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#it actually seems to detract from it in a way
pinkrose05 · 1 month
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Am I the only one who doesn't vibe with the Gaiathra Triclops = Ena the Order theory?
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gashu-satou-daily · 8 months
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club penguin
Day 46:
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old man....
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alectoperdita · 5 months
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what if shizuka started to trust kaiba and confided in him about something she’s afraid to tell jou? a boy is harassing her. she’s been getting weird, anonymous messages, but she thinks whoever will get tired of it and stop. what does kaiba think? “i agree. and you’re right: this will only worry your brother. talk to me if things don’t improve.” jounouchi finds out because he chases some freak away from her apartment, which means kaiba has to do something before his pet does.
The guy ends up getting shaken down by a bunch of thugs from lower in the Aoryu-kai and basically warned away from Shizuka. It would probably be too weird and reveal too much if Kaiba was personally involved in solving the problem, but he can give the orders directly to have it resolved mediated through Isono, who then takes it down the chain. If Shizuka's stalker is actually a classmate or similar peer, it might end up giving her a bit of a "reputation." Maybe former stalker blabs about his experiences to other guys or just plain old starts a rumor that she has some unsavory connections. (This would probably only be validated if Jou ever showed up in the vicinity.)
But either way, you don't skeeve on Shizuka, bad things will happen to you.
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moonchildstyles · 5 months
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whats this aster curious gazes im seeing ?🥸
wordcount: 2.7k+
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Mikaela impatiently checked the time broadcasted on the clock above the auditorium's entrance, trailing after the molasses-slow minute hand. How had it only been three minutes since she last checked and not the twenty she had sworn it had been? She and her group had already finished peer reviewing each other's papers ten minutes ago, but they were all confined to their seats for fear of Professor Rian marking them down for leaving early—one of his favorite activities Mikaela had learned about the hard way during the second week of courses.
"How much longer?" Bria bemoaned from across the table, her own boredom showing in her dull gaze. (Y/N) perked up at Mikaela's side at the question, though she stayed just as quiet as she always was. 
"Another thirty," Mikaela murmured, a moment away from rolling her eyes, "I feel like we've been waiting for, like, an hour." 
Around them, the remaining groups were still chattering, some speaking about the essays while others seemed just as checked out as them. Running a hand through her long hair, Mikaela convinced herself to stay strong. 
"At least it'll be the weekend after this," she reminded the table, looking to Bria, "You're still set on getting your tattoo this weekend?" 
Bria plucked up at the question, her brown eyes sparkling in excitement. "Mhm! They called and confirmed yesterday with me, so I'll be in tomorrow morning, first thing!" 
"Are you going to be with the same guy that you had the consultation with?" Mikaela asked, picturing the long haired, heavily tattooed man she had seen when she went with Bria the first time to set up the initial appointment. She almost booked one for herself after seeing him; even the scowl and less than friendly demeanor couldn't detract from his... everything. 
Leaning across the table as if sharing a secret, Bria raised her eyebrows with a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes. "I hope. I might cancel, if not." 
Mikaela laughed along with her friend, knowing exactly where she was coming from. 
Piping up with a small smile on her features, (Y/N) asked, "Where are you going for your tattoo?" 
"It's not too far from here actually," Bria started, settling her chin in her hand as she spoke to (Y/N) at Mikaela's side. "It's called 17Black." 
(Y/N)'s expression brightened at the mention of the tattoo parlor in a way Mikaela had never seen before. Though she usually came to class fresh-faced and dewy, there was now a glimmer in her eyes that almost gave the illusion of glitter having fallen in her lashes.
"They're the best," she bubbled, her smile wide, "It's gonna turn out really, really good. You said you know who your artist is going to be?" 
"Yeah—um—hold on," Bria muttered, reaching into her bag, "I got his card last time I was in—I think he's the owner, or something." After a moment she pulled out a black and white business card, reading the name off: "Harry." 
Passing the card across the table, (Y/N) eagerly read over the stylized font and the glossy logo on the other side. "He's amazing—you're super lucky, Bria." 
(Y/N)'s smile wasn't one that could be shaken as she passed back the card. Mikaela thought she looked like she was proud, even. (Y/N) was always so reserved, seemingly more comfortable in the background and only chirping up when needed, Mikaela had never seen her so bright like this. 
"Have you been there before, (Y/N)?" she asked, trying to imagine someone like (Y/N) with any tattoos—especially done at a place like 17Black. 
Not that there was a specific kind of person that could have tattoos or that the parlor wasn't nice, but she had a hard time picturing (Y/N) with all her ribbons, pink sweaters, and shimmer flouncing into that building and getting a design inked into her skin. Especially by someone like Bria's artist; she was already shy enough, Mikaela doubted his scowls and curt tone would be anything of comfort.
That left her raising her brows in surprise when (Y/N) happily nodded her head. "Yeah! I only have one tattoo, but Harry did it and it's"—there was a moment something dreamy flashed over (Y/N)'s gaze then—"It's perfect." 
"I didn't know you had a tattoo," Bria interjected, her expression surely mirroring Mikaela's with her own perked brows and searching gaze as if they had both somehow missed an obvious marking. 
"It's really little," (Y/N) explained, settling some in her seat, "It's on my side, like, on my ribs, so people don't really see it." 
"I never pictured you with a tattoo," Mikaela added, "And especially on your ribs. You're brave." 
"Honestly," Bria started, bouncing full brows over her eyes "I don't know how you got through it, especially with him." 
A cinch appeared between (Y/N)'s brows. "What do you mean?" 
"You probably had to take your shirt off for the rib tattoo, right?" Bria prodded, watching as (Y/N) flustered some before ultimately nodding her head, "I don't know how to act around that guy—Harry—with my clothes on, I think I would combust if he asked me to take them off." 
It wasn't hard to see that (Y/N) was bubbling with embarrassment at Bria's remark—though Mikaela did hardily agree. She wondered if (Y/N) felt the same way; it was hard to picture her getting flustered over someone like Bria's artist. There could be that whole opposites attract thing going on for them, but Mikaela could only really see the scenario where Harry would crush the marshmallow that is (Y/N).
"Oh, I don't know," she muttered half-heartedly, trailing off without a real answer, "You know, he's just..." 
"It's okay, I get it," Bria finished for her with a bubbling laugh that had (Y/N) cracking her own polite smile. "He's pretty intimidating, honestly. Not for everyone, I guess." 
With her hands a bundle in her lap, (Y/N) tilted her head, "I wouldn't say that—" 
Not a moment too soon, Professor Rian made his way back to the forefront of the auditorium—something Mikaela wished he would have done a half an hour prior. "Class dismissed. Next Wednesday we'll do our final draft reviews and the finished essays will be due next Friday at midnight. Have a nice weekend." 
"Finally," Bria exasperated, immediately rushing to pack her things just as Mikaela had before Rian had even finished talking.
(Y/N) had done the smart thing and had her things ready to go once they had finished peer reviewing, only having to sling her bag over her shoulder while she quietly waited for the pair of them to get their own shit together. 
It was wild how much more awake Mikaela felt now that class had been dismissed, leaving behind the exhausted state she was lulling into at her desk. Shrugging into her jacket, the mental list of tasks she had to accomplish before her sister, Mira, and her boyfriend would be over for dinner didn't sound so bad now.
"What are you getting, Bria? For your tattoo, I mean," she chirped up, peering around Mikaela as they walked into the corridor, steps in sync with one another. 
"The moon and some stars and stuff on the top of my hand," she explained, "It's kind of hard to describe without a picture, but it's this whole thing." 
"That sounds really pretty," (Y/N) smiled, sincerity in her voice, "Hopefully it won't take too long—I hear the top of your hand can hurt sometimes with the bones and all." 
"It might not be so bad if it took a while, right?" Mikaela piped up, shooting Bria a look from the corner of her eye. Maybe, if Mira and her boyfriend didn't overstay their welcome tonight, she'd go with Bria in the morning and see if her artist had a girlfriend or something. 
(Or was at least open to hooking up on one of the tattoo chairs). 
Leading down the hall towards the main entrance of the building, Bria nudged Mikaela's shoulder. Ahead of them, (Y/N) reached forward and opened the door for the three of them to pass through. 
"Definitely wouldn't be bad," Bria laughed, the chill of the winter air seeping through the sleeves of Mikaela's jacket as they stepped outside. "I don't know, I might even—Wait, oh my god." 
"What?" Mikaela asked, brows furrowing at the abrupt change in her friend. 
Instead of the amused bubbly expression she wore just a moment prior, Bria now looked ahead with wide eyes and gaped lips, her steps slowing over the concrete. 
(Y/N) noticed the change in her demeanor as well, peering around Mikaela as her own features molded into something of worry. "What happened?"
"He's here," Bria muttered, looking straight ahead towards the student parking lot, "That's literally him right there, isn't it? Why is he here?" 
"Who? Who's her—" 
Following Bria's line of sight, Mikaela felt her own words get stuck in her throat when she saw just what had her friend going limp. 
As if summoned, Bria's tattoo artist—Harry—had somehow found a prime parking space in the student lot and was now waiting.
He was ever the intimidating figure with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the hulking frame of the black Range Rover behind him. (Because, of course, he would drive a Range Rover). Even with the chunky black cardigan draped over his form, he didn't look any less imposing than when he had stalked through the tattoo parlor. He perfectly matched his car, all black, tattoos tracing over his skin, including the heavy chest pieces on display from the low scoop of his top. A pair of sunglasses were holding his hair back on the top of his head, with his lips set in a firm line, lip ring and all.
"He doesn't go here, right?" Mikaela blanched. Why else would be here, if not to go to class, right?
(Y/N) looked just as bewildered as they were, a cant to her head as she took him in. "What is he doing here?" she muttered, voice quiet enough to be speaking to herself.
Their small trio stood off to the side, out of the way as the rest of their classmates trickled around them as well as other students meandering through campus. From where they stood, Mikaela could see the way the tattoo artist scanned over the student body, searching for something—or someone.
He didn't come to see Bria, right? That would be crazy, leaning on certifiable—even if he was hot.
Mikaela's eyes widened when she saw (Y/N) wave her hand above her head. What was she doing? Did she not think this was weird that he had showed up to campus when he really didn't have any reason to? 
She watched as he caught sight of (Y/N)'s waving arm and his features almost immediately softened. Even from where they were standing, it was clear to see the tension releasing from his body in a breath. He pushed off from where he was lent against his Range Rover and started towards the building—towards them.
Was (Y/N) insane or something, and they'd just missed all the signs until this moment? Why would she ask him to come over here?
"He's coming over here, what the fuck," Bria murmured, just as lost as Mikaela. 
It didn't take long for his spanning strides to cross the concrete and take him to where their small group had taken root. Seeing him this close again, Mikaela realized her memory didn't do him any justice—he was more than gorgeous. Unfortunately crazy, but still hot. 
Had he always had his nose pierced? Had his eyes always been that green? Had they always been pinned to (Y/N) like that? 
"(Y/N), do you—" Bria started, only to cut herself off when (Y/N) excitedly bounced up to her toes once the tattoo artist was close. 
"What are you doing here, H?" she chirped, familiarity in her voice as she looked up at him.
Mikaela figured she wore the same expression that Bria did, with her eyes wide and brows raised, a fraction away from her jaw dropping as they watched the tattoo artist—H—pull (Y/N) into his arms and drop a kiss on the top of her head.
"Came to pick you up for lunch, if that's okay," he murmured, not sparing a glance their way as he kept the pink marshmallow in his arms. "I also noticed there was an extra jacket lying around my room that I thought was supposed to be with you." 
Sheepishly looking down, (Y/N) shook her head. "I forgot, I'm sorry." 
Adoration was clear on the tattoo artist's—her boyfriend—features. "'S alright, lovebug. I brought it with me so y'can have it the rest of the day, jus' don't keep forgetting it. 'S only getting colder out, I don't want you to get sick." 
"I won't," (Y/N) sighed, looking entirely at home as she clutched his sweater in her hands and fluttered her lashes at him as if he were a king. "Thank you." 
Mikaela couldn't help the simmering of her blood beneath her skin, surely a flush painting her complexion as she thought back to just what she and Bria had been saying during class. They talked all about how hot (Y/N)'s boyfriend was to her face, implied he was intimidating and not her type, and she had even heard them freak out thinking he had come to see them. She was never going to pair with them for peer review again.
(Though Mikaela will give herself credit for not speaking about the lingering fantasy she'd had involving one of those tattoo chairs and Harry's hair pulled back so he could focus). 
"Um," Mikaela sounded, almost cringing at how stupid she sounded from just a single syllable, "I think we should probably go, but we'll see you next week, (Y/N)." 
(Y/N) turned with her expression going bashful. Her boyfriend's hands didn't move from where they were on her waist though he finally looked up from her to see the rest of the world around them. 
"I'm sorry," she apologized as if in reflex. Looking at the man behind her, she started with a shy smile on her lips, "Harry, this is Bria and Mikaela. They're the girls from one of my English classes I've told you about." 
Back was the expression she recognized from when she had dropped by the tattoo parlor. His features hardened some, going less open and easy to read than they had been just a moment ago. He took them in with a stilted smile on his lips. 
"Nice to meet you," he murmured, his gaze flicking to Bria for a split second longer, "Actually, we've met before, right? You're my nine a.m. tomorrow." 
"I am, yeah," Bria said, sounding just as lame as Mikaela felt. It was easy to see Bria was floundering for anything to say before she finally settled on, "(Y/N) didn't tell us she had a boyfriend." 
His smile turned lopsided at that, amusement flickering in his gaze as he looked down at the marshmallow in his arms. "She didn't?" 
(Y/N) looked to the pair of them, biting back a smile as if remembering what was said back in class but deciding it was their secret to keep. "It just didn't come up." 
"Right," he smiled, squeezing her waist just enough to get her bouncing at his side with a short huff of laughter pouring out, "Are you ready to go?" 
"I think so, yeah," (Y/N) agreed, craning her neck to smile up at him before returning her attention to Mikaela and Bria. "I'll see you guys next week."
The pair shared similar goodbyes, hoping they didn't sound as embarrassed as they felt. Walking away from them, Mikaela watched Harry tangle his fingers with (Y/N), slowing just long enough to press a kiss to her forehead before leading her towards his Range Rover.
"We are the most annoying people in the world," Mikaela said, breaking their silence, "We literally said all of that about him to his girlfriend." 
"She's never going to partner for peer review with us again." 
Despite the guilt and bits of humiliation floating through her system, Mikaela couldn't shake off just how sweet it was to see (Y/N) interact with someone like that—especially someone like her boyfriend. They were clearly in love, that much she could tell.
"Oh my god," Bria said, whipping her head around to look at Mikaela with horror stricken eyes. 
"What?" Mikaela asked, taken aback at the sudden urgency in Bria's voice. Was another person they had lusted over to their partner, about to round the corner? 
"I have to see him again tomorrow," Bria whined, "And, (Y/N)'s probably going to tell him what we said." 
At that thought, Mikaela really hoped her sister would overstay her welcome tonight—give her a reason to stay in bed and leave Bria to her appointment alone. 
—————
this is the first time im trying out this kind of pov so I really hope everyone like it! thank you sm for reading, sorry for any mistakes, and please lmk if you have any ideas you want to share!
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thunderandsage · 6 days
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my unpopular opinion about tmagp
so we’re twenty episodes into TMAGP, and while i definitely am enjoying it, i think that the reasons why it’s so popular are actually what are preventing me from taking it from “casual listening” to “i love this piece of media”? like i know this may be an unpopular opinion but bear with me
like with TMA, i love the ambience of dread, the obsessive search for knowledge, the small details coming together into a horrifying picture—in short, i appreciate it as a piece of horror media and the way that it functions as thus. my beginning forays into tumblr happened around the same time as i got into the proverbial meat of the podcast, but the thing is, the TMA fandom here is very much based on the characters, and that’s fine—i like this abt tumblr actually—it’s just that in this case, the horror aspect wasn’t in the main focus so much as the interpersonal relationships, whereas while i do like the characters, i tend to view them more dispassionately as vehicles for the themes of the stories
so, TMAGP comes along and while i knew it would of course be different from TMA, the direction that this shift seems to be is more to the interpersonal connections—aka, the stuff the fanbase likes. much more time is dedicated to the characters and their dynamics, and even the antagonist/possible avatar characters are showing up and becoming distinct personalities at a faster rate than in TMA (where this was more of a slow crawl with scattered details). basically, TMAGP is more heavy on the aspects that were fan-favorites in the TMA fandom. the statements themselves are still interesting, but i feel that they don’t have the same oomf as they do in TMA
in short, TMAGP feels closer to the fan interpretations of TMA, and while i understand how many people like this, in my personal opinion i feel that this detracts from the appeal of the universe and concepts
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Also, I would like to add that Malleus’s blatant disregard for the autonomy of others and fits of rage is DELIBERATE on his end. Being one of the top five mages in the entire world, I am sure that he KNOWS there is a large disparity between his power/social and the rest of the peers/subordinates etc. His sheer and utter confidence in his abilities to get what he wants and general disregard for others isn’t only an indicator of his awareness about this disparity, but is also a reflection of the abuses of his power AND social status as a whole.
In light of his age, imagine the amount of times he has repeated these mistakes despite others advice and criticisms against his choices. Only Ace has been able to overcome others general reverence and fear towards Malleus when it came to calling him out. He is not an innocent person who is ignorant about the ways of humanity verses faes, and is certainly not the innocent character the fandom (especially those who are infatuated by him) think he is.
