#just another reason he's good at dodging...he just doesn't like pain :

[ofgentleresolve]

just a reminder that even if myungdae is the black knight and has gone through more than his fair share of life-threaten situations, he is, in fact, kind of a coward when it comes to getting hurt-

aka the first time he needed to get stitches for his wounds as the black knight, it took alfred ( and nell on the sidelines ) about an hour to get him to just sit down so his wound could be taken a look at :'D

[talaok]

I can save myself

Pairing: Joel Miller x Fem! reader

Summary: Joel comes to your rescue once more, and for some reason, for as many times as you tell him, he doesn't seem to get the message you don't need to be saved.

warnings: age gap(reader is legal), smut(unprotected penetrative sex, some degradation, but also some praising) and violence.

"FUCK YOU!" 

He threw another punch at you, his tight knuckles inches from hitting your face before you dodged it crouching down, making him hit the brick wall instead.

Bet that hurts motherfucker

As the opportunity presented itself, your face so very close to his precious crotch, you took advantage of his distraction as he winced in pain, and deciding to give him a taste of his own medicine, you threw a punch right between his legs.

"FUCKING BITCH!" he yelled, stumbling back

"right back at ya" you chuckled, leaning on the wall to struggle back up on your feet "what?" you smirked, mocking him "was that all you got?" you laughed softly "because that's pretty lame if you ask me"

"oh you think you're funny?" he asked, his jaw clenching as he took a threatening step toward you

"we'll see what you'll think when I'm done with you," he said "you little bitch" he spat out as he bolted in front of you and his quick hands grabbed your shirt.

Now,

that might have been a stupid decision,

but it's not like you were ever known for making good ones.

"Aw you’re mad” you cooed, trying to not let your heavy breathing come off as fear “you just got owned by a girl and now you’re ego is hurt?” You asked with a smug pout, trying to distract him as your left hand reached into your back pocket for your switchblade “is that it?”

“Do you always talk this much?”

You smiled amusedly, the cut on your lip hurting as you did “I’ve been told before”

“Let’s see if you’ll still want to with a dislocated jaw,” he said, his piercing eyes angry, as his hold got tighter on your shirt, and his fist came up threateningly.

You reached for the knife, but just as your fingers touched the metal, your head swang to the side, his knuckles hitting your cheek.

Well fuck,

He didn’t have to punch you that hard.

“That’s what I thought” he spat out,

You looked at him, the chunk of dark-gelled hair on his forehead, the wrinkles around his eyes, the eerie grimace on his lips, and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“What? You need another one?”

“Depends,” you said, “can you even throw another one?”

"you really need to learn when to shut up," he said through gritted teeth, his hand gripping your shirt once more

"I'll keep that in mind" your hand reached for the blade again, and his fist came up once more.

You gripped the handle, your hand tight around the hardwood as you finally slipped it out of your pocket.

His fist tightened, his knuckles turning white, and you turned the blade in your hand, ready to push into his fucking abdomen when all of the sudden his hold on you got lighter

"What the fuck is going on here?"

huh?

you turned your head to the side, and fuck if you wish you hadn't

"let her go"

he didn't

"I said let her go"

"or what?"

"Or I'll have to make you" Joel took a slow step toward him "and you don't want that"

"you think I'm scared of you?"

"I think you don't want any troubles" Joel explained "and neither do I"

The guy looked at you, and you just scowled at him,

You weren't mad at him,

well yes, you were, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten into a fight with him, 

but the annoyed look on your face now belonged exclusively to Joel fucking Miller, not him.

He quickly glanced at Joel before coming back to you

"you're lucky daddy came to the rescue"

"oh I'm sure I am" you rolled your eyes and he snickered as he let go,  slowly walking away into the sunlight just out of the shadowed alley.

Joel walked over to you, his expression angry and yet stoic.

"I didn't need your help"

He stopped in his track, glowering at you before taking a deep breath and resuming his steps.

"I had him"

He was now in front of you

"I'm sure you did"

You huffed annoyedly, crossing your arms and avoiding his expecting glare as you looked behind him at a spot on the red wall.

"Let's go" he ordered

"where?" you frowned

"my house"

You snickered "I expected you to be more of a gentleman, to be honest," you said, "not even a date first?"

His expression didn't change at all, still stoic, still annoyed, 

just like every time he talked to you.

"You need to get cleaned up" he explained, reaching for your chin and turning your head to the other side, studying your wounds "and maybe get a few stitches"

He stared at you, expecting an answer, and you stared back,

just two stubborn motherfuckers looking at one another

"fine" you gave in, after a long moment of silence

"good" he nodded "let's go," he said, grabbing your arm to walk you to his car.

"fuck" you winced as a shock of pain coursed to your ankle.

he didn't say anything, he just stopped, disapproval very clear on his face, but something else, something deeper, something hidden flashing behind his eyes, something that, as you looked closely, seemed to resemble concern.

"I'm fine," 

"let's go"

__  __  __

The stairs to his apartment creaked under his heavy boots, the feeble setting sun shining through the windows lighting only the rusty handrail and part of the floor as you struggled up on them.

He couldn't help but look back at you every few moments, he had been doing it since you got in the car, you didn't know if he thought you wouldn't notice, or if he did it absentmindedly, but as much as you wanted to find it annoying, just like everything else about him, his savior complex, his condescendingness, his stubbornness, it felt nice, it felt nice to have someone check up on you, see if you were following or had fallen down.

After what felt like an eternity, with one deep sigh, he finally got to his floor, and you followed just after.

"finally" you sighed, stepping on the tiled floor.

He didn't say anything,(what a surprise)and just started down the third door on the left side of the corridor.

"Hello"

You heard Joel audibly groan, and you couldn't help but smile, as he turned around to face his neighbor.

He was an old man, his hair fully white, his skin tired, his green eyes small, hidden under two very heavy brows, and a wooden cane gripped in his shaky hands.

"Hello, Mr. Jones" Joe grumbled, immediately turning back to the door to fumble with the keys.

"Hello" you then offered your widest smile, walking over to the old man "I'm y/n" you offered him your hand

"oh what a beautiful name you have" his trembling voice spoke, as he unsuccessfully tried to shake your hand "I'm Harold"

You smiled, you were already closer to Joel's neighbor than he was after only meeting him for five seconds. Of course.

"Harold" you repeated "I like it"you added "it's sexy"

"thank you young lady" he tried to laugh, but it quickly transformed into a cough.

" may I say," he said, struggling to take a slow step toward you "I'm glad someone's keeping him company" he nodded to Joel, who had opened the door and was looking at the two of you like he would have rather been dead than there right now "He's very lonely" he tried to lower his voice unsuccessfully "but can I ask you a question?"

"of course Harold"

"Well-" he glanced at him and then at you hesitantly "aren't you a bit too young?"

Your lips twitched into a very amused grin, "well you know what they say Harold" you turned to Joel, now even more irritated "the heart wants what it wants" you answered with the dreamiest and most dramatic of sighs, as he clenched his jaw, before turning back to his neighbor

"I better go now," you said "daddy doesn't like when I make him wait" you pouted, turning around and not even bothering to look at Joel as you entered his apartment.

He closed the door behind him.

"he seems nice" you commented, turning to him, as you stepped into the bare and sad-looking living room.

He sighed deeply, looking like there were so many things he wanted to say that he didn't even know where to start,

He pinched the bridge of his nose, and you witnessed him visibly give up, deciding just to guide you to the couch

"sit"

"yes sir" you smirked, and he sighed deeply again, his eyes closing briefly in exasperation before he walked to the bathroom to retrieve his first-aid kit.

The mahogany couch wasn't exactly the softest, but it still felt like heaven to you.

It had been what? 3 years since you ever felt a surface comfortable enough that you didn't have to get up with a sore back.

You closed your eyes, losing yourself in the feeling, as you laid your back against the sofa, and threw your head back.

Joel in the meantime had found the kit, and as he came back to the living room, finding you rested on his couch, a content look on your face, he couldn't help but stare for a moment before your eyes fluttered, and he cleared his throat, waking you up from the peaceful trance.

"Your house is nice,” you said “definitely needs some decorations, but it’s nice”

He shook his head “thank you” he grumbled, as he sat next to you.

His large hands contrasted with the small bag as he opened the zipper.

He took a ball of cotton out and used a bottle of disinfectant to wet it.

His hand then went to your face, turning you fully towards him so he could determine what he needed to do first.

It was a weird feeling, having him so close you could feel the heat radiating off of him, could smell his manly scent, and only hear his calm breathing, something sparked in the back of your head, a match lit, a match that had lit many times before, but just like those, you ignored it.

It was like an involuntary reflex, your body telling you that it wanted something, and you shutting it off.

He brought the cotton to your cheek, and a sting of pain ignited where he was cleaning, making you wince.

He stopped a moment, looking at you like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself before he actually could.

“He started it”

He tilted his head, looking like he didn’t believe you not in even in the slightest, and to be fair, he was right.

“I’m sure he did” he resumed cleaning the wound.

“I can protect myself you know?”

Something happened behind his eyes

“I don’t need you to come and save me”

“I can save myself”

He was silent as he wet another ball of cotton

“You’re gonna get yourself killed”

You blinked slowly, looking at your legs “so?”

His mouth opened, no words coming out of it

“You’d have one less puppy to rescue”

He frowned, visibly hurt and stunned at the same time.

"I-" he stared, but you interrupted him

"How did you even know where I was?"

He didn't answer

"were you following me?" you turned to him, and he still stayed silent, fueling your anger "oh my god, were you actually following me!?"

"I wasn't"

"and I'm supposed to believe you just stumbled across an abandoned alley?"

He sighed like he was about to say something he would have regretted"I asked around"

"You asked around" you repeated, "why?"

his ember eyes fell to his hands before coming back up to yours "I had a feeling"

"you had a feeling?" You chuckled "are you serious?"

"well I was right wasn't I?"

all the amusement disappeared from your face once again, he was always able to do that, always reminding you that he was an annoying piece of shit.

"I didn't need your help," you said, "I told you, I can protect myself" 

His eyes didn't let anything get through.

"Listen, I don't know what your deal is, why you feel like this is your problem, like I am your problem," you spoke "I don't know if you're doing it because you think that if you'll save me enough times I'll let you fuck me or if you just have a pathological need to have someone to save, but I'm telling you, I'm not that person, so find some other troubled girl to obsess over because this is ridiculous"

He swallowed thickly, his eyes cruising over your face "I don't-" he sighed "y/n I don't think that"

"about the fucking or the savior complex?"

He looked at you, his eyes very clearly saying -really?- 

"I want to help you"

was he fucking serious?

"I don't need your help, Joel!" you raised your voice "how many times do I have to fucking tell you?"

"you want me to thank you?"

"is that it?" you asked, "you want me to tell you how grateful I am that you get yourself involved in my life for whatever fucking reason?"

"you want me to tell you that you're so much better than me and that you're a good person?"

"well I'm sorry but I'm not going to" you spat out "I didn't ask for any of this"

The room fell silent, the first aid kit long forgotten.

You could feel him staring at you, but you couldn't look at him back.

"y/n"

you hated the way his name rolled so beautifully off his tongue.

You turned to him, scowling.

"I'm sorry," he said, taking you by surprise "maybe you're right, maybe I do have a savior problem or whatever you called it" he confessed "but if you really don't want my help why are you here?"

now it was your turn not to answer.

"you could have told me to fuck off but you didn't," he said "you got in the car and walked in here"

"so if you're gonna tell me I'm not honest with myself I think you should look at yourself first"

You exhaled deeply, anger so strong inside of you you felt like you were gonna burst any second now.

How dared he?

Who the fuck did he think he was?

fuck him.

fuck Joel.

"you know what? you're right" you nodded "I made a mistake coming here" you looked at him, before getting up from the couch " and I didn't tell you before but I'll tell you now," you glared at him "fuck off" you stated, before starting towards the door.

You heard the couch's springs creak as he got up, and you had no idea why but a sort of relief washed over you.

"fuck- wait, y/n-" he grabbed your arm, stopping you in your tracks.

"What?"  you turned to him "are you gonna give me another inspiring speech?" you mocked him "are you gonna finally tell me the secret on how to be so fucking annoy-"

His lips were on yours before you could even register him leaning closer.

Your eyes were still open, wide open.

His hands went to your waist and a shiver traveled up your spine, as a warmth invaded your body.

Fuck it felt nice.

You hadn't felt human contact in what felt like ages, and you couldn't help but reach for him too as you closed your eyes, melting into the kiss.

He took a step forward and you followed him, finding yourself trapped between the wallpapered wall and his body.

One of your arms went behind his neck, bringing him impossibly closer to you, while your other hand explored his body, starting from his chest and ending up on his back.

He, on the other hand, was still holding your waist, his hands so big, you felt like his fingers could have actually met where your belly button was if he had tried hard enough.

The kiss was heated, his salt and pepper beard grated against your mouth and cheeks as his tongue moved into your mouth, letting you taste him, all of him, from the dry meat he seemed to feed himself only of, to the whiskey you had caught on the kitchen counter.

You smiled into the kiss as he brought his arms behind your back, forcing you flush against him.

He leaned away, and from the look on his face, he was even more confused than you, which made you grin even wider.

You really wanted to tease him, but his parted lips looked too inviting now that you had gotten a taste of them, so you leaned closer and crashed your lips with his, in a hungry hungry kiss.

