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bigtedbear · 2 months

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" 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 "

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭: 𝐥𝐮𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

content warnings: gay relationship, descriptions of grevious bodily injury, implied self-mutilation/self-harm, male reader, monster x human relationship, hurt/comfort writing, hey this starts out really dark please take care of your mental health, arguments, misunderstood feelings, mermaid courtship, alternate universe where luocha is a traveling doctor who's studying biology and anatomy across the universe blah blah blah, luocha is pretty genuine in this even though i know he is in fact a snake let me idealize for a moment okay, luocha puts a ring on it without realizing he is literally putting a ring on it

full admittance you'll probably find parallels with @/havanilla's merventurine au at the start of this cause it was one of the last things I read on my old tumblr account before it died on me and i fear i DO have brainrot

to add to my earlier warning about this chapter beginning out dark, there will be a marker for the cuter, mermaid courtship section of the fic!! look for a marker like the one below VV

" welcome back caller 🪷! connecting your line as we speak! "

" new contact noted! caller luocha has been added to your phonebook - love, 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑡-19 “

A pained scream ripped through the air.

It was a shame it couldn’t be distinguished from the sound of other yells and shouting from all over the deck. In fact, it seemed the anguish was completely drowned out by the noise of an older man beginning to bark orders from the side of the fishing boat. Gravelly with age and experience, sets and more sets of hands seemed to jump to action, rushing over to that specific side of the deck.

In the crew’s haste, they didn’t seem to notice they had also woken up the residential cabin. Things were more than hectic; the experienced crew themselves were in a frenzy. There was something that demanded urgent attention and it seemed none of the regular passengers were privy to what exactly it was.

Still, in the curious sea of civilian passengers renting their rooms in the bowels of the ship, a tall blonde head of hair peered over the crowd straight to the source of the fuss. Over the sea of yellow rain jackets adorning the working fishermen, he caught sight of some kind of reflective surface… what many wrote off as an oversized fish, Luocha continued to strain his eyes at.

Should he have been anyone else, perhaps he wouldn’t have noticed. But Luocha was a doctor, he was more than familiar with noises of distress; with the scent of blood. Something in the very core of his body shook with each of the pained and weak motions of an equally pained, weak patient. The vibrations crept up his spine from the wooden boards of the ship, whispering into his ears.

Something was wrong.

Something was terribly wrong.

Despite the protests of one of the tour guides, urging him to go back to sleep, he rushed towards the scene. The same pained screams; the sounds of the body on the deck; the reflection of the “oversized fish”, they became clearer and clearer the closer he closed in.

Before he could make it into the crowd of men at work, he was caught by one of their coworkers. Clad in a yellow raincoat, shadow cast across his face in the rain, the obviously displeased grimace all over his face only further sent Luocha into a state of panic. A tense grip on his elbow, the man spoke in a language he didn’t understand. Even if he didn’t understand the words themselves, Luocha was more than smart enough to understand the message the worker was trying to convey. Before he could be pulled away, he made one last attempt to see what exactly was going on.

When he did manage to catch a glimpse, he froze.

Perfect, round tears running down flushed, red cheeks.

The skin was pulled taut in another scream. Based on the shaking motion of the face, he could only really come to the conclusion the body was being jerked in every direction possible.

“Stop… STOP!” He yanked his elbow out of the man’s grasp, crashing directly into the back of another worker. In his haste, he shoved the man out of the way only to find his path blocked by even more yellow raincoats. “You’re only going to worsen the injuries! I’m a doctor!”

Despite not considering himself to be very physically fit, something about the situation discarded that reality entirely. An unknown strength washed over him as he forced his way through the clusterfuck of workers trying to wrestle the screamer into place.

He didn’t understand, Luocha didn’t understand.

There was an injured crew member on the deck, screaming–what kind of idiot would continue to pull and stress the skin around the wound? Was that why the team leader seemed to screaming with such vigor? Was he equally concerned about one of his staff suddenly being sent into debilitating agony?

But no, not even in the slightest.

Through the crowd, a wet mop of hair thrashing against the backdrop of a barbed fishing net came into view. The urgency only further sent Luocha wrestling through the crowd of men, all but screaming himself as he watched the injured man on the ground contort his facial muscles in abject horror.

“Stop it, you’re hurting him!”

He could hear his own vocal chords start to tear as he shrieked for the poor victim. With each passing moment, fear and anxiety seized the doctor in his entirety before he finally managed to part the crowd like the red sea.

In the end,

he wasn’t faced with a crew member.

...

A merman.

Something he’d only heard of in the planet’s folklore.

It seemed well-known the small surviving population hardly ever ventured out of protected waters for fear of predators.

What was this one doing so far out…?

With the opportunity making itself known, the unknown merman continued to thrash but harder, lips curling upwards as another shrill cry of agony streaked the night air. From up close, the doctor could only watch the formerly smooth, unmarred skin become tainted with red. Washed with your own blood, you looked more similar to some kind of horror movie monster than a person.

But even in the face of monstrosity, his inner doctor only saw the blown out pupils, the senseless aggression, the fear written all over his patient’s face in their own claret stain.

“You’ll end up killing him, stop, STOP!”

He completely ignored his own pain as the barbs in the net ripped into the fabric of his pajamas, cutting open his knees when he threw his body on top of yours. His hands flew around carelessly in an attempt to unlatch the hands that seemed determined to pull at you from every direction.

At the loss of the hands all over your body, your screams died down into pitiful hyperventilation, curling in on yourself in an attempt to cover the wounds weeping crimson all over the formerly white net.

Instead of relief, instead of some kind of graditude, it seemed he was only met with friction.

“Oy, blondie, paws off, do you understand how much money you’ve got your hands on right now?”

The thick accent confused him at first, then the words themselves didn’t seem to compute.

“Excuse me?”

You yelped again when one of the men pulled at the net. The cold metal tore sore flesh in chunks.

“Mermaid scales are priceless. So are the pearls they cry, we caught the bastard fair and square so. Step. Off.”

His mind scrambled to understand the sentence, thoughts muddling together in a blender of pain and panic. “I- I-”

“You?” Another crew member chimed in, crossing his arms, “You’ll what, doctor? You can either get off of him and wrap up your cuts yourself or we’ll drag you off and the barbs can teach you to keep your nose out of other people’s business.”

“I-” his breathing picked up drastically, suddenly confronted with such a terrible moral dilemma.

When prying hands began to make grabby motions for the edges of the ropes, he choked out his final answer.

“I'll pay for him!"

“...”

He swept his rain-soaked bangs out of his face, his voice shaking, “You were planning on selling him, right?” He fumbled with his sleeves, “I make good money, I swear, I-,” he swallowed, “I can afford it. Just take as much as you want out of the account I used to pay for my cabin.”

“...”

Things were a little bit awkward, to say the least.

Despite an attempt being made to cooperate while you were awake, it seemed the pressure and the mounting stress of nearly dying made it unable for you to accept the fact that Luocha was not, in fact, going to hurt you.

The attempt to deal with the various injuries littered all over formerly smooth, silky skin was unproductive at best. In fact, it only created more problems. Trying to operate while you were largely unreceptive to anything he was saying was by far the worst decision he could’ve made given the circumstances.

Point blank, he needed to get the barbed hooks out of your skin. If he didn’t, the wounds would be at increased risk of infection. After all, based on the cruel treatment he’d seen on deck, he knew the metal was most likely unsanitized. Doing this while you were awake was easily the worst decision he could've made.

Promising not to hurt you while continually yanking pieces of metal out of your tender flesh was not a good way to build trust.

"..."

You poked at the “strange” bowl that’d been set in front of you. It was some kind of clam-fish hybrid soup. I mean, Luocha was trying to be considerate of your regular diet. Surely, since you were living out in open waters, you were pretty used to eating fish right?

He, however, failed to realize you weren’t exactly in a spot to ever enjoy the luxuries of cooked food… or soup. He’d laid out some utensils for you to use on top of that; it was a shame you didn’t know how to use them.

"..."

You realized pretty early on that he’d saved you from becoming a victim to death by blood loss. After all, when you were dropped in a holding tank until the ship arrived at the port, the water went cloudy from the dirt, debris, and blood all over your body. In your little waist-high tank, he’d done his best to make sure you’d actually survive through the night.

Despite your reservations about him, you did your best not to scream while you were confined to a glorified holding cell. Nails digging into the glass, biting down hard enough on the towel to tear, you tried your best to stay still while he fished countless little hooks from your back, arms, and chest.

Removing the large hook in your shoulder was the most painful part of the process for the both of you. You, for obvious reasons. The hook made a clean cut through the muscle--scraping up against the bone--by the time you were awake enough to realize you were wrapped up in a barbed net. Luocha, on the other hand, was the one that had to deal with the struggle while trying to complete a very tricky operation.

Eventually, the problem dealt with itself when you passed out. Really, he should’ve sedated you to start with, and he cursed at himself for not thinking of it sooner. After you went out, he did his best to stitch everything up–hell, he wrapped you up in enough bandages to look like a mummy.

But, since the two of you actually arrived on the island, there wasn’t so much as a word shared from either party.

You woke up in a little bathtub, in a little bathroom, feeling like your arms were falling off and you couldn’t breathe because of how tight all of the bandages were wrapped around you. Eventually the giant bandages changed to smaller ones attached with some medical tape. The only bulky one left was the one wrapped around your shoulder.

"..."

With some trepidation, you grabbed at one of the fishtails sticking out of the mystery liquid, digging a finger in between the meat and the ribs to peel it off the bone. Carefully, you used one of your freshly trimmed nails to remove the thick, scaly skin, then biting off a chunk to chew and swallow.

The longer you stared at the bowl, the more confused you became.

Yes, you knew how to eat a fish.

Yes, you knew how to eat a mussel.

No, you didn’t know what to do with whatever else was in the bowl.

You paused eating when the man sitting across from the bathtub cleared his throat. He made a vague gesture towards your lap, “Would you…?”

‘...mind if I showed you how to eat a bowl of soup?’

Without much hesitation, you offered up your meal again, much more interested in the chunk of fish in your hand. Biting off another piece, you drank in the pleasant familiarity in just having some tilapia for once.

He picked up the spoon. Deciding not to embarrass you further, he decided to taste test the food himself instead of trying to feed you. He let the silver spoon clatter back into the bowl, passing it over to you again. Despite the clear demonstration he’d given you, you opted to pick at one of the mussels hiding underneath the broth.

“...”

He cleared his throat again, seemingly averting eye contact as he stared at the tiled walls.

You diverted your attention from your bowl back to the blonde doctor.

“I don’t mean to be rude or pry in any way,” he swallowed, “but what exactly were you doing so far from protected waters?"

You didn’t seem surprised in the slightest by his question, grabbing at the other fish tail in the bowl, “Smuggling and poaching.”

He tilted his head curiously.

“Protective waters have attendants to track general pod health, they have the authority to temporarily remove merfolk from the water to do routine health checks." You finally wrapped your hand around the spoon awkwardly, bringing some broth up to your lips. "Smugglers get jobs as attendants cause only tagged mermaids are considered protected.” You wiggled one of your finned ears, your left ear. Notably, there was a small tear in one of the fins. “It only takes a couple minutes for an attendant to catch a mermaid, sedate them, get them into a vehicle, remove their tag and throw them out into the right spots for a couple grand.”

“I see.”

You hummed, finally bringing the soup up to your lips, “Speaking of, how much did you end up having to pay for me?”

"..."

“Excuse me?” Luocha’s hands rested in his lap.

“How much did you end up paying for me?” You picked up another mussel, “I’m pretty good about keeping up with the price of scales and pearls. I know you bought me as some kind of pity project, but I'm pretty eager to go back out to open waters. Just name your price and I can start trying to pay off the debt.”

The doctor blinked a couple times. “Oh… oh my god, absolutely not!” He shook his head, bringing his hands up in front of his chest defensively, “There is no need to pay me back in the slightest. Please, just rest well and remain healthy. That would be the best payment.”

“What’s this?”

He rolled the small iridescent pearl between his gloved fingers.

“It’s a pearl.”

He cracked a smile at that. It was gone as quick as it arrived as he brought the little treasure to his face to take a closer look. “Well yes, but where did you get this? Did you have it stashed on you somewhere?”

You twirled your finger in a circle on the surface of the water. “No,” absentmindedly you observed the little whirlpool it made, “I made it.”

He blinked a couple of times, hand dropping back to his side. “Pardon?”

You finally looked up from the surface of the water, “I made it.”

He cocked his head to the side, “You… made a pearl?”

You looked at him, bored, “Well, yeah, did you not know mermaids make pearls?”

He looked from you, to the pearl, and then back at you. “No… I’m afraid I didn’t know.” His palm closed into a fist around the pearl, “How?”

“...hm?”

He gestured towards his closed hand, “How did you make it?”

You gave a huff, “Well, you’ve seen me make them before.”

He frowned, “I… have?”

‘-and I didn’t notice?’

You nodded, shifting around in the bathtub to try and stretch your long tail out a little bit. "The night I got caught on the boat-" Your jaw tensed, a sudden pang of soreness shooting up from your extremities. "-they were all over the deck, there were a bunch in the little tank they had me in.”

His frown only deepened as he did his best to recall, “I don’t think I remember seeing them…? Does your blood crystalize into them or something of the sort?”

You rested your head on the porcelain of the tub, bringing your arms up to cushion your cranium. “Tears,” you murmured, “Merfolk tears turn into pearls.”

‘Ah… so that’s why you mentioned there being so many on the ship.’

But then it hit him.

“Why were you crying?”

You shrugged, “Most mermaids in protected waters can cry on command. We get a lot of tourists that give us gifts, sometimes if we’re interested we’ll give them a pearl in return.”

He nodded like he understood, but suddenly the beautiful gem felt heavy in his fist. He opened his hand and offered it back, “As beautiful as it is, I don’t wish to see you shedding any tears while you’re under my care.”

You pushed his outstretched hand away, “Well, I already made it. There’s no use trying to return it.”

“Still, I feel terrible receiving a gift with such painful origins,” he sat down on the stool that’d become his usual spot. “I’m a doctor. My goal is to make sure you’re in the least amount of pain possible.”

“You should feel honored, you’re really the first person I’ve ever given a pearl to,” you raised your head from its spot on your arms, “I usually only gave them to little kids that didn’t bring me gifts so I’d give them something.” You sank further into the water in the shallow tub.

“My concern is why you believe you should be giving me gifts in the first place,” he crossed his left leg over his right, scooting in closer, “I’ve already told you that taking care of you has always been of my own volition. It is quite literally my job. If you’re giving this to me as a gift and not repayment, I might be more inclined to accept it.”

You huffed, “Well, I guess you caught me.”

His brows furrowed, “So I was right, you’re trying to pay back a debt again.”

“...”

This time, he sighed. “I’ve already told you, your health and wellbeing are both priceless. I would never ask a patient I forced into care to pay me any sum of money-”

“That’s what I don’t understand,” The water rippled when you sat up suddenly, “Why don’t you want to accept any kind of payment? I’m tired of talking to you as property and owner. You bought ownership, legally I’m your property. I don’t want to be your property.”

