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alexialuvrr · 4 months

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I Put My Hand On A Star, To See If I Still Bleed

Alexia isn't playing well after returning from her injury and needs to feel something.

(AU where Arsenal and Barça are in the same group in the 2023/24 UWCL)

CW: smut, sub!alexia because there isn't enough of it in this world, strap-on, lil bit of blood

Back during the 2021/2022 season, you and Alexia would hook up all the time. She barely spoke English and you barely spoke Spanish, but during an Arsenal V Barça game, you both felt an attraction for the first time, a connection, and that connection turned into a hook up at a hotel after the game. This happened again after the teams' next meeting, and after that, whenever you were in Spain or she was in England for whatever reason, you two would meet up and hook up at some hotel, always in secret. This was never spoken about between the two of you, whenever you were at award shows, you'd see eachother, perhaps make casual conversation with as much of the other's language as you could, but almost always in the company of other players.

It'd been over a year since the two of you had hooked up, you'd seen eachother at the Euros, but her injury kept you two from doing you usual thing, and there was far too much going on at the World Cup for you two to do it either.

The next time you saw eachother was in a Champions League group stage match in Barcelona. She looked different, her hair was platinum blonde, she looked older, more mature, and the innocence that was in her eyes before was gone. It worried you a little, it made you sad to see her like that, clearly in emotional pain, but there was something about it that attracted you to her- that loss of innocence. She had always been older than you, a good ten years older than you, but you never really noticed it until now, her maturity was showing and you liked it. Everything about the way she looked had lost its innocence, had changed since you last saw her. You didn't know exactly why you liked it so much, why it turned you on so much, but it did.

She scored in the second half after a string of missed shots. It wasn't a brilliant goal, but it was a goal all the same. You watched her as she celebrated, no smile crossed her face like it used to, and as she turned away from the crowd you saw a look of deep contemplation in her eyes as she looked down-

She knew she wasn't in form, not that she could expect to be so soon, but it was still hurting her. She wanted a better goal, several goals. A better game.

Katie scored a few minutes later, bringing the scoreline level, until Aitana scored in the 68th minute, and the match ended like that, Barça 2-1 Arsenal.

You shook hands and hugged after the match, you asked her if she was okay, you hadn't seen her smile the entire time, not even after the final whistle. She hesitated before nodding, and then leaned in closer to you before whispering "What hotel are you in?"

You told her the name of your hotel, as well your room number, letting her know you could do it there. You were lucky that you were rooming alone on this trip, last time you'd had to fuck Alexia in another hotel a few miles away from the team's, and you barely made it back in time before they noticed you were gone.

"No roommate?" she asked.

"No, we have the room to ourselves, the whole night."

"Ten O'Clock." she said.

"I'll see you then."

She ran her hand across your waist as she walked away, the first touch of affection you'd gotten from her in a long time, and you needed it. You missed that feeling more than anything, it was like a drug- the strongest drug you'd ever had.

Ten O'Clock couldn't come soon enough. There was still half an hour to go. You were talking with the girls in Leah's room, and you couldn't stop glancing at your watch, lamenting how slowly the hands were moving.

"Why do you keep checking your watch?" Katie asked.

You looked up, like a deer caught in headlights.

"Um, I dunno," you were panicking, "I think it's broken, the hands aren't moving right, I'm gonna go get my digital one."

This was a lie of course, there was nothing wrong with your watch, but you did need to get out of the room for a moment and make sure everything was ready in yours.

You opened the door to find Alexia on the bed, who sat up quickly as the door opened.

"What are you doing here? It's not ten yet."

Alexia didn't say anything, instead she quickly lifted herself off the bed and walked towards you pulling you in for a kiss, her hands grabbing your shirt just below the collar. The kiss was eager and breathy, passionate, and it became clear to you why she was early. You pulled her body in closer, with your hands on the back of her waist. Her lips moved to your neck, making you lose your breath for a moment, her movements still eager and passionate. You toyed with the hem of her shirt, subtly asking for permission, before she took it off herself, tossing it aside. She quickly unbuttoned yours and pulled it off you by running her hands over your shoulders and underneath the fabric, admiring how muscular you were, more so than the last time you'd met. She wasn't the only one who looked more mature.

A slight pause in her movements led you to pick her up and place her on the desk at the side of the room, your hands roamed her thighs as you stood in-between them, and you began to tug at the fabric that was still covering them as you kissed her. As you did, her arms left the position of being wrapped around your neck and travelled down your torso, one landing on your waist and the other over your crotch. Her breath hitched and she pulled away from the kiss as she felt the bulge of what you were packing. It was big, bigger than anything she'd taken before, and she liked that, she needed that. Her eyes darkened sensually, and she gripped it tighter, causing a wave of pleasure to move through you. You backed away from the desk pulling her off of it so she could remove her trousers as you undid your belt and removed yours. She sat herself back on the desk and pulled you in towards her lips. You kissed down her neck and her chest, moving her to lean back slightly as you dipped a finger into her core- she was more than wet enough, it was beginning to coat the insides of her thighs so you knew she needed to be fucked more than anything.

"You ready?" you asked, your voice low.

"Yes." she said, breathlessly, needily. You loved when she spoke English, her strong accent made it so sensual.

You kissed her softly once more before looking down, you held her by the hips and slowly put your cock in her and she groaned at the pain as she wrapped her arms around you, pulling you right into her body. Her whimpers and moans turned you on more than anything, you loved how she sounded when you fucked her. The raw skin on skin contact felt incredible, you loved feeling this close to her, you needed it. With you inside her and her legs wrapped around your waist, you picked her up again and placed her down gently on the bed. You sped up and her whimpers turned into whines, echoing around the room. She bit her lip to try and stop herself, but it didn't help. You slowed down and increased the pressure and depth of your thrusts, which turned her whines into loud, open-mouthed moans. You kissed up her neck and her cheek as you fucked into her, knowing that she would appreciate the intimacy now, given what you were about to do.

You knew how she liked to be fucked, and how she wanted to be fucked, even if she hadn't said it, that was part of your connection, you just knew.

You pulled out of her slowly and whispered in her ear, "Turn over."

She did as she was told, turning over to lay on her stomach. You admired the view infront of you, her muscular back, her thighs, and the best ass you'd ever seen.

You slipped it back in her again, and she moaned, gripping the bedsheets as she did, her hands above her head.

You lowered yourself onto her back, getting that raw skin on skin contact as you rubbed together that you both loved so much.

The friction on her back made her seek friction on her front, desperate for some pressure on her clit, making her moans and whimpers grow louder with overstimulation.

"Shh sh sh." you whispered, stroking her hip, remembering that the other girls were in the room next door.

She quietened slightly, biting the bed sheets.

"That's it, you can take it, you're doing really well." You praised, and she really did deserve it.

"Get up on you knees for me." you said.

She always did as she was told when you had her like this.

She got up on her knees quickly, her back arching and her arms out infront of her, grasping the bed sheets.

"I'm sorry princesa, this is really going to hurt."

You took your cock out, noticing how it was glistening, covered in her arousal, and you slipped it in her ass. She was much tighter there, and you could feel it as you fucked into her. She cried out in both pain and pleasure, and she quickly propped herself up from her elbows onto her hands, unsure how to deal with the intensity of it all. Even between gasps and moans, her mouth remained open.

"You're okay, I've got you." you said, holding onto her hips and rubbing gently with your thumb.

She whimpered, nodding slightly, then dropping her head.

"Good girl."

You kissed up her spine and placed gentle, soft kisses on her hips. Her breathing was shaky and tears began to run down her cheeks, but she didn't want you to stop, not for one second. She hadn't felt this much in months, and she needed it.

You sped up, seeing her body rock back and forth, under your complete and total control, was beautiful. She was beginning to bleed, but she showed no signs of wanting to stop, and you found beauty in that too.

Blood and arousal were dripping onto the bedsheets, not that you cared, all that you cared about was pleasuring Alexia. Seeing her cry from pain and ecstasy was the most beautiful thing you'd ever seen, she'd moved back to holding herself up on her elbows and had her hands clasped together, trying to cope with the pain and overstimulation. After a few minutes, you could tell she was getting used to that pain, as her whines and whimpers turned into moans.

You decided it was time to add to her pleasure by placing two fingers into her core. She gasped at their sudden presence, but she was soaked from the inside out and her dripping cunt welcomed you without any resistance.

She moaned in pure ecstasy at your movements inside her, as you were stroking gently with a steady pace matching the one you were fucking her ass with.

Her reactions were becoming more erratic and you knew she was close. She moved her arm from it's position of support and held onto your wrist and hand, pushing you further inside her slightly and giving her more pressure on her clit, as she let her forehead fall to the bed. She was purely in pursuit of pleasure. She looked so gorgeous this way, totally at the mercy of her own body.

You leant down onto her back again.

"You ready to come for me princesa?" you said, pressing open mouth kisses against her back, dragging your teeth across her skin, leaving red marks.

"Ye- yes, please." she said, breathlessly

"Such a good girl, aren't you Ale?" you said, smiling. The question was rhetorical, and she knew that, she knew it was just to remind her of what made her a good girl- being fucked bloody and teary-eyed, crying in pleasure on her knees, desperately holding your hand inside her with your palm against her clit.

She moaned one last time, her jaw slack, eyes closed, head thrown back then dropped forward as her back arched and her legs shook. You slapped her ass hard as she came, adding to her waves of pleasure as you came a moment later. Both yours and Alexia's movements continued through her orgasm as you let her ride it out.

"Look at you, you did so well." you smiled, you were so proud of her, she'd never taken it like that before.

You pulled out of her and discarded the strap, tossing it onto the chair.

She turned around to face you, sitting on the bed with you kneeling in front of her. She wiped tears from her eyes and noticed the bed sheets.

"Did I bleed?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"Yeah, you did." you replied, helping her wipe the tears away.

She was still shaking so you pulled her close to you, her head resting on your chest, and you began stroking her hair as she closed her eyes and a final few tears fell gently down her face.

You helped her off the bed as she winced and whimpered from the pain of moving.

"It's okay," you reassured her "it'll hurt less tomorrow."

She held onto you tightly as you helped her move. You pulled back the duvet and helped her lay down slowly. Her breathing was heavy and her whimpers didn't stop. You loved seeing her like this. You got into the bed yourself and pulled the duvet up to cover the pair of you. As soon as you did, she rolled over, seeking contact and comfort from you. She placed a long soft kiss on your lips before laying her head on your chest and placing her hand beside her face, her palm on your skin, right over your heart. She kept her legs closed, it being too painful to open them, and you placed one hand on her back, stroking up and down slowly, and letting the other just rest on her waist. You were both exhausted, and you fell asleep quickly after that.

You were awoken the next morning by the sound of the girls talking next door. You checked the time, it was half past ten, you'd slept for nearly twelve hours. It was then that Katie and Leah suddenly walked into your room, you quickly pulled the duvet over Alexia's head- it was still obvious that you had a woman in bed with you, but at least they wouldn't know who it was, or so you had thought until you remembered there was a jacket with a Barcelona logo on it slung over the chair, which you saw Leah notice as Katie was looking at you.

"So this is why you didn't come back to Leah's room last night- I shoulda known." Katie laughed.

"C'mon Katie, let's leave them be." Leah smiled. Always the more mature out of the pair.

You pulled the duvet back down, revealing Alexia's face, you ran a hand through her platinum blonde hair, and smiled.

#woso #woso fanfics #woso community #womens football #alexia putellas #alexia putellas x reader #woso smut #woso imagine #woso x reader

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cheriladycl01 · 6 months

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You're a dick Stroll! - Lance Stroll x Engineer! Reader

Plot: You created the best car for the 2024 season however after some harsh comments from Lawrence Stroll about a female engineer having been the reason his son crashed out in Bahrain turns out after investigations from the FIA people owe you an apology!

A/N: Obviously this is fanfic so its dramatized so in no way does this portray anyone in a realistic light and is just for the drama and the vibes.

Credit to micksradio for the GIF

"You innovations have been amazing this year Y/N all thanks to that brain of yours!" Mike Krack the team Principle for Aston Martin tells you, holding either one of your shoulders shaking them in delight at the new car in front of him.

You had been at Silverstone working as the lead mechanic/ designer on the new car throughout the last half of the 2023 season.

"Thank you, but you know it was a team effort right?" you smiled back, it really was a team effort.

"Well, we actually wanted to offer you a promotions of sorts!" he exclaimed a look of shock crossing your face.

"Excuse me?"

"We figured that you know the car the best and we want you travelling with us to make adjustments as and when needed. Last year was a struggle when we didn't have you here, you are the quickest we've seen and having you on the road with the team would really help.

"This is amazing, yes I'll do it!" you exclaimed happy that you were finally able to travel around the world with Aston Martin.

A month later and you were in Bahrain for pre-season testing of the 2024 year, everything was looking good on both the car, they were running well and the data figures looked good to you and your team.

You'd stayed late with a few other team members making sure everything was ready for the most important Sunday of the year, this race was the one that usually set the drivers mentality for the year. Nobody wanted to crash in the first race and no-one wants to not make it into the points.

You left, once you'd finished your checks on both cars, some people still working around.

"Okay, I'm off guys and ill see you for the big day tomorrow!" you smiled at them before heading back to the hotel that Aston Martin had placed you in. It wasn't a long ride, and you splurged on an Uber considering how much overtime you'd just done in the garage.

You did share a hotel with the drivers, as one of the lead engineers in Aston Martin you got the privilege of the nicer hotel compared to some of your colleagues.

As you entered, you could see some of the drivers sat in the bar, Lando Daniel, Max and his girlfriend Kelly were all sat together taking pictures, obviously for the .jpg accounts.

Charles, Pierre, Carlos and Lewis were also there sat at the bar, drinks in hand. However, with your attention directed elsewhere you felt yourself bump into something.

"Oh my gosh I am so sorry" you exclaimed looking towards the person you had bumped into that was now holding your forearm as if to steady you so you didn't fall back.

"It's er okay, you seemed distracted are you... okay?" you hear the person ask and look up to see your teams youngest driver.

"Oh Lance I'm so so sorry!" you say noticing it was him.

"It's okay" he says awkwardly before shuffling off. You watch as he walks up to Alex and George who were also sat with one another. You continue up to your floor before showering and passing out in your bed.

The next day your alarm was set extremely early, you came straight to the track having gotten ready in a record speed time. Your hair was whipped up in a ponytail and you'd nearly put your green Aston Martin team top on back to front.

You got to the track for when Mike told you to meet him there, he wanted you the radio engineers and the strategists to all talk before the race. Considering it was only 7.30 in the morning there were already loads of people in the paddock, from all different teams.

Where it was your first time you didn't know the protocol or anything for greeting other teams, so you just stayed your typical friendly self sending a smile and wave to everyone that you passed and made eye contact with.

Once you'd got into hospitality Ben Mitchell, Chris Conin and Peter Hall were all there, Peter held a coffee out to you with a small smile.

"Thanks" you smiled before you all started to talk about the race ahead, you guys checked the weather patterns and the track temp before trying to plan the race for both drivers.

By the time you'd done your final checks it was time for the race. Lance had placed P7 the day before and Fernando had placed P10 which was an amazing start to the year for Aston Martin.

"How's the car looking?" the social media girl asked, she was looking at the screen of data rolling in from the car but not understanding what the figures actually meant.

"It's performing phenomenally. Its definitely better than last year. Its also original and completely initiative, I've heard Horner and Vasser talking about it!" you explain having heard them interviewing about the grid and a little season preview.

She nods, and you talk a little before she leaves to go and try and film some social media stuff while there isn't too much excitement on the track.

However only 2 laps later Lance was reporting his breaks being stiff, which from the figures looked to be impossible. Before his race engineer could even ask for your advice, Lance went into a turn too quick skidding off the side taking Gasly with him. You looked up at the screen in shock, a hand covering your mouth.

Lance's car had gone sideways before flipping over Gasly's car. Lance and Gasly were both out of the race.

"What the hell happened!" Lawrence screaming coming over to you, all the pit crew who had just pulled Fernando's car in stopped what they were doing and came over to you.

"Sorry?" you asked pulling the headphones off genuinely not having heard him.

"What happened! Your the engineer who was here late last night. What did you do to my sons car, he's an impeccable driver and he has DNFed because YOU cant do your job" he screamed and you flinched taking a wide step back.

"Look i didn't do anything, I wasn't even the final engineer here last night. I think he was just unlucky sir" you tried to explain, but his face like thunder had you a stuttering and stumbling mess.

"Yes you did! Just admit you either sabotaged the car on purpose or your so damn incompetent at your job that you didn't build the car right! You know you should be fired for this, its completely unacceptable and I'll be speaking to Mike about having you removed because you clearly" he starts but one of the crew members behind decided enough was enough and stepped in front of you.

"Hey, sir with all dew respect there are camera's everywhere in here recording so just think about your image" he directs and Fernando having finally got out of his car and having seen what happened to you.

"Lawrence, i think its best that you take a step back" Fernando advises seeing how close he had gotten to you.

Instead he just storms out of the paddock, you release a breath you didn't even realize you had been holding in everyone swarming round you take make sure you were okay.

BREAKING NEWS: FIA LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO HEAD OF ENGINEERING AT ASTON MARTIN AFTER STROLL CRASH VIDEO OF LAWRENCE STROLL RIPPING INTO Y/N Y/LN HEAD OF ENGINEERING AT ASTON MARTIN INTERVIEW WITH LAWRENCE STROLL AND MIKE KRACK GETS HEATED AFTER INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED

It only took 4 hours for the public to find out who you were and your social media handles as you had a few people following you. One of which was McLaren who you had worked for under an apprenticeship scheme.

The only thing you really wanted right now was have a drink, so the hotel bar where you were certain would be safe from the public eye. You came down from your hotel room, you weren't in anything fancy and felt out of place the minute you sat down at the bar. Most of the drivers were there celebrating wins, or drinking away the loss.

It was like you had this beeper on you, as when you entered the room and walked to the bar all the drivers seemed to notice you. I mean it wasn't hard, your hair was thrown up in a ratty bun and your eyes were red from having read all the hate messages sent to your inbox.

"She's the one they're investigating because of Stroll's crash! His dad went in on her after the race"

The whispers all around you from people in the bar had you shrinking in your seat.

"So your the one that made me crash!" Lance exclaims from behind you, you turn round seeing his face, angry and upset and expression nobody liked.

"Look, I didn't do anything to the -" you start but are slowly interrupted.

"No you did, you know nothing and you shouldn't be in this job! Everything they are saying about you online is true, you could have killed me and Pierre because of that accident. So careless!" he shouts, which shocked the other drivers as Lance wasn't really one to raise his voice.

"Please Lance, I've already had enough..."

"No, you haven't had enough! You shouldn't be in this sport if you cant build a car properly, it's shit! It's not powerful and you clearly cant build a car like Andre last year!" he says, you could tell he was getting frustrated and it made you take a step of your seat.

"You're a dick Stroll! Andre didn't build the car. I did that's why i took the position this year as he wasn't performing as Head Mechanic so yeah. I didn't do anything to the car, the data was fine maybe you just are as good as a driver as you seem to think you are" you say before storming out of the bar.

Two weeks later, where you'd lazed around all day at home was when you'd got that expected call. You were currently on suspended leave where you were still under investigation. Mike had been facetiming you on and off asking for help to try and speed up the pace of fixing the car before Saudi Arabia GP.

It was in fact Mike calling again, however this time he was telling you to open up any socials and see what the FIA had posted.

CHECKS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED INTO THE ASTON MARTIN CRASH SHOWING HEAD ENGINEER IS NOT LIABLE AND HAS SERIOULSY BEEN MISSTREATED - FIA FIA COME OUT WITH EVIDENCE THAT ASTON MARTIN HEAD ENGINEER IS NOT TO BLAME FOR STROLL'S SAKHIR CRASH - SKYSPORTS CLEARED FOR DUTY Y/N Y/L/N TO MAKE RETURN AT JEDDAH - F1

"Are you serious?" you say, the first piece of enjoyment in your life in the last few weeks has just occurred.

