#just. every group. yes I take initiative. SO SHOULD YOU!!

[nope-body]

.

[nishibons]

𝐇𝐄𝐘, 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐌𝐄 . . .

or piwon pining thoughts/texts

warnings na genre fluff word count eight hundred excluding texts

note hiii everybody!! sorry i disappeared for a bit but ive been busy with uni TT i got an 85 on my recent assignment tho so everybody cheer… anyway ive been obsessed with piwon lately hence this post but fear not i have an enha version coming soon

keeho

confident but humble. he doesn’t have any expectations for your relationship but hopes that you’ll eventually catch on to his borderline obnoxious flirting, and better yet, reciprocate. if you do happen to return his feelings, he doesn’t waste any time in asking you out properly, because why wait? his friends say he laughs too loud around you for you to not know about his feelings, but he swears that they’re just being dramatic… he’s so normal and chill about you, really, that joke about the refrigerator or something was just funny!

taeyang

an absolute menace. you end up assuming that he hates you with how he stares you down whenever you enter his vicinity and with how he exchanges hushed whispers with his friends from across the room, silenced only when he turns his head far away enough to steal glances at you. eventually, once he asks for your number under the guise of it apparently being weird that you were the only two between your mutual friend groups to not have exchanged numbers, he plays into this idea, hoping he can pull off some sort of enemies to lovers trope, because it always works in books, right? in truth, he’s just a little bit apprehensive about the vulnerability that comes with liking someone, and tries to preserve his pride with thinly veiled insults that upon second glance quickly fall apart. can you melt his icy cold heart? (the answer is yes.)

jiung

likes you from the very beginning, but is a strong believer in the idea that lovers should be friends first, so he tries his best to establish a genuine relationship with you before he even begins to think about making any moves. he shows strong initiative even throughout your friendship–whether it’s invitations to meet up for lunch, to see that movie you’ve been eagerly waiting the release of, or even paying for your coffee every single time, he’s quick to assure you and dispels any worries you might have about repaying him with a wave of his hand and a bright smile–your company is enough, he says, and if you end up falling for him (who wouldn’t?) he, of course, eagerly awaits the day he can take you for an actual date, but enjoys every moment he spends with you until then just as much.

intak

by far the most shameless with his affection. he can’t help it–you have him hopelessly whipped from the very beginning and he’s terrible at hiding it anyway, so why not lean into it? the first to jump up from his seat when you mention being thirsty–water or juice? and the first to compliment you regardless of the circumstances of your meeting, even on those days you can’t manage anything but a sweater pulled hastily over your shoulders and a messy updo. it’s impossible not to feel flattered around him, and he’s honestly not even actively trying to flatter you, he’s just being wholly honest. if you ever want to shut him up, just compliment him back–hopefully you have a stretcher on hand!

shota

the cutest ever. you catch him staring at you more than a few times before he eventually works up the nerve to approach you, and initially you’re intimidated–but the moment he opens his mouth you know that he’s harmless, and obscenely adorable to beat. he’s not the greatest at expressing himself with words, so he makes sure to show that he likes you by sending you things that remind him of you–songs from an artist he likes, those little figures you collect he sees in the window of a store on the way to work, a rainbow in the sky after a rainy morning. sometimes he provides some commentary, or a cute emoticon, and other times he says nothing, sending only a simple picture and hoping that you can feel even just some of the many emotions that rush through him at the thought of you and have his heart fluttering in his chest when you eventually reply.

jongseob

the sweetest of angels. he doesn’t crush often, but when he does, he crushes hard, so he doesn’t want to mess it up. though he’s rather reserved on the flirting front, he makes sure to send good morning and good night texts every day, without fail, on top of the seemingly random yet innocuous questions he asks throughout the day–what did you eat for lunch? how was work? any thoughts on this new album that just came out? part of it is in hopes that eventually you’ll fall for him as he did you, but he does also take genuine interest in you as a person and wants to know everything about you there is to know if you’ll just give him the chance. flirt with him at all and you’ll very quickly have him turning into a giggling, indecipherably stammering mess.

[on-my-vigilante-sht]

Amnesia

Levi Ackerman x Reader

Summary: When the Levi Squad goes out on a mission with a few rookies, accidents happen

Warnings: Angst, injuries, titans, fighting, jealousy, secret relationship

Work count: 3.9K

Masterlist

As the Levi squad moved through the training forests, their captain couldn’t take his eyes off the girl riding just ahead of him. He knew he should keep an eye on Eren, to see how he faired with the rest of the team but he couldn’t help it. He was painfully aware of the fact that a titan could pop out of the trees and snatch her from him in a second.

So as they continued on, his eyes continuously swept the terrain while also observing her.

Levi truly thought he would never meet someone he could love. Love wasn’t really a concept in the Underground. It was a dark place full of people just trying to survive. Love was nowhere near the top of anyone’s priority list. And when he joined the scouts it wasn’t as if he had time for anything resembling a relationship. Sure there had been fellow soldiers that he noticed had taken a liking to him but he always brushed them off, uninterested. But then Erwin introduced him to the second most recent addition to his squad. Y/N L/N.

He couldn’t quite explain it but his very sudden and unexplained infatuation with her but he had initially told Erwin, privately, that he wouldn’t add her to his team. Something about her made him irrational. She should never see combat, he decided. She was too good for all this bloodshed. But Erwin had insisted that he take her on a practice run so Levi complied. He was astonished by how well she worked with the team, never pushing herself to be in the position of glory but still managing to kill three Titans and assist with many more.

Eight months later here they were, creating an unstoppable duo along with the rest of the team. Of course, they had to keep their relationship a secret from everyone as she was Levi’s subordinate but they had managed so far.

Seeing as the sun was setting and the horses were beginning to tire, Levi called for his squad, along with Eren and a few other new scout members to set up camp in the trees for the night.

As they slowed their horses, Levi slowed his down so he was next to Y/N. “How are you feeling, soldier?” he asked, keeping his gaze up, looking for a good spot to rest for the night, trying not to show his care.

“Good, Captain. I could ride for another few hours,” she answered stiffly. Exactly like a good soldier.

Levi just nodded, proud of her stamina for some inexplicable reason. “I feared the horses would be of no use to us tomorrow if we did not stop.”

Y/N allowed herself a soft laugh. “Yes, I fear that too. Wise call, Captain.”

Levi suppressed a smile. “If you feel so well, soldier, you’ll be on watch tonight with me,” he said in a stern tone. As if to reprimand her. That caught the attention of a few of the other scouts as they began to prepare to set up camp in the trees but they all quickly averted their gazes as Levi turned to glare at them.

“Yes, sir,” Y/N agreed quietly.

~

As the group sat in the largest of the nearby trees, close together for warmth, Levi couldn’t help but glare over at one of the new scouts. Reiner. He was sat next to Y/N, a little too close for his liking. They were engaged in a conversation which didn’t normally bother Levi, he didn’t consider himself the jealous type. But every time she turned her attention away from Reiner to talk to someone else, it was like panic came over his expression as he desperately tried to get her attention back on him. But Levi knew that if he brought it up to her, she’d just dismiss it so he just sat and watched.

It wasn’t much longer before Reiner was pressed up against her, claiming he was cold. Levi sat across from them, staring menacingly whilst holding one of his blades. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t imagining threatening Reiner right now. He hated that he had to keep his relationship a secret. He wanted everyone in the whole damn army to know Y/N was taken. He knew Reiner, nor anyone else, would dare to even look at her if they knew she was dating Captain Levi.

He nearly said something about leaving her alone when Reiner suggested they sleep with each other for warmth that night. As Levi was seeing red and considering the implications of stabbing him right here, Y/N brushed him off. “I’m on watch with Captain Levi,” she informed him. With no hint of regret to lead him on.

Reiner visibly deflated but tried to smile through his disappointment. “M-maybe next time,” he tried to laugh off. Y/N just hummed in acknowledgment, looking to her boyfriend for help.

Levi looked up at the sky, determining that it was dark enough that he could reasonably call for them to go to sleep. “We have another long day tomorrow, get some sleep. L/N, you take first watch.”

“Yes, sir,” she obeyed eagerly, standing up from her spot next to Reiner so fast he nearly fell over.

She brushed past everyone as they began to settle down, jumping up to a higher branch with her ODM gear. Levi followed up after her, bringing his gear so he could set up a makeshift bed the same way the others were. She only spared a glance at him as she looked down at the others, making sure they were going to sleep. A few of them were already snoring, having learned early on to sleep when you can and because it had been a long day.

Levi settled where he knew he couldn’t be seen from below, beckoning Y/N to join him. Once she noticed him she complied, creeping closer to the trunk of the tree. Once she reached him, he extended his hand, which she took, drawing her to sit down, leaning against his chest while he leaned against the tree. “I didn’t like how he was talking to you or touching you,” he murmured, resting his chin on top of her head.

“I know,” she murmured back, “I didn’t like it either.”

“I wish everyone knew you were taken. Better yet, knew you were mine.” He pressed a soft kiss to her head.

“Captain Levi Ackerman, are you jealous?” she asked teasingly.

“Shut it,” he mumbled, eliciting a laugh from her.

“I wish people could know about us too,” she mused. “I’m worried about this training exercise,” she changed the subject. “Eren’s friends? They’re brand new scouts. They don’t have the instincts or skills for this team.”

“I know but we all start somewhere,” Levi rationalized, being surprisingly understanding. He usually drilled for perfection out of those he trained. Even if he knew he couldn’t expect perfection immediately he never let on. “I had questioned your ability to be on the team initially.”

“Yeah but I’m not an idiot,” Y/N giggled. “And you never gave me an inch of grace. I thought you hated me for the first few weeks I was on the team.”

“I was hard on you because I was worried for you. Look at you now, sharper than any other scout.”

“Even you?”

“Of course not,” Levi teased.

“You were that worried about me? When we had just met?”