“You aren’t my property-” He quipped, expression growing displeased.

“But I am,” you cut him off. “You signed paperwork, you exchanged a certain sum of money. Even if you thought I couldn’t hear you doesn’t mean I didn’t.” You crossed your arms across your chest, “I still heard the captain of the ship talking about sale prices with you. I know I was considered a higher quality product, I know I was expensive.”

The doctor opened his mouth; and closed it and opened it again. He struggled to find the correct words to use. “I didn’t consider that an exchange for ownership of you, I considered that to be the price of your wellbeing. I’ve never considered you to be anything but an equal to me.”

You drew your lips into a tight line, “Well, if I was an equal, you’d let me contribute to the cost somehow. You wouldn’t treat me like some helpless baby.” You gestured to his closed palm, “The pearl in your hand is priceless, sealing a handful of them would recuperate the money you wasted-”

Luocha held up his hand, “Stop-”

But you insisted, “Hell, if I ripped a couple of scales out you could more than pay for me. You’d have enough money to buy another sorry sack of shit to take care of-”

“Don’t EVER-” he cut you off aggressively, “EVER, suggest such ludacris things to me again. I refuse to even think about it.”

“..."

Luocha shook his head, getting his gloves wet when he reached into the water to hold your hands in his own, “I would never ask you to do something like that to yourself. I would never ask you to hurt yourself to please me and I would never ask you to hurt yourself because you needed my help.” He gave your palms a gentle squeeze, “You did not ask to be put in the position you’re in now, I am the one that chose to do this and I will be the one to set the price on my help; that price-” he paused, making sure you were looking him in the eyes, “-will always be no price at all.” He pushed the pearl back into your hands. “Give this pearl to one of the children that visit the waters after you’ve healed up in my stead, yes?”

“It’s not exactly how I remember it.”

You squirmed against the sensation of the water, arms still looped around Luocha’s neck.

“Any discomfort?” The doctor asked, “Tell me if anything hurts.”

“No, no, nothing like that,” You shuffled around to try and make yourself comfortable. You did your best to find the familiar rhythm of the waves, but your tail felt as useless as it had the entire time you’d been confined to the bathtub. “It’s… cold.”

Luocha nodded... even though he couldn't quite understand. “If you aren’t straining any of your injuries, you can hang on for as long as you need to.”

You mumbled, trying to draw your elbows closer to your chest, “I’m not.”

“...”

It’d only been a week since the last time you’d tried to repay your imaginary debt to Luocha. Things got… less tense between the two of you.

You didn’t put up a fuss when he put some ointment on the scars that formed all over your skin. You didn’t squirm when he unwrapped your shoulder bandage. You’d usually bide your time silently in the bathtub. Mostly, you’d nap. But that got old quickly, especially since a bathtub isn’t the most convenient spot for sleeping.

Luocha could tell you were bored out of your mind all on your lonesome. To satiate this, he’d usually sit with you in the bathroom and try to teach you things like how to play cards. You were a little apprehensive with him, like you always were, but it seemed you opened up to him a lot more towards the end of your stay in his temporary residence.

You’d become a pretty competent blackjack player all things considered.

You opened up more and more about your life down below. Usually, you’d be afraid to tell anyone about that information. Smugglers often targeted specific pods if one of the products happened to be particularly pricy. But Luocha wasn't at any risk, was he?

“...”

Eventually, as the water started to feel more natural on your skin, you let your grip loosen from around his neck. As the welcoming embrace of the ocean seemed to envelop more and more of your body, you could feel the former tension in your muscles start to melt away.

You laid yourself horizontal to the surface of the water, tentatively starting to create your own ripples in the vast expanses of blue. Maybe it didn’t feel exactly as you remembered, but the gentle pressure of the cool, cool sea against your skin felt like home.

Your arms splayed out in the waves like an angel, basking in the familiarity of it all. “You can let go now.”

Slowly, surely, pale arms lowered you into the arms of the same waters you’d been in a little over two months ago. You shocked yourself when you chased after his hands. Still, as slick as an eel, you slid away from him into the open ocean, finding a boyish glee in the pure ecstasy of true freedom.

You took off like a little jet, head first into the deep end.

Luocha could only really watch with a small smile while you explored the vast array of little treasures hidden beneath the horizon line.

It felt like only fifteen minutes had passed when you re-emerged from beneath the ocean blue, but to your shock, the sun was starting to set and Luocha was off on dry land, wringing the water out of his hair.

In all of your fun, it seemed you’d forgotten about that man who’d made all of this possible for you.

“...”

You pursued him onto the sand, watching him characteristically tilt his head to the side to express his curiosity. You pushed your own wet mop of hair out of your face with your hand, suddenly feeling a little less confident in your choices. Despite your trepidation, you felt you at least owed him this much.

That didn't make it any easier.

“I-” you swallowed, curling in on yourself, “What if I wanted to give you a gift? If it wasn’t some kind of repayment?”

He smiled, flipping a soaked lock of hair over his shoulder, “As long as you aren’t lying to me about repayment, then I would gladly accept.”

You suddenly felt a new wave of confidence wash over you, your chest puffing up a little bit, “Well, I have a gift for you.” Even though you failed to notice your little finned ears wiggling in excitement, Luocha did not.

You reached up to your right ear, unhooking the beautiful golden earring that’d you'd been wearing since you’d been thrown out of protective waters.

His eyes widened.

“It-” You offered the hoop to him, “It was my mom’s.”

Luocha blinked a couple times, staring at the bangle before looking back up at your face instead.

“Well? You said you’d accept it if it was a gift.” You pushed it into his face, feeling a red hot flush wash over your features, “This is a gift; from me to you, no strings attached.”

He carefully took the thin gold loop in his fingers. He noticed the signs of oxidation and the water damage.

It was already far less valuable than the pearl you’d tried to offer him.

Yet its sentimental value was unrivaled.

“...”

“Did... your mother like jewelry?”

You shrugged, looking away from him, “Yeah, she had a lot of it from my dad.”

Luocha nodded. “Well, did she have a favorite kind of jewelry?”

At this, you paused. “I mean… I guess she did. She wore a lot of rings… why?”

“Well, since this is a gift I won’t refuse it,- Luocha slid one of the golden bands wrapped around his fingers off, “-but if you can’t have her earring anymore, then you can at least have a piece of jewelry your mother would’ve liked to wear.”

You felt your face transition from an embarrassed pink to a much deeper red. “You… you know what you’re offering me, r-right?”

He didn’t respond in the way you expected. Instead of his usual confusion, he pushed the ring towards you again with one hand. The other went to work, looping the clasp of the earring through a piercing that was just a little bit too close to closing.

It felt like your brain was melting.

‘Is he… flirting with me?’

You took the golden ring between your fingers, watching him use his newly freed hand to further force the earring through the piercing hole. You could only feel the heat creep up your neck to your ears; fuck, it felt like you were going to burn alive on the sand.

When he finally got it in, he flipped a chunk of wet hair over his shoulder. He framed the golden hoop with his palm. Playfully, he asked, “How does it look?”

‘...’

‘He’s definitely flirting.’

You immediately ripped your gaze from his face to the ring that suddenly felt like a hundred pounds in your palm.

‘...What fingers do humans usually put the ring on again?’

Shakily you slid the golden ring onto your left hand, examining the way it glinted in the light of the sunset.

‘...holy shit, did I just get married?’

“[name]?”

You blinked a couple times, suddenly ripping your gaze away from the shiny metal. “Sorry, sorry.”

He chuckled at your expense, enjoying the little fluttering of your ears everytime he seemed to catch your attention again. “Thank you for the gift, I’ll cherish it dearly.”

You nodded.

“...”

The silence was interrupted with a quiet sniffle.

“...[name]?”

You aggressively wiped the tear off your face, watching the consequent pearl roll across the grains of sand. “H-Hey, you can’t just give me this ring and leave-” You took a deep breath, “-That’s not fair, that’s not fair at all.”

He was a little taken aback at the sudden resurgence of emotion, “Would…” he paused. He thought it over before tentatively putting a hand on your shoulder, “Would it help if I stayed a little longer?”

You shook your head, putting your hand over the one on your shoulder to hold it between both of your own hands. “You have to promise to visit me a lot. It’s going to take me a long time to find my family, so if you don’t visit I’m going to be lonely.”

He, once again caught off guard, nodded, “O-Of course!” His own cheeks tinted a pale pink.

“You promise?”

He nodded again, this time using his other hand to clasp your hand in both of his. “I promise I’ll visit.”

a side note for this upcoming section: i did a lot of world-building for this fic behind the scenes, the current planet they're on is largely submerged beneath the waters and they live on a bunch of island nations. To link up with that idea, my idea of the mermaid smuggling industry is to do with the concept of foreigners coming in and destroying local ecosystems. (Colonization)

Long story short, the planet is loosely based on Polynesian Islands so I chose Māori names for our supporting cast but keep in mind I am FAR from an expert and I mean literally no disrespect at all to anyone at all. Only the names are Māori in nature because I feel like no matter how much research I do, I would be unable to capture the essence of the rich culture of New Zealand. I'm a little gay fanfic writer I have not done nearly enough research to claim I know ANYTHING, I just thought it'd be cool and help with world-building in case people want a part-two or something

“What’s got you so worked up?”

“Shut the fuck up Iarere, this is like the seventh time in the same hour.”

Your younger brother held his hands up defensively, “Well, things got boring around here without you!” He let himself fall towards the ground next to the boulder you’d splayed out all the little pieces of gold you’d managed to scrounge up. “You manage to make it back from outside of protective waters and instead of hating everything and everyone, you’re suddenly getting all buddy buddy with the tourists trying to get some trinkets. I know you’re old but are you really getting that desperate?”

You frowned, “I’m not that old.”

Iarere rested his face on the cool surface of the rock, prodding at one of the particularly flashy necklaces. “You’re old to me.”

Your frown deepened. Not just because your brother was calling you old, but because Luocha’s weekly visit was coming up and you hadn’t managed to gather up nearly as much as you would’ve wanted. For your kind, caring, doctor husband who was already well off, a few necklaces and a handful of rings and earrings wouldn’t be anywhere near enough to woo him. “I guess I am getting towards the end of the usual age people get married at.”

The younger man nodded, humming, “Yeah, so do you have anyone in mind?”

You bit your lip.

I mean, yes, you were married.

But it felt inauthentic if you didn’t present your husband with some kind of dowry first.

Yes, Luocha only presented you with one of his old rings, but he also paid a hefty sum to rescue you from certain doom. He also nursed you back to good health, refused to take any payment for any of the medical treatments or the food that’d been wasted making sure you’d retain your strength throughout your recovery.

In your mind, maybe human dowries were just a little bit different.

Despite opening your mouth to voice your dissent, your little brother jumped up at the opportunity to tease you. “So you do have someone you’re thinking about!”

“I-”

“What are they like?” Iarere gripped your shoulders, tearing your attention away from your inner dilemma. “What do they look like? Do I know them?” He gasped, shaking you back and forth and he demanded to know, “Did you meet them while you were outside?!”

You gripped at his shoulders in return, “I didn’t say I had anyone in mind!”

“...”

He pursed his lips, “Yeah, I’m not buying it.”

You groaned, bringing your hands up to your face.

He only got more excited, leaning in way too close for comfort as he squealed, “So I was right?!”

“Right about what?”

Your eyes darted over to the side, watching one of the few friends you’d managed to retain at your grown age. “Thank the gods, Akahata, get Iarere off me before he gives me whiplash.”

He hummed, “Well, I’m more interested in what exactly you guys were talking about before.” You watched as his eyes flitted from you and your brother to all the precious metal and gems you’d laid out. “Actually don’t tell me, let me guess.” He pointed at the rock, “You’re setting up a dowry, but you’re upset because you know no amount of jewelry would ever get anyone in the pod to consider settling down with your ugly mug.”

“HAH!”

Your ears fluttered in irritation. “That’s a horrible guess.”

Akahata shrugged, “Well, I mean, your mug’s only ugly cause you frown all the time. If you actually made an effort to smile more, you’d probably have a lot more people that’d be willing to accept you with no dowry.”

Your frown tugged at the corners of your lips as you massaged your temples, “For your information, I’m making a dowry cause I already got married.”

“...”

“...’

“...”

“You WHAT?!”

Iarere’s fists clenched even tighter around your biceps, “You told me you lost mom’s earring, not that you got married-”

“It’s a long story-” You started,

“Not long enough to not tell either of us!” Your best friend screamed in abject horror. “The moment Ngaio and I started courting each other I told you immediately-” You grimaced when he pushed your brother out of the way to be the one to shake you back and forth, “-and you get married and you don’t tell me until afterwards?!”

“It wasn’t planned! I didn’t even realize he was courting me until he gave me his ring-” You countered, face lighting up pink.

“So it’s a him…” Iarere mumbled, putting his hand to his chin. His expression lit up as the pieces started clicking together in his head. “Is that where you’re going tomorrow?!”

“YOU’RE GOING TO MEET HIM TOMORROW?!”

You were growing more overwhelmed by the minute, averting eye contact. “Yeah, so what? We’ve been meeting up every week while I was looking for you guys. Is it weird for husbands to spend time together?”

Akahata abruptly let go of you, leaving red imprints of his hands on your arms. “That’s not that problem, that problem-” he paused for dramatic effect, “-is that you’re planning on meeting up with him after returning and you’re not even telling us who he is!”

Iarere put a hand over his heart, feigning his disappointment as he let himself sink into the sand below. “I think I’m going to faint.”

You sighed, “Well-”

Akahata jabbed an accusatory finger in your chest again, “Is he even good looking enough for you? Is he any good at providing? What was his dowry like? What pod is he even from?!”

“He’s not from a pod-”

Your brother hummed, “So is he a lone wanderer out beyond the boundaries of protected waters saving pretty mermen he wants to marry?”

Your face twisted into one of disgust, “Keep your fantasies to yourself.”

Iarere huffed, “Well, what else am I supposed to think when you say he’s not from a pod? He obviously has so be some kind of lone wolf, PLUS you got married before you made it back.”

Akahata put a contemplative hand under his chin, “I mean he has a point.”

You shook your head, “He’s a human.”

“...”

“You’re joking.”

“I’m not.”

“You’re joking…”

You held up your hand, gesturing towards the ring on your finger.

“Oh my god, you’re not actually joking.”

Your younger brother squealed, “Oh my god this is like something out of all those movies on the surface! Tell me all about it!”

You frowned, pushing through both your peers to make it back to your makeshift table top. “He’s… a doctor, but he was working as a trader on a big ship. He was there the night I got caught and he ended up buying me off the boat and he patched me up and released me.”

Your best friend sighed, “Only you can make a story that romantic sound like a business deal.”

Iarere furrowed his brows, “Wait, wait, wait, when did he propose?”

“Well-” You fumbled over your words, “I caught feelings and I thought I might as well start the courtship process-”

“YOU made the first move?!”

“Shut up!” You pushed your overly eager younger brother’s face away, “I didn’t know if he even knew about mermaid courting so if I was going to start courting him, I had to do it then.”