[Referencing this post!]
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***Standard disclaimer: In sharing my thoughts, I do not mean to disparage Malleus fans. Furthermore, me disliking him should not detract from your own enjoyment of the character. If you do not feel comfortable reading about this topic (ie critique of Malleus’s character), then I encourage you to scroll on and to not engage with this post.***
My thoughts below the cut!
I do feel that, to some degree, the disregard for others and inappropriate fits of rage come from blatant ignorance (since Malleus did have a very isolated and sheltered upbringing). However, it's also hard for me to believe that in his 178 years of living that he was NOT told countless times by those around him (mostly Lilia and his grandmother, Maleficia) to wield his power and social status more tactfully than how he has. Did he take none of those lessons to heart??? What about the 2-3 years he spent living among the non-fae at NRC? Nothing from then too?? Regarding self-awareness of his strength and social status, Malleus has made it clear on more than one occasion that he stands above others. Right from his first appearance in the main story (in book 2), it's implied he's well aware of his position--so much so that he deliberately hides his identity from Yuu. He also cannot propose to Eliza in Ghost Marriage because he is the crown prince of a nation. Time and time again, Malleus's status is mentioned and it plays into his importance as the sole heir to Briar Valley. He must also know he is powerful, given that he is one of the top 5 strongest mages in the world and can perform incredible feats (like reassembling a stage and walking through Vil's poisonous miasma in book 5) like they're nothing. His grandmother and Lilia tell him the Draconias are powerful and shouldn’t use their magic to harm, but to help those they rule over. Yet he seems to have surprisingly few qualms when turning these powers against people who are only at a fraction of his power (Rook, his dorm mates, everyone in the Scalding Sands trip group, Ortho, etc.) or have no magic at all (remember when he attacked those civilians in Terror is Trending and the other Diasomnia students had to restrain him?). Malleus may be emotional in these moments, but the fact remains that he's making the deliberate, intentional choice to wield his magic in this way. He has the ability to hold himself back (as we see him refrain from fighting Rook in Malleus's PE Uniform vignette, only because he knows Rook is baiting him), but the vast majority of the time he fails to do this. For someone who is acutely aware of his power, you'd think he would... I don't know, keep a better leash on it? And what about his identity? So Malleus is concerned about Sebek insulting Leona (the prince of another country) but he ISN'T concerned about how his own fits of anger poorly reflect on himself, who is the CROWN PRINCE of a country??? Please make that make sense... Why is Malleus so selective 💀
I'm actually quite shocked at how little Malleus's pride and arrogance is pointed out; it's usually Leona who gets those labels even though Malleus is also just as arrogant, prideful, and confident in his own powers. Most of the time, I feel like I see Malleus being called "innocent". Maybe his negative traits on display get overlooked because TWST tries so hard to present Malleus to us as someone we are supposed to like (especially with how often they use his overpoweredness or loneliness is used as a punchline for jokes). Our interactions with Malleus are also so few and so short, particularly early in the main story, that fan project their own ideas about what he's like onto him and that forms a certain “image” of him that may not be the same as how he actually is. Him being lonely makes it easy for fans to perceive him as desperate for company and even easier for fans insert themselves as his “special” friend or S/O to fill the void.
It's... quite ironic, really? Malleus says in Riddle's Suitor Suit vignettes that he is familiar with the concept of "noblesse oblige", which is the implied duty of the privileged and nobility to act gracefully towards those less privileged. Yet... he is sometimes overstepping "fae playfulness" or "teenage childishness/immaturity" and continuously creating situations which put people around him in danger (all of Endless Halloween Night, not holding back his attacks against the Magicam Monsters, all the times he let his temper get out of control, book 7 OB, etc.) When defending the extremes he took in book 7 by citing his status and his UM, Malleus has this to say, which is very telling of his lucidity: "Monitoring? Meddling? Heh, how silly. It's a king's duty to govern, is it not? I'm watching over you. To ensure no nightmares befall you in the fairy tales you now reside in... To ensure you have happy dreams that last forever!" It's implied that Malleus's grandma has told him since childhood that their line has powerful magic to protect their people's smiles--and here he is, overextending those words to people that aren't even his subjects, and twisting the meaning to justify his own brutal rule.
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What I noticed is... Malleus is often so oriented on seeing the situation from his POV that he fails to consider those from any entity aside from himself. In Endless Halloween Night, he feels sorry for the ghosts who showed up late and were left out of the festivities because he can relate to them, so therefore he wants to make sure they are included. In book 7, Malleus fears his loved ones leaving and projects this fear onto everyone else so he feels right in being the one coming in to be their "hero" and grant them happy endings they never asked for. In his own Dorm Uniform vignettes, Malleus frames the circumstances as, "I wouldn't be mad if you did the same thing to me" instead of listening to his peers' complaints. He centers problems around himself (which admittedly is very frustrating to me), and this is how Malleus tries to understand and navigate the world. This gives me the impression that he has a very particular way of thinking and it's perhaps difficult for him to understand others, even with extensive pointers.
I truly believe Malleus is ignorant about humans and fae. That much matches up with what we know of his history. What I do NOT get is why he continues to remain ignorant when 1) he has spent a few years exposed to non-fae and their ways; even if this pales in comparison to the 175ish other years of his life, he should have some new basis for appropriate social interactions with other races, and 2) most of the major adult figures in his life are exposing to him he should consider others' perspectives and try to learn more about that which he is unfamiliar with. Malleus has so many opportunities to expand his horizons and get to know new people, but he seems to sit around and keep waiting for others take the initiative for him. But he could initiate too, so why doesn't he???? (He has shown he is capable of it, as he approaches Deuce to fix his virtual pet and chatting with Idia about the same pet in the main story; if not by himself, then Lilia can easily assist or invite him into activities such as the Silk City trip.) Even if Malleus fails to socialize in a way that's considered appropriate, at least that's something he can learn from and correct for next time... But why doesn’t he????????? If he did, it would sure help out with his inability to empathize with his peers and could even curb his temper (which would be seen as socially inappropriate). So why exactly does he seem to know so little and make so little effort to try and rectify this???? Why does he keep postulating that his word is above everyone else’s and then get upset when people don’t like him for this very alienating attitude? Aaaaah, it's a sad cycle to witness him devolve into again and again... 😭
P. S. Bless Ace for being the one character who still held it against Malleus for the fucked up “prank” he pulled in Endless Halloween Night (and then convincing everyone the misunderstanding was their faults for “attacking the ghosts first”).
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comicaurora · 10 months
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(sorry for the long ask)
So there's this thing? That's been kind of bothering me, I've noticed it in the shera remake but also other places, where all these faceless minions are just there to show how hard/easy it is for the protagonists to get rid of them.
There's a couple of things, but I think that it just boils down to that they're not treated as characters? The hero will push them into a volcano and celebrate, then get all conflicted when facing the villain captain puppy kicker because "if I kill/hurt you I'll be just as bad" and in the same shot there's a pile of downed henchmen. And I get that, because from a meta perspective it would be hard to animate several hundred or however many individual people all fighting, but it's just weird right? In the show the only people without helmets on 24/7 are the main cast and of course the Rogelio/Kyle/lonnie group. Which is Confusing?? Because it seems like there's only a few options, either every single other person likes wearing the helmets all the time with no breaks, or they're breaking dress code and getting away with it, or "cadets" means they're in training. And somehow way more competent than all the other trained soldiers. It's weird, and I'm not even fully sure how to describe it. Do you have any thoughts?
Faceless minions are a time-honored storytelling tradition that persist despite being slightly reality-breaking story convention because-
They make it very easy to choreograph cool-looking fights against a big pile of interchangeable bad guys
You only need as many extras as you'll be showing together in one shot, meaning you can imply a vast army of evil with only like five costumes/character models
They make it easier to pick out the heroes in group shots and fights
They provide contrast against the important villains with unique designs
Easy protagonist disguises for sneaking around in
This is pretty useful stuff, but it does all feed into the effect that armies of faceless minions are generally not composed of full-fledged characters. They're a pile of broadly interchangeable mooks. This is one of those things that's technically dubious from a realism standpoint, but I honestly don't think it's automatically a bad thing for a story to make it really easy to tell who's an important character and who's an interchangeable obstacle in their way.
This does get shaky when the characters start acting like that. To them, in the reality of their story, those mooks ARE real, dangerous people, and their facelessness doesn't detract from that. The protagonist's morality shouldn't depend on how important a character is to the plot or how unique their design is, and that character inconsistency is the more disruptive bit of writing. Mowing down minions by the truckload only to spare the big bad makes it feel like the main character is standing apart from their own story and making the kind of value judgment the audience is, and that's weird. It's not weird that the faceless minions exist, it's weird that the protagonist evidently doesn't see them as real people.
But that doesn't mean every stormtrooper or background orc or ninja needs their own unique design, name and backstory. Narrative conventions exist for a reason, and while I do love a setting that feels like it's absolutely full of unique main characters all living their own lives, it's absolutely not mandatory. Sometimes things in stories are made unrealistic so they don't undercut the impact of the story itself, whether that's simple theater sets that don't draw the eye away from the actors, unrealistic lighting so a movie viewer can actually see what's going on, song and dance numbers, flashy showstopping villains, or convenient armies of ninjas to take down with one punch each. Storytelling has its own tools.
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sarahowritesostucky · 1 month
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📖"Late Bloomer" (pt 1 of 2)
Rated: Explicit
Pairing: Lloyd Hansen x female reader
Tags: human trafficking, dark!Lloyd, significant undefined age gap, older man/younger reader, daddy/girl, dub con with significant non con elements, first time, innocence kink, loss of virginity, exploitation, dacryphilia, size kink, dumbification, misogyny, squirting, forced orgasm, p in v sex, light degradation, pet names, oral sex: m! and f! receiving, sexual awakening, age play vibes, little!reader, but not really: she's just drugged and really really dumb.
Word Count: 5754
Summary: She’s the purest thing he’s ever touched, this soft, tearful, quivering creature in his hands. He’s never felt such lust and violence at the same time. He desperately needs to ruin her. And yet somehow, also desperately, he needs to make sure he doesn’t hurt her. 
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A.N.: The age gap is left undefined. The OF is not the girl from the movie, which I haven't seen. I don't write characters as explicitly younger than 18 on Tumblr, after having a foul staff member equate any and all teenage pairings with CSAM.
That said, this fic is dark. It was started as a way to check off some of my hardest Bingo squares without actually going there, with the themes that were outside my wheelhouse or too ick for me to write. My MCU Kink Bingo card in particular, has a few of these whammies.
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He imagines her as a rose: fragrant and velvet-soft. Imagines crushing her in his hand, plucking her petals off one by one, until there's nothing left.
Lloyd's always loved ruining pretty things.
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The job doesn't go quite as planned, but Lloyd can be a go-with-the-flow, adapt-to-the-demands-of-the-moment type guy when he needs to be, he gets creative, and in the end it all works out alright.
The not-insubstantial bounty for the Russian perverts is regrettably forfeited when he loses his temper and gives them the brutal executions that they deserve. But that money can be made back if he finds a buyer for the yacht, he's managed to eliminate a few deplorables, and he's gained himself an unexpected prize, to boot.
Not a bad day for doing crime.
They shove the bodies overboard and retire for the night, headed for their rendezvous with the Powerbroker in Madripoor. Lloyd's men handle the cargo, already under strict orders not to touch the younger ones, whom Lloyd figures he'll arrange to have dumped off at an embassy once they dock in Jakarta.
Maybe he'll call up The Nomad Formally Known as Captain America and tip him off. Asshole has been on his tail annoyingly much, these past few months. Lloyd should send the righteous old fossil a reminder that there are way bigger scumbags plaguing the planet than his little band of hired guns.
The older girls seem relieved to have been liberated and they don't put up much of a fuss when they're divvied up amongst Lloyd's crew for the evening. Lloyd's personal pick, the poor thing whom he'd had to physically wrestle away from Yuri with a flare gun pressed right to her head, has been locked down in a stateroom to try and calm her down.
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Despite what some people say, Lloyd's not an inconsiderate monster, so he does freshen up first, showering all the blowback off his face and changing into something comfortable before heading below deck. He keys in the code for the room, which is large and lavish and looks exactly like something a Russian billionaire would design. All money, no taste.
The girl's on the bed. She's still crying, but it's a pretty type of crying, rather than hysterical or snotty; tears that enhance rather than detract; the type of thing a man can really appreciate, if so inclined.
Lloyd steps into the room, takes a deep breath and reminds himself to take his time with this. No sense rushing it and wasting a good thing. He's going to savor every moment.
She squeaks when she sees him there. "Oh!"
"Shh, sh sh," he soothes. "There there now. Why're you crying, Buttercup? There's nothing to cry about. Not anymore."
He shuts the door behind himself with a gentle sound, but even though he's cooing a slew of placating nonsense at her, she still cries out in a desperate little, "No!"
"Hey, it's okay."
"Nnngh ... s-stay back!"
Lloyd's cleaned himself up since their encounter above deck, but the poor thing did just watch him collapse Yuri's face in with a pipe, so he shouldn't be surprised that she's scared. "I'm not here to hurt you," he says, then pauses when he sees that it's the gun in his hand that she's staring fearfully at.
Oh. Right. That makes sense. He'd had the muzzle of the thing pressed against her temple not too long ago, after all. Maybe he should've left that out of sight. 
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It's not like he'll need it to subdue her. Moving slowly and pointedly, he sets it down and holds up his empty hands. "There. It's not even a real gun, see? It was all for show, just a flare gun. It can't hurt you."
(Eh. True, it had been for show, but not so true that it couldn't have blown her brains out if he'd wanted it to. Whatever. Details.)
"It was just a little bit of drama, you understand? To make things go the way I needed them to up there. Men like that only respond to one thing." She blinks at him and he offers her a gentle smile. "L. Hansen. Freelance contractor, or rescuer, in your case. You're welcome."
"And ... those guys?"
He tuts. "Fish food, now. They've been taken care of." He takes a step closer, keeping an eye on her in case she's thinking of bolting. She still isn't here by choice, after all. As far as she knows, Lloyd is just the least bad of all the bad guys.
(Which isn't un-true).
He joins her on the bed, where she's still curled on her side, the odd sniffle and overwhelmed hiccup escaping her here and there. "Hey, hey, hey now." He crawls up beside her and forces her onto her back, which isn't hard to do with the fragile state she's already got herself worked up into. He shushes her fearful whimpers and tucks her hair behind her ear with a tender look. "You're real pretty when you cry, Angel, but I promise there's no need. Not anymore. That's all over, okay? I've got you now. You're safe."
The sweet thing sniffles and blinks up at him through clumped lashes. "I am?" she asks, the instinctive trust in her voice making Lloyd's cock thicken in his pants as he realizes that she's got about two brain cells to rub together. "Y-you promise?"
Oh, this is gonna be so fun.
He smiles down at her. "Yeah, Cupcake. I promise. You're completely safe with me." He taps her dainty little ski slope nose with a finger. "I bought you, remember? So that none of those nasty men can ever touch you again, only me. That's the rules."
For a second, the girl's chin wobbles, her eyes welling with uncertainty and the threat of more tears. But Lloyd's had enough of her being upset, doesn't have the patience to spend half the night calming her down when he's already exerted himself so much for her benefit already. Five guys are dead, his bank account is a couple hundred grand lighter (at least temporarily), he's lost the bounty he came for in the first place, and there are going to be a fascinating array of bruises on his body by morning. All this trouble, all this work for her. He's tired now, his day is over, he wants his payoff.
"Hey," he says firmly, holding her chin between two fingers. "I said: calm down. You're safe with me. Nobody's gonna hurt you anymore. You're just going to have nice things and feel good from now on. I'll take care of you."
She sniffles. "You will?"
Wow. She really is as dumb as advertised. Lloyd hums. "Sure will, Cupcake. Only nice things. Just so long as you be my good girl and do what I want. And that'll be easy as pie, because I'll always tell you what I want."
She bites her lip and lets it slip back out slowly between the grasp of her teeth. And the best part about it is that she's not even trying to be coy: she's literally just this clueless. "But," she hedges. "... what do you want?"
He smiles down at her and palms the side of her face. "Just you, Buttercup," he purrs, arousal and anticipation making his pants tight as he takes in just how beautiful she really is, with her porcelain-smooth skin and soft jaw, her baby-fat cheeks and wide, watery eyes. She really is like a doll come to life. 
Lloyd can't wait to wreck her. 
"What's your name, Princess?" he asks, coaxing her with a kind expression that she gravitates towards. "Hm? You can tell me. I'm Lloyd."
She giggles and looks away. "That's a funny name."
"Is it?" He laughs along with her and nods. "Yeah I suppose it is. I didn't pick it, unfortunately. But I'm going to pick your name. Something real beautiful and delicate, just like you. I'm thinking some kind of flower. How bout that?"
An adorable little frown pinches in the space between her eyebrows. "What? But, my name is - "
"I know, I know," he cuts her off, already knowing what she's going to say. He sticks his bottom lip out at her in a playful pout. "But that's such a little girl's name, don't you think? We should pick something new, since you're starting over new with me. Something more ... fitting."
He lets his eyes drag up and down her faintly curved form, the body that somebody above deck decided would be best appreciated in a tiny cotton top and pair of pink panties. If it wasn't so cute, it'd piss him off: those creeps dressing her in little girl undies in their effort to hock her along with the rest of the wares. But anyone with eyes can see she's not like the other merchandise.