Levi briefly deliberated with himself about how much he was willing to admit. “Something about you made me unreasonably protective over you. I was worried that you’d distract me so I told Erwin I wouldn’t take you but he insisted. That’s part of why I trained you so hard. So I could have peace of mind that you’re capable of taking care of yourself so I wouldn’t be distracted.”

“Did you do a good enough job?”

“I could never. I worry about you every time we leave the walls.”

“Well, so far, so good. I’m still here.”

“It better stay that way. Now get some sleep,” Levi insisted, brushing a strand of hair away from her forehead.

“But I have first watch?”

“You didn’t think I’d actually make you stay up? I just wanted an excuse to talk to you privately.”

“But when will you sleep? What will we do if our fearless leader is tired?”

Levi smiled at her teasing and worry. “I’ll wake you,” he swore, lying through his teeth.

“Unlikely,” she countered suspiciously. But Levi just hushed her, bidding her to sleep. He kept watch, looking towards the path they had come from for any wandering titans, moving around despite the lack of sunlight. Once he felt Y/N fully relax he allowed himself to observe her peaceful face. He always took these peaceful moments to check on her, ensuring there were no cuts or bruises, even if it was a simple paper cut. Finding none on her exposed skin, Levi held her tighter, continuing to observe her peaceful face and the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest.

As Levi sat in the quiet, stillness of the night, he let his mind wander. Would it really be such a big deal if people knew about them? It’s not like the Scouts could afford to lose soldiers. Then everyone would know Y/N was taken and people like Reiner would leave her alone.

~

The squad had been looking for Titans to practice with for about an hour. The experienced scouts were getting wary as the sun had been up for an hour, the Titans should be awake and moving.

Levi had allowed them all to slow to a trot so as to save the horses’ energy. “It’s too quiet,” Levi murmured to his second in command, Eld.

“It’s not as if the Titans have the cognitive ability to hide in the trees to gather their numbers and then attack us,” Eld rationalized.

Levi just hummed in agreement. “Still, it feels like something bad is coming.”

They continued on for a little while longer, mostly in silence due to the Levi Squad members being uneasy. Then suddenly a giant hand launched out from between the trees, scattering the scouts. A 10 meter titan with a horrifying grin emerged from the trees, eyeing the meal that had appeared right in front of him.

All the members of the Levi squad immediately deployed their ODM gear, jumping up into the trees to take the titan down as quickly as possible. Levi watched his team begin to surround and confuse the titan. Y/N was poised to go in for the kill. But as she launched herself at the thing’s nape, Reiner swung from out of nowhere, knocking into her.

The force of his body hitting hers disrupted her momentum and she went plummeting towards the ground. Fortunately, her ODM gear was lodged into a tree because it caught her. It completely knocked the wind out of her but it was better than hitting the ground from 15 meters up. But in her shock, she didn’t realize she was in prime grabbing range as a giant fist encompassed her body. The pressure was so great she could feel her ribs crack as her arms were pinned at her sides. In all her shock, terror, and pain she must have blacked out because the last thing she was was the titan’s grin.

Meanwhile, Levi had watched in horror as that idiot swung into her, saving himself by falling into the tree. Levi had a momentary sigh of relief seeing the ODM gear catch her rather than her falling to the ground, surely to her death. But as the titan’s fist appeared, Levi’s life flashed before his eyes. “No!” he heard himself yell. Full of fear and rage that any creature would dare hurt her.

He reacted as quickly as possible, the others still barely registering what was happening. He launched himself towards the titan, cutting at its wrist, forcing it to stop bringing Y/N closer to its mouth. He moved faster than lightning, swinging behind its neck to cut at its nape. Absolutely no mercy as he cut out its crucial chunk of flesh. But as the titan began to fall, Levi realized his mistake, seeing Y/N fall out of the titan’s grasp. Unable to save herself due to her unconscious and wounded state. Then, a flash moved to catch her. Upon landing safely on a branch, Levi nearly sobbed in relief seeing Eren standing there, Y/N safely in his arms.

Levi quickly launched himself over, not giving a damn about appearances as he took Y/N in his arms. He laid her as gently as possible on the branch of the tree, kneeling close to her in order to look for signs of life. He thanked whatever cruel deity was out there upon seeing her chest move up and down with labored breaths. But the sound of her breathing was horrifying. Each breath rattled out of her lungs, an indication of how badly she was wounded internally. “Wake up, Y/N come on,” Levi pleaded, holding her face. He thought that if she would just open her eyes she’d be okay. They could get her back to the wall where she’d receive medical attention. “Come on, you’re not going to die out here,” he insisted, as if he were bargaining with her.

“Captain…” Petra’s hesitant voice spoke up, “she’s not going to wake up here. We have to get back to the wall.”

“We don’t have a cart, she won’t make it on horseback,” Connie said.

“We’re not leaving a wounded soldier,” Levi spat, picking her up in his arms as gently as possible. “We ride straight back to the wall. No stopping. If you see a titan do not engage. Our mission now is to get our comrade back alive.”

~

It was a hard, long journey back. Levi had precariously balanced Y/N on his horse the entire way, only stopping to ensure she kept breathing. But they made it back in only a day. The doctors said that the swiftness of their journey saved her life. She would have drowned in her own blood had they not reached the wall in time.

When the doctors had taken her in, Levi had been left shaking in the center of the barely standing building that had been converted into a hospital. “They’ve got her,” Petra had assured him, dragging him out of the way. The entire squad had tried numerous times to get him to leave the hospital and lie down but Levi refused every time.

After a day of operating and then leaving her alone to heal for a while, the doctors finally let him see her. But not without warning. “She’s in critical condition,” they warned. “She flatlined on the table a few times, meaning her brain was deprived of oxygen for longer than is reasonably safe. She’s also still got a tube breathing for her. We had to repair her lungs and put her in a medically induced coma.” Levi said nothing as they walked down the hall, keeping his face expressionless despite the fear pounding in his heart. He could hardly breathe as they told him everything that was wrong with her. But once they reached the door, the doctor blocked his path for a second. “One last thing: the titan caused massive crush injuries meaning her neck and torso are mostly covered in bruises. I’m just trying to prepare you for what you’ll see.”

Levi just nodded in understanding, not even fully processing her words. As the door finally opened, revealing her fragile body, Levi let out a strangled noise from his throat as he tried not to cry in front of the doctor. He was grateful when she just closed the door behind her, leaving him alone with Y/N. Stepping over to the bed, he took a seat on the chair placed beside it. She looked so fragile he was afraid to touch her so he just sat and stared at her, willing her eyes to open.

But they never did. In the two weeks Levi spent sitting at Y/N’s side her eyes never opened. She never so much as twitched. The only reason he left was when Erwin threatened to discharge him from the Scouts. He almost accepted the discharge except for his team reminding him that they still had a war to win. And if he wasn’t out there protecting humanity, what was to stop a titan from just running through this hospital?

So Levi went back to work. In some ways, he was sloppy and distracted, like neglecting his paperwork. But he more than made up for it in his performance. He took down more Titans in the three months Y/N was asleep than in the few years he had spent as a scout. He had also bullied and beaten the current class of recruits into one of the finest classes yet. He had thrown himself into his work, killing every titan in his path. And when he couldn’t kill, he was taking out his rage on arrogant scouts and recruits alike.

~

“Is that all you got?” Levi asked Dassler. He was one of the recruits that would be graduating in a month. He was a big guy, someone who had won all of his sparring matches simply by being heavier and stronger than his classmates. But he was ill equipped to deal with Levi’s quick agility.

Dassler yelled in frustration, unable to get a grip on the captain. He lunged forward but Levi easily dodged him, swinging his foot down to pin Dassler’s neck on the ground with his boot. As the boy struggled, Levi heard the frantic breathing of Hange as she reached the training yard. “Captain!” she called through labored breathing. “It’s L/N! She’s- she’s awake,” she breathed.

Levi didn’t even process her words fully or let himself feel anything, he just took off running. He ran straight to the hospital, right past the nurses and doctors, and straight up to her room. As soon as he burst in the door, nurses were on him, trying to push him out of the room.

“Sir, you can’t be in here right now,” the insisted multiple times. But Levi wasn’t listening. He was looking over their shoulders frantically calling her name, begging for some sort of confirmation she was okay.

But she never so much as looked at him. He only realized what happened when he heard the doctor asking her questions with more concern ebbing into her voice each time. “Do you know your date of birth?” She shook her head no. “Do you know where you’re from?” Another shake. “Do you know what happened in Shigonshina?” No. “Do you know who he is?” the doctor asked, pointing at him as he continued to struggle with the nurses.

The moment between the doctor’s question and Y/N’s response was the longest moment of Levi’s life. Even the nurses stopped, eager to see if she remembered arguably the most important person in her life. Any deniability they had had about their relationship disappeared when Levi carried her back to the walls.

With another shake of her head, she denied knowing her boyfriend and Levi’s heart shattered. He let out an involuntary strangled cry before the nurses finally got him out of the room before slamming the door in his face.

All he could do was stare at the door in shocked disbelief. This had to have been some sort of weird side effect of the coma. It had to be temporary.

As he began to spiral, Hange showed up with the rest of the squad. “Captain!” she called excitedly from down the hall. But upon noticing his expression, she halted, stopping the rest of the squad behind her. “What happened?” she asked in a grave voice.

“She- she doesn’t remember anything,” he admitted, still staring at the door. He could faintly hear worried murmurs behind him but he didn’t care. He was still so wrapped up in trying to understand what just happened.

Beside him, Hange’s jaw dropped as she tried to process the news. “Oh Levi, I’m so sorry.”

~

It had been a week and Levi had yet to visit his girlfriend. Everyone on the squad had encouraged him to visit, going so far as to suggest that he could miraculously bring her memories back. But all he could see was her blank, confused expression as she shook her head at him. He didn’t think he could handle her giving him that blank expression again.