“...go on.”

You sighed, “I gave him mom’s old earring, but instead of just taking it, he gave me one of the rings he was wearing.” You covered your face, feeling another wave of crimson wash everywhere from your neck to the tips of your ears. You still couldn’t get the memory of him showing off the earring out of your fucking head. “I mean- I- I even asked if he knew what offering me his ring meant and he just put it in my hand.”

Your younger brother kicked around on the sand eagerly, waving his hands around excitedly. “That is actually one of THE most romantic proposals I’ve ever heard of!”

Akahata crossed his arms, “Damn, I feel like mine was lacking.”

You huffed, “Well, Ngaio is still your wife.”

“And whatever his face is still managed to wife you--of all people--up.”

“Touche.”

“Oh wow, you brought more than you usually do.”

Luocha chuckled behind his hand, his own little bag of purchased trinkets hanging loosely at his side.

You hummed, thumbing over the beautiful glistening stone of a diamond necklace you’d managed to get off of a rather infamous regular. “You’re one to talk.”

He gave a small grunt of exertion as he sat next to you on the sand, letting the bag fall to the side, “You’ve got me there.” He couldn’t help the pleasant swell of warmth in his face as you gestured for him to turn around.

I mean, maybe you weren’t the best at communicating what you were feeling or what you wanted from him, but you’d been getting better. Instead of just grunting a yes or no to the questions he’d ask, you’d actually make time for some conversation with him. Be it from your annoying younger brother to the changes in the pod since you’d returned, it seemed you shared what little woes you had with Luocha.

You also seemed to share endless amounts of little golden treasures with him. From old, worn gold, oxidized iron, anything really that you could find, you provided it to him and put it on him with the most delicate touch your rough, scarred hands could muster. Maybe it was nothing, maybe it was something. He couldn’t control the way his heart sped up whenever you leaned in to help him put on a new pair of earrings you’d gifted him. He surmised gift giving was some kind of love language that was common among merfolk. Perhaps you’d also enjoy it if he brought you gifts of equal value!

Still, the pounding in his heart was not helped when you’d started smiling at him.

Everytime he managed to catch one of the rare glimpses of your smile–even worse when you’d laugh–he almost felt like he was looking at something forbidden. Something he wasn’t worthy of, right in front of him. For someone who had been through so much, you really opened up to him remarkably quickly after you’d been released. Perhaps before release you’d been scared of being sold off? The familiar feeling of the waters must’ve don wonders to make you relax this much.

Even worse when the physical affection began. It started as simple as reaching out to the side of his face to brush the hair away from his ear so you could catch sight of the golden hoop he’d taken to wearing. It transitioned to taking his gloves off so you could look at the rings you ended up gifting him. Before he could really process how quickly the two of you were moving, you were pressed up against him at every opportunity.

He knew it was natural for merfolk to not wear clothing, but did you have to have such a muscular chest?

Even now, as you fumbled with the clasp of the absolutely beautiful diamond necklace, you wrapped an equally muscular aquatic tail around his leg. He didn’t exactly know if this was normal between merfamily-could he call them that?--, being overly affectionate. Even if it felt like a little more than just normal bonding, he did his best to still the pounding of his heart when your fingers brushed his hair out of the way so you could make sure the gem was oriented correctly.

Trying his hardest to quell the tide of warmth surging up to the tips of his ears, he put a hand over his erratic heartbeat. He prayed to the Aeons above you couldn’t feel it as your chest pressed against his back.

You wrapped your arms snug around his torso, pulling him further into your stomach. Resting your chin on top of his blonde hair, you found the gloved hand resting over his heart to hold in your own. The two of you let the silence hang in the air for a moment.

“...”

You gave a quiet huff before you moved your chin from on top of his head to bury itself into the crook of his neck. As his fingers interlocked with yours, he found himself looking at all the gold rings he’d adorned your fingers with. Each and every one, he could put a time and day to.

But then, his eyes landed on your ring finger.

“Oh, you still wear that old thing?”

“...hm?”

You glanced down at your hand, raising a brow. His finger was tracing over the ring he’d exchanged when he was releasing you back into the open water.

“You still wear the same earring I gave you,” you murmured, flicking it with your freehand. “I’ve given you countless pairs of earrings since, yet even when you wear one stud, you’ll always wear the same one every time I see you.”

His chest rumbled with a bout of laughter, “I suppose you’re right.” He perked up suddenly, “Oh, that reminds me, speaking of this earring…” He reached towards the rather large bag of gifts he’d brought with him. He threw a few of the boxes of gold ornaments he’d purchased before finally fishing the box he was looking for out of the bottom. “I went shopping and when I saw this pair, I simply knew you’d love it.”

You hummed, looking at the little navy blue box in his hand.

He made quick work of the bow wrapped around the holding case, nimble fingers peeling open the little box before he presented you with his gift on their signature velvet cushion. It looked like…

…a replica of your mother’s earrings.

He offered them up to you with a bashful smile, watching in silent amusement when your ears flicked back and forth in some kind of excitement.

Delicately, gently, you picked up one of the hoops and twirled it around your fingers.

“...”

“...Well? Do you like it?”

You didn’t respond, reaching up to your right ear to remove the little stud you’d chosen to wear to this outing. Fidgeting with the clasp of the loop, you threaded it with a calculated ease through your piercing.

“I like it.”

He clasped his hands together, “Good, I’m more than glad.”

“...”

“She would’ve loved to meet you.”

“Hm?”

You paused, “My mother, I mean,” Your thumb fidgeted with the back of the earring. “She always wanted to see her sons get married, but she passed before she could.”

Luocha blinked.

“Pardon?”

You tilted your head to the side, “My mother; she would’ve loved to meet you.”

“No, no,” Luocha could feel the deep claret paint his face a messy red as he scooted to face you, “What did you mean by seeing her sons get married?”

“...

…Did you not know?”

Luocha blinked.

“We’re married.”

Another blink.

“You… Is that why…?” He gestured towards the gifts strewn across the sand. He looked back towards his own bag of gifts.

‘Oh for crying out loud-’

“I-” he cleared his throat, “I apologize, I seem to have… entered this marriage under false pretenses.” He put his hands on his temples, “How- Where- When exactly did this happen?”

You hummed, “When you let me back out into the water. When I gifted you my mother’s earring, that was the signal I wanted to start courting you. When you gift something back, that’s an officiation of marriage.”

He coughed into his hand, trying to think through this situation logically.

Okay, so he accidentally got married.

What the fuck.

The train of thought seemed to end there.

…

He was, however, plagued with another train of thought.

‘Well, you have been making eyes at him for a few months now.’

…

Those thoughts were not helping.

“...”

“If you want to end the marriage, it’s as simple as saying so,” you added, “I thought you knew what my intentions were-”

“NO!”

Luocha covered the bottom half of his mouth. “I’m fine with the arrangement as is, but it appears human marriage and merfolk marriage are officiated in very different ways.”

Your brows furrowed.

“...”

“...Are you saying you want to officiate the marriage as humans would?”

The tips of Luocha’s ears burned with embarrassment. “I-”

You held one of his hands in yours, eyes seemingly boring holes into his face, “Whatever it is, as long as you want to do it, I will do it to the best of my ability.”

Any complaints were silenced when he was confronted with such sincerity. “Well…”

You waited patiently, folding your hands in your lap.

Finally, it seemed your “husband” made up his mind.

“Close your eyes.”

You paused, seemingly surprised, but nonetheless your eyes fluttered shut moments after.

Luocha urged himself to breathe, flexing and unflexing his hands.

He leaned forward, closing his eyes as he…

…planted an innocent peck on your lips.

there's a note on the side of the phone booth, read it?

" idk how to describe it but now being on the other side of this, i'm feeling something similar to post nut clarity "

first post since losing literally everything on my first account yay !!

yes guys, luocha and his mermaid husband were openly cuddling on the beach for months and he's wondering "is he into me or am i bro-zoned"

that being said, losing my tumblr has now forced me to realize how many people genuinely like my writing hey guys I went scrolling through user kamisatoelogy's blog to look for their modern ayato fic and i found out someone dedicated time and effort into archiving my works???? and you guys went looks for me????

i fr feel like getting on my hands and knees and thanking everyone for all their support and love over this process and apologizing for scaring you guys so bad

you guys are so sweet and so many of you have been so helpful in getting my blog back up and running again :((

i started drafting my fics in google docs to make sure it isn't all GONE if i get shit on again so this chapter is brought to you by font: unica one, it was 27 pages total (i am insane)

shout out to Chappell Roan cause she really put me in my tunnel vision work zone while i was writing this

if u guys r looking for a writing hack, i trained myself like a sleeper agent to start writing when i play songs on hour loop it puts me in a work rut

- love, operator t-19

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azuretl · 4 months

Text

About Wind Breaker! [Names-Bofurin]

I've been wanting to post something about Wind Breaker for a while now since the anime came out, but I was bombarded with work in the last few months. I thought about what I could possibly post... maybe interesting tidbits of what happened behind the scenes? What was it like translating a title as dynamic as WB? The sound effect choices? Or even discussing Tsubakino as a character and the choices we made for him. (Note: We used masculine pronouns for Tsubakino in the manga because we were informed by Editorial to use he/him for him. I asked our project manager to talk to Editorial to ask the mangaka how to handle him a while back, and the answer we got was "he/him." Unsure if this means that Editorial made this choice or if the mangaka himself did. At any rate, all I know is that Tsubakino wants to be officially addressed as he/him. SEE. THERE IS SO MUCH I CAN SAY ABOUT TSUBAKINO AND WHAT THIS CHOICE MEANS!!!) But instead, I've decided to settle on an intro post about the characters and what their names represent. I was pretty surprised not to see the print copies dive into their names--I thought they would since they made a section in the end about delinquents and the Wind Breaker name. So instead, here you go! Let's talk a bit about the Furin boys' names! I wanted to add Shishitoren too but this got really long...and I really need to get back to work. I might make a Shishitoren post next time! Read more under the cut!

So first off, nice to meet everyone! My name's Jacqueline, the official English translator for the Wind Breaker manga series. You can find Wind Breaker available digitally on the K manga app (Only available in the US) or physical copies available in your nearest book store!!

I've been working on Wind Breaker since volume 1, chapter 1. The team that works on the manga is a very dedicated one that absolutely loves the manga just as much as the fans. When the anime came out, all of us were ecstatic! Seeing our boys move on screen was a wild experience.

Now regarding the character names... There is a motif among all of their names and it's really cool. I wanted to make a note of it when Shishitoren was first introduced, but there are limitations on what we can do on the digital side. It would've been cool to add a page in the back that explained all of their names! So instead, this is the least I can do!

So let's dive right in and start with...

Haruka Sakura 桜遥

Furin first-year and proud (solo) fighter! His name, as most would already know, comes from cherry blossoms! (Sakura) (桜) Quite the pretty name for such a gruff character... until we realize just how fragile Sakura is. The ephemeral cherry blossoms suit Sakura to a T!

Haruka (遥) can mean "distance" or "far away" or "long ago," which is reflected in how he draws a line between himself and the other characters around him. There might be more to his name than we first imagined being revealed in the latest chapters...?! (Ch 144 is currently available on the K manga app!)

Cool tidbit: I gave Sakura a very gruff voice, shortening his -ing to in' and changing his yous to yas... but you might not have noticed--this only happens when he's fighting or trying to hide his embarrassment! The editor asked me about this and I told her that I wanted Sakura's voice to seem dynamic--to have different levels depending on how he's acting, which is also reflected in his Japanese speech. This also reflects in his character, which is a very dynamic person who's blushing one second and then smashing faces in the next!

Akihiko Nirei 楡井　秋彦

The Ni (楡 ) in Nirei means elm in Japanese, while Aki (秋) in Akihiko is autumn. He gives off the image of a fall elm tree, blazing with passion and determination. It's a beautiful image, but also gives off a fragile feeling, much like Nirei's character. He's not as strong of a fighter as the rest of the team and constantly needs to be protected. But like a wise elm tree, Nirei is the source of Bofurin's intel.

Much of the above is speculation, of course, but he really does give off a sturdy, knowledgeable impression!

Interesting tidbit: It was confusing at times when some characters would call him Nirei and some would call him Nire. If you don't know,t his isn't a typo! It's actually a nickname people gave him! Take a look at who calls him Nire to see just how close he is with the surrounding cast!

Hayato Suo 蘇芳　隼飛

蘇芳 (Suo) is sappanwood/Indian redwood in Japanese. 隼 (Hayabusa) is falcon and 飛 (to/hi) is flying. He's a flying falcon Indian redwood.

There is so much to say about that name. The plant itself is a bit prickly and can be used to make a reddish dye, which suits his character very well. Even his hair color is red!

I feel like there is very little to say about the "flying falcon" part of his name. He's swift, decisive, and absolutely dangerous in a fight, making the name a perfect fit for someone like him.

Interesting tidbit: He was my first favorite character of the series. I'm also Chinese, so I felt a bit of a connection with him, since he dresses in a Chinese style. I also bought earrings that look just like his at one point! 8D There isn't anything really interesting about the voice choice I gave him. He's polite but sarcastic, so he's incredibly fun to translate, especially when he gets serious.

Kyotaro Sugishita 杉下　京太郎

Sugi (杉) is a tree in Japan. We call it Japanese redwood/Japanese cedar. Kyo from Kyotaro (京) usually refers to the imperial capital. Kyotaro itself is a pretty common name.

The sugi tree is incredibly pointy and prickly, which suits his personality very well. His quiet demeanor reminds me of a still coniferous tree... and a coniferous tree can handle snow and cold! Which seems to suit just how tough Sugishita is!

Interesting tidbit: Not much here... Sugi doesn't talk a lot, so there's not much to say. I keep his lines short and curt and to the point, just like in the Japanese. He opens a lot more later on in the series during the battle of the bridge!

Taiga Tsugeura 柘浦　大河

Tsuge (柘) is apparently... mandarin melon berry??? I didn't know this either. It's quite a cute fruit for a guy like him! Ura (浦) is the seashore. Taiga together (大河) means great river (or large river.)

His name has quite a calming feel. He really is like a great river, but he can be super chill. I'm surprised about his fruit/plant name! It's super cute!

Interesting tidbit: I keep forgetting his name so I call him "headband" in my scripts lol. Tsuge also speaks with a kansai accent, but that was not kept in the translations of the manga. I wonder how they'll handle him in the anime!

Mitsuki Kiryu 桐生　三輝

Ki (桐) is a paulownia tree! Big, tall trees with a very skinny body. Ryu (生) means life. Mitsuki (三輝) is "three" and "lustrous/brilliance."

Whenever light is involved, a name tends to look and sound really pretty. It suits him for being such a pretty boy! He may seem fragile because of his looks, but he's a tough fighter.

Interesting tidbit: I also tend to forget his name, so I call him "flirt" in my scripts lol. He has an incredibly beautiful name, though! I went with a super playful tone of voice for him to reflect how flirty he is in the Japanese.