"Yes, we need you on the first flight out to Saudi, someone's waiting for you at Heathrow to bring you" he exclaims, you jump up cutting the call short and start to rush, packing a bag by slinging clothes in it not bothering to fold. You make sure your uniform is all packed as well as the essentials before running out the door and running to the train station.

You came into the terminal, shooting a text to Mike, not knowing who to be looking for. You look around to see if you can see one of the other mechanics or maybe Mike's personal assistant but you come short.

"Come on Mike" you whisper to yourself looking at your phone.

"Y/N?" you hear from behind you. You knew that Canadian voice all to well.

"Lance?" you ask with a slight sneer to your tone, you were still angry and upset with him and his father for jumping to such outrageous conclusions.

"Mike wants you there asap, so I suggested you come with me" he says guiding you down a secure back path to where it leads out to the jets.

"Your kidding me right?" you ask as he walks you out onto the den where his dad's private jet is waiting.

"We needed you there as soon as possible the car is in literal pieces without you there!" he exclaims, having heard from his father than things had been slow in the garage.

"Well, do you now trust me to build you an effective car?" you ask halting your steps, you didn't want to work with him anymore if you didnt have his trust. Throughout your suspension you had both McLaren and Mercedes reach out to you offering you a job with them once it all blew over.

"I do trust you, I just got angry when i crashed the car in the first race of the season, my dad blamed it on you and to me that seemed the most logical. I am sorry for what its worth" he says awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

"For what its worth... you're still a dick. But i think i can put up with that" you smile, before following him over to the pane ahead.

Taglist:

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#f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula 1 x you #formula 1 #formula one #formula one fanfiction #lance stroll #lance stroll x reader #lance stroll imagine #lance stroll x y/n #lance stroll fanfic

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disneyprincemuke · 6 months

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everything at 18, but nothing at 22

alternatively: times she finished in the points while he dnfs

in which the drastic difference in their performance in their career seems to finally be catching up to them

(series masterlist)

-> australia, 2023

she simply cannot wipe the permanent smile on her face. she runs into her garage, straight from weigh-in, immediately greeted by blythe and ciara who are quick to take her in for a hug.

"oh, i made the points!" she laughs, jumping in a circle with her sisters. "can you believe it? i made history just by finishing in the top 10 today!"

"i told you you'll be amazing!" ciara puts her hands on her older sister's cheeks, before quickly pulling her in for another tight hug. "you did so well on the track amidst all the chaos!"

"history in the making with you just being here!" blythe shrieks, grabbing her shoulder. "you were amazing on the track. half the grid retired - did seb tell you?"

"he did," she laughs, slowly settling down as she stands on her feet. "speaking of that, i've got to speak to logan."

"no need to look around, i've got him here with me," oscar's accent fills her garage. "good job finishing above me, mate."

another shrill shriek escapes her mouth as she hops over to the two boys still in their race suits. she is received by oscar first, whispering neverending praises into her ear as they sway in their spot. she rubs circles on his back as they exchange compliments, both proud at their feat of achieving points in arguably one of the more chaotic races they've found themselves in.

as she pulls away, she meets a forced smile and sad green eyes as she is pulled into a hug by logan. "i'm so proud of you today. i stayed and watched the race just for you."

"baby, i'm sorry for the dnf," she whispers, her smile faltering slightly as she wraps her arms around his neck. she's lifted off the ground slightly, the height difference making their public hug slightly awkward. "this is only the third race - i swear it won't stay like this all season."

"no, don't worry about me," logan grins, pulling away from her. with a tender hand on her cheek, he quickly pulls it away when a flash goes off at the corner of his eye. instead, he settles for a hand on her shoulder and shakes her slightly. "today is all about you, ms. record breaker."

"for what it's worth, the fia is under fire for the chaos of today's race," she frowns, rubbing his sleeves up and down to offer a sense of familiarity.

their dream of getting into f1 together has finally come true. it's just a shame that they've got to keep their romantic gestures on the down low, or kept under wraps in fear of the backlash she might get.

"stop trying to justify my race," logan smiles, squeezing a cheek. he takes a step back and huffs, tilting his head as he looks at her. "look at you - i could have sworn you were just that lonely girl oscar decided to befriend at karting. now you're in f1 making history."

her smile carves into something softer, and looks up at him with a glimmer in his eyes that he couldn't ever get tired of. "i wouldn't be here without either of you."

logan squeezes her arm. "sneak into my hotel room later? let's watch a movie."

"oh, max invited me for drinks at some bar tonight. celebrate my first points or something like that," she frowns. "come with us, please? oscar will be there."

"i'll be okay," he smiles. "then sneak in after the drinks. you're funny when you're drunk, anyway."

"i'll sneak some cocktails in your room so we can watch a disney movie together and cuddle," she giggles. at the call of her name by sebastian, mentioning something about an interview she has to go do now. "i'll see you later?"

"i'll see you later." logan bends down, closing an eye when he feels her lips pressed against his cheek. "love you."

she turns around, already being pulled away by an impatient sebastian. she twists her body back to look at him. she mouths, "love you."

-> hungary, 2023

she presses her lips together, rocking back and forth on her feet as she awaits the door to open. when it does, it reveals a clearly dishevelled logan with a towel hung around his shoulders.

he's already in his sweatpants, while she stood out in the hallway in a romper, ready to head out for the evening. she scans her boyfriend head to toe and slumps her shoulders. "baby, you're not going out with us tonight?"

he pokes his head past the door, looking left and right before he lets her walk into his hotel room. she sighs softly, following him further into the room.

he drops himself onto the bed and shakes his head. "i don't deserve to be out and about celebrating after the race today. you go ahead and enjoy yourself, babe."

"my love," she hums, climbing onto the bed with a hand finding his neck to massage the muscle. "just because the race didn't go your way today doesn't mean you should lock yourself up here and be by yourself."

he leans into her touch, turning to lie on his side. he slings an arm around her waist while she comfortably sits on his bed. "i just don't think i should be outside. i'm an embarrassment." he nuzzles his face into the side of her thigh. "good call to keep the relationship behind closed doors - you'll be ridiculed for being with me."

"what?" she says softly, never really getting used to logan's harsh words against himself. she hangs her head low, trying to meet his eyes. "please, don't say that. i'm very proud of you. dnf or not."

"you and oscar have gotten your first points this year. i still have not," he sighs, turning to lie on his back again. "trust me, you don't want people to know you're dating me."

"i do want people to know i'm dating you," she coos, running her fingertip down the side of his face. she moves down and props herself up on her elbow to look over him. "it's just complicated right now - you know that."

"but you get what i'm saying, right?"

"i do," she lays on her stomach, pressing a kiss on his bare shoulder. "okay, let me tell max i'm not feeling great to head out tonight for drinks. do you want to go and eat somewhere just the two of us?"

"what? (y/n), please. you don't have to do any of this. i'm fine being by myself tonight."

"i want to be with you tonight," she grins. "let's go shopping? it's our first time in hungary."

-> zandvoort, 2023

"mate, have you seen logan?" she asks, approaching oscar with a frown. with a pepsi can in hand, she sips on the straw as her bright eyes scan the paddocks for her missing boyfriend. "usually, he'd be right by my garage after a race, but i've yet to find him."

"i can't say i've seen him since before the race," oscar frowns, realising that it's been a while since he's seen logan. he also scans the crowd, hoping that it's just her height that's hindering her chances of finding logan. to no avail, he doesn't find logan either. "is everything okay?"

she shrugs. "i don't know. he retired from the race again, did you hear?"

"i heard. do you know why?"

"no," she shrugs. "seb's got no idea either. can you let me know if you find him, please? i've got an interview i need to go and do."

-> singapore, 2023

"seriously?" she cries, tears rushing into her eyes. she takes the bouquet of loud colours and holds it against her chest. "this is the sweetest thing ever!"

"you like them?" logan grins down at the flowers that clash against the dark motif of her race suit tailor-made for tonight. "i saw them in the mall the other day when oscar and i were out. i was banking on the fact that you'd make it into the points today.

"even luckier that you made podium."

"this is the cutest thing ever," she smiles, sniffling as she drops her head to smell the flowers. "thank you so much, logan."

"you deserve it."

"but i'm sorry for where you finished today," she frowns, dropping an arm and moving to his side. she puts an arm around his waist and squeezes him slightly. "was the car not good today?"

"i think it's the street circuits not being very kind to me," logan sighs, shaking his head. "but, please, enjoy your podium celebrations. i'll join you for drinks tonight?"

"oh, really? you're joining tonight?"

"of course! my girlfriend just made history again," logan says softly into her ear. he squeezes her shoulder. "i have to be there to celebrate with her, right?"

-> qatar, 2023

"fuck!"

"logan, please. just sit down - you're really dehydrated."

"no, god. i'm such a fuck up!"

"hey, don't say that!"

"i retired again because i couldn't take the fucking heat!" he tugs at the roots of his hair, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.

meanwhile, his girlfriend sits in the corner on a plastic chair with her lips pressed together as he paces around the room against the medical advice of every personnel who's attended to him.

still in her fireproofs, the younger girl nurses her helmet in her lap as she tries to calm logan down. "it's okay, baby. you weren't feeling well. you couldn't have done anything else."

"i could have just sucked it up and raced like everybody else!" logan frowns. "even you finished the race despite your period! what's that say about me?"

she scoffs, eyebrows furrowed as his statement manages to hit her the wrong way. "what are you trying to say? that between you and me, you deserved to finish more because i was hindered by the fact that i've got my period?"

regret strikes logan immediately, and she can see it in the way his look softens and his shoulders slump. "no, that's not what i meant. i mean, like-"

"it sounds like the way it sounds," she says softly, hurt lacing her every word. she shakes her head as she gets up to her feet, helmet hanging off her fingers by the strap. "i'll call you tomorrow, logan."

"(y/n), please wait. i'm sorry."

"i just need to be alone," she frowns, turning her back on him as she heads for the door. "feel better and stay put until the nurse comes back with an iv for you. but i've got to go - i just can't believe you'd say that to me."

-> mexico, 2023

"god, i'm no better at 22 than i was at 18." logan holds his face in his hands, elbows propped up on his knees as he finds comfort in the beanbag in her driver's room after their media commitments. "i don't understand."

it's another race where he's forcibly retired and she's managed to climb her way into the points. despite starting in the back of the grid that afternoon, she managed to challenge lando climbing up the positions on the track.

while she lost out to the more experienced driver, starting 16th and eventually climbing to 8th is no easy task. with sebastian in her ear, it was a slightly easier task that had a lot of people confused and shocked at where she suddenly finished the race.

realistically, it helped that the car was just feeling much better with the upgrades that the team brought in for her this weekend.

but logan unexpectedly had to retire towards the end of the race. which, was disheartening after the point that he got just last week in austin.

"am i just not made to be in f1? i don't get it," he says softly. "something's not right."

all she can do is sigh. nothing about their predicament now is easy: she can't fully relate to the low he's feeling because- well, she's doing fine in her rookie season compared to him.

she knows that and so does he. they try not to talk about it, but it's something that looms over their head whenever they're on social media or are attending interviews together. it doesn't make it any easier that fans are easily gawking at her presence when they chance upon them together in public.

while logan loves being her boyfriend, the past couple of years being the best times he's ever experienced, it's easier said than done to be proud of your girlfriend's achievements when you're always in the trenches week after week.

"i don't even know if i'll still have a seat next year," he sighs, throwing his head back to rest on the wall behind him. "god. i don't know what to do."

"i don't even know what to say," she whispers, crawling over to where he is. she places a hand on his knee and rests her chin on her hand. "i'm sorry you're feeling like this, lo."

"i know you don't get it."

"i know i don't. but i'm your girlfriend."

"you being by my side means more than you think it does." he breathes out with a sigh passing his lips, a hand resting on her shoulder as they sit in silence. "you can boast about your achievements to me, you know?"

"i know." she turns her head to look up at him. logan forces another smile, her worried stare igniting something in him to make sure that she knows he's okay. "but i'm with you even in your darkest hours."

"i'm extremely proud of how far you've come this season."

"i'm proud of how eloquently you're trying to hold yourself around me," she frowns, tracing circles on the material of his jeans. "but you don't have to pretend around me. we celebrate my achievements when you're feeling better."

"we can do both." logan sits up, a hand cupping her cheek to lift it up to meet his gaze. "your achievements shouldn't be tucked away in some box just because i had a bad weekend. i'm happy enough seeing you make history."

"logan..."

"let's head out to dinner with oscar tonight. it's a celebration - you guys have done so well."

"we can just stay in if you want."

"no more of that!" he cheers, his lips meeting the tip of her nose. "we're celebrating tonight. let's dress up, let's go out and take pictures, and then we can post about them on instagram while people speculate about how too close we seem to be. i don't care.

"you've done so much for the sport, you should be celebrated, babe. if you don't want to, i will celebrate you."

she sighs, rolling her eyes. "you're an idiot."

"but an idiot you love, yes?"

"an idiot i love, correct."

#disneyprincemuke #disneyprincemuke imagine #disneyprincemuke imagines #logan sargeant x reader #logan sargeant x you #f1 fanfic #disneyprincemuke vr #disneyprincemuke f1 #disneyprincemuke ial

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vanwritesfan-fiction · 9 months

Note

https://www.tumblr.com/killatravtramp/726990126085029888/can-i-request-a-concept

Yay, I just wanted a concept where reader is scrolling through tiktok while next to jack, they’re each on their phones when the sza big boy sound comes on and he’s immediately like what are you watching 😂😂🤭🤭🤭 just a cute concept I thought, I just love jealous jack sm ☺️

"Baby. Babe. Y/N."

"Hm?" You finally answered Jack after his third call, your eyes still focused on your phone screen.

"What do you want to watch?" He listened intently for your response as he laid between your legs, his head rested on your lower stomach. The two of you were laid out on the couch after a late dinner, trying to decide on what to watch before Jack inevitably fell asleep on top of you 30 minutes later.

"Oh, baby, I don't care." You gave him a half-smile, not even bothering to look down at him.

"Sopranos it is." He grumbled, pulling up the Hulu app. His eyelids were already heavy as the episode started, and your hands raking through his curls quickly lulled him to sleep not even five minutes in.

He startled awake to the sound of your giggles as you watched a TikTok video your friend sent you.

Its cuffing season, and all the girls are leavin'...

"Can you turn that down, please, babe?" Jack rubbed his hands down his face before settling back to sleep, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Mhm." You patted his chest, not even listening to him.

We need a big boy, give me a big boy, big boy...

"What are you even watching?" Jack opened one eye, the song peaked his interest.

"Nothing. Just a TikTok video."

I need a big boy, I want a big boy, give me a big boy...

"Ok, that's enough" Jack snatched your phone out of your hand, sitting up so you couldn't grab it back from him.

"Is this the kind of guy you're attracted to?" Jack tried to hide the hurt in his voice, but it was obvious.

"What are you talking about?"

"You kept watching the video over and over again, you must have seen something you liked."

"Jack, please. I was just reading the comments, some of them were really funny." You reached for your phone again but he held it out of your reach.

He wasn't convinced. "What is it about them? I'm definitely fuckin' tall enough, so it can't be that." Even though it was bruised, he still had his pride to cling onto. "Do I need to get in the gym, put on some more muscle?"

"You're getting all worked up over nothing, babe. I love you just the way you are. Besides, you're already my big boy." You eyed his crotch, Jack's face blushing red once he noticed where your gaze had traveled. You leaned into him, your lips grazing his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. "You're big in all the ways that really matter."

"Damn right I am." Jack gritted out between his teeth, really enjoying how you were stroking his ego.

"Why don't you go to the bedroom? I'll be there in a minute." You pulled at the curls at the nape of his neck, Jack jumping to his feet, stripping his t-shirt off, revealing his toned chest. He flexed for you, giving a wink.

"Oh my god, please go!" You shooed him away, tucking your legs underneath you. You turned your attention back to your phone for a quick second.

Its cuffing season, and all the girls are leavin'...

Jack rushed back into the living room, his eyebrows scrunched together in frustration. "Now you're just fuckin' with me." He grabbed your phone, tossing it to the far end of the couch. You giggled uncontrollably as he lifted you off the couch, forcing you to the bedroom. "Fuck that video, you've got your big boy right here."

#jack harlow #jackman thomas harlow #jackharlow #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow concepts #jack harlow imagine #jackman harlow #jack harlow fluff #jack harlow fanfic

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bengals-barnesbabe · 13 days

Text

Tender-headed

Tee Higgins x Black!WifeReader

Word Count: 670

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

"Tee I swear to god if you move again."

It's the night before the first Bengals game of the season and you're helping your husband get ready to start the season off right. Which includes doing his and Ja'Marr's hair, usually you'd have already done it, but they like doing things last minute just because they can.

"Man, it's really not that bad." Ja'Marr smirks as he watches his fellow receiver squirm.

"You trippin, baby you are grippin my damn brain right now." You roll your eyes at Tee's antics.

"Tamaurice stop acting like a baby. Did you or did you not pick 'Pop Smoke braids?"

"I thought it was gon' be fast, I aint think you'd be putting your whole self on my head. Ow shit-" He winces as you start another plait.

"You know, I've had children sit better than you." He turns his head with a deadpan look on his face. Ja'Marr, from the kitchen, immediately busted out laughing.

"You too, Uno! And why are you eating my chicken?"

"Cuz' you my sister and I'm hungry." You shake your head and go back to Tee's hair, which would be done if he would just sit still. But instead of letting you finish he lifts himself off the floor and joins your younger brother.

"I need a break."

"I want a divorce." You slump back on the couch, brushing the loose hair off your pajama pants.

"What was that?" Your husband calls out.

"Oh nothing, just me regretting following my idiot brother to Ohio." Ja'Marr snorts.

"You should be thanking me. I got you better clients and even though I told you stay away from my teammates, you found a husband."

You give him a stank face even if he may have a point.

Tee comes back to the couch with a plate so full you'd think he hadn't eaten dinner an hour ago. "Didn't get your fill earlier?"

"Nah, but half of it is yours." He says handing you a fork.

"Baby I'm good, I ate with y'all remember?" You chuckle while low-key eyeing the homemade potato salad.

He rolls his eyes before 'force' feeding you. "You forget that I know you, that shit was cute on our first date, but you my woman now." You close your eyes as the flavors marry together in your mouth.

"Mhm exactly." He leans and pecks your lips.

"That's my cue. Goodnight ya nasty lovebirds." Ja'Marr announces. The front door slams shut a few seconds later.

"I thought he'd never leave." You chuckle.

"Thank god he did, cause now I can do this." He cups your chin and pulls you in for a much deeper sensual kiss. You immediately melt against his plush lips and allow him full access past your lips. The remnants of his cologne fill your senses and ignite a fire in your chest. You clutch his shirt closing the inches of space between you as his tongue relearns the grooves of your mouth.

"Baby." You attempt mutter, but it's swallowed by your lover.

He finally pulls away with a deep rumble in his chest, "yea?" He asks with lidded eyes.

"We need to finish your hair." You say taking your swollen lips between your teeth. He swipes his tongue over his bottom lip.

"Yea." Neither of you move, too engrossed in each other's gaze. His eyes flicker back down to your lips and a smile grows on his face.

You break away from your trance as his hand strokes your thigh. "I mean it." Slapping away his hand, but he just grips it harder.

"Tee..."

A deep grumble is released into the air. "Why you wanna get rid of me so bad?"

"I don't, but the faster we get done the sooner we can move to the bedroom." A look of mischief flashes in his eyes that has him planting himself back on the carpet.

"Aight, let's go and skip the mousse." A light giggle leaves your lips.

"I'll see what I can do."