As he sat in his office, filling out paperwork when he heard a knock on the door. Looking up, he found Erwin standing in the doorway. “Levi,” he greeted, “you need to visit Y/N.”

Rather than tell Erwin to mind his own business, like he had told the rest of his squad, he just continued his work. “She doesn’t remember me. There’s nothing I can do for her.”

“You can be there for her. What will happen when she regains her memories but her boyfriend wasn’t there when she needed him?” Levi stopped writing but still didn’t look up. He was aware that everyone now knew about his relationship but he still didn’t want the commander throwing it in his face. “You haven’t stopped working ever since you came back. I don’t think you’ve left the office since she woke up. Go to her, that’s an order,” he said before turning on his heel and walking out.

Levi clenched his jaw, putting his pen down. With a reluctant sigh, he stood up, grabbing his cloak. He made his way outside, towards the hospital. As he went, more and more people took notice of him, murmuring and whispering as he passed but he just ignored it. He walked straight up to her room, only hesitating when he reached her door. He reached for the handle but stopped for a second. The memory of her confused expression flashed through his mind again and with it came all that initial pain. Shaking it off, he grasped the handle, finding his girlfriend sleeping peacefully.

Careful not to wake her, he went to her bedside. Tracing a finger over her hand, she didn’t stir. Levi smiled as he observed her peaceful expression. He missed her beautiful face more than he’d like to admit to anyone except her. With her peaceful expression, he could almost forget that godforsaken image of her lack of memory. “You don’t remember me now,” he whispered, “but you will someday. And I swear I will be by your side the entire time because I love you,” he promised her, sealing it with a brief kiss on her forehead.

Masterlist

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Inkjump Linkdump

For the rest of May, my bestselling solarpunk utopian novel THE LOST CAUSE (2023) is available as a $2.99, DRM-free ebook!

It's the start of a long weekend and I've found myself with a backlog of links, so it's time for another linkdump – the eighteenth in the (occasional) series. Here's the previous installments:

https://pluralistic.net/tag/linkdump/

Kicking off this week's backlog is a piece of epic lawyer-snark, which is something I always love, but what makes this snark total catnip for me is that it's snark about copyfraud: false copyright claims made to censor online speech. Yes please and a second portion, thank you very much!

This starts with the Cola Corporation, a radical LA-based design store that makes lefty t-shirts, stickers and the like. Cola made a t-shirt that remixed the LA Lakers logo to read "Fuck the LAPD." In response, the LAPD's private foundation sent a nonsense copyright takedown letter. Cola's lawyer, Mike Dunford, sent them a chef's-kiss-perfect reply, just two words long: "LOL, no":

https://www.techdirt.com/2024/04/19/apparel-company-gives-perfect-response-to-lapds-nonsense-ip-threat-letter-over-fuck-the-lapd-shirt/

But that's not the lawyer snark I'm writing about today. Dunford also sent a letter to IMG Worldwide, whose lawyers sent the initial threat, demanding an explanation for this outrageous threat, which was – as the physicists say – "not even wrong":

https://www.loweringthebar.net/2024/05/lol-no-explained.html

Every part of the legal threat is dissected here, with lavish, caustic footnotes, mercilessly picking apart the legal defects, including legally actionable copyfraud under DMCA 512(f), which provides for penalties for wrongful copyright threats. To my delight, Dunford cited Lenz here, which is the infamous "Dancing Baby" case that EFF successfully litigated on behalf of Stephanie Lenz, whose video of her adorable (then-)toddler dancing to a few seconds of Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" was censored by Universal Music Group:

https://www.eff.org/cases/lenz-v-universal

Dunford's towering rage is leavened with incredulous demands for explanations: how on Earth could a lawyer knowingly send such a defective, illegal threat? Why shouldn't Dunford seek recovery of his costs from IMG and its client, the LA Police Foundation, for such lawless bullying? It is a sparkling – incandescent, even! – piece of lawyerly writing. If only all legal correspondence was this entertaining! Every 1L should study this.

Meanwhile, Cola has sold out of everything, thanks to that viral "LOL, no." initial response letter. They're taking orders for their next resupply, shipping on June 1. Gotta love that Streisand Effect!

https://www.thecolacorporation.com/

I'm generally skeptical of political activism that takes the form of buying things or refusing to do so. "Voting with your wallet" is a pretty difficult trick to pull off. After all, the people with the thickest wallets get the most votes, and generally, the monopoly party wins. But as the Cola Company's example shows, there's times when shopping can be a political act.

But that's because it's a collective act. Lots of us went and bought stuff from Cola, to send a message to the LAPD about legal bullying. That kind of collective action is hard to pull off, especially when it comes to purchase-decisions. Often, this kind of thing descends into a kind of parody of political action, where you substitute shopping for ideology. This is where Matt Bors's Mr Gotcha comes in: "ooh, you want to make things better, but you bought a product from a tainted company, I guess you're not really sincere, gotcha!"

https://thenib.com/mister-gotcha/

There's a great example of this in Zephyr Teachout's brilliant 2020 book Break 'Em Up: if you miss the pro-union demonstration at the Amazon warehouse because you spent two hours driving around looking for an indie stationer to buy the cardboard to make your protest sign rather than buying it from Amazon, Amazon wins:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/29/break-em-up/#break-em-up

So yeah, I'm pretty skeptical of consumerism as a framework for political activism. It's very hard to pull off an effective boycott, especially of a monopolist. But if you can pull it off, well…

Canada is one of the most monopoly-friendly countries in the world. Hell, the Competition Act doesn't even have an "abuse of dominance" standard! That's like a criminal code that doesn't have a section prohibiting "murder." (The Trudeau government has promised to fix this.)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-an-overhauled-competition-act-will-light-a-fire-in-the-stolid-world-of/

There's stiff competition for Most Guillotineable Canadian Billionaire. There's the entire Irving family, who basically own the province of New Bruinswick:

https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/dynasties-2-the-irvings/

There's Ted Rogers, the trumpy billionaire telecoms monopolist, whose serial acquire-and-loot approach to media has devastated Canadian TV and publishing:

https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/canadaland-725-the-rogers-family-compact/

But then there's Galen Fucking Weston, the nepobaby who inherited the family grocery business (including Loblaw), bought out all his competitors (including Shopper's Drug Mart), and then engaged in a criminal price-fixing conspiracy to rig the price of bread, the most Les-Miz-ass crime imaginable:

https://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2023/06/what-should-happened-galen-weston-price-fixing/

Weston has made himself the face of the family business, appearing in TV ads in a cardigan to deliver dead-eyed avuncular paeans to his sprawling empire, even as he colludes with competitors to rig the price of his workers' wages:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-12/a-supermarket-billionaire-steps-into-trouble-over-pandemic-wages

For Canadians, Weston is the face of greedflation, the man whose nickle-and-diming knows no shame. This is the man who decided that the discount on nearly-spoiled produce would be slashed from 50% to 30%, who racked up record profits even as his prices skyrocketed.

It's impossible to overstate how loathed Galen Weston is at this moment. There's a very good episode of the excellent new podcast Lately, hosted by Canadian competition expert Vass Bednar and Katrina Onstad that gives you a sense of the national outrage:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/lately/article-boycotting-the-loblawpoly/

All of this has led to a national boycott of Loblaw, kicked off by members of the r/loblawsisoutofcontrol, and it's working. Writing for Jacobin, Jeremy Appel gives us a snapshot of a nation in revolt:

https://jacobin.com/2024/05/loblaw-grocery-price-gouge-boycott/

Appel points out the boycott's problems – there's lots of places, particularly in the north, where Loblaw's is the only game in town, or where the sole competitor is the equally odious Walmart. But he also talks about the beneficial effect the boycott is having for independent grocers and co-ops who deal more fairly with their suppliers and their customers.

He also platforms the boycott's call for a national system of price controls on certain staples. This is something that neoliberal economists despise, and it's always fun to watch them lose their minds when the subject is raised. Meanwhile, economists like Isabella M Weber continue to publish careful research explaining how and why price controls can work, and represent our best weapon against "seller's inflation":

https://scholarworks.umass.edu/econ_workingpaper/343/

Antimonopoly sentiment is having a minute, obviously, and the news comes at you fast. This week, the DoJ filed a lawsuit to break up Ticketmaster/Live Nation, one of the country's most notorious monopolists, who have aroused the ire of every kind of fan, but especially the Swifties (don't fuck with Swifties). In announcing the suit, DoJ Antitrust Division boss Jonathan Kanter coined the term "Ticketmaster tax" to describe the junk fees that Ticketmaster uses to pick all our pockets.

In response, Ticketmaster has mobilized its own Loblaw-like shill army, who insist that all the anti-monopoly activism is misguided populism, and "anti-business." In his BIG newsletter, Matt Stoller tears these claims apart, and provides one of the clearest explanations of how Ticketmaster rips us all off that I've ever seen, leaning heavily on Ticketmaster's own statements to their investors and the business-press:

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/antitrust-enforcers-to-break-up-ticketmaster

Ticketmaster has a complicated "flywheel" that it uses to corner the market on live events, mixing low-margin businesses that are deliberately kept unprofitable (to prevent competitors from gaining a foothold) in order to capture the high-margin businesses that are its real prize. All this complexity can make your eyes glaze over, and that's to Ticketmaster's benefit, keeping normies from looking too closely at how this bizarre self-licking ice-cream cone really works.

But for industry insiders, those workings are all too clear. When Rebecca Giblin and I were working on our book Chokepoint Capitalism, we talked to insiders from every corner of the entertainment-industrial complex, and there was always at least one expert who'd go on record about the scams inside everything from news monopolies to streaming video to publishing and the record industry:

https://chokepointcapitalism.com/

The sole exception was Ticketmaster/Live Nation. When we talked to club owners, promoters and other victims of TM's scam, they universally refused to go on the record. They were palpably terrified of retaliation from Ticketmaster's enforcers. They acted like mafia informants seeking witness protection. Not without reason, mind you: back when the TM monopoly was just getting started, Pearl Jam – then one of the most powerful acts in American music – took a stand against them. Ticketmaster destroyed them. That was when TM was a mere hatchling, with a bare fraction of the terrifying power it wields today.