Lloyd trails one finger over her hip and into the valley of her waist, appreciating the particular season of life she's in. She's limber and nubile, body almost grown into itself. A still-green sapling that's not quite done taking shape, with branches that are still soft enough to be trained this way or that as she approaches womanhood. She's malleable, moldable. Ripe for the picking.
The night above deck may have ended up in violence, but Lloyd came on-board peaceably, under the guise of a buyer, and it hadn't slipped his notice that her age was pointedly left off the dossier. It means she's quite a bit older than she looks, and the sellers hadn't wanted to lead with that.
Despite the pleasure Lloyd got out of ripping those perverts' nuts off, he still knows the business, understands the concept of maximizing one's buyer pool. Sex traffickers gonna sex traffic, and all that. But even still, there's a reason he didn't mind forfeiting that bounty. He's no hero, but he's done his bit to help. Now he fully intends to reap the benefits that've fallen into his lap as a direct result of a bunch of Russian perverts also happening to be lying salesmen.
"I'm keeping you for myself," he tells her, with another affectionate tap on the nose. "You're a very special, beautiful girl."
Her eyes widen at what she clearly perceives as a compliment, and she leans closer in a way that's so honestly naive, it makes Lloyd wonder if the dealers "enhanced" her with anything, pre-sale. He won't complain if they did, he doesn't mind a braindead bimbo, but it'd be nice to know if this is all chemically assisted, or just a natural gift. The thought nearly makes him snicker when he has it: Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline lobotomy.
"You're special," he tells her again, trailing his fingers over her bare shoulder. "A real natural beauty."
She shakes her head bashfully. "No, m' not. I'm ... plain."
He scoffs, though privately he's thrilled (girls with low self esteem always give the best head.) "Honey, you wouldn't be in this room with me if you were 'plain'," he deadpans, not missing how she shifts and glances down at her body self-consciously. "Trust me, Sweetcheeks: men don't spend the kind of money that I just did, if what they're buying isn't astoundingly precious."
She squirms and her lashes lower onto heat-stained cheeks. "I dunno," she mumbles, embarrassed as she obviously recites someone else's words: "M' a late bloomer."
Lloyd laughs. "Well hey, that's okay. Nothing to be embarrassed about, you know. I'm glad."
"You ... are?" She peeks up at him and Lloyd smiles.
"Yeah, Baby. I am. Don't you know the best part about having a flower is getting to watch it bloom?" He thumbs at the little Botticelli cleft she's got in her chin and savors the shudder that travels through her body at that, enjoying the reaction, how hopelessly vulnerable she is. "You know," he muses, turning into her more and pressing her into the blankets. "I think that's going to be your name: Blossom. Would you like that?"
"oh—"
He cuts off that small, surprised sound by kissing her—slowly. He doesn't do much with it at first, because he wants to soak up her inexperienced reactions; wants to feel her hot little gasp of surprise and the softness of her lips pressed to his, her body stiffening and then liquifying underneath the foreign touch of a man. She doesn't know how to handle it, squeaking against his mouth and pushing up against him as his body presses her down.
"It's okay," he whispers. "You're just perfect, Little one. A perfect, tender blossom." His hand migrates to her waist and digs into all of that give, violence and lust bubbling to the forefront of his mind at how fucking delicate she is. He imagines her as a rose: fragrant and velvet-soft. Imagines crushing her in his hand, plucking her petals off one by one, until there's nothing left.
He's always liked ruining pretty things.
"Please," she whispers, trembling. Fuck.
He licks at the seam of her lips and lets his hand drag over her belly while he whispers: "I can't wait to see you bloom, Little flower." Dips inside with the tip of his tongue: "Watch you open up for me." Cups her over the front of her panties: "Watch you unfurl."
"Oh." She sighs, hips juddering reactively up against his palm and then squeaking at the jolt of pleasure it sends through her. Lloyd gives her more pressure and smiles right in her face as she gasps.
"That feels nice, doesn't it?"
"Yy-yeah, but—oh! n-no ... wait, wait, I can't." Her hips kick up again and she whines at her own body's reactions. "Nnn, wait ..." Her hands grab at Lloyd's wrist where he's cupping her, but when he doesn't stop rocking his palm she grapples up at his shoulders instead, giving adorable little pushes that do absolutely nothing other than spur him on.
"C'mon Angel, none of that," he chides, slotting his leg forward in place of his hand so that he can reach up and coax her hands away from fighting him. He envelops her wrists and gently presses them into the blankets at either side of her head. And Jesus fuck, her wrists are tiny. He could hold both of them in one of his, easily. "Relax, Baby. I'm not gonna hurt you. Just want to make you feel good."
She whimpers when his clothed thigh grinds up against her core, her eyes getting watery again. "Ooh ..."
"Yeah. It's okay," he soothes, giving her another kiss, this time a little deeper, guiding her a little more while she writhes against the pressure of his thigh. "There you go," he praises, pretending that he doesn't know that her writhing is still part struggle. "See? Doesn't that feel nice?"
"P-please," she says, "I-I can't."
"Sure you can." He releases one of her wrists and laces their fingers together. "Just relax. I've got you."
"But, I've never," she cries. "Please, I don't ... I've never ... "
"Oh, Sweetheart." Though he'd figured she was a virgin, hearing her whimper it up at him so sweetly has his cock throbbing against the seam of his joggers. He nuzzles her cheek and coos, "You trying to tell me you've never been with a man, is that it?" She keens in embarrassment and he shushes her. "Hey, that's okay. That's perfectly okay."
She sniffles and squirms against him. "Nnn. But I'm not ... I-I don't know how. And you're a ... a ..."
He chuckles. "I'm a what?"
"... a man," she whispers, face flaming.
"Yeah, I am. But that's good, Honey. Dont'cha think? Every girl needs a man to teach her things, at some point. And it's that time for you."
She mewls helplessly in her throat and shakes her head, not noticing that her crotch is still grinding up on him as she does. "But what if I ... what if I can't ..."
"Don't worry," he tuts. He thumbs fondly at the damp corner of an eye until she peeks up at him. "I told you, Petal: I want to see you bloom." She colors beautifully at that and ducks her chin, and Lloyd dips down to kiss her again, not letting up until he feels her body soften to it a little bit more. She seems to realize what her hips are doing and freezes, but he just grabs her and guides her back into the rhythm, groaning when she starts up again. "There you go. Good girl."
"Lloyd ..."
"Don't be afraid. We'll take it slow, okay? I'll guide you, show you everything you need to know."
She sniffles and shivers, still teary-eyed, but she isn't pushing against him anymore. "Will it hurt?" she whispers.
Lloyd's cock gives a mighty throb and his eyes darken. "No, Blossom," he promises. "It won't hurt. Cause I'm gonna open you up real gentle and slow, show you how it can feel so, so good, okay?" He nudges her nose with his when she doesn't answer. "Tell me you understand, Little flower."
"Mmm." She's so shy, so reluctant and sweet. It makes Lloyd's cock ache worse than anything. "... Okay," she eventually whispers.
He hums knowingly and gives her one last peck on the lips before pulling back to undress. He goes slow enough not to spook her, but fast enough that he isn't drawing it out needlessly and scaring her any worse. He's prepared to hold her down if she starts struggling again, but that's not how he wants this to go. He really does want to watch her unfurl.
Her eyes widen and she stares at him with parted lips as he strips out of his clothes and his body is revealed. She seems stuck in place; a deer in headlights, fascinated and terrified—even more so, once he gets his cock out.
He angles it downward and gives himself a slow, tight tug, watching her watch him, soaking up the look of a girl who's having her first real sexual experience. She bites her lip and stares at his hand on his cock, eyes flitting between the weeping tip and his fist, his heavy sac and powerful thighs and back up again. Her brow is pinched and she keeps dragging her lip through her teeth, and Lloyd's balls ache at how tender it is to get to see her appreciating a man's body for the first time; losing this one, innocent part of herself. The very first petal to fall.
Still, he feigns ignorance with a coaxing, "You ever been naked with a man like this, Baby?" He knows that she hasn't, knows what a frightened and turned on virgin looks like. The poor thing is trembling in her skin, completely lost for what to do. Her mouth works like she'll answer verbally, but when she can't seem to make that happen, she just shakes her head a little instead.
"Mmn. Mm mn."
He nods in understanding. "Okay, Blossom. That's just fine." He lies over her again, abandoning his cock and touching the bottom hem of her little top. Fittingly, there are tiny, pale pink rosebuds printed on it. "Can I take this off?" he asks, tracing up to her ribcage and back down from over the cotton. "Hm?" He holds her gaze as he starts gently edging up the fabric. Her belly quakes and she whines nervously, but she lifts her arms for him when it's time, and he praises her with another quiet 'good girl'.
She's wearing a little bralette under the top, with lace edges and a delicate material that provides absolutely no structure. It doesn't even quite conceal the soft shade of her nipples peeking through. Lloyd groans lowly and skims his hands over them. "Fuck, Petal." She inhales noticeably at that, and he shoots her a grin. "Aw, you like that one, huh?" he teases. "My little flower Petal." he ghosts his fingers over her breasts, back and forth, until her nipples are fully pebbled and poking against the thin fabric. "So pretty," he murmurs.
She squirms, flustered, arms pressing in against her sides like she's fighting the urge to cover herself. "They're not ..." she starts, biting her lip and not finishing what she was going to say as her face flames.
"What?" Lloyd coaxes.
"Just ... they're not ... very big."
He doesn't bother to school the displeasure from his face, his eyes darkening as he growls in disapproval. It works in that her eyes pop up to him, wide and questioning. He shakes his head and lets his weight come down more, holding her down with his body and palming greedily at her little breasts. "No," he agrees roughly, rubbing and groping her. "They're not very big, are they?" He leers and pushes the little excuse for a bra up over them. "Sweet little mountain peaks," he teases. She squeaks and tries to cover herself, but Lloyd isn't having it. He knocks her hands away with a warning look. "Don't do that. I want to see you. All of you." He helps her slip the bralette over her head, tossing it aside and returning to take both of those chubby little swells in his palms, cupping and pressing them together as much as they'll go. "Jesus," he curses softly.
They're small and underdeveloped, more mound than slope, jutting out from her chest in youthful defiance. They're so innocent, so cheeky and plump. The sight of them makes that base, destructive desire surface in him again; the urge he sometimes gets to devour and claim and take, to ruin something that's so pretty and good. Lloyd wonders if that's what makes him a sociopath. "Such pretty tits," he praises, then lowers his face to seal his mouth over one, puffy nipple.
She squeaks, frightened at first, but she must be sensitive there because all it takes is one or two firm sucks and she's loosing the most gorgeous, helpless moans. Her hips kick up and Lloyd hums around his mouthful. He gives her more pressure through his thigh, pleased when she grinds up with real purpose.
"Yeah," he encourages. He pulls away and glances up from the level of her chest to find her staring at him with that same, pinched expression, but sloe-eyed instead of wide-eyed, now. Cupping the swollen tip of her breast and swiping out with his tongue, he watches as it makes her face absolutely crumple in desire.
"Ohn, god."
"See?" he says, nodding at the next uncoordinated roll of her hips. "It's all gonna be okay. Just gotta let me show you."
As turned on as she is, she still sniffles, her eyes flitting over him, afraid of what she doesn't know, unable to conceal her nervous interest. He can see her trying to look down and catch sight of his cock again, and he rumbles in approval and lets it drag against her hip. "You want to touch it?" he teases, then chuckles when she clamps her eyes shut and shakes her head with a stubborn little, uh uh. "Aw, that's okay, Sweetheart. You're shy. That's to be expected."
"M'not."
He laughs at her and gives her breast one last, affectionate kiss. "Don't lie, Buttercup. It's fine. Lots of girls are like that, you know. Nervous about touching, unsure, need to feel good before they can really let go enough and explore the way they want to. So how about ... I help you relax first?"
"Mmn." She whines and refuses to look at him. "... How?"
He sinks down her body, hands dragging over her waist and hips, holding her down with a chiding little tut when she squirms a little too much. "Shh. There's a girl." He forces her legs open and shoulders his way in there, and that's what seems to get her to still. He kisses her belly with a pleased hum, right at the top edge of the panties, where there's a tiny silk bow and green peapod detail. Lloyd groans at the sight of it and gives it a little kiss. "Have you ever had an orgasm, Sweetpea?"
"What?!" She huffs in embarrassment and tosses her head. "Noo. I, I don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?” he teases.
“That."
"No?" He smirks and looks down to where there's a telling wet patch on the gusset of her panties. "Hm. You mean you don't touch yourself?" As inexperienced as she is, he still finds it hard to believe that a girl could get to her age without exploring. He places a coaxing line of kisses down the inner crease of her thigh. "Not even a little bit? Maybe sometimes at night?” 
“I … I don’t …”
“Don’t what?" He blows gently against her. "Don’t ever wake up from a dream with that tight and achy feeling deep inside your tummy?”
“Ohh.”
“Don’t let your hands start to creep down here? Don’t rub a little to try and make it feel better?"
She whines again and squirms, though it's not a fight to get away so much as it is pure nerves and embarrassment. She even seems a little mad at him for teasing her so much. It makes him chuckle and push her thighs wider so he can really get his face down there. "Oh, no. Don't pretend you haven't touched this little flower. You've closed your eyes and let your hands wander." He takes one of her hands in his and brings it down, ignoring her grunt of protest and guiding her to cup herself. Instantly, her fingers go to her clit, and Lloyd snickers. "Yes, you’ve touched. But you haven’t made yourself cum?" 
“Please,” she begs. “It doesn't work. I just … I can’t.”
“Aw, you can’t?” He pouts along with her in mock sympathy. “Well what've you tried, babygirl? Maybe you're just not doin' it right."
"Nnngh." She bites her lip and stares down at their joined hands with flushed cheeks. "I don't ... I dunno, please."
He releases her hand and pushes it out of the way. "See, that's what you need a man like me for. Too desperate to figure out how to make that itch go away by yourself. Poor, confused little thing." She makes an angry sound in protest, but it's easily subdued by another firm grab and press of her hips down into the blankets. He snickers at her token outrage. "Shh. That's alright, Blossom, that's alright. Just one more first I get to give you. I’m looking forward to it." He gives the waistband of her panties another kiss. "Girls aren't like boys, you know. You don't just wake up one morning, pulling at your pud. It's more complicated than that. You have to learn what feels good, learn how to get yourself worked up." He looks up her body and offers her a tender smile. "That's why it's important to have a teacher, Sweetpea. Someone who knows these things, someone who can guide you."
She sniffles. "You can?"
"Sure I can. Here, let's try a few things, why don't we? See what sorts of touches you like." He wants to rip her panties off yesterday, but forces himself to remember the plan of taking things slow and savoring every moment. He's only going to get to do this once, after all. So he waits for her barely-there nod, and then grasps the top edge of the panties right over that obscene little fucking peapod, and gives a jostle, gently tug-tug-tugging the fabric up against her mound, pulling it just enough to get the seam angled over her clit. 
She gasps at the sensation, a surprised little "oh!" escaping her lips.
Lloyd hums. “S'that feel good, Sweetheart?"
"Nnnh."
"Hmm. Yeah. You like a little gentle pressure like that? Are you a glancing touch kind of gal?" A few more exploratory, barely-there tugs and he can tell that she is, even though she clearly has no concept of what that means. He drops the panties and lets his fingers trail along the crease of her thigh, relishing every twitch and shiver he gets from her.
Somebody has waxed her bare beneath the fabric, and Lloyd sneers in distaste and purposefully doesn’t let himself think about why that is. "Oh, yes," he says when he sees that the wet spot on her panties has grown. "You like to be teased." She keens in protest, though she's thankfully past the point of outright denying the obvious. Lloyd rewards her with a press of his face against her crotch, inhaling and letting his nose dig into her clit from over the fabric. “Mmhm. Slickin’ right through your panties.”
"Oh!" Her hands suddenly appear in his hair, scrabbling, clutching. “Oh, oh no …”
He laughs a hot breath right against her cunt. "That's okay, Princess. That's good. I like that you’re sensitive.” He gives her one last kiss from over the underwear and then curls his fingers into the waistband. “Wanna take these off?"
"Nnoo," she moans, while doing absolutely nothing to stop him as he pulls them off her.
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He eases them down her legs, gently shushing and praising her for her obedience when she lets him settle his shoulders back in between her legs after tossing the panties aside.
"Such a good girl," he murmurs, hooking one hand under her thigh to push and make room, the other sliding over her soft belly. He tugs her closer to his face, inhaling her scent and groaning at finally getting to see her.
One good thing about a bare pussy: there’s no hiding the state of it.
"Blossom," he breathes. "Look at you. You're soaked." 
She is. The delicate petals of her sex are already spread and slicked, puffy and swollen with arousal. He groans and lets his tongue dart out for a quick taste, reveling in the sweet tang of her, the way that she gasps and her belly tenses underneath his hand. She’s trembling, squirming, trying so hard not to hump up against his face, not to make noise even though it’s obviously what she wants to do. “It’s okay,” he tells her, dipping down for another long lick through her folds, nudging her clit with his nose, his mustache.
“Ohn!” she cries, but the sound cuts off into a desperate yelp at the end as she tries to silence herself. "Nnnh!" 
He makes an admonishing grunt where he’s got his face buried against her. “Hey,” he snaps, when he glances up and sees her fingers in her mouth. He knocks her hand away. “Quit it.”
