could be the end- will you do what’s necessary for me to win this?' To which he resoundingly concurs, seemingly out of devotion but realistically if she dies where would that leave him? It’s as natural a response as one could be- in nature mothers will fight tooth & nail to protect their offspring, but at the cost of her life? What would be the point??? Offspring wouldn’t be able to survive without her, they’d be good as dead.

As far as their dynamic, there is clear affection from both sides- Mei Mei is more playful while Ui Ui is reverent. Ui Ui adores her, not atypical of a much younger sibling, but especially so given how accomplished Mei Mei is. It's stated that she inherited their weak family cursed technique, but rather than be solely defined by it, she trained herself to the maximum physical limit, THEN mastered her so called "weak" technique into one of the strongest out there (probably why she acknowledges Maki as a promising sorcerer, she sees herself in her).

If that isn't admirable than i dont know what is, and if GOJO of all people respects her, then thats saying something. But while he respects her and acknowledges her strength, does he trust her? Probably not, not like he does with Utahime who is supposedly "weak" in comparison. And i personally like that dynamic- despite not trusting her to "do the right thing" and expecting her to be self-serving, Gojo knows/respects her as a person and fellow sorcerer. Gege gives us layered interpersonal relationships between multi-faceted characters and yet so many are quick to reduce them to a single trope and its a little sad honestly.

In conclusion, yall need to relax on the pearl-clutching and have a little more perspective by all means hate on her if you dont like her but at least hate her accurately lol

[thedestructionofgrace]

Tlou ep7 spoilers:

(I’ve referred to bella as they/them in this post)

To all those who doubted Bella Ramseys portrayal of Ellie before the show even fucking aired, I sincerely hope you have the maturity to admit that you were fucking wrong. Not only did you doubt Bella but you also doubted Neil druckmann (the creator) AND Ashley Johnson (OG Ellie) when they gave their approval of bella and their performance. There is no other word than outstanding to describe bella, their acting was spot on in this episode, it has been in the other episodes too but this one… this one right here I mean they gave us everything, the little side glances, the smiles, the admiration and love towards Riley was just amazing. All those little details and bella didn’t drop the ball once, throughout the entire episode you could see feel every emotion that ellie was feeling and aw man Rahul kohli put it best, “Bella Ramsey is one of the most talented and exciting actors emerging from the next generation”.

While Pedro had like five minutes in this episode he too was amazing, Joel demanding ellie to leave, find Tommy and pushing her away, absolutely fucking gut wrenching, and his face when he realised she never left him 😫😫😫

Storm Reid, bloody hell, again the casting in this show is fucking delicious, like I don’t know how else to describe it. They just don’t get it wrong. Her Riley was great, and even though (any who’s played the game) we know what’s coming for her character, she still delivered this absolutely heart breaking performance, when she notices Ellie’s bite, then lifts her own hand!!!!! I wanted to cry so bad. Storm and Bella did not miss at all and their sapphic tension was so beautiful and I love that it wasn’t shyed away from in the show, I hope they both get recognition and awards because that is the least they deserve.

This episode had some of they most beautiful shots and the lighting was to die for, cinematically it was just gorgeous. When the mall lights came on and it cut to Ellie and her reaction 🤌🏼 I’m sure we all had the same look on our face while watching it. The shot when the two were playing in the arcade and it pans to the runner/clicker, like I was DONE!! even if you hadn’t played the game, you just fucking knew what it meant and you’re left with dread for the rest of the episode, you’re on the edge of your seat waiting for it all to go wrong and it finally comes and your feeling defeated. You’ve just watched two kids share there first kiss only for them to be sent to their doom within the next few minutes, only for us to know that ellie survived and Riley didn’t. I played left behind when I was 14 just like ellie, I’m now 21 and I got thrown back 7 years ago to my teenage self and I remember feeling so fucking mad and upset for her, all the same emotions came back tonight as I sat and watched this episode, it doesn’t matter that I already knew what was going to happen because Bella and Storm have just elevated this story to a whole other level with their acting ability and no one, no one could have done a better job than those two

The shot of Ellie holding Joel’s hand, their hands curled around eachother, oh my gosh, I know there are people who don’t think that the show can give us anything more than what the game already has but it is fucking giving, it’s giving us all those extra details and insights to all the relationships that are formed and forming that we never got in the game. I mentioned this in my previous post regarding ep 6 but we get more background on Maria,her baby, her job, her marriage and pregnancy. Joel and him being a contractor, and having panic attacks and nightmares, the jokes and the glances between ellie and Joel and ellie and Riley, there’s just so many little things that give us so much more context and understanding and so many more things to love about these characters that we’ve already loved for so many years. and I just cant describe how much I appreciate it, I’m totally rambling at this point but I can’t stop.