Hajime Umemiya 梅宮　一

Ume (梅) is, in contrast to the cherry blossom/Sakura, the plum blossom!! I've always found it so intriguing that Sakura is the cherry blossom and Ume is the plum. Both absolutely beautiful flowers! Miya (宮) is palace. Umemiya is the palace of plum blossoms! Beautiful name, right?! Hajime (一) just means one or start. This is a very significant name for the top of the top! It's absolutely perfect!

Sakura's name has shown to be incredibly significant to his character and story, especially seen in the latest few chapters when he fights Endo. Umemiya has a pretty tragic past (no spoilers here!) but his past made him stronger. Maybe in the same way that the ephemeral plum blossoms got stronger with the help/nourishment that are his friends, Sakura will also experience a similar growth?

Interesting tidbit: I don't really...have any........ Umemiya's voice is always strong and confident, with a light airy flow. When he gets serious, it's like a blazing fire! I made him as casual as possible to reflect his personality, but when he gets serious, his voice "drops" in character tone as well.

Toma Hiragi 柊　登馬

Hiragi/Hiiragi (柊) is the holly osmanthus (also known as false holly.) It's a common last name, but a very pretty one.

The holly osmanthus has a striking red fruit and beautiful, tiny white flowers. The red almost reminds me of a drop of blood... Hiragi is also one of the strongest fighters in the series. Being one of the top four kings of Bofurin, he's also known as the god of war, but he's fragile too. Poor guy has stomach issues thanks to the stress Umemiya puts him through. It's like the striking red fruit hides the fragile white flowers...

Interesting tidbit: He has the roughest speech in the cast, I believe. I tried to make him go all-out. Swearing is fair game when he snaps! Uses a ton of "yas" in his speech, even way more than Sakura.

Tasuku Tsubakino 椿野　佑

Tsubaki (椿) is the absolutely beautiful camellia. Tasuku (佑) is a character that's used in the word "assistance" or "rescue."

Tsubakino is my absolute favorite character. As mentioned earlier, I will be using he/him pronouns while describing him.

He is absolutely beautiful, inside and out, and his name reflects that so perfectly. The beautiful camellia flower who is always more than willing to help anyone who needs it. His character has so much depth, but the name brings all the most important aspects of him to the surface. Stand proud, beautiful Tsubakino!

Interesting tidbit: There are a million and one things to say about him. Some people think he's trans, others believe that he just likes dressing in women's clothes and putting on makeup. When I heard that we were going to use he/him pronouns, I was pretty shocked! I was almost sure the author might tell us to use she/her pronouns. But I think using he/him is a very vital part of Tsubakino. It doesn't matter that he sees himself as a boy or not, he still loves his long hair, the beautiful female clothes that look absolutely stunning on him, and putting on breathtaking makeup. His soul is so purely beautiful, and he fought so hard to keep it pristine and struggled to keep the bullies from winning. There can be a whole case study done for him! I always keep his speech light and protective with a hint of femininity. He's the beautiful, pristine Tsubakino who can roundhouse kick you in the face if you insult him or his friends! He's the very representation of "love what you love. Why do you need labels?"

Saku Mizuki 水木　聡久

Mizuki (水木) is dogwood. Sa (聡) is intelligence. Ku (久) is "a long time."

There is very little information on Mizuki right now. We just know that he's the brains of the team, which definitely is reflected in his name. (Quite on the nose, actually lol)

Interesting tidbit: This was hard to work with in his translations, but he calls everyone NAME-shi. The "-shi" I think implies that he might be an otaku...? Or someone with an obsessive hobby...

Momose Takumi 桃瀬　匠

Momo (桃) is peach! Probably in reference to peach blossoms. Se (瀬) can mean either rapids or a shoal. Takumi (匠) usually means a craftsman of some sort.

Quite the fitting name for our mysterious artist! We don't know much about Takumi either, but that he likes to draw it seems... Can't wait to find out more!

Interesting tidbit: I keep forgetting his name because he hasn't had a huge role to play in the story so far... lol. Sorry...

Ren Kaji 梶　蓮

Kaji (梶) is a beautiful red flower called paper mulberry. Ren (蓮) is lotus.

Kaji has such a pretty name~! Lotuses often symbolize Buddhism...which I wonder if it has anything to do with his connection with Hiragi? Maybe not? The paper mulberry is a very cute and pretty red flower that kind of looks like a pompom. It's a very interesting choice to give to Kaji. There might be a more deeper meaning that might connect to the "monster" inside of him and how he tries to overcome it.

Interesting tidbit: If Kaji Yuki doesn't voice him in the anime, I will CRY. I always imagined his voice whenever he talked! Kaji was also one of my favorites before Tsubakino took the top spot. He's a character with so many layers... appearing as the strong, decisive leader to Sakura and the rest of the second-years, but is also very vulnerable and fragile with Hiragi. I hope we'll get to see him more in the future!

As you can all see, everyone in Furin have names associated to flowers or fruits or trees! It suits their "wind" theme a lot and lets us readers peer a little further into their characters. Similarly, Shishitoren's team actually has names associated to animals! And then there's Endo and Takiishi, who also have very symbolic names.

I hope I'll be able to write a little more about the characters' names in the future. But in the meantime, thank you for reading and enjoying Wind Breaker! Keep supporting it!! And I hope we'll get to see the KEEL arc in season 2!

#wind breaker #translation #localization #manga #anime

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scoonsaliciousupdates · 5 months

Text

5.3 Lily

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Summary: Lily McIntyre, trainer for new SHIELD recruits at the Avengers Tower, has been in love with her best friend, Bucky Barnes, from the moment she met him. She's been content with her role of the #1 girl in Bucky's life, even if it means she has to sabotage a romantic relationship or two. It'll be worth it when he realizes that they're meant for each other, right? There's just one small problem: Lily McIntire never expected Bucky Barnes to fall for You.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language,

Word Count: 500

Previously On...: Bucky got a call from Lily, wanting to know where he was. He lied to her, of course. That definitely won't come back to bite him in the ass.

A/N: Sorry this is so late going up! Had a last-minute Mother's Day dinner with the family, and then some quality time with @cazellen, and when you add on an hour+ drive each way, it ended up eating my entire evening. But! I wouldn't leave you hanging, so here is today's update, just... six hours late :(

Also, PLEASE NOTE: There is one more section of Chapter 5 to go up tomorrow, and then I will be taking a one-week break from posting so I can focus on writing. So, Chapter 6 will start on Sunday, May 19th. I probably will not be as active on here as I normally am, so if you send me a message and I don't respond right away, it's because I'm busy making more content for you!

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when new story parts drop, please follow @scoonsaliciousupdates

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

Lily clutched her phone to her chest, shocked. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. He had lied to her. She couldn’t believe it. Her best friend had lied to her about what he was doing and who he was with.

She hadn’t planned on coming to the Compound that night– she’d realized she’d forgotten some files in her office that she needed to look over before she went back to work on Monday, and had just stopped in to pick them up. She figured, since she was there, she might as well go see what Bucky and Sam were up to. She didn’t want to crash their boys’ night, per se, but if they happened to invite her to join them? Well, how could she refuse such an invitation?

That’s why it came as such a shock when she rounded the corner to the rec room and saw Sam and Steve, in front of the large television, watching football together, and Bucky nowhere in sight. She hung back for a few moments, giving him the benefit of the doubt, that maybe he’d been in the bathroom, or in the kitchen grabbing snacks. But when fifteen minutes went by, then thirty, and Bucky still hadn’t shown himself, she began to worry.

She was about to barge into the room and demand answers from Sam and Steve, when she heard them talking during a commercial break.

“So, how do you think the date’s going?” Steve asked Sam.

“Knowing Tin Man, I’d usually say ‘terribly,’” Sam said with a laugh, “but this girl seems to actually like him, so who the hell knows? I guess it depends on what time he comes home tonight… or tomorrow morning, doesn’t it?”

Lily brought a hand to her mouth to stifle her gasp as she backed away from the entrance to the rec room.

No. No, no, no, no, no, she thought. He wouldn’t do this, wouldn’t just start seeing someone without telling her, warning her, would he?

So, she’d called him.

“I promised Sam we’d do guys’ night,” he’d told her at brunch, the lie coming so smoothly off his lips. But she’d heard a woman’s voice on the line with him.

Lies.

And then, he’d snapped “I already told you what I was doing… You don’t have to keep checking up on me.” He’d never used that exasperated tone with her before. Never. And to just hang up on her, without even a proper goodbye?

She felt hurt. She felt betrayed. In their years of friendship, Bucky had never lied to her before, had he? And why? Why now? Who was this girl, and what was so fucking special about her that Bucky felt the need to lie to his best friend about her?

Lily felt like she was going to be sick.

She needed to find out who this mystery woman was, immediately. And she needed to do everything in her power to make sure Bucky never saw her again.

<- Previous Part / Next Part ->

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky x you #bucky x reader #bucky fanfic #bucky barnes #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky x female reader #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes fanfiction #james bucky buchanan barnes #james buchanan barnes #mcu bucky barnes #james barnes

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mylittleredgirl · 1 year

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while we’re having the endless debate about sorting by kudos or not on ao3, i have to stump for my personal favorite way to find fics:

i basically always go straight to the “bookmarks” page for whatever pairing/tag i’m reading rather than the “works” page, and i literally just realized why: it lights up the same parts of my tumblr gremin brain as my dash does.

content hand-selected by people who are bookmarking shit for their own reasons entirely unknowable to me, so it’s a mix of quality peer review and user xyz’s to-read list

if you keep going back to it there’s a repetition over time as new people bookmark old fics. as a tumblr girlie my brain enjoys seeing Thing I Recognize

brand new fics often show up there if they’re good!! (equivalent: new posts tagged “investing at 5 notes”)

a lot of the top kudos fics keep showing up too because so many people sort the works page that way (equivalent: heritage post)

but so much random stuff shows up too that i would otherwise never find, thanks to the hardworking folks out there sobbing into the bottom of the tag at 4 am (equivalent: those posts with 56 notes from 2011 that somehow?? end up on your dash like bestie how did you even find that)

sometimes there are 30 bookmarks in a row by the same person who has a new hyperfixation and you get to think “good for them”

sometimes you get to recognize a username as someone having good or seriously bad taste

sometimes i see my own fics in the mix!! and get that little hit of positive attention (or neutral attention i guess, when people add a bookmarker tag like “it’s about [my fave character] but it’s ok”)

yeah! people can add bookmarker tags and their own notes! so sometimes people rec fics or add marginalia and their own sortable tags (but most people don’t)

there’s always that one fucking harry potter crossover fic with 194 tags in the mix (equivalent: manscaped ads you can’t escape). not saying this is a plus, but scrolling past the same long post you hate for the dozenth time is also an essential part of the tumblr experience.

re: that last bullet point, the one downside of the bookmarks page is that the filtering isn’t quite as robust as on the works page. you do have all the usual include/exclude filter options, but the very last section of filtering (crossovers, WIPs, word count, date range) is not available. (@ ao3 coders please i’m begging 🥺🙏)

anyway i’m sure the bookmarking economy is different across fandoms, but this will give you a semi-randomized feed of the tag, weighted toward new and popular fics (and, for better or worse, unfinished multi-chapter works and megafandom crossovers). it’s probably a good place to start for people who long for an algorithm, but unlike the usual user-targeted panopticon experience it’s more like the chance to rummage through strangers’ junk drawers for fic. tumblr vibes. you get me.

#will it make you a little paranoid about your own bookmarking practices? yeah but cringe is dead 🖕 live cringelessly 🖕#and for anyone who just learned this is a thing and is freaking out private bookmarking is always an option #ao3

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lostgracestories · 20 days

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Morgott Romantic headcanons-ish (because I said so)

OKAY so I'm impatient and I'm writing this to tide me over until the poll for a fanfic choice is over AAA (also, I often write for chubbier characters so enjoy fellow girlies) most of this is just word vomit lol

ALSO MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN HEADCANONS IN HERE (they're labeled so skip if not interested <3)

WC: 969 TW: Pregnancy (skip the pregnancy+children section)

~Romantic Relationship Headcanons~

At first, when Morgott enters a relationship, he FOR SURE struggles with self-worth. He is 100% terrified of intimacy like; "No don't touch me, I'll taint you/ruin you"

He definitely still calls you tarnished but adds a little endearing term before or after it (Little tarnished, sweet tarnished, etc.)

After a while, Morgott will eventually become accepting of fleeting touches (and by a while I mean a WHILE) he'll give in every once in a while to a hug or even more rarely a kiss (only on the cheek) if you give him those eyes...

You can BEG and BEG but he will NEVER flirt with you. At least, not like a normal person (because he's far from normal) instead of pick-up lines, cheesy compliments (okay, maybe a couple), or fleeting touches, he always offers you gifts based on things he hears you talk about. There's a book you mention you want? It's in your hands the next day. You want to try a new chocolate shop? There's a giant heart-shaped box on your nightstand waiting for you in the morning, maybe even with a love note.

After finally getting comfortable in the relationship (he's rough around the edges so it takes at LEAST quite a few months) he finally lets you truly kiss him. It startles him at first and he won't look at you as if the golden order is going to smite him for indulging himself in such a thing and when nothing happens, it's like a weight is lifted. Now, whenever he sees you, public or not, he has to steal a kiss.

Even though he still struggles with his own image, he absolutely praises you like a Goddess. Your hip dips? Perfect for him to hold while dancing in the kitchen. The roundness in your cheeks? Perfect for kisses, squishy and cute. The pudge of your lower stomach? The perfect pillow. And he means it. He will lay against your stomach whenever he can. He can't get enough.

Although he denied every request you ever made to touch his horns, afraid you would realize how disgusting he truly was if you touched them, when he wakes up from a night terror one night to find your gentle hands tangled in his hair and horns, a look of soft worry on your face, he feels like his heart is going to leap out of his throat. It is quite possibly the most comforting thing he had ever experienced. Now, when you asked to touch them, he would eagerly oblige you, laying his head in your lap.

~Marriage Headcanons~

When Morgott proposes to you, he is a nervous wreck. It takes everything in him not to retreat into his self-loathing, something that you had worked on with him so hard. He takes you out to his erdtree flower garden and it is beautiful. All the flowers are in bloom and they glow golden under the beginning of the sunset. After offering you a hand-crafted golden ring with intricate designs like vines in it and asks the question, his heart nearly explodes with relief when the answer is yes.

The first year of marriage is hard on Morgott. He feels deep regret that he can not be at your side as much as he wishes to be and so, whenever you come into his study late at night while he's deep in his work, spectacles on the tip of his nose as he reads, he allows you to lay wrapped in his tail by the fireplace behind him. Sometimes, if you fell asleep, he would carry you to bed when he was finished.

Morgott wasn't sure how the topic had been brought up, but the moment he heard the mention of children he immediately became apprehensive. Although, deep down, he would love to have little children of his own, he was absolutely terrified that they would bear his curse and that you would struggle to love them even if you loved him.

~Pregnancy+Children Headcanons~

After A LOT of discussion, you and Morgott had decided that children would not be in either of your best interests for the time being (mostly to make sure Morgott was comfortable with his choice) so when you came hurrying into his study, disrupting his work late at night nearly 3 months later and told him you were pregnant, it was like being smacked in the face. He was excited as much as he was terrified.