His hands went up your shirt and you whimper lowly into his mouth before he took it off for you, throwing it somewhere behind him.

His quick hands immediately went to grope your tits, your bra still on, your nipples hardening against it.

As he was busy with your tits, you started unbuttoning your shirt, your hands roaming on his now bare chest.

He suddenly broke the kiss just to start a trail of hot and sloppy ones on your neck.

"so I was right huh?" you breathed

"you really need to shut up" he murmured against  your neck, his voice  vibrating through your body

"or what" you laughed softly "you'll spank me?"

"might just have to"

oh

he smirked, clearly proud of himself

"you're so easy" he shook his head, now kissing your collarbones

"fuck off" you rolled your eyes even if he couldn't see "you're the one with a hard-on"

He chuckled briefly, before coming back up to your mouth "wanna do something about that?"

You smirked "depends" you bit your lip "what did you have in mind"

He smirked too "oh I have a lot of things in mind" he grabbed your sides firmly

"mh?" you hummed "like what?"

"like letting you kneel in front of me and watch as you take my cock down your throat" he hissed "you'd do that wouldn't you?"

"I would" you confessed with a breathy sigh.

Just the thought of it made you salivate.

"I knew you'd be good" 

You raised an eyebrow "so you did think about this" you smirked "I was right. you're a perv" you let the last word slowly roll out your tongue purposefully.

"and still, you're letting me fuck you" 

you smiled,

touchè.

"What did you think about?"

he looked at you questioningly

"When you thought about this what did you imagine?" you explained, even if it was obvious.

"oh" his hands started exploring your body again, "I thought about you" his mouth resumed the trail of kisses down your neck, "I thought about your body" one of his hands went to squeeze your ass "about the filthy sounds you'd make, about opening up your pretty legs" he murmured, as his feet spread your legs" and watch as I slip my cock so deep inside of you, you can't talk anymore"

An involuntary whimper fled your throat at the image.

"You'd like that?" he asked against your mouth, and you could only nod "words baby, use them"

"yes" you gulped "I would"

"good girl" he praised you "jump" he instructed, and when you did, he caught you, his hands holding your legs, balancing you around his waist.

He kissed you again as he walked towards his room, and once you were in, he threw you onto the bed, making you gasp audibly.

"take off your pants"

You tilted your head "where did all the chivalry go?" you bit your lip, as he pulled his pants off quickly.

"y/n..."

"Joel..." you looked at him maliciously as you slipped your shoes off.

"fine" he sighed, crouching in front of you and hooking his fingers into the waistband of your jeans to shuffle them off for you.

He groaned lowly just as he did, his eyes fixated on your clothed pussy.

He immediately took your panties off, and he seemed to have forgotten you were even there because he was so fascinated by your beauty that he seemed in a trance.

"fuck you're perfect" he groaned "such a pretty pussy" he said, kissing it briefly and earning a little whine from you "so wet" he passed a finger through your folds " he bit his lower lip "just waiting for my cock huh?" 

"yes Joel" you arched your back, and he smirked

"fuck you're such a slut" he chuckled "aren't you?" he whispered to your ear, as he bent down closer to you " you're my little slut" he murmured, as he took off your bra"ready to take anything I give you"

You would have fought this if it wasn't for all your reasoning having been thrown out the window the moment he had first touched you.

"say it"

You could feel his hard dick through his boxers and it was making it really difficult for you to think

"I am"

"you're what baby?"

"I'm your slut"

He growled, kissing a spot underneath your ear "that's right" he pulled his underwear down, his manhood staining from them "that's right baby" he kissed your mouth briefly before straightening up to position himself at your entrance.

You moaned loudly as he pushed himself in, your hand grabbing the sheets in a tight fist as he split you apart mercilessly.

"fuck Joel!" you cried out

"not so loud"

"why?" your breathing was ragged and he had only just started

"I have neighbors"

"and you don't want them to know you fuck?"

he didn't answer, as he took your legs and pulled them up to his waist, getting even deeper.

You giggled, realizing what it actually was "or do you not want them to know you're fucking someone half your age?" 

He glared at you "I'm not gonna lie" he bent down to ghost your lips "I was hoping that having my cock in your pussy was gonna shut you up" he said "but I guess I'm gonna have to try harder"

You bit down a grin but quickly had to let your lip go as he slammed into you harshly, a gasp fleeing your throat.

"fuck" you sighed

"you're gonna be good for me?"

Your lips twitched into a smug smile, and he thrust into you again.

"are you?"

You gave up

"yes-yes I am"

"good girl" he kissed you "see it wasn't so hard now was it?"

You shook your head no, and he grinned proudly, before leaning back again and grabbing your legs to keep them in place on his waist, he started pushing in and out of you, his pace quickly fastening.

"fuck you're tight baby" his voice was strained " 'feel so good" he groaned, his fingers leaving marks on your legs.

The bed was creaking beneath you, following his rhythm, just like your bouncing tits.

You were biting your lip to silence your moans, but as one of his hands came down to strike your ass, the pain mixing so deliciously with the pleasure, you couldn't help but moan, loudly.

"quiet" he struck you again, and you forced the cry climbing your throat to move back down.

"be quiet for me baby," he said, his pace not slowing in the slightest "or I'm not gonna let you come"

You looked at him with pleading eyes as you fought a whine.

"that's it" he praised you "that's it baby" you didn't think it was possible but he quickened his pace, his cock hitting every single spot "good girl" he groaned "just be quiet and I'll let you come" he murmured "don't you want that?" he asked, "don't you wanna come around my cock?"

You nodded eagerly 

"words baby"

"y-yes" you struggled to spit out "I do"

 "of course you do" he chuckled "you're such a slut" he cooed "you just have to don't you?" he mocked you "you just can't help it"

You bit your lip again, his words enlarging the tight ball in your belly that was ready to explode.

"Y-yes I'm a slut" you were breathless "I'm your slut, Joel"

"fuck" he growled "fuck- that's right"

"please Joel" your voice was almost inaudible under the sound of his skin slapping with yours.

"What baby? You already need to cum?"

You nodded, and he struck your ass again.

"y-yes " you remembered "I'm coming"

"good girl " he grunted "come, baby, come with me," he said, his thrust getting sloppier "such a good slut" he groaned "such a good fucking slut" he said, and the ball in your belly broke, a tidal wave of pleasure coursing through your whole body as he followed just after, grunting as he shot his cum deep inside of you, his head falling to your shoulder.

"fuck" he hissed, pulling out of you to lay next to you.

You grinned, laughing softly, and he looked confusedly at you "I knew I was right"

he scowled at you

"and she's back" 

[mae-gi-writes]

WORDS OF AFFIRMATION . KAGEYAMA TOBIO

G: angst, fluff. Insecurity.

---

"Do you still love me as much as you did before?"

The chopping comes to a half as Kageyama freezes, the half-cut onion still in his hand while the knife hangs in the air. Nothing is said for a moment, before he slowly turns around to face you.

You're perched on the counter with your bowl of cereal, trying not to meet his gaze as a dense silence fills the room.

"What..." Kageyama trails off, unsure. "What are you talking about?"

You sigh, "you know what I'm talking about."

"Why would you ask that kind of question?" The chopping resumes. He has his back to you, so you don't know what his face looks like. He gives nothing away.

"Because sometimes, I just want to know what's going on in that head. I want to talk to you."

"We are talking."

"You are not talking to me."

Kageyama's stare turns to a full-on scowl and that irks you even more. How dare he show you that face when he's the one who can't even answer you?

For days on end, you've been wondering why in the world were you even together in the first place. Kageyama has never been vocal with his feelings. Neefless to say, sometimes some words of affirmation would've been nice for you to hear, especially when they're so scarce. The thing is though, that words are not Kageyama's forte. They never had been.

Yet, he'd always made sure to make you feel loved in his own manner; a chocolate bar on your desk that you find after he leaves, a note saying that he bought food for you on the fridge, a small kiss to the temple to signal you that he made it back home.

But that doesn't exist anymore. Either he's now so comfortable that he takes you for granted, or he just does not care.

"I'm asking you if you love me still," you can't help but choke up, "and you can't even give me an answer."

He stares you down with such intensity that you almost dodge his gaze. But you merely lift your chin up more defiantly, eyes as hard as the dense silence descending upon the kitchen.

It's useless. Nothing good might come out of this.

You turn away with another sigh that resonates throughout your entire body, "just leave it."

Your body moves on its own accord out of the kitchen until Kageyama's hand snaps out to grab yours, holding it in place.

You hear him breathing hard, almost shaking. But you don't turn, for fear that he'll spot the tears in your eyes. He hates seeing you cry.

"Y/N," he rasps out as if it pains him, "wait."

"For what? For you to apologize and then go back to how we were? How we are?" Your lower lip trembles, "I can't do this anymore, Tobio."

You tug for him to let go but you're met with resistance.

You do it once more, only for Kageyama's grip to tighten.

Finally, you swivel around, ready to bark at him for being so stupid when he lets out a strangled whisper, "don't."

"What?"

"...don't...go."

A small pause as you take in his words. Then, you murmur out, "give me one good reason why."

Kageyama struggles to find a coherent answer. You know him well enough to imagine the way he's tensing his jaw, the way he looks at the ground like it might give him inspiration.

And like every other time, you wait.

Because that's what you do best.

That's what you always do for him.

"I--" he hesitates, prompting you to turn around only to find him holding back choked tears. It stuns you, for you've never actually seen him emotional, not since the start of your relationship.

"I--I can't do this," is what he manages to come up with, "not without you."

And then, as if sensing it's not enough, he follows that up with, "--I'm sorry."

You cave in. Pull him in as your hands loop around his waist before tugging him into a hug.

He all but collapses into you, burrowing into the side of your neck as you feel the heat of his breaths, the trickle of silent tears along your skin.

"I'm sorry," he mutters once more, the words vibrating against your nape. He tightens his hold like this might make up for it. It does, for the mosy part. You can count on your hands how many times he's taken initiative to hug you.

It feels nice.

"I'm very tired Tobio," you say softly into his hair, "I'm very tired."

"I know."

"I don't know how much longer I can do this."

He doesn't say anything. Just hugs you tighter.

"Just--please don't do this to me. It--it hurts."

He nods, "I'm sorry, Y/N."

"I know."

Nothing else needs to be said. You don't know how much time you spend in his arms but that night, he's not the first one to let go. You do when you realize that the laundry is calling for you.

"I have to go take them out," you start pulling away, though Kageyama is quick to hold you back to him.

Your eyes flutter up to his face. He's already looking at you, dark orbs searching your features for a silent question that he can't--won't -- say out loud.

Then, slowly taking his time to closw the distance, his mouth hovers over yours for a moment of hesitation.

He kisses you softly. Like it's the first time. For a moment, you stop breathing.

It takes you a moment to kiss back just as softly. Tenderly. The kiss is short and sweet, and everything that makes your heart burst in your chest.

Your body can't help but tremble in his arms.

"I'm sorry," he can't help but mutter in-between kisses against your mouth, "I'm so sorry."

Your answer is a deeper kiss, one that causes his head to buck back as a small gasp dies in his throat.

You pull back only when he's a gasping mess of heavy breaths and mussed-up hair, looking down at you through half-open lids as desire swirls through his dark pupils.

"Just don't do it again."

He nods curtly. Leans down once more to claim your lips.

And you close your eyes in bliss.

This is home to you.

[kerubimcrepin]

Live-Read: "Dofus Manga" - part 3

+ A big Atcham Analysis

I'll only briefly point out that he has an ear ring, or that Ancestral Z draws him with hair tufts for cuteness' sake. We have to keep moving towards the point where I analyse him.

Atcham seems to be quite famous, — to the point Dodge is chastised for not knowing him, despite being an ecaflip, — and one of his nicknames is "the killer of killers". Very, very interesting...

"You're the one who made a huge mistake, Katar, by stealing the sword I had taken to repair... It belonged to my family for generations."

Obsessed with all the implications this has. You have no idea just how obsessed I am. To Atcham, swords aren't just weapons, — they're objects of sentimental value, a way to protect himself, a tool.

And it turns out that Katar threw his, and I quote Katar, "piece of shit sword" to the moon.

We've discussed Atcham and Kerubim's dead family, lack of support system, and young age when they lost everything plenty here. Same for their irrational hatred for one another.

No need to tell you how awful this must feel for him. Imagine someone throwing your dead father's picture into the river. For fun.

"And the smith was a good friend of mine." Man :(

(He's either not that good at telling that someone is scared of him, which is sad, — or the smith that Katar killed was joking, when he said that he was afraid of Atcham.)

What follows is the most important scene I have for characterizing Atcham:

"The... the six Dofus. You have reunited the six Dofus! And what are you planning to do with them? Do you have an idea already?" "They intend to defeat Cornu Mollu."

If I speak on Cornu Mollu, this post will devolve into a 5-hour lecture on how much I hate the Twelve gods, — how Oropo "Did Nothing Wrong", — and how Sadida, Iop, and Ecaflip in particular need to be [VIOLENT LANGUAGE OMITTED] for the things they have done. Let's just say that he's a demon guy who rules Brakmar at the time of manga, ok?

"You guys are comedians. PHAHAHA! The guy is stronger than a god... And your Dofus can't change that! And his armies have only continued to expand — they're invincible."