Small points I want to shout out:

Mortal kombat!!!!

The clown and wolf mask

Ellie and Riley talking about lingerie 😂

The jumping between rooftops, I would’ve fucking loved to do that as a teenager

Ellie having to stitch Joel up, I’m not really squeamish but I did feel my face scrunch when I watched it

Ellie’s little smile then instant apology after kissing Riley 😫 “for what” 😭

When the dead body fell through the floor, not gonna lie it made me jump a lil, thought it was gonna come alive for a second,

Them stealing alcohol off a dead body 😂 like that’s fucked up

The photo both scene, aw man I wish the photos printed better for them 😢

Just Ellie being fucking gay, every smile or look towards Riley, especially on the carousel, like girl you’re so fucking in love

I like how we got to see how Ellie ended up in the fight at the start

The purple lighting in the arcade was gorgeous as well as the carousel 💜😍

Take on me!!! Who doesn’t love foreshadowing? This song is playing while Ellie is with the first girl she’s in love with, Joel’s gonna teach her how to play it on guitar at some point and then one day she’s gonna sing it to Dina, my heart can’t take this it’s too much!!! 😭😭

Um Ellie and Riley’s lol dance scene together was so fucking cute

My eyes fucking widened and my jaw dropped when I saw those bombs on the shelf!!! Like Marlene why are you letting this kid handle home made bombs??!!

THE GAP

I keep forgetting how much Ellie doesn’t know about the world before, first when she’s in the car for the first time, then the escalators then her Riley not knowing about screenshots lol, it’s really freaking adorable. Electric stairs.

Also did Riley say she is almost 17? That kinda threw me a lil bit

If I got assigned to sewage detail I would run away too

I don’t know why but when captain kwong said to Ellie that he sees a leader in her i thought it was interesting

The naughty dog logo!!! The paw on the keys kwong has on his desk

Dawn of the wolf

Those freaking dolls in the doll store where the infected was, that was actually really creepy to me

This entire episode was just so well done, beautiful shots, lighting, music, cast, and Bella and Ellie were fucking phenomenal, I can’t wait til we get to the next episode, also kinda scared too cos we know what’s coming

[cgogs]

I’m rereading and crying over Oxeye Daisy again, and I was wondering what made you choose the flowers for each chapter title? Azure Bluet, Poppy, and Orchid feel like deliberate choices, but I cant seem to figure it out

Anyway, thanks again for this fic! I recently read the epilogue and cried my eyes out even more over it, so I’m still in the process of freaking out over this tic

Each flower can be an ingredient in minecrafts suspicious soup, which is referenced in the fic itself through the soup that george and dream eat! The oxeye daisy soup recipe makes you regenerate hearts ingame. This was my primary reason for naming each chapter but it was always a fun little surprise learnjng that their respective flower languages fit each chapter as well

Chapter 1 is the title chapter, oxeye daisy. Aside from being a reference to the soup and their relationship in general the flower itself symbolizes patience. Which. Well. <:) is georges virtue in this fic

Chapter 2 is titled azure bluet, which inflicts the blindness status effecg ingame and also symbolizes commitment. The second chapter is all about the two stumbling blindly in the dark, unsure where their relationship stands anymore after all thats happened, especially after they crossed the line at the end of the previous chapter.

Chapter 3 is titled poppy, and it gives you the night vision status effect, which i thought was a clever nod to how thru this chapter they get a little better at identifying what they want from each other and where they stand, and how dream opens up to george about his motivations and george sees straight through him. Poppies symbolize death and consolation, and a lot of this chapters theme has to do with the death of how they used to he and the looming threat over dreams head from the bounty.

Chapter 4 is titled orchid, and in the minecraft soup it gives you the saturation status effect, which makes each food you eat last longer, making you have to eat less. This is a bit of a double meaning to me, and dream as well. It could either mean my belly is full and i am content or it means i am nearly starving and making every bit of food i have count. The flower itself symbolizes precious moments and memories, on account of its delicate nature and how it could wilt any moment, just a matter of time

[enginator2000]

What are your thoughts on Infidget (the ship of Infinite and Gadget the Wolf)?