“I’m not! I’m—” 
He hauls her in harshly and sucks her clit into his mouth until it elicits the squeal he was looking for, a tortured little ‘ognfuck!’ that comes from deep in her belly. He pops off with a satisfied growl. “There. Like that. That’s better.” He softens his tone when she whimpers and kisses the hood of her clit. “It’s okay to enjoy it, Petal. I know it feels good. So stop trying to hold it in, okay? You gotta let me hear you.”
“Please,” she whispers, eyes shining down at him. Fuck, the tears are back. “Please, please,”
“Please what, Princess?”
“Nnn! I – I need …”
Aaand her voice is back to warbling and overwhelmed, prompting Lloyd to grind his dick against the mattress just for a little fucking relief. This girl is sweet in every fucking way imaginable, and now she’s trembling and welling up with tears again, just the way he loves to see. Only this time it’s not in fear. She’s finally losing control of herself enough to let go and open up—unfurling for him, just like the flower he knew she was.
“Tell me, Petal,” he murmurs, tickling her with his mustache again. “C’mon. Tell me. Tell me what you need to cum. Do you even know?”
“Please, nngh, please …” 
He nuzzles her clit and laps languorously at her drenched slit, over and over, proactively tightening his hold on her hips so that he doesn’t get his nose broken when she inevitably starts bucking. “Ohn … god!”
“Mmm hmph,” he hums, having ventured out to start giving her jabs with his tongue, forcing the muscle into her quivering little gash, over and over, teaching her what a good tongue fucking really feels like. “Mmm, mmmph.” 
“Oh, please, ohn!” Her hands clamor through his hair, messing it up as she sobs and jerks, trying to get more of his tongue in her cunt. Lloyd can’t help laughing a little bit over it, breathless and turned on by how easy she is. He goes back to suckling on her clit for a moment or two, before easing off and peering up her heaving belly with a smug grin. “So sensitive,” he coos, holding her down when she thrashes in embarrassment. “Stop, stop,” he chides, laughing, climbing back up her body and pinning her beneath his full weight. 
Her legs spread for him without conscious thought, welcoming him in even as she’s still making her angry little huffs and puffs for being teased. He kisses her, amused, forcing his tongue inside to give her a taste of her own arousal. “And that was just my mouth,” he purrs, bringing a hand up to grope at one of those fat little breasts. “Was barely even inside you. Just think about what it’ll feel like with my fingers, my cock. You want that?” 
She cries out when he plucks her nipple. She shakes her head. “Nnn.”
“What? 'Nnn'? S’that s’posed to be a no?”
“Nnnh. Yes.”
He laughs. “Aw, Cupcake. I already told you I’m gonna treat you real nice, make you feel good. Now why you gotta lie to me?” He lets his hand slip down between them, cupping her between her legs. “Does this feel like a no? Hmm?” She whimpers and he smiles and shakes his head. “No, it doesn’t, does it? Mm mn.”
She’s mewling and grinding up against the pressure of his hand despite her stupid little protests, so he hums and slips a finger down through her folds, lets the tip of it tease at her entrance. Fuck, she’s wet. “Never had anything in here?” he asks, already knowing the answer before she gives another pathetic whimper and shakes her head.
“Just … just tampons.”
“Tampons, huh?” He dips the tip of his finger, in and out, gut clenching as he feels it mouthing at him, feels all that slick. “When’s the last time you bled?” he asks. He’ll grab a condom if he needs to, but he’d rather not need to. “Hm? Come on now, don’t lie to me.”
She won’t meet his eyes, but after enough coaxing she admits that she had her period just a day ago. Lloyd nods, glad that he doesn’t have to worry about protection. Not that it isn’t fun to fantasize about knocking such a sweet little thing up, but that’s not the itch he’s scratching right now. It'll be a treat just getting to watch her bloat with his seed, before that creampie slides right back out. “Okay, then, Sweetheart,” he murmurs, finger still teasing softly right at the edge of her entrance. “I want you to look at me, girl. Want you to look right in my eyes, and relax for it.” He brushes his lips across hers. “I promise this isn’t gonna hurt.”
He eases his finger in, and the tiny little ‘oh’ and relieved sigh she gives up as he does it, is everything. Her wide eyes meet his, blinking. “Lloyd.”
“Yeah.”
“I … I …” 
“Relax, Blossom.” Lloyd’s got big fingers, and she’s clamped down tight as fuck from her nerves, but she’s so fucking wet that it doesn’t even matter, his finger slipping in past the knuckle until it’s all the way seated. Her searing heat envelops him and presses onto his palm, bringing that destructive, sexual urge bubbling right back up to the surface of his mind. 
She’s the purest thing he’s ever touched, this soft, tearful, quivering creature in his hands. He’s never felt such lust and violence at the same time. He desperately needs to ruin her … and yet somehow, also desperately, he needs to make sure he doesn’t hurt her. 
A single, overwhelmed tear breaks from her eye and tracks down her temple, disappearing into her hair. Lloyd’s mouth all but waters at the sight of it, but she doesn’t seem to notice it, too preoccupied with the feeling of him inside of her body. She’s teetering right on the precipice between terrified and fascinated as she learns this new touch, and Lloyd could bust a nut just watching it.
“Good girl,” he praises, letting his palm cup her sex as he keeps his finger buried and starts to give her gentle, gentle pulses. “See? Didn’t I tell you?”
To his utter delight, she exhales shakily and nods. “Yeah,” she whispers, biting her lip and looking down her own body to where he’s touching her. “Yeah. I … it's ... you’re …" Her eyes slam shut as his finger curls. "Oh god.”
“You’re okay. Look at me.” He rocks his hand more, giving her pressure through the heel of his hand and dragging over that soft spot inside. "Look at me, Petal."
It takes her a moment, but she manages, peeking up at him with her brow pinched and moaning softly, her hips juddering up into it. 
Lloyd smiles, lines up another finger, and soaks up her expression as he plucks off that next petal.
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m1ckeyb3rry · 2 months
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── PEREGRINE // TWO
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Series Synopsis: The ways that you and Seishiro Nagi fall together and fall apart over the years.
Chapter Synopsis: You and May hang out at the mall before going to dinner with Reo, Ryosuke, and Nagi.
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Series Masterlist
Pairing(s): Nagi x Reader, Kira x Reader
Chapter Word Count: 6.1k
Content Warnings: unhealthy relationships, cheating, non-linear narrative, probably ooc, angst, nagi is endgame, kira sucks, alternate universe, original characters
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A/N: ok so i lowkey hate writing nagi atm simply because he is a character who (imo) NEEDS a build up to feel like he actually cares abt someone instead of being generally apathetic. but in this part of the story we’re like…past that build up if that makes sense?? so he feels weird to me rn since he’s the product of character development that’s happened chronologically but not narratively. idk that was a long rant for no reason LMAO i hope you guys don’t hate the chapter.
divider credits: @/benkeibear
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You were awoken from a pleasant dream whose contents you could not remember by banging on the room door. When Ryosuke only groaned and mumbled something violent in response, you realized that it fell to you to see what was happening. Yawning and rubbing your eyes, you rolled out of bed and stumbled over to the entrance, swinging it open to find a straight-faced Reo and a playfully irritated May.
“What happened to not sleeping, huh?” May said, poking you in the forehead.
“We weren’t sleeping,” you said, though your statement was punctuated by another yawn, somewhat detracting from its validity.
“That’s believable,” Reo said.
“Oh, that’s enough out of you,” you said. “What’s up? Why’re you guys here?”
“We were going to show you around, remember?” May said.
“You weren’t answering our texts and calls, so we came to see how you were doing in person,” Reo said, his expression uncharacteristically sour.
“Don’t mind him,” May said. “He’s just mad because he lost one of our bets.”
“What was it this time?” you said. For as long as they had been acquainted, Reo and May had constantly been making lighthearted bets against one another, and it seemed that even with their wedding looming so close, their games had not ceased any.
“It was a stupid bet,” Reo grumbled. “I was so sure I was going to win, but my own best friend betrayed me!”
“Me?” you said, pointing at yourself. “What, because I fell asleep? Did you seriously bet I was going to stay awake? You should’ve known better.”
“So you were asleep!” May said.
“Er,” you said. “Well, there’s no point in hiding it. Yeah, we were.”
“Shame on you,” May said.
“Actually, I’m talking about Nagi,” Reo said. “I bet that he wouldn’t come to dinner with all of us later tonight, because it would be way too much of a chore.”
“That’s a pretty sensible option,” you said. “He doesn’t really do things unless they’re easy for him.”
“Exactly my point!” Reo said. “See? I’m not stupid!”
“Maybe neither of you know him as well as I do,” May said with a mysterious shrug. “I guessed he was going to come, and guess what? He is!”
“It’s just not plausible for you to know him better than me!” Reo said. “Y/N, sure, that makes sense. She barely ever talked to him, so it’s not impossible for you to have the upper hand if you’re betting against her. But me? Me? That’s — it’s — it’s just preposterous, that’s what it is!”
“He’s taking this pretty personally,” you observed.
“I know,” May said. “It’s really funny. Every time I pretend like I might know more than him about you or Nagi, he freaks out. The trick is that most of the time, he actually does win bets involving the two of you. I just really ham up the few times that I do win, so it seems like I’m some kind of clairvoyant genius or something.”
“Maybe you’re not clairvoyant, but you’re definitely comedic,” you said. “I’m grateful you’re the one marrying him. He needs someone that keeps him on his toes.”
“It’s a duty I take seriously,” she said. “Anyways, is that fiancé of yours going to come with us or not?”
“Oh, right,” Reo said, his anger dissipating entirely. “That was the other question. Will he want to be there?”
“I’ll make him come to dinner for sure,” you said. “I don’t know if he’ll want to go shopping, though. I can ask.”
“You don’t have to,” May said.
“True,” Reo said. “The three of us could just hang out. It’d be like old times.”
“I’d feel embarrassed third-wheeling you two,” you said. “What would I do when you started getting all lovey-dovey? It would be really awkward if I didn’t even have anyone there to commiserate with.”
“You’re such a baby,” May said. “It’ll be fine. We’ll keep our PDA to a minimum.”
“I’ve known Reo for too long,” you said, pointing at where his hand was already intertwining with hers. “Asking him to refrain from PDA is a cruel and unusual punishment that I could never inflict, even if it was for my own personal comfort.”
“That’s true,” she said, leaning against him slightly. It was the kind of love that was so assured they did not even have to think twice about it. It came naturally, simply. There was no facade to be maintained, no perfect image that was always mere seconds away from shattering entirely.
“Right, so let me just wake Ryosuke up and see what he says,” you said, though of course, you didn’t need to. Perhaps there was not as much love between you and him as there once had been, but your understanding had only grown in the years that had passed, so you could predict his answer with perfect accuracy before you had even asked the question.
He was already stirring when you returned to his side, running his fingers through his hair and drinking from the bottle of water that the hotel staff had so kindly left on our bedside.
“Morning, babe,” he said to you.
“It’s actually afternoon,” you said.
“It’s morning somewhere,” he said. You rolled your eyes.
“Sure,” you said. “Look, Reo and May are here. They’re going to take us to the mall and show us around, and then we’ll all go to dinner together.”
“Okay,” he said. “Give a minute and I’ll meet you all outside.”
“You’ll come shopping?” you checked.
“Of course I will. I need to make sure you don’t buy anything unfashionable,” he said, winking at you cheekily. You did not respond in kind.
“We’ll wait in the hotel lobby,” you said. You wanted to badly to believe that he was being like this because seeing Reo and May had reminded him of what your life used to be like, but the truth was probably just that he had not had the chance to see another woman in some time and was therefore feeling fonder of you because you were his only option, as he was yours.
“He’ll meet us in the lobby,” you said to Reo and May, taking your purse off of the hook by the entrance. The strap rested on your shoulder as you made sure you had one of the copies of the key in your wallet before shutting the door behind you, trusting Ryosuke would lock it.
“If he takes too long, we’ll leave without him,” May said. Reo did not say anything, but considering his policy of being as polite at all times as he could manage, it was as good as an agreement on his part. You supposed May must’ve made clear her dislike to Reo, although if you were recalling correctly, Reo had never exactly been Ryosuke’s number-one-fan, either. He was just better about hiding it than May and Chigiri, both of whom were all but open about their true feelings towards him.
“He won’t,” you said. “He’s basically ready. He just had to use the bathroom, I think.”
“I was just saying,” she said. “It would be in character for him to take forever, is all. What did Chigiri always call him? A peacock bastard or something?”
“Believe it or not, he still calls him that,” you said.
“To his face?” Reo said, eyebrows shooting up. “That’s gutsy, even for him.”
“I knew I liked him for a reason,” May said.
“Not exactly to his face, considering he refuses to even look at Ryosuke. Apparently, it breaks him out,” you said. “And you know how he is about his skin care, Reo.”
Reo, who had been Chigiri’s roommate just as you had been May’s, made a face in acknowledgment, likely recalling as you were the bottles upon bottles of expensive lotions and hair products that Chigiri had invested most of his allowance and, later, salary in.
“He’s not wrong, per se,” May said. “I can feel an itch under my skin as well, just from being around him for so long.”
“I hope that you can get over your allergy on this trip, then,” you said. “Considering he’s going to be at your wedding, and you’ll be at mine.”
“He’s only here as your plus one,” May said.
“That doesn’t change the fact that he’s here,” you said slowly, like you were explaining the concept to a child.
“No, but it does mean that I didn’t invite him,” she explained. Reo tried to cover his snicker by hiding his mouth behind his hand, but considering his eyes still scrunched at the corners and glittered with mirth, he was overall unsuccessful.
“Just be nice to him, please,” you said. “It’s my life you’re making harder. At least with Chigiri, there’s that old rivalry to explain it, but you’re just going out of your way to be rude.”
“You’re right,” Reo said, suddenly guilty, shoving his hands in his pockets and shrugging up his shoulders high as a defense from your disappointment. “We’ll call a truce for the duration of the wedding.”
“We will?” May said.
“May, she promised to get along with Nagi for us,” he said. “It’s the least we owe her.”
“Stop bringing Nagi up,” you said, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably.
“Sorry,” Reo said. May pursed her lips but nodded, though she looked more contemplative than unwilling, as if some new information had suddenly been revealed to her. You couldn’t be sure what information that might’ve been, exactly, but since she did not reveal her hand, you were left to guess.
Ryosuke stepped out of the elevator a few moments later, wearing a new set of clothes and an easy grin. He waved at the receptionist when he passed her, and then he crossed the room to stand at your side, though you noticed he did not even try to put his arm around your body or his hand on your own. He seemed more like a particularly close friend than a lover, and you trained your gaze on the ground instead of reaching out for him as you could have.
“Hope I didn’t keep you guys waiting for long,” he said. May shook her head, smiling at him as best she could. She must’ve picked up that political savvy from Reo, who had a natural-born charm which endeared him to all.
“It’s not a problem,” she said. Ryosuke seemed taken aback by the sudden switch in her demeanor, but he took it in stride.
“Alright,” he said. “Should we get going, then?”
“Yes, that sounds good. Should we take one car or two?” Reo said.
“I vote two,” you said, wanting to give Reo and May the privacy that would be hard-won in the coming weeks. May nodded.
“Agreed. I call having Y/N with me!” she said, wrapping herself around your bicep and batting her eyelashes at Reo.
“Okay,” he said through gritted teeth. “Looks like it’s you and me, Kira.”
“Fine by me,” Ryosuke said.
“Wait, May, don’t you want to spend some time with Reo?” you said. “You guys are going to be so busy getting ready for the wedding soon, so you’ll barely have any moments alone with him.”
“We have our entire lives to spend together,” she said, smiling fondly at Reo. “And I haven’t seen you in years. Of course I want to go with you!”
“If you say so,” you said.
“We’ll meet you there,” Reo said, walking towards the first car waiting in the pickup lane of the hotel, Ryosuke following after him. You and May waited for them to drive off and the second car to pull up before you, too, exited the hotel lobby and got into the backseat together.
“Alright, now that those two are gone, let’s get to the real stuff,” May said, rubbing her hands together.
“What real stuff?” you said. She beamed.
“I want to know what’s up with you!” she said.
“I always text you whenever something happens,” you said. “So you’re pretty much all caught up. Not that there’s really much to catch up on.”
“Why haven’t you picked a wedding day?” she said.
“It’s always straight to the point with you, isn’t it?” you said. “I don’t know. I just don’t feel ready to get married yet.”
“You’re the one who’s holding back?” she said.
“I’ve always been the one holding back,” you reminded her. “Even when we were in college. If you’ll recall, he had to try quite a lot to get me to agree to go out with him.”
“That’s true, but now that the two of you are together, I would’ve said for sure that Mr. ‘I’m-Scared-of-Commitment’ would’ve been the one making a fuss about having to actually get married,” she said.
You almost caved. You almost opened your mouth and told her that it was because you resented Ryosuke, resented him as much if not more than you loved him, and you could not marry someone like that. But neither could you leave him, and so you were stuck in this strange, endless limbo, which you could not escape from nor meaningfully exist in.
“He’s happy,” you said. “He actually brought up choosing a date the other day. I’m the one who’s being weird about it.”
May made a noise of sympathy. “Why?”
You leaned your head against the tinted window, watching the familiar sights of your childhood flashing by, so different and yet still the same. That girl who you had been when you had lived here last…you wondered what she’d think of you now. Was this what she had imagined her life would look like one day?
You didn’t need to ponder it for very long. You knew the answer already — no.
“Why did you say yes when Reo asked you to marry him?” you said instead of responding, thinking back to the day he had proposed to her.
“Because saying yes meant spending the rest of my life with him,” she said.
“And that was something you wanted?” you pressed.