Morgott absolutely DOTED on you the whole pregnancy. He would neglect his work as long as possible if it meant taking care of you. Even despite his fears, you were always quick to tell him that you would love their child unconditionally, omen or not. this always eased his tension and sent him out of his spiraling

When the time finally came, Morgott was probably more of a mess than you were. He silently cursed himself and blamed himself every time he heard you in pain and for 13 hours it ate him up.

Morgott's fears were immediately washed away the moment he laid eyes upon the beautiful child you had gifted him. He could swear he cried just a little bit when he found out it was a girl. Despite her being an omen, she was so perfect in both of your eyes. Morgott thanked the erdtree that she would never experience her childhood in the shunning grounds like he and his brother had.

As years pass by, Morgott would dote on both of his girls, his daughter being a daddy's girl especially. He would do anything for her. During each stage of her life. Whether it be scaring away the monster in her wardrobe, reading stories to lull her to sleep, bandaging her wounds when she fell, and eventually comforting her after her first heartbreak, he would ALWAYS be there for his little girl

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buckys-little-belle · 2 years

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Mafia Au (Part Two)

Settling in

Mafia!Stucky x Little!Reader (They/Them pronouns used)

Warnings - Sad reader, Rumlow is still mentioned, this won't make sense if you don't read the previous chapter, reader changes into their pajamas and the boys help them, reader is afraid of the dark? Me too!

Notes - This is ... This is a shortish fic, but at the same time I really needed some good fluff from the boys, so hehehehe, please enjoy. also half and half a filler fic, half a real fic, it’s just very domestic and not totally going to be sooo important to the story line, it’s just, it’s a fun read i guess.

SFW - Please keep all interactions with this post, and this blog, SFW.

+ + + + + +

Steve and Bucky's so called 'home' was huge, the outside grand, and bright, even at night, the driveway lit up, the front door in the center seemingly glowing. "We're home Dove." Steve said as he turned in his seat to look back at them, their face between awe and shock, the home look so much more inviting than any house they had ever seen, and looked in much better shape than anywhere they had stayed before. "Dove?" Steve called again.

"I's huge." They said, their eyes never leaving the ivory walls and warm wood fixtures. "Like really huge." Dove now looked at the two men in the front seat, anticipation written on their features.

"A lot of the house if office space." Bucky explained. "The area we call home is pretty cozy." He had a smirk on his face, enjoying the way Dove nodded their head as if they truly understood his words.

"Do you want to go inside?" Steve asked smirking as well, excited to show someone their home, someone who would also call it home.

"Mhm." Dove nodded, trying to unbuckle their seatbelt as the two men got out of the vehicle, their door opening up as large hands came to undo the hard to understand buckle that locked them in. "Thanks." They mumbled, worried that their lack of independence would hinder their value, just like it did with their brother. 2

"What's wrong Dove?" Bucky asked as he helped them out of the vehicle, a small frown etched on their face.

"'m jus' scared." They sighed, Steve and Bucky both waiting for them to continue. "I know you are both nice, I jus', I don' want to be bad." Their past fear of no Tv, or necessities being taken away kept creeping in, gnawing at the comfort they felt around their two new caregivers.

Steve held in a sigh of anger, wanting to make Brock pay for the way Y/n felt, make him know the pain his Dove has to endure even when he's long gone. Steve calms, his deep breath easing the pang of guilt in his chest as he sees a tear fall down Y/n's cheek, quickly scooping it up with his index finger as he grabs their hand. "Everyone makes mistakes, everyone does things they don't mean, that doesn't make them bad Dove." He holds back his own tears, not realizing that they would have to help Dove in more ways than just unbuckling their seatbelt, Bucky and Steve would have to show them that they deserve to take up space, that they deserve help and love. "Me and Buck are both going to mess up too, but that doesn't make us bad caregivers, it just means we are learning, just like you."

"This is a big step for all of us Dove, but we're willing to take it if you are." Bucky adds on.

"I wan'to." They nod, their eyes still watering, fear still there, but a sense of relief washing over them at the same time.

+ + + + + +

As the three of them walked inside Y/n was shocked, the house looked lived in, and warm, not what they expected. The walls a soft white, furniture in greens, blues, and warm wood tones, comforting paintings lining would be bare walls, the Livingroom sunken in with a large sectional, clearly perfect for movie nights. The kitchen could be seen from the doorway, the dining room too, everything open and airy, the house almost hugging you when you entered.

"What do you think?" Steve asked, still holding their hand, giving it a small shake.

"I think 'm thirsty, jus' a little." Y/n honestly said, still staring at the comfy couch, noticing a circle bed like chair near it, draped in soft blankets, already making a mental note to have a nap their at least once.

Steve and Bucky chuckled, leading them to the kitchen, an archway and small breakfast nook surrounded by windows now seen, the kitchen cupboards a soft green, matching the trees Y/n could see from out the windows, a smile creeping up on their cheeks.

"We didn't know what your favorite colour is." Bucky began, opening a large drawer filled with plastic dishes of all colours. "Do you want to pick a cup?" He asked, a bunch of printed water bottles on display, dinosaurs, space, unicorns, princesses, frogs, snowflakes, too many to choose from.

"I don' know." They mumbled, looking into the drawer worriedly, what if they chose the wrong one. "I can pick whatever I wan'?"

Steve nodded, watching Y/n reach for a plain one, the green one. "You want that one?" Steve asked, shocked at the lack of print in their choice.

"Mhm, maybe later I can put som' stickers on it." They said, looking at the water bottle with hope, thinking that maybe even if they don't want them to stay, they can at least keep the water bottle.

"I think we bought you some stickers already." Steve said, looking to Bucky for confirmation. "Why don't we go find them and you can start decorating okay?" He asked, offering up his hand to be held again as Bucky took the water bottle and began filling it up.

Steve led Dove down a hallway, opening a door with wooden letter of Dove's first initial, a pang in their chest of belonging suddenly making their eyes once again swell with tears, they had made this room for them, and whatever was behind the door was for them by people who cared about them before they had ever met.

Dove turned quickly and wrapped their arms around Steve's waist, his hands laid on their back in shock. "What's wrong?" Bucky asked, seeing the tears in Y/n's eyes.

"I's for me." They pointed at the sign on the door, their arms leaving Steve's body as they fell to their side.

Bucky was speechless, he made sure to put a letter on the door so that Y/n wouldn't get lost trying to find their room, wouldn't get frustrated opening a bunch of doors just to find their bed. "Of course Dove." Bucky chuckled. "We wanted you to know where your room was." He opened the door, showing Dove their room, a sob leaving their mouth as they looked inside.

The walls were a soft green, a couple blue painted arches on the walls defining where a few bookcases were, filled to the brim with books, the arches defining the toy shelfs, a few stuffies on them, but eft blank to fill on their own, the warm wood floors covered in soft white and cream rugs, a few ground pillows to sit on littering the area, and finally a wall opening leading to the coziest bed spot, the bed frame a soft wood, the frame a platform type, no space for under the bed monsters. The bed was covered in blankets and pillows, see-through fabric hanging from the celling, a fancy and modern like canopy bed, a small lamp on top of the headboard, and most importantly their stuffies from home sat against soft pillows.

Y/n jumped into the bed, pushing their nose to their stuffed animals, feeling a sense of comfort knowing some things were still the same. "We had Sam pick some things up from your apartment." Bucky said, opening a bag he got from who knows where, pulling out a pair of pajamas that Y/n already owned, butterflies covering the soft purple fabric. "But tomorrow we are going to go shopping, buy you some more things, like a winter coat." His heart crumpled saying that.

Sam had reported back saying the apartment was almost empty, a few stuffies and a few outfits the only thing making the place look lived in, the clothing hardly considered enough to live off of, two pairs of pajamas, a few sweaters, some pants, and a hanger that clearly held the one nice outfit they were wearing now. No coat, or mits, hat, boots, swimsuit, running shoes, anything other than the bare necessities were found. And knowing how much money Rumlow had, how many outfits, cars, houses he owned, made Y/n's lack of things seem so much more deliberate than anyone could even imagine.

"I don' need more things." Y/n mumbled, sitting up in their new bed, rubbing their hands against their eyes, sleep clearly trying to take over.

"Dove." Steve chuckled. "You're our little now, and we intend on spoiling you."

Bucky placed the pajamas on the bed, getting ready to walk out for the night when Y/n sighed. "I don' wanna put dem on, too sleepy." They just laid back down, hugging their stuffy close as they kicked the blankets around to their liking. "Can you do it?" They asked their eyes still closed. "Sorry." They sat up, Bucky and Steve expecting them to take their question back, clearly a slip up in their will to do everything themself. "Can you help me, please?" They asked, their head bowed, ready for rejection.

"Of course Dove." Bucky said, elbowing Steve, making him pick up the pajamas and get ready to help. "Can you stand up?" He said, still in shock that they were already accepting the fact that the two men were genuinely there to help, not leave them alone and confused to do things on their own like they once were.

Dove stood up, unbuttoning their pants and kicking them off, Steve held open the pajama pants, allowing Y/n to step into them, Bucky keeping them balanced as they did so. Y/n began to struggle with their shirt, an exhausted sigh leaving their lips as they got stuck, hands held above their head, Bucky laughing as he helped pull it off all the way, Steve quickly slipping the pajama shirt on and making sure the sleeves weren't twisted, something he hated.

Bucky and Steve got Dove situated in bed, tucked tightly under the covers, their stuffies underneath with them, showing them where their bathroom was if they needed it, letting them know too that they would keep their door open if they needed anything, then a forehead kiss each and they were off, out the door and down the hall to their own room, getting in their own pajamas and getting ready to end the day.

"I can't stop thinking about all of the times they just slept in their regular clothing because no one was there to help." Bucky scoffed, walking to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

"Buck I just got that picture out of my mind." Steve argued, picking up his book off his night table to read before bed.

"I just can't believe they let us help." Bucky changed the conversation slightly.

"It's got to be a good sign, that they are letting us help already, trust us enough to take care of them." Steve answered, putting his glasses on as he cracked open his book, 'a guide to becoming a caregiver', the eighth caregiver/age regression book he's found and immediately read in the past three months as they prepared for Y/n to come and live with them. "But their behavior might change later on." Steve spoke, reciting things he had read in his books, trying to navigate the situation at hand. "They are stressed, tired, in a new place, very overwhelmed, this could just be a one time thing." He continued, growing sad at his own words, wanting to fight himself for even thinking that way.

"Really?" Bucky laughs. "I'm usually the one that makes everything sad and yet here you are." He pauses. "Acting as if Dove is going to wake up and not trust us."

"They might." Steve admitted, guilt written all over his features.

"Sirs?" A small voice was heard from the hallway, the crack in the door allowing Dove's shadow to be seen, it creaking open slightly.

"Everything okay Dove?" Bucky asked, disregarding his and Steve's conversation, happy for the distraction. "What's wrong?" He asked again, Dove's shy face not revealing any clues as to why they seemed to need something.

"I's jus' a little." They held their fingers up to show how little. "Li'l dark, in m'room." They said, worry on their face, unsure if they were allowed to bring things like this up, or if they should just leave it.

Steve smiled sweetly, putting his book down and walking towards the door. "I think there's a nightlight in your room, why don't we go find it?" He asked, smiling down at Dove, turning the hallway light on so they could see.

"You too?" Dove asked, looking at Bucky, wondering if he would follow.

"I can come too, sure." He smiled, following behind alongside Steve as Y/n lead the way back to their room, something Bucky felt he could get used to.

The three of them entered the room, Steve turning the overhead light on as Bucky began looking in a few spots for a nightlight. "Oh here!" He said, showing the sweet cloud nightlight off to Y/n, who's face lit up at the sight of it.

Steve grabbed it and plugged it in next to the bed, giving it a few taps to ensure it would stay put, smiling as he stood back, Y/n kneeling in front of it in awe. "I'm gon'name him fluff ball!" They cheered, touching the plastic as if it were actually a fluffy cloud.

"That's a perfect name Dove." Bucky cooed, ushering them back into bed, pulling the covers up to their chin, and tucking them in nice and tight, once again the two of them kissing their forehead.

"Can you stay too?" Dove asked, teary eyed as they watched the two men leave a little too quickly.

They both looked at each other and nodded, Steve grabbing a couple floor pillows and placing them next to the bed. "This good?" He asked, his back leaned against the bed as Y/n watched him and Bucky.

"Yes, thanks." They closed their eyes, happy in their burrito position.

"I told you." Bucky smiled, Steve shaking his head in disapproval, more aware that maybe tomorrow Dove wouldn't be so willing to ask for help, no one could know, and he didn't want to get his hopes up.

Eventually soft mumbles could be heard, Dove making some noise while they sleep, and a few deep snores could be heard here and there, those coming from the two sleeping super soldiers, mafia men, powerful business people, owners of the city, who had fallen asleep on the floor, at the side of their little's bed.

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sissy-the-siren · 1 month

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Borderlands: Debt or Alive

"You seem to misunderstand who you're talking to," I growled. "We did this to save you. We're the good guys." "Funny," Fittzwiggins said, a cruel smile curling his lip. "I seem to remember one Handsome Jack saying much the same thing."

Things I was expecting from Borderlands: Debt or Alive--my girls, guns, and fun.

Things I got from Borderlands: Debt or Alive--my girls, guns, fun, Rhysha goodness, Fiona being Very Gay, existential crises, and class revolution.

A solid entry into the Borderlands universe, Anthony Burch doesn't disappoint, returning with the same wit and charm to his writing that made me fall in love with Borderlands 2. Fast-paced and action-packed, this isn't your standard novel and reads almost like a movie script, but it's so much fun, and, well, so MUCH FUN!!!

(If you haven't played Borderlands 2 and Tales from the Borderlands, this book might not make much sense or be enjoyable for you, just a head's up.)

After running and gunning for so long, when con artist sisters Fiona and Sasha finally get their Big Break, they find themselves wallowing in apathy, missing...what, they're not quite sure, but whatever it is, it's preventing them from enjoying their new life of luxury. It only takes Sasha's second death, Fiona's first death, Deathtrap's destruction (don't worry, he gets rebuilt!), Gaige's torture (twice), and an uprising against Eden-5's uber wealthy Elite for them to figure it out, but they get there!

I was hoping--PRAYING--for some Rhysha goodness, and Burch more than delivered; in-between bouts of dealing with her own mortality and the cold realization that nothing awaits her after death, Sasha examines her life, where she's at, what her future holds, and where Rhys slots into it all. I've compiled the following list of Rhysha moments:

Chapter 1 p. 13-14 - Taking place during the last battle with the Guardian, Sasha reflects over the events of Tales, with an emphasis on how she developed feelings for Rhys (and vice versa), largely due to how loyal he was to his friends and the lengths he'd go to protect them. p. 16 - Sasha's death scene, where Rhys is sobbing uncontrollably (described as "heartbreak" by Fiona) and Sasha thinks to herself that he's "[d]umb as a rock" but that he has a "big heart".