i think its fine? i dont inherently dislike it or anything, and i dont mind seeing it from time to time. the only thing that i dont like is like, a lot of the shipping community's interpretations of it. and by that i mean the people that twinkify and feminize gadget into being a little wooby baby that cant do anything without his big strong man and infinite is just the stereotypical scary-on-the-outside soft-on-the-inside masc/male/im a man/im he him boyfriend. either that or gadget is fine and its just infinite who is extremely out of character. i had a lot of "he would not fucking say that" moments with infinite when infidget was at its most popular bc these kinds of depictions were everywhere and it was really annoying

the only version of infidget ive ever shipped was a lovers to friends to enemies to... somethings type deal where they dont go back to how they used to be by the end but its not vitriolic, they just outgrew each other in their own ways during the events of forces. that or their relationship cant get mended at all and theres no closure bc infinite dies or whatever like he did in canon. and i know this is the best version of infidget bc i made it up, thanks

i actually shipped it before forces even came out bc i thought that that was sort of the route that sonic team was going to take with tying the avatar into the story. it made sense to me for the avatar (or in this case gadget) to have some sort of previous history or connection with infinite bc in my onion, that makes their dynamic a little spicier and more compelling. in my version, gadget and infinite (then zero) used to be very close until zero started getting more involved with a local gang, the jackal squad, which began to drive a wedge between them until they got more and more distant from each other. and then some more time passes and gadget hasnt heard from zero for a long time and then the events of forces start. i think part of the idea was from this dialogue that we got to hear when footage of infinites second battle came out before the game itself:

(image text reads as infinite saying "and those eyes.. i feel like we've met before.")

-which implied that the avatar and infinite had history. which was technically true, but it was within the timeline of the game bc it turned out he was referring to like. the flashback cutscene of the avatar being too scared to fight back the first time they ran into infinite before joining the resistance, so it wasnt what i was hoping for

another reason iirc was uhhhh whatshisface? sega scourge on youtube? they made a theory video about infinite getting his mind wiped by the ruby or something and that added fuel to the fire. its a really cool concept and while i dont think that the avatar wanting to avenge those they lost is necessarily bad, i feel like its just kind of meh for the kind of story forces was trying to tell, what with the friendship-is-cool themes and whatnot. so i thought the avatar/gadgets arc was going to be we get to find out how they and infinite (or at least just the former lol) know each other, and how infinite became infinite in the first place, and gadget wanted to both help put a stop to everything but also get his friend back through, you guessed it, the power of friendship. hooray! i read a really good fic that was like that called til we touch the sun on a03 (that fic still makes me go insane thinking about it) that went with a sidestory for gadget that was quite similar to what i just described

plus the idea of infinite and gadget having shared a past but only one of them remembers it and now has to deal with a monster that looks like who they used to be but is no longer the same in every other regard due to them going dark side (willingly or unwillingly) is super angsty. and i like my ships raw and some degree of brutal for the soul. it keeps me young

but yeah im overall neutral. tl;dr: infidget is a fine ship, i just wish it had more canon-supported flavour and i wish the majority of shippers would stop writing infinite so poorly to make him fit properly into their milquetoast domestic fluff romances, but whatever. we all get enjoyment out of different things, even if theyre wrong :3 (for safety reasons i have to disclose that the previous statement was a joke)

[27dragons]

who is the man " who's owned buckys heart since he was fourteen?" i never read that series for that reason i cant stand reading a winteriron fic with bucky in love with other man who isnt tony

That would be Alexander Pierce, the primary villain of the Sandbridge series! Bucky is sort of quietly in "love" with him (it really doesn't come up too much until Pierce shows up and Bucky realizes that he's not, actually, in love with Pierce at all) for about the first third of the first fic, Safe and (the) Sound, and then there's some flashbacks in A Tree Grows in Williamsburg with Bucky and Pierce together (in which Pierce is clearly a manipulative asshat gaslighting Bucky from the very beginning). Pierce comes back several times in various other fics just to be a dick; do read each fic's tags and warnings!

Though if you don't like seeing Bucky in a relationship with anyone else, you probably want to skip That Special Someone (which is way down the list), in which a previous lover of Bucky's makes an appearance and causes some trouble. (They're not at all together in the fic, but there are frequent references to that previous relationship, and there's a non-romantic flashback that includes their meeting.)

Oh, and there are occasional mentions throughout the series that Bucky once had a one night stand with Thor, but Thor is Sandbridge's cheerful himbo aromantic slut who never sleeps with anyone more than once, so it's not love or a relationship at all. If that's going to bother you then yeah, you might want to give the whole series a miss. No fic is for everyone! :D

(I know I said "why even follow me if you haven't read Sandbridge" but that was just a joke, just because it's the most popular winteriron thing I've ever had a hand in.)

Feel free to hit me up if you have any other questions, on or off Anon!