• ♡ •

main masterlist

a/n: not 'Legacy' but I could not stop thinking about this idea so I had to write it. but now I'll be able to focus on 'legacy' lol

#tee higgins x black!reader #tee higgins x reader #tee higgins #black reader #cincinnati bengals #nfl imagine #jamarr chase #braids #wife!reader #hairstylist #fluff #black football players #football player x reader #joe burrow x black reader #joe burrow #bengals barnesbabe #track9

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cixrosie · 7 months

Text

Kiss you Forever

Prompt: “I can kiss you forever,” Character B murmurs. “Yeah?” Character A says, laughing a little, only to stop when Character B leans in and presses a kiss against their cheek. “Yeah,” Character B says, “Yeah, I can. You think I’m lying?” with Kirby Dach

Seeing Kirby get pushed in to Blackhawks bench made you audibly gasp and you knew from the way he fell into it and how when he got up and wasn't putting weight on his right leg it was bad. You also knew it had to be bad with the way Arber, Juraj and Cole looked up at you briefly with saddened faces it was bad.

Usually when Kirby took a bad hit or whenever anything happened and he needed medical attention you immediately followed him to the medical room ,but you were kinda in shock so you didn't move and just waited until someone came and got you or Kirby sent you a text.

The other wags were worried about you, you completely zoned out on the replay they showed. " hey y/n why don't you go and see him" one of them said " I'll just wait until he needs me" you responded with .

Finally you had enough waiting and decided to go and see Kirby, just as you started gathering your belonging you heard the announcer confirm that Kirby wouldn't be returning to the game and you moved faster. The other wags sent you sad smiles.

You arrived to the medical room the door was closed but you immediately heard Kirby moaning in pain on the other side and felt bad for him. Should you have came down sooner to see him. Did he want to see you as he is in the most excruciating pain he's been in. So many thoughts ran through your head.

As you started to zone out again the doors open and you went in to finally see Kirby and you run to him carefully not to hit his leg or put too much force on him while he's in pain.

" Kirb are you ok" you asked " yea baby im ok " he started to say he then looked at his right legs and said " I mean as ok as I can considering" as he motioned towards his leg. " so what they say about your leg ?" " I don't know yet I have to go to the Emergency Room to get X-Rays to see exactly what's wrong , all I know is it hurts like a fucking bitch" he says trying to joke but you can tell he's doing it for show and for your sake .

You see one of the trainers bring Kirby his stuff and say " the cars ready for you man im ready when you are" "ok here I come " Kirby responds . " I gotta go baby we're going to the ER now". " Oh do you want me to-" " No its ok I'll meet you at home Cole will drive me" Kirby says cutting me off. It makes me kind of upset and sad but I shrug it off and remember he's in pain so he probably just wants to be alone and figure out what's going on with his leg and the future of this season and career.

"Ok I love you " I say kissing him with just the right amount of passion that says " im worried about you and I know you're scared but im here" but not so much that it makes the staff around us uncomfortable. " I love you too so much " he responds before handing me his car keys to drive back to our apartment since he drove us to the stadium. " text me updates when you can please" " I will" he responds.

When I got home I sat my things down and sat on the couch for at least an hour and half staring at my phone . Then I got up and distracted myself with a hot shower and ordered from Kirbys favorite pizza place so he can have it when he eventually gets home and if he's hungry.

It's about 4 hours later when I get a text from Kirby saying him and Cole were on the way back home. I was in our living room watching reruns of SpongeBob to get my mind off how long it was taking for any kind of updates . Eventually I hear our garage door open and close and smile and think " finally he's home" . I greet Kirby and Cole at the garage door entrance to our apartment , Kirby is leaning all his weight onto Cole which is a funny sign considering the height difference.

"Wow Cole that's some real hockey strength you've got there" you said as you laughed. "Bullshit" Kirby screamed , you Cole laughed . " Bullshit you say as im holding you up I'll toss you on the ground right here and leave your ass there" You and Cole laughed even harder as Cole helped Kirby to the kitchen . "Are you hungry babe", "starving" Kirby replied. " well lucky for you I ordered your favorite pizza". " Cole you're welcomed to some as well" "Thanks y/n but im good "

Thirty minutes after Cole left and you and Kirby finished eating you guys made your way upstairs to your room with you helping Kirby up the stairs . You also helped him shower and get changed for bed before getting yourself ready for bed as well.

As you turn off all the lights in the bedroom the only light coming from the moon you pull the blankets back on your side and climb in next to Kirby who is looking all snuggly and cuddly .

"Hi" he says with a lovesick look on his face as he looks at you . "Hi you" you respond returning the same look . " I know you don't want to talk about anything right now but just know im here whenever you're ready" .

Kirby just leans in and kisses you with so much passion that you feel his love through the kiss. " I can kiss you forever" he says " Yeah?" you say laughing a little only stopping when Kirby leans in and presses a kiss against your cheek. " Yeah I can . You think im lying " he says.

" I don't know I think I need more evidence " you say . " HA HA HA" he responds while smirking then his face turns serious . " Thank you so much for today baby" " Kirbs I didn't really do anything " " Probably to you but seeing you hold it together kept me sane while figuring things out , and I know it couldn't have been easy seeing me like that so thank you baby I love you so much" " I love you too Kirbs" you say as you kiss him one last time , before he kisses your head as you both fall asleep from the crazy turn of events.

Note: UMMM HII this is my first nhl fic please let me know what you think and request if you want ok bye <3

im tagging some ppl who ive read phenomenal fics and AUs from and mutuals and just overall great ppl. feedback is appreciated but don't feel like you have to ok bye fr this time <3

@kniesylenny @yankstrash @hischierhaze @heavenlyhischier @sweetestdesire @thatintrovertedwriter @starry-hughes @starsandhughes @drewsbuzzcut @bedsyandco @norrisjosh @theywantedplayer @sc0tters @bitchinbarzal @ladylooch @babydollmarauders @nicohischierz @nicohersheys @sunkissed-zegras @uluvjay

#nhl #kirby dach #kirby dach x reader #kd77 #montreal canadiens #kirby dach imagine #kirby dach fic #kirby dach blurb #hockey imagine #hockey writing #nhl imagine

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talktolwt · 11 months

Text

I would like to focus on the music chosen for Hob Gadling's 80s sequence.

I'm extremely late to the world of The Sandman (finally binged it two weeks ago after my mother had been begging me to watch it with her and now I'm more obsessed than her) Bottom line: I'm unbelievably glad I finally watched this beautiful piece of television.

I have yet to read the comics but as for the first season, I have to say, without a doubt, my favorite episode is Chapter 6: The Sound of Her Wings. Death's 20-min segment is a beauty unto itself, but I'll be focusing on Hob's segment today. Specifically, his 80s scenes.

Considering I'm so late to this fandom and exploring all of its wondrous details and themes, excuse me if this has already been noted. I've been thinking about these details over and over but I need to get it out there in the Sandman world and hear everyone else's thoughts.

*Also excuse the terrible photos - Netflix doesn't let you screenshot and I was too lazy to get another app to let me bypass it. Please bear with my photos of my laptop screen.*

There are three songs that play throughout this sequence.

#1 - "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals

I accidentally deleted half my post mid-writing this but here I go again.

As we can see, after the breakup scene, we open up on Hob Gadling (he looks amazing in his 80s look, by the way) and this song plays.

Here are the lyrics:

I mean - where do I even start LMAO.

*Let me just give another note - regardless if you ship Dreamling romantically or not, I will be merely analyzing these lyrics as they are and how they convey Hob's feelings for Dream in general. But, I mean, the songs are THERE, the text is THERE. So do with that what you will.*

This will go for the following two songs as well, but these songs are placed with meaningful intention. Each of these offer a unique lens and dive into Hob's feelings.

I won't be annoying and over-explain anything, but the lyrics are clear I feel:

"She drives me crazy" - cough

"Things you do don't seem real" - in Hob's view, Dream literally is an enigma. Hob has no idea the capacities, the limits, and even the name of this being he meets every century.

"This waiting 'round's killing me" - well.

"Everything you say is lies" - now I wouldn't say particularly lies, but Dream does keep and omit things from Hob. Understandably, Hob would find himself in a confused limbo with Dream.

Here's the kicker:

"I won't make it on my own/No one likes to be alone." - HELLO. I mean, if this isn't the core message and pinnacle of Dream and Hob's lesson to immortality.

As Death mentions earlier in the episode, around 18:10, "Most of us will be glad for the company of a friend."

I feel I could go on forever and ever about the beauty of this episode and how well The Sound of Her Wings and Men of Good Fortune intertwine. They beautifully complement each other as stories lamenting the dichotomy of life and death, and the joys of humanity.

But essentially, Death reteaches Dream how beautiful humans can truly be, and in this pivotal moment, she says this zinger of a line. The camera was initially on Death but for THIS line, it cuts to Dream.

BECAUSE - poor Dream is definitely in need a friend.

Which is then shown to the audience by the 30-min long Hob Gadling sequence that ensues, and we see Dream's aversion to needing someone, to needing a friend.

But I digress - back to the song, and that one line about not wanting to be alone.

That is such a poignant line, because as much as Dream felt alone and needed company, so does Hob? An immortal, constantly seeing the death of others around him, his companions and family long gone, he needs someone.

Considering this 80s sequence ruminates so heavily on post-breakup feelings, Hob is missing Dream dearly. His constant in life.

I'm rambling too much, onto the next one!

#2 - "Shattered Dreams" by Johnny Hates Jazz

Time skip to perhaps a few hours later, who knows. We see Hob still waiting for Dream, alone in the pub.

Hm.

Literally what else could I say. I'm being slapped in the face with pining and angst and longing.

Here are the lyrics:

Some noteworthy lyrics:

"So much for your promises/They died the day you let me go" - this breakup man

"Caught up in a web of lies" - another lie motif

"I thought it was you/Who would stand by my side" - the theme of Dream and Hob being constants in each other's lives

"Shattered dreams" - I could scream. The title of the song. SHATTERED. DREAMS. giggling rn.

"Woke up to reality" - I think that's a very interesting line toeing between the constant references of the Waking and the Dreaming

Basically, I've been noting these evident similarities within the songs to align themselves to Dream and Hob's situation, and it's clear that the director/writers chose these songs with intent of it paralleling Dreamling.

So that makes it even more insane when lines like "From this empty heart" are meant to parallel Hob. Like.

Okay, last song.

#3 - "Keep On Moving" by Soul II Soul

This song plays as the night progresses. It's late, it's clear Dream isn't showing up, and Hob is feeling pretty final about that, and perhaps he's accepted it at this point. Dream isn't coming.

So this is where he speaks to the bartender and that scene ensues.

Here are the lyrics:

The themes of time and clocks are super prevalent within this song, and again it's once more clear how heavily this reflects and represents Hob.

Noteworthy lyrics:

"Why do people choose to live their lives this way?" - I think this also uniquely touches on the general aspect of humanity and one's reason to live/love life. Dream battles with his confusion/slight disappointment for humanity at the beginning, as he asks Death, "Why would any sensible creature crave an eternity of this?" And then Hob helps Dream realize why there's so much to live for. (24:30)

"I know the time will come today/The time will come one day"

"Walking alone in my own way" - Again this idea of walking alone and needing company.

"You'll be in my life, my life always" - Dream and Hob being constants again.

This all goes to say - Hob cares. He cares for Dream.

And I just think that's very beautiful. The magnitude with which Dream's absence means to him and how much their friendship/companionship both means to each of them. I just think their connection is a beautiful thing that I love seeing and rewatching. Wonderfully, these songs give the audience even more layered insight into this connection.

This was super long, and I apologize if I went on some tangents. But I also just couldn't help it, The Sandman is so incredibly rich in its storytelling and its connections and dynamics that I had to write this all down. I also just very much appreciate the amount of care and detail that goes into every aspect of television, and needle drops such as these three songs are no exception.

Thank you for sticking with me through this! Can't wait for season 2!

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allthingsfangirl101 · 17 days

Text

Worst-Case Scenario – Joe Keery

"I'm telling you, Mr. Gary," I sighed, not bothering to look up from the chart in my hand, "you do not have Onchocerciasis."

"Are you sure, Doc?"

I sighed before forcing myself to look at him. "I'm sure, John. For starters, you're not blind. And you haven't been around blackflies of the genus Simulium and haven't been repeatedly bitten by them. So, no, John, you do not have Onchocerciasis."

"But I think it's. . ."

"You're a hypochondriac, Mr. Gary," I cut him off. "So my prescription? Stay off of WebMD."

After he left, I finally took my 30-minute lunch break. I went into one of the breakrooms the hospital had and sat on the couch. I leaned back and the second I caught my breath, my phone started ringing. When I grabbed it, a smile spread across my face.

"Hey, you."

"Hey, gorgeous," Joe's voice came through the phone. "How's my favorite doctor?"

"Tired," I said with a small laugh. "How's my favorite actor?"

"Tired and misses his wife."

"Well, his wife misses him too," I said as I lay down on the couch.

"You're off later tonight, right?" He asked.

"Yep," I sighed. "I only have two more hours."

"Great," he chuckled. "I have about three more hours."

"No," I whined.

"I know, I know," he sighed, "but I'll bring home dinner. What are you feeling?"

"Italian," I said instantly, making him laugh.

"If my wife wants Italian, I will get her Italian."

"I love you," I said softly.

"I love you too, baby," he said, sounding a little different. "I know we both have crazy jobs and we love them but. . . We never see each other anymore."

"I know," I whispered. I thought about it for a second before coming up with a plan. "When are you done filming your latest season?"

"We got about two more months," he sighed, not catching on.

"Well," I elongated, "I have some vacation days that need spending."

"Oh?" He chuckled, finally seeing where I was going.

"Mhmm," I hummed. "I can talk to my shift coordinator and get some time off once you finish filming."

"I like that idea," Joe said in a teasing tone. "How many vacation days do you have?"

"In total?" I had to think about it. "About two weeks, I think. Maybe more."

"Wow," Joe chuckled. I could hear the smirk.

"I really haven't taken that much time off," I sighed. "In fact, I was talking to my supervisor the other day and she practically begged me to take some time off."

"Well, even your health matters, Doctor," he teased. "Would it be crazy to suggest you take the whole two weeks off?"

"Absolutely not," I chuckled. "It sounds amazing."

"Perfect," he said gently. "We'll plan it all out over dinner tonight."

* * * * *

An hour into the second half of my shift, I got a patient I never wanted to have in the ER.

"Doctor Keery," one of the interns hesitated.

"Yes?"

"I have a patient that just came in," he stalled.

"Okay," I said, slowly looking at him. "And is it a tough case? What's up?"

"I think you're gonna want to take this one."

Before I could ask what he meant, he turned on his heel and walked away. Sighing, I put down the file I was holding and grabbed the one for the new case. I walked into the room without looking at the file.

"Joe?!" I dropped the file on the ground and ran to him. I stood in front of him and gently grabbed his face. As I scanned him, he had bruises, a busted lip, and what looked like ash.

"What happened to you?" I panicked. "Did something happen on set? Were you in a car accident? I'm trying to remember what scenes you shot today."

Joe reached up and grabbed my wrists, but didn't pull my hands away from his face. "Baby," he said gently, "I'm fine."

"But," I stuttered.

"I'm serious," he said, finally pulling my hands away from his face. "It was just a small stunt explosion."

"A what?!" I yelled. I grabbed his file off the ground and started scanning through it. Without a word, I instantly started attending to his wounds. He watched me the entire time.

"Y/N," he whispered once I had finished cleaning the ash off his face and neck. "Can we. . . We should probably. . ."

"I need to finish dressing your wounds," I said almost emotionless. We were quiet as I finished cleaning and bandaging up his wounds.

"Baby," Joe sighed.

"There," I said quickly. "You're done. I'll get you cleared to leave."

"Y/N. . ."

"I want you to go home," I cut him off. "I mean it, Joe. I don't care what your director says. Doctor beats director. So please, go home and get some rest. I'll bring home dinner and check to make sure your wounds are healing."

"But Y/N. . ."

"Doctor's orders," I said firmly. I closed his file and left the room. I handed it to the nurse and let out a shaky breath.

"You okay, Doctor?" The nurse I handed the file to asked sweetly. She looked at the file and her face dropped when she saw the name. "Oh," she said under her breath. "How is he?"

"He'll be fine," I said, forcing myself to push down my anxiety. "I need. . . Can you get his paperwork through the system so he can go home?"

"Of course, Doctor," she said with a small smile on her face. "Would you like me to tell you before he leaves?"

I hesitated. "No," I said under my breath. "It's okay. Thank you."

I went through the rest of my shift with my heart in my stomach. I wasn't sure when Joe went home. When my shift was finally over, I got takeout on the way home.

The second I walked into the house, Joe appeared in the hallway. "Hey, Doctor Gorgeous. How was the rest of your shift?"

"It was fine," I said as I walked past him and hung my keys on the wall. I kicked off my shoes before walking into the kitchen and putting the food on the table.

"Y/N. . ."

"Did you get any sleep?"

"A little," he said, the tone of his voice slightly weird. "Y/N, baby, we need to. . ."

"I brought home dinner," I cut him off. "You need to eat something."

With that, neither one of us said anything as we ate. Once we finished, I stood up and started cleaning off the table. After putting my plate in the sink, I walked back to grab Joe's plate. As I reached for it, he grabbed my wrist and stopped me.

"Y/N, I know you're mad," he sighed. "But we need to talk this through. I'm sorry I scared you today. I didn't mean to. We were running through a fight scene and we were off. It ended with. . ."

"You don't understand!" I cut him off as I tore my wrist out of his hold.

"You're right," he said oddly calm after I just exploded. "Please help me understand."

"You being a patient in my ER is my worst-case scenario."

"What do you mean, baby?" He asked as he stood up and grabbed my hand. He led me over to the couch and we sat down.

"I see a lot of horrible things," I said, my voice breaking. "I see people who come in and end up fighting for their life. I see those same people not survive the fight. And I am the one that has to tell their families they're gone."

"It was an accident," he whispered.

"It's always an accident," I said, the tears close to spilling. "It's the accidents that end suddenly and badly."

"Y/N. . ."

"I can't lose you, Joe." My voice broke as the tears finally started streaming down my face. "You're my world. You're my everything. You're my husband. Having you come into my ER and me not being able to save you is my biggest fear."

Joe sighed as he pulled me into his chest. I tried to stop the tears as he kissed the top of my head.

"I'm sorry, baby," he whispered. "I should've called you and given you a heads up. It would've been better than surprising you. But I really am fine, Y/N. We got a little too into our fight scene and ended up getting too close to an explosion that happens in the scene. We had the set medics check us out, but our director wanted us to get checked out at the hospital just in case. Next time, I promise to call you first."

"How about there is no next time?"

My question made Joe laugh. He tightened his arms around me and relaxed into the couch.

"I will try not to have a next time."

#joe keery #joe keery imagines #joe keery fanfic #joe keery x reader #stranger things #free guy #fargo #joe keery family #joe keery husband

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velvetvexations · 19 days

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I'm genuinely trying to not just be constantly negative and starting shit and arguing with people. I feel like even the people I mostly agree with are getting put off by it if they haven't already. I'm very self-conscious about my opinions and how much I talk on a given subject, and I know I do have issues that make my expressed opinions more pointed than necessary.

But like, me jokingly comparing the Bad Kids to the protagonists of 8-Bit Theater is interesting, because I love 8-Bit Theater to death, it's an extremely important work to me, it hurts a lot that I didn't hear about the scriptbook Kickstarter until it was over and I'll always be looking for a pre-owned copy for the rest of my life.

Like, I think the issue isn't that I have a problem with the Bad Kids acting so awfully. That's okay, especially in a comedy. Comedic sociopathy is a totally fine trope and I enjoy it on a regular basis. The issue that gets me is that it's such a hard counter to not only D20's usual tone, but also the way the DM, the players, the narrative itself, and most of all the fandom treat them and their actions.

That's why I soured on Kristen specifically so hard and so fast, because before JY I just thought she was like, A Lot, but not really a big deal and had some good, solid moments in SY (I did not like FY in general for completely unrelated reasons, sadly). But with JY, it was like, right out the gate she's ignoring Cassandra literally half to death, and I wonder if that would have seriously bothered me as much as it did if the fandom wasn't determined to completely excuse her for it in spite of the fact that it was clearly meant to be a personal character flaw and not just "unfortunately mental illness is happening to her".