“Of course,” she said. “Even now, my life with him is so wonderful. I want to share as much of myself as I can with him. Isn’t it the same for you? Isn’t that why you said yes? After all, Kira proposed first. If anything, I should be asking you these questions.”
“I guess so,” you said. No. No, of course not. The thought of spending the rest of your life living like this was akin to an imprisonment. It was a great burden weighing down on you, but then again, it was better than the alternative, which was the reason why you still could not bring yourself to leave.
“I’m not judging you or anything,” May said. “And trust me, I could, but I’m not, because I really just want you to be happy. Are you?”
“Am I what?” you said.
“Happy,” she said. “When you were a kid, is this what you dreamt your life would look like?”
You laughed bitterly. “Of course not. People outgrow dreams, May. I was an idealistic girl when I was younger, and there’s no place in this world for that. I have a stable job and a fine home. I have a fiancé who does not mistreat me. I have a cat of my own and a friend who lives only minutes away. Maybe I’m not as happy as I could be, but I’m satisfied.”
“I see,” May said. “If that’s the way it is…I’m glad for you. After everything, you deserve it.”
You exhaled heavily, unsure of what to say. “Thank you.”
Reo and Ryosuke were waiting for you in the front of the mall, and you could not help but take notice of the marked difference between the two of them. Ryosuke was looking around, his lively eyes settling on every girl as they walked past, his posture inviting and casual. On the other hand, Reo was closed off to any approaches, entirely focused on scanning the entryway, craning his neck every time the doors opened in case the next person to walk through would be May.
Unfortunately for him, the people you entered behind were taller than both you and May, so you escaped his notice until the two of you were behind him and May was grinning devilishly. Abruptly, she placed her hands on his shoulders, shaking him back and forth as he shrieked in surprise.
“May!” he said, clutching his heart as he fought for breath. “You scared me. I thought I was being kidnapped.”
“Maybe you are,” she said. “Y/N, I’m holding your best friend for ransom. Give me lots of money and I’ll let him go!”
“No, thanks. You can keep him,” you said.
“Wow, Y/N,” Reo said, pretending to wipe away a tear. “It’s heartwarming how much you care about me.”
“Oh, you guys are here,” Ryosuke said, finally tuning into the conversation. “Took you long enough.”
The joking mood vanished immediately. Suddenly, you were a child again, your mother shaking her head at you in disapproval every time you did something wrong, your father sighing every time you asked him why he was upset, as if you should’ve known just from the way he looked at you what he was feeling.
“We had to make sure you got a taste of waiting, too,” May said before looping her arm through your own. “Though you really had no reason to. You boys can go do whatever, and Y/N and I will go through every single store together!”
“That’s not fair!” Reo said. “I want to help you guys shop.”
“I know, but don’t you think it would be rude to leave Kira on his own? Anyways, this way we can surprise you with what we get,” she said.
“Kira wants to go, though, right?” Reo said, turning to Ryosuke, his eyes wide and pleading. Ryosuke, who had been gazing at a girl as she laughed with her friends, jumped at the mention of his name.
“Huh? Nah, it’s okay. May will make sure she doesn’t buy anything hideous, won’t you, May?” he said. Out of his sight, Reo’s face crumpled, and you thought he genuinely might start sobbing. Reaching out, you patted him on the shoulder comfortingly.
“I would never let her walk around looking ugly,” May said. “Come on, Y/N. Let’s get started — this is a big mall, and we only have so much time before we have to meet back up with everyone for dinner.”
“Bye, guys,” Reo said forlornly, the tendons in his hand flexing, like he was considering reaching out and forcing you to stay back. He must’ve decided against it, though, as he only waved before trudging behind Ryosuke, giving you one last, desperate look over his shoulder before rounding the corner.
Surprisingly, you didn’t buy as much as you thought you might. Without Reo there to insist you and May try on half of every store’s merchandise, you both ended up spending more time making fun of the clothes you saw than anything.
“That sweater is so fucking ugly,” you said, pointing at a strangely posed mannequin. May pretended to gag.
“I think designers have this thing where they purposefully try to design the most horrendous clothes possible, and then, once they genuinely cannot look any worse, they put a brand name and a massive price tag on them and watch people go crazy,” she said. You giggled in agreement.
You had forgotten what it was like to have a friend like this. Your relationship with Chigiri was different — no less important, but different. Being with May was exactly what you needed to calm the turmoil of your mind, and for her part, May was happy to just spend time with you, even if your discussions were more superficial and silly than anything.
The restaurant that Reo had booked a reservation at was in a five-star hotel across town. It was an upscale place, and you spent the entire drive over fidgeting with your clothes, hoping that you were wearing something appropriate for the occasion.
“You look fine, seriously,” May reassured you as you got out of the car.
“Are you sure? I feel underdressed,” you said.
“I’m the same level of dressed as you, so if they’re going to judge you, they’re going to judge me, too,” she said. “We’re in this together. Feel better?”
“A little bit,” you said.
“Good. Excuse me, miss, but we have a reservation for five? Some of our party has arrived already,” she said.
“What’s the name?” the hostess said. She was pretty, with long, smooth hair and innocent features.
“Mikage,” she said. The hostess’s eyes widened, but to her credit, she did not otherwise freak out. Beckoning you to follow after her, she led you to the table where Reo and Ryosuke were sitting.
“Here you are,” she said. “Will the final member of your party be along shortly?”
Reo pinched the bridge of his nose. “He’ll be here at some point. Being on time isn’t exactly his strong suit. Knowing him, he’s probably asleep right now. Say, May, if he ends up being a no-show, does that mean I win the bet?”
May paled. “I’m calling him.”
“That’s cheating! May — May, that’s cheating, stop!” he said as May held her phone to her ear, waving him off.
“I already won the bet, so it’s not cheating if I’m just ensuring my victory remains secure,” she said.
“What are they talking about?” Ryosuke said to you.
“They made a bet about whether Reo’s best man will come to dinner tonight,” you said. “He agreed to earlier, which meant May won, but now he hasn’t shown up, so Reo’s gunning for a comeback victory.”
“Interesting,” Ryosuke said. “Aren’t you glad we’re not so childish?”
You looked at the plush carpet beneath your feet when you answered. “Yes.”
Ryosuke, who was sitting beside you, rubbed your thigh, clicking his tongue as Reo tried to grab May’s phone from her. She barely warded him off with one hand, holding the cell up to her ear with the other.
“Hello? Nagi?” she said. “Mhm, this is May. Yes. Yes, we’re all here. Oh, you’re on your way? Well, sorry, asshole, but you being so late has been more of a hassle for me than answering this call was for you. Okay. Yep. See you soon, I guess. I’ll tell him.”
She hung up with a sly smirk, poking Reo in the cheek. He hung his head in defeat, though of course, he was smiling the entire time, belying his true amusement. They never had any stakes for their bets, and this was on purpose: the competitions were just a silly way for them to liven up how mundane everyday existence could be.
“He was seriously already on his way?” he said.
“Yeah, and he wanted me to tell you to just order the appetizers already. He’s apparently so starved that he might die if he doesn’t eat within the next few minutes,” she said.
“For helping you win the bet instead of me, he deserves it. Traitor,” Reo said, though he waved the waitress over and began listing off the many appetizers he wanted for the table regardless.
“Looks like I’m finally going to get to meet the infamous Nagi,” Ryosuke said, giving the waitress a brilliant grin that forced a blush out of her as she scurried back to the kitchen.
“How do you know him?” you said.
“I’ve heard his name around,” he said. “Once or twice. There was that whole scandal a couple of years ago, too, don’t you remember? When he lost that game and then quit soccer for good?”
There was no way you couldn’t remember. That was the last time you had been back in Japan. You had been in this very town when it had happened, but despite your proximity, you had never found out the reason for it all. You had never understood why he had done it. But, then again, there were so many things about him that you had never understood, so it wasn’t a shock. To you, he would always be an enigma, and one you had no interest in unraveling anymore, to boot.
It was a few minutes later that he walked in. You were dimly aware of Reo high-fiving May in congratulations, never one to be capable of even pretending to stay angry for very long, and also of Ryosuke straightening his back in interest at the newcomer, but none of these things could hold your attention when it was Seishiro Nagi standing in front of you.
He looked almost the same as he had when you saw him last. His pale hair was still kept in the same messy style, though it was soaked for some reason, water dripping down the strands and splashing onto his cheeks. He still wore that same sleepy expression, though something sparked in his dove-colored eyes when they met yours. His shirt was wet, too, the fabric clinging to his muscular body as he draped his jacket over the back of his chair and sat down across from you.
“It was raining,” he said by way of explanation, and though he was speaking to everyone, you could tell he was waiting for your reaction, specifically. You pursed your lips and avoided his heavy stare as best as you could.
“You’re so dumb. Why didn’t you just use an umbrella?” Reo said with a groan, reaching over May’s lap to hand him a napkin.
“Don’t like them,” he said, accepting the napkin and using it to dry off his hair, giving him the frazzled appearance of a mad scientist. “It’s too much work carrying them around.”
You swallowed back the lump in your throat, wanting to say something but finding yourself completely unable to. Thankfully, Ryosuke spoke up, leaning forward with an uncharacteristic interest.
“The falcon of the field,” he said. Nagi’s face was impassive at the mention of his old nickname, from back when he was still one of the top players in the league. “It’s good to finally meet you.”
“Who are you?” Nagi said, pulling out his phone — you were impressed he had lasted so long without it — and began to play a game that, judging by the movement of his fingers, was either Candy Crush or some variant of it.
“Ryosuke Kira.” This earned him a grunt from the clearly uninterested Nagi. “You went to high school with Y/N, right?”
Nagi glanced up at him. “Yeah.”
“I’m her fiancé,” Ryosuke said, wrapping his arm around you in a way that implied possession more than affection. “We got engaged a few years ago.”
“That’s great, man,” Nagi said, returning to his game. “Congratulations.”
“I’m lucky. She’s really the perfect girl,” Ryosuke said.
“Mhm,” Nagi said. His phone vibrated, indicating he had cleared another level. A smile flickered across his face. He was like that, you remembered. Never happier than when he had won a game.
“Ryosuke, stop,” you said. “He doesn’t care.”
“I’m just trying to be friendly,” Ryosuke said. “What about you, Nagi? Anyone special waiting for you back at home?”
Nagi’s phone let out a sad sound. You could picture the screen, the mournful characters and the swirling font, which would read something along the lines of You Ran Out of Moves! He frowned, clicking to restart the level.
“Nope,” he said.
“Wow, that’s a surprise. Well, don’t worry about it. It may seem hopeless now, but the right person will come along when you least expect it!” Ryosuke said.
“Probably not,” Nagi said. “Reo, I’m hungry. How much longer until the food gets here?”
“I’m not sure,” Reo said. “I’ll go speak with the waitress and ask her about the delay.”
“I’ll come with,” May said immediately, springing to her feet and dashing after Reo. You didn’t blame her — if you had a way to escape the awkward situation, you would’ve taken it in a heartbeat.
“Don’t be so pessimistic!” Ryosuke said, in what you were sure he thought was an encouraging tone. “It really does happen like that. Take Y/N, for example.”
“Or don’t,” you said.
“She had never even dated anyone before meeting me,” Ryosuke said. Nagi snorted.
“Really?” he said.
You kicked him under the table, your foot coming into contact with his shin as hard as you could manage. Unfortunately, it had all of the effect that a fly landing on him would’ve, as he only peered over his phone at you for an instant before returning to his game.
“Yup, and now we’re going to get married. All of that is to say we never know what’s going to happen and who we’re going to meet,” Ryosuke said. It was a speech that you might’ve found inspirational, if the circumstances were different. As it was, though, you could only sink down into your chair in embarrassment.
“Sure,” Nagi said. “I’ll keep my eyes open.”
“That’s the spirit. Who can tell? Maybe your future wife is sitting right in front of you!” Ryosuke said.
“Doubt it,” Nagi said. “Considering it’s your fiancée sitting right in front of me at the moment.”
You kicked him again. He blinked at you innocently. You glared at him, begging him to keep his mouth shut. Shrugging his shoulders only slightly, he set his phone to the side as Reo returned with the waitress, who murmured apologies — mostly to Ryosuke — and set your food down in front of you.
“Apparently, they had sent our food to the wrong table,” Reo said. “Go figure. Nagi, you had better not go on your phone while you eat, or else you’ll get bored of chewing and May will have to do the Heimlich on you again.”
Nagi, who had already put his phone face-down on the table, muttered rebelliously to himself but did not pick it up again, as per Reo’s directive. For her part, May inched her chair away from his, obviously not too keen on being volunteered as the resident Heimlich-maneuver-performer.
“Say, Y/N, I’m feeling a little full already,” Ryosuke said, pushing his plate towards you. “And I’m tired from earlier. Do you mind if I go back early?”
“Go ahead,” you said. “Do you want me to come?”
“No, no, I wouldn’t want to take away your time with your friends,” he said. It was then that you realized the hostess who had greeted you had left her station, presumably to change out of her uniform, and your shoulders slumped as you nodded.
“That’s good. I was actually going to ask if I could sleep at May and Reo’s, so it works out,” you said.
“Huh, what?” May said. “I’m alright with it as long as Reo is, but why?”
“For old times’ sake, I guess,” you said. “Although I’m sure just the closet alone at your house is twice the size of our old dorm room.”
“Probably,” she said. “Reo?”
You thought for a second that he might protest, but in fact, Reo actually looked like he might burst into tears of delight.
“Yes!” he said. “Of course — but on the condition that you let me finally talk to her for a bit!”
“Oh, sure,” May said.
“Then it’s a deal,” Reo said.
“That works out,” Ryosuke said, stooping over to press a kiss on your temple. “Now I won’t have to worry about how you get back.”
“Right,” you said, and you were so practiced that the lie came to your lips easily. “I’m glad.”
“I’ll go call the driver for you, Kira,” May said, excusing herself from the table and striding out of the restaurant. A few seconds later, Reo’s phone buzzed. He glanced down at it before groaning.
“Ugh, they keep doing this!” he said.
“What happened?” you said.
“Sometimes, people get it into their heads that just because May is from a different country and isn’t officially married to me yet, they can get away with treating her as less than a Mikage,” Reo said, standing up and pushing his chair in. “If you’ll excuse me, there’s someone I need to fire. Come on, Kira; I’ll just drive you myself. Y/N, Nagi, will you be alright on your own for a bit? I’ll come back with May once we’ve dropped off Kira and she’s calmed down a bit.”
“No,” you said.
“Yes,” Nagi said at the same time, giving you a quizzical look. “It’s alright, Reo.”
“Be civil,” Reo ordered. “I’ll speed a lot, so it won’t be long.”
“See you tomorrow, babe,” Ryosuke said, kissing you again, this time on your lips.
“Ew,” Nagi said.
“Ah, excuse me?” Ryosuke said politely.
“You’re excused,” Nagi said.
“No, that’s not—” Ryosuke looked around for help, but of course none was forthcoming. “Never mind. Um, I’ll just go, then. Reo, do you mind if I stop in the bathroom first?”
“Whatever. I’m going to go check on May and yell at that driver, so meet us there,” Reo said, already storming off. He was so good-natured most of the time that it was easy to forget just how quick to anger he was as well. He had a fearsome temper that he had only recently learnt to control, and on the occasions it reared its head, someone almost always regretted their actions immensely.
As soon as the others were gone, you were unabashedly scowling at Nagi, who did not visibly react.
“Stop it,” you said.
“Stop what?” he said.
“Stop provoking my fiancé,” you said.
“I’m not provoking anyone,” he said, admiring the depths of his drink instead of looking at you. “That would take a lot of effort.”
“You are,” you said. “You keep saying these things that anyone could misinterpret!”
“Misinterpret?” he said. “Uh, you do know what that word means, right?”
“Nagi,” you hissed.
His mouth rearranged itself into a small pout. “The others are gone now. You can just call me Seishiro.”
“I’m being serious,” you said. He let out an aggravated sigh.
“No, you’re just being a hassle. Whatever. Call me Nagi, if that’s what you want. I’m still going to call you Y/N,” he said.
You rolled your eyes. “Whatever.”
“Very original,” he observed.
“Look, I don’t care what you do,” you said. “Just leave me out of it. I’m going to get married soon. I don’t need you acting odd and complicating things the way you always do.”
“I’m not acting odd,” he said. “You’re acting odd.”
“No, I am not!” you said.
“Yeah, you are,” he said. “Also, you suck at kicking. And your fiancé is a pain.”
“Maybe he is,” you said. “But at least he wants me.”
“Is that so?” he said. “I dunno. It looked like he wanted that waitress, too. And that hostess. And May. But I don’t think he’d go after her, because, y’know, Reo would be pretty mad, and he can definitely afford a better lawyer than Kira can if it comes down to it…”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” you said.
“Sure,” he said. “Fine. I don’t know anything. You know everything. This is such a pointless conversation.”
“I agree,” you said. “Let’s finish it. I promised Reo I’d get along with you for the sake of the wedding, but please, Nagi, I’m begging you…once it’s over, let’s just go back to being strangers. That’s the best way.”
“This is the first time I’ve seen you since you left,” he said. “You never once messaged me or called me. I thought you would apologize or something once we met again, but you’re not apologizing. You’re saying you want us to be strangers. Do you mean it was on purpose?”
“Of course it was on purpose,” you said. “What good would it have done for me to message you? To call you? It wouldn’t have changed anything.”
“It would’ve,” he said quietly, picking up his phone again. “For me, it would’ve.”