[mothtarts]

Just wanted to say that you are so real over your post about Cleo and Pearl and their weird ass homo relationship. Their relationship is just weird. I mean that in a good, kind of makes me insane type of way when I look at it from a narrative perspective

Okay. You. Walk with me, walk with me. I truly believe that if we rank duos and groups and yadda yadda based on popularity, Cleo and Pearl’s dynamic is one that is not talked about enough and is definitely underrated. Thats my genuine opinion

I enjoy the angst between Scott and Pearl in DL as much as the next person but I wish theres more discussion and just insane blabbering posts [like me right now] talking about Cleo and Pearl’s dynamic

Cleo became a part of Scott and Pearl’s group in LL, forming the 3Gs. Theyve established a bond, through the heist, the trust that Pearl showed to her fellow teammates to inform them of the rigged boogie [HA] dance room. Pearl is a very loyal person, all of the three are

And it’s this bond, this loyalty and joy over their previous group that Pearl got so excited over possibly teaming up with both Scott and Cleo after turning Martyn away, only to be shocked and hurt over Gatekeep and Gaslight refusing to let Girlboss join. The break up of the 3Gs, the birth of Divorce Duo and the beginning emergence of Scarlet Pearl

Thats something I dont see much acknowledged as well or like you know, be insane over. That while yes, Scott rejected and refused to team up with the person he is soulbounded with, may it be because of pride or just continuously being petty or both. The hurt cut deeper with how Cleo went along with it

The loyalty between Scott and Cleo and their shared disregard and rejection of Pearl are the first thorns to dig within her heart

And it just makes me think. Does Cleo get haunted with the fact that she had a hand in Pearl’s insanity? Do silent apologies in her mind play whenever she is around Pearl, never to be said and the words that do come out only cuts Pearl deeper with how sharp her tongue is? Does Cleo’s heart feel? Does is it ache as they watched Scott wince and grimace and complain over the pain in his shoulders?

[these are just things I think over the headcanons I have, basically feeling each other’s pain not only with the game’s mechanic but in a story sense that even just little things like getting a papercut, accidentally burning yourself while cooking and your soulbond feeling that pain. In this case, I’m referring to my headcanon that Pearl doesnt mind the bite of the snow but it gets to her that shes alone in her tower, in her lonesome with no one to fall back on. Having Tilly helps but only for so long before she cant stand it anymore. So sometimes she cant help but hug herself, try to bring herself comfort but unknowingly digs her nails in through her hoodie, there is pain in her jaw being clenched so tight in an attempt to not let herself be wrecked with sobs only for her to struggle to breathe through her nose because the ball in her throat is making it clogged with the effort shes trying to exert to just not break down from not only losing one friend but two]

So yes does Cleo wonder? Do they think about Pearl alone in her tower? Does she know Pearl does this? No she doesnt. They think that Pearl is probably doing something else that makes Scott also hurt and not get a good night’s sleep. Hahaha you know just thoughts to bring up the angst more

Welp. Anyways this was a lot. I can honestly go on and on about the dynamic and angst and feels between them but I feel embarrassed with how much I already typed. Apologies that you have to be the unfortunate soul to receive this ramble of mine [I’m actually just a lurker and dont really post anything but here have a smidge of my thoughts]

OMGGG FUXK YEA WOAOWOWKWKWKJWWINQOOOOOO WOOOOOOOO YEAA

but like on a more serious note woa anon you fucking put it into words perfectly

a huggeee reason i love the dynamic of this season is because pearl has specifically been targeting cleo, no she is out for blood and it’s so fun. the fact that cleo burns her dog pack, the same kind of pack she had in dl makes me go crazy.

cleo remembers scarlet pearl vividly, more than anyone else since (from what i remember) she got murdured by pearl. she probably got triggered by the dog pack and acted in pure instinct. pearl doesn’t know that tho, she took that personally.

the person that encouraged her soulmate to never trust her again, who made her alone and vulnerable, now coming back to destroy the one lifeline she has in this series??? it’s perfect

cleo has watched pearl through her worst, seen her through her most wretched and evil moments and came out of it stronger, while pearl became a husk of her former self, now longing for the day she becomes a red life and can snap and wreck havoc again.

it’s also not lost on me that cleo has a huge ducking chance of winning, and she’ll prob fight pearl at some point since shell wanna get revenge

[azumasoroshi]

minidura chapter 8 react

lmfao why she built like a degenerate gacha game character

oh this art is really cool actually?? or as cool as it can be with all the chibis

plus chibi izaya being wrapped in large izaya's coat is adorable

izaya on the main page means izaya has something to do with this though uh oh

izaya referring to them as love birds because he's subconsciously jealous of their relationship i can see right through your arm bitch