Even then I was like, hey, I watched those promo videos, this is obviously something that's been planned ahead and will be dealt with. I'm very far from the first person to point out that we're now entering the season finale and chaos has not yet stopped being cute. Partially that in particular may have been hamstrung by the dice rebellion in the mall fight, with the original plan having been for Cassandra to not get separated from Kristen so fast and subsequently unable to have them actively work on their relationship and Kristen's commitment to her. Kristen running for president also likely threw a monkey wrench into decutifying chaos, because there was never any chance of Ally going about that by having Kristen put on a slick suit and say "I need to take this seriously and research school governance and formulate a policy I'll elaborate on in a debate with Kipperlilly". The race for president could only possibly be a bit the second it went to her instead of Riz, not because I don't think Ally could handle that kinna plot if they set their mind to it, Margret Encino would have killed it just as good as Riz, but because it's simply so far from who Kristen Applebees is as a character.

So anyway, I sat there watching this season waiting for Kristen to grow up because I had faith that was going to happen. But lest you think I just hate Kristen and possibly also Ally, these last few weeks they've been the least of the issue.

As hilarious as it was I don't understand how in the good Lord's name we're supposed to care about Oisin "making Adaine think she liked him" by acting a little flustered around her when Fig literally started catfishing Ruben on the first day of school ages before they had any in-character reasons to suspect the Rat Grinders of anything, all so she could...no, really, why the fuck did she do that? What was the impetus for that decision? I cannot emphasize enough how little motivation is given for this course of action:

There is nothing to it except that Emily correctly pegged he'd be an antagonist later. It's like the detectives on Law & Order arresting someone because they recognized the special guest star.

And like, other people, I get it, other people who don't like the direction JY has taken can shrug it off more easily than I can, there are a million reasons to not treat this like the end of the world, but unfortunately my autism gets me stuck on shit and I just cannot reconcile things like this. I cannot take the show seriously and care about the protagonists as people and share joy in their triumphs and sorrow in their failures and ignore something as blatantly breaking the logic as stuff like this.

I'll grant you, okay, Adaine was understandably hurt but neither the Bad Kids nor the Intrepid Heroes were really like "oh now we have to really fucking ruin Oisin for being the worst person alive". The fandom treated it like he Frozen'd her but fandoms are dumb and should not dictate as much of my opinion as they do, I simply cannot fathom the kind of person who'll cry over the deep and traumatic emotional damage Oisin caused Adaine with his missed beer pong shots but doesn't think Fig should be in jail.

That's also not the end of it, though. I could keep going on just about Fig specifically and the fact that she is at least sex crimes-adjacent, not to mention Emily's infantilization of a very autistic-coded character, but I'm trying very hard to not just come off as being like the people who have harassed Emily and Ally over their roleplaying choices in the past. As I keep stressing, I like both of them and especially Emily because I've been a CollegeHumor fan longer than some D20 fans have been alive. I think I actually like Fig more accepting that she kinna canonically sucks and taking her as more a Complicated Woman than someone whose actions I need to reconcile with the expectation of her being better than that, although I know none of it will ever actually be addressed.

So yeah, all the Bad Kids have been fucking weird this season in ways they weren't in SY. Adaine's intense and completely inexplicable loathing of Kipperlilly was funny at first and then increasingly uncomfortable as it fed into the fans wanting to crucify her. Gorgug going full bully was weird but also like, a one line bit, but whatever. Riz stealing Kipperlilly's file was gross and would or SHOULD deeply hurt Jawbone if he ever found out, and you can say they had to do this horribly unethical action in the name of homeland security or whatever, I accept that there were extenuating circumstances, but it's given no thought whatsoever and absolutely no regard is given to the fact that she was trying to address her issues with the closest mental health professional available who Brennan goes out of his way to note is failing her by overcorrecting for his bias towards the BKs.

But as much as I genuinely believe Brennan has been planting seeds the Rat Grinders could be reached, he's not been great here either and like Mice & Murder these things are more on him than any of the players because he's the director here. Like, I'm embarrassed I got snippy with someone who guessed ahead of time that Kipperlilly desecrated the rogue teacher's grave, but nonetheless think it was a weird conclusion to reach and that it's just even more bizarre that it ended up being "right", except the way it's described doesn't even make sense.

Like, the goal was "find the rogue teacher", right? And the rogue teacher is dead. So to me, it certainly seems like bringing a back hoe to the graveyard is one hundred percent the right move! But even if we accept the apparent canonical intent that was Kipperlilly threatening to merely destroy the grave as an act of vandalism rather than retrieve the body, it's like...so what? Literally who cares? As if the Bad Kids or any other adventuring party wouldn't dig up a dead body to cast Speak with Dead or something, as if the foundational Dungeons & Dragons formula wasn't raiding tombs like 19th-century colonial archeologists? And why would any of that be necessary anyway, when Riz found Eugenia by just...walking up to the grave?

But regardless, that, you might say, is a matter of the Rat Grinders being unfairly presented as evil and not the Bad Kids being unfairly presented as good. When it comes to Brennan's part in it, though, these are the same issue, because as the creator and director of every atom of the world outside the PCs, he's just so very willing to go with what the players start to expect. That's fine for a home game, but this is like, a television show that people pay money for, and that's an issue. He'll plant enough seeds of the Rat Grinders being better than they're treated that a chunk of the audience will notice and think the players are being weird about them, but he won't push it further than that and instead just rolls with the players being weird because his first priority is their enjoyment.

Again, fine in a home game, obviously. But it creates this divide between the players and the audience because the world has been crafted in such a way that when the players being weird is noticed it's like, why are they being rewarded for that? Why are they getting zero pushback? Brennan and I both heavily, heavily value collaborative storytelling for good reason, it's why I love TTRPGs and actual plays, but if this were a story told by a single person you could either have the protagonists pick up on those hints, have it be a point that they didn't pick up on them, or just not even include them in the first place.

One of the reasons I really, really like Aabria's DMing, as I've said recently, is that she truly remains firm in her worldbuilding and is not shy about providing realistic consequences or acknowledging PC behavior is dissonant with what's going on around them. And it just makes it super ironic that Kipperlilly's whole deal is correctly identifying the fact that the world is warped around the Bad Kids, and in this season more than ever the DM is like, fully changing reality to accommodate them and giving them plot resolutions on a silver platter, to the point of letting them just full-on take back spells because the target turned out to not be there, which is pretty far beyond the quibble about the climactic move in Calamity's final boss fight.

It's not that I think D20 is 'rigged' exactly, because it's not really a game, or at least it's not really Dungeons & Dragons. This was a revelation I had when I watched Critical Role other than Calamity for the first time and was amazed by how they'd stand around after a battle looting bodies for random magic items. D20 isn't a sandbox TTRPG, it's a very on-rails shooting gallery with roughly as much choice in the narrative as a modern RPG video game, and it has to all wrap within a certain amount of sessions. That's fine, but occasionally it can feel deceptive when we pretend there's much chance of things going radically wrong. One of the reasons I liked the first half of Crown of Candy and all of The Ravening War so much is because they're the only times where failure has really, truly been on the table in an Intrepid Heroes season, but I still liked most of the other Intrepid Hero seasons nonetheless.

This season, I just, I dunno man. I don't believe Ice Feast just accidentally wah wah wah had the effect of completely neutralizing the primary threat of the final boss fight. And Blimeygate, like, I thought it was mostly a fun moment, but it also felt like the most exaggerated-for-marketing-purposes the "got'em!" bits have ever been.

But despite all that, I am still currently capable of enjoying the next season. I'm hoping next week does not make things dramatically worse.

#Dimension 20 #fhjy

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mr-payjay · 3 months

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feel free to complain to me about the ii finale <3 i'm all ears

thank you ellie :)

fair warning for ii neg, especially on the latest episode.

prefacing this with saying: I LOVE INANIMATE INSANITY!!!!!! inanimate insanity is my favourite show in the world and every episode leaves me full of joy and excitement. i adore criticizing it not out of hatred but out of genuine love. i enjoy every single episode i watch.

however, i find that iii19 has been the worst episode so far. it has gotten me the least hyped out of any episode in the series, which is saying a lot because i bounce off the walls at every episode no matter how much i end up criticizing it later. there are. so many problems i have with it. im gonna try and organize them the best i can, though i'll probably(?) edit this post later to insert anything i missed or forgot to say.

starting off positively: oj!!!! personally i am so glad he didn't talk in this episode. i was terrified of the idea of him having a new va. the spin was adorable, i loved his signature thumbs ups, and every time i saw him i squealed with delight. him voting for balloon also made me really happy! despite the grudge he's had against him for so long, he still sticks with him on this part. even after laughing at his death the episode before that

in general all the seasonwunners voted for balloon!! which makes me happy!!! paintbrush, nickel, balloon, and oj have all been there for the very beginning of season 1, three of them being there for every season. i love the inherent connection the contestants from season 1 have with each other. they've been together since inanimate insanity began and they're there for the end of season 3 too. very sweet.

onto more negative stuff! I CANNOT FUCKING BELIEVE WHAT THEY DID WITH SILVER SPOON AND CANDLEEE they set up something crazy in the last episode and then did NOTHING with it!!! they had silver spoon beat candle unconscious the second she said something that wasn't coddling him like the manchild he is and she STILL voted for him. where even was she for half of the episode?? they just left her lifeless corpse on the ground in iii18 and then she eventually got up in this episode and just. went back to the competition??? dogshit writing

okay now i wanna talk about cabby. I Don't Like Cabby Anymore. so from the very beginning i have loved cabby. she was extremely similar to me in fact! i have really bad memory issues and i tend to keep files on people and on things that i might forget about, as well as just to organize my thoughts and ideas. i loved her confidence, obsession with knowledge, and analytical personality at the start. i was pretty upset when the characters (mostly test tube lmao) started relentlessly bullying her, and i HATE the whole thing in spring on the breakfast where they try to demonize her files. it was kind of annoying when they tried to remedy it really quickly after that because it was clearly because of the backlash, but i was glad they at least tried to fix it. however, over the course of the series, she just felt like she was... becoming sadder? pitiful, honestly? she went from an awesome smart character who loved taking notes on people's behaviour and using that information to get better at the game into some kind of Sad Little Bullied Victim. she doesn't even feel like a character anymore to me, just a mouthpiece for the creators to write dramatic "cathartic" speeches through to prove they're Definitely Not Ableist. also what was the deal with her parents lmao they never brought that up again

aaaand this episode was generally written really badly. super fucking corny for one. they literally had a little dance party at the end like people make jokes about for stereotypical Kids' Shows. but my issue is more with like... the weird super fast character development? and the way they wrapped everything up as quickly as possible? something that bothered me was the tonal whiplash between zuwie voicing springy super hysterically and dramatically and then springy being fully redeemed within like the next 5 minutes and dying for mephone. Why did they even die for mephone. like as a character why would he of all people die for mephone. thats so fucking stupid. the rest of the voice acting felt completely different from springy's as well so it just made the effect worse. everyone's lines were really corny and felt so manufactured, like they would pull characters to mephone's side (losing my mind over all the contestants rooting for mephone like cmon man that guy sucks i just know oj at least would want him dead) with a short Cathartic Speech and everything would be fixed and lovely and peachy keen. its just painful to watch. everything feels really weirdly disjointed and badly put together, the flow is awful, the "danger" doesn't feel like there's any suspense to it at all, and every character gets fully redeemed for no good reason. even walkie talkie chats casually with mephone at the end as if they're good friends after they were HYSTERICALLY INSISTING ON MURDERING HIM? AND MAKING HIM WATCH HIS OWN DEATH?? idk if this will get explained in s2 but we still don't know who walkie talkie is, what their motive is, WHY they got redeemed, etc. we know nothing about them. and even if it will be explained later, i think it's shitty writing that NOTHING was explained in this season.

some extra stuff

- SO FUCKING GLAD THEY DIDN'T BRING HOTEL OJ INTO THIS I WOULD'VE CRIED IF THEY PUT SEASON 3 CHARACTERS INTO HOTEL OJ OR MADE IT ALL SLEEK AND S3 STYLE

- the "you can do this" thing at the end was fucking stupid man that was so corny (btw corny isn't always bad but jesus christ... this episode was just awful with it)

- could not feel any emotion towards the Emotional Parts but laughter and secondhand embarrassment

- HOW DID THEY GET THE FUNDING FOR A LIBRARY? I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS THAT MEPHONE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR A PRIZE HOW DID HE PAY FOR AN ENTIRE LIBRARY

- speaking of, why isn't oj back at the hotel. doesn't he have to manage it. wasn't paper having a ton of trouble managing it. why are all of them still on that fuckass island. did the library take like 5 minutes to build what the fuck

- ALSO!!! Why did they build a library in the middle of a deserted island

- i liked the short nickloon scene because im a nicklooner

- glad yinyang and candle got to talk

- test tube saying nearly nothing at all the entire episode except for sitting on the ground in a really stupid pose and apologizing to cabby made me laugh

- weirded out by tt and fan not talking to each other at all? not as a ship thing but like they're best friends aren't they

- really fucking annoyed by the fantube family picture at the end i hate fantube family leave that grown ass adult (bot) alone

- glad they didn't canonize any ships i was so scared about silvercandle and fantube

- 4s scene and s1 flashback was cool i love s1 so i got excited

- aaaaand i think my misogyny thread is relevant again. i should update it sometime because ii has only gotten worse about it lmao

- didn't like them making clover stupid for some reason like "is he talking about me?" come on

- oj not talking in these last two episodes is so glaringly unusual because he's never been able to shut his fucking mouth for even a minute

#juice.txt #ii neg #ii spoilers #i love this show but jesus fucking christ #absolute dogshit writing its so embarrassing

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chosos-mascara · 2 years

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｡˚۰˚☽ K I N K T O B E R D A Y 31 ☽˚۰˚｡

Masquerade- Tengen Uzui

cw: masked sex, alcohol (tagging dubcon as they're drinking), teasing, pet names, fingering, blowjob, sex, mirror sex, office sex, cunnilingus

After finding yourself alone at a party, you're given company by a masked figure. A year later, you come across the same maroon eyes you'd remembered from that night - is it really him?

minors+ageless dni.

prompt from @tomiokas-lunchbox really aided in the second half of this fic!!! thank you <;3

8.8k words

masterlist

"Come on, please!" Mitsuri begged, two hands pressed firmly together as she leaned forward to bow. "It'll be fun!"

Sighing, you rolled your eyes at the lack of dignity she'd displayed when it had come to moments like this. "I don't do parties, 'Suri. You know that." Crossing one arm over the other, you sat back in your seat. The pair of you situated at your usual spot, a corner booth in the rustic cafe from your home. Mitsuri had once lived in that cramped 2 bed apartment too, but following her relationship with Obanai, she'd left. It was a great development in their relationship, and you'd been more than happy for her, though it had caused yourself to grow a little more lonely. It was her plan to find you a partner - someone exciting. You'd understood this was just due to her own guilt for moving out, even if she'd denied it.

"I promise, you'll have the best time!" Her voice grated at your ears with the affairs she was whining over. "Obanai will be going-" She continued at the desperate persuading, but you hadn't the energy to listen any longer.

"Obanai being there makes me wanna go even less, 'Suri." You took the mug from the stained wood before you, placing your mouth at the rim to sip at the hot chocolate. It was a good temperature, and for a moment, you'd relaxed, the taste mixed with the heat alleviating your brain. You hadn't seen her in a week, and the only thing she'd had to speak of was a stupid costume party her work friends were throwing for Halloween. You'd much preferred your usual plans - the two of you watching movies and indulging in various seasonal snacks. Though anything rated over a 12 would be too scary for Mitsuri, so you'd stick to things like Coraline, or Frankenweenie instead. It would be with first year the pair of you wouldn't have followed this tradition, so she'd wanted to include you within her new plans.

"I'll be fine at home; I'll watch the movies you were always too scared to, maybe order in. It'll be nice." You attempted to reassure her, you were an adult, and hadn't needed her attempts at babysitting you for the night.

"But, I want you to come!" She persisted, pouting. "Obanai won't drink with me, you know what he's like." She pleaded, voice ringing in your ears as she placed her hands together again, as if praying to an all-mighty presence above.

"If you don't like partying with Obanai, don't invite him." You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose at her persistent cries. You'd loved her, but she was spoiled. Growing up beside her had taught you that. Obanai had fed into it too, treating her as if royalty - everyone else had been dirt on his shoe. You'd wondered why he'd worshiped her so diligently, however you'd appreciated that he'd treated her well.

You wondered how you'd find an outfit with only three days to go - most stores' Halloween stock would be pretty dried out by now. It would have to consist of things you'd already had, or were easy to order online.

"Just come for an hour, and if you don't like it, Obanai will drop you home." Her requests were starting to bore you, and finally, you'd caved.

"For fucks sake, Mitsuri." You sighed in annoyance. "I'll come, but if I don't like it, your boyfriend will be bringing me home." You complained, setting the conditions. She squealed, clapping excitedly as she'd began ranting over costume plans, your eyes closing and head tilting back as the barrage of words continued.

Over the following days, Mitsuri had spoken with you, an abundance of photos and ideas flooding your inbox until you'd finally agreed on going as a devil, while she'd dress as an angel. You'd heard her tell Obanai while on the other end of the phone, hearing his annoyance when she'd told him he needn't buy anything, he could just wear Kaburamaru around his shoulders.

A quick trip to the mall had you leaving with a red dress and nail polish, managing to find some clip-in horns with next-day delivery. Mitsuri had found herself a white dress and fuzzy halo, and when the pair of you had tried on the outfits to show Obanai you'd had to admit you'd looked good. Coming out of her bedroom you'd watched as something flickered over her boyfriend's eyes, understanding that with your departure, Mitsuri's dress would be a part of the evening they'd share.

Halloween had come quickly, even with work dragging. Once you'd finished your shifts, there had been excitement over the party you'd halfheartedly agreed to, though anxiety had somewhat overpowered this. Mitsuri had been texting you throughout the day, mostly regarding any potential one night stands she'd heard would be attending.

Once arriving at Mitsuri's, the pair of you spoke while slipping into the dresses, your friend updating you on today's events - working, eating and hanging out with Obanai. No matter how mundane a detail had appeared, she'd made it sound fun, always delighted to tell you everything on her mind. It had always been this way, since you were kids. You were one another's therapist, a person of no judgement, complete confidentiality as you indulged in every thought you had.

Through the chatter, Mitsuri helped you style your hair, sitting cross legged before the mirror of her wardrobe. Obanai had of course been banished to the lounge to allow you space, getting ready with the help of singing, and snacks. Having her to yourself was appreciated, new memories formed between the pair of you. It was how it used to be.

Pink hair flowed down her body in waves as she wore it down, finally placing the headband on top to complete the look. With a smile, Mitsuri took your wrist, happily bouncing to showcase the complete costumes to her boyfriend. He'd been laid back on the couch, beer in hand as he flicked through channels on the TV. You didn't often see him without his mask, though appreciating when he had been open enough to allow the privilege of seeing his scarred skin. You'd never addressed it, even if you had wondered how they'd occurred, nor lingered over his mouth for too long. He'd valued the thought.

"Ready!" Mitsuri jumped, taking her partner's hand in hers. He sighed, grasping the face covering and his car keys, following the two of you out. You got into the back of his car, while the couple had situated in the front, though Mitsuri had been constantly turned to face you anyway, explaining the last party she'd attended that had been hosted by Rengoku. A story you'd heard multiple times; the party that herself and Obanai had bonded, rather than just sharing glances at work. Although there was desire to meet someone too, you pushed it down to avoid disappointment.

Stepping into his home, you were taken aback. The expectations were set high, though you hadn't had full faith in Mitsuri's, usually over-exaggerated, descriptions of events. There had to be at least twenty people in the hall alone, all dressed as various characters; some horror, though the majority geared toward sex appeal. Mitsuri, linking arms with both yourself and her partner, navigated through the sea of people, making her way toward the kitchen. There had been a game of beer pong at the island set at the heart of the room, the outer-rim being taken over by card games.

A male sporting a white button up and red tie, a few fake blood stains littering the garment, stood proudly at one end of the island, smile painted widely across his cheeks. He'd had yellow hair, fading into red, and you'd been unsure if this was part of the costume, or his usual style.