“But I didn’t,” you said.
“You didn’t,” he agreed. He was playing Candy Crush again, but though he seemed entranced by the game, you knew he was listening to you still.
“Look, dwelling on the past doesn’t accomplish anything,” you said. “For better or worse, this is where our lives have led us. This is the culmination of all of our decisions. Okay? Stop pretending like any of it can change. It can’t.”
“Mhm,” he said. “Look. I cleared the level.”
He showed you his phone. Just as you had thought, he was playing Candy Crush, and true to his word, the characters were smiling and dancing on the screen, the congratulatory message written in a sweet, bubbly pink.
You Won!
For some reason, it didn’t feel like either of you had.
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taglist (comment/send an ask to be added): @mariyumemi @naatggeo @prettyarsxnist
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thepixelelf · 10 months
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Oh Baby, You Part 25 - Completely Surrounded
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You wonder, absently, if hearing the word "dividends" for the fifth time in ten minutes constitutes an emergency signal. Certainly, Jeonghan has heard the word an uncountable amount of times in his years as Mingyu's assistant, but to you, it's nothing rousing.
Choi Seungcheol seems like a nice enough person— well, if you were someone who didn't know he's asked someone out purely to squeeze information out of them. (Which he's doing a terrible job of, by the way, seeing as he's done 90% of the talking since you sat down.) He's good looking, in the guy you'd ask to chop wood for you kind of way (although the three piece suit detracts from that a bit and adds a more you can't afford me aura to his whole thing), plus he offered to buy your drink before he realized you'd already ordered.
But it's just so… awkward. You already know he's not actually interested in you, and you're so tense trying to keep all your secrets under wraps that you can only focus on what not to say rather than what to say.
At least part of what you're going to tell Seungcheol is true. You really do think you're not ready to get back into the dating game. It's not just that you need to keep everyone at arm's length — you're already skirting the rules enough with Vernon and Co. You've also thrown yourself so deep into raising your son that no one has even remotely caught your romantic eye. Or maybe that part of you is broken now. Retired.
You keep telling yourself that you're over Wonwoo and the unfortunate circumstances that tore you apart.
Sometimes it's not a lie.
It's not very nice, you know, to compare Seungcheol to Wonwoo. To think about how you miss the easy way you could always speak to each other; how Wonwoo used to let out these nerdy yet adorable chuckles; how he could make you laugh with just a side eye.
Then again, it's not very nice of Seungcheol to do this to you, either. Both the not-so-subtle interrogation tactic and the stocks talk.
As soon as your phone vibrates with an incoming call, though, you instantly regret wishing for an out.
No news is good news when it comes to babysitting, and a call from Vernon with no precursory text—?
Your heartbeat picks up.
"I'm sorry," you say, completely cutting off whatever Seungcheol was going on about. "I need to take this." Without a second more of hesitation, you bring your phone up to your ear. "Vernon? What's going on?"
He speaks quickly. "Have you talked to Chan?"
"No." You frown, one of your fingers tapping nervously against your leg. "Why?"
"Fuck…"
"Vernon," you repeat. "What is going on?"
"Okay—" Vernon takes a deep breath, and the words flow out of him so fast, you struggle to keep up. "So I had to go pick up my little sister because she found herself in a bad spot so I left Chan with Orion because he's a fully capable human being most of the time except when I picked Sofia up I texted him that I was coming back and he didn't answer at all and didn't pick up the phone when Seungkwan and I tried to call and now I just made it back to your apartment and Chan's car is gone and neither of them are in the room and I don't know what the fuck is—"
"They're gone?" you whisper. Your fingers have wrapped around a napkin, gripping onto it much too tight. Across the table, Seungcheol furrows his thick brows as he observes you, but you can't find it in yourself to keep up any sort of facade right now.
Vernon groans, and you can picture him running a nervous hand through his hair. "I don't know— I don't… wait."
"What?"
"Seungkwan said he might've found Chan's phone GPS location?"
You make a confused noise. "How?"
"I don't know," Vernon says, "but he said they're at the hospital?"
You stand abruptly, the legs of your chair screeching as they scrape against the floor. "The hospital?!"
"I'm gonna head there now." Vernon's starting to sound out of breath, not far off from how you feel despite not moving anywhere. "Do you want me to pick you up? But wait— that café is on the other side of town—"
"You go," you tell him, more concerned with finding Orion and Chan faster than you needing to be the one to find them. "I'll find my own—" You glance outside at the traffic flooding by. "Maybe a bus, or—"
"I'll drive you."
Turning back to Seungcheol, you see nothing in his expression except for concern. Your first thought is that he shouldn't look concerned. He should be smug. An opportunity to see your son in person has fallen right into his lap.
But you're anxious. And scared.
So you take him up on his offer.
You say nothing for the duration of the ride to the hospital, silently stewing over the idiotic choice to bring CEO Choi with you. It wasn't like you had many options, but still…
You ignore all of Jeonghan's frantic texts.
When Seungcheol pulls up in front of the building, you step out of the car so quickly that you almost trip. Before you swing the fancy car door shut, you lean down and give him a genuine smile. This is the perfect opportunity to leave him behind. "Thank you," you say. "For the ride."
The fact that there's a line to the front counter of the emergency room makes your heart clench painfully in your chest, but no sooner do you run up to the queue than you hear your son calling out to you. Frantically, you turn this way and that, until you see Orion sitting, perfectly unharmed, on Wonwoo's lap in the waiting area.
"Orion!" You hurry over to them, your hands immediately cupping Orion's face and brushing through his hair to check for anything amiss. He looks completely fine, as opposed to Wonwoo, whom you refuse to make eye contact with.
His eyes are watering at the edges, and he looks at you like you took his world and crushed it between your evil fingers.
You did, once upon a time.
Gathering Orion in your arms and standing up straight, you press a kiss to his forehead and pat his hair. "You okay, baby?"
He nods, attempting to fit half of his fist in his mouth. You can't help but laugh, relief flooding your veins as it settles in that your son is alright.
Which means…
You look at Wonwoo, despite every cell in your body begging you not to. "What happened?" you ask. "Where's Chan?"
And why are you here? But you don't say that.
Slowly, Wonwoo stands, his eyes never leaving yours. He's trying to read you, his lips pressed in a thin line, his arms limp at his sides as he stands right in front of you.
It's unnerving, and it makes you take half a step backwards.
Wonwoo takes one sideways glance at Orion before his eyes return to yours. "Tell me it's not him," he whispers, voice strained.
You try to brush it off with a breathy laugh. "What? What do you mean?"
This is why you didn't want Wonwoo to see Orion again. You know exactly what he means.
Wonwoo whispers your name like it hurts him to pronounce. It hurts you, too, but you push it all deep, deep down.
"Please," he says. "Please, just… If it was anyone else…"
"Is everything alright?" Seungcheol's voice appears behind you, and you instinctively hug Orion closer, hiding his face against your shoulder. He snuggles up without complaint, completely unaware of the turmoil happening around him.
You break away from Wonwoo's unwavering gaze, only slightly thankful for the reprieve considering the other option is a power-hungry CEO vying for your friend's position in their company.
"When did you—"
"Orion!" Vernon bursts into the waiting room, out of breath and sweating. He jogs right up to you and your son, and he pats his hand on Orion's head. "You okay little buddy?"
Orion shifts in your arms, moving to lift his head and answer, but in your panic, you gently hold him in place. Seungcheol is too close for comfort, and frankly, you don't want Wonwoo seeing Orion's face either.
Wonwoo says your name again, beckoning your attention, just as Seungcheol asks, "What happened?"
Vernon looks between the two men, and pauses on Seungcheol. "Wait, aren't you—?"
"Guys?" Chan emerges from somewhere. You're too disoriented at this point to tell. "What's going on?"
He joins the group, and you can't even chastise him for the dumb shit he did to land you in this situation because your blood is pumping so hard you can hear it in your eardrums. You're completely surrounded, all by people who don't know—
Once again, Wonwoo says your name, but this time he speaks clearly, loud enough for the three other men to go quiet and look at him even though the only one he's looking at is you. He reaches a hand up, and you're frozen in place as he places it gently on your cheek. The touch alone makes you want to cry.
"Tell me," he begs. "Tell me it's not Mingyu."
The silence that fills the space between you is solid and thick. It threatens to drown you.
"I…" You open your mouth, but it's suddenly dry. "I…"
You hear Seungcheol breathe out behind you.
"I have to go."
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sanigopiece · 2 years
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why uta is a well-written character
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reposted from twitter since i saw uta get a lot of hate on there. a lot of people seem to not get her character so i am writing this post in hopes of getting people to see the light. anyways here we go,
1. her motivations are well supported by her backstory. it all began in the tragedy in elegia years prior where shanks took the blame for the destruction of the city and left uta in the care of gordon. this led uta to being forced into a life of loneliness and isolation for the rest of her growing up years.
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these feelings accumulate while she studies music until she eventually finds a den den mushi to livestream her performance. here she learns of the harshness of pirates in the outside world and coupled with her resentment towards the red haired pirates for leaving her motivates her to revisit her old dream of starting a new genesis. this is a solid way of story cohesion between uta's backstory and her actions in the present. everything ties in very nicely & its easy to understand & empathize with.
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2) i've seen some complain about how uta saying that she knew all along that she had caused the destruction of elegia & called it bad writing. this was actually her way of coping with the years of isolation but also her grief in shanks leaving her.
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i speculate that uta realized she caused the destruction of elegia when she learned about tot musica and when faced with this, she chooses to find someone else to blame because guilt ate away at her so she chose to continue believing the lie that shanks did it. so it isnt bad writing because we are given more context on her mental state at the time and it is meant to be a gateway for viewers to empathize with her more but i guess people missed that.
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3. she is not entirely evil. yes she is a villain because she believes she is doing whats right in order to achieve her goal however she still has goodness in her heart. she could've easily kept people trapped in the song world after tot musica was defeated.
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but she didnt because she realized that what she did was wrong and she changed for the better. yes there's moments in the film where she does upsetting things like tearing shanks's hat but these were done in her mentally unstable state so it is unfair to entirely fault her for her actions. she is merely a misguided and misunderstood lonely girl with a dream so dont be so hard on her. she is good deep down.
4. her character is unique. already a given since we dont have that many music centric characters except maybe brook but even brook's powers aren't linked to music so uta is really special. also her songs carry so much meaning and not only does it set the mood for most scenes but it also adds to the story. i highly recommend checking out the lyrics of each uta song because they really tie in to the events of the story and you might just enjoy her character more.
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5. her canonity adds more flare to the story. oda recently confirmed uta to be canon and this means a lot to both shanks and luffy's backstory. it does not detract from their backstories but rather it gives more context like how we understand a lot more about luffy's dream and why he wants a musician in his crew thanks to uta.
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as for shanks, he now has more reason of being and we also got some clues to his lineage in the movie. this is really nice since most shoe horned characters have issues when they're added to canon.
alright so thats all. its been quite the long thread but i love uta and i want more people to appreciate her instead of hating or mischaracterizing her. if i missed anything do let me know. thanks and have a nice day <3
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detectivestucks · 6 months
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A Jealous Hokage V
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18+ content, Minors do NOT interact
Pairing: Kakashi x F!Reader x Obito
Summary: You make a decision as the Gala approaches, Kakashi drives you wild when you attend the event before he and Obito make a spectacle in front of the entire international community
Warnings: NSFW, Slight degradation, Oral, Unprotected Sex, Toy Usage, Violence
Word Count: 6k
Part 4
New here? Check out Part 1
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You wake up the next day feeling heavy. It felt like Kakashi was forcing you to choose between him and your career. Years of studying, hard work, and climbing the ladder all to be thrown away over a boy. You worked so hard to get assigned to high profile projects, you spent so many long nights proving your worth to become team lead of your division, you’re about to meet with the board for a promotion that you’ve been anticipating for two months. Your career is finally taking off and Kakashi wants to come in like a wrecking ball and discredit everything your hard work achieved. 
You love how everyone views you as the exceedingly smart and dependable linguist. You dread the idea of being viewed as nothing more than the Hokage’s girlfriend, using her boyfriend’s influence to get the job she wants. Not to mention the target that will be on your back from all the jealous fangirls who dream of dating him. Scores of women will try to sabotage you or harm your work all for the sake of stealing your relationship away from you. He acted like this was no big deal but publicly becoming the Copy Ninja’s girlfriend was actually a very big adjustment and one that you were not mentally braced for. He was right though; you can’t ask him to wait till he steps down as Hokage. If you are serious about maintaining your relationship, you will have to face the music eventually. 
You couldn’t help but think about how much easier all this would be if you had never started seeing Kakashi and had met Obito first. The feelings were there. That you couldn’t deny. You were relatively sure that he already loved you and you could see yourself grow to love him in the same way. No one would care if you were to date a regular Jonin. Everyone at the office would keep praising your work ethic and intelligence and Obito would stand by your side and celebrate your success rather than detract from it. Plus if his genjutsu was even a little accurate, he was a good fuck too. 
You begin to shake your head. Stop thinking about that. It wasn’t real. I chose Kakashi.
Wrought with indecision you decide to go dress shopping to distract yourself. You needed something for the Gala in a few weeks and you would possibly need some alterations done before the night of the party. Not wanting to go alone, you swing by your officemate’s home to see if she could come with. 
“Absolutely! I’m sure my husband would be much happier if I go with you instead of him.” 
You both giggle at the sentiment and head to the market. 
“You doing okay, Y/N? You seem a little down today.”
“Oh, ah, it’s nothing. Just some personal issues.”
“Uh-oh, does this have to do with mystery man?”
“A little. Well, a lot.”
“What happened? Or are you going to keep me in the dark like usual?”
“Well, he doesn’t want to be a mystery much longer.”
“Which is reasonable”
“But I really think it will impact my upcoming promotion.”
“Why? Are you dating one of the elders?” She says sarcastically
“Of course not.” You laugh “But you know how important my work is to me and I don’t want it ruined over some guy.”
“Well is it really ‘some guy’ when you’ve been seeing him for months?”
You think about this before you speak. “There’s…there’s also another guy.”
“Woah! Two guys at once? Is that why he’s a secret?”
“No! Nothing like that! He has just made it crystal clear that he’s interested in me. He seems great and well, being with him wouldn’t negatively impact my career. It would ‘be easy, the way it’s supposed to be.’ Or at least that’s what he says.”
“Want to know what I think?”
“Desperately” you say with sincerity
“I think that the first guy must mean a lot to you if you want to date him despite how it could hurt your career. I know how much your work means to you, so it tells me a lot about who he must be.”
You give a weak smile, relieved that your decision to stay with Kakashi was validated.
“But where does that leave me with the whole, going public thing?”
“Well, you have that meeting with the board coming up soon, right?”
“Yes, they assigned me that Class S project that’s due in 3 weeks and the board meeting is right after. They want to see if I can ‘handle the pressure of leading a team that interprets S Rank intel’.”
“They act like you’re not already doing that.” she laughs.
“Yeah really”
“But anyways, how about, you wait till after the board meeting? See if you get the position and then go public after you’ve had a few weeks to settle into the new job.”
“I don’t know…”
“I’m just saying, it gives him a date so he’s happy, and it gives you time to establish yourself as the boss before your lovelife becomes a factor in your professional life.”
“You know what Shiho, that is sage advice. Thank you. Now what advice can you give me about this dress?”
“It’s stunning. The jaw of every man, including mystery man, will be on the floor.”
You smile at yourself in the mirror. She was absolutely right. Kakashi would have to forgive you if he saw you in this. He wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off of you. 
****************************************************
Going into work the next Monday was painful. You had a meeting with Kakashi to discuss the status of your project and he was incredibly cold to you. You know it wasn’t cause he was mad at you, it was because he was hurt. It also probably didn’t help that the catalyst for your interaction was due to the very reason why you wouldn’t go public about your feelings for him. 
You needed to talk to him. Tell him your decision. Tell him about the timeline Shiho suggested. You tried to linger behind after the project briefing but new people kept coming into his office so you didn’t get the chance. 
At the end of the day Kakashi swung by your office. You were working late as usual. He stood there watching you while you were lost in thought. He sighed and walked away without saying hello.
Obito however also decided to come check on you, striding into your office like it was his own. 
“Oh come on Obito, now I can’t remember what I was just thinking.”
He leaned against your desk, “Don’t worry Princess, you’re smart, you’ll remember.”
You grimaced at him. “That’s not the point. I don’t like being interrupted when I’m working late. That’s the whole beauty of being in my office alone at night.”
“I thought the beauty of being in your office alone at night was so that I could bend you over your desk.” he says with a wink, getting close to you, seducing you with his sultry voice.
“Obito, we talked about this.” Though deep down you had to admit that does sound appealing.
“I’m sorry Princess. I just came to check on you.”
You look down embarrassed. You had a fight with your boyfriend and immediately cried in the arms of his romantic rival. You’re a terrible girlfriend. “Thank you Obito. I’ll be fine though.”
“Did you make a decision?”
“Ah, the real reason you came to see me.”
“Of course not Princess, but you know I had to ask. I do have a vested interest after all.”
“I’m still dating Kakashi.” you say with a look of exasperation “…if he’ll have me.”
“He will have you. He’d be a moron not to.” He says pulling you into a hug. 
You were starting to enjoy his hugs. They always made you feel better. You were sure they were just a way for him to touch you but you could tell it was also because he had grown to care for you. You take a deep breath while in his arms. Inhaling his musky scent. You relaxed completely in his arms as you exhaled. Feeling relief wash over you, you let go of him, ready to begin working again.