OH WAIT THAT WAS A FIGURINE??? LMFAOSDGJSHDS

ten bucks erika and walker already bought the entire stock

he's so cute when he's ruining people's lives

i feel like ive said that before in a previous post about izaya which is really telling

evil mode izaya go

oh thats so fucking mean 😭

oh my god

she's literally a marketable plushie now im

THERE'S A WHAT

god itd be funny if izaya made shizuo plushies. thats literally fanfiction material right there

oh boy

so that's why they were on the cover image

ive mentioned this so many times but it still blows my mind that shizuo just. casually knows where izaya lives and can go there at ANY time

and izaya opens the door too. he couldve dipped easily i bet he has like 10 secret passageways in and out of his apartment but nope. goes to greet his boyfriend like the whipped motherfucker he is

izaya stomach reveal

💀it's over

i cant believe shinra would make these knowing that people other than him would see them bfkdjsghshs

no way he walked all the way back to ikebukuro with that 😭shizuo i promise you could have just thrown it away. celty would forgive you

i cant even figure out what happened in that top panel though. like. is izaya sliding down a rope??? from the door??? did the side of the building just explode what the hell

namie my beloved why hasnt she gotten a chapter yet

also. what even is that. it looks like a body pillow but like a really threatening one??? is it supposed to pin you down?? is this izaya overcompensating for being a bottom

this sure was a chapter

[lorelune]

loreeeee, i read the blade fic update and i CANT. express. how much i love your writing (again LOL). ugh, the way you write thoughts, mentalities, how ppl navigate and take in info...insane. INSANE. ugh,,,,,,im sorry but having adrenaline "tumble between the eyes" or the weird sureness of his thoughts but still being unidentifiable (unintelligible? or there little understanding of the source of specific thoughts) in and of themselves...the way you write makes me FERAL. im savoring it so much, i just bit into the juiciest orange, the ripest strawberry, took a mouthful of the crispest apple cider ive ever tasted in my life--(sorry im low on sugar rn HAHA)

i have a lot to say. but not enough mental space to go through all of it...but i do want to mention how you wrote the retrospective scenes of blade being washed by kafka, it was captured so well. i know this kind of experience is very nuanced, and i think you expressed how blade processed it well. especially how this shows up in pieces thereafter in the rest of the fic, it's different from just mentioning or referring to a past moment. you threaded the experience to the present and from reading your works overall, i believe this is a "trademark" of your writing, at least to me.

the trademark is that there is purpose in every mention, there is delicacy in choosing a perspective and the lens in which the world is viewed or something is experienced by a character...there is a specific atmosphere, headspace, etc., that you want to convey and the entire thing is brought together with every sentence that follows the previous. youre making these connections, however small they may be, between shards of the characters' lives...it feels like you properly chewed them so you got the texture, flavor profile, salinity, etc., of those characters. it's what got me hooked onto you works, and im afraid (feral, positive) youre only getting better at it. im in trouble (eager) :D

this is small, but i personally love seeing purely from one chara's pov, i love unreliable narrator-esque stuff, it just tickles something in me, maybe bc life is THAT subjective to the one living it (also AP Lit was one of my fav classes back in hs, so is it rlly a surprise LMAO). i love connotations, questionable morals, existential dilemmas, all of it. and seeing that blade is full of the latter two, im SO up for it. i also love how he's constantly (unconsciously) trying to be mindful of the space he takes up, even if he chooses to not care for certain (most) ppl. idk, to me thats a testament to his previous life/experience, and it just adds lore (see what i did there :3) and depth to everything. and im so looking forward to see how he navigates and learns (pog self reflection!) about his violent urges/tendencies, and what they mean for him (and mc)--and even if he doesn't i am looking forward to your writing 🙏

this is not even 1/4 of what i wanted to say LMFAOO, but its 1am for me and i need some sleep...thank you for this lore. :) we are blessed to have you share your talent, its my spiders thread in the hellscape im in (life), love you always, stay healthy and happy lunar new yr if you celebrate!!

SLEEEPY 🥺!! thank you for the kind words!!!!! 🥺💕💕💕!!!!! i am screaming crying throwing UP i appreciate your feedback so so much!!!!!

rambling under the cut <3

writing blade for the architect has been both like.... deeply cathartic and so very different from any character i have written for!!! i don't write a ton in character POV, however blade's feels unique and interesting in a way that keeps me going back to him. the dynamic between blade and reader is so interesting to continue to revisit, and writing their relationship expand and change has been very fun!!

blade is truly monstrous, but not for any of the reasons he thinks. his monstrous is monstrous in the way that he shouldn't exist or be alive, and that he essentially a human weapon, but how he feels isn't monstrous. he's coping. poorly. and through centuries of compounded trauma and an accumulation of mara. he absolutely sees some of himself in reader and can't help but want to ... protect them? if nothing else be near them. it's horrific, the way he thinks, but not monstrous. and i think that's an important distinction in the architect!!!