Chapter 2 p. 20 - Fiona wonders if she's going to be stuck in the Vault forever while Rhys is free to go and hit on her sister. p. 25 - Sasha's eyes light up with joy, something they haven't done since they were kids--and, Fiona adds in a footnote, since Rhys started flirting with her (she tries not to think about that though). p. 27 - Sasha wishes for a Vaultlander collectible from the Vault, something she learned about from Rhys. He told her about them when she "accidentally brushed my hand against Rhys's arm and he got so nervous he wouldn't stop talking about these things for twenty minutes." Fiona tells her that she can do better, to which Sasha tells her to stop being "such a mom" and that Rhys is "a nice guy".

Chapter 4 p. 39 - The sisters discuss the Vaultlander, Rhys, and whether or not Rhys has ever taken his Vaultlander figures out to play with them (he told Sasha that he hasn't because they're a "sound financial and artistic investment"; the sisters both think he has though).

Chapter 6 p. 50-51 - NOT Rhysha related, but just one--and the most significant--of the many sections that screamed "FIONA LOVES WOMEN!!!!" to me. There is no hetero explanation for the amount of detail with which Fiona observes Holloway. NONE. Chapter 9 p. 71 - Sasha says that meeting Rhys couldn't have been for nothing. Chapter 10 p. 79 - Sasha is able to get a debt cuff off of Fiona because Rhys taught her how to hack. This comes in handy several times throughout the book. Chapter 15 p. 111 - Fiona notes that Sasha ECHOchats with Rhys almost every day. Chapter 16 p. 114-116 - Half of this chapter is Sasha talking to Rhys. Both admit that they miss each other, even if they're in a weird are-we-or-aren't-we place. Sasha thinks that Rhys is a kind, handsome himbo with ambition. Rhys blushes while saying she means a lot to him and Sasha realizes that she likes him. Chapter 31 p. 220-226 - Soooo much happens in these pages! The first thing that comes up is that Sasha notices the beginning of Rhys's mustache and that he's altered his voice. The tone turns serious when Rhys asks if he can call her his girlfriend, to which Sasha apologizes and says that she's not ready for that until she knows that she can promise him with certainty the future that he deserves. Rhys understands and is willing to do whatever is necessary as long as she's happy, to which Sasha admits to herself that she can see them being more--eventually. Things take a MORE serious turn when Rhys asks her how she's doing and Sasha tells him the truth--the full truth, which isn't something she normally would do, but feels comfortable doing so with Rhys because she cares about him and actually wants to let him in to her life. Rhys helps the sisters get back on track and renews their fighting spirits. Chapter 32 p. 227 - Fiona once against questions why Sasha is crushing on Rhys when his brilliant idea to disguise the guns he sent to them is by writing "Not Guns" on the pallets. Sasha says that his heart is in the right place, to which Fiona responds, "[w]here his brain should be." p. 228 - Sasha quotes Rhys ("Mustaches are a facial accoutrement that convey trustworthiness, masculinity, and culture without ever needing to leave the cozy confines of one's upper lip."), much to Fiona's horror, and when his parroted words succeed in swaying the secbot to let the "mustache wax" (pallets of guns) through, Sasha gets an air of "see-Rhys-can-be-useful-who-looks-silly-now" about her. Chapter 34 p. 237-242 - Taking up the bulk of this chapter, Fiona and Sasha argue over Sasha and her inability to make up her mind when it comes to whether or not she wants to be in a relationship with Rhys. Fiona points out that they're not living out of a caravan anymore, not constantly on the run, and that Rhys is a "decently handsome idiot who worships the ground you walk on", going so far to admit that she--Fiona--even likes him. She encourages Sasha to make a decision one way or the other--it's only fair to the both of them. Chapter 36 p. 255 - Fiona hands Sasha a note that Rhys handwrote for her that he sent with the gun shipment. A "big, dumb smile" appears on Sasha's face. Epilogue p. 308-309 - Fiona sends a text-only ECHOcomm to Rhys. Fiona thanks Rhys for everything he's done for her, and for being good to Sasha (of course, she follows up by saying that if he's ever NOT good to her, she'll hunt him down and fill his brain with bullets). She reluctantly congratulates him on officially being Sasha's "long-distance boyfriend".

…and there you have it! RHYSHA GOODNESS IN THE YEAR 2024 THANK YOU ANTHONY BURCH!!!!!

Even without all that Rhysha goodness, Debt or Alive is a solid book and a wild ride with plenty of love, laughs, and anarchy. (Side note: The sisters' last name is Dillon? Dillon?????)

#fiona dillon #fiona the con artist #sasha dillon #sasha the kid sister #gaige dimartino #rhys strongfork #rhysha #borderlands: debt or alive #tales from the borderlands #borderlands 2 #borderlands #musings of a siren #text

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abucketofweird · 1 year

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Okay now that I’ve screamed about Ezra and Sabine a little bit (you will be getting so much more later) I want to talk about Enoch

First of all he looks very menacing and cool

I just thought it was really interesting that they used his name so much. It felt very emphasized to the point that it was stuck in my head.

But as soon as I noticed the name I was thinking about where it was from (please note for the following section I have never read The Book of Enoch, I am not familiar with pretty much any religion for that matter and all of this info comes from a very quick google search)

I personally think that Filoni might be using the Hebrew meaning of the name Enoch

“The name of Enoch (Hebrew: חֲנוֹךְ Ḥănōḵ) derives from the Hebrew root חנך (ḥ-n-ḵ), meaning to train, initiate, dedicate, inaugurate” -Wikipedia

From the little we have seen of him so far he is Thrawn’s right hand man and the sort of leader of the troopers. Which I would say is dedication to Thrawn.

I wanted to add some different things I’ve read about him from other religions below the cut

Source: Wikipedia

“(The Book of Enoch) recounts how Enoch was taken up to Heaven and was appointed guardian of all the celestial treasures, chief of the archangels, and the immediate attendant on the Throne of God. He was subsequently taught all secrets and mysteries and, with all the angels at his back, fulfils of his own accord whatever comes out of the mouth of God, executing His decrees.”

“with the origin of writing and other technical arts of civilization, 371 including the study of astronomical phenomena, both of which Enoch is credited with in the Testament of Abraham.”

Source:

“Enoch is the pinnacle of this higher nature awareness. We could even say that Enoch is the ultimate symbol of Christ consciousness in the Old Testament.”

“Enoch is seventh in the line from Adam. As you may already know, seven is the number of fullness and completion. As we'll see in a moment, with Enoch it symbolizes the fullness and completion of GOD'S REVELATION! So seven generations after the fall from grace we have a symbolic spiritual resurrection in Enoch!”

“Enoch represents the mind of someone who has walked the spiritual path and attained enlightenment because he became one with God. We could also say that Enoch is the embodiment of the complete revelation of God in man.”

“The story of Enoch is symbolic in the true esoteric sense, and it was written to teach you about something wonderfully housed by the physical body!”

“Think as nothing as no-thing! Raw spirit or consciousness is truly no-thing. It is infinite, yet it has no definitive location. It certainly cannot be explained by thought or ideas, but it can be experienced. When the conscious observer truly realizes that all matter and form arise from one's thoughts, then you become aware of the higher nature of the self, which is non-physical and immortal. Upon this realization the path to spiritual enlightenment has begun. Enoch has realized this so completely that he symbolically becomes the higher self which is NOT a thing (the illusion of the physical body and the physical world), but rather that he is a spirit having a limited, conscious physical experience. In essence, Enoch symbolizes one who has completely crucified the ego as Christ symbolically did on the cross at Golgotha” -Talking about the next quote:

“And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” -Genesis 5:23-24

#star wars #ahsoka spoilers #ahsoka show spoilers #ahsoka series #ahsoka show #star wars rebels #ahsoka #ahsoka speculation #ahsoka theories #Enoch #Star Wars Enoch #thrawn #grand admiral thrawn

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modifieduchiha · 1 year

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Part 4 - [ I | IV ]- rather read on AO3?

Part 1 ☆ Part 2 ☆ Part 3 ☆ Part 4 ☆ Part 5 ☆ Part 6 ☆ Part 7

·Jujutsu Kaisen Masterlist · Series Masterlist ·

Word Count: 6,297

Chapter Summary : This was all very unlike you as of the past few years. Your normal now was the smart, innocent, safe girl; you were sick and fucking tired of it, ready to unleash the worst parts of yourself.

Characters in this chapter :Toji Fushiguro, Satoru Gojo, Suguru Geto, Megumi Fushiguro, Reader

Synopsis: As you stood there, caught in his gaze, you couldn't help but wonder if there was something more between you and Toji than just a case of mistaken emotions. Could it be that the attraction & connection between you was too strong to resist? Or would you have to fight your feelings and stay loyal to a Megumi who has been cheating on you with your bestfriend, no matter how hard it may be?

Warnings: 18+ MDNI ! Female reader, cheating, squirting, orgasm, toxicity , corruption kink, daddy k!nk, size k!nk, praise, fingering, toxicity, yandere behavior, PORN WITH A PLOT! DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT

♡Authors Note: Yes there is smut in this chapter, although it is going to continue over into the next chapter!! I will eventually update the warnings section for each chapter but as of now it will remain the same. Please remember with is porn with a plot. ♡ IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE TAGLIST FOR THIS SERIES REPLY TO THIS AND LET ME KNOW OR PUT IT IN MY ASK BOX

!! TRIGGER WARNING !!

DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT

The following themes will be included from this point forward:Sex/blasphemy/dubious consent/death (of minor characters)/Drug use/Rape/etc

If you have a history of drug use/rape, etc- this story may trigger you.

This is not a soft story.

You have been warned.

Taglist; @breadbaker69

Ask to get added to the taglist in the replies section or send an ask

♡ Directory ♡ submit a fic request or leave me a note ♡ AO3 ♡ Ko-Fi ♡

18+ — MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

The interior of your car shook violently with the bass of your music that was currently playing at max volume as you sped down the road , swerving in and out of cars in your way.

The leather on the steering wheel made a crackling noise due to the sheer pressure your fingers were squeezing it with, think about the fight you just got in with your father.

He had a tendency to get pissed when you dressed up , something about how your ‘whore of a mother used to dress like that before she disappeared’ and here you were; a black mini dress with no bra underneath, fishnets on your legs, and matching black stilettos just to spite him.

And to add a cherry on top you had dyed your hair red , the shade of red resembling blood.

This was all very unlike you as of the past few years. Your normal now was the smart, innocent, safe girl; you were sick and fucking tired of it, ready to unleash the worst parts of yourself.

If your boyfriend didn't think you were sexy, you were determined to make sure every single person who saw you tonight thought it instead.

It was nearly 11 at night, nobody was answering the numerous calls you spammed them with; specifically your best friends Nobara, and Yuta.

The pint of sake was in your hand, coming up to your lips occasionally for a swig as you drove thoughtlessly, your mind raced to try to identify that perfume. You couldn't quite place it, but it was definitely a familiar scent.

Suddenly, a memory flashed in your mind - it was the same perfume that your best friend had been wearing when you last saw her. Your heart sank as you realized what that could mean.

Hot tears began streaming down your face as you drove through the downtown streets, clubs, and bars lit up the area.

Saturday nights always caused this area to boom with life, while you felt your own lifeforce draining.

An all too familiar metallic taste permeated your senses before you clicked on the interior light and glanced up into the rearview mirror, only for the reflection to reveal blood tickling down the corner of your lip.

Anger, sadness, confusion, fucking rage had built up to the point you had gnawed the inside of your cherry glossed lip bloody.

With a grunt you turned into some high-end club and casino parking garage, going up a few levels before choosing to park on the floor that only had no other cars.

The car shifted into park and as if on cue, your phone buzzed against your thigh.

A few more gulps were taken from the bottle before you reluctantly lifted the phone expecting to see a message from Yuta , Nobara (even though you already knew you had to get revenge on her some how), or even Megumi.

But to your surprise, it was a text from Toji.

"I know today was confusing and I don't want to pressure you, but do you wanna do something fun, take your mind off of everything?"

Fuck yes you did.

You read the message over and over, your heart racing. You knew that this was dangerous, that it could ruin everything.

But you couldn't help the yearning that ran through your body at the thought of exploring this strange connection with Toji.

Despite the fact that you were Megumi's girlfriend, you found yourself falling deeper and deeper under Toji's spell.

"Yeah, I'm kinda stuck in a parking garage right now though. I’ll drop a pin.”

you typed back while drunken butterflies fluttered around in your tummy and then dropped a pin on the location, sharing it to Toji.

In your backseat was a black furr coat that Megumi had gotten you for your 4 year anniversary. Fingers raked through the soft fur before putting it on.

The tears that wetted your cheeks were dabbed away, and makeup was applied to your face with urgency to cover up any redness.

All that hurt and betrayal being forced deep inside of you and bottled up for now. Besides , your brain had a way of turning sadness into anger , which would likely come in handy over the next few days.

A scream left your throat when a series of 3 rapid knocks were tapped on your window.

Nearly giving yourself whiplash from the speed at which your head spun to find Toji standing there wearing a devious smirk.

A palm pressed against your chest to keep your heart from leaping out. But you returned the same type of dark smirk as he opened the car door for you.

"That was fast!" Your expression was adorable to Toji, and you took his extended hand to get out.

Little did you know that he had arrived so fast was because he had been following you this entire time, you should really start turning your location sharing off.

When you reached back to grab your purse and wallet he tsked at you, a gentle grip on your wrist. Toji raised a brow and chuckled.

"You're not spending your money…tonight's my treat."

Guilt slightly prickled at you, Toji could be so damn stubborn, your eyes trying to break down his motive while his scanned the skimpy garments that clung against your curvaceous figure.

“Hmmf, fine. I’ll just owe ya one” you slurred while forcing a smile , trying to play it cool.

When you thought about it you realized you never asked Toji or Megumi what Tojis's job was specifically, you only knew he owned a VERY successful company.

For days, sometimes weeks he would be gone on business trips. Spending money on you really wouldn’t put a dent in his bank account, although you didn’t know that.

Toji had parked his black Porsche nearby, and you found yourself staring at it, swaying slightly as the alcohol began to take its toll.

Toji noticed and quickly notched his arm around your waist to steady you, his nose picking up the scent of sake emanating from you.

"Let's go, I'm driving. You've been a bad girl," he said in a playfully stern tone before tsking again, tugging you gently towards the car , using the opportunity of helping you inside to feel you up just a little.

You couldn't help but feel a clenching in your stomach at the sound of his voice, and the warmth of his hands exploring your body only made it worse.

As he settled into the driver's seat you released a gasp at the feeling of his hand resting dangerously close to your clothed cunt, the two of you making brief eye contact once he felt your thighs clench.

Toji raised a brow at you as a bottom lip slid between your teeth you remembering the events of earlier, and you were completely dedicated to really breaking free tonight.

You wanted to lose your virginity and losing it to your boyfriends’ father would be the ultimate revenge on Megumi.

This was a dangerous game but the drunken part of your brain figured Toji would be amenable to whatever antics you would throw his way.