“Let me go make you some tea, and then I’ll leave you be.”
You give Obito a small smile as he leaves your office to head towards the break room. This would be a lot easier if he’d just be an asshole.
****************************************************
You tried for two weeks to get a hold of Kakashi before finally giving up on catching him at work. Instead you went straight to his home directly. You were just going to have to risk being seen if you wanted to speak with him. You give the door three quick knocks. Nerves getting the better of you. 
You could hear him get up to answer the door. “Angel” he smiles before letting you in.
Not thinking, you immediately rush to hug him, holding him tight. Butterflies are released the second you touch him. He hugs you back. “I’ve missed you Kashi”
“I’ve missed you too Angel”
Your heart ached upon seeing him again. You knew you missed him but just how much was unknown to you till this exact moment. You could’ve cried had you allowed yourself to. 
You swallow hard before clearing your throat. “I’ve come to negotiate with you.”
He cocks his head to the side, “Oh you have?”
“Yes, I have.”
He gave a smile, playing into your hand. “So what is it that you propose?”
“I propose that we keep our relationship private for another 6 weeks.”
“I propose that we go to the Gala together as a couple.”
“Kakashi, you know I have the board meeting coming up. That determines if I finally get the position as head of the department. Please allow me to get the position on my own, without you being a factor.”
“That meeting is in another week. Why do you wanna wait six?”
“I want time to establish myself in the position before the rumor mill goes wild with theories about our relationship”
“Fine, I will accept your terms.” He says seriously but with a twinkle of happiness in his eyes.
You beam up at him. “So are we good?”
“Yes Angel, we’re good” He pulls you in kissing your cheek as he pulls you over to the couch to lay with you. “You know, since I can’t go to the Gala this weekend as your date, I thought of a way you can make it up to me.”
Uh oh. You look up at him pensively. “What do you have in mind?”
“Oh not much, just a little toy I picked up for you.”
“A toy?”
“Yes, I think you’ll like it.” He gets up and goes to his room, coming back with a small pink pad with a bump in the middle. There was a wicked smile on his face. 
“What is it?” you say, standing up.
He pushes the pad between your legs so the bump in the middle kisses your clit. Pressing the remote he kept hidden in his hand, the pad began to vibrate. Immediately you locked your legs together and hitched forward, clawing at his shoulder for support as the vibrations knocked the wind out of you. Your moans bounced around the room as his eyes darkened with lust. He turned off the remote allowing you to return to standing. 
“I want you to wear this in your underwear to the Gala this weekend.”
“Kashi, people will notice.” you say with urgency.
“It’s up to you to make sure that they don’t.”
“What if they hear it?”
He turns it on again, making you groan, slick instantly puddling in your thong. “I don’t know about you, but all I can hear are you pretty little moans.” He pushes it into you harder before turning it off. 
You nod your head accepting your fate. “That’s a good Angel” he says with a masked kiss on your cheek. You take the toy and deposit it into your bag. 
“See you on Saturday” he coos in your ear.
“See you Saturday, Kashi” you say with your eyes closed. It felt like home to have him whisper in your ear once again. You left for home with your heart fluttering. Relieved that he was happy again and relieved that you had six weeks to get yourself ready for the shit storm that would hit you once you made your affair public.
****************************************************
The night of the Gala finally came. You were a little bit anxious about interacting and socializing with all your coworkers and so many important officials from other nations all at once. Not to mention the part where Kakashi would be tormenting your clit at any given moment. The pink silicone pad rested in your black satin thong, pressed into your heat by the elastic band.  The small ridge in the middle nestled snug up against your clit which throbbed with anticipation. You take a deep breath before you enter the room. Immediately by the door you see Obito who is talking to Genma, Kotetsu, and Izumo.
“Wow” he whispers audibly. 
You walk in wearing a slender, floor-length, glittering black dress. The bodice was snug against your chest, diving down in a deep V that showed your entire cleavage. The fabric gathered up at the slim straps that reached over your shoulders and criss crossed down your back to your waist. The skirt flowed down to the floor with a slit high up on your thigh, showing off your plush leg and dainty, strappy black heels. You wore the matching earrings that Kakashi gave you special for this occasion and around your neck draped the glittering stone necklace with the bright pendant resting between your breasts. Your hair was pinned up on one side with large waves cascading down past your shoulders. Since you loved to emphasize your natural grace, you chose light eye makeup with thick mascara and extra highlighter on your cheekbones. 
Upon your entrance many members in the crowd turned to gaze at you. The room began to quiet down as several of them gawked at your beauty. You felt incredibly shy by the room’s reaction and quickly sought out Shiho to go talk to. You bypass Obito, knowing nothing good would come from interacting with him, and looked straight ahead, doing your best not to see his reaction out of the corner of your eye.
“Yeah, she’s pretty to look at but she’s married to her job.” Genma says in response to Obito’s jaw falling to the floor.
“You don’t want a girl like that. She’d never give you the time of day unless you were one of her dusty scrolls.” Izumo piles on. Kotetsu laughed in agreement.
“You’re all idiots” Obito growls as he walks away searching for better company.
You meet up with Shiho and her husband. 
“Wow, you look stunning!”
“Thank you!” you say, casting your eyes down. You know that you’re beautiful but it still makes you bashful for people to be so forthcoming with compliments. 
“So, is mystery man here tonight?” 
“Shiho!” you say in an urgent whisper. “I don’t want anyone knowing anything till that day that we agreed upon at the dress shop.”
“So he went for it.”
“Yes, he went for it.”
“Well I’m happy for you.” 
You smile. You’re happy too, but soon you’re going to have to face your punishment for hurting Kakashi’s feelings and you’re dreading the moment that he enters the room.
The room dims and there is a man by the doorway. He comes out to begin announcing the important guests of the evening. They begin with the Feudal Lords of the other nations and their Kage, followed by their family members and invited guests. After the members of the other great nations enter the room, they announce the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire and the Hokage.
Kakashi enters the room in his ceremonial robes and your heart throbs for him. As much as you want to see him in a suit, you feel so proud of him for the position that he earned. 
Soon after he enters the room your breath hitches. He turned on the vibrator.
Already?! Couldn’t wait a second, could you?
“Is something wrong?” Shiho asks
You laugh it off, “No, everything’s fine, just a cramp from my heels.” Kashi please turn it off.
“Okay” she says unconvinced.
Enjoying the company of other intellectuals, Shikamaru enters your circle right as Kakashi disabled the vibrator. 
“Good Evening Shikamaru”
“Good Evening, Y/N. How are you tonight?”
“I’m doing well!”
“How’s that project going? I hear you’re almost done”
“Yes, it’s going well.” 
Temari enters the conversation anxious to be near Shikamaru and at the same time Kakashi flips the switch back on.
“Y/N, this is Temari, she is the Kazekage’s older sister.”
“Nice to meet you!” you say through a pained smile. Kakashi, why?! This is too mean.
“So I hear you have a meeting with the board at the end of the project. Are you nervous?”
“Very much so” you say, your face turning red from embarrassment and arousal.
“Oh, what’s the meeting for?” Temari asks
“They’re thinking of making Y/N head of the department” One of the elders interjects as he joins the group for conversation. At that moment Kakashi raises the intensity of the vibrator. You feel you are going to collapse if he doesn’t stop. 
You desperately look around the room. He’s standing in the corner deep in conversation with Gaara and the Raikage but glances over in your direction. You know him well enough to be able to tell he is smiling a devilish grin under that mask when he sees the panic on your face. You silently plea for him to turn it off but instead he increases the speed out of spite. Kashiiiii! But as you shake hands with one of the retired jonin the elder just introduced you to, he finally turns it off again. 
You feel a wave of relief rush to your core as you catch your breath. 
It seems that everyone wants a chance to speak with you tonight and the circle of people around you is growing rather large. Kakashi is having boisterous fun turning the vibrator on and off all evening but eventually there are too many onlookers so you head over to find some refreshments, preferably some sake to desensitize your aching clit and relieve your embarrassment. 
 Finally alone for a moment you scan the room. You see Obito talking with his old classmates in the center of the hall. You noticed that he looked very handsome in a suit. The juxtaposition between the elegant fabric with clean lines against his battle-scarred face was erotic. He could have any woman in the room. Why did he always set his sights on you? You sigh wishing Obito would move on when Kakashi approaches you slipping off your earring as he whispers, “play along”
“Oh, Y/N, you seem to have a missing earring.”
“Oh no! It must’ve fallen out.” you exclaim looking at the ground.
“Do you need help looking for it?”
“That would be very appreciated, my Lord.”
“Let’s retrace your steps.” His hand glides to the small of your back as you walk back the way you came in search for a coat closet.
From across the room Obito spots you. His chest pangs as he sees you and Kakashi sneak off together knowing exactly what the two of you are actually up to.
You reach a secluded closet down the hall and he shoves you up against the wall. 
You smile as you look at him with those bedroom eyes he loves. You know you're gorgeous tonight and you know he wants to devour you. 
You playfully take his Hokage cap and wear it while pulling down his mask to kiss him. 
“Now this is a Hokage I would die for” he says as he lunges in to kiss you. You feverishly make out, pawing at each other’s faces, as the Hokage cap falls to the ground. You hadn’t been intimate for several weeks. Your pent up sexual frustration was boiling to the surface. 
Kakashi sucked and bit your lip till it was swollen and red making you look extra pouty. 
His inner wolf emerged as you played with his hair, mouth open, taunting him with your lips. 
He grabbed you tight, squeezing you with all his strength as he kissed you long and slow. Savoring your taste like he was discovering your lips for the first time. You slipped your tongue past his lips, licking the inside of his mouth. The two of you moaning together as your tongues danced in each other’s mouths, dry humping to the rhythm of your synchronized breathing. 
Eventually breaking apart, he stares at you, scanning you up and down. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look more beautiful than you do here tonight.”
You blush looking at the ground. “Well, I was trying to impress the Hokage. Have you seen him?” you look up innocently. A smile stretching across his face. 
“I can’t wait to see how beautiful you look on our wedding day.”
You gush at the idea and how ridiculous it is to be talking of marriage when you’re currently hiding your affair in a coat closet at an international event.
He grabs you forcefully by the shoulders pulling you in to kiss once more. You start to undress him, taking off his robes and his dress shirt underneath so that you can claw at his muscular chest and back. 
“That’s not fair Angel. I can’t mark you while you wear that dress but you can scratch me up all you want?”
“Shinobi know better than most that life’s not fair” you say, nuzzling your nose against his before sucking on his neck and collarbone that you know will be hidden under his mask.
Infuriated at the situation, Kakashi promptly pulls down the straps of your dress to mark your tits. All your previous markings had healed. There was no sign on your body that you were taken and belonged to him. It was time to remedy that. 
“Aaahh!” you sing as he overpowers you and starts biting down on the flesh of your breast. You missed the painful bliss of his ravenous teeth. He put his hand in his pocket and turned on the vibrator. 
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!” It was much more fun to play with when you were allowed to moan and sink into the pleasure. While your mind swims from the vibrations, Kakashi takes one breast in each hand and goes back and forth between the two, marking, kissing, sucking, and flicking your nipples with his tongue. You loved it so much that you had to muffle yourself with your hand so no one would open the closet door and catch you. 
When he was done he squeezed your tits extra hard in his large hands before moving the slit of your skirt aside so he could gain access to your cunt currently being massaged by his toy. He uses his hand to push it into you  while he reaches in his pocket to put the intensity on max. You wail pushing a second hand over your mouth. 
“Do you like that Angel?” he coos as he tries to take your hands away from  your mouth. It’s like he wants us to get caught. You think to yourself but the thought is quickly stolen from your brain as he pulls down your underwear and replaces the vibrator with his tongue swirling all over your bud.
Your knees give out from the pleasure and you fall to the closet floor. Kakashi instantly climbs on top of you, his crotch above your face. He spreads your legs clutching around your thighs diving in on your delicious sex. You whine and moan wiggling under him as he dines on everything your pussy has to offer. 
“You taste devine. Just as sweet as I remember.”
Lust consuming your actions, you undo the ties of his pants pulling out his length. Stroking him aggressively, lifting your head to swallow him while his face is buried between your legs. 
He sucks hard on your clit eliciting a moan that vibrates along his entire shaft currently stuffed between your lips. You hear a mischievous laugh from between your legs. You whine and wiggle in response. He continues lapping at your heat while you bob your head up and down on his cock. 
You feel him go rigid before he bites down on your bud. You yelp, his length still filling your mouth. Kakashi readjusts his weight and begins thrusting into your throat. Gagging and choking on his cock, spit dribbles out of your mouth and tears leak out of the corner of your eyes while your face reddens from oxygen deprivation. You are about to tap out when he finally rips his length out of your throat and you gasp for air. 
He gives you a small upside down kiss before maneuvering to align himself with your heat. His tip pressing into your entrance, the familiar feeling of fullness stretches you once more making you hiss in excitement. He pushes your wrists into the floor as he sets his pace between your legs. You let your head fall to the side as you close your eyes enjoying the sensation of having him inside your pussy once more. Walls sucking his length in deeper and deeper, Kakashi leans down to lightly kiss your neck. You hum, feeling your mind go blank with joy and pleasure. His sack lightly tapping between your cheeks with each thrust. 
He lifts up your legs over his shoulders to deepen his angle. Your strappy black heels on either side of his face. You begin to mewl and moan now that he is kissing your cervix. Feeling yourself begin to tetter on the edge, ready to topple over in orgasm. You reach up to him to bring him down closer to you. 
His eyes ignite and he presses your legs into you snapping his hips into your plush behind at a wicked pace. You begin to feel rug burn on your back as he thrusts with all his might, utilizing every muscle in his body. You lift up your hand to stop your head from banging into the wall of the closet while the other grabs a tight hold of his neck. You want to scream but instead you mutter his name along with various curses under your breath.
“That’s it Angel, take every inch”
“Fuck baby! Fuuuucccckkk”
“That’s a good little slut. Taking my dick on the floor of the coat closet.”
“Oh Gods Kashi, Fuck!”
“You think I didn’t notice you chose a dress with a slit in it, just like I wanted. You’d been planning this. You wanted to be my little closet cumslut.”
“Yes, my Lord. I want to be your little cumslut.”
“Does your tight little pussy want my cum?”
“Ye-e-e-e-s-s!” You barely say between thrusts.
Kakashi grunts as he thrusts even faster than he already was till he spills his spend inside of you, stroking it deeper inside of your walls. Taking great pride in the thought of you spending the rest of the Gala feeling his cum leaking out of your pussy into your underwear. 
The two of you lay together on the floor of the coat closet both half naked catching your breath. What a site it would be if someone were to open the door. 
You grab his hand and hold it. An involuntary smile stretches across his face. He so badly wants to walk back out into that room holding your hand. He wants the world to know you’re his. You belong to him, from your delicious body, to your marvelous mind, all the way down to your beautiful soul. For now he will have to just admire you from across the room. Those 6 weeks cannot go by quick enough. The first thing he is going to do is take you on a very public date. He already knows exactly where; he’s been planning it since the night you came to his house. 
You sit up, adjusting your skirt so that the slit is back to the side where it belongs, and lift your straps back over your shoulders covering up the love marks on your breasts and ribs. You wipe the runny mascara off your cheeks and smooth out your hair. There's not much that can be done about the rug burn on your back so Kakashi grabs one of the shawls that was hung up and gives it to you to drape over your shoulders. 
You fluff his hair and straighten his cap. Walking out of the closet together, beaming at the other. He gives you back the earring he took and pockets the pink toy, letting your clit rest for the remainder of the evening. Besides, now it was his cum that would be toying with you as it slides out into your thong and coats your inner thighs.
When you re enter the ceremony hall Kakashi takes a left and you take a right, headed over to the group your officemate is talking to. Obito happens to be in the conversation and it seems that you interrupted the group giving him a hard time about being single. Great, just the conversation I want to have around him. Ebisu suggests that Obito should date you, since you’re both single. You both exchange heated looks before your officemate speaks up and spills the beans that you have a secret boyfriend. You shoot Shiho a look of rage. Is she dumb or drunk?! Obito toys with you knowing you want them to change the subject.
“You have a secret boyfriend, eh?” He asks
“I’m too focused on work to date.”
“Oh really? Is that why I see flowers delivered to your desk?”
You glare at Obito. “Would you drop it already?” Your face becoming more flush as the heat spreads to your cheeks.
Kakashi, noticing how Obito was messing with you, approaches the group. Feeling jealousy creep into his heart, he can’t take it anymore. You’re his, no one else’s. He just wants Obito to shut up. He stands next to you and quietly grabs your hand, interlacing his fingers with yours, exposing your relationship to the entire Gala. 
“Holy shit” you hear your officemate whisper. 
“Wait, really?” someone else says
“Kakashi’s your secret boyfriend?” Ebisu practically yells to the whole room.
You see Obito’s devastated face before he leaves the Gala in a hurry. All you can do is look at the ground as the entire room breaks out into a whisper, all gossiping about your now public relationship.
“This isn’t what we talked about Kakashi” you whisper to him, eyes fixed to the floor, enraged by his action.
Shiho then says, “Yeah, I would’ve kept this one a secret too, Y/N. Had I known he was the guy you were talking about, I would’ve told you to never go public with him.” She looked up at Kakashi disapprovingly. Seeing his action for the selfish deed that it was. This was definitely going to impact your promotion and she knew it.
Feeling humiliated you leave the room and head for the door. All eyes were on you as you left, resisting the urge to cry in front of all the feudal lords and Kage of the five great nations. 