blade is an incredibly unreliable narrator. it is integral to the story (moreso as we go on) that he is unreliable. his own confusion is woven into the plot and vital to his relationship with the reader. his feelings towards you are a tangled mess, and so much of that comes from his own fractured consciousness.

its been very fun to write and dive into it just like... explore. full send. i started the architect originally as a drabble that was supposed to be uneditted LOL and i didn't want to pull any punches with the implications and like... 'darkness' of the story. i'm glad that you have enjoyed it sleepy and THANK YOU for your comments and elaborations, they truly make my day and get me hype to continue the story too <33 thank you thank you thank you 💞💞💞

[pastanest]

if you’re wondering why I’m having to repost this, or why you were perhaps previously following me but no longer are, please refer to this post. I was able to retrieve this thanks to @rosieathena - thanks so much!! ♡

Spencer Reid x gender neutral!reader

See Through

From the moment you walked out of Aaron’s office, wiping your eyes and straightening your suit jacket, Spencer knew. He had thought that, maybe, the argument you’d had the night before where you’d ended things, you’d just been being dramatic. You didnt mean it, he was sure. But he knows you, and the way you walked out of Aaron’s office, coupled with the concerned frown Aaron had as he watched you walk to Penelope’s office, told him everything. You had just informed Aaron that yours and Spencer’s relationship had ended. Though he had spent the previous night worrying rather than sleeping, he protected himself with the thought that the next day you would take him back, but it was over.

Initially, Spencer was worried that you were going to quit, or ask to be moved to another department away from the team just to escape him. But what you did was almost worse. You continued to work on the team as professionally as you always had, but with one fatal difference: you forced yourself to ignore Spencer’s very existence. He treasured every time he made a point while on a case, because that was the only time you would ever pay him attention. And oh, how he craved that. He was constantly coming up with ideas on how he could catch your attention, and he wondered how you felt knowing you constantly held his.

To everyone else on the team, the rift between you and Spencer was obvious, but not awkward. It was almost like the relationship had never happened, like the two of you existed in parallel universes that the rest of the team were stuck between. In your meeting with Hotch the morning after the breakup, you explained that you loved the team too much to leave them over something like that, and you asked him if he would mind making the conscious effort to never pair you up with Spencer on a case again. That was your only request in order to maintain professionalism, and naturally Hotch accepted it, with the further plea of coming to him if you needed any help with anything else.

Spencer retained a professional state too, but unlike you, it was obvious to the rest of the team that he was completely broken. He never fell out of love with you, he couldnt, while you just forgot he ever existed. He didnt know how you managed it.

And the truth is, you didnt. At work, you could force yourself to ignore him. You had to, because if you looked at him...you dont even want to think about what might happen. It’s at home that you feel it all. Isnt it strange that the lack of his presence causes you utter agony, but when you are in his presence you cant even bring yourself to look at him? You are quietly, privately devastated. When you arrive to a silent house, colourless rooms that no longer felt like home, that’s when your heart starts to break over and over again. When you’re cooking and your mind wanders to the memory of Spencer coming up behind you and wrapping his arms around your waist, when you’re trying to fall asleep in bed and you feel the gaping wound of his absence, those are the moments that reduce you to a being made of only heavy sobs. But Spencer doesnt know that.

One person that does is your best friend Penelope, who you have cried to countless times since the relationship ended a month ago. She does her best to gently encourage you to talk to him, but you are so stubborn. She’s always telling you how Spencer came to her office that day to ask how you’re doing, because you rush out of the building faster than anyone else to prevent him from having the opportunity to talk to you. He cares so much, still.

As you walk into the building, you return to your newfound routine of keeping your head down as you walk in order to avoid potential eye contact with a certain someone. You feel as though you have to go these extreme lengths to protect him, and yourself. Once you reach your desk, you find a hot mug of coffee waiting for you. With a confused frown on your face, you lift the cup to your lips and the scent hits your nose. Whoever made this knows your exact coffee order, right down to the tiny details. You look around the room, gaining the attention of Emily.

“Everything alright?” She asks you.

You look back down at the coffee in your hands. “Who left this here?”

Emily shrugs. “I got here just before you and that was already there.”

Your frown intensifies, but your eyes light up when you see Penelope shuffling from the entrance.

“PEN-“ You call, but she holds her hands up to stop you and continues to shuffle past you, to her office.

“I KNOW NOTHING DONT LOOK AT ME!” She shouts, gaining everyone’s attention and causing them all to turn to you.

It must have been Spencer, your self destructive mind concludes, and much to your dismay, your eyes start searching the room for him. But he isnt there.