TM is a great example of the problem with boycotts. If a club or an act refuses to work with TM/LN, they're destroyed. If a fan refuses to buy tickets from TM or see a Live Nation show, they basically can't go to any shows. The TM monopoly isn't a problem of bad individual choices – it's a systemic problem that needs a systemic response.

That's what makes antitrust responses so timely. Federal enforcers have wide-ranging powers, and can seek remedies that consumerism can never attain – there's no way a boycott could result in a breakup of Ticketmaster/Live Nation, but a DoJ lawsuit can absolutely get there.

Every federal agency has wide-ranging antimonopoly powers at its disposal. These are laid out very well in Tim Wu's 2020 White House Executive Order on competition, which identifies 72 ways the agencies can act against monopoly without having to wait for Congress:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/13/post-bork-era/#manne-down

But of course, the majority of antimonopoly power is vested in the FTC, the agency created to police corporate power. Section 5 of the FTC Act grants the agency the power to act to prevent "unfair and deceptive methods of competition":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/10/the-courage-to-govern/#whos-in-charge

This clause has lain largely dormant since the Reagan era, but FTC chair Lina Khan has revived it, using it to create muscular privacy rights for Americans, and to ban noncompete agreements that bind American workers to dead-end jobs:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/25/capri-v-tapestry/#aiming-at-dollars-not-men

The FTC's power to ban activity because it's "unfair and deceptive" is exciting, because it promises American internet users a way to solve their problems beyond copyright law. Copyright law is basically the only law that survived the digital transition, even as privacy, labor and consumer protection rights went into hibernation. The last time Congress gave us a federal consumer privacy law was 1988, and it's a law that bans video store clerks from telling the newspapers which VHS cassettes you rented:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Privacy_Protection_Act

That's left internet users desperately trying to contort copyright to solve every problem they have – like someone trying to build a house using nothing but chainsaw. For example, I once found someone impersonating me on a dating site, luring strangers into private spaces. Alarmed, I contacted the dating site, who told me that their only fix for this was for me to file a copyright claim against the impersonator to make them remove the profile photo. Now, that photo was Creative Commons licensed, so any takedown notice would have been a "LOL, no." grade act of copyfraud:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/21/the-internets-original-sin/

The unsuitability of copyright for solving complex labor and privacy problems hasn't stopped people who experience these problems from trying to use copyright to solve them. They've got nothing else, after all.

That's why everyone who's worried about the absolutely legitimate and urgent concerns over AI and labor and privacy has latched onto copyright as the best tool for resolving these questions, despite copyright's total unsuitability for this purpose, and the strong likelihood that this will make these problems worse:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/13/spooky-action-at-a-close-up/#invisible-hand

Enter FTC Chair Lina Khan, who has just announced that her agency will be reviewing AI model training as an "unfair and deceptive method of competition":

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/4682461-ftc-chair-ai-models-could-violate-antitrust-laws/

If the agency can establish this fact, they will have sweeping powers to craft rules prohibiting the destructive and unfair uses of AI, without endangering beneficial activities like scraping, mathematical analysis, and the creation of automated systems that help with everything from adding archival metadata to exonerating wrongly convicted people rotting in prison:

https://hrdag.org/tech-notes/large-language-models-IPNO.html

I love this so much. Khan's announcement accomplishes the seemingly impossible: affirming that there are real problems and insisting that we employ tactics that can actually fix those problems, rather than just doing something because inaction is so frustrating.

That's something we could use a lot more of, especially in platform regulation. The other big tech news about Big Tech last week was the progress of a bill that would repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act at the end of 2025, without any plans to replace it with something else.

Section 230 is the most maligned, least understood internet law, and that's saying something:

https://www.techdirt.com/2020/06/23/hello-youve-been-referred-here-because-youre-wrong-about-section-230-communications-decency-act/

Its critics wrongly accuse the law – which makes internet users liable for bad speech acts, not the platforms that carry that speech – of being a gift to Big Tech. That's totally wrong. Without Section 230, platforms could be named to lawsuits arising from their users' actions. We know how that would play out.

Back in 2018, Congress took a big chunk out of 230 when they passed SESTA/FOSTA, a law that makes platforms liable for any sex trafficking that is facilitated by their platforms. Now, this may sound like a narrowly targeted, beneficial law that aims at a deplorable, unconscionable crime. But here's how it played out: the platforms decided that it was too much trouble to distinguish sex trafficking from any sex-work, including consensual sex work and adjacent activities. The result? Consensual sex-work became infinitely more dangerous and precarious, while trafficking was largely unaffected:

https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-385.pdf

Eliminating 230 would be incredibly reckless under any circumstances, but after the SESTA/FOSTA experience, it's unforgivable. The Big Tech platforms will greet this development by indiscriminately wiping out any kind of controversial speech from marginalized groups (think #MeToo or Black Lives Matter). Meanwhile, the rich and powerful will get a new tool – far more powerful than copyfraud – to make inconvenient speech disappear. The war-criminals, rapists, murderers and rip-off artists who currently make do with bogus copyright claims to "manage their reputations" will be able to use pretextual legal threats to make their critics just disappear:

https://www.qurium.org/forensics/dark-ops-undercovered-episode-i-eliminalia/

In a post-230 world, Cola Corporation's lawyers wouldn't get a chance to reply to the LAPD's bullying lawyers – those lawyers would send their letter to Cola's hosting provider, who would weigh the possibility of being named in a lawsuit against the small-dollar monthly payment they get from Cola, and poof, no more Cola. The legal bullies could do the same for Cola's email provider, their payment processor, their anti-DoS provider.

This week on EFF's Deeplinks blog, I published a piece making the connection between abolishing Section 230 and reinforcing Big Tech monopolies:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/05/wanna-make-big-tech-monopolies-even-worse-kill-section-230

The Big Tech platforms really do suck, and the solution to their systemic, persistent moderation failures won't come from making them liable for users' speech. The platforms have correctly assessed that they alone have the legal and moderation staff to do the kinds of mass-deletions of controversial speech that could survive a post-230 world. That's why tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg love the idea of getting rid of 230:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/03/facebooks-pitch-congress-section-230-me-not-thee

But for small tech providers – individuals, co-ops, nonprofits and startups that host fediverse servers, standalone group chats and BBSes – a post-230 world is a mass-extinction event. Ever had a friend demand that you take sides in an interpersonal dispute ("if you invite her to the party, I'm not coming!").

Imagine if your refusal to take sides in a dispute among your friends – and their friends, and their friends – could result in you being named to a suit that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to settle:

https://www.engine.is/news/primer/section230costs

It's one thing to hope for a more humane internet run by people who want to make hospitable forums for online communities to form. It's another to ask them to take on an uninsurable risk that could result in the loss of their home, their retirement account, and their life's savings.

A post-230 world is one in which Big Tech must delete first and ask questions later. Yes, Big Tech platforms have many sins to answer for, but making them jointly liable for their users' speech will flush out treasure-hunters seeking a quick settlement and a quick buck.

Again, this isn't speculative – it's inevitable. Consider FTX: yes, the disgraced cryptocurrency exchange was a festering hive of fraud – but there's no way that fraud added up to the 23.6 quintillion dollars in claims that have been laid against it:

https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/US-v-SBF-Alameda-Research-Victim-Impact-Statement-3-20-2024.pdf

Without 230, Big Tech will shut down anything controversial – and small tech will disappear. It's the worst of all possible worlds, a gift to tech monopolists and the bullies and crooks who have turned our online communities into shooting galleries.

One of the reasons I love working for EFF is our ability to propose technologically informed, sound policy solutions to the very real problems that tech creates, such as our work on interoperability as a way to make it easier for users to escape Big Tech:

https://www.eff.org/interoperablefacebook

Every year, EFF recognizes the best, bravest and brightest contributors to a better internet and a better technological future, with our annual EFF Awards. Nominations just opened for this year's awards – if you know someone who fits the bill, here's the form:

https://www.eff.org/nominations-open-2024-eff-awards

It's nearly time for me to sign off on this weekend's linkdump. For one thing, I have to vacate my backyard hammock, because we've got contractors who need to access the side of the house to install our brand new heat-pump (one of two things I'm purchasing with my last lump-sum book advance – the other is corrective cataract surgery that will give me lifelong, perfect vision).

I've been lusting after a heat-pump for years, and they just keep getting better – though you might not know it, thanks to the fossil-fuel industry disinfo campaign that insists that these unbelievably cool gadgets don't work. This week in Wired, Matt Simon offers a comprehensive debunking of this nonsense, and on the way, explains the nearly magical technology that allows a heat pump to heat a midwestern home in the dead of winter:

https://www.wired.com/story/myth-heat-pumps-cold-weather-freezing-subzero/

As heat pumps become more common, their applications will continue to proliferate. On Bloomberg, Feargus O'Sullivan describes one such application: the Japanese yokushitsu kansouki – a sealed bathroom with its own heat-pump that can perfectly dry all your clothes while you're out at work:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-22/laundry-lessons-from-japanese-bathroom-technology

This is amazing stuff – it uses less energy than a clothes-dryer, leaves your clothes wrinkle-free, prevents the rapid deterioration caused by high heat and mechanical agitation, and prevents the microfiber pollution that lowers our air-quality.

This is the most solarpunk thing I've read all week, and it makes me insanely jealous of Japanese people. The second-most solarpunk thing I've read this week came from The New Republic, where Aaron Regunberg and Donald Braman discuss the possibility of using civil asset forfeiture laws – lately expanded to farcical levels by the Supreme Court in Culley – to force the fossil fuel industry to pay for the energy transition:

https://newrepublic.com/article/181721/fossil-fuels-civil-forefeiture-pipeline-climate

They point out that the fossil fuel industry has committed a string of undisputed crimes, including fraud, and that the Supremes' new standard for asset forfeiture could comfortably accommodate state AGs and other enforcers who seek billions from Big Oil on this basis. Of course, Big Oil has more resources to fight civil asset forfeiture than the median disputant in these cases ("a low- or moderate-income person of color [with] a suspected connection to drugs"). But it's an exciting idea!