Mitsuri released the pair of you to address him, running to embrace the stranger in a hug. He'd laughed at her greeting, placing an arm loosely around her to reciprocate her touchy-ness. You glanced to Obanai, wondering if he'd felt jealousy at moments like this, though understanding this was just how Mitsuri was. Always extravagant, an outgoing woman with a warming personality. Her genuine fondness of others was admirable.

Mitsuri's friend had been attractive, and from the way his eyes lingered over your body, you'd felt he was a little interested, too. It had been a while since you'd been within the presence of someone you'd actually felt charmed by; it was a bizarre sentiment. Though, with the anxiety washing over you, you'd needed space to recollect your thoughts, suddenly growing nervous over your appearance, or the impression you'd given off.

"Mitsuri, Obanai," He smiled at them, eyes stopping as they'd reached your uncomfortable stance. You gave a small beam in return, though anxiety pooling as you'd reached his gaze. "Is this y/n?" He questioned, eventually flickering back to your friend.

"Yes!" Mitsuri faced you, and you'd only been able to hope she wouldn't make you the center of attention during what you'd hoped to be a brief interaction.

"This is Rengoku, the host!" She exclaimed, a giggle from her lips. He stuck out a hand, and you placed yours within his grip, shaking it.

"Good to meet you!" His voice was loud despite the noise, booming through your ears over incoherent music and various other conversations.

"You too!" You'd replied, hoping the exchange would end soon.

"Let's grab drinks." Mitsuri shouted above the noise, and you'd accepted, following her to the fridge. She had been right when boasting his financial situation on the way over - the entire unit filled with beers, mixers, and other beverages you'd vaguely recognized to be alcoholic, clearly spending an absurd amount of money simply to host his friends.

"Is there spirits? I wanna do a shot?" You questioned, her green eyes glistening at your request. She cheered, excitedly skipping to the counter-top and picking a clear bottle of liquid, pouring them into two small plastic cups that had been stacked beside. The pair of you measured your drinks, before tapping the cups together and swallowing back the burning liquid. Your throat tightened at the liquor, immediately grabbing a can of soda to chase it down with. The pair of you laughed, Mitsuri pouring another, repeating the process, and then once more.

With the warmth of the alcohol coursing through your chest, you'd felt a little more at ease, comfortable enough to join them with a few other friends. There had been a petite woman named Shinobu, in a cute mini-dress embroidered with butterflies around the skirt, a hair pin to match. Beside her on the couch had been Giyu, wearing camo trousers and a black tee, a small net at his feet. The pair had been a couples costume; a butterfly and bug keeper. To their left, a white haired male named Sanemi, dressed in ripped clothing, his idea had been to be a zombie outbreak survivor. He'd bragged on about how he'd be able to live through an apocalypse, and how he'd definitely be immune to any disease epidemic. You nodded along, even if judging his self assuredness deep within your mind.

"I think we should leave, now." He leaned over his girlfriend, who was now murmering under her breath. She'd looked to be on the verge of passing out, outburst of energy now fizzling out. You nodded, grabbing the red clutch you'd arrived with, pushing your weight onto your palm to push yourself up.

Drinking a little more, you had felt a little past tipsy before deciding on taking a break. Mitsuri had been more intoxicated than you had, though, laying on her boyfriend's shoulder and quietly fussing over him, while you'd made conversation with their work friends.

"Do you live nearby?" Giyu questioned, attempting to make small talk. You shook your head, glancing up to his eyes.

"Not really - Obanai brought me here." You explained, before a hand was placed on your shoulder.

"Feel free to stay here, we have room." You'd recognised the voice to belong to Rengoki, as he paced over to sit beside Sanemi, beer in hand. Thanking him, you reverted your attention to the squealing girl beside you, stroking at Obanai's mask as she'd gushed over his beauty. He'd been evidently more wary of those around him, but didn't stop her from letting her heart out.

"Don't go!" Shinobu pouted, crossing one arm over the other. "You should stay, crash in the lounge with us!" You reconsidered your earlier decision; you had been enjoying yourself. Socializing was something you had struggled with previously, why waste an evening you could be spending having fun? Agreeing, Obanai took Mitsuri home without you, but reminding you to call if there was an issue. You smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder as if to thank him for his gesture, waving them good-bye as he supported Mitsuri at his hip, disappearing into the crowd.

After finishing and drying your hands, you opened the door to exit, plodding down the carpeted stairs. There had been a figure waiting at the bottom, leaning against the wall. You couldn't tell if your height above him had botched your perception of his height, but as you lowered, you'd realised your eyes had not decieved you.

Shinobu had encouraged you to dance with her, the males from the group remaining seated to talk. The pair of you gave your all, giggling while twirling, her skirt flowing out beautifully as she'd moved. You'd help one hand with her, singing along to classics until your throat had been dry, stomach aching from laughter you'd shared. It was difficult to fathom how much time had passed, but with all you'd drank, a bathroom break was needed.

"I need to pee!" You'd shouted in her ear, a giggle leaving her lips at your statement, hand falling to her mouth as if an attempt to contain further laughter.

"Upstairs, the door on the end of the stairs." She'd yelled, moving away from your ear to check the males had still been seated and talking. Giving you a nod of reassurance, she turned to join them, while you'd ventured to use the bathroom.

The male had to be well over 6 foot tall, dressed within a sleeveless black shirt and cargo trousers, fingerless gloves reaching elbow level, and over his face was a black fabric mask, wrapping around the bridge of his nose, a hood covering his hair. The only part of his face on show had been two maroon colored eyes, decorated in a small amount of eyeliner. He'd caught your gaze, the alcohol in you giving you the confidence to approach him.

"What're you dressed as?" You questioned, pressing your shoulder against the wall beside him, head tilting back to look up at him. He towered over you, muscular build adding to the space he'd already occupied.

"A Shinobi." He'd replied nonchalantly, yourself unaware if he'd actually been interested in what you'd had to say, or rather, playfully ask. The vodka in your system wouldn't take a hint, interrogating him further.

"What's that?" You mirrored his body language, bending your arm to cup the other. His eyes flickered over you, a quiet sigh leaving his lips.

"You've heard of ninjas, no?" His voice was deep, masculinity radiating from him, even if only a handful of words had been spoken. "My family are Shinobu, so it was an easy costume choice."

He hummed in thought, pushing himself from the wall to stand straight. You followed his movements, maintaining visual contact. "A devil?" He'd obviously been sure, but the fact you'd asked such an obvious question had him doubting himself. Your giggles had signified his answer had been correct, his originally colder demeanor loosening up a little as you'd been warm to him. Your smile had caused his own to curve upwards under the fabric, unbeknownst to you.

Continuing to peer up at him with doe-like eyes, your gaze lingered back over the maroon coloured orbs, tracing down the curve of the face covering, imagining what had lay beneath.

"Guess what I am." You teased, mainly to carry the conversation further. He'd piqued your interest, and if you'd played your cards right, maybe he'd entertain the thoughts you'd had in the back of your mind.

"Beautiful?" You poked at the mildly flirtatious move he'd taken, mostly to calm your own nerves, though you'd also wanted to hear him call you pretty again. Eyes dropping to his hands, your sight trailing over the painted finger nails he'd had. His hands, much like the rest of him, were large; you'd pictured your face being entirely encapsulated by his palm.

"Do you work with Rengoku?" You pondered, straightening out a crease in your dress, awaiting his response.

"Not anymore." He didn't explain further, instead taking his turn to question you. "How do you know him?" He challenged, eyes unfaltering from your figure, your cheeks heating at the attention you'd received.

"He works with a friend." You exhaled, watching as others passed through the hall on their way to another part of the home. "She was here, but she left." You commented.

"And left a woman as beautiful as you all alone?" You rolled your eyes at his attempt for a compliment, trying to hide the fact that word had your stomach flipping.

"You're stunning." He repeated the commendation of your appearance, a smile breaking out over your face. "Being here alone is a waste." The man took a step toward you, your heart racing at the sudden confrontation.

"Why would it be a waste?" You almost stuttered as he placed a warm hand to your cheek, brushing his thumb lightly across the smooth skin. Previous assumptions had been correct - his hand was as long as your head, fingers cupping around to reach behind your ear. You swallowed the lump in your throat, feeling the heat transfer from his roughed hand, the fabric of his mask brushing over your ear as he hovered his lips only centimeters away from the side of your face.

"No one will get to see such a pretty face moaning for them," You spine tingled when his fingers intertwined with your hair, tilting your head to the side to allow his face room to drift over your neck. "Isn't that sad?" The stranger questioned, and you inhaled sharply, a hum hitching in your throat from the words flowing through your head.

His hand dropped from your face to hold your wrist, standing upright. The loss of his presence so close to you caused you to ease up a bit, not having long to gather your thoughts as he was pulling you up the staircase. The pair of you had walked into what looked to be a guest room, a lock on the door allowing your privacy.

"Why don't you take the opportunity, then?" You closed your eyes, mumbling your words out quietly. He laughed at your sudden timidness, after being so forward with him.

"Would you like that, doll?"

The room was pretty, a large double bed coated in crisp white sheets, green wallpaper with luxurious patterns, a wooden wardrobe and bedside table fitting into the decoration. Rengoku had clearly taken pride within his home, unafraid to spend money. You were unsure of his position, but it had to be considerably better paid that Mitsuri's.

The stranger pulled you from your thoughts and appreciation for the interior design, yourself being pushed up against the door that had just been locked behind you. The dress you'd lovingly picked out a few days prior was pulled upward, a hand slipping to cup your pussy through the thong you'd worn, chosen with the small hopes of getting laid tonight. The sudden pressure caused your legs to wobble, inhaling deeply as his finger slip over your clothed folds. You grabbed onto his bicep to steady yourself, clutching on as he'd rubbed circles over you. Relaxing yourself, you allowed better access. It had been a while since you'd felt another person's touch; you'd forgotten how intoxicating it was. The male was clearly experienced, knowing exactly where to kneed in order for your eyes to roll back.

Of course, you'd slept with people before, most of which aiding you to achieve orgasm, though not putting much effort in. He'd been slowly warming you up, touching you before you'd even made a move on him. It was clear how he'd clearly prioritized your pleasure, and that made your heart flutter.

"Already s' wet for me." You could tell he was impressed by his own talents, the tone of his voice giving away the smirk he'd had beneath the mask. You groaned, rolling your hips to grind over him, feeling the slick of your arousal rub against the fabric of your underwear.

"You're all wet for a man you've just met, huh?" He teased, but you were past the point of caring. "Has a man ever touched you like this?" His voice was low, dripping with lust as you'd shaken your head from side to side, feeding into his already inflated ego.

Your other hand reached out, trailing it slowly over his stomach, attempting not to ball a fist at each constraint over our clit, finally grazing fingers over his cock. Just the feeling of the clothed hardness through his trousers had been enough to make your stomach churn, it was thick, and longer than you'd expected. It would be a struggle to fit it inside you, however you were more than willing to try. But, you were sure he'd take care of you - he'd already taken his time to build up your arousal, not even touching your bare cunt yet. You squeezed it, bowing your head with a moan as he slipped under the fabric, rubbing rhythmically over your sensitive bud.

"Don't worry about me, doll." He took your wrist, placing it back on his torso. You'd instinctively grabbed ahold of the fabric of his t-shirt, earning a chuckle from him. "I'm gon' make you feel good." He murmured, moving down to his knees.

He dipped a finger into you, earning a gasp from your parted lips, massaging your walls as he brought his other hand to massage your clit. Just one finger had filled you up so tightly, each curl hitting your core. You were a mess, back arching against the wood of the door, hands desperately gripping at his shoulders to hold yourself up. Your legs, parted only wide enough to allow his hand between them, almost bucking, shaking with pleasure as he focused solely on you. He placed kisses on your stomach, working what had to be magic on your soaked pussy. If you weren't chasing your high, you'd have asked him to remove the face covering, to feel his lips against your skin. But, in this instance, you hadn't cared enough.

"C-close." You hummed, voice wavering.

"Cum on my fingers, baby." His reassuring instruction was all you'd needed, a curse word leaving your lips before a series of moans, your body shaking as your climax had came over you. You didn't want to think of the expression you'd been pulling, eyes rolling back as you'd needily humped his hand, riding out your high.

Your eyes had glossed over as you breathlessly lent against the door, legs ready to give in. You felt his hands leave you, a finger being pressed against your mouth.

"Open f'r me." He'd only whispered, but you obeyed his command, brain foggy. He pushed his finger into your mouth, a salty taste against your tongue as you'd realized this had been the finger fucking you only moments before.

"Do you taste good, baby?" He asked, earning only a nod in response. The now familiar chuckle left his lips as he stood, tracing his hand over the belt he'd worn, threatening to unbuckle it.

"Wan' taste y-you." You'd managed to sputter out, eyes locked onto his hands. He traced the buckle, finally giving you what you'd wanted by undoing the metal, and freeing his cock from the tight trousers he'd been dressed in.

"So big." You'd whispered, eyes glued to the erection before you. It was pale, soft skin with veins running down the sides, much longer than the hand he'd used to grip it. You got on your knees, perching at his feet as you wrapped your own hand around it, placing your tongue to the head.

"Good girl." He'd hummed, moving the fist that had been clutching the base to tangle in your hair, rubbing his thumb in circles as you took him into your mouth. Just the head had filled most of your mouth; you were unsure on how you'd manage to go further than this. You'd wanted to impress him, though, giving your all.

Drool started to drip down your chin, coating your face as you'd continued to push him into your throat. Your eyes watered, but as time passed and it got easier to take all of him. You'd began enjoying yourself a little more, letting out moans and hums as you'd maneuvered on him. He'd appeared to appreciate this, squeezing his fist a little tighter on your hair when your hums vibrated over his cock, the head slipping down your tight throat. Tears streamed down your face, sniffling back as your nose ran, your makeup mixing with the fluid on your cheeks. He'd found you so pretty stuffed full of him, giving him everything you'd had.

At first, you'd licked up and down, base to tip, hovering your lips over the head you'd just been sucking at, exhaling over the wet saliva you'd left over him.

"Fuck, such a good girl." He'd repeated his pet name from before, deciding that was what you'd be called. With no names exchanged, you'd both had your own ideas - though you weren't confident enough to speak what you'd been thinking. You took him to the back of your throat, bobbing backward and hollowing out your cheeks. Pulling his trousers to sit at his knees, you used your hand to cup at his balls, lightly squeezing before pushing yourself further, his cock sliding down your throat. Resisting the urge to gag, you allowed your eyes to water, going back and forth on him, caressing his inner thigh with your fingertips. He groaned, watching your face as you worked on his cock.

When his ragged breathing calmed, you pulled your head back, simply looking up to see the imposing man over you. You'd need a few moments before being able to stand again, and only wondered how much of a mess you'd looked. Hearing his ragged moans and words of appraisal had gotten you feeling hot again, knowing by now there'd probably be a damp spot seeping through your dress, too. There had been a door to an en suite that you'd managed to make your way toward, turning on the faucet to warm before wetting a towel, wiping over the mess on your face.

You'd snaked your hand up, gripping at his dick, pumping as you went shallower with your mouth. The two movements in sync caused him to buck his hips - he hadn't usually lost his poise, but with you laboring so hard over him, it was hard not to.

"Wan' take my cum, pretty girl?" You hadn't noticed how breathless he was until those words, your eyes flickering up to look at his half-lidded ones. You nodded against him, continuing with the pace you'd had, quickly feeling the warm liquid erupt from him, moaning as he couldn't help but to thrust, bending forward slightly as he poured into your mouth, trying to focus on his climax, while remaining upright.

"What're you doing?" The voice of your one-night-stand came from behind you, making his way into the bathroom. You looked into the reflection of the mirror, getting off the last bits of your makeup while looking at him, arms crossed.

"Washing my face?" You replied, questioning what he'd been implying. Your voice was hoarse, skin warm and fresh from the water.

He didn't respond, only walking toward you, torso hitting your back while you'd been watching him approach you through the reflection of the mirror, eyebrows furrowed at his actions. You felt your skirt lifted once more, thong moved to the side as he pressed a finger to your cunt once more.

"We aren't done, pretty thing." His maroon eyes were focused on your ass, hips pressed on the sink, your back a little arched as you'd been leaning over to look into the mirror. He pushed a finger in you once more, wet sounds of him finger fucking your pussy filling the small room. You gasped, grabbing hold of the sink. You stretched around a second finger, screech leaving your lips as he darted them in and out of you, other hand slipping up your dress and under the bra you'd worn to toy with your bare nipple. He rested his chin on your shoulder, watching your face in the mirror as it contorted, mouth open wide, eyelids fluttering closed.

You were bent over the mattress as soon as you'd entered the room once more, panties pulled down to your ankles, his hand un-clipping the lace bra that clung to your skin. Fingers were pushed into you once more, massaging at your walls. He curled them, rubbing against your sensitive spot as you squirmed, grabbing at the sheets either side of your face.

"Look how pretty you are." His lips were next to your ear, as you opened your eyes through your haze, looking at your reflection. He massaged at your walls, grasping at your chest.

"Can't wait to see how you look, stuffed full of me." His words were like music to you. You bit your lip as he removed the digits from your abused pussy, gripping the hem of your dress and pulling it upward. You raised your arms, allowing him to remove it entirely, now stood only in your underwear.

"Can we do this in the bedroom?" You requested, and the male silently turning to leave the en-suite in a non-verbal reply.

He pulled them out, lining his cock to the dripping hole, teasing it inside. You'd let out a hum at the fullness, being stretched wider than his fingers had previously, squeezing your eyes closed as you'd felt him bottom out, though knowing he'd had more to give if you'd had the space to accommodate it. Once you'd adjusted to the size, he picked up his pace, fucking you into the mattress under you. His hips clashed with your ass, large hands encapsulating your hips with their grip, using you as if a toy.

You'd been a moaning mess beneath him, pussy clenching around the cock he'd fed you, his hand finally tracing down your thigh as he leaned forward, stomach pressed into your back while he'd reached between your parted legs, rubbing over your clit once more. You'd bucked your hips, though it had been in vain as his body had you pressed into the bed so deeply that you'd been unable to move, other than the rocks of each pound into you. Dizzy, cock drunk, you'd accepted that you probably wouldn't be able to move until he'd been done with you.

"Taking my cock so well." He'd hummed. You could feel his breathlessness in the form of his stomach's faltered movements, sucking in and out in a feverish state. You could only moan in response to any commentary he'd give, brain whiting out with each pound, eyes glossing over. You hadn't known what it had meant to be in a daze until now, barely conscious, only able to think about one thing - cumming.

Your pussy was stuffed full, rammed from behind as his dick had been pumping in and out of you at full pelt, squelching inevitable from how aroused you'd been, slaps from how he'd crashed into you with each thrust. You wondered if a second orgasm would even be possible, but with the way his fingers grazed over your clit, cock jamming you full, you could feel a tightness building within the pit of your stomach.

He was grunting above you now, you'd been unable to turn and look but you could picture his eyes watching your smaller frame being squashed by his larger one, your eyes crossing through your own pleasure. Or maybe, he'd had them closed, half as hazed as you, as if what you'd been enduring was in another plain. If this is how you could have been fucked by any other man you'd dated, you felt like this was your virginity - no one had made you feel so intoxicated on nothing but pure arousal. It was animistic, the need for his cock, the completion you'd felt set deep within you as you were receiving it.

Your body tightened up, almost squeezing on him so intensely he couldn't move - though he'd powered through anyway, cock cramped inside the gummy walls, kneading over him in ways that had him grunting, groaning, an internal battle within him to just hold out until you'd found your high-

You let out a whine, louder than the prior sounds falling from your lips, teeth clenching yet jaw jittering, the vision that had slowly been blurred now coming to stop at a mash of colours and shapes. This was what getting your brain fucked out had felt like. The first orgasm had been intense, but this had been as if you'd been transported to another dimension. You weren't sure if you were still conscious, ears ringing, a ring of cream forming around the stranger's dick. He'd watched in awe and curiosity, cock twitching as he'd felt the wave wash over, mouth opening beneath the cloth to release another sound.