Hotch calls everyone to a meeting and you take your coffee with you, deciding not to waste it regardless of what the intentions of it could be.

Exactly five minutes into discussing the latest case, Spencer runs into the room, panting. You know it’s exactly five minutes because you were staring at the clock waiting for him to arrive.

“Sorry Im late, got caught in traffic.”

His explanation causes you to frown again. Spencer is rarely late, and never for something like traffic. He always makes sure to plan ahead and leave for work with enough time to make it even if traffic does slow his journey. On top of that, everything about him tells you he’s lying. Not only are you a profiler, but you were in a relationship with him for 8 months, you know when he’s lying. He knows you know when he’s lying, and it’s almost like he’s exaggerated his fidgety tendencies and lack of persuasive tone to make sure you know he’s lying. But why?

Blinking rapidly, you bring yourself back to the round table.

“They need us at the station as soon as possible, wheels up in 30.”

With Aaron’s usual cue, you and the rest of your team stand to your feet and file out of the room. In your peripheral vision, you see him, and you can feel his eyes on you, but you keep your gaze fixed on what’s directly in front of you. Unfortunately, as you rose from the table you noticed a small smile playing on his face as he looked at you. Even though you dont know what made him smile, you begin to worry.

Due to how long your last case ran for, every member of the team falls asleep on the plane as soon as the case discussion is over. The plane is going to land within the next hour, and the only ones awake are you and Spencer. You are sitting at polar opposite seats on the jet, that are ironically opposite enough to each other for you to be in each other’s direct eye line. You’re pretending to be reading over the case file for the sixth time, your eyes glancing up over the top of the folder to keep an eye on Spencer, who’s reading a book at his usual ridiculous speed. All of a sudden, he stands up from his seat. You flush a violent shade of pink and slide down in your seat to completely hide your face behind the folder. Spencer walks past you and nonchalantly drops a tiny piece of folded paper in your lap. You use one hand to open it behind the folder, just in case any of the team are pretending to sleep and might notice.

Come and see me.

You are beyond confused, but something inside you is so compelled. The coffee had to be from him, and now a note with a strange choice of words considering the two of you are within a few feet of each other. Although it has been a month since the two of you broke up and Spencer has spent the majority of that time coming up with ideas on how to get your attention, he’s never actually tried. He’s been too respectful, giving you the space he assumed you needed; he didnt want to overwhelm you or force something you didnt want, even if that was something as simple as a conversation. Now, out of nowhere, he’s decided to start testing the water?

As if acting on autopilot, you find yourself standing up and following him to the jet kitchen. Spencer is leaning against a counter, his hands holding it from behind him as he stares at the wall opposite him. When he hears you approaching, he immediately turns to face you. Rather than looking at him, you pretend to start looking through the cupboards for snacks.

“You came.” Spencer breathes, his entire being stunned in disbelief.

“To see you, yeah, not sure why you phrased it like that.” You reply, trying your best to withhold as much emotion as humanly possible.

“I meant it literally.” He says, and that shatters your defences. Or rather, it peaks your curiosity to the extent where you shatter your own defences. You turn and face him.

“What do you mean?” You question.

As soon as you meet his gaze, you notice tears filling his eyes. “This is the first time you have looked at me in a month. I wanted you to come and see me, literally.”

Every ounce of your existence aches to reach out and take his hand, to hold him and stop his tears before the first one falls, but you resist.

“Why?”

Spencer blinks the tears back, trying to act far stronger than he feels. “Because maybe it’ll make you realise why you act like Im invisible.”

You feel your chest tighten. “What makes you think I dont already know?”

Spencer’s eyes fill with worry and concern for you. Always for you, never for himself. “Doesnt that hurt?”

As if on cue, you feel a stabbing pain in your chest, reminding you of the pain you regularly feel whenever you miss him. Even when he’s right in front of you, you miss him.

“Of course, but it’s for the best.”

Spencer frowns. “In what way?”

You cant answer, and your eyes avoid him again.

He desperately tries to pull your attention back. “Listen, (Y/N), I can do better...I’ve been thinking of hundreds of things I could have done to be a better boyfriend to you, and I-“

You dont let Spencer finish, you take the few steps necessary to reach him, and you kiss him. Without thinking, without planning, without considering what it will change. When you heard his voice shaking and you knew he was crying without even having to look at him, there was no alternative for you. There is no way you will continue to let him blame himself.

Spencer’s shaking hands go to your waist, and as soon as his hands are on you, his entire body relaxes as though your affection invited him to a state of euphoria. And it did.