All right, the heat-pump guys really need me to vacate the hammock, so here's one last quickie for you: Barath Raghavan and Bruce Schneier's new paper, "Seeing Like a Data Structure":

https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/seeing-data-structure

This is a masterful riff on James C Scott's classic Seeing Like a State, and it describes how digitalization forces us into computable categories, and counts the real costs of doing so. It's a gnarly and thoughtful piece, and it's been on my mind continuously since Schneier sent it to me yesterday. Something suitably chewy for you to masticate over the long weekend!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/25/anthology/#lol-no

[tangledupinyellow]

Tonight | Joel Miller X Wedding Planner F!Reader

authors note: finally got this one out! with a new job and new house, life has been pretty chaotic recently but I finally got back into my usual writing schedule!! lots of wips at the moment so prepare for those!

part three of love is in the air part one here: love is in the air part two here: tensions rise

summary: Joel thought that he would be having the time of his life the night before his wedding. But he’s conflicted, for all he can think about is you.

warnings/tags: 18+, no use of y/n, no outbreak AU, infidelity, age gap (24 and 46), nicknames (baby girl, doll, baby) fingering, unprotected piv, creampie, angst

word count: 4.6k

“We really can’t be doing this anymore, it isn’t right…”

The words repeated in Joel’s head over and over and over again. He gripped his drink of whiskey, swirling it around before taking a swig. Looking around, he saw all his buddies laughing and dancing, having the time of their lives and partying. Partying just like how he should be doing. But instead, he stood in the corner with a drink in hand, lost in his thoughts.

It was the night before his wedding, the last night he would be considered a single man. Much of his freedom will be washed away from him when he finally ties the knot. He was supposed to be getting wasted with his friends and having a blast, having one last ‘hoo-rah.’

But he felt like shit, to put it lightly.

He watched as all of his friends were having a good time without him at a party that was supposed to be for him letting loose.

He would say that he would much rather be home than here, but that would also be a lie. Jenna would most likely be home. He wanted to be with you.

Taking a deep breath, Joel finished his glass of whiskey in one go before setting it down. With a groan, he rubbed his temples and another sigh left his lips.

“Pre-wedding nerves?” Tommy joined him in his corner with a laugh. He could smell the alcohol on his breath.

Joel chuckled and nodded, “S’pose you could say that.”

Yes, he was nervous and anxious, but they didn’t feel like the pre-wedding jitters he’d heard so much about from his married friends.

His nerves felt more like a sense of guilt, of regret. Possibly regret of sleeping with someone that wasn’t his fiancee, but he knew damn well that wasn’t it either.

His thoughts were messy and unorganized, all because of you.

All he could think about was you.

“Don’t be all mopey for the rest of the night. Come dance with us.” Tommy’s words were slurred, but Joel was barely paying attention anyway. With another laugh, his brother walked back to the rest of the group, leaving Joel on his own once again.

Instead of going with him and having a good time, he ordered another whiskey, drinking in silence.

┉┉┉

It’s late, nearing one in the morning. Sitting at your kitchen table, you dunked your tea bag into the warm water several times. Your eyes were tired and droopy as you watched the lemon tea bag go up and down, feeling as though you could fall asleep right then and there.

However, sleep seemed to be a big struggle for you. You were laying in bed for hours, restless. Every time you closed your eyes, all you could see was Joel and Jenna standing at the altar, sharing a loving kiss as they became one. Mr. and Mrs. Miller. Your heart would initially sink, and your stomach would be sick. And immediately after, you would feel guilty and stupid for feeling that way in the first place.

They were your clients—Joel was only a client. You were the one who helped them plan their wedding. You should be ecstatic to see them finally marry. But no matter how much you tried, you couldn’t.

What’s worse, you’ll have to attend their wedding tomorrow to make that a reality. You wished you could bail somehow and devise an excuse, but this was a part of your job. You needed to make sure that everything ran smoothly at their ceremony.

The thought made you uneasy. However, you tried your absolute best to push your feelings aside. You couldn’t let yourself be selfish. Not when you need to remain professional. 

Sipping your tea, you hoped it would help you relax and ease your mind and racing thoughts. Maybe then you could sleep without having to envision Joel and Jenna kissing at the altar over and over again.

You almost felt like you were losing your mind. You had never felt so reluctant about attending a wedding that you assisted in planning before. But it was different with the Millers. So, so different.

You thought your time with Joel was just going to be a one-time thing, one mistake. But that one mistake turned into two. And now, you couldn’t take your mind off of him. 

You had to keep reminding yourself that you needed to keep things professional between the two of you. Even though you had failed this before, you needed to put it in stone now before it was too late. He was getting married tomorrow, and you needed to accept that fact. He is in a happy and loving relationship; that’s something you need to swallow.

Taking a sip of your tea, you closed your eyes and felt the relaxation hit you instantly with the warm lemon flavor. It never fails to calm your nerves. While they weren’t gone completely, they did decrease significantly.

With a few more sips, you were sure that you’d be able to fall asleep in no time. After all, you needed to be wide awake and perky tomorrow morning for the wedding. But no matter how many times you tasted the calming lemon tea, Joel never left your mind. 

You kept thinking about the way he felt, the way he touched you, the way he held you as he would thrust into you over and over again. Just thinking about it made your cheeks hot and your pussy throb. But the way he made you feel was what stuck in your head the most. 

Clearing your throat, you sighed before sipping your tea, already close to finishing it off. You were just hoping that this would work and you would be able to drift to sleep without another thought of Joel.

After a few minutes, you started feeling more relaxed and drowsy. You felt as if you were going to lie down in bed and attempt to fall asleep, and you may have been successful.

That was until you heard a knock on the door.

Your eyes quickly widened as your heart rate picked up. A knock on your door was the very last thing you were expecting. It scared the shit out of you, to say the least.

Your heart was still pounding as you slowly turned to face the door. You were cautious, for it was the middle of the night, and you had no clue who was at your door or why. You felt your heart in your throat as you slowly stood up, still overly wary.

Surely, if it was a murderer, they would have already attempted to break into your house, right?

A second knock followed shortly after the first as you approached the door.

With a deep breath, you slowly creaked the door open, cracking it open an inch to see who could be at your house at this hour before opening it up completely.

It was Joel.

You furrowed your eyebrows and opened the door, knowing that it was safe and that it was somebody you actually knew. But that didn’t calm all of your thoughts. You were still beyond confused. Why would Joel be at your doorstep? On the night before his wedding, of all nights? Shouldn’t he be cuddled up in bed with his bride-to-be all fast asleep?

While you were lost in your thoughts, Joel was staring at you, lost in his own. His eyes bore into your own, a swirl of thoughts in his mind. 

“Joel?” Was all you could say before he took a step forward, not even saying a word before putting his hands on either side of your face and pulling you into him.

His soft lips crashed into yours, squeezing his eyes shut as he did so. He kept you close, as if he were to let go, he would lose you completely, and that wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.

You didn’t hesitate for a second before kissing him back passionately. You felt as though you wished upon a star, and now your dream came true. You had been thinking all night about Joel, and now here he was, standing on your front porch kissing you as if you two were the last people on Earth.

Your arms draped around his neck, bringing him in even closer to you if possible. His tongue slipped into your mouth, tasting all of you that he possibly could. It pained him to know that this could potentially be your last kiss. Although, there shouldn’t have even been one in the first place. He was supposed to be a married man soon, for fuck’s sake. But you were like a drug to him. He kept on coming back for more. Neither of you could get enough of each other. Each promise that you made to yourselves never lasted. There was always a part of you that knew you two would find each other again one way or another.

“Joel.” You tried to mumble against his lips, but your words were muffled as he kept kissing you, never wanting to stop.

He shook his head to shush you and brought your lips back to his into a passionate kiss.

He moved his hands down to your ass, giving them a cheeky squeeze before grabbing your waist, picking you up, and placing you on his hips. You wrapped your legs around his waist, the kiss never breaking in the process.

His strong arms kept a grip on you while he moved you over to the counter to place you down, his hands squeezing and caressing your hips. Pulling his lips away slightly, he moved them down to your jaw, placing kisses down to your neck.

“Joel..” You took the opportunity to speak but interrupted yourself with a moan when Joel found the weak spot on your neck. He already knew you and your body much too well, “Your wedding’s tomorrow. We really shouldn’t-”

You trailed off from your sentence when Joel pulled away to look you straight in the eyes, “You want me to stop?” He whispered, his hand still firm on your hip.

You didn’t want him to stop. And he knew that you didn’t from the way you looked at him, the way all your emotions swirled in your eyes. 

“We shouldn’t.” You repeated, but Joel quickly stopped you before you could say anything else.

“I asked if you wanted me to stop.” He shook his head slowly, never looking away from your eyes. He could feel you tense slightly under his touch, debating with your mind on how to answer.

“I…” You whispered, licking your lips as you looked him up and down. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw the bulge in his pants, and your mouth went dry. You wanted this man in front of you so damn bad. You knew it was beyond messed up and wrong, but you knew that this was your last chance with him, that after this, he would be married for good, “No. I don’t want you to..” You whispered breathily and pulled him in for another kiss, your fingers getting tangled up in his hair.

He smirked against your lips as he kissed you back instantly, proud of your words. They were exactly what he wanted to hear. He wasn’t ready to let go of you yet and wanted to show you that.

He moved his hands from your waist up to your chest, cupping your breasts in both of his hands. Your moan vibrated against his lips as he slipped his hands underneath your tank top, his strong hands now caressing your skin. The coldness of his hands sent shivers down your spine and goosebumps up your arms.