Atcham laughs them out of town like clowns for thinking they can defeat Cornu Mollu. Which is more than understandable. But it is interesting, how he speaks of Brakmar here... Not very patriotic, he.

"I wish you courage in your collective suicide. As for me, I'm going to find myself a little island, hoping to escape all this!"

The thing about Atcham, is that mostly, he just cares about himself, and the things he likes.

He doesn't care about the city he's in, — outside the fact that his brother is on the opposing side. He doesn't care about the world, or saving it, — because the world certainly hasn't cared about him!

And he WILL flee, if it saves his skin from any unnecessary pain or danger.

What he cares about is his own damn self, because nobody else is going to.

For this reason, his personal moral compass is entirely dependent on saving his own skin, because he has only ever had himself to rely upon. He tries not to be too cruel, — yet, if the mood strikes him, he becomes hyperviolent just for the sake of fun.

But the thing about him is that he will leave, if things aren't going well. He won't stay.

This includes fleeing Brakmar at the first sight of trouble. And chances are, it also has, multiple times, included Joris and Kerubim after the movie.

While I will go more in detail on this later, sometime after Leorictus's nightmare reign and Joris's huppermage horror beyond our comprehension, Atcham has left Kerubim and Joris to return to Brakmar's side.

As far as I am aware, it is not because of some deep falling out, — they still seem to love one another. Kerubim has an instance of mentioning Atcham, in a pretty teasing manner, — and in the quest that involves catching him for his crimes, Kerubim comes to bail him out with a defense attorney speech at the ready to explain away why the atrocities are both a misunderstanding and completely justified, — but the thing is that Atcham left them, and began doing weird stuff, like crimes. In Kerubim's own Ecaflipus temple.

My personal thought is that Atcham keeps leaving because he's scared.

He cares a lot, — because they're the first people to ever care about him, and it drives him crazy how little they care for themselves. It hurts seeing them in pain.

Leorictus's reign probably was hard, emotionally speaking, — Joris wasn't even legally allowed to live in Bonta, or anywhere else, as a huppermage, — and yet, in Dofus MMO, judging from NPC dialogue about how Kerubim only moved back to Astrub somewhat recently,

— and Joris's presence in the game before the implementation of Huppermages as a class (I.E. their return from Rok Island), all signs point to the fact that this whole time, as Huppermages fled to Rok Island, — The Trio stayed in Bonta despite the danger, for some insane fucking reason. Probably heroism. Probably trying to save people. (people who have read my fic Fragile will uhh. Recognize this premise. Yeah. I think a lot about this all. To the point of writing a fic about this insane era of their lives.)

I think Atcham hates how responsible he feels for them, and the batshit insane things, — heroism? saving the world?! helping other people?!? self-sacrifice!?!? — they make him want to believe in, and how afraid he is of losing them. It is for him, to agree to do things he would never do before, for them, — and it's scary, just as scary as how dependent he is now, despite being ok with loneliness before them.

And sometimes, it's just too much, and too fast. So, he leaves, again, and again.

But on a positive note, I want to believe he is mostly over leaving them whenever he gets too stressed out, by Wakfu times. Maybe it's the maturity that comes with age, — or realizing how much they need him after Ogrest's Chaos, but I want to believe that he now expresses his frustration in other, more productive ways: herding these two idiots away from danger.

Ranging from: subtly insisting that Joris doesn't go on insane suicide missions all alone just to protect them (Just like Atcham, Joris's anxiety for his family makes him very irrational at times.), and trying to get Kerubim to always be ready for battles, while protecting him because he isn't,

To just plain having the willpower to tell the world's most stupidly self-sacrificial man "Did you consider that the floating eyes in the sky aren't any of our business? :)"

Which is pretty funny.

Anyway, yeah, Joris is not surviving the things Kerubim and Atcham will do to him, after he tells them that he went to something called "The Necroworld", almost got trapped there, and then almost died 20 times.

[dean-winchester-is-a-warrior]

Stay Pt. 4

Series Summary: Y/N knows what she's doing is wrong, but she doesn't want to let it go.

Chapter Warnings/Explicit 18+: Show level violence. Brief angst.

Pairings: Dean Winchester x Y/N

Word Count: 2,430

A/N: This is the fourth part to my Stay series. It is a completed five part series. One part will be released every day. Hope you enjoy!

The beautiful divider below and at the bottom was created by @talesmaniac89

Five weeks later:

“Okay, enjoy your stay.” Y/N said with a smile as she handed the room keys to the harried parents trying to wrangle their three kids into the King Suite they’d booked. 

As the noisy family tromped away, loaded down with luggage, a tall, slim man approached the desk and smiled at her. His eyes were very dark brown, nearly black, and he was missing two teeth on the top and one on the bottom, which made him look a little like a jack-o-lantern. 

He gave her the heebie-jeebies. 

But she pushed aside the feeling, telling herself she was being mean about his appearance. So she smiled back.

“How can I help you?”

“I was hoping you had a room available for the night. I’m afraid my trip is taking longer than I expected, and I’d like to get a good night’s sleep before continuing on.”

For some reason she couldn’t explain, Y/N lied. “No, I’m so sorry, sir, we’re all booked up tonight.”

Just then her manager, Maureen, came up behind her. “Y/N, that can’t be right.” She punched a few keys on the computer, and then pointed to it. “See, there are nearly a dozen single rooms still available.” 

Maureen gave Y/N an annoyed look that told her to do her job better, and Y/N just nodded. “Oh, yes, I see that now. I missed them.” She looked at the guest and gave an apologetic smile. “End of a long shift, I guess. I’ll book you in, how will you be paying for the room?”

The last hour of her shift went by without incident and she’d nearly forgotten about her creepy guest as she clocked out and headed to her car in the parking lot. It was a breezy evening, and the sun was long gone, so Y/N pulled her scarf a little tighter as she approached her car. Then she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and she knew it had nothing to do with the chill in the air.

She whirled around quickly just in time to dodge out of the way, as the jack-o'-lantern man lunged at her. She screamed loudly, and ran in the opposite direction since he now blocked her path to her car. But as though he could fly, he suddenly landed right in front of her, reaching for her again. This time he managed to latch onto her forearm.

When she looked down at his grasp, she couldn't understand what she was seeing. The man's skinny hand had turned into talons, and they glowed bright orange. She screamed in pain as the fiery claws burned her.

Seconds later, she felt herself lifting off the ground as the man did indeed turn and begin to fly away with her.

She knew she must be in a nightmare, and she kept screaming, hoping to wake herself up. 

Before she was more than six feet off the ground she heard the man, who was clearly not a man, screech out an unholy sound as he dropped her to the ground, and continued to try and fly away.

From her crumpled place on the ground, Y/N looked up at him and saw an arrow protruding from his side and before she could blink a second one pierced through his heart from behind.

With another ear splitting screech he fell back down to earth and then was silent. Everything was silent, eerily silent. And out of the inky black shadows surrounding her, Dean walked towards her.

He got down on his haunches next to her, and his face looked angry as he grabbed her by the upper arms.

"Did he hurt you?" His voice was rough and deep. She just stared at him, unable to understand how he’d invaded her nightmare. 

“Y/N!” He yelled, giving her a little shake. When she still didn’t say anything, or even blink, he moved his gaze over her body and saw the burn on her arm. “Son of a bitch.” He said almost under his breath.

He looked into her eyes, and his expression softened. “Y/N? Okay, baby, can you stand?” Without waiting for her answer, he shifted to run his big hands over her legs, likely checking for breaks. When he got to her ankle, he pressed gently and she cried out in pain. He hissed through his teeth.

“Okay, it’s okay, honey, just a bad sprain, I think.”

The pain seemed to clear the fog she’d been moving around in, and reality began to set in. The jack-o’-lantern man could fly, and he burned her with scorching talons, and Dean shot him with a silver arrow. 

That was the reality. She began to shake. 

Suddenly Dean’s partner showed up, a long bow in his hand that was identical to the one Dean had fired. “I got the other one, he didn’t manage to…” He trailed off as he came upon the two of them. 

“Y/N?” He gave her a once over. “Are you hurt?”

Dean nodded. “He burned her arm, and she sprained her ankle when he dropped her.” Dean picked up his bow from the ground beside him and passed it to his partner.

Sam, she thought, his partner’s name is Sam.

“Here,” Dean told Sam, “take the bows, and get rid of his body. I gotta…” He nodded towards her.

Sam gave him a pitying look before smiling kindly at her. “Yeah, okay.” He responded, moving forward to deal with the body of the flying, jack-o’-lantern, bird man. Surrealty was beginning to set in again for Y/N, and the world dimmed around the edges.

I might pass out.

Suddenly Dean bent forward to scoop her up and walk her away from where Sam was dealing with her would-be abductor. It suddenly occurred to her that she’d forgotten something, and she looked up into Dean’s face. He glanced down at her, and she shook her head.

“I didn’t say thank you.”

Dean frowned. “Thank you for what?”

“You saved me. He was taking me away, I couldn’t fight him.” She began rambling, barely pausing for breath. “He burned my arm. But I think you were right, my fear helped me. I was creeped out by him right away, so I was a bit on alert and then I got a scared feeling in the parking lot and it let me run away from him for a second. If he’d taken me sooner, you might have gotten there too late, he might have been too far away for you to reach with the arrow. Why did you shoot him with an arrow? Do the FBI use arrows now? That doesn’t seem practical.”

Dean let her ramble unbroken until they reached his beautiful black Impala. Then he set her carefully on the hood, and lifted a finger to her lips. “It's okay, sweetheart, I’ll explain everything, but just for now, concentrate on breathing in and out, okay?”

He breathed deeply with her once or twice and then patted her uninjured arm. “Good, keep doing that. I’ll be right back.”

Panic flared in her eyes and she grabbed onto his hand. “No, stay.” He kept her hand in his and leaned close to press a kiss against her lips, and then to her knuckles. “I’m not going anywhere far, sweetheart, just the trunk.” He nodded to the back of the car. “First aid kit.”

He squeezed her hand and then put it back in her lap. “Just keep breathing.”

He went to the trunk and was back almost immediately with a big metal box. He pulled out a tube of smelly ointment and rubbed it carefully onto the burn. It began to ease the pain immediately, as he wrapped a gauze bandage around it. Next he probed her ankle with gentle fingers, before cracking a cold pack and holding it in place over the swollen joint with another expertly tied bandage.

Finally he was done tending to her wounds, and he put the first aid kit away and came back to sit beside her on the hood. They were quiet for a few minutes before Y/N stated the one fact she’d figured out so far.

“You’re not an FBI agent, are you?” She turned to look at him, and he turned his face up to the sky, contemplating the stars for a moment before he shook his head.

“No.”

“Then, who are you?”

He licked his lips and turned his gaze back on her. “I’m a hunter.”

For the next half hour Dean talked, laying the truth out in front of her like an offering. He explained that the thing chasing her had been a dragon. The murders at the hotel that they’d come to investigate originally were committed by other dragons from the same lair. He and Sam (his brother, not his partner) thought that these dragons were returning to their old haunt in order to draw them out, so the monsters could exact revenge on the hunters for their slain brethren. 

“But thankfully we took them both out.” He finished and silence reigned for a minute. Clearly uncomfortable with the charged silence, Dean began talking again. 

“The, uh, arrows are made out of an old sword that used to actually be stuck in a rock. Like the, uh, old King Arthur stories. You know?” When Y/N didn’t respond, he continued. “I actually had to pull it out of the stone. Well, I guess technically I blew the stone up, and I broke the sword. But then we melted it down and turned it into arrows. Easier to hit those suckers when they try to fly away.”

He was quiet a few seconds before he jumped down off the hood to stand in front of her. He caught her eye and his expression was pleading. “Y/N say something, or I’m gonna just keep rambling like an idiot, and nobody wants that.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know how to start, what to say. This is really what you do? You lied to me. You’re not an FBI agent. So, that time we were together and you seemed troubled, and I asked you what was wrong, and you said you were working on a tough case - that was a lie. Or every time you had to go because you were urgently needed on a case, those…those were just lies too.”

Dean was shaking his head. “No, not exactly. I mean, no I’m not an FBI agent, but I was telling you the truth when I said I had a case. It’s just…it was a case of monsters not maniacs.”

Y/N looked at him for a moment before shrugging. “You know, it really doesn’t matter anyway. You stopped talking to me, remember? You haven’t answered my texts in weeks.”

Dean looked down at the ground. “Y/N…I…”

But Y/N cut him off. “No, it’s fine. Thank you for saving my life. You obviously don’t owe me anything after that, not even an explanation.”

She tried to scoot past him so she could get down off the hood, but he kept her in place, grabbing her hips in his big hands and pushing himself between her legs. The position was a little too intimate for her to maintain her composure, and her eyes darted down to his mouth and she licked her lips.

“But I want to explain.” Dean’s voice was low and slightly ragged, and she was glad that she was affecting him too. 

His right hand moved from gripping her hip to cupping her cheek. “Fuck, I’ve missed you so much.” His breath was warm against her lips as he hovered over them. “Missed this too.”

Then he was kissing her and she wanted to weep with how badly she wanted him, how much she’d missed him too. She was living on her own for the first time since college and it felt amazing, she felt finally free, felt as though her life could really start.

But through all the incredible changes, her mind had thought of him, missed him, and her heart had been shattered that as soon as she was free, he’d wanted nothing to do with her. That still broken heart pulled her away from his mouth and made her push on his biceps. 