Breaking both of your hearts again, you pull away from him. “I will never, ever be good enough for you, Spencer. So please, spare my heart the pain of continuing to love someone that shouldnt even know I exist.”

With that, your hands fall from his face, his leave your waist, and you return to your seat, filling your blurry vision with the case folder. You hear him return to his seat, his steps are slow, in shock after what just happened and confused by what you had just told him. He sits and watches you clutch either side of the folder with your shaking hands, knowing that behind it, tears roll freely down your cheeks.

For the rest of the day, you and Spencer cast glances at each other every time you’re in the same room. The rest of the team notice, but none of them address it; they’re all scared to intervene in case it ruins whatever has happened to progress the two of you returning to normality. The eye contact is hesitant and slow, with one of you nervously looking over to the other, the other somehow sensing it and meeting their gaze, then both looking away quickly. Neither of you know where you stand now, it’s all up in the air, because now Spencer realises he doesnt actually know why you two broke up, and what you revealed has told him that it’s something he can potentially resolve.

That night, you’re tossing and turning in your hotel room bed, unable to sleep. He’s only down the hall, and that reality is enough to keep you awake for an eternity. It’s 3am, there’s a chance he’ll still be awake, and who makes a rational decision at this ungodly hour? Once you come to that conclusion, you fuck over all of your defences and avoidances, and allow the magnetic connection to him to pull you to your hotel room door. You reach for the door handle, knowing you didnt lock it because you hoped he would spontaneously show up. When you pull it open, you’re stunned into silence.

Because there Spencer stands, his hand raised ready to knock on your door, both of you staring at each other with wide eyes. That does it. You grab his pyjama shirt collar and pull him into a kiss.

Stumbling back into your room, he kicks the door shut behind him and the two of you fall onto your bed. The makeout continues for a few seconds before Spencer pulls away.

“Wait, why wasnt your room locked?” He asks you, his brow furrowed with concern over your safety.

You grin up at him with flushed cheeks. “I was waiting for you to show up.”

You watch Spencer’s heart melt before your very eyes as he leans down to kiss you again. “Can I lock it now?”

Chuckling, you nod at him. Ever the worrier, the sensible influence. During the time it takes him to walk to the door, you realise that he just made his first move. He didnt confront you with that coffee, he didnt force you to take it, he even avoided being there just to give you the space to think about it yourself. Although he requested you come and see him, he let you decide whether you wanted to. At the end of that conversation, it was you who kissed him. And every kiss since then, you have initiated. He’s left it all up to you. Spencer stands up and locks your door, then crawls back on top of you to kiss you again. His lips leave yours, but they create a trail down your neck, lingering there, freeing the previously caged butterflies in your stomach and igniting your skin with goosebumps rising up on your arms.

“I think I understand now.” Spencer says, mostly into the skin of your neck.

“Understand what?” You ask breathlessly.

“We had one fight, and that drove you to the conclusion that you werent good enough for me. You’ve told me that that’s something you’ve worried about since the start, and despite my reassurance, something that was reassuring you a lot was the fact we’d never fought, so when we did, that was it for you.” At this point, Spencer pulls away from your neck to read your face as he talks. “But (Y/N), as much as you think I deserve a perfect relationship, every relationship has arguments, they arent easy all the time. They require work, effort, and the determination to not give up at the first obstacle. You are perfect to me, perfect for me, and I promise to show you that for the rest of forever, if you’ll let me.”

Tears cascade down your face and onto the bedsheets. Your insecurities got the better of you and you almost lost the love of your life. But now you both know where you stand, and you’re damn sure you wont let this happen again.

“I love you.”

Spencer hasnt heard those words in a month, to say they affected him would be the understatement of the century. He starts blinking rapidly and you know he’s trying not to cry; this time you dont have to resist, you reach up and caress the side of his face with your fingertips. The tears start falling and he chuckles, holding your hand to his face.

“I love you too, so much.”

Spencer kisses you, and you feel every splinter in your heart heal.

The two of you roll over, breaking the kiss so that you can straddle him and unbutton your pyjama shirt, before assisting Spencer in doing the same. Upon seeing you half naked, Spencer’s pupils dilate, holding his bottom lip between his teeth as his eyes travel up from your waist, to your chest, your neck, your lips, back to your eyes.

“Did you enjoy the coffee this morning, by the way?” He asks, randomly.

You smile. “Yes, I did, thank you.”

Spencer grins back at you. “Im not sure if you know this, but coffee is an aphrodisiac, so it’s very possible that you-“

You shut him up by kissing him briefly, before you pull away, pushing him back down to lie beneath you as you straddle him, a cheeky grin plastered on your face.

“I can say with complete confidence that Im horny on love, not coffee, but thanks for the fact Spence.”