Toji was working his brain thinking of an appropriate place to take you yet it just kept telling him to pull into some dark alleyway and absolutely ruin you for Megumi or any other man you’d ever sleep with, but before those thoughts could come to fruition his phone went off.

The movement he made was meant to seem like he was just shifting to get more comfortable , but he was really covertly checking the messages to see that a business partner needed him to meet up.

His stress level was immediately on level 10, should he really take you to the Underground? A place where other people in his ‘profession’ met up, it was neutral territory for criminals.

Not to mention that Toji had played a part in funding the project of building that sinful place.

A place that had an underground casino, strip club, brothel,hotel, and more. Better yet it was located directly next to a large theme park , so people would just assume the large place was part of the park.

One of the most atrocious places hidden in plain sight.

Technically you would be safe there. Toji would always keep you safe although the definition of safe might be different than your version.

But he would be exposing himself as a man who ran an empire that dealt fire arms, drugs, and even human trafficking.

Though after all this time he’s spent with you , the dedication he held for you would allow him to take a leap of faith.

If anything he could just give you something to forget tonight ever happened, but absolutely nothing would take you away from him, not even you.

The sake had you resting your head against the window as he started the car and pulled out of the parking garage the sound of the revving motor filling the air. You leaned back into the seat, letting out a sigh as you closed your eyes, feeling the cool air from the air conditioning blowing onto your face.

Toji glanced over at you briefly as you connected your phone to the cars bluetooth, you favorite playlist playing and you humming along.

You were an adorable little mess sitting there looking like you were straight out of a playboy magazine .

It made Toji run his hand further up your thigh before hooking his index finger through the crotch area of your panties, smirking at the wetness of the material and how you wriggled around in your seat whining his name, telling him to stop even though you wanted the complete opposite, you wanted more.

My god did it make him rock fuckin solid underneath his business suit.

“Darling , I know you’re a bit drunk. We’re going to have a good time tonight s’you can forget about all the bullshit lately-” this is how people always sounded when they were trying to calm you before the storm.

“Y/n, I trust you with my life.” A bold statement you thought to yourself, but it caught your attention. “I need to take care of something for work, and I trust that you’ll keep it to yourself?”

“Of course, Toji.” you replied instantly and giggled a bit at the tickle of his fingertips.

“Nobody will question you , but you need to …fit in. Think you can pretend to be my fiance?” Toji swallowed a mouthful of spit and looked over to see you smirking at him. It wasn’t to often that he seen ‘this’ side of you.

Maybe if you pretended to be his fiance for a while , eventually you’d just accept it to be the truth.

“So i’m Y/N Fushiguro?” You playfully quipped by using your fake new name, enjoying how it made him react.

“Soon to be” he winked and pressed harder on the gas . “I’ll be honest , babygirl…this place isn’t normal in any sense . There are a lot of dangerous people”

A frown tugged at the corners of your mouth , feeling a knot form in your stomach as he spoke. And then, in a moment of vulnerability and intoxication, you confessed, "I'm an addict in recovery."

The words came out before you could stop them, and you immediately regretted letting your guard down. You looked at Toji, hoping he wouldn't judge you for your past.

Toji took a moment to process your confession, his expression unreadable. He wanted you to feel comfortable with him, but he couldn't deny the thought that getting you high might make you more susceptible to his charms. However, he pushed that morbid idea aside.

Your brows furrowed at his silence, cocking a look at him while trying decipher his reaction.

"I had no idea, but I did find your pills earlier," he admitted, his voice calm but firm.

“Fuckin hell-” You let out a groan, running your hand over your face. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I kept them."

Toji nodded understandingly, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. He knew why you had them, he knew you were close to a relapse. "It's okay. I’ve got you no matter what, I’m not going anywhere.” Toji had never spoken a sentence more true than this.

Toji was determined to make sure you were comfortable, but he also knew that it was time for you to learn the extent of his criminal behavior and he would make sure that you would learn to be okay with it if you weren’t at first , even if that meant making you a criminal yourself.

Afterall , he had to do that to Megumi . Another thing you never knew of.

It might be easier to get you hooked to him if he got you high. Tojis eye twitched a bit at such a morbid thought but left it as a viable option.

“We are about to pull up to the underground though just remember to stay in character," he said before continuing, "a lot of us go by codenames here. I guess we can just call you-"

You interrupted him before he could finish his sentence, your eyes widening with excitement. "Hellfire," you said, giving him your nickname and codename. Of course you've heard of the Underground, you'd spent a lot of time around drug dealers and users alike.

Toji raised an eyebrow at your quick response, impressed by your assertiveness. "Hellfire, huh? I like it," he said with a smirk but asked himself why it sounded so familiar.

"You know, you might just fit in here after all. Such a bad girl sometimes"

before you could react to his words you let out a lewd high pitched gasp, feeling the stinging impact of his hand slapping your clothed pussy harshly before retracting it.

How the hell did everything this man do say and say feel SO GOOD?!

A few minutes later the car approached the gates, a man dressed in all black came up to Toji's side of the window. Toji rolled it down and quickly flashed his ID to the man, who nodded and stepped aside to allow them to pass through. Now it was time to enter the Underground.

The place looks like it could belong to some type of billionaire. Fountains and intricate stone statues decorate the well-kept garden. You couldn't help but stare in awe as the car made its way through the winding pathways.

You could only imagine how amazing the view must be from one of the highest floors of the building, especially when the sky turns a beautiful shade of orange as the day bleeds into the night.

It was like stepping into a completely different world, one where money, violence, and power ruled.

Ironically they had an actual underground parking garage where Toji found his usual spot before turning the vehicle off.

Toji turned to you. "Remember, don't act like a nervous. Act like you belong here, like you belong to me. And keep your eyes open if you’re ever by yourself. You never know who might be watching."

Tojis's hand found itself at the back of your head, his lips making contact with yours , he let out a desperate groan at the taste of your cherry-flavored lips .

With that, he got out of the car and opened the door for you. “Ready, Hellfire?” Toji eyed you up and down, his eyes were consuming every ounce of you and getting some pretty intrusive thoughts as he helped you out of the car.

Toji took out his phone and sent a quick text to someone while you were busy taking in your surroundings. You realized how the air was thick with the scent of cigarettes and exhaust fumes You followed Toji across the dimly lit interior of the building.

The two of you were connected hand in hand, your heels clicking against the pavement as you began walking with him toward the elevator. This entire thing seemed surreal.

The elevator was made with glass walls, allowing you to see the different floors as the elevator ascended, The view from the glass walls was incredible, with each floor revealing a new level of opulence and extravagance yet the different floors contained taboo and some illegal activities.

The intricate decor and expensive furnishings were unlike anything you had ever seen before. You couldn’t help but be awestruck at the types of things you were seeing, Toji wrapped his arm around your waist after noticing the amusing look on your face.

It was both comforting and intimidating to be in the presence of such wealth and power.

The beaming smile was now directed toward him, your heart nearly jumped from your chest as he leaned down to kiss you passionately. Little did you know that during the distraction, he placed your bag of pills back into the purse that hung over your shoulder.

As the elevator doors opened, Toji pulled away from the kiss and led you out into a spacious and luxuriously decorated lobby. You looked around in amazement, taking in the high ceilings, marble floors, and intricate chandeliers hanging overhead.

Toji whisked you away to the front desk, where he flashed his charming smile and smoothly requested a key. The receptionist addressed him by name, he clearly frequents this place. She promptly handed him a sleek card, and Toji wasted no time taking your hand

"Excited to see the room, my dear?" he asked, his voice tinged with a mischievous tone.

You eagerly nodded, unable to contain the mix of emotions and alcohol coursing through you. Toji's confidence and easy charm made it easy to put your trust in him, even as he led you to the unknown.

Within moments, you arrived at the room, and Toji deftly used the keycard to open the door. The sight before you was breathtaking - a spacious, lavishly decorated suite that seemed to stretch on forever. You couldn't help but gasp in awe, marveling at the intricate details and luxurious furnishings.

Toji chuckled at your stunned expression. "Impressive, isn't it? But don't worry, we're just dropping off your belongings for now. We'll come back later to really enjoy it," he said, leading you inside.

The two of you made quick work stowing away your things, everything except for your phone which you popped into your purse before you followed Toji out of the room, eager to see what the rest of the night had in store for you.

Toji took your hand, leading you a few floors down only to step out of the stairwell into a dimly lit hallway. You could hear the sound of music and laughter coming from behind a closed door at the end of the hall.

"This is the place," Toji said, gesturing towards the door. with a backpack rattling on his back.

You looked up at him nervously, "I don’t even wanna ask what’s behind that door."

Toji gave you a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

He led you to the door and knocked three times before it was opened by a tall, muscular man with tattoos covering his arms.

"Hey, Toji. Come on in," the man said, giving you a curious look.

Toji stepped inside and you followed closely behind, feeling a bit uneasy. The room was filled with people, all of them drinking and doing drugs of their choice to loud music.

Toji led you to a glass-walled room that had a small table in the corner, one clearly made for people who needed to do business in quiet, and before you could say a word, a woman was setting drinks on the table for the both of you.

As you sipped on your drink getting even more drunk, you couldn't help but feel out of place. You had tried to put this lifestyle behind you but this was a whole new level, this was so elegant that it almost felt okay.

Everyone in this place seemed to know each other, and you felt like an outsider. Not only that but you REALLY wanted to get high now.

Toji noticed your discomfort and leaned in close to you, "Don't worry, I'm here with you. Just relax and enjoy the night. A few associates of mine is going to be coming over in a moment, so just breathe and drink." he said with a smile before pressing a kiss to your forehead.

Toji was running one of his hands up and down your thigh, and with each stroke, he seemed to get closer to your panties. Just like a good girl, you sipped your drink, letting out an occasional moan that made Toji give you a certain look and visibly tense up.

Just as you started to feel more at ease, the door opened and revealed two men; Suguru Geto and Satoru Gojo.

Toji's grip on your waist tightened as he felt your body tense up, almost protectively, as Satoru approached with a grin on his face.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Hellfire. It's been too long," he said, his eyes lingering on you.

Dread washed over you as you took a sip of your drink, trying to compose yourself, but Satoru's greeting made you choke on it, drawing unwanted attention to yourself.

The sound of a thudding smack echoed in the room as Sugurus hand made contact with the back of Gojos head, a warning for him to shut up but he was clearly intoxicated.

“Shut the hell up and sit down Gojo.” Geto hissed as he pulled a chair out across from you and Toji, taking a seat and setting a briefcase on the table.

Toji glanced at you, confusion written all over his face as Satoru called out your supposed code name, unsure how one of his associates knew it.

You could feel Toji's tension growing as he tried to piece together the situation, and you knew you had to act quickly to avoid any further complications.

"I need another drink." you said, forcing a smile as you tapped the side of the empty glass. As you went to stand Tojis hand forced you back down, instead he looked to Satoru.

“Go get her another drink since you know her so well.” The words were laced with condescension. Satoru nodded his head and flashed a grin as he went to do as told.

Suguru cleared his throat, shifting the conversation back to business. "We have some important matters to discuss," he said, giving Toji a meaningful look , his gaze flickering to you briefly with a questioning look on his face.

Toji nodded, his grip on your waist finally loosening as he turned his attention to his business partner. You let out a sigh of relief, grateful that the focus was off of you for the moment because the alcohol was beginning to ravage your mind.

As the conversation shifted back to business you tuned it out and you took the opportunity to breathe and gather your thoughts. Despite your best attempts at not listening you quickly found out the specifics of what kind of business Toji was involved in, and it made your stomach churn.

This means that the drugs you got off of Suguru were drugs he had gotten from Toji.

Satoru returned with your drink, placing it in front of you with a smirk. You forced a smile as the sound broke you from your current thoughts. It felt heavenly as you began taking a sip and trying to ignore his presence.

You leaned back in your seat, observing the three men as they talked in hushed tones.

The way they looked at each other, the subtle gestures they made, all hinted at a level of familiarity that you couldn't quite grasp. And it was seeming like the conversation lasted hours, you had already finished 3 more drinks that Satoru had faithfully fetched for you like a trained dog.

But as the conversation continued, you couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't quite right. The room felt too small, your brain felt muddy.

It was like being in the middle of a puzzle and not having all the pieces to put it together.

As Toji and Suguru delved even deeper into their business discussion, stacks of money and bags filled with illicit substances were scattered across the table.

You tried to distract yourself by sipping on your drink and looking around the room. But your mind kept drifting to Satoru, who was now sitting a few seats away, eyeing you with a familiar hunger in his eyes.

You couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, knowing that he had tried to pursue you romantically and rather aggressively in the past. And now, with Toji being none the wiser about your history with Satoru, you couldn't help but wonder if he would try something again.

Toji infact was so focused on the discussion that he didn’t notice you stand up and slip out of the room, turning a corner and stumbling a few feet into the empty hall so that you’d be out of sight.

As if reading your thoughts, Satoru secretly followed behind you, his feet stopping directly in front of you.

Truthfully some part of you knew that there was something besides alcohol in those drinks, the room was swaying intensely.

Satoru leaned over and whispered in your ear, "You look beautiful tonight, Hellfire. It's been too long since we last saw each other."

“I-it hasn’t been long’nuff” With a deep breath you internally scolded yourself for even getting up. Satoru's advances were not something you wanted to deal with, especially not tonight.

You tried to step away from him, but your legs were unsteady, and you stumbled, your back hitting the wall. Satoru took advantage of your vulnerability, pressing his body closer to yours and running his hand up your thigh.

"Stop it," you slurred, trying to push him away, but he was too strong.

"Just relax, Hellfire. It's just like old times except i’ll finally get what i’m owed," he whispered, moving his lips closer to yours.

But before he could forcibly kiss you, there was a loud banging on the wall. "Gojo what the fuck are you doing?!” Toji's voice boomed through the hall.

You let out a sigh of relief as Satoru backed away from you, giving you a sly grin before raising his arms in defeat. Toji rushed to you, his expression filled with concern as he saw you slumped against the wall.

"Are you okay? What happened?" he asked, his eyes scanning your body for any signs of harm.

You shook your head, trying to clear the fog in your mind. "I'm fine. I just needed some air," you lied, not wanting to worry him. But Toji wasn’t an idiot, he could tell you were drugged and knew Satoru goddamn Gojo was trying to take you.

Toji's grip on your arm tightened as he pulled you up from the floor. "Let's get out of here. I think it's time we called it a night. Satoru if you ever put a finger on my Fiance again I will fuckin kill you." he said, his voice firm.

Suguru was eyeing Gojo with a glare that could burn a hole through him as Toji and you walked away “Wonder what Megumi is gonna think when he finds out his girlfriend is apparently his dads Fiance.” Satoru uttered under his breath.

Toji carried you bridal style back to the extravagant room , the entire time you just kept slurring your words and falling in and out of consciousness. The only thing that made you wake up a bit was the feeling of plush blankets that made contact with your back as Toji laid you on the bed.

He wanted to pull you out of your current catatonic state, breaking every moral boundary he had set, a vial and tiny little spoon was pulled from the bedside table, sighing as he held it up to your nose.

It must have been muscle memory because you sniffed the contents up your nose harshly, and your eyes blinked hard a few times in a row as the drugs took effect.