“Dean, let me go. I can’t do this anymore. I just…let me down.” But he wouldn’t budge. “Dean.” She said, trying to sound forceful.

“As long as you were married I could tell myself we didn’t have a future.”

She froze at his words and then scowled at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Dean closed his eyes. “My life is…hard. It’s dangerous and…and we lose people. All the time.” He opened his eyes to stare into her, and she could see the depth of pain that those losses had caused. “I was terrified to bring you into that, and I didn’t want to have to tell you that monsters were real. But as long as you were married, I could convince myself that none of that mattered, because despite what I might want, you weren’t available. You couldn’t belong to me.”

His smile was full of pain. “So, when you told me you were free, that you could, in theory anyway, be mine…I don’t know, I panicked. Because now the only thing keeping us apart was me and my fucked up life.”

Y/N felt a lump form in her throat as he continued. “But these last weeks without you have been torture. I think about you constantly, talk about you constantly. I’m driving Sam nuts. He’s told me a hundred times to just call you. And I’ve wanted to, so much.”

He shook his head. “But…well, the truth is I don’t deserve you.” He shrugged. “But the reality is, I need you in my life. And I know I have no right to ask you, but…” He took a deep breath. “...stay?” His thumb traced her bottom lip. “Please stay with me.”

The pieces of her broken heart mended together as she wrapped her arms around his neck and beamed up at him. “Dean, you helped me remember who I am, showed me I deserved more than mere tolerance in a relationship. You saved me…even before you saved me.” 

She smiled, teary eyed. “So, I’ll stay if you stay.”

Dean’s grin was full of relief and mischief and his bright, green gaze was full of love. “Just try to get rid of me, sweetheart.”

NEW TAGS 2:

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[mydisenchantedeulogy]

Kaleidoscope || Ryuunosuke Akutagawa

A/n: this is a sequel to Thine Own Self Be True. I got the inspiration to write it after watching season 4, though it doesn't take place during this timeline. Please enjoy.

Warning(s): mutual breakup, confusion, sadness, hurt/comfort, female reader, make-up sex, rough sex, teasing, mild jealousy, slight public sex, special skill use, and aftercare.

No Minors Allowed!!

At moments like this, you realize that your relationship with Akutgawa is not meant to be. Taboo for obvious reasons, you consider yourself an irrational dupe for meeting with him in secret for so long, especially when unpredictable scenarios pit him against you. 

A yellow aura engulfs your hands as you activate your special skill, To Thine Own Self Be True, sending a crescent-shaped beam at the man in question. His Rashoumon halts the attack, eating at the space around it until it vanishes, but it doesn't matter. This is a decoy.

Atsushi rushes him from the side, using his Beast Beneath the Moonlight skill to manifest his forearms and legs. You continue to pelt Akutagawa with aura beams, dodging shadow-like tendrils as the ombre-haired mafioso keeps you at a distance. He knows your capabilities; he knows that if you touch him, you can turn the tides of battle in your favor. 

Not quite like before, humorously.

It had been your power that got you into the mess that you were in with him; whatever this relationship was. Had it been one time; one time that you had kissed him or one time that you had fucked him, then maybe it wouldn't be like this. 

But it was. 

Springing into a backflip, you dodge another tendril but in doing so, you miss his assistant, Higuchi sneaking up on you. She fires at you with a pistol, which hits the asphalt near you to your annoyance. You have no time to deal with her. Indeed, Atsushi doesn't need your help, but to avoid an unexpected incident with the Black-Fanged Hellhound, you intend to draw his attention toward you. 

With your aura, you manifest a shield to protect you from the bullets, but unexpectedly, a force hits you so hard in the side, it sends you off your feet, knocking the breath from your lungs. 

You hear Atsushi shout your name, but you aren't able to respond, being wracked with coughs. 

What just happened? 

The absence of Rashoumon bombarding you from all sides makes you wonder if Akutagawa had struck you down. 

Sitting up, you realize it's true. The wide-eyed expression on his face catches your attention and for a moment you are shocked. He can't be concerned, can he?

No. It's not in his nature.

You stand up, gripping your side in pain. There's no harm done; it's a battlefield after all. But the unexpected look on Akutagawa's face sticks in your head even when the fight concludes.

–

Resting at your desk in the comfort of the agency, you tap your finger against your knee as you wait for Kunikida to report in. 

The job, on your end, had been a success. Rampo had deduced that the client would be hunted by the Port Mafia after the poor soul had an unfortunate run-in with them that they managed once to escape. And as usual, he had been right.

You and Atsushi were put on bodyguard duty, a cover for the real plan, which was to confront the Port Mafia as Kunikida drove the client to a safe house. Once he was out of their reach, the confrontation between Akutgawa and Higuchi came to an end, and the 4 parted ways. 

The sound of the door opening draws your attention to the far side of the room as Atsushi enters, giving you a welcoming smile. His long belt swishes behind him as saunters over to his desk and sits down.

"Kunikida is within the city limits," he mentions. 

You hum, resting your cheek against your fist. 

"So our mission was a complete success. That's good to hear."

You hope that Mori doesn't scold Akutagawa too much for failing to catch the agency's client. Or worse. As much as you don't want him to get in trouble, there isn't much you can do. 

"Are you OK?" Atsushi asks in concern. "That hit you took earlier looked bad."

"I'm fine, other than a few scraps. My armor kept me from taking the full force of Rashoumon," you retort.

You are certain there will be bruises on you tomorrow, however. 

"It's nothing to concern Yosano over," you add with a grin.

Atsushi nods in understanding. It's silent after this. You scroll through your laptop searching the recent news updates until you feel your phone vibrate in the pocket of your uniform. Taking it out, you steal a peek at the screen to see that you have a message from Ombre. 

Ryuu. 

An air of excitement consumes you.

We need to talk. 

This can't be good. 

Sending him a quick response, you ask him to meet you at your apartment, then you put away the phone and return to your laptop. 

–

The remainder of the afternoon passes by somewhat fast. You sit patiently in the cab, enjoying the ride across Yokohama to your apartment the best you can. 

This talk Akutagawa mentioned is weighing down on you. No conversation starting with 'we need to talk' ends well. But it's expected. 

I knew this would never last. 

You consider messaging him, telling him that you understand; save him the trouble of coming over, but a part of you wants to see him one last time. The thought makes your stomach churn, but you do your best to ignore it.

Once the cab stops in front of your apartment building, you pay the driver and walk in. As expected, Akutagawa is waiting by your door. Tightening your jaw, you unlock it, letting him in.

"I'd offer you some tea but–"

"How is your side?" Akutagawa asks, interrupting you. 

A soft smile pulls at your lips. 

"It's bruised as expected." To tease him, you pull up the corner of your shirt just a bit, showing off your skin. "Do you want to see it?"

Akutagawa averts his eyes; his cheeks flush in response but he does not comment on it. 

"Ryuu," you utter. "I get it. We talked about this before and I understand we can't keep doing this."

He glances at you.

"Then you know what I have to say.."

"Yeah…I mean I've heard it before. But it's in the past for a reason," you explain. 

Sauntering over to the couch, you sit down. 

"I do like you, Ryuu, but our work is always going to put us in a position like earlier. And as much as I enjoyed it - whatever it was - you're right," you add. 

Akutagawa clears the gap and offers you his hand; his eyes avert to the floor. You know what he wants, and to keep things platonic, you link your pinkie around his. An orange aura connects you to him as you activate your special skill. 

Puzzlement… pangs of sadness. 

You hum. It's strange to feel sadness from a man such as Akutagawa, especially when it comes to you, but it's nice.

"It's mutual," you utter, releasing him. "Thank you."

With nothing left to say, you watch him turn and walk out the door. Your life feels a little more empty now.

–

The month slowly passes by and your focus remains solely on work. Every minor job that reaches the agency you take. It keeps you busy, but you don't mind.

You find it hard to keep Akutagawa from your thoughts, transiting from seeing him once or twice a week to none at all. But it's strangely tolerable. And ironically, the agency has not had a run-in with the Port Mafia since the mutual agreement.

Things are slowly turning back to normal, however, there is a hole in your life that you can't quite fill. 

Your laptop alerts you when it's your turn; the piece Dazai moves is dangerously close to your king, putting you in check. You hold back a groan knowing that Kunikida will scold you both if he finds out you are wasting time with Dazai playing online shogi when there is paperwork to do. 

Tick, tock. A message in the corner of the screen reads followed by an emoji of a croc. 

How cute. You grin and make your move, saving your king.

Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, you type back. 

Dazai replies with a laughing emoji and then quickly makes a move. You frown in response. How is he so good at this? As you contemplate your next move, a message that nearly takes your breath away pops up on the screen. 

How is Akutgawa-kun? 🤎

You feel like a deflated balloon. You indeed can lie and act like you have no idea who Akutagawa is, but there's no lying to Dazai; he knows better.

How did you find out? 

You came into the office last month wearing the same white button-down I saw him in the previous day. He replies. 

Your face turns red. Dazai is extremely perceptive. Moving your piece first you take an uneasy breath before typing back.

We aren't seeing each other anymore. It's in the past. 

Shame, Dazai comments. He's less of a grump. 

You can't help but grin. 

It can't be helped. 

With a single move, one you didn't see, Dazai puts you in checkmate. 

Can't it? 

What does he mean? You sit back in your chair in defeat. It can't be helped. You attempt to ask him how, but a sudden vibration from your pocket alerts you of a message. 

Meet me at the restaurant near the ocean. You know the one. 

You raise a brow. The number is unknown but you know the restaurant in which they speak; it's the same one you had met Akutagawa at with Atsushi. 

Is it him? You don't understand why he wouldn't use the previous number you have programmed into your phone, but perhaps there is a reason. They could also very well be a member of the Port Mafia. 

I'll be there, you reply. 

Perhaps Atsushi won't mind standing by again.

–

You stare in awe at the beautiful woman sitting in front of you. Her long wavy black hair falls down her back, a contrast to the knee-length white dress that she's wearing. You've never seen her before. How she knows you concerns you. 

A waitress brings her a cup of tea, in addition to your beverage, before she turns her attention to you.

"You brought the weretiger with you," she mentions softly. "He's sitting a block away from here and no doubt you have him on call in case this turns out to be a trap." 

Who is she? Her assumption is right. Your phone rests on your lap with your finger over the button. 

"Is it a trap?" You ask.

"No. I have no orders to go after you," the woman answers. 

She takes a drink of her tea and hums. 

"Then what reason do you have to call me out here?" You ask. "This meeting is a bit suspicious considering I have no idea who you are."

"I'm here because of my brother," she mentions. 

You raise a brow in question. Then, as if you are struck by lightning, you put two and two together.

"Ryuu? He never… never told me he had a sister."

Her eyes brighten; eyes that look like his. 

"It's as I thought. I've seen him with you before. But how long?"

"After the incident with Shibusawa," you admit. 

It doesn't surprise you that he didn't tell his sister. 

"Sorry, but… it's obvious you know my name. Should I not learn yours if we're going to speak so personally?" You ask. 

"It's Gin," she replies. 

You hide your smile behind your drink. 

"I wanted to know what you know about him," Gin mentions. 

That's a good question. 

"Not much obviously, or else I would have known that Ryuu has a sister," you admit. The conversation puts you at ease, but your finger remains over the button. "I know he likes tea and I found out the hard way that he doesn't like baths. And… I know about his lung disease - he told me that much. 

You frown at the last comment. A warmth spreads across your face.

"You know his skill's weakness," Gin points out.

"And he knows mine," you retort. 

He had divulged that information to you the first time you spoke with him, in exchange for information about your special skill.

"But you've never exploited it," Gin presses. 

Is she concerned that you will use it against him? As strong as his Rashoumon is, it has its disadvantages.

“My Rashoumon eats through all in its path, even space itself. However, its space-rupturing capabilities need time to activate, so guns and fire can harm me,” he had explained. “Use it to your advantage.”

You hum and run your finger along the glass's rim.

"I could. He told me to use the information to my advantage. But I have no intention to."

Gin doesn't buy it; you can see it in her eyes.

Raising your free hand, you offer it to her. 

"If it puts you at ease, I can show you that I mean it. Though I can assure you, there's no reason for me to exploit him. I do…care for Ryuu."

Staring at you a moment, Gin sighs and lifts her teacup to her mouth. 

"I believe you."

You're grateful. As unexpected as this encounter is, you are enjoying it. 

"You know, I bought a cute tea set with cats on them for Ryuu a few months back since he complained about drinking tea from a mug and he left without taking them," you mention. Warmth spreads across your face as you realize how ignorant you feel for bringing this up. "If he wants them, he can have them. I don't have much use for them."

"I think you should keep them. He would only complain again if you didn't have any at your apartment," Gin utters with a soft smile.

You have no words. It isn't like you don't want to see Akutagawa again; to kiss and tease him, but you can't. Mori would exploit him. Both of you know more than anyone, which makes it hard that those who know, have a stronger opinion on it.

We both agreed… it's over. 

You plan to honor that agreement. 

–

"I heard good things about it," you retort with a smile. It's much easier than you had expected to balance your cell phone against your shoulder with groceries in your arms. "But listen…Atsushi I'm almost home. I have a few things to put up."

"Do you want to go with us? Naomi and Jun'ichirō are going too." Atsushi asks on the other end. 