Your pussy compulsed around him, wave of seed filling you and spilling out around his shaft, for there hadn't been any extra room inside your abused cunt to house the white ropes shooting from him. He'd gripped into your side with so much force, fighting to keep himself steady, and you were sure there'd be marks in the morning.

He evacuated you, leaving you a heaped mess on the bed, unable to move. Your body was sore, arms and legs crushed from the weight of his body, pussy aching from the amount it had been used. You were face down, fatigued.

Time passed strangely, mind in a haze, but you'd felt a damp cloth wipe over your cunt, a pair of strong arms lifting you to place you at the top of the mattress, a duvet weighing down on your tender skin. You couldn't open your eyes, but under the lids had been an array of shapes, patterns and refraction of light, almost as if you'd been looking into a kaleidoscope. You could hear sound around you, but had been unable to piece together much more than the fact it had been the male that had just given you the fuck of your life, most likely cleaning up after the pair of you.

The warm lamp light that had seeped through your eyelids was turned off, your eyebrows furrowing when you hadn't felt the bed beside you move to accommodate the stranger's weight. You muttered a slur of incoherent words, asking where he was going, but you'd had no reply other than the door closing. If you'd had been in your right mind, maybe you'd have run after him, but with exhaustion setting over you, and the knowledge you'd been nude and unprepared to dress yourself, you fell victim to the wariness and slumber over came you.

The following day, you'd been woken up. Mitsuri had shaken you, and through the mist of your sleeping state, you'd wondered if it had been the stranger. Excitement fizzled out as you'd opened your eyes, glancing over the familiar green eyes opposed to the maroon ones you'd so desired. There was a small part of you that had questioned if last night had been real, but as you'd felt your skin graze on the soft sheets enveloping you, you'd realised it had been.

Mitsuri had questions, through her smile. She'd persuaded her lover to bring her back to check if you'd still been here, for Shinobu had given her the information she'd so greatly wanted, that you'd disappeared last night, upstairs with a man in costume. Your mind had been hazy, but Mitsuri didn't consider your clouded thoughts, instead pleading with you to inform her of what had happened.

You explained it, in detail. Obanai had been waiting in the car, confused and slightly concerned as to why the pair of you hadn't already poked your heads through the door, all while you'd been describing the most memorable night of your life.

The only issue had been, you'd had no idea who the man was.

After speaking with Mitsuri, you'd assumed she'd be able to identify the features - insanely tall, muscular and maroon coloured eyes, but she hadn't. Obanai had heard the story too, though you'd hoped Mitsuri would have spared some details and your dignity, and he'd suggested the unusual eye colour was simply down to contacts. At first, you didn't agree, but as time went on, you'd ended up accepting the possibility, as if anyone would have known him, they'd have immediately recognized the description. Mitsuri had wanted to ask Rengoku, but you'd begged her not to - if the mysterious male had wanted you to know who he was, he would've given you more of a sign. Instead, he'd left you in the bed alone, not even saying a half-hearted good-bye before he'd left, perpetually.

You'd thought of him late at night. When you'd needed a release, you searched for the memory deep in the back of your head, wondering if he'd imagined you too. But, for the amount of lust and experience he'd had, it was likely you'd just been another one night stand for him.

The only negative you'd been able to conjure up had been that you were now unable to find a partner as fulfilling as he'd been. Following that night, you'd made it your duty to get laid multiple times, wondering if you'd be able to fill the hole he'd left - but you couldn't. No man, or woman, had amounted to the intensity he'd given you. The way he'd fucked you had been as if you'd been given a drug; you were searching to find that high again.

You thought you'd never find it.

A year had passed, life changing around you, yourself moulding into a new person, and still, you'd found sex unsatisfactory. You'd started to despise the man from this-time-last-year, wondering if maybe he'd just fucking hated you. Forming a relationship felt nigh-on-impossible when no one could begin to amount to him. There was only one person you'd been hopeful of, thinking he would suffice, but after once or twice, the charm had worn off.

In this time, one positive had occurred; you'd been offered a higher paying job with a better company. After attending a few more of Rengoku's parties, hoping to scout out the familiar male but never coming close, you'd actually spoken with the blonde a little more, befriending him. You'd texted from time to time, the odd check up, meeting the other's gaze when out with friends, and he'd mentioned a job opening within his friend's company. Finally, a position you'd felt was adequately paid, and you'd had more than enough relevant experience to land it.

Today had been your first day.

Swallowing back the nerves, you adjusted the dress trousers once more, flattening out any creases and standing straight. The elevator dinged, signalling your arrival at the first floor, anxious feet stepping out behind the mentor you'd been assigned. She had been to bring you to the boss' office for an introduction, a welcome as she'd phrased it. You'd been a bundle of nerves from the beginning, and now, stress added heavily on top of that.

There had been glass walls throughout the office, allowing light to cascade through and brighten up the already light atmosphere, many employees smiling at you through the golden rays. It had been a little more high budget than your previous job, though the salary had reflected that.

You stepped to an office with blinds, a black door displaying a silver name plate, 'T. Uzui' boldly stated. It was obvious this office was special, a private space opposed to the omniscient layout of the building. Your mentor had knocked, waiting a few moments before pulling the handle down, opening the door wide to allow you to step through first.

Heart racing, you braved the moment, straightening out the fabric one more time before taking the lead. There had been a male, white hair flowing down either side of his face, eyes focused over documents before him, taking a moment before standing. You'd smiled, though avoided eye contact with him, as he held out his hand over the desk he'd been sat before. You took it, listening as he'd introduced himself, your colleague wondering in behind you.

"Tengen Uzui." He'd spoken, deep voice erupting from the smirk on his lips, as you'd fought the urge to furrow your eyebrows. The voice had been familiar, but you hadn't been able to put your finger on where you'd heard it before. You glanced up to his face, finally, your name leaving your lips as you studied the features. He'd been amused, and you'd tried to rack your brain, fighting to find the memory he'd appeared within, but falling short.

"Please, take a seat." He removed his hand from yours, though not before it had lingered over your palm, as if he'd been encouraging you to remember, too.

You took a seat beside the other female, as he had sat back in the office chair behind the wooden desk. He'd explained a few things about how he'd founded the company from his own home, and where it sat today, all while you'd been working in overdrive, attempting to pull forward any relevant experiences.

It was possible he'd simply attended one of Rengoku's parties, considering the two had been friends, and you'd seen him from the corner of your eye while drunk, a useless encounter your brain had removed due to lack of importance. But, as you studied over his eyes, ones that had been watching you with such deep interest, you'd figured it was something more than that. You'd interacted with him somehow, those maroon eyes-

"Oh." You stated under your breath, a gasp pulling through your lips as your eyes widened in shock, face heating in embarrassment as your recalled that night.

The CEO of the company you'd just been accepted into had been the reason you'd stayed awake at night. The reason all other intimacy had been off the table for you, why you'd clenched around your own fingers wishing they were his. His smirk grew as your mouth had fallen agape, body stiffening up.

"Sorry, is there a problem?" He questioned, his smile unfaltering as he glanced between yourself and the employee next to you. You frantically shook your head, though you hadn't been oblivious to the way he'd watched over you, waiting the for the reaction to fall so beautifully from you as it had.

"N-no," You stuttered, stomach twisting as you stared into those eyes for the second time in your life. "I, uh-" Trying to come up with an explanation for your behaviour was impossible as you glanced over his figure, knowing how those hands had felt over you, body plush against yours and cock balls deep inside you.

"Nezuko," His eyes flickered to the woman seated beside you. "Could you give us a moment, please? In fact, just return to your desk. I'll finish the introduction here." He questioned, and the brunette stood, bowing before leaving the room. Your heart raced in your chest, a tightening squeeze as you anticipated his next move. He'd clearly been uninterested on seeing you again, considering he'd left you alone in bed that night, with no trace. Perhaps he was going to dismiss you, on the first day, to save awkwardness between you.

The door closed, leaving the pair of you in the room alone, seated opposite one another in silence. You eyed up his face; the features you had been unable to see previously. Over the course of the past year, you'd wondered why he'd kept the mask on. You'd thought perhaps he'd been unattractive, self-conscious, or maybe he hadn't liked you enough to let you see. But now, you'd understood a little more. CEO of a decent sized company, he'd probably done so to hide his identity - though you were sure he had been into it kink wise.

"I didn't think I'd see you again." You spoke, voice breaking from the uncomfortable atmosphere, shoulders tense and arms crossed. You felt small, but swallowed back your nervousness and decided to face him head on. His smile was static, gleam of playfulness in his eye.

"Did you put that much thought into our night?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow while you shifted in your seat.

"I'm not sure I'll ever forget." You admitted, flickering between his suited torso and the wood of the desk before him, clammy palms pressing into your trousers and clutching at the fabric for emotional support. You watched as his smile lessened, expression morphing as he'd glanced over you, clearly reliving that evening while staring at your body.

"Oh?" That was all he'd been able to ask, encouraging you to explain more, but not giving the satisfaction of knowing that he'd been thinking of you, too.

"I haven't been able to find someone as good as you. Honestly, you killed my sex life." You let out a dry laugh, eyes falling to the hem of your trouser leg, picturing the mediocre sex you'd had since, how there hadn't been a male able to consider your pleasure as much as he'd done.

"Sorry to hear that." His voice was low, aura changed, but you still couldn't look up to face him. "I can help you with that, though." Tengen stood, straightening his suit jacket as he walked around the desk. You glanced over him, his towering figure casting over your seated body, looking down over you as he leaned back on the table.

You swallowed, only able to watch as he pulled the remaining blinds closed within his office, returning to you with a smirk as he knelt before your seated body, hands resting on your hips as his long fingers looped into the waistband of your trousers, hooking around and pulling at them. "Here?" You questioned, Tengen tugging at your trousers once more. You pushed yourself up, standing before him, allowing his tugs to expose the bottom half of your body, his eyes trailing over the lace panties. He leaned forward, placing a kiss at your navel, trailing down until his mouth sat at your folds, practically sucking at the black lace. Your breaths became deeper, Tengen pulling back the second layer of fabric to reveal your cunt.

"What do you mean?" You questioned, letting a shaking breath leave your lips slowly, awaiting movement from him once more to signal his wants.

"Well," He exhaled, glossing over you before talking once more. "I'm not one to deprave a woman of what she needs."

He guided your hips to sit back down, pulling the garments from your legs and spreading them, placing each knee over the arms of the chair. You leaned back, biting your lip at the cool air hitting your wettened pussy, Tengen's mouth inches from kissing your exposed pussy.

He brought his lips to your clit, softly placing a kiss over you, then another, working around each part of your pussy with gentle pecks, finally involving his tongue after every inch had been attended to. He licked from your throbbing hole to the hood in one large swipe, then using smaller, kitten licks, to taste you.

You'd been fighting back whines since he'd began, but with a flick over your clit, followed by a sloppy, french kiss between folds, you couldn't help but bring a hand to lace in his hair, gripping him for support as you moaned. Tengen laughed against you, vibrations causing your stomach to flutter as he'd used his tongue to swirl around your clit, each time your grip would tighten to signal you'd been closer, he'd drop his lips to fuck your hole instead, darting his tongue in and out of you. You were sure your bottom lip had to be close to bleeding from how hard you'd bitten down on it in attempts to stay quiet, eyes squeezed shut and torso tense, legs spread as far as your body would allow.

He introduced his fingers, slowly introducing the middle one to your clenching cunt, teasing it in slowly to stretch your walls. It's as if no time had passed, for the feeling of him stuffing his finger into you had felt so familiar, so fulfilling. The ache you'd tried to counter for so long was finally being satisfied, long nights desperately trying to make yourself cum like he'd done, now put to rest as you were gratified with him once again.

He curled his finger, massaging you with his tongue as your quiet whines cascaded from heavy breaths, eyes squeezed shut in bliss, mouth agape. He looked up to you as he'd worked your pussy up, erection growing as he'd looked at the way your face had relaxed, as if you were in some sort of euphoric trance. He'd added another finger, causing a roll of your hips, hand still firmly sat atop his head, though Tengen had been the one with control, your drooping arm being guided by his movements.

You felt yourself gush over his fingers, muscles tingling over your body, legs spread as wide as you were able to move them. He'd groaned against you, addicted to the taste you were giving him, the pussy he'd missed since that night. You were shaking, weight fully pressed into the leather of the chair you'd been situated on for you weren't able to support yourself after coming down from such a high.

"Feel so good~" A hum of praise from you had encouraged his actions, flicking over you again, cream from your pussy coating his fingers further. He'd been lapping up the mix of arousal and his own saliva, spitting onto you every so often as it had earned moans from your lips. He could feel you getting closer, breaths more stuttered, as if you were forgetting to breathe while basking in the pleasure he'd bestowed onto you.

"P-please-" You gasped, head tilting back while your mouth widened, eyes rolling back and focus being clouded, whimpers leaving you while you'd tried to remain quiet - you were at work after all. Though, with Tengen being the company's founder, you were sure that you weren't going to face repercussions for this.

He'd pulled back, watching your drunken-like state with admiration, taking an action he'd done that night, placing his soaked digits to your mouth for you to taste. You'd barely noticed the fingers slip past your lips, but innately sucked, eyes finally over the foggy mess of mist you'd been clouded within while he'd pulled them out.

"Did that help you?" He questioned, voice laced in desire. You nodded, swallowing a mixture of his saliva and your arousal back before closing your legs a little, opening your mouth to speak.

"Can I make you cum too?" You questioned, glancing over his complexion, appreciating features that you'd been unable to discern before his face had been revealed to you. He glanced to the wall, looking over the clock that had sat above the closed blinds, swallowing.

"Next time." With those words he stood, turning to walk to his desk and open a drawer while you'd closed your legs, picking up the discarded clothes from the floor to put your feet haphazardly through the holes. You saw a box being waved before you from the corner of your eye, looking up to see a box of tissues. You exhaled while smiling, taking the box to use on yourself, though knowing that without fresh water, you'd be uncomfortable throughout the day.

"Tomorrow night?" He questioned, and you'd nodded, a grin across your cheeks.

"There'll be a next time?" You questioned, buttoning your trousers and tucking your shirt back in. "I was disappointed when you left, last time." Trying not to let your annoyance get the better of you, you'd attempted to politely express your feelings. He laughed, arms crossing over his chest.

"I'm not letting you go to waste, don't worry." His comment made your stomach flip; unbelieving a male of his stature had so much interest in yourself - not that you were complaining.

"What about dinner?" The forwardness overcame you, confidence boosted from his precious statement. Perhaps you were a little eager, but after a year, you didn't want to risk losing him once again. He smiled; Tengen had found assertiveness attractive.

a/n:

this is the end of kinktober !! i can't actually believe it! thank you to everyone who has supported me through this month, i appreciate it so much <3

honestly some of these fics i'm not entirely happy with - this one included, but i can see clear improvement over my writing since the start of this month.

i plan on releasing more fics and such, and im suppppeeerrrr excited about it! i feel like now i'm not restricted to kinktober i'll enjoy creating a lil more <3

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chrismcleaneatspants · 5 months

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General season 2 opinions. MASSIVE TDI 2023 season 2 spoilers ahead (as well as a huge wall of text.) You've been warned.

Ok, so here's everything I like about the season (I can count them on my fingers)

-There were some funny jokes

-MKulia was entertaining and it's now in my top 5 favorite ships, but it's not perfect, as I'll explain later

-Hockey dudes were a joy to watch I suppose

-Bowie stole the show as usual

-There are a lot of neat challenges (The canoe, slide, and dog challenges was a particular stand outs to me)

-MK herself was really funny

-MacArthur's cameo was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one, and she bounces off of Chris really well

-Duncney is still broken up lol

Honestly that's about it in terms of positives, cuz I have a million other negatives for this supposed sequel to (imo) the best written season of the show.

-The Relationships were the single worst aspect about this season full stop. Ripaxel and Praleb are probably the worst couples the show has ever subjected me to. For Ripaxel, they basically removed anything interesting Ripper had going on and Axel wasn't allowed to live up to any kind of hype she created because one lame ass poem turned her into Ripper's girlfriend for the remaining duration of her run, only for the both of them to be tossed aside in episode 7 in perhaps the worst double elimination in the entire show.

-Praleb started off ok. I thought it was gonna be a one-sided crush plot initially before Episode 6. They had a couple cute moments before episode 8, of which their screentime became suffocating because afterwards is was this painful back and forth where Caleb tried explaining himself and Priya would be mad at him, then ally with him, then be mad at him again like it was so tiresome. By the time they got together in the finale again, I was wishing they had just followed up on Pramien instead. Caleb by himself was funny in the first half of season 2 and Priya was great in season 1, but the two of them together were insufferable

-Speaking of Priya, she went from one of the best characters in season 1 to one of the worst in season 2. Why did she have to make it all the way to episode fucking 12 after winning season 1?? Just for some generic heterosexual romance? They also made her so dumb with shit like knowing Julia is manipulating her but then getting a surprise Pikachu face when Julia manipulated her??? You spent your entire life preparing for this show, how the fuck did you not see this coming???

-Segwayying into Julia, she's the worst antagonist full stop. I've never seen such an absolute downgrade of a character. She was a goat in season 1 who was aware of her situation and acted accordingly because the stakes were real. Here? Reality basically warps around her just to keep her in the game. She does things characters would never fall for in season 1 and they just go with it?? They insist on keeping her in the finale and do basically nothing interesting with her. She's not even as funny as Island Heather at the end of the day.

-I mentioned MKulia earlier, so I'll just get to it here: I like it in concept. Two evil sapphics causing chaos together is really fun. My main issue is that it was very sudden. They both were not fans of each other at the end of season 1 and now I'm supposed to just believe they became friends off screen? I mean, I guess, but it's kinda cheap. I would have really liked it if it was straight up enemies to lovers ngl. Also the fact MK had very little agency outside of being Julia's lackey doesn't help either. I want to point to the fake contract thing, for instance. Why did Julia do that? That sounds like an MK thing to do.

-Time to dive into other characters: Damien is an absolute fucking tragedy. At the end of season 1, Damien had one ambition: win next season. They kinda did that, sure, but they regressed Damien into being a complete coward to do so, not to mention he didn't even go all the way either. Damien didn't get a W until episode 6 and tbh that was his only W. By the end of his tenure, I was left confused on what the point of his run was. (I'll come back to this later.)

-What was the point of Nichelle? Like seriously, what did she contribute to the season at all? They didn't do the ironic underdog story with her, and considering she was getting all egotistical and aggressive, i thought she was gonna be the antagonist for sure...until Julia got rid of her in episode 5 in a way that really shouldn't make sense cuz like Nichelle is an actual celebrity that stars in blockbuster movies, I'm pretty sure she could sniff a fake contract a mile away, right?

-Hockey dudes were great, but I felt like they were very dumbed down at times? Like they were just generic dumb dudes that just meandered around a lot of the time (Wayne in particular just straight up floated away from a challenge at one point)

-Bowie was alright too. His line delivery is great as usual, but let's not kid ourselves: In a well written season, he'd be going straight for Julia the next time his team lost. Bowraj was nice to see even if the season didn't really do a whole lot with it

-Am I the only one who thinks this season is a tad bit misogynistic? Like this is the shortest them phase the show as ever had (to the point where i'd argue teams don't really matter) and 4 of the 5 team phase boots were girls. Millie and Emma in particular were really bad. Like, you could make Millie a team phase boot without like shitting on her that hard. And Emma got like fuck all closure outside of breaking up with Chase off screen like wow, way to utilize such a high potential character, Fresh. And this is saying nothing about how the girls that did make it to the merge had plots basically dominated by romance and like nothing else. And then there's MKulia which is apparently intended to be a friendship but like is written like a romantic one at times. It gives me all-stars gwourtney vibes and (as a fan of gwourtney myself) not in a good way. At least MK and Julia were somewhat in character I guess, but they had their edges really sanded off and honestly as a friendship (situationship?) it's a complete downgrade from Millie and Priya in so many ways

-And another thing: who's the protagonist this season? Outside of Praleb, who am I supposed to care for? Who am I supposed to root for? By the halfway mark, the show doesn't really make any convincing arguments to root for like anyone there outside of maybe Damien? And he went gone in episode 10, so like, hockey dudes? No one has an interesting enough narrative for me to care.