His thumbs moved over your nipples as he massaged your breasts with both of his hands, knowing just how to touch you to please you.

It was a familiar feeling, the feeling of guilt and pleasure all in one. Your mind has already told you, screamed at you, countless times before that you shouldn’t be doing this, that you shouldn’t allow yourself to be in this position. But no matter how much you reminded yourself that this wasn’t right, you couldn’t stop. Especially now, when this may be your last chance to be with him again.

The thought that you may lose him after tonight made you pull him in closer to you, wanting to be as physically close as you possibly could. You wanted to touch and feel all of him, memorizing every nook and cranny in his body to keep stored in your memory when he would inevitably disappear from your life.

You didn’t want to lose him, but you couldn’t express those feelings, especially not now. You didn’t want to ruin this moment between you. You just wanted to enjoy it while you still could.

“God, I need you so bad, baby girl.” Joel mumbled quietly in your ear, gently nibbling your earlobe. This caused you to lean your head back slightly and sent a warm vibration over your lower body.

You need him just as much. But you didn’t need to say any words to get that message across. He could tell the second he moved his hand under your panties, slipping a finger rather easily into your wet folds.

Joel groaned as he looked at you, his eyes darkened with lust and want. Knowing and feeling how much you wanted him turned him on even more. His bulge was prominent in his pants; it was almost unbearable. He could feel it throb with eagerness, being trapped by his boxers.

“Tonight, you’re all mine.” He growled, attacking your lips with his.

That one word stuck with the both of you. Tonight. He was yours, and you were his, but only for tonight. After that, he would belong to Jenna. And tonight, you would make sure that you would make it one hell of a night, for it may as well be your final night.

Agreeing with his words, you kissed him back passionately, your teeth nearly clashing with his. You put your hands on his cheek, his scruff prickling against your skin. You nearly held onto him as you kissed him, letting out all the emotions you’ve kept down since now.

“Bedroom.” Joel demanded, out of breath, panting against your lips for a quick moment before pulling away. He held onto your hips and helped you down off the counter. You could only smile in excitement as you made your way to the bedroom, Joel right on your heels.

Joel’s shirt was already half off when he stepped into the bedroom. He really wasn’t wasting any time.

You lay on your bed, resting your head on the pillows, your eyes watching Joel’s every move. Within the blink of an eye, Joel was on top of you as he threw his shirt over his head and tossed it into a corner of the room.

Your hands instantly moved up to his chest, running your hands up and down as he started to take off your pants effortlessly. You were sure that by the end of the night, you would have touched every single inch of his body.

“Look at ya, look how damn gorgeous you are.” Joel shook his head, his tongue going over his lower lip. He gazed upon your body, putting his entire focus on you as if it was the first time he had ever seen your body underneath him.

You blushed and failed to hold in your smile as you stared up at him, “Oh, just fuck me already, Mr. Miller.”

Joel chuckled lowly and shook his head as he moved his hands down to his hips, his fingers grazing your skin gently, “Little impatient are we?” He whispered, lowering down to press kisses on your jaw down to your chest.

“Very.” You admitted with an involuntary whine, needing him more than ever. You didn’t know how much longer you would be able to wait without him inside of you.

Joel smirked at your confession and shook his head teasingly. Oh, how he loved to tease you and see you squirm under his touch, just desperate to feel all of him.

“I love seeing you needin’ me so bad..” Joel cooed and caressed your hips firmly with his thumbs, “I won’t make ya wait any longer.” He didn’t admit it, but he was just as desperate as you. He didn’t want to spend another second without him inside of you. He wanted to fuck you until you were unable to walk, wanted to make this a night that you wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about for the rest of the week. 

Without any more warning, he slipped inside you with ease.

“Fuck, I love this pussy.” Joel groaned and held onto your hips tighter as he pushed himself inside of you. It wasn’t his first time fucking you, but each time felt like the first. He could never get sick of you. Whereas with Jenna, he couldn’t even remember the last time they spent a night together.

You fit him like a glove as if your pussy was made just for him, and he had found the missing puzzle piece. Joel took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down just a little. He didn’t want to get himself too excited, for he wanted this moment to last. And seeing you like this and just being inside of you was more than enough to get him going. He didn’t want it to end. He didn’t want this to be the last.

You and him both knew that you didn’t want him to go through with this marriage. Jenna never did anything wrong necessarily, but there was just something about you that she was lacking. He wanted to be with you and to stay with you. And even though you couldn’t admit it to him, you wanted the same exact thing. You had an ounce of hope that after tonight, he would tell you that the wedding was off and he was going to stay with you. But that was just wishful thinking.

“Nice and wet just for me.” Joel breathed, his hot breath hitting against the sensitive skin of your neck. Your skin tingled, yearning for the feeling of his lips on your neck.

His thrusts were slow and steady at first, getting you nice and eased in. But it wasn’t long until he pulled out before going back in one thrust, getting as deep as he possibly could, “God, I just wanna be deep inside of ya, doll.” he mumbled before doing it once more, the feeling of being empty to completely full causing you to moan.

You tried not to think about the possibility of it being your last time with him, and it was easy to do so at the moment, considering that your mind felt foggy from him thrusting into you over and over again.

You leaned your head back and grabbed onto his hair for something to hold onto as he thrusted mercilessly into you. The tugging of his hair only made him more motivated as he quickened up the pace. He could feel himself getting close, but he tried his best to distract himself from finishing for he didn’t want this to end any time soon.

He held himself up with one hand over your head, the other grasping onto your breast, squeezing and teasing the nipple while he kept the pace of his thrusts. With each thrust, you let out a moan or a breath of pleasure. 

This was something that you had enjoyed about sleeping with Joel so much. The fact that he knew exactly what you liked and that he knew what he was doing was incredible for you. He was the first to make you finish, and he’s always ensured you did.

You loved it. And for your own selfish reasons, you weren’t ready to let it go. To let him go.

Joel moved his hand from your breast to caress and squeeze your hip, the gentle squeezing making you even wetter. You loved the effect he had on you.

“Fuck, Joel! You’re incredible, fuck” You moaned out, feeling like your words were choked up in your throat. Moans followed your words, making you feel almost pathetic for how he easily made you feel like this.

Your head leaned back against the pillow, and you bit your bottom lip. So hard that you wouldn’t be surprised if you were able to taste blood sometime soon.

Joel groaned and smirked at your praise. It was just that little bit of motivation that kept him going.

There was a deep sinking feeling in his heart. Not because he knew he would be married to someone else soon, but because he was sleeping with somebody else. But knowing that this might be the last time he would be so intimate with you. It pained him to think about it.

However, he wouldn’t allow himself to get distracted and doleful, for his current goal was to make both of you feel good. And damn, he was going to do a good job of it.

“God, so fucking sexy,” Joel groaned and leaned down slightly to kiss your neck, a place that you were badly aching for him to touch, “Can’t get enough of you.” He bit your neck gently, pulling the skin slightly before placing a kiss over and over again on that same spot. 

“I’m close, fuck I’m close.” You moaned and squeezed your eyes shut, putting all of your focus on getting to your climax. 

Joel took these words and continued to do precisely what he was doing, gripping and squeezing your waist while keeping the same pace with his thrusts, knowing just what you wanted, just what you needed. He knew you like the back of his hand.

Your hands moved down from his hair onto his shoulders as you felt the finish line getting closer and closer.

“Come for me, baby.”

With your nails dug into his back, you kept your eyes shut and moaned and screamed out his name, your climax taking you by storm. You felt elated as he continued his thrusts, fucking you through your orgasm.

Your breaths became quicker as you came down from your climax, your heart racing at a million miles an hour. You felt as though you were on cloud nine. The idea that this was possibly the last time wasn’t even in your mind anymore. All you could think about was how incredible this man was able to make you feel, each time without fail.

With you finishing, Joel didn’t feel the need to hold himself back anymore, knowing that he had gotten you where he wanted you to be. He squeezed your waist gently and leaned his head back, the veins in his neck nearly popping as he came inside of you. Wet and hot rope after rope shooting inside of you, he felt as though it was one of the longest and most intense orgasms he’d ever experienced.

While he was with Jenna, you were the one who made him feel good about himself. You made him feel like the man he was. His legs nearly shook as he slowly pulled himself out of you, both of you instantly missing the feeling of being connected so intimately.

Joel kissed the top of your head before slowly laying down next to you, wrapping his arm around you. You had already come down from your climax while Joel’s heart was still racing, and his breathing was unsteady.

“God, you never fail to amaze me.” You break the silence and laugh.

Joel chuckled along with you and rubbed your arm as he pulled you in closer to his naked body, “Same goes for you, doll.”

While the two of you were feeling incredible, you knew that there was an elephant in the room that neither of you wanted to begin to discuss. But you know you had to.

“So, you’re getting married tomorrow.” The words felt forced from your lips as you glanced over at him.

You could feel him tense up once you brought it up.

“Mhm.” He hummed out and looked down, refusing to look at you.

You almost felt bad for asking, but you knew that it had to be done, “Must be pretty exciting, huh?”

You were hoping that he would say what you were hoping, that the wedding wouldn’t be happening in the first place. But again, that was nothing but hopeful thinking.

Joel opened his mouth to say something but sighed, his body still tense, “You would think so,” he spoke quietly, holding onto your shoulder a bit tighter to reassure himself. He couldn’t hide the truth from you. He didn’t want to, “But I’m not feeling the least bit excited. It’s dread, is what I’ve been feelin’. And I can’t lie, baby, you’re all I can think about.”

This is what you wanted to hear. But it didn’t feel right. Your heart was still sunken in your chest.

“But the wedding?” You whispered while staring up at him, wanting him to continue.

“The weddin’s tomorrow. I can’t just not marry her, she loves me.” The corner of Joel’s lips turned into a frown, “I can’t do that to her.”

The words hurt you more than you ever thought they would, especially now that you were cuddled up against him, close in his arms. You weren’t ready to let him go. 