Technically you had bought groceries for an easy lunch, but you don't mind not having to cook. 

"I might," you mention, turning the corner to the hall you live down. 

As you do, you are greeted by an unexpected sight. The ombre-haired mafioso you hadn't spoken to in over 2 months stands against the wall next to your apartment door. His empty gray eyes turn to you as you slowly approach. 

"I'll um… call you back later with my answer Atsushi," you utter.

Not able to get your keys, you offer the bags in your less dominant arm to him, thankful when he takes them albeit to his annoyance. You hang up your phone and open the door, allowing him to enter before you saunter in, shutting the door behind you.

"Kitchen please," you state. 

Setting the groceries on the counter, you take an uneasy breath and turn your eyes to him. 

"What do I owe the pleasure?"

"Gin spoke to you," Akutagawa mentioned. 

It had been a while, but it was true. You nod to confirm. 

"About what?" He asks. 

"Boys and slumber parties," you joke.

Akutagawa glares at you, making you snort in response. 

"We spoke about you as if you needed to ask," you mention. To keep your nerves in check, you start to put away the groceries. "It wasn't a work conversation and based on your question I assume Gin didn't tell you the entire thing, so I won't repeat what she asked me."

With a sigh, you lean against the counter. 

"What are you doing here, Ryuu? I don't believe for one bit you came to talk about your sister. She seems to be on good terms with you, so I'm sure she'd tell you about our conversation if you were to ask her."

Offering his hand, you smile and link your pinkie with his. An orange glow surrounds both of you and a mix of nervousness and confusion floods your senses; the former from you. 

"You're confused… about this… about our situation."

"I don't have time for these feelings," Akutagawa mentions. Anger spills into the mix. "They're a distraction; a head full of adoration is irrational."

You separate your hand from his, not liking the intense emotion pouring off him. 

"We agreed, Ryuu. I don't–"

"It's more of a distraction when we're apart," he interrupts. 

Your face heats up in embarrassment. 

"I know… but it can't be helped."

Can't it?

Dazai's words had popped into your head so quickly that it made your body shake with nerves.

"Fucking Dazai," you utter with a snort. 

Akutagawa widens his eyes.

"Dazai-san knows?"

"Did you think he wouldn't notice? He…asked why it couldn't be helped. But honestly, I don't know. The agreement was mutual because of the steaks, but when we first met, I knew how much trouble this could cause us, but I ignored it," you explain.

You felt ignorant for even saying any of this. Love is irrational, especially on the battlefield, but you sort of liked being with him, even if it was only once or twice a week.

"I… didn't feel lonely."

You close the gap and hesitantly reach for his hands, activating your skill. A wave of contentment rolls off him, so you continue, wrapping your arms around him. 

"Every time I touch you, it's like a kaleidoscope," you mention. Your hands slide up his back; one continues up until your fingers thread into his hair. "So many colors… It's stunning."

Akutagawa shivers in response.

"It would be easier just to kill you."

"And you can certainly try once you've made good on the promise you made to Atsushi," you remind him with a grin. 

What feels like jealousy permeates the air at the mention of the weretiger's name.

"You were on the phone with him when you walked up," Akutagawa mentions. His warm breath tickles your neck. 

"Making plans for lunch as work associates sometimes do," you state with a grin. "You should try it sometime."

Akutagawa hums. 

"I don't need friends."

You snort in response. Of course, he doesn't. You'd feel terrible if you weren't hugged up against his chest.

"You've gone out to lunch with me before," you mention. "Am I to believe we aren't friends?"

"Your jokes are tiring," Akutagawa states with a sigh. 

He knows you have a point. You lean back and grin at him. 

"I can make so many lewd comments."

An absence of emotions from him concerns you. 

"Don't struggle," Akutagawa orders. 

An electric red aura surrounds him and before you can react, two shadow-like tendrils wrap around your wrists. You don't struggle as they lift your arms above your head. 

"I thought we agreed that you'd warn me."

"Don't struggle is a clear warning," Akutagawa merely points out.

You narrow your eyes teasingly.

"That's such a mafioso thing to–"

Closing the gap, he presses his lips against yours. It's surprisingly gentle for a bloodthirsty killer and brief. You sigh as he parts; the sensation lingers, provoking a gleeful smile from you.

"You're not letting me touch you for some reason. Do you not want to show me how you feel, Ryuu?"

Akutagawa grunts in response and averts his eyes to the floor, but the light hue of red on his pale skin is noticeable. 

You feel the tendrils around your wrists pull your arms down and toward the counter. At first, you aren't sure what he's doing but moving of your own free will, you realize he's leaning you over the counter with your arms out in front, touching the wall. 

Heat licks at your skin and your nipples harden in arousal. Is he set on fucking you in your kitchen? It's honestly been a while. You're eager but also nervous. This sensation reminds you of the first time you and Akutagawa fucked; the excitement and the hormones. It makes you more eager than ever to have him this close to you again. 

A hand touches your ass, but briefly as the mafioso removes your phone from your back pocket. He then slides his arms around your waist, pressing his warm body against yours as he undoes the button on your uniform and shimmies the fabric down your legs. You are left in nothing but your underwear; the cool breeze from your ceiling fan nips at your cheeks, making you shiver. 

A series of low taps catches your attention and before you can figure out the noise, Akutagawa leans in again and sets your phone on the counter where you can see the screen. To your horror, Atsushi's name and number are showing.

"W-what are you doing?" You ask.

"You never gave the weretiger an answer," Akutagawa answers. 

He leans forward and presses the call button to your dismay, putting it on speakerphone. As you wait for Atsushi to pick up, Akutagawa slips his hand between your thighs and into your underwear, spreading your outer lips. He slowly rubs small slow circles around your clit. You moan in response, but it's cut short as Atsushi's unsuspecting voice comes over the line. 

What is Akutagawa thinking? Does he seriously want Atsushi to hear this? He insisted that you give your coworker an answer. Is he mad?

"H-hey, sorry for taking so long," you utter. Your hips arch as the slow torturous pace he sets makes your body shiver. "I'm a bit tied up with housework so I'm not going to be able to make it."

"That's fine. Maybe–"

The sound of someone struggling to get the phone from him floods the line and you take a moment to hum as Akutagawa quickens his pace. Waves of pleasure roll from your core to the tips of your toes. 

"What do you mean you aren't coming?" Naomi's curious voice asks over the line.

She has no idea how lewd her question sounds to you at the moment. 

"I h-have housework," you retort. An embarrassed warmth spreads across your face. 

"You can do that later," Naomi argues. "Come out and eat with us."

You absolutely can't and there is no way you can tell her that a dangerous mafioso is fingering you in your kitchen. 

"Rain check," you utter. "I can't–" 

"Is something wrong? Atsushi says your breathing sounds rushed," Naomi interrupts. 

Of course, he can hear you struggling. Those tiger senses are no joke; Akutagawa knows this. 

A sudden gasp makes you widen your eyes.

"Are you having your monthly?" Naomi whispers. 

You almost snort. 

"Yeah, Nomi. I'm in a bit of pain."

This is a complete lie. Your body is a trembling wreck from the slow pleasure creeping across your sensitive nerves. It's almost too much. 

"No worries then," the dark-haired girl states. "I'll cover for you. Just get some rest."

"T-thank you. I owe you one," you utter in relief. 

When the call ends, you take a deep breath, resting your heated face on the counter. 

"You're evil."

"Were you not aware?" Akutagawa asks. 

To your annoyance, he removes his hand from your pussy, but the moment you hear the sound of his zipper, your skin breaks out in goosebumps. You spread your legs eagerly. 

Not having to wait long, you hum as your underwear is pulled down. Akutagawa trails his fingers up your thigh and between your legs, spreading you once again. A sigh of relief pours from your parted lips as the head of his cock enters you, thrusting deep a second later. 

Surges of pleasure tickle your sensitive nerves as the mafioso grasps your hips, starting gently. It's when you arch your ass into him, does he quicken the pace, pressing you against the counter with every thrust.

You moan in response, but it's much too fast for you. 

"Slow down."

It doesn't hurt, but you don't necessarily want to come so soon; you want to enjoy him a bit more. But Akutagawa doesn't seem to care. Something is fueling him. His pace seems almost possessive, almost like he's making a point. You wonder if perhaps the interaction with Atsushi put him in this mood. 

"You're not the jealous type, are you, Ryuu?" You ask, aware of how dangerous this question is. 

Fingers slide into your hair at the base of your neck, trailing up midway. You groan as Akutagawa grasps the laces between his fingers and leans your head back. The hold on your wrists thankfully releases and you can rest your arms, keeping them at your side as he presses you against his chest. 

"You accuse me of being jealous. Of whom? The weretiger?" 

A hand slips between your legs, stimulating your clit for a second time. Your body arches in response. 

"I w-wasn't going to give names." 

His hand between your thighs pauses, earning a groan from you; his thrusts are deliberately slow. You rest a hand over him, activating your power. Mixed with the arousal is a strong sense of jealousy, as you had expected.

"What do you have to be jealous about?" you ask. "I've only ever wanted you."

To emphasize your point, you allow him a peek at your aura. He sighs in response and circles your clit; you move your fingers in unison with his, turning up your eyes as the sensation in your core grows.

Akutagawa's pace quickens, but it's not as possessive as before. Paired with the stimulation to your clit, his thrusts feel remarkable; just enough so that you are thrown completely over your limit and into an intense orgasm. 

Your hips arch and your body tenses to the waves of pleasure that roll over you, shooting down to your toes. For a moment you lean against Akutagawa, out of your mind, and slowly coming down, until he prompts you to lie against the table. Lewd wet noises permeate the air as his thrusts drive deep and hard into your sensitive core. You reach and grasp his hand at your waist, using your ability once again. 

The intense desperation and need pouring from him makes your walls tighten. 

"I missed this. I needed you so bad," you sob. 

Akutagawa pulls back, removing his cock from you, and covers your ass and thighs in his warm cum. It's almost as if your words had a desired effect on him; almost as though he enjoys being told how much he's needed. He's too–

A fit of coughs brings you into reality. You know Akutagawa doesn't like to be pitied, but every time you hear him struggle to breathe, you feel helpless and uneasy. 

"I can… make you some tea if you want," you mention, turning to face him. 

Akutagawa shakes his head and then removes his hand. 

"I'll make it."

You nod in understanding. He doesn't need you to comfort him. 

"The tins are in the cabinet where they've always been."

Leaving him for a moment, you go into the bathroom to pee and clean up. Once you are refreshed, you return to the kitchen where you had left Akutagawa, seeing him judging the tea set you bought for him. 

"Next time you can buy your own," you retort.

"Next time? Have you not had enough?" He asks. 

You snort and grab a drink from the fridge. 

"Of you? No. My ignorance knows no bounds."

Akutagawa hums. 

"Likewise."

"We may have to hurt one another one day by continuing down this path. That's a tough pill to swallow," you mention.

There's no doubt in your mind that Mori will eventually figure it out. But will he ask Akutagawa to kill you? There's no benefit from your death that the Port Mafia might exploit, so perhaps not, but you can't see him accepting it as the Agency might. 

"It's going to be rough," you utter. 

"I was under the assumption you liked it that way," Akutagawa states. 

Your face heats up. For once you have nothing to say. Lewd statements coming from him are strange.

"I'll admit, that was kind of hot."

He hums. 

"This isn't going to end well."

"At least we can say we tried," you utter with a snort. 

Closing the gap, you hesitantly slide your arm around him, hugging him from behind. His body remains tense but he doesn't make a move to reject you. 

"I missed you."

The ombre-haired mafioso sighs. 

"Likewise."

It's all the confirmation that you need. Whatever time brings, at least you know Akutagawa will face it with you. 

[aseriesofunfortunatejan]

Jan finally learns Brawler's backstory

(In 2024) (After being tortured by at least two separate people who were weird about it)

In case you don't know, two specific, major (albeit short) scenes from Brawler's backstory are presented in Chapters 16 and 25 of the manga. In case you're not interested in reading the manga, they're summarised very plainly in his History section on the Wiki.

I genuinely recommend you read the manga, however, because the way it presents parallels is... unparalleled... by the anime.

Here is my breakdown! I'll try not to spend too much time on it because I've been awful at organising my time today, but if you know me, you'll know you're in for a few long paragraphs.

So - in the first scene presented in Chapter 16, Brawler's grandpa tries to teach him the type of lesson a mama cat might also try to teach to her young. He attacks an overly confident young Brawler with a boring haircut with chopsticks, and Brawler dodges, but he's obviously jumpscared by it. The lesson is: an attacker might come even when you feel safe, such as when you're eating! It's unclear what kind of life they're living, but what's for sure is that Brawler already has a habit of fighting, and is being instructed by his grandpa. Another element I noted is that their meal is fairly sober, and the house they live in is undecorated, with cracks in the walls.

Embarrassed that he got jumpscared, Brawler considers reciprocating the attack to scare him back. Just as his grandpa had, his grips both of his chopsticks.

The next two pages aren't a continuation of this scene. Instead, the both of them have clearly aged and Brawler's hair is cooler. His grandpa is wearing an eyepatch. When he repeats the same lesson again, Brawler points out that he doesn't have eyes to spare: it's strongly implied what might have happened.