"You're safe now," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to your temple before taking a seat near the end of the bed. "I won't let anything happen to you." Dilated pupils were fixed on Toji, a sly smile playing at your lips.

With a few adjustments and movements, you had removed your heels and were on your hands and knees crawling toward Toji. He bit his lip at the sight , the way your dress had rode up and how the fishnets clung to your legs .

You leaned into him letting your head fall onto his lap while savoring the warmth of his embrace and the scent of his cologne.

As you looked up at him with a playful glint in your eyes, a mischievous thought crossed your mind

“I’m still a virgin in my 20’s” you blurted out your confession before shrieking with laughter. Oh, the boundaries you were crossing tonight.

Toji's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly recovered, a smirk forming on his lips. "Is that so?" he teased, leaning in closer to you. "Well, don't worry. I can help you with that, if you want." Toji figured as much

You felt a blush rise to your cheeks, but you couldn't deny the rush of excitement that his words sparked within you. With a nod, you leaned in to meet his lips, eager to explore the uncharted territory of intimacy behind oral and hand stuff you’d done with Megumi.

Toji was quick to pull his phone out and connect to a speaker , letting music play, more specifically your playlist, and you were too busy pulling your dress off .

When he turned back to you he found you with a bare chest, pierced nipples pebbled and only those fishnets with panties underneath that read ‘Daddys Girl’ sitting with your legs tucked to the side , only propped up by your arm.

His eyes traversed the contours of your face, stopping at your eyes. Looking into them, drinking the emotions that resided within them, he read you like the open book you’d become. You, on the other hand, saw the look in his eyes was animalistic, the half-lidded, manic mist which descended upon his very form. His touch trailed down your cheek, your throat, then stopped at your collarbones , a shiver running through you.

Toji stood up and fixed himself a drink , knowing damn well that you were looking at him , confused, as he finished it quickly. The song had ended and during the brief period before the next started, the sound of your stifled breath filled the room.

“Y’sure you’re ready for this?” he questioned . His tone was different than you’d ever heard. It was as if someone else , someone evil had possessed him. Your observations would prove to be correct , his mind had finally snapped and he wanted to absolutely destroy you, make you his.

“Y-yes..” you hesitated but affirmed you did in fact still want him to free you from the mental restraints your virginity imposed upon you , and seek revenge against Megumi.

His shirt became unbuttoned to reveal and extremely toned and muscular upper body before walking over to the bed , in front of you.

Shaky hands of yours moved up to his pants ,the sound of his zipper coming undone by you made your stomach clench, tighten. With a shallow sigh, Toji felt freed of his garments and held his length in his large, willing hand.

Your heart stopped. He was huge - long and thick and painful, veins bulging along his shaft, leading to his throbbing, leaking, bulbous tip. You could just already tell he was going to struggle fitting it all in.

The image of him growing impatient and slamming into you flashed in your mind. Your heart stuttered, a simultaneously tepid and baltic feeling washed through you.

“Mmh, can’t wait to see you try and take me,” Toji said, voice thick and dark, yet seductive in a fucked up way. Toji had gone through your laptop on days when you and Megumi weren’t home, he memorized the type of porn you watched and he wanted to give you exactly that.

“Be rough with me.” your lip quivered just the slightest bit , making your facade of confidence falter .

“Whats my name?” Toji crooked this thumb and index finger under your chin , forcing your to look up at him.

You paused a moment “Toji..” and then felt his other hand come up and smack your cheek hard enough the feel a sting , you moaned at it and tears prickled along your lash line.

“Try again , babygirl.”

“D-daddy?” Toji smoothed his thumb over the pinked mark on your cheek.

“Good girl.” he cooed “that's the only thing you’re allowed to call me tonight.” fingers raking through your hair . You felt instant gratification, this is what drugs felt like the first time ; you couldn’t help but make the comparison.

Before you could get a word out Toji had pushed two of his fingers in your mouth , instinctively you began sucking on them drawing a string of praises from him , him free hand pressed you to lie flat on your back.

The fingers were removed with an audible pop “That was so goddamn sexy , babygirl.” he growled “Need to get these off before we start.”

You wondered how he’d do it, with scissors, or bare hands–From beneath the bed, concealed, Toji withdrew a knife; thick, military and real. You gasped, tears clinging to your periphery as you felt the stimulants wearing off , the downers seeping back in and rendering you to jelly again ; useless.

Toji’s head tilted as he poised the tip of the knife to your throat and dragged it, slowly, down the expanse of your abdomen. You tried not to breathe - tried to prevent any unwanted movement that would give the blade a chance to penetrate your skin.

Toji‘s eyes trailed the blade. His breath shuttered as the tip came to the waistband of your fishnets. The holster of the blade was moved up and settled between his teeth as his hands made quick work of ripping your fishnets to tatters, handfuls being thrown on the floor until you were only in those panties.

Toji took the knife from his mouth and used it to trace over the lettering “Daddys girl , eh? Pretty fuckin’ accurate .” he laughed before sticking the blade back under the mattress , out of reach for you , before turning his attention back to you , sliding your panties off and sliding them into the pocket of his pants that reside on the floor. In moments notice he was on his side next to you.

Without warning his thumb pressed into your clit, forcing the beginnings of euphoria through you. “God, so small. I’m starting to wonder how i’m going to fit inside you–” he bit his lip as fear-soaked arousal sparked in your widened eyes, just visible to him as your head began to lol against his shoulder.

Toji pressed into you, forcing two fingers inside you, reminding you of who - what - you belonged to right now. Your eyes squeezed shut, a pained moan rippling through you. Even as he grew closer to your sweet spot, the weight and length of his fingers were difficult to take, especially considering how little you had been fingered. Perhaps this was how he was warming you up.

Toji’s free hand encompassed your breast with his grip, kneading it, plucking at your hardened nipple. You swallowed the gasps and whines that crawled up your throat, waiting for the right moment to pounce - to make your true arousal known. But Toji seemed to know regardless, his voice hot in your ear. “You’re soaking me, Darling,” he rasped.

★・・・★

Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto sat in the dimly lit bar, both lost in their own thoughts and distracted by their phones. Gojo's eyes flickered with a mischievous glint as he typed out a message to Megumi, relishing in the chaos and drama that was sure to ensue.

Once he hit send, he turned to Suguru with a wicked grin. "This is going to be so much fun," he chuckled, taking a sip of his drink.

Suguru raised an eyebrow, looking at Gojo with a mix of amusement and concern. "You never cease to be a complete asshole, Gojo. I hope you know what you're doing."

Gojo's grin only widened. "Of course I do. I'm always one step ahead of everyone else,besides I wanted Y/N first." he boasted, confident in his abilities to manipulate and control any situation.

As they continued to sip their drinks, Gojo's mind raced with excitement and anticipation, eager to see the fallout from his actions and the chaos that would ensue. Suguru simply tried to reel in his train of thought, hoping that Toji wouldn’t behead the two of them for this; that was his specialty after all.

★・・・★

Megumi's phone pinged with a new message, and he instinctively reached for it, assuming it was a notification from you or one of his friends. But as he read the message from Gojo, his heart sank and a wave of anger washed over him.

He slammed his fist down on the table and stood up abruptly, causing his fellow shady coworkers to glance at him in confusion. "Excuse me, I have to go," he muttered, grabbing his coat and storming out of the warehouse.

★・・・★

➜Part 5

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once-in-a-blood-moon · 3 months

Text

Jo Explains with Tarot : Solomon's Unforgettable Past

Incoming long winded explanation/analyzation about the Festival of Flowers from Solomon's "Unforgettable Past" Devilgram, but doing it with tarot cards. So, spoilers ahead and lots of nonsense beyond this point if this isn't your thing :) I broke this into sections so it'd be easier to read...hopefully.

Please note: these are my interpretations of the cards. Your interpretations may be different, and that's okay! That's great even. That just means there's more to learn from the cards than just one perspective. So neither of us are wrong, we just see things in different ways. Don't be afraid to expand with your own thoughts if you want!

So, I realized something recently. One of the days on the Obey Me calendar was the Devildom Flower Festival, held annually on June 20th. And I think it's safe to say it's the same festival you visit with Solomon in his card "Unforgettable Past."

In that, he explains the war the Devildom commemorates every year and the legend behind it. The timespan of the war was 7 days. So...from June 20th (not counting it) we'd see that the war started on June 13th.

Why does any of this matter? Well, it probably doesn't to anyone but me, but here I'm going to explain the significance of those dates with...tarot cards!

How this works is how you would calculate your personal birth cards. It's really simple. Just add up all the numbers in the date, but not before making each digit a single digit, to get your results. Usually you get two cards, though there are special instances where some might get three, but's not as common. (I'll use a random date as an example: 8/10/1983 - 8+1+0+1+9+8+3 = 30. There's only 21 major arcana cards that are applicable, so you'd break the 30 down as well to get 3 - the Empress. To get the second card from 3, you use what adds to make 3 which would be 1+2, put those together and you get 12 - the Hanged Man. It's kind of like the reversal of what we did to get the first card. I hope I explained that well enough.

---

June 13th

With that out of the way, let's start with June 13, 6/13. This would give us 10. The tenth card in the major arcana is the Wheel of Fortune. Break down 10, and we get 1. The first card of the major arcana (ignoring the Fool since it's the zeroth card) is, ironically, the Magician.

The Magician card focuses on what you already have and expanding on those skills. Pictured in the card, there is one of each suit from the minor arcana laying on a table (one wand, cup, sword, and pentacle). Those represent the ace cards of those suits, which usually indicate beginnings or starting points. Essentially, the Magician already has novice level skills to help him navigate through his journeys, and as he experiences more his knowledge will grow and he'll "collect" more of each suit. He's an innovator, a go-getter, and as long as he keeps his head on his shoulders and doesn't get ahead of himself, he'll progress just fine. Also pictured is the Magician holding a candle in the air while pointing downwards with his free hand. To me, this could represent a guiding light, a symbol of the fifth element: spirit (as above, so below), a eureka! moment (the lightbulb over someone's head), or that he's declaring his own start - like charging into something with vigor. He's also got an infinity sign above his head, but that'll come in later...

The Wheel of Fortune focuses on chance and opportunity. Sometimes it's an indication of reigning in a new future or era, whether it's within our personal lives or seeing it unfold through society. A few things to note in the illustration is the little red guy??, the sphinx, and the snake surrounding the wheel. To me, I see the red guy kind of fox-like, or even devilish. Regardless, he's sneaky, cunning, willing to take risks to see himself come out at the top in the end. The sphinx is holding a sword, reminding me of the Justice card, or the suit of swords. The sphinx is logical, wielding rationale as a weapon should taking the risk turn to be less than ideal or difficult. A sharp intellect, if you will. And the snake, to me, represents the temptation of wanting to go along with something for the sake of knowledge or curiosity. There's also the three animals and one angel in the corners of the card, but I won't go into detail on them for the sake of brevity. But to me, they represent higher wisdom, or that the fate of the wheel is divinely guided.

According to his Devilgram story, he'd spoken to a demon in the human realm, which sparked the brazen idea that he could convince the Demon King and his citizens to work under him. It was an opportunity, a risk he was willing to take if it meant a more favorable fate/outcome for the human realm. Obviously, Solomon thought that he had what it took to get the king to see reason, whether it be through charm and wit alone, or through more brutal means. By that point, he was already able to subjugate demons to his will, so why not go father when the opportunity presents itself? Perhaps even doing so to test his own strength and power.

So, he had the skill, he had the charisma, but he also had the arrogance of the Magician in reverse. All he had to do was take matters into his own hands for the sake of "furthering human kind's development," find an opening, show just how powerful humans could be, and strike. And he struck hard. Solomon took his risk and fought with everything he had in him. Alone. That day, he held the destiny of the human realm in his hands.

---

June 20th

Onto the eighth day, June 20, 6/20. Adding this gives us 8, which is the eighth card - Strength. And then 1+7 = 8, so put those together to get the number 17 - the Star.

The Strength card is just about that: strength. Strength doesn't have to be physical. More often than not, our inner courage defines our true strength. In this card, we see a woman who looks to be petting a lion. Whether she's attempting to befriend him or trying to soothe him, she's showing great bravery by approaching the situation with calmness and gentility. In the face of what could be a problematic situation, if not dealt with swiftly/correctly, this card reminds us that we have the option to fight with fearlessness, approach with a silent confidence, or we can choose to walk away altogether. Then that leads us to either being the bigger person or being cowardly, depending on the issue at hand. So, remember I mentioned the infinity symbol above the Magician's head? The lady in this card has one above her head as well. This, to me, is a call back that we have the skills to handle any problem that arises. We are equipped with strength and courage and any learned tricks we may have up our sleeve to give us the upper hand.

The Star is one of the more positive cards in the tarot deck (aside from the Sun of course). Maybe uplifting is a better way to describe it. This card holds hope for a brighter future, a better tomorrow. The Star reminds us that it's okay to heal, breathe, and wish upon hope that things can get better. The sky is the limit. In this illustration, there's a woman pouring water back into what looks to be a river with her foot hovering over it. It's almost like she'd lost hope to the cruelty of life, but she's ready try again and slowly dip her toes back in. She's allowing herself time to do so, reflecting on why she wants to and why she's ready, like affirmations. The ripples in the water remind me of both the ripple effect and of manifestations. By taking the initiative, good things may come her way or she may make change within the world around her. Also, in her other hand she's got another pitcher that's pouring out water onto the ground. We can take this either that she's unknowingly nurturing something in the midst of her finding herself, or that by enveloping herself in this new hope, she's actively pouring out the old.

On the eighth day, Solomon vanishes, ultimately putting a stop to the fighting. What led up to this decision, we don't know. Although, you can ask Solomon if "the sorcerer" just threw in the towel, to which he stills for a moment, almost as if he were offended or caught of guard by our question. He doesn't elaborate on that further, only responding with- "maybe. We'll never know for sure." It's telling that to him it obviously wasn't a matter of giving up. There was more at stake than just his pride or lust for power. And he made the decision to walk away when he probably could've went on for much longer.

And why would he leave a field of flowers as a "parting gift" if it meant nothing? He's a pretty cryptic guy, after all. But again, we don't know why exactly he did so. It could've been a promise that humanity would further on its own and they'd one day see he was right. Maybe it was the hope that the realms could coincide someday and that he recognized the Devildom's power. Or simply, it was his version of a "white flag." No matter what he originally meant by them, the flowers would go on to be the focus of the festival to commemorate the Devildom's victory. In Solomon's words, "it's a day to hope for peace and prosperity throughout the land."

#this was probably a waste of my time but whoo! it is done!!#idk i just found it neat the tarot cards made sense regarding the dates of the war #also the war ended on the last day of gemini...wonder if that means anything? lol probably not... unless?#do i make this into a series? idk maybe that's something i'll think about if people are into this sort of thing #definitely been wanting to do their birthdays...so maybe i'll finally get around to doing that #they wouldn't be as long as this though whew-#obey me #obey me nightbringer #obey me nightbriger spoilers #obey me solomon #jo's thoughts

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