With your head resting on his chest, he felt at home. You felt safe in Joel’s arms. You couldn’t deny that feelings for him were beginning to develop, which made this all that much harder. And saying goodbye wasn’t necessarily ever easy.

You swallowed the big lump in your throat and nodded slowly. Now was quite possibly the only time you could ever tell him the truth. If you stayed silent, you knew that you would regret it in the near or far future.

“I understand,” Your voice was soft, your throat was tight, “I really do like you, Joel… I’ve loved spending these nights with you. I ended up looking forward, wondering if I may see you again,” 

His eyes bore into you as you spoke. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed along with a frown on his lips. He had a gut feeling that he knew where this was heading, and he dreaded the words coming from your lips.

“And I want you to be happy. I know that if you cancel this wedding, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life. I don’t want to get in the way of that, not more than I already have. You and Jenna deserve to be happy.” You fought back the tears, refusing to choke up in front of him.

Joel stayed silent and frowned as he looked at you, squeezing his hand gently. He didn’t say a single word as he stood up from your bed. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead. You squeezed your eyes shut to prevent the tears from falling down.

It was a silent goodbye. He was hesitant, but he didn’t want to make this goodbye harder than it already was.

He left the room without turning back. 

Once you opened your eyes, the tears fell down.

You tossed and turned, trying to fall asleep that night. They are getting married tomorrow. And there wasn’t anything you could do about it.

[luimagines]

Caught K-I-S-S-I-N-G Part 3

Masterlist

Part 1 Part 2

Part three will include Time, Sky and Wind.

Content under the cut!

Time

Time and you were walking side by side at the point of the group, leading the way for the boys to follow.

Since you were already walking side by side, you took the liberty to reach your hand out and put it on top of his. He makes no noticeable reactions but his hands curls over your gently, holding it without missing a beat.

You smile a little easier and step closer to match his pace and his stride. You have to hold yourself back from swinging your hands back and forth in the meantime.

Behind you, you hear a scoff and playful groan. “Gross.”

You both turn around and Warrior stands there with a smirk, if exasperated expression. “Really you two? Before marriage? In broad daylight?”

Sky snorts and elbows the other lightly to get him to back off but there’s no real venom anywhere here.

You bite your lip and smile back but self consciousness eats away at you. You try to pull away from Time but his grip on your hand tightens. Warrior notices and his smirk grows. “I thought I taught you better, Sprout.”

Time raises an eyebrow at the Captain, not impressed what so ever. “You’re absolutely right, Captain. Forgive me, I’ve seemed to forgotten my manners.”

You’re confused. You initiated this. You know that Warrior is joking but Time seems to be 100% serious. “Uh... listen, honey-”

Time pulls you closer, wrapping his arm around your waist. “Sorry, My Love. But I owe you an apology as well. I should have made myself a little more clear earlier.”

“Time-”

He kisses you deeply, cutting you off before you could begin to ask to be on the same page as he was. It takes your breath away and your eyes flutter close as you kiss him back.

“Oh, come on man.” Warrior says defeatedly.

Sky only dissolves into laughter.

Time pulls back with a smirk of his own. He’s too devilishly handsome for his own good. You don’t remotely think to scold him for that. You’re too preoccupied with how the light bounces off of his hair and how his gaze makes you weak in the knees to mind this.

Time pecks you once more before turning to Warrior with a nod. “I don’t need your permission to love them. Excuse us.”

Your jaw drops. 

Warrior’s jaw drops.

Sky is still laughing to himself.

Time takes your hand again and begins to walk once more, swinging it back and forth to your hearts content.

You can’t seem to be bothered by that one bit. In fact, you wouldn’t mind it if he did that more often.

Sky

Sky had taken you away from the group to have some lunch just so that it could be the two of you alone for a little while.

It was a sweet enough gesture to simply having lunch with him but he wanted it to be a little more special. 

He brought a blanket and some desserts to have with you, feeding you every once and a while as you both looked at the view he’d chosen for you impromptu picnic. The lake in front of you was a beautiful blue, reflecting the sky with crystal clear clarity. You had both sat underneath a tree with enough shade to cool you from the sun’s warm rays.

You sighed blissfully and leaned back against the tree, taking a moment to lean over and put your head on his shoulder. “This was perfect, thank you.”

Sky chuckled, wrapping his arm around your shoulders. He holds you closer, tighter, resting his head on top of yours. “I had hoped you’d like it. You seemed a little stressed lately. I figured a nice break away from the chaos would do you some good. If only for a little while.”

“It was exactly what I needed.”

“Good, I’m glad.” Sky rubs your shoulder. He turns a little bit and kisses the top of your head.

“Oh. Whoops. Am I interrupting?” Legend puts his hands up in mock surrender. 

You snort. “No.”

“Yes.” Sky glances down at you with a disapproving frown. You ignore him.

“I wasn’t aware that I was walking into the middle of something.” Legend smiles. He puts his hands down, pointing to Sky instead. “I came to get you though. You have a minute.”

Sky hugs you protectively. “What do you think?”

You swat his arm with an amused glint in your eye. “Be nice. If you have to go, then go. I can wait here for you?”

“No.” Sky mumbles into your hair. “Don’t wanna.”

You send Legend an apologetic smile. The Veteran doesn’t seem to mind. It looks like he had a suspicion that this would more or less be the outcome. He gets a large grin on his face and put his hands back up in surrender.

“I’ll tell them to not bother you two for a while.”

“Thank you, Legend.” You sigh.

Sky doesn’t respond, choosing to hide away in your hair instead. He nuzzles into you and tightens his grip somewhat. It feels nice.

“I can’t guarantee that they won’t send someone else though.” Legend admit as he walks away. “But I’ll leave you to it.”

Sky huffs. “Can’t even have five minutes.”

“We’ve had more than five minutes.” You remind him with a small laugh. “It’s been over an hour now.”

“Well it should be more.”

You laugh a little louder and hug him back. “Honestly... I can agree with that.”

Wind (Same age)

You and Wind had escaped from the group for a little while just talking silently amongst yourselves.

Your hands were laced together as you both down under a tree for the shade.

“I think I like this place.” You say quietly, slowly rubbing your thumb over his hand. “It’s a shame we can’t stay for long.”

“I didn’t think there could be so many trees in one place.” Wind admits, looking at your hands softly. “I’m so used to the color blue... there’s so much green.”

You grin with a small giggle. “Maybe we should trade. You show me what the ocean is like and I’ll take you to my village, where you’ll find a lot of grey instead. It’ll be new too!”

“Grey?”

“We live in the mountains. Lots of rocks.” You explain with a grin.

“Mountains...” Wind leans back, squeezing your hand gently. “It sounds almost like a fantasy. Do you think we’ll ever get to your village any time soon?”

“I don’t know.” You admit, wiggling your feet a little bit. “I’d like to at some point though. Just to see if everyone is ok. I’d like everyone to meet you too!”

Wind smiles bashfully, bringing his free hand up to scratch behind his ears. “Do you think they’ll like me?”

“Like you? They’ll love you, just like I do!” You laugh and lean over, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Wind gets a big smile on his face and leans over to kiss your cheek as well.

“Well isn’t that cute~”

You both jump. Wind instantly getting into a defensive position with his arm to cover you if need be. He snaps his head from left to right only to land on Four a little ways away.

Wind glares, biting down the curse that threatens to slip off of his tongue. “Smithy, you almost gave us a heart attack!”

“Oh please, you’re both fine.” The other boy laughs. “I was just looking for you. We’re about to head out. I suggest getting cleaned up a bit and heading back before the others actually start wondering where you both went off to and begin searching.”

Wind groans dramatically, getting to his feet. He holds out his hand for you as he dusts off his tunic from any stray dirt that might have gotten on top him. “Fine. But only because I don’t think I can handle the annoyed look Wolfie get son his face every time he has to come out and find someone.”

You take Wind hand and try to keep the smile off of your face. “It’s fine. No harm done.”

You’re quick to lace your hands together again and shoot Four a thankful smile. “Thank you for coming to get us, Smithy. We’ll join the others in a minute.”

Four nods with a soft smile of his own and gives a mock salute. he turns and leaves with very little fanfare. “Make sure of it.”

Wind sticks his tongue out at him.

Feeling brave, you kiss his cheek one more time, knocking the look right off of his face. You giggle. “Behave.”

“He started it.”

“Well I’m ending it. Come on. Let’s go back.”

[drdemonprince]

all the recent talk about not voting has me a bit worried, for lack of a better word.

on one hand, yes so much yes, stop throwing all your time and energy in the insatiable maw of electoral politics, 5/5, no notes.

but on the other hand, where does that time and energy go then? despite lots of talk about mutual aid it doesn't seem to progress much beyond the abstract (at least in the various leftist groups/communities/etc. in my neck of the woods). it's held up as an ideal and great big important thing, but when there's shit that needs doing, it's *crickets*.

maybe it's because so much mutual aid is care work and thus, and i very much disagree with even though i care not for the label, not real activism i guess? like, a while ago a disabled comrade had ran into housing issues because of their illness, so we rustled up some folks to help clean and unfuck their home. which, yet again, were the same (also disabled) people that always show for those things.

coming of four years and counting of pandemic, that's been a consistent pattern. at a time where mutual aid was so needed, such a vacuum left by a state that didn't and/or wanted to do shit, it still fell on the shoulders of disabled people to do all the actual work while the rest just talked about abstract shit. or, to name another thing, diy hrt initiative where it's just a bunch of poor ass trans people scrounging up money to pay for supplies for trans people who have fuck all access, while the rest debates in the abstract about a more better system or whether it's even something they need to concern themselves about.

and like, yes, not pissing away your energy pleading with assholes who don't give a fuck about you is good, but it should only be the start. it sometimes feels like the big plan is: 1) not vote, 2) ???, 3) glorious anarchism/communism/mutual-aidism. i'm not arguing that they need to have it all worked out, but with so much shit that needs doing in the here and now i get a little worried. because that's going to take real work, not talk, and they're not putting in any of it.