-The immunity idol stinks as usual. Like, why did Damien do THE SAME FUCKING THING HEATHER DID IN ALL-STARS?? That actually pissed me off so much holy shit. The immunity idol as it stands in the show is basically a shitty plot device made to keep characters in as there's no real strategy revolved around it.

-Oh and another minor thing: Owen's cameo sucks, and that's entirely due to him not being physically aged up at all and just being a vehicle for the same dumb jokes they always make with him. so stupid

-Anyways, I spend an entire season with two shitass straight relationships taking up screentime, a whole multiude of potential plotlines from last season (pramien) and this season (scary girl's revenge, millie being the new ripper, damien's comeback, julia having internal conflict over her friendship (feelings?) for MK) being set up and just nothing being done with them, and characters in general just being nerfed or borderline out of character (Ripper) and what am I rewarded with?

-Soar Losers. The most boring nothing finale in the entire show. The choices for finalists suck, Wayne, while being the least bad option for a winner (and i do still like him a lot), is still a mid ass winner in the grand scheme of the entire show. And more praleb drama? fuck off I hate them so much. The challenge did not feel finale worthy at all, and honestly it was the worst challenge in the whole season. On top of being a bunch of nothing, the show decides to bring back the worst trope it ever had: losing hair as karma. I almost ragequit the episode on the spot that shit makes me so irrationally mad. I think it's even worse here because Julia still had hair after the fact, which makes it seem like they were aware it's not a popular TD trope but wanted to half commit to it anyways for the sake of tradition or something. Terrible finale to an already decently sized letdown of a season, but it has some ok MKulia moments I guess. The finale was just emblematic of the entire season, where things just happen and you're just expected to go along with everything. (Also side note how come Chase wasn't the one to jump off of the cart for pizza immediately?)

TL;DR reboot season 2 imo was a step down in every conceivable way from season 1 apart of i guess comedy and it's left a very sour taste in my mouth. I'm probably missing a few points that I'll add onto later but man it feels nice putting my opinion out there.

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onsideramen · 2 months

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One Step Away.

DRAGONS RISING SEASON 2 PART 1 SPOILERS AHEAD.

Also, quick TW: Choking, Death.

This is a little silly fic that I'll be posting to AO3 later probably ;3

(KAIS FEAR SCENE IN THE CAVE REAL OMG???!?!?!?!?!? Character study :3)

Kai stared ahead, determined to reach the end of the cave- he needed to, after all. The flame in his hand flickered, faltering before extinguishing itself into small puffs of ash.

The Fire Master turned his attention to his hand, snapping it a few times in a fruitless attempt to get the flame back. He groaned when it didn't work, turning around to the others and-

...Where were they?

Kai squinted, seeing nothing but a cloud of darkness. He took a step forward, worry squeezing his heart tightly. He didn't need to worry, not yet- but how could he not? A few months would never be enough to meld that torn piece of him back together, that piece of him that wondered if he'd simply finally given to insanity, seeing nothing but hallucinations.

He shook his head quickly, not letting his thoughts drag him under. This moment was real, he was certain- and he was certain his family was not within his sight.

"Lloyd?" Kai called into the darkness, voice steady despite the worry dripping from him in borderline solar flares. He frowned at the lack of response, moving his flameless hands to cup his mouth. "Nya! Lloyd!"

Again, no response.

The worry was practically tearing him apart inside out now- something he would likely never admit. Kai walked further back into the cave, attempting to locate the others. If he was mildly frantic about it, no he wasn't.

Kai came to a halt at the sound of what could almost be called a scream.

One that he was far too familiar with.

Kai whipped around, already falling into a defensive stance as he watched Lloyd run to him, tears streaming down his face. The Fire Master didn't comprehend how young he looked in that moment, as if he were a confused and scared 11-year-old again.

It didn't matter how he looked, not at all- and it never would. It was Lloyd. His brother. Someone he swore he would always protect. Pulling Lloyd closer to him before adjusting his stance to be semi-in front of the younger came almost as second nature.

Kai watched closely as something slunk out of the darkness, towering over him. The thing smirked, a hand coming out from behind it.

The thing held Nya by the neck, she flailed around for a moment, trying to pry the thing away from her neck so she could, most likely, breathe.

The Fire Masters eyes widened, stance faltering for just a moment before his expression hardened. Sparks filtered from his fists.

"Let her go."

The thing sneered at Kai, its devoid face crinkling into something akin to disgust before tightening its grip. Nya squirmed for a moment before beginning to wheeze, her attempts to pry the things hand from her neck growing weaker and weaker.

Kai stared, pulse buzzing violently under his skin.

His blocked flames bristled, a blazing inferno deep in his core.

And he lunged.

He lunged for the thing, anger in every grab and tear at the monster.

Rip.

Tear.

Rip.

Tear.

"LET HER GO!" He screamed, eyes burning as his attacks grew more and more helpless.

The thing snickered despite its current state, amusement in its unforgiving eyes.

Kais' anger only grew, the inferno raging until it obscured any rational thought he could've had. Unshed tears clogged his eyes, limbs trembling as he tried to withhold himself from killing the thing. A mercy it didn't deserve.

And then he was on the other end of the cave, gasping in gulps of air, dizzy, with an unbreathing sister beside him. His inferno sizzled out, water dimming it to a few half-hearted sparks. The shaking of his limbs increased tenfold, his tears finally boiling over and burning his cheeks.

"KAI!" Lloyd- oh, oh FSM wasn't he protecting him-

Kai threw himself onto his feet, looking a complete mess as he watched in what felt almost like slow motion as The Thing dragged his younger brother further into the darkness, a snicker echoing the cave before something zapped him.

Kais' mind had to do a double take on that last thing, actually. He was staring at the stone floor of the cave, shaking mildly- but there were no tears in his eyes, as if they'd been boiled away.

He was zapped.

Zapped?

Was Jay nearby? Oh, FSM. How would he ever explain all this- he couldn't handle The Lightning Ninja right now-

No, no. It would be a good thing if he was there now, wouldn't it?

Kai was pulled to his senses by the sound of the others talking. The others. Lloyd and Nya. His family. His siblings.

He inhaled shakily, trying to wipe what must have been a horrified expression off of his face, then stood up.

They were alive.

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stars-n-spice · 1 month

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So, this is it, huh?

I figured the least I could do was write something down before shit goes down because I know after tomorrow I don't think I'll be emotionally available to do or say much about the show and what it and the fanbase means to me.

The last few days, my mind has been a whirlwind of emotions and I don't think I've ever really suspended my disbelief since it was announced that this would be the last season.

I felt like Po honestly, in Kung Fu Panda 2, when he's like "But I just got Kung Fu!" when they're talking about Lord Shen making that weapon that straight-up kills people who practice Kung Fu (I'm going somewhere with this just bear with me-) because I'm fairly new to the animated shows of Star Wars fandom and didn't start hyperfixating on Bad Batch until midway through Season 2 while those episodes were still releasing.

So when they announced that the 3rd season was the final season I was devastated. "What do you mean no more Bad Batch? I just got Bad Batch!" - I didn't want to believe it.

But here we are. Final season. Final episode.

I can't describe how the obsession started. It just did.

When the first season was coming out, I was still on Season 6 of TCW, so I got into it a little late. Then when it was over I immediately jumped into watching Rebels and became utterly obsessed with that show while Bad Batch just stayed, "Oh, neat show I watched."

Then the second season came out. I don't know how or when or why but suddenly something just went off in my brain and I became obsessed. I became attached. I fell in love with Wrecker in a way that I've never once felt or experienced towards any other fictional character, or person for that matter. I grew to understand Crosshair on a deeper level that made my heart ache for him and made me reflect on my own past and choices. Echo became a comfort character and an anchor in my life in where he's the first thing I think of when I'm down to put myself in a better mood. Suddenly I was ready to give Omega the universe and everything good in it. Tech became a lifelife (ironically) a hope that despite how I am and who I am, I'm capable of loving and being loved. And recently I've become so incredibly attached to Hunter because as the oldest child of five as well, I know that crushing weight of responsibility. Of failing your siblings. Of trying to be better.

This squad. This family. Cheesy as it is, I can't describe what they mean to me but Force, I'll try.

Recently I've been wondering why I'm so attached to this show and these characters. Jokingly, part of it is yes, the Bad Batch are lovely to look at and that does play a role in why I enjoy watching the show so much, but that's not completely it.

I think I speak for a lot of us fans when I say that I didn't fit in as a kid. I still don't even as an 'adult.' Look, I'm a biracial guy from two VERY different cultures that don't feel like home to me. On top of that, half of the time I don't know how to identify myself in gender and sexuality because I don't feel either most of the time. I'm introverted. I have anxiety. I probably have autism. I'm a burnt-out former gifted kid. I quite simply don't fit in.

"No, I'll stay. You guys don't fit in here either."

That? Yeah.

This show is for all those kids. Everyone who never fit in. Everyone who was told they were strange or weird, for the kids who ate glue in the back of the classroom, who were told they were too loud, who were put down because they didn't express emotion a certain way, for the kids who sat alone at lunch, who got left behind in their friend groups, for the kids who felt like they had no one so turned to harmful things, for the kids who were told they were special only to be discarded later in life, for the kids who don't know their place, don't know where they fit in and if they even do or ever will.

It's a show that tells those kids you're more than that. You're worth it. You're worth loving. You're worth protecting. You're worth the second chance. You're worth being loyal to. You're worth teaching. You're worth forgiving. You're worth it. You're worth it. You're worth it.

In the end there's hope for us. There's hope for all of us. And I think that's why I cling to tightly to this show. Why it means so much to me. Why I so desperately need these characters to make it out alive.

It's what Star Wars was from the start. About hope. About family. About loving and being loved and learning to love despite your circumstances. It's a show that took a bunch of neurodivergent absolute daddies and packed in so much angst but also feel-good moments with stunning animation, beautiful, moving music, and phenomenal voice acting. It's a show I can't help but love and love immensely because it feels like it was written for me.

For that kid who spent their recesses with their nose buried in an animal encyclopedia or talking to imaginary characters from their favorite books. For that kid who always felt so utterly useless and hopeless whenever they got less than an A- for a grade because they were supposed to be the gifted one. For the kid who struggled so much to be the older sibling they never asked to be. For the kid who just wants to find someone, anyone, who will love them as they are and fight for them. For the kid who valued loyalty above all else, always has, always will, and never gets it in return. For the kid who never fit in.

And well, whatever happens in the finale, I'm so grateful, so blessed, and so honored to have been a part of this journey with all of you.

#i'm not ready #but whatever happens happens #and i'm lucky to have been here for it #love you all #thanks for everything #tbb #the bad batch #tbb s3 #tbb season 3 #clone force 99 #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb echo #tbb crosshair #tbb tech #tbb omega #max's musings

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inkblackorchid · 4 months

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What the hell happened with Crow: an autopsy (Part 2)

Hope you didn't think I'd forgotten about this post yet. Lads, ladies, and other lovely people, here we go. I have more yelling about bird boy to do.

But first, a few disclaimers. For people who may have missed part one, yes, as the title implies, this post is part two of an attempt to analyse Crow's character throughout 5Ds' whole run. You can find part one here. Now, both for people who may not have the time/energy to read my first, huge post about this right now, let me explain what I'm about here before we start again: My analysis is not meant to deter people who like Crow from liking him. It's also not meant to convince Crow haters otherwise, even if I admittedly personally like Crow. All of this stuff is just my personal attempt at dissecting how his character was handled in the show and why that might have been. And because this is part two, and I covered the Fortune Cup and Dark Signers arc in the first post, I'll start with the pre-WRGP arc, then dig into the backstory Crow was given directly before the WRGP begins properly. Also, mind the length of this post. I'm physically incapable of writing short things.

I also feel the need to reiterate another thing before I really get into the meat of things again: If you were hoping to see any old rumours about 5Ds confirmed, this is the wrong post. In fact, thanks to the very thorough work of someone over on Reddit (another shoutout to @mbg159 here, who's the author of those posts), I know for a fact that literally all the big rumours surrounding Crow are one big pile of logistically impossible horseshit, and I think after so, so many years of people citing this nonsense, the fandom as a whole finally deserves to let these go:

No, Crow was not meant to be a dark signer, least of all the final boss of season one, and Blackwings were not the reason he got more screentime later.

No, Aki being sidelined was not the result of her irl voice actress' pregnancy.

Yes, I know these two posts are both a long read each, but I cannot begin to tell you how tired I am of these rumours. So even if you don't have time to read the stuff above, please take away this: The big 5Ds production conspiracy theories are. all. bullshit. Because, to put it in as simple terms as possible, none of them work out logistically. The events people have pretended affected the show's production in a major way all don't line up with the actual production timeline. So just can the rumours already. Please let them die. And no pitting Aki and Crow against each other on his post or because of this post, yes? I beg you, I am so tired. Ok? Ok.

All right, now we can get to the good part. In my previous post, I left off at the end of the DS arc. So, in what position is Crow at the end of the DS arc? He helped save the world by defeating Goodwin and got his very own signer mark after Rudger/Roman Goodwin's death.

And now, where is Crow at the start of the pre-WRGP arc?

(Bam. Delivery bird boy be upon ye.)

This time, Crow wastes absolutely no time coming back on screen. We see him again within the first episode of the second half of the show, and wouldn't you know it! He moved in with Yusei and Jack and the three of them have a funny, brotherly, bickering dynamic between them. Also, as a fun little add-on that is very much in line with his deeply Satellite, down to earth characterisation from the first half, Crow now works as a delivery driver to earn money for the household. That's all very nice and good.

But what is his role in the plot from here on out? Well.

First, a small note about the pre-WRGP arc. Though this arc is fun to watch because it gives us a lot of silly character interactions the show no longer found the time for once the WRGP started, the pre-WRGP arc really can't be said to bother with actual plot much. It's the known filler arc of 5Ds, and as such, Crow is not the only character who gets pretty much nothing plot-related to do during this arc. Thus, I'll only give a quick run-down of what he does get up to, just in case any of these tidbits end up showcasing a relevant aspect of Crow's character I might come back to later.

Furthermore, another thing that's pretty much obvious to everyone who's ever watched the show in its entirety but still bears mentioning: Crow gets a lot more screentime from this point on out. Technically. Why do I say "technically"? I'll get back to that further below. For now, just keep it in mind.

So, how does Bird Boy spend his time during the arc where the plot's on the back burner? To be honest, on the sidelines, mostly. Don't get me wrong, Crow's there. Most of the time. But he gets pretty much only two episodes where he's the focus, and both of those aren't exactly known for being 5Ds' most memorable episodes (even though I still like them both tbh, but I digress): For one, in episode 68, he gets to convince Bashford to move in with Martha so the depressed old man isn't spending his entire retirement living in a scrapyard.

(This episode's comedic moments are actually fairly solid. But those are just my two cents.)

And for two, in episode 85, Crow gets to bond with the boys' somewhat cranky landlady, Zora, by duelling some sense into her son, Lyndon. (Which also introduces us to a duelling tactic only Crow uses that we will later see again: Losing on purpose.)

(And here we can see Crow showing off his skills at dealing with petulant children.)

Now, do these two episodes where he gets to be relevant actually do anything for Crow? As a character? Debatable. If nothing else, they strongly reaffirm the values Crow represents which we were introduced to in the first half of the show, though. They reintroduce us to his stubbornness, to his (in comparison to Jack and Yusei) more playful nature, to his very Yusei-ish dedication to doing the right thing, to his penchant for spite, and to his strong sense of family and community and his belief that these two things shouldn't be abandoned unless you have a damned good reason for it.

You may notice that there's a sizeable gap between these two episodes. That's because those episodes are where we get the only smidgens of plot in this arc. Among them, highlights like Sherry's introduction, the first reveal of accel synchro, Aki's turbo duelling license exam, three separate story beats hinting at the machinations of the emperors of Iliaster (Luciano's little stunt with Rua and Ruka, Placido getting started on building a killer robot army, and the Jack double being unleashed onto NDC), and Bruno's introduction. So, here's the thing: Crow is technically present during most of those episodes, too, but he doesn't actually get to meaningfully interact with the plot-relevant elements. (Which is not to say he doesn't have nice moments here and there. He does get to bounce off the other characters, and, just as one example, helps Yusei and Jack upgrade Aki's duel runner, as well as help Yusei build Rua's duel board. Crucially, he doesn't get to do anything that later becomes plot-relevant, though.) Moreover, not one, but two characters who end up becoming major players in the series' finale are introduced here, which is relevant insofar as that Bruno and Sherry both end up needing a good amount of development before they can impactfully take their later roles. Now, I say this with nothing but genuine appreciation for both these characters, because I do like them, but I feel the need to point out what this means not just for Crow, but for pretty much everyone who isn't Jack or Yusei: Every minute of screentime that was dedicated to Bruno and/or Sherry was one minute less the writers could spend on the rest of the cast. This is not to say that time shouldn't have been spent on them, they needed it, especially because they were introduced so late, but it's something I do want people to keep in mind when talking about who got how much screentime and whether or not that time was well spent. (I also have a larger gripe with the definition of "screentime" in general, but more on that later.)

So when does Crow get to be relevant to the plot again, now that he's even a signer and all? Well, not until episode 94, when the WRGP arc has already started. (Note that I'm using the 5Ds episode list on wikipedia as a general guide for which arc and which season starts where. You can find it here.)

*Deep breath*

So. Episode 94.

(Pictured: One very scruffy dragon. Bird? Dragon-bird. Bird-dragon. You figure this shit out.)

That episode. The episode where Crow, who was awarded with the status of a signer during the finale of the DS arc, finally gets a dragon to match his mark. And the episode where we finally, finally, get some actual backstory for Crow that goes beyond his involvement with the Enforcers and childhood with Jack and Yusei. A backstory that's only Crow's own. Except. How do I put this politely...

This shit doesn't make a lick of sense. Neither the events in the duel between Crow and Bolger in the present resulting in Black-Winged Dragon's appearance, nor the Pearson backstory.

Now, I'm not saying this to step on anyone's toes. From a writing standpoint, I can even make a fairly reasonable guess as to why this episode/mini-arc is here, I think: As I mentioned in part one of this analysis, Crow was not only introduced very late, but also got very little backstory of his own, which set him apart from the other signers. Don't get me wrong, he did get some backstory—we know of his strong connection to Duel Monsters because he learned to read from cards, and we know of his involvement with the Enforcers/Team Satisfaction. Crucially, though, Crow doesn't really get a backstory segment that feels as unique to him as the others. Aki gets her tragic past with her parents and her powers, Jack gets his betrayal of Yusei, which also doubles as part of Yusei's backstory, who as the protagonist understandably gets the most backstory, and even the twins, though they are as always treated as one unit, get their very own segment about the time when Ruka was essentially in a coma. Meanwhile, Crow only has that one-off tear-jerker moment about learning to read from his cards and his being a part of the boys' duel gang, which, and I cannot stress this enough, is treated as more of a Yusei and Kalin/Kiryu backstory by canon than a Crow backstory. Thus, it makes perfect sense from a writing standpoint that the Pearson/Black-Winged Dragon mini-arc would be here. Crow, up until this point, has neither a backstory segment dedicated solely to him, nor a signer dragon to call his own. So, how do we solve this? Give him both in a strategic double-whammy! The math checks out. Unfortunately, the writing of said mini-arc... doesn't.

Now, look. The juicy question of whether Crow would have worked better as a non-signer or not, which I already discussed in part one aside, I personally don't hate what this backstory is trying to do. It's just that the whole Pearson-drama has some very notable, logical holes which I'll get into below. Furthermore, this is not the first time something related to Crow has some unfortunate, logical and/or chronological issues. I already brought up the infamous fridge and Rex Goodwin's rather confusing backstory in part one, both of which raise some serious questions. However, Pearson and everything surrounding him arguably blow that clean out of the water. Let's examine this more closely, shall we.