Why didn't he dodge? "He wasn't going to chicken out and lose like he did." It seems that his grandpa is teaching him to have a strong ego more so than he is teaching him survival instincts. It's not about surviving the fight, it's about winning... at having the best fight possible. His grandpa teaches him masochism... I mean, his grandpa tells him to put his life on the line for a good fight.

This is giving me a second reason not to acknowledge Shikoku Arc as canon. One other theme ruined.

Brawler has very much learned from his grandpa's pride. He grabs his hand, holding his chopsticks, and points it to his eye.

Remembering these conversations is what inspires his strong reaction to Master in the Shinkansen.

Brawler did step back and look upset in the anime. What was missing was his point of view.

Not too long afterwards, Brawler says the same thing (although differently translated, which makes sense considering the added context of the manga) he had in the anime. The difference is: we now know why he says it.

He continues with: "the two of us are fighting with our lives on the line". This is what he just recalled his grandpa telling him.

About 9 chapters later, Brawler is about to die in a fight against Master. Staring at his opponent, he remembers that first conversation with his grandpa again. The very next minute, in fact: his chopsticks are bloody, and his grandpa's eye injured. Young-boring-hair Brawler stares in shock, while his grandpa calmly instructs him to... be a masochist... I mean, enjoy getting hurt as part of his enjoyment of a fight.

"You only live once. Enjoy fights to the fullest." There is an implication here that at least I am reading into: Brawler is in pain. We later learn that his injury was slowly reopening due to Doctor's purposefully botched surgery. The injury being shown in a previous panel is that same injury. Remembering his grandpa's words, Brawler decided to ignore the pain and let it kill him.

Famously something you should avoid doing. Except if you have a uterus, in which case, give it 7 years on average before it gets diagnosed. [...]

And then, telling his old man to watch him, he fucking dies.

This was a good chapter overall, even beside the flashback - like I mentioned above, the manga does a great job of showcasing parallels. In this chapter, Boss also explains to Pupil that Executioners like Master don't differ much from Akudama.

I genuinely didn't know this was what Brawler's flashbacks were like. All I knew was that he had a grandpa some people are weird about. What I now know is that Brawler had the worst grandpa on Earth??? He's like if your boomer grandpa were proud about getting dropped from a great height rather than about drinking from the hose when he was younger.

It really seems that this man's advice actively cost Brawler's life. And I don't think the manga shies away from implying that it's not right.

Boss' speech is from her point of view and about the Execution Division. But what ties it to Brawler is not only her own comparison of Executioners like Master to Akudama, but also, Hoodlum being paralleled to Pupil.

Hoodlum and Pupil are different people with different personalities, so it makes sense that their reactions would be different either way. We know Hoodlum shuts down up until he grabs the sword to attack Pupil, whereas she was crying the entire way. But I think the fact that she's actively aware of what is happening might lead to her stronger reaction, while Hoodlum is only just guessing and unsure.

In any case, what's clear is that Brawler's grandpa's advice was dogshit and clearly biased towards his own interest. Did Brawler really carry out what he himself wanted, or what his grandpa wanted? Was he bound to end up this way, learn this lesson, regardless? What doesn't change is that this stance is selfish - and leaves the ones you care about and who care about you behind. Plus, is this fight really worth the many other fights you could have had, had you lived longer?

It wasn't just Doctor, it wasn't just Master, it wasn't just himself - all of them, plus his grandpa, killed Brawler in that moment.

("This is not a children's playground, go home"... Oh, you're trying to be a sensible grandfather figure now, shithead? Why are you alive? This sucks!!!)

Most importantly, this puts emphasis on Brawler's ego. Brawler is a man with a great ego, which we now know he was taught to have. He doesn't just happen to be the best fighter - he aims for greatness. He wants to have a very long prison sentence just like Hoodlum. [...]

Much of his circumstances are still missing. First off, why was he taught to fight in the first place? And why was he separated from his grandpa? And did he have other family beside him? (Is Akudama Drive implying that if you only have one adult guardian, you're bound to become a criminal? I'm in deep shit. /ex) His flashbacks imply a fairly humble lifestyle. We know Brawler can eat a lot - were his needs and wants not met because he couldn't afford them? It's not like the quantity he was eating had increased by the later flashback, so the humble food, compared to his liking for huge servings of meat, was probably not a personal choice. That being said, we don't know his grandpa. Maybe he wanted that for him - he clearly had a lot of influence over Brawler.

I don't think these questions need to be answered to tell a good story. I do think all of these questions would have been more interesting to tackle than whatever Shikoku arc was about, however.

[overlyimmersed]

Training

As the Druid chief Jenna orders her final instruction Maranwe looks over to the fairy beside her. She smiles at him and holds her hand out. Helbram returns the smile and gladly takes her hand as the two enter the cave along with the others.

"Y'know, I'm not sure I really know what training exactly is." Maranwe comments as they float besides each other in the dark. "It's like practice isn't it?"

"Yeah, kinda," Helbram answers. "But it's more intense than that. With training you have to have purpose. You're trying to improve." "I thought the point of practicing was to improve."

"Yeah, but this is different. It's not just repeating the same thing over and over again. You have to push yourself."

Maranwe halts, pausing to think over the perspective. Helbram just gives her times, watching her face as she mulls it over. He can practically see the gears turning in her head.

"Hm..." she responds, finally, "I think I get that."

"Good!" Helbram smiles and lets go of her hand to claps his together once. The sound reverberates around them, which catches their attention.

They glances around, surprised to find themselves suddenly in a chamber. Maranwe wings tilt down a little as her eyes pass over the all confining stone walls, floor and ceiling.

"I guess I wasn't paying attentions..." she reasons, "I hadn't really considered that we'd be underground."

Helbram notes the tremor in her voice and returns his attention to her, "It is a cave."

"I know, I jus-" her words are cute short, turned into a high pitched yelp as she narrowly dodges a cluster of thick, spiked roots shooting up from the ground.

They both look around for the source of the attack and quickly find it. At first it looks mostly like a mass of purple leaves, before it pulls it's limbs out of the ground and hovers above it just like the two fairies.

"What is that." Helbram asks, as they both stare at it. The creature has an overall humanoid, feminine form with skin mostly white with dark blue accents, except for it's face which is brown and material resembling sleeves on it's arms which are light blue. The mass of purple leaves they saw initially resemble hair, and it has three almost pineapple looking fruits growing from the top of it's head.

"It's a type of screamer," Maranwe answers, serious but calm.

"It doesn't look anything like a screamer!" He turns towards Maranwe to argue, and the creature takes the lapse of attention as opportunity to attack him. It dashes forwards and slashes at Helbram with it's root-like arms.

He braces for the pain, squeezing his eyes shut, but it never hits him. He opens his eyes to see why and finds himself face to face with the monster, it's arm straining against a shimmering silver barrier between them. He glances at Maranwe and sees her hand outstretched in his direction. Her jaw is clenches from the effort of resisting the creature.

Movement draws his attention back to his attacker, it pushes off the shield and flies back some distance. The shield dissipates in a shower of silvery glitter.

"It's a Rage Screamer," Maranwe specifies, "They're a stronger sort and act kind of like queen bees. Kind of. The Sound and Strike Screamers you're thinking of are like workers."

"Oh." is all he can manage, still caught off guard by Maranwe's quick defense. "I didn't know you could do that..."

"I've learned to do a lot of things. We should probably focus." Maranwe redirects, never taking her eyes off the threat.

"Right," and he turns his attention back to the Rage Screamer. "So what other tricks do you have up your sleeve?"

"Um, well..." Another root attack interrupts their conversation, this time Helbram is ready to dodge it. Maranwe chooses to block with another shield. "How about you attack it, and I'll defend and distract."

He finds that suggestion a little odd, shrinking from the fight right after saving the day like that. But he complies nonetheless and dashes forward to slash at the Screamer with the stick Jenna had provided when they entered.

The monster parries with it's arm and Helbram dodges to the side.

"Close your eyes!" Maranwe shouts behind him.

He does so, but still has to raise his arm to block out enough of the sudden flash of blinding light. The Screamer sheiks in pain, and Helbram opens his eyes to see it covering it's own face and staggering. He's not entirely sure what Maranwe just did, but he's not going to let the advantage slip away. He decides the give the creature a taste of it's own medicine, calling a number of large roots from the ground to impale it. It sheiks again before pulling itself off the roots and flying back further from the fairies.

"How do you like that!" Helbram gloats.

Maranwe tries to suppress a smile, "We shouldn't underestimate it."

The monster glares at them and lets out an enraged scream, louder and more ear splitting than it's previous shrieks.

Maranwe flinches and covers her ears with her hands, "I think it's mad!"

As if that were a que, the Rage Screamer jumps up, and does a spin before plunging it's limbs into the earth again, this time with more force and a distinct discharge of magical power. The huge cluster of root spikes that comes hurtling from the ground towards them seem to be giving off a kind of magenta smoke. Though neither has the time to consider what it means as they brace for the impact.

When Maranwe opens her eyes again, it's to Helbram's face. She's lying on her back and he's trying to rouse her. She blinks and sits up with a groan.

"You two are lucky," comes a female voice. The two look up to see a less than pleased Jenna looking down at them. "If you weren't Fairies, that poison would have done a number on you. You really should have taken this more seriously."

Maranwe scoff as she gets to her feet and starts to pat the dirt off herself. "I was. He doesn't know how to take things seriously."

"Hey! I didn't exactly know what to expect!" Helbram argues, standing up to meet her.

"I didn't either! That didn't stop me!"

"Just because you're afraid of everything!"

"That's enough!" Jenna breaks through the argument. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that you do better next time."

The pair of fairies both fold their arms and huff, refusing to look at each other. Though Maranwe is quickly distracted from the tiff as she notices an absence.

"Where's Harlequin?"

"You just missed him," Merlin answers, or the magical projection of Merlin, her voice having a strange hollow quality about it. "He went inside with the Captain."

Maranwe exchanges a look with Helbram before both move closer to look into the glowing orb Merlin's been watching.

[emissary-of-stuff]

Hold on I just realized I never introduced my Rimworld colony

This is the colony of Elysium, a colony whose religion is based upon vampires and cannibalism (we don't eat every person we come across, it's a treat). We currently have 6 colonists.

The first one is Tate, whose icon is like that because he is currently in a vampire coma. Yes, he is a vampire. He is 51 years old and our best attacker with 15 shooting and melee, and very charismatic with 16 social, plus 12 intellect. He also has the nimble trait, meaning he is good at dodging traps and melee hits. Being a vampire (Sanguaphage technically) he cannot die and heals quickly, so this is a really good combo. Another trait of his is that he has pyrophobia, meaning he cannot fight fires.

Next is Kev, our 21 year old miner/builder/doctor. He has a construction of 9, and a mining of 11, and a medical of 10, with him holding a burning passion for those last two. He sadly has the Undergrounder trait, meaning he doesn't like being outdoors. Sucks to be him.

Zulu is 13, and he first joined the colony at 10 years old. I planned on him being good at melee, but he ended up having a burning passion for construction (9) and is good at social (6). He still has time to learn though. His traits are masochist and optimist, meaning he gets a mood buff whenever he's in pain and a mood buff in general. Him being a masochist works pretty well since it means he won't get a mood debuff if Tate needs to drink his blood. Well, none of the people with the vampire religion get that debuff anyway, but still.

Next is Wyshuk at 25 years old, who was a temporary colonist who decided to stay after we arrested her. (She tried to leave and I really wanted her to stay) She is now married to Gratian, the colonist who came with her on a quest. Being a Yittakin (animal person), Wyshuk is very good with animals, having 12 points. She is also good at construction (10) and medical (9). Her traits are jogger, wimp, jealous and psychically dull. This means she can move fast, can't take that many hits, gets upset if people's rooms are fancier than hers, and that psychic phenomena doesn't affect her that much. The jealous trait is pretty easy to solve so it's not that big a deal to me. The only issue is that she can't do firefighting, meaning she and Tate just watch while everyone puts it out.

Gratian is 23 and Wyshuk's husband. He has a burning passion for construction (7) and plants (9). Due to this, he is our resident gardener. A funny thing about him is that he has a burning passion for social, but he has the poor social gene, meaning his skill in it is a 3.

His trait is kind, meaning he is more likely to compliment people and won't insult them. He's a pretty chill dude and I like him in my colony.

Next up is Jimmy, the 17 year old who fell from the sky. He's Zulu's big brother and is passionate with construction (6), mining (8), and the arts (4). I'm really happy about that last one since I wanted someone in this colony to make statues and art pieces to keep people happy. Like Kev, Jimmy has the Undergrounder trait, so I'm trying my best with that.

A thing to note about Wyshuk, Gratian and Jimmy is that they do not follow the same religion as my colony, which I don't mind. The reason is that my colonists religion has them prefer the night, while the other colonists prefer the day. I'm not converting them because this way, someone will be working no matter what time of day it is. Very efficient in my opinion.

[drjdorr]

"So how long has it been since you heard from that facility now? Five? Ten minutes?" Zarra asked the crime lord, a cocky smile on her face despite the ropes binding her to the chair

"Quite" the crime lord said as he nervously paced

"He should be here soon, I'd make amends with any gods you worship"

"I said quite!" His hand smacks against her face out of frustration

"Hehe," she chuckles, the smile still on her face, "you call that a smack? Where I grew up, a hit like that is a sign my mother was having a good day." Suddenly the lights went out and the machinery around them whirred to a stop. "I'd start praying if I was you, before it's too late"

With the power cut the room was dark save the light from the skylight above but these guys hadn't gotten so high in the organization to work directly under the boss by not being able to deal with a bit of darkness. Anyways, there was only one way in and the moment he stepped through that door, he'd be swiss cheese

The room was silent. No one moved, no one even breathed.