How could he do this to me? So publicly and in front of the entire international community! And with the board meeting in just 9 days!
Once your face meets the cool night air you begin to sob. Walking aimlessly in your heels, it didn’t matter where you went as long as it was far away from everyone at the Gala. 
Your vision clouded by tears, you didn’t notice Obito standing in front of you. You collided into him. He clearly had also been on the brink of tears. 
“Please Y/N, don’t be with Kakashi.” He begs, “You should be with me!” You knew he was serious; he called you by your name.
“Stop Obito! I can’t deal with this right now.”
“He doesn’t even respect you enough to obey your wishes! I KNOW you were not okay with what he did back there!”
“My relationship doesn’t concern you Obito!”
“Yes it does! I would never do that to you! You know that I would always respect you and your job.”
“Obito, you literally came to my place of work to ask me on a date!”
“But you weren’t secretly dating me.”
“No! But you knew I was in a relationship with someone else!”
“Princess…”
“No Obito! Don’t act like you’ve been a saint! You think I’ve forgotten how you ambushed me on my way home, how you always break into my apartment to see me, that you put me under genjutsu twice?!”
“Princess, I-I’m sorry, I-”
“YOU PUT HER UNDER GENJUTSU?!” Kakashi roared. 
He heard everything, having followed you after you left the Gala. He knew Obito was causing trouble but this was unforgivable. 
“Careful Kakashi, don’t start a fight you can’t win.”
“You’re a dead man.” He hissed. 
Usually the voice of reason, Kakashi only looked like the man you loved but he sounded and was behaving like a totally different person.
Chidori singing in his hand, Kakashi dove for Obito. Obito just stood there as Kakashi moved through him. 
What the hell? How did he do that?!
Kakashi tore off his Hokage robes and pulled out a kunai hidden in his pants. Obito did the same. Both men armed and ready for battle. 
What is happening right now?! 
You begin to panic as they lunge at each other in impressive hand to hand combat. Their tijutsu skills are unbelievable. They soar through the air as they kick each other, swinging their fists faster than you’ve ever seen anyone move. 
You finally collect your wits realizing you have to stop them. You can’t possibly step in, their skills far exceed your own. You yell for them to stop, begging and pleading with them but you are white noise in their ears. 
You run back to the Gala in your heels to get help. You see Shikamaru outside having a smoke with Temari. You grab him by the sleeve, dragging him with you, running over to where Kakashi and Obito are. Temari runs behind you. 
“Hey! What’s going on?!” Shikamaru yells in surprise.
“They’re gonna kill each other?!” you cry. He starts running with you. You round the corner and see that they have brought half the street to rubble in the midst of their battle. 
“Oh shit.” Shikamaru stops under the street light to use his shadow paralysis on the both of them, holding them hostage midswing. You can tell it took enormous strength on his part to hold these legendary shinobi at bay. 
“Calm down!” he shouts. “You’re creating a scene in front of the entire global community! Do you have any shame?!”
The both of them begin to sober up, their rage ebbing slightly. They calm down enough for Shikamaru to release them. 
“If I catch you sniffing around her one more time I’ll kill you.” Kakashi snarls. 
“Believe what you want Bakashi, but she loves me too and if I were the one she met first, it would be me who she’s with, not you.” 
The truth of his words stung, looming in the air between you. He was absolutely right, in another reality, you probably would have been with him. It shattered your heart to think about it. 
Obito marched off into the night while you looked up at Kakashi teary-eyed.
Kakashi regained his composure, collecting his ceremonial robes and cap from off the ground. “Let me take you home.” he says, sticking out his elbow. 
“Okay” you whisper, taking it. Leaving behind the spectacle you just made as Shikamaru and Temari watch you leave.
You didn’t want to think about the fight you just saw. You didn’t want to think about the fight you were about to have with Kakashi. You didn’t want to think about what people were saying back at the Gala. You didn’t want to think about how people were going to treat you on Monday. You wanted to run away but for now you would settle for turning your mind off and walking home on auto pilot in complete silence.
Part 6 Masterlist
88 notes · View notes
anthurak · 5 months
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So this is almost certainly going to be an unpopular opinion for some, but for a long time now I’ve been feeling that the RWBY fandom puts just a bit TOO much stock in the various fairytale/mythology/literary allusions of the characters when it comes to theory-crafting. It feels like people find out that a certain character A is an allusion to another character B from an already completed story and go ‘Well that must mean that Character A is going to turn out just like Character B!’
Which of course completely ignores that these are allusions and references. Ruby Rose might have strong parallels and similarities to Little Red Riding Hood, but that does not mean she IS literally Little Red Riding Hood. Just as Weiss Schnee is NOT literally Snow White, Penny Polendina is NOT literally Pinocchio and Oscar Pine is NOT literally the Little Prince. Ultimately, whatever allusion a character might have comes SECOND to who they are as an actual character, NOT the other way around.
Whatever allusions a character has might inform what could happen to them, but that should still be treated as secondary to what we actually see them do in the show.
For example, I see a LOT of ships in the RWBY fandom that people seem to largely use interpretations of the characters’ allusions as ‘evidence’, rather than what the characters actually DO in the actual SHOW. Like has anyone noticed that discussions of ships like Bumbleby, Renora, Nuts and Dolts or White Rose have historically not involved much interpretation (relatively speaking anyway) of the potential ‘complimentary allusions’ of these characters? Because there is no NEED to, because all the evidence for these ships is right fucking there on the screen. Meanwhile we’ve got ships (and I am NOT naming names) that people will swear up and down are TOTALLY going to be canon for really-realsies where most or even all of the ‘evidence’ consists of people effectively playing some kind of matching game with their allusions. Or saying nothing more than ‘Character A kinda-sorta resembles the love-interest of Character B’s allusion’.
And ALL of this doesn’t even take into account the biggest factor which I keep getting the impression that WAY too many RWBY fans still having gotten the memo on:
The fact that RWBY literally NEVER plays its allusions STRAIGHT.
All the way from minute one when we saw an allusion to Little Red Riding Hood cutting down a horde of Big Bad Wolves, RWBY has ALWAYS been subverting, inverting, flipping, twisting and otherwise playing it’s allusions, references and archetypes literally ANY way but actually STRAIGHT.
Little Red Riding Hood hunts the Big Bad Wolf. Snow White is equal parts Princess AND Knight in Shining Armor. Cinderella is a tragic villain origin story. Pinocchio was always a real girl. The Great and Powerful Wizard Oz is far more powerful than anyone thought, but is ALSO far more of a fraud than anyone thought.
So when people use these characters’ allusions as some kind of rigid road-map to theorize what might happen to them, it’s not just that this detracts from their identity as their own characters; the story itself isn’t even using that map!
I mean speaking personally, that’s what has always made RWBY theory-crafting FUN. Trying to guess how the writers might twist and flip the allusions they’re using. But that also means that the allusions of the various characters simply DON’T actually provide ANY kind of accurate ‘road-map’ for where they might be going. Instead, the best we can do is use what the actual show has actually shown us to get any kind of idea where the characters are headed.
Ultimately, I feel like too often I see that when people are making theories about RWBY characters, they are treating them more like the characters they are based on, instead of the characters they actually ARE.
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Ok! I watched Chaos Theory! I have a lot of thoughts! There were things I liked a lot and things I wasn’t a fan of. I generally liked it but came away slightly underwhelmed. If you haven’t watched it yet please go do so!!! Support the show and the wonderful crew that put it together!!!
SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT
WHAT I LIKED:
-MATEO!!! I literally loved him so much. A fantastic, simple character that doesn’t overstay his welcome or detract from our main characters. Great motivations and realistic backstory. Yeah. I really liked him. Yeah.
-Yasammy! Obviously they were amazing. They got to be cute and bubbly and gay but also their argument was so real and believable. Neither one of them is completely in the wrong. They are just two flawed people who’ve been through more than they can handle on their own. They need each other but not always in the way they might think. They were such a highlight this season. Can’t wait for more of them.
-This whole show just feels like a dramatic step up in visual storytelling from CC. The sets are beautiful and intricate, the lighting and textures are fantastic, and the directing is just really great. There are some really creative shots and transitions, and overall it just feels like more confident directing and storyboarding all around. (I specifically remember episode 7 being really great visually. Super fun stuff.)
-All the dinosaur action was great. Like next level shit. The way they keep finding creative ways to use these animals for action and suspense is very impressive. The raptors are genuinely scary. The Allosaurus and Pachyrhinosaurus were personal favs.
-Unlike Dominion, they actually showed what living in a world with dinosaurs is like- how people are adjusting to this new way of life, adapting to the presence of these animals, and keeping themselves safe. Totally what I wanted to see from Dominion, and Chaos Theory did it better within a single episode.
-There was some very well crafted suspense throughout this season. The mystery does a great job of constantly keeping you pulled in. Every time a question is answered, five more are asked.
-The darker tone is definitely welcome. The characters are older and they’ve experienced a terrible loss. The weight of the new world weighs on them and the audience in a very tangible way.
-This one isn’t really constructive but like. I just love Darius so much. He’s so perfect.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
-Unfortunately I thought the character writing was significantly weaker than any season of CC. It was genuinely impressive how they were able to make me not care much about these versions of Ben and Kenji, my absolute favorite characters in CC. Before the characters felt like real, living people. Now, they just feel like fictional characters to me. Really good characters, yes, but still just characters. Maybe I’ll go into further detail about this in a future post. But yeah, overall it felt like the characters took a backseat this time around.
-I’m so sorry but I absolutely could not stand the new VA for Kenji. I’m sure he’s trying his best but he sounded uninterested and half-assed most of the time. Brooklynn’s new actor was… fine? Didn’t care for her either but she didn’t bug me the way Kenji did. Let’s start a GoFundMe to pay for Ryan to come back.
-Ok. Yeah. Not a fan of Darius being in love with B. Like, ok. It makes sense and it fits the plot well. But it just seems unnecessary. Darius can be devastated by her loss without it. Ehhh maybe they’ll handle it well in future seasons but. No. Not for me.
-Also didn’t like Daniel Kon’s death. I liked that they brought him back, but killing him felt undeserved. Like, he was the main antagonist for the first show, but you just kill him off in a random episode six years later? I think he deserved a little more reverence rather than reintroducing him for one episode and then quickly killing him for shock value once he’s served his purpose.
-WHY DID THEY GIVE BEN A GIRLFRIEND THAT BOY IS GAY AS HELL NOOOOO
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thrawns-backrest · 5 months
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Prompted by this post and the related interview, reason 15467352 why I think Dave Felony isn’t up to the task of writing live action Star Wars.
I was going to harp about how this proves Filoni hasn’t read the books but this interview is from before the canon trilogies were out so touché on that. And yet this just proves to me why Filoni isn’t the guy for the job of writing Thrawn. Or any live action imperials for that matter.
I’ll start by saying that one thing I will concede is that the notion of the Imperial military being plagued by incompetent officers is not entirely unrealistic. Given that it’s a stratocracy, you can expect to find people who used politics to climb the ranks rather than actual military competence - it’s a kind of French Revolution situation kind of thing. Historically it’s been known to happen in our world.
Combine that with the fact that the Empire is racist, elitist and (kind of) sexist as all hell and you have a limited pool of people to pick from when filling its ranks, pushing some genuine talent to the fringes or excluding it altogether.
The thing I’m entirely tired of seeing though is the implication that it’s the majority of Imperial leadership that’s like this and by this I mean incompetent. The overwhelming majority at that. But more on the Empire’s moronicity later, let’s talk about Thrawn.
“He’s not ambitious in the way where he needs to see himself promoted, or a governor one day. He purely wants to dissect them; that’s what he enjoys!” This. This grinds my gears so much. For starters it proves that Filoni sees Thrawn as this ‘quirky baddie’ where Zahn treats him as an actual person. There’s something almost condescending in taking a neurodivergent coded character and being like ‘aww, look at them, they’re so happy doing their little thing they don’t have any other goals and ambitions whatsoever :)’.
To get things straight, Thrawn has always been annoyed by the limitations placed on him by an inferior rank. You could argue it’s for the simple reason that a higher rank gives him more freedom to act and pursue his goals but that’s just what that is, a simplification.
And that’s where Filoni’s problem lies:
Filoni is good at writing cartoons. And before people raise their pitchforks, I don’t mean this in a negative way. Writing cartoons forces you to squish complex ideas into a digestible format, the genre needs simplification and caricature to work and doing that well is a talent all by itself.
You’re meant to put in some extra effort to suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy the deeper complexities of the story. Where that stops working though is when you step out of the genre and move into live action and our good buddy Dave doesn’t seem to realize that.
It may admittedly sound like I’m being unnecessarily harsh on him and I probably am but I do realize the guy is just doing what he does best. I doubt he has any real beef with neurodivergents or has no actual clue that militaries need a base level of competence in order to function and thrive.
Neither is he the only one guilty of implying the Empire’s competent staff can be counted on the fingers of one hand. “It’s just so different for them to have a bad guy that’s, you know, actually smart with how he uses the Imperial war machine!” Okay, Dave. Sure Dave. “[…] with the exception of Tarkin – Tarkin’s strategically intelligent” Oh so there’s two of them! (okay okay, I’ll stop here)
My point is, you can’t get away with making the antagonists so stupid in a realistic setting. I recently saw someone compare Kenobi and Andor in terms of portraying your antagonists correctly and I have to agree that Andor is the only star wars live action media in recent memory that gets it right. (Though even Andor is guilty of injecting some stupid into its plot in order to enable implausible events to happen. I’m looking at you, Maarva’s speech.)
Because the thing is, the more bumbling and idiotic you make your antagonists, the more it detracts from the efforts and skills of your protagonists when defeating them. The Empire is sprawling and all powerful, so much so that it takes several force users pulling deus ex machinas out of their ass to bring it down. In conjunction with the extreme dedicated efforts of the Rebellion mind you.
It took a timely coincidence of hubris, political corruption and flawed strategy working together to allow it to happen. Give me media that explores why the Empire endured for so long, the mechanisms in place that made ordinary people turn into cogs of the machine, the selective process behind constructing an absolutely ruthless, dangerous leadership, media that looks at how these same conditions can come about in our world rather than the unrealistic explanation of ‘people bad because bad’.
Zahn, Gilroy, Luceno and many others are examples of writers that do this justice. Pass the baton on to Filoni and you end up with an antagonist who’s smart as an exception because ‘he’s just so quirky’ while still bearing all the hallmarks of a cartoon villain, the ominous gloating speeches and sadistic behaviour and whatnot.
I’d be hella remiss to say it hasn’t left its mark on the fandom either. The amount of times I’ve seen characters like Tarkin, Krennic, Palpatine, etc. be moronified (while Thrawn inevitably gets his victim treatment) while completely ignoring the fact that defeating them was no small feat and their having weaknesses to exploit isn’t something that detracts from just how dangerous and scary these motherfuckers were.
The Clone Wars was a good show. Rebels was a good show. But by god is Filoni bad at transferring his skills to live action and no one can convince me that Thrawn isn’t the best example of that.
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bengiyo · 6 months
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Not sure if you’ve already answered this one or not but I’m curious what your top 5 BL character development moments/achievements would be?
My personal fave is Charn’s process of opening his heart to Tin and how it changed him but didn’t detract from his sassiness.
Hmm, this is an interesting one to consider. It requires the character to change in some way. It's notable because a lot of times it only happens for one of them.
Alex from The Warp Effect
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I actually really like the arc for Alex. I think seeing a character reckon with the consequences of his choice or lack of choices was really well done in this show. I like that part of learning for him was about how his people pleasing hurts the people he's trying to appease and making the choice to take better care of the people around him by being a more active participant in his own life.
Nakamichi Misaki from Me, My Husband, and My Husband's Boyfriend
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I think I really liked how much she learned that she can choose the kind of relationships she wants from the people around her. I like that so much of her learning about what kinds of love are possible is grounded in her genuine love for Yuki. I have some complex thoughts about where the show chooses to end, but I like how assured she seems about her own life by the end of this compared to the way she seemed trapped at the beginning.
Uea from Bed Friend
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Continuing even into Middleman's Love, I really love that Uea learned that he doesn't have to dim himself. He is beautiful. There's nothing wrong with that. It's not his fault that people treat him a certain way. He is also unwell. I'm glad he admitted that and is getting help. I'm glad he's built a support network that knows about his struggles so they can take care of him. I'm glad he severed ties with his horrible mother. He is thriving as himself and not who he was told to be.
Kawi from Be My Favorite
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In so many ways I thought Kawi was an incel at the start of the show. I like that so much of his arc was about seeing people around himself in a kinder way, and also treating himself more kindly. I like that he had to face that no matter what he tries he will always eventually lose his dad. Grief is one of the constants of being alive. Everything dies, and so we have learn to cherish what we have and accept that nothing lasts forever. I actually came to like Kawi by the end of the series and could see what Pisaeng saw in him originally.
Amane in If It's With You
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I love this boy, and I love how much he's comfortable with the fact that he's attracted to men. I like that his journey with Ryuji is learning that he doesn't have to skip over the cute stuff about first love and run directly to the apps and hookup culture. I like how, even though I wasn't necessarily keen on the chaste ending, it didn't feel like Amane regressed into a sexless being. It's hard for a lot of us who didn't get to have these cute experiences as teens. Dating is hard. We didn't get to practice in simpler settings. I like seeing Amane get a second chance at high school love and blossom as a result.
Ask Me Top 5 BL 2023 Anything
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