The long-overdue backstory we get for Crow begins with a mystery: Mikage and Trudge, for a reason that is never given to us, are investigating the death of Robert Pearson (whose death would have been several years ago at this point), whom Crow knew very well, and they're doing it because they found a hint that the person who killed Pearson used an illegal card, Crimson Mefist, to do it.

(Post redemption-arc Trudge actually doing his job instead of bullying random Satellite citizens. Who would have thunk.)

Thing is, here, we already encounter our first, minor problem: Pearson has never been mentioned up until this point, not even as an aside. And this issue is compounded by the fact that not only Crow seems to know him, but Trudge claims to as well, because "Satellite used to be his jurisdiction". So, a named character who's familiar to both one of our protagonists and a notable side character, and we've never seen hide nor hair of him. If we pull our heads out of the story for a second, the irl reason for how this came to be is probably pretty obvious: Pearson was never mentioned before because the writers had nowhere near as solid of a plan for Crow as they did for the other characters, which leads to him being introduced out of nowhere here because we need a backstory and a dragon for Crow and we need those now. Moving on.

The mention of Pearson having been not simply killed in a fire, like Crow previously assumed, but having been murdered through a special, illegal card immediately makes him suspicious. So, he goes to consult Bolger/Bolton, another never-before-seen character who gets introduced in service of this backstory, and who knew Pearson well. And while this guy certainly acts amiable towards Crow at first, implying that the two have a good rapport, at least, he quickly starts acting suspicious when Pearson's murder comes up. Moreover, we as the audience at this point already know Bolger's looking for Black-Winged Dragon so he can use the card essentially as collateral to save his company. And the name "Black-Winged Dragon" already leaves very little to the imagination as to whose deck this monster is supposed to fit into. But, in a small twist, we learn from Crow that this was apparently Pearson's card, and supposedly lost in the fire where said man died, to boot. Then Bolger challenges Crow to a duel, too, offering to tell the truth about Pearson's death if he loses, but demanding Black-Winged Dragon, which he believes Crow to be in possession of, if he wins. So far, so good. We've got a mystery here, and canon is not contradicting itself just yet. Until we get to the actual backstory, which shows us the time Crow spent with Pearson, that is. Before we get into that, I'd like to highlight one theme this mini-arc introduces that actually feels like it fits Crow: Legacy. Over the course of meeting Bolger again and being reminded of his time with Pearson, Crow starts thinking about whether he's taking over his former mentor's/father figure's legacy well enough.

(Crow having some Deep Thoughts TM, featuring one of Yusei's most relaxed, easygoing smiles in the entire show, probably.)

This theme, I would argue, is one of the major things this backstory introduces that really meshes well with the Crow we already had until this point. He's a community-focussed guy and absolutely a family person, if him taking care of Satellite orphans is anything to go by, so leaving behind a good legacy for the people after him (read: the kids he took care of) would absolutely be something he cares about. We see this element of legacy again in his cards during this episode, too, which canon implies he inherited from Pearson. (I'll get to THAT can of worms below.) And on paper, with the themes he's already got going, Crow being the only one to inherit his deck rather than build it all by himself would actually make sense!

However. This is where we have to get into the meat of the backstory. I'll start by listing the barebones information Crow's backstory with Pearson gives us, then going into why several aspects of it are either logistical or chronological nonsense.

So, as canon tells us, Crow met Pearson after Kiryu/Kalin was arrested, when the Enforcers/Team Satisfaction all went their separate ways. During this period, Crow had already set up shop near the original Daedalus Bridge and started out taking care of orphans, but it wasn't all smooth sailing. He was, by his own admission, "living aimlessly". Then, during a pinch, Pearson and Bolger show up, take care of some bad guys for Crow and the kids, and Crow sees a new role model in Pearson. Pearson, who rides the Blackbird, plays a Blackwing deck and owns Black-Winged Dragon. So, he joins up with Pearson, presumably learns how to work on duel runners from him, and also befriends Bolger. Then, one day, a fire breaks out at Pearson's workshop and the man in question dies, but leaves Crow his runner and his duel disk before he does so. End flashback. Because I want to tie this together nicely, we also learn later that Pearson technically left him Black-Winged Dragon, too, by sealing it in his runner. And, of course, that dragon later becomes Crow's very own signer dragon.

Several points to be dissected here. And funnily enough, Bolger's duel with Crow isn't relevant for any of them. Let's start with the big one: The timeline. I want you to remember that as far as canon is concerned, Crow is 17 during the DS arc. Moreover, it's canonically stated that Jack stole Yusei's first duel runner two years before the show's start, at which time Crow would have been 15. And their time together as the Enforcers must have been even before that, because Kiryu/Kalin was already in prison for a while at that point and Crow and Yusei don't reunite until the DS arc is basically in full swing. So, I'll make a vague estimate here and say that during the time of the Enforcers, Crow would have probably been 13-14. (Which is hilarious when you think about the fact that this gang of angry teenagers essentially took over the entire duelling underground of Satellite, but I digress.) Now we add the idea that Crow met Pearson after the Enforcers, but that he died before canon starts into the mix. That means Crow first ran into Pearson sometime around age 15, and that he then died presumably before Crow turned 17. So far, so good, that still slots into canon, even if it makes Crow pretty damn young for some things. He's even missing the personalised Blackbird duel disk he later wears during the Enforcer days, I went back to check. What he is not missing, however, are his Blackwings. And this is where canon may or may not have made an implication that, if intentional, breaks this timeline. See, during the scene where Pearson's workshop is burning down and he's already trapped under debris and has embraced death, he tosses Crow his duel disk and leaves him his runner.

(Two important screenshots, in sequence. One, Pearson with his duel disk still strapped to his arm. His deck is very obviously still in there. Two, Crow with that same duel disk, as made obvious by its distinct shape.)

What this implies is that Pearson also left Crow his deck. Which, yeah, fair enough, if I were dying in a fire I'd probably also think "fuck it, not like I'll need my cards in the afterlife". What this (and Crow's look the first time he sees Pearson's monsters) implies, though, is that Crow didn't start playing Blackwings until Pearson left him his deck. Which is factually untrue, because there is literal evidence in the show that Crow already had Blackwings during his time as part of the duel gang, before ever meeting Pearson. (The exact episode, if you want to check for yourself, is 33, where Crow summons both Bora the Spear and Blackwing Armor Master during a flashback.) However, I will concede that the show never actually states this is the case, it's just implied by what we see on screen, so perhaps the idea here was that Crow already played Blackwings before Pearson, but grew to love them even more through his mentor/father figure, and so later happily integrated the deck he inherited into his own. Crucially, canon never states this outright, either, though, so the option remains on the table. But, to give the benefit of the doubt here, the possibility that this could still slot in with canon and that it was just handled poorly is there. The same cannot be said for the Blackbird, however.

(Uh oh. So much for canon continuity.)

The above two screenshots directly contradict each other. First we have Yusei, upon reuniting with Crow in Satellite during the DS arc, casually remarking that Crow finished his duel runner. Which means that canon at this point suggests to the audience that one, Crow built this duel runner by himself, for himself, and two, that Yusei knew about it for a while already. Then there's the second screenshot, from the Pearson backstory episode, where Crow outright claims the Blackbird was left to him when Pearson died. I don't think I need to tell anyone that these two things can't be true at the same time. And again, I think this is where Crow fell victim to the writers not having a clear outline for him. At first, he was supposed to be this scrappy guy who also built a duel runner for himself, just like Yusei. But now, he's a signer, needs a backstory and a dragon, and because a theme of legacy is introduced alongside Pearson, the runner suddenly needs to be inherited, as well as (possibly) Crow's cards. Now, a crafty fanfic writer could probably reconcile the above contradiction somehow, and I know some stories that accomplished that. But the point isn't that we, as the audience/fandom could make this work, the point is that canon didn't make it work. What canon, sadly, also didn't get to work was Black-Winged Dragon.

(We meet again, bird-dragon.)

Here comes the next elephant in the room: Everyone and their mother who has watched 5Ds knows that Black-Winged Dragon was never implied to be a signer dragon up until the duel where Crow acquires it. In fact, an entirely different dragon is teased so heavily long before BWD ever shows up that it to this day is one of many people's major gripes with the show's writing.

(Why, hello, Life Stream Dragon! Fancy seeing you here.)

And yet, Black-Winged Dragon is turned into a signer dragon before Life Stream Dragon, who was teased more than sixty (!!!) episodes before BWD was ever even mentioned. Why? Simple: Because Crow became a signer and Rua/Leo didn't, because the signers all need dragons (or else the "5Ds" part kind of doesn't work), and because Life Stream Dragon thematically doesn't fit Crow.

Now, I've seen people post theories to reconcile this weird hitch in canon, hell, I've even posted an idea for how it could be reconciled myself. But, again, that isn't the point here. The point is that as far as good old, barebones canon is concerned, it isn't reconciled. Canon at first states there are five signers, suggesting that there are also five dragons. But then, the fifth dragon never shows up, and one of the signers dies, to boot. Only for canon to then teach us, oh, no, look, the signer marks can wander from one person to the next. And to add insult to injury (at least where the show's writing and internal consistency is concerned), the signer mark that was "freed up" by Roman/Rudger's death doesn't wander to Rua/Leo, who any attentive watcher would have expected to become a signer because it was heavily teased during the DS arc, but to Crow. Frankly, I'm not surprised many people were angry about this, but in case my disclaimer didn't make it clear, I don't think it's productive to pin this on Crow by claiming his cards became super popular irl. There was definitely an out-of-left-field writing choice made here, but the only answers as to "why" were left in the 5Ds' writer's room, I believe. At a guess, if you want me to throw out a non-sugarcoated theory as to why, though? They probably thought Crow would be a more interesting character for their target audience. He's a scrappy guy who sticks it to authority, he's brave, he's funny, he plays a cool deck, and most of all, unlike Rua, he never embarrasses himself in a duel on screen. Why am I highlighting that last part? Because I feel like people sometimes forget that the target audience for this show, at the time of its creation, were about twelve year-old boys. And you can feel free to contradict me on this, but most twelve year-old boys I've known and know don't want to project themselves onto a chracter who loses and gets his butt kicked a lot, and who's a bit awkward and steps in it sometimes, which is much closer to how actual twelve year-olds are—but that's exactly why they prefer the cooler characters. And Crow is the cooler character, by average twelve year-old boy logic, regardless of what the grownups of this fandom think.

So Crow gets a dragon and the writing doesn't bother explaining the how or why of it, let alone tackles any of the implications made by Black-Winged Dragon's existence as a signer dragon. (Like what does this mean for the larger worldbuilding? Does the Crimson Dragon actually have more than five servants, but chooses to only ever bestow five marks at a time? Can any "dragon" the Crimson Dragon chooses be a signer dragon, and it just so happens that the constellation of signer dragons is nearly the same as the original one in present-time 5Ds canon? Did the Crimson Dragon specifically elevate BWD to a signer dragon because it felt like it? Was BWD always supposed to be a signer dragon? Was Pearson supposed to be a signer, but died too early before the dark signer prophecy was set into motion? Am I overthinking this? (Yes.)) He also obtains his dragon in what feels like the weirdest way possible to me, because it suddenly??? Just decides to appear in his runner????? Out of nowhere??????

(Why is that here. How did it get there. Why did Pearson even put it in there. And HOW. Is it just wedged between the machinery or what???? And how on earth did Yusei, Bruno, and/or Crow never find it before this point considering how often someone tinkered on the Blackbird on screen???)

(This scenario, of course, also raises the question how the other signers even got their dragons. But like many other, interesting questions, this episode chooses not to interact with that one whatsoever.)

In short, this backstory is a bit of a mess, to say the least. For as much good as it tries to do by contextualising Crow's character and giving him something that sets him apart from the rest of the protag group, it feels like a rough draft of an episode was given the green light to be produced without any editing, judging by the contradictions and weird implications. As such, it harms Crow's character as much as it builds it, as evidenced by how much fandom backlash he still receives years later for the things that were bungled in this backstory and also in different aspects of his character writing.

Now, you may notice this post has gotten stupidly long due to just how convoluted the specific hangups of Crow's backstory are. I originally meant to cover the WRGP and even the Ark Cradle arc for Crow in this post, too, but due to how much there was to say about canon's attempt to finally make Crow a "proper" signer, I've decided that trying to force another two whole arcs in here would be a disservice to the analysis and the character, and also make this agonisingly long, so I'll close this part out here and write a part three, perhaps even a part four depending on how much material the WRGP gives me to work with.

There's one more thing I need to get back to before I finish up this part, though: The "screentime" discussion. I mentioned far above that I take issue with how some people seem to be using the word screentime, and now I can explain why. First, I want you to take a look back at the episodes I covered here, those being 65-95, essentially. Now, as anyone who usually dislikes Crow will tell you, Crow is present in most, if not all of these episodes. He's on screen. He's getting screentime, and, according to many people, hogging it, even. Okay. Now, I want you to look back up at the analysis. How many episodes did I cover where Crow actually gets something to do? As in, where he's either the focus of the plot or gets to contribute to it in a significant way? There's the old man Bashford episode. There's the Poppo Time clock episode. There's his two backstory episodes. That's four. Four episodes. If you're generous, you might add in the episode where he gets to narrate Yusei's backstory alongside Jack and the two fake Jack episodes where he gets to have an emotional moment or two with his foster-brother. If you're less generous, you'll note that none of these episodes have Crow actually interacting with the main antagonists in a meaningful way or set up anything important that pays off later. (Hell, he doesn't even get any, and I really mean, any meaningful setup interactions with Sherry, who ends up being his final-boss-level opponent during the final episodes! Aki gets more meaningful interactions with Sherry than him, not that this ever gets a payoff.) And this is why I take an issue with people claiming Crow gets so much "screentime" post DS arc. Because to me, "screentime" should be time spent letting a character act meaningfully within the story, which most of the pre-WRGP episodes aren't for Crow. He's on screen, yes, but in many episodes, it wouldn't matter one whit whether you replaced him with a nameless side character, which isn't exactly a great look for a supposed third of a protagonist trifecta. Perhaps I'm being too strict with my definition of "screentime" here, fair enough! But the claim that Crow hogs screentime already rubs the wrong way during this comparably unimportant arc, so I can't leave it alone. It feels very decidedly malicious to claim a character who during some episodes seems to only be there to provide exposition or make whatever jokes Yusei and Jack's personalities aren't suited to is stealing screentime from other characters. As for the WRGP duels and whether he's "hogging" anyone's screentime there, I'll dig into that nonsense in the next part, please be patient with me.

...Phew. Okay.

Now, before I leave you to wonder whether I'm every finishing my Crow analysis in full again, I want to attempt to do the same thing I did in part one—propose some changes that could have been made to the writing for Crow's character in order to make things slot in better with the rest of canon. With a small disclaimer, of course: These are just my suggestions as to how Crow's character could have fit into canon more smoothly and been done less of a disservice by his own backstory.

So. First, a quick-fire thing about the pre-WRGP, to get that out of the way: Crow, alongside Aki, is the only signer who didn't get his own confrontation with either Iliaster or their minions. (Yusei had Ghost, Jack had fake Jack, Rua and Ruka had Luciano.) Instead of having him confront a cranky old man in a scrapyard or Zora's son, they could have easily given him a very short side-story where he gets to experience the threat of Iliaster up close and personal, too. Hell, they could have very nicely cut the recap episode where Crow and Jack lie in the mess of Jack's terribly built coffee table and philosophise about Yusei's backstory for this, too. (As funny as their interaction about the coffee table and Jack lying on the floor with a perfectly intact coffee cup are.)

(Pictured: Two idiots (affectionate) contemplating life among the scraps of a shitty, broken coffee table.)

Then, there's the Pearson backstory, of course. So, here's the thing, I think two very different kinds of "fixes" could have worked here. Crucially, they both depend on Crow's status as a signer. I argued in part one that Crow might have worked better as a character if he hadn't actually become a signer, so I'll give both versions here. Let's go.

Option A: We try not to touch canon too much and Crow stays a signer.

How to do this? Frankly, I think what Crow's mark and Black-Winged Dragon were majorly missing was setup. The mark is the smaller offence here, since, fair enough, the idea that signer marks can wander from person to person isn't too out there for 5Ds canon. However, the lack of a dragon despite the alleged 5Ds stands out, and Life Stream Dragon's wasted setup only makes it worse. Thus, making Black-Winged Dragon make sense would have required giving him the same amount of foreshadowing as Life Stream Dragon, at the very least. And you know who could have been great for that? Sweet, ever-forgotten-by-canon Ruka. She was already shown having flashback dreams to the signer dragons' first battle against the dark signers, so who's to say she couldn't have gotten dreams about a shadowy, new dragon she's never seen before? Perhaps even dreams where she's not sure if the dragon is good or bad at first! It could have provided intrigue, it could have made the audience curious. To strengthen that, canon could have also bothered taking the question "hey why are there only four dragons now" seriously. No character in canon ever questions why there are five marks, but only four dragons. Even Rua, who was previously hopeful that he might secretly be a signer, never brings it up. If canon had bothered to actually point this mystery out, they could have used it not only to foreshadow Black-Winged Dragon, but to aid Life Stream Dragon's setup, too. What the fuck am I talking about, I hear you ask. Hear me out: Life Stream Dragon is shown way, way later down the line, long after the audience probably already accepted that it was simply never going to show up, literally bursting out of Power Tool Dragon's armour. We are not provided with an explanation as to why. Imagine if they had sprinkled in another dream Ruka could have had about the ancient past here. Imagine if they had used the opportunity to show something like, oh, during the battle, Life Stream Dragon got injured so badly they had to protect its wounded body with a suit of armour, in the hopes that it would heal. And with one original signer dragon out of commission, the Crimson Dragon sadly had to choose a replacement in between, because the Earthbound Immortals were sure to return. Bam. Black-Winged Dragon. Two signer dragons, set up simultaneously, without forcing the canon lore to do somersaults. Furthermore, to actually explain why Pearson had the dragon but wasn't a signer, they could have easily sprinkled in a flashback between him and Crow. Maybe Pearson could have mentioned how the dragon always feels like it's never really his, as a joking aside. It would have been enough for me to suspend my disbelief, you know? And then the rest of canon could have played out exactly as we know it. Crow could have confronted Bolger, could have obtained Black-Winged Dragon because maybe the dragon finally decided he was worth throwing its weight behind. The mystery behind the missing fifth dragon could have been solved, and it would have made for satisfying payoff without kneecapping Life Stream Dragon's setup or conjuring an extra dragon out of thin air. And really, stuff like the runner thing could have so easily been solved by simply picking one version (did he build it himself or inherit it?) and sticking with it. All it took was a little more care.

Option B: We assume Crow didn't actually become a signer, but try to keep his backstory intact.

Okay, this version works under the assumption that Crow, despite partaking in the final battle against Goodwin during the DS arc, didn't receive a signer mark. To make this work, I would, bluntly put, simply make it so that Black-Winged Dragon doesn't exist. Pearson can still play a powerful Blackwing monster during his flashback that Bolger wants to find and sell later, but it simply isn't that dragon. Really, Blackwings have enough to choose from there. If the backstory episodes had been placed a little later, say, during the pause in the middle of the WRGP, he could have even received something like Blackwing Full Armor Master here. (Yes, I know that card didn't exist at the time, but my point is that he could have simply received a powerup like Yusei and Jack did, instead of a completely new monster.) With this setup, they could have still added the intrigue of taking the question why there are only four signers now seriously. They could have still set up a mystery about why no one ever saw the fifth dragon outside of dreams. And it could have made Rua becoming a signer later, and in this version getting the tail mark instead of a completely new one, that much more satisfying. And Crow could have kept his "fuck destiny, I'm trying to save the world here"-attitude from the DS arc, providing a nice, amusing counterweight to our heroes chosen by an ancient Incan dragon deity. All it would have taken would have been not giving him a mark and switching out Black-Winged Dragon for something else.

So, take your pick, I guess. In the meantime, I'll try my best to work on part three faster than I did part two, lmao.

See you next time!

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