Then with a CRASH of shattering glass Jysgo landed as two thugs crumpled to the ground, two bullets expertly placed in the base of their skulls. Jysgo's eyes then rose to meet the crime lord's who saw only death in the drow’s.

Jysgo rose to his height and began advancing on the crime lord, his guns smoothly snapping from goon to goon, each bullet another death as his eyes never left the leader. The crime lord had been in many shoot outs, you don't get into his position without getting your hands dirty on occasion, but he had never seen someone be so casual surrounded by gunfire, not even breaking stride to dodge the knife stab before blowing out the over extending attacker's brain or having a fleeing criminal's brain touch the door right before his fingers would have. Soon only Jysgo, the crime lord, and Zarra remained in the room as Jysgo looked at the crime lord

"Kneel" Jysgo said, his tone almost bored as he glanced over to Zarra to check on her

"I'm sorry, you do not get to-" the crime lord drops to the ground screaming as Jysgo rolled his eyes and used a pair of shots to cause his kneecaps to shatter

"I said kneel" Jysgo said as he sat the muzzle of the gun against his forehead, a pull of the trigger and the crime lord's brain stem would receive a new open concept floor plan.

"P-please" the crime lord begged, the tears unclear if they were from fear or pain "l-let me go, I'll go straight, I'll leave town, you will never see or hear from me again, just let me go please"

Jysgo looked at him, so pathetic, only two bullet wounds and a gun to his head and he's begging for his life. The man wouldn't last a day among Jysgo's people.

"You know," Jysgo said, "I believe you." his gun began to lower, a glimmer of hope entering the crime lord's eyes. But as his gun was passing over his stomach Jysgo continued, "but you hurt Zarra" before firing into his gut twice.

the crime lord shuddered from the shots and was about to topple when Jysgo caught him by his suit coat.

"not risking you having this" Jysgo said as he pulls out the dying man's gun from his pocket and releasing him to fall onto the floor. "not a bad gun" he says before pocketing it.

he walked over to Zarra "are you ok?"

"I'm not a baby Jysgy. Is Grabbyhands ok?" Zarra knew her brother cared but this was a slow Tuesday compared to back home, though he probably wasn't to use to it given he was the reason someone's Tuesday quickly became less slow

"your rat is fine" Jysgo dismissed her customary correction as he gave a whistle and the door handle gave a jiggle before opening to a racoon that quickly ambled over toward Zarra excitedly

"Mr.Grabbyhands! I'm so happy you're ok" Zarra stepped out of the ropes she had untied an hour ago to embrace her pet

"found him near where you were taken. turns out they didn't want a little garbage eating dog" Jysgo said watching the reunion

"Racoon! And he doesn't eat garbage he eats your food"

"not really endearing me to him, but he was almost as impatient to find you as I was. darn mole almost got me shot trying to attack a thug when he didn't stand a chance against"

"Racoon! but... thank you for saving him Jysgy. I know you aren't fond of him but it means alot that you tried to save him" Zarra hoisted up the wriggling mass of fur as Grabbyhands crawled onto her shoulders

"don't get me wrong, he drives me up the wall, but that little skunk makes you happy." Jysgo said looking at the masked critter "that being said, the moment that isn't the case he is getting kicked out of my house"

Zarra gave Jysgo a small punch on the arm "you will have to wait a long time then"

"ughh" the dying man moaned in pain

Zarra walked over to the man before taking out a case from her pocket and setting down a few small flowers "Hemlock" she explained before walking over to leave with Jysgo

[oswaldsleftbicep]

Hiiii i really love your page!! Finally another nightmare harem enjoyer :3. I don’t know if this was already asked but how would the demons react if mc hit them?

the demons when their gn!so hits them

i'm glad you enjoy my writing! i was hesitant to do this one because of the theme and how it borders on domestic violence, but i'm going ahead with it anyway. i'm doing two takes on this, one in which mc hits purposefully (assume argument or betrayal) and one accidentally, and the explanations will be short. please proceed with caution.

genre: angst, hurt/comfort

cw: violence/domestic violence, blocks of text

in which mc hits accidentally

lucia: probably tried to sneak up on you to scare you; did not expect you to start swinging lol; jumped back to try and dodge your hits, but one landed right on his shoulder; lets out a yelp and tries to pin the whole situation on you; "why would you hit me?? i thought you loved me??"; ignores the fact that he instigated lol; very pouty around you for the rest of the day until you apologize and kiss his shoulder better lol

levy: you were reading a scary book and he came up and tapped you on the shoulder out of nowhere and it scared the crap out of you; you sat straight up, turned, and swung your fist right at his jaw; stumbled back and falls onto the ground, holding his jaw in pain; he's angry that you hit him, embarrassed that he took it so poorly, and impressed that you hit like a champ; gets over it pretty quick and definitely is more careful around you, especially when you're busy

mefy: it's just a prank bro calm down; he's an asshole and did a really bad prank on you that set you on edge; so when he revealed himself it startled you and you swung; he certainly didn't see it coming, but his reflexes are good enough that he was able to dodge; so you didn't actually hit him :/ ; he thinks it's hilarious that you tried to smh

oswald: he had a bad night and came back.. not his usual self; after a while you, kaim, and lucia got him to sleep in his bed and you decided to stay up and watch over him; but of course you fell asleep at some point, still on edge; he wakes up before you, back to normal but you don't know that; he sees you asleep in a chair, very uncomfy, and goes to pick you up to move you to the bed; his touch wakes you up, and in your self defense mode, you fought back and landed one right on his cheek; he's surprised by this, thinking he did something wrong, and he backs up; after a little bit of questions and explanations on both ends, you've calmed down; but he's hesitant to touch you again for the next day or two; not because you hit him, but because he doesn't want to scare you

kaim: he's so quiet when he moves around; had you organizing this creepy cellar room by yourself, which gave you the heebie jeebies; when he comes to check up on you, you don't hear him come up behind you until he speaks up; you let out a scream and you turn around and punch him in the chest; unfazed, absolutely unfazed; for how lean and thin this man looks, he is solid to punches at least asdbjf; took that hit like a champ and all he did was raise an eyebrow at your futile attempt to fight him off

in which mc hits purposefully

lucia: lets you have the first few hits for free, especially if you're really angry and he's in the wrong; after a while he'll get you to stop, probably by getting your arms to your side and holding you in a hug; he knows you wouldn't hit unless you had a reason

levy: only lets you have the first hit for free before he starts to get defensive; won't hit back, god he'd never hit you; but he will probably grab your arms and force them down; tries to prioritize getting physical distance between the two of you by backing or gently pushing you away

mefy: he's good at dodging your hits so it's rare that one would land; he'd probably make it worse at first by either instigating your violence or encouraging you to continue; "what is that all you got? c'mon, hit me like you mean it. this is pathetic"; if you manage to corner him, he'd catch your hand before you land a hit, and he'd probably squeeze just a bit too tight

oswald: lets you hit him, everything you got he'll take; you can't hurt this man, he's just too strong; so he just lets you tire yourself out before making amends; no matter how angry he is, as long as he's sane he'd never, ever lay his hands on you

kaim: he can take a hit pretty well, and he can keep his composure with it too; but he'll cut you off after one hit, two max; he catches your hands and gets your arms back down to your side, all in one impossibly gentle move; something about the look in his eyes gets you to stop and calm down fairly quick

[pageadaytale]

BOOK REVIEW ROUNDUP - A Trio of Quick Classics

This past month I took a bit of a break from non-fiction. I was feeling burnt-out on facts and figures, and no matter how much they dress it up a science book is by neccessity going to include some science. So instead of reading more non-fiction, I spent most of June reading some classics! Here's three that were quick, easy, and also pretty good:

#1: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

It's a classic for a reason! Brief synopsis: Ebeneezer Scrooge is a miserly businessman who steals even the coal from his worker's fire, and he's visited on Christmas Eve by three ghosts who attempt to change his wicked selfish ways! I honestly found this a little difficult to get into - a quirk of Dickens's writing style, where he'll fill a page with musings on the shape of a door-knocker because he's getting paid by the word - but once it gets going, it goes. It doesn't let up, as we move from one ghost to the next, and it's a heartwarming and touching story which is helped by humanising Scrooge with a tragic past on several levels. The ghosts are memorable and witty, and they provide some much-needed lessons for Scrooge. We all know the story, and it ends with a Happily Ever After. A little slow to start, but excellent as it goes.

#2: The Outsider by Albert Camus

Also known as The Stranger, this novel by Albert Camus is about the injustice of the justice system. It follows Mr Mersault, a Frenchman living in Algeria, who seemingly feels nothing the way he is supposed to. On the day of his mother's funeral he is tired, but not sad, and in the days after he returns to his life as normal. When he falls in with the wrong crowd and kills a local, his trial focuses more on his personality and his apparent lack of emotion than on his actions or the events surrounding the murder.

The Outsider resonated with me, in part because I see the justice system every day, but also because it's easy to feel like my emotions do not match people's expectations at any given point. It can be seen as a scathing indictment of the justice system's callous disregard of mental health - where judges have the right to lock you up indefinitely for any crime, if they believe you are not mentally "well" enough to simply go to jail; and where police are the first responders to any emergency, and are not trained to deal with a mental health crisis, so they usually resort to their standard tactics: brute force and arrests. I feel Mersault's pain as the jury and the crowd in court judge him for his idiosyncracies and quirks, rather than for the crime he committed. It's a quick read, and one with unexpected depth.

#3: The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan

So of the three, this was my least favourite. That's mainly because it starts off with a wildly anti-semitic plot point. Our protagonist, straight-talking adventurer Richard Hannay, is fed up with life in London, where he's spending his days going from one function to another and talking with the most boring diplomats and businessmen. Just when he's thinking of throwing it all in and heading back to Africa, a man turns up on his doorstep with a tale to tell: there's a shady group of people controlling the actions of the world governments and they're aiming to plunge the world into war! Buchan is not coy about naming the Jews here, and he'll leave you with that impression for fully half the book, so I'm going to spoil it now and reveal that, surprise! The Jews have nothing to do with the government-controlling world-war plot! Turns out the first guy was a British spy who just so happened to be suuuper-anti-semitic and blamed every plot on them. Good job his death is the catalyst to get the plot started! Suddenly Hannay must dodge secret-society goons and the Metropolitan Police as he escapes London for his childhood home of Scotland, meets a bunch of people along the way who help him out, and generally has a cracking good adventure for a few weeks.

Anyway, it turns out it's the Germans orchestrating the whole world-war thing, Hannay uncovers one of the goons disguised as the First Sea Lord stealing naval secrets, and the whole story culminates in a showdown at a townhouse overlooking the sea in Kent, which is extraordinarily well-written and made me worry that Hannay had in fact got the whole thing wrong! It's a shame that after that, the ending is kinda a downer: despite stopping the leak of national secrets and taking down the Black Stone, our secret society bent on world destruction, the march to war is now inevitable, and Hannay enlists and is bumped up to Captain immediately. He considers it a noble endeavour; there's no mention that he has failed utterly in his purpose, save perhaps for preventing the war turning the war in Germany's favour with British naval secrets being stolen.

Overall, it's the kind of rip-roaring adventure you'd see in kid's fiction not too long ago, only with more adult themes and some dated references. And racism. A whole lot of racism.

Conclusion

Look, sometimes you just have to read some classics. If I were ranking them, The Outsider comes first, followed by A Christmas Carol and then The Thirty-Nine Steps is a distant third. The other two are just a little deeper, and they're not steeped in a general first-world-war era xenophobia. I would say they're all worth a read - The Thirty-Nine Steps if only for its pacing and as a quintessential example of an adventure novel.

Overall, if you need a break from your usual fare, you can't go wrong with a classic. Especially if they're less than two-hundred pages.

[tack-the-pretty-boy]

Spock has a cousin/sister

I had a dream where there was a human woman saying gibberish and Spock was the only one who could understand her.

That woman wasn't speaking gibberish, it was Hebrew and she could easily speak English as well Vulcan, she was just messing with the entire crew.

With the passing of the episodes the crew noticed that she and Spock knew each other very well, some even betted they were dating or something like that.

In one episode she finally said something in english: "The feeling of a burn is the most excruciating pain for humans, I wonder if it's the same for your species" In a complete monotone voice to hostile humanoid aliens.

But that was more for the audience than anything, however, she said a sentence in english later on the same episode: "James, Fuck off and let me fucking sleep"

Jim and Bones (They were at the sickbay) looked mildly disturbed at Spock who kept a stoic face.

In another episode some of the crew was discussing thing about religion and some stuff at the bridge, when she appeared out of nowhere and said: "Spock is Jewish"

Spock's answer was nod, when questioned he said "Jewish is inherited by the mother, my mother is Jewish, so logically, I am Jewish, though I do not believe in their religion"

Someone (I think it was Kirk or Bones?) asked if there is any more Jewish in the ship (ok, that was probably Bones), and Spock replied "Yes, Tabitha (he actually didn't say a name but I found one for her) is Jewish"

"So her mother is also Jewish? (Considering Tabitha constant drinking, the amount of grumbling that were definitely swearing and her expression in general, it was a good guess)

"No, she became Jewish."

In another episode there is a ruckus because Tabitha and Spock are having a discussion (in Vulcan) and things were getting violent. Kirk was going to intervene, but Tabitha tried to punch Spock, who dodge and she bent the wall. Everyone was silent, the two Half-Vulcans continued to fight and refused to say what they were fighting about. (Spock was the one who refused, Tabitha said what was happening, but in Hebrew)

Overall Tabitha was a drunk but competent crewman, she often looked mad but she just has a resting bitch face. She has autism, making it difficult for her to express most of her emotions, everyone though it was because she is Half-Vulcan, but it never was.

Fun facts:

Her blood is red, but there is like, part that are green, you can easily spot these green parts.

Because of her stimming, she doesn't have Pon farr.

She can eat any human or vulcan food without health problems.

She has a lifetime of blackmail to use on Spock (It's just parts of her diary).

She and Spock has a sibling rivalry and the only reason she is in the Starfleet to begin with it was a bet (she won).

She uses the red uniform, but i'm not sure what she would be.

She usually doesn't need work with people, but she is always on the bridge (nothing works if she isn't around).

Chekov got excited over the fact she greeted him in Russian, but she only knows how to say hi (some seasons later she learned to swear in Russian).

Her mom is Vulcan, while her father is Human (and Canadian).

She and Spock celebrate Hannukah (it's nothing big, and Tabithat is the only one who prays, Spock meditates).

Spock used to call her Tata.

She has two younger siblings.

She is the most human-like

[successionmanga]

Chapter 21

So Kiliko's real name is Nathanael and, judging by what he calls him, Eco's real name is Francesco.

So our boy is not only a runaway but he turns to be in line for succession to the house of Lagen. Kiliko wants to throw him out for that reason but Eco insists that he has no interest in the House anymore, being here for a different reason. He calls the house "bound by the archives of Rovisco, like a golem that can't move at all." Kiliko orders him seized, snitching that he's the mastermind behind the whole Amontel invading thing. Eco dodges, whining that he's no good at the whole fighting thing...but is actually biding his time for the "watchdogs of the waterway" to break through the floor and give him an opportunity to escape. He tells Kiliko goodbye amidst the latter's demands he tell him his plans.

Outside, the worms are attacking everyone while Linna watches in horror, wondering if he should even help. Being Linna, he does decide to help.

Meanwhile, Kiliko tells the guards that the Watchdogs are vulnerable to light, instructing them to unlock the storeroom and smear the blade with Cantharis and Arzenica. Kiliko easily figures out Eco is responsible for letting the Watchdogs escape but he doesn't know why he did it.

Meanwhile, Seamrog and Musca are inside with the latter frustrated that she can't see what all the commotion is about outside. Seamrog also wants to use the event as an opportunity to escape but he wants to bide his time more, telling Musca that a lady knows when to wait. Musca says she knows...but she's taking a break from being a lady. Seamrog feels like his hands are tied and tells the guard that Musca has a stomachache and they need to take her to the doctor.

We cut to Belca waking up in a cold damp place. At first he thinks he's back in the Fox's Cave...but then he realizes he's in the waterways, struggling to get himself thrown down by the Amontel. One named Saku wants to cut his head off and throw it into the castle but another named Taihaku stops him, wanting to ask his name first. Saku protests that they're not here to get names; they're here to teach the elite that the Amontel are not just insects that they can hunt down whenever they want. Also, they need to be punished for spilling the blood of the Kannagi (a priestess of some kind, according to the translator's notes). The other Amontel agree, wanting revenge for the kingdom for them wiping out the bloodline of the Kannagi from their village. They say if the Amontel are going to die, they should at least fight back against their exterminators. And right now, they want to teach them the pain of losing someone they were trying to protect. Belca then speaks up, asking if there's anyone there who can understand him. No one answers but one of them is killed by a thing moving too fast to be seen. Saku tells them to head to the end of the passage to escape it, dragging Belca with him...only for a guard dressed in black to approach from the shadows, assuring Belca that he'll save him from these "monsters".

Belca recognizes him as one of Kiliko's men and asks him if Orcelito and Linna are alright. The guard assures him they are fine and Belca tells the guard to take the Amontel as prisoners so that they can be judged according to the law. He's strong so he shouldn't have any trouble with them. The guard coldly responds that only "people" have the right to be judged by the law. Belca protests that the Amontel are people, calling them by the native name "Hokulea", much to the latters' own shock. The guard doesn't care...but he and his allies are set upon by the Watchdogs, complicating matters further.

Belca and the Hokulea get away in the confusion and Belca says the names Shingetsu and Tenrou, startling the Hokulea. He knows the name of their group and he knows "the siblings"...now they know who he is. Taihaku asks if he's Belca and Saku says he thought Belca was just an impostor pretending to be a prince. But if he is indeed royalty, he has a target on his head just like Hector did. Taihaku said since Belca risked his life to save them a while ago, they would lose their pride if they allow harm to come to him. Belca identifies himself and Taihaku apologizes on his group's behalf (before awkwardly remembering that Belca can't understand them). Belca cuts his finger and writes on a random parchment (that he just carries with him?) to give to the Hokulea, needing them to deliver the message to Shingetsu or Tenrou so that they know about Orcelito's plan.

Then the guards catch up to attack, implicitly warning Belca not to give them any reason to suspect that he's in league with the Hokulea. Saku pushes Belca away, telling him to give the cloth (oh, that makes more sense) to Saisei, saying he can trust him with it. He also thanks him for allowing his younger brother to return to the village. A child Hokulea takes Belca's wrist and runs off with Belca to exit the waterways...only to find their exit blocked off.

Outside, the guards are successfully driving off the Watchdogs and Linna breaks into the castle, ending the chapter at the start of his mission to find and save Belca.

[nances]

Will and Lucas have some of the best friendship dynamics on the show. I want them to have a heart to heart. I want Will to confide about his feelings for Mike in Lucas first. (And Mike could confide in Dustin & that'd be a great callback to season 1...)

Because Lucas is very emotionally intelligent. He's also very observant. And Will is very important to him. And I just know Lucas would understand and be accepting. He's probably clocked that something's going on.

"C'mon Byers. You know you can talk to me. Whatever it is, spill it out. I know something's been gnawing at you."

Will hesitates. He's in anguish, and no matter how hard he tries to contain it, his feelings are eating him alive, and it shows. His brother is the only one who seems to be aware of the reason, on some level at least. And Will is absolutely mortified at the thought of someone else knowing... Lucas, however... despite his doubts, he has a feeling he could trust Lucas with this. Opening up to Lucas certainly wouldn't be as terrifying as the prospect of coming face to face about this with Mike...

Will's been trying to quell his heartache and he's resigned to his lot long ago. He knows (at least he thinks he does) Mike's heart belongs to someone else. And quite frankly, he'd rather see Mike happy than lose him for good. So if Mike's happy with El, so be it. (Oh darling...) Perhaps opening up about this could help mitigate some of the immense guilt he's feeling... But what if it goes awry?

"I know it's got something to do with Mike", Lucas says, wary, trying his best not to come off as confrontational. Will flinches at the mention of his name.

Lucas genuinely wants to know what's putting his friend in so much pain. "You haven't been yourself ever since you guys came back from California. It's like... like he follows you around every chance he gets. And you seem to grasp at every opportunity to avoid him. That's... That's not very Mike and Will of you guys."

"Look, Lucas, it's... it's... you wouldn't get it" Will sighs. He doesn't want to look in Lucas' direction. Lifting his gaze would signify an end to his constant dodging and trying to escape coming clean about what's going on inside of him. Will's always hated lying. But at this point, it's become a substantial part of his defense mechanisms. A tool in his desperate attempts to hold up a facade of normalcy. Maybe not outright lying, but certainly doing so by omission.

"Try me", Lucas prompts. Will takes another couple of seconds. He's holding several objects in each one of his hands. One's a hammer with a handful of nails, the other's a flamethrower. Lucas' reaction to his truth is what's going to determine which object he's about to use on the bridge between them by spilling his guts.

Alright.

It's now or never.

Will takes the step. Lifting his eyes feels like jumping off a cliff.

"I'm in love with him, Lucas", he sighs.

Lucas takes a moment to take this in.

"You're in love... with Mike." That's not a question. Lucas isn't asking for clarification. It's an assertion.

Will's stomach is rapidly sinking, as if he's on a roller coaster. It's like it's falling into a bottomless pit at this point.

And Lucas can see just how on edge his friend is. His friend's been through hell and back. Faced interdimansional monsters. Been possessed with one. And yet, he's scared of him... Will's scared of how Lucas is going react to this minuscule, almost inconsequential detail about Will.

"Hey!" Lucas' voice is very soft. "It's okay."

The disbelief on Will's face is evident.

"I'm for real, man. This doesn't change anything", Lucas assures.

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

Will's been holding his breath for so long, that the sigh of relief that washes over him feels like water to a dying man in a desert. He's not alone. Someone else knows, and it's okay.

Will's eyes well up. He can't find the words to express his relief. God, don't start tearing up now...

"Hey now. Come on, man. I'm always here for you", Lucas pulls Will into a tight hug. "As a matter of fact, I can kick Mike's ass for you, if you want." A pat on the back.

Will inadvertedly lets out a chuckle.

"That won't be necessary. Before long... I might even do it myself." An inkling of mischief in his voice.

And in this moment, he feels at ease. Lucas' smile is warm and reassuring. It's easy to proceed with the chore they've been assigned. This is what Will loves about Lucas; he's immaculately skilled at making light of the most somber situations. Before they know it, they're cracking jokes about Mike, and for the first time in a long time, Will doesn't feel completely alienated by the way he feels.

[gogolstoelicker]

LOVE UR HEADCANONSSS!! Can I request Karma Akabane MC lol

Leech twins, ruggie and riddle to Karma!MC

Well-known for your violent and troublesome nature, you're quite cunning, mischievous and somewhat sadistic. Despite your somewhat sadistic nature, you actually have good values behind your motives and could be quite empathetic.

You're more than capable of respecting and caring for others. However, you also tend to be quite impulsive, to the point of becoming truly brutal and cruel when fighting anyone who threatened you or the ones you care for.

Jade:

➣ ah another floyd but without the moodswings

➣ this is fine^^ 

➣probably almost had a fistfight with too 

➣jade wouldn't fistfight tho  

➣he would uh  

➣smile words fight????🤔🤔🤔  

➣like he would genuinely hurt ur feelings so much u might need a 10 recovery days  

➣but it is ok‼️if u do not give him a reason to, he will just tease u whenever he got the chance‼️  

➣its like koro-sensei teasing(?) karma when he got a score lower than asano  

➣but unfortunately, unlike koro-sensei, he does not have a good intention  

➣he teased u and observe ur reactions just for the hell of it  

➣and maybe as a small revenge  

➣a dangerous duo once y'all got along  

➣the whole school doesn't wanna get on yalls bad side  

➣y'all are kind of passive aggressive with each other tho which is not really surprising🤔

Floyd:

➣ probably got into a fistfight with at some point  

➣and when i say "at some point", i meant during book 2  

➣straight up mean girls hair pulling, slowmo punching and dodging, pained groans and all  

➣i meant this in a /hj way btw LSNSKNSS its probably more brutal than that  

➣ace, deuce, jack and jade had to stop yall 

➣so u can alr guess how bad both of ur relationship was🤔 

➣floyd likes to bother u 

➣hate or not, he still likes to bother u 

➣u just played along with him 

➣which probably what made y'all became closer  

➣frenemy amirite⁉️ 

➣a dangerous duo once y'all finally got along(20) 

➣imagine someone pissing off one of u and both just came at them charging 

➣yeah I'd change my identity

Ruggie:

➣ kind of on the safe side?🤔like hadn't faught yet but will if anything happens that actually involves you or your friends

➣he's wiping the sweat on his head with a nervous grin 

➣the sweat got on Leona's face and now ruggie is running 

➣/JOKE 

➣anyways u two could be best buddies 

➣honestly u probably saw him steal someone's food once 

➣and turned a blind eye on it 

➣even defended him if needed 

➣"ruggie stole ur food? are u dumb, u literally gave him ur food🤨🤔" 

➣mansplaining manslaughter manipulating for ruggie⁉️⁉️so true‼️ 

➣at one point he u became a leona #2 

➣bc he kept lecturing u to go to class (all bc he cared dont worry) 

➣well i mean at least you're passing your classes with high marks???🤔🤔so the lecturing session isn't even that intense 

➣he just, looks at u straight in the eyes and sigh and go "pls go to class, your good grades aren't gonna last long like this u dumb fuck "

➣maybe not the dumb fuck part🤔

Riddle:

➣ i was gonna say almost fight again

➣you'll have to bear with me here, it's literally a karma!mc 

➣so yeah almost faught💪‼️ ➣ace beat u to it literally

➣but after knowing everything and him apologizing, you're ok with him!!

➣well not really that quickly ofc but u actually tried to get along after

➣honestly? riddle might work as a motivational person for u to start studying again instead of doing things halfheartedly

➣he can and will start a powerpoint as to why u should study no matter how smart u are

➣and to attend classes bc he had been hearing from a certain SOMEONE that u always skip classes🤬🤬

➣u dont wanna go through riddle's hell lessons

➣other than that, riddle is a good friend to u!!!