I mean, most people won't do (what gets viewed as) "real activism" either. They don't go to protests, smash windows, call jails to check on the status of incarcerated people, cut supply lines, or anything else. And they don't vote either.

We live in a highly individualistic, atomized society filled with people who have been conditioned into an abiding self-interested apathy, and everyone is overworked and broke as shit and juggling a bunch of disabilities while not having any experience with building genuine community and lacking most of the infrastructural and social tools to do so. The number of people who are avowed leftists is vanishingly small, and among them the people who actually walk the talk or have the education and community ties to even be able to is even smaller. Not disagreeing with your read of the situations you're dealing with here, just putting them within the broader context of many very similar problems that I see touch every single aspect of organizing today. even like the most tepid liberal get out the vote kind of organizing is plagued by this, and of course that is by design.

What gives me hope in the present moment is just how many people are completely fucking done with the prevailing system, and how many are refusing to play along with its rules. A lot of the people who aren't voting are not leftists. At least not yet. Just like many of the people who are quiet quitting and half-assing it at work or just vibing on unemployment for as long as they can are not communists. But they do know that the system is bunk and is failing them, and they are refusing to be compliant within it any longer. I believe that a lot of people's better natures do get inspired during a moment of collapse. I also think there is a profound rot at the heart of settler-colonial states that fills them with people who do not recognize themselves as having any responsibility to others. That's all the more reason for such an empire to fall.

I think you're right to worry for the future, though I don't think the reason to be worried is as simple as people not people caring about disabled folks, or any other group. I always wonder who the mythical abled people are who are abnegating their duty in such an understanding of the world. I sure haven't met any of them. I only meet people who are also disabled and don't realize it.

[lollytea]

Love the idea that the feral, hormonal Willow post and the dress measurements post take place simultaneously, so you have this teenage girl holding onto her restraint by the skin of her teeth and then suddenly getting a text from her boyfriend with his measurements because??? what???does she do with this??? Is he making a move?? Is something happening here?? It’s probably too forward to send her own, right?? Should she just go for it or gather intel from her friends first?? meanwhile Hunter is just like “I’m gonna make Willow such a pretty dress :D”

YES!! That is exactly what's going on here. I have this vision of how Willow and Hunter's romantic relationship started off. Things moved quite slow, because Hunter got overwhelmed very easily and Willow liked him so much and didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable in what should be a safe space. It's very new and neither of them really know how to approach romance immediately, but one of them desperately wants to practise and one of them needs more time to ease into it.

Willow is always watching Hunter with sharp eyes, intently reading his body language, waiting for any kind of signal that he'd like to do a little more than hold her hand. It's usually Willow that initiates the less nerve wracking stuff like hugs and hand holding and casual affection, but she let Hunter kiss her first. She's very proud of herself for noticing the way he glanced at her mouth or she wouldn't have asked "do you want to kiss me?" and then he wouldn't have done it. Whenever Hunter initiates something, Willow knows he wants this. She knows they're making progress.

Once during a group movie night, he fell asleep resting against her side and she laid in that uncomfortable position all fucking night. He eventually started sleep snuggling her and she she was fucking EXHILERATED. This is what she's been starving for.

A headcanon that I hold so near and dear to my heart is that Willow is secretly batshit insane. Totally bonkers. Off the fucking rails. Yknow just in general. And Hunter definitely makes the crazy flare up. But she's always been good at hiding it so nobody suspects a thing.

Hunter is not very good at articulating how he feels about Willow but he's desperate to express it in any way that he can. So he's always doing nice things for her. And making her laugh. And supporting her in any way that he can. And surprising her with little gifts that he made.

Willow also isn't all that good at articulating how she feels about Hunter. "You're cute" and "You mean a lot to me <3" and other casual flirty lines are used a lot but she's not quite covering the extent of emotions. She feels a lot more intensely than that. She can't really put it all into words. All these feelings give her the unbearable urge to start gnawing on his flesh like a fucking damn griffin drumstick.

The texts make her wanna act up somethin fierce

Hello_willow: what are these?

RULERZREACHF4N: My hip, waist and bust size <3

Willow at her fucking LIMIT:

What does that MEAN?? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN??? Is this flirting? Maybe Hunter's idea of a scandalous text?? She knows from whispers in the hallways that sometimes significant others send pics when they wanna get bold. Like shirtless pics. She has been hoping every damn day that one day her scroll is gonna buzz and its her shy boyfriend, deciding that he likes the way his chest looks today and he wants to show it off to her. But it can never be that simple, can it? NO. Her fucking tailor of a boyfriend it trying to speak to her in tailor language and she can NOT fucking fumble him right now because there's a chance that if she gets this right, she might get to put her hands on the areas that he has given her the measurements of.

Hello_willow: Oh

Is she supposed to compliment him on his beautiful measurements? His broad chest? His slim waist? Should she say that she'd have no problems wrapping her arms around him? That he is the perfect size for squeezing? That she wants to come over and see for herself if he's being honest? Is that what he wants to hear?

RULERZREACHF4N: Is there something you want to tell me? :)

Willow panics, suddenly feeling the pressure to answer quick. What does he want?? WHAT DOES HE WANT????

She quickly decides that she CANNOT be bold here. Because all of the things she wants to say are shockingly indecent.

That's when she realizes. It's Hunter. Hunter, who told her yesterday that he used to be scared of the dark when he was little. Hunter, who might be trying, in his own weird Hunter way, to be a little more vulnerable. Give her more personal details about himself, so she knows that he trusts her and feels safe with her. Like when a beast rolls over on its belly.

A little of Willow's tension melts away. He's very sweet. She likes him an awful lot.

Not knowing how to proceed, Willow awkwardly tries to let him know that she appreciates him telling her things that he thinks are important.

Hello_willow: thank you

Feeling a little unsure, she adds a question mark at the end. And then, upon getting a few seconds of silence on the other end, she panics again and hurriedly types another message. A little more upfront this time.

Hello_willow: I love learning new things about you Hun. You have very elegant measurements <3

Another twenty seconds pass.

RULERZREACHF4N: Thanks. You're sweet <3

HALLELUJAH TO THE TITAN, TO THE SON AND TO THE HOOTY GHOST!!! HE THINKS SHES SWEET!!! SHE IS GONNA GET TO HOLD HIS HIPS TONIGHT!!!!

RULERZREACHF4N: Can I have your Dad's number?

NO!!! HOW THE FUCK DID SHE FUMBLE THIS!!!!

[jinxedmuse]

secret dating idol!svt — 95z line, & if you guys get caught

authors note: idk this just seemed fun! i wanna release a one shot for another member but i’m stuck between which one ;-; so for now we have this plz enjoy!!!

warnings: uhm reader is famous but it fluctuates between each member (ie: actor, idol, etc)? , should be gender neutral but tbh may (???) come off as fem.

choi seungcheol

probably another idol (+ leader) he liked how you managed your group and definitely gives off the vibe he’d approach first if he was really interested.. which thankfully, he was!

dates (although rare bcs ur both busy taking care of ur children, ie: team members lol) definitely consist of: driving around the very low-key parts of seoul, pre reserved dinners at extremely exclusive restaurants, weekend golf dates at elite and selective country clubs (with matching outfits), and obviously going over his place to sleep in and play w/ kkuma!

surprises you with gifts every time you can meet! or, he’ll just have it directly ordered to your place. definitely have an over flow of couple items like that man is as obvious as can be without completely blowing the lid over??

he wants matching couple rings sooo bad but he knows that svt is known for their pinky rings & people would immediately notice if he had another one that he suspiciously never took off.. hm? so he’d opt for matching sweat suits (ie: hoodie/sweatpants sets/athletic sets/lounge sets etc). he’d buy you the gray ver of his all black adidas sweatsuit and everyone would be like.. wait a min? but also can’t pin point if they’re overthinking it (hint: they’re not ;)

when things get serious, and they most likely will, he’s probably the best long term partner ever.

yes, he’s a man at the end of the day so obviously he’d wanna have fun and we do not know him outside svt content BUT i feel like he already has so much responsibilities to bare and he’s too busy to even be dating but he chose to! with you! because he likes (dare i say loves) you a lot! so why would he wanna waste his precious time that he barely has??

definitely gets matching tattoos with you somewhere down the line. i feel like if you guys were like YEARS into it , parents have met, etc etc then he’d get your initials on his ring finger or somewhere on his back or along his neck :(

at this point, dispatch has a wholeeee book on you guys. definitely planning to expose y’all as the new years couple but you know hybe is swimming in money so they paid them off and saved your asses! aka, you don’t get caught.

lucky you!

yoon jeonghan

probably dating a idol or well known model. either way, you’re both known for your otherworldly visuals! you guys met at a exclusive ysl event/after party and he asked his manager to talk to your manager and boom! things went off.

dates are actually pretty regular. don’t get me wrong, you both have pretty hectic schedules, and yours are pretty random because you never know which city you need to be in next but since you both don’t like doing as much interviews/variety shows as your counterparts, you use that time on dates!

you guys reserve 1- sometimes 2 hour tours at those interactive park places (where you can hold/feel animals etc) and takes lots of pictures for each other (which means matching lovestagram!!!) , you guys go on secretive sauna dates to catch up on your work weeks, and hang out at each other’s apartment while eating your fav food at odd hours lol!

LOVEEE couple items! matching lego sets, pet rocks, any new jewelry he gets, especially if it’s a bracelet, he buys another one for you and you guys wear them 24/7 like seriously it doesn’t come off! would probably even get the cartier love bracelet if he wasn’t so dedicated to ysl…

fans are saurrrrrr suspicious because like.. is he even trying to be subtle or are they just making it up in their head??? svt would be playing the character quiz and you’d come up and his brain would literally malfunction like all he can do is smile and apologize for “getting you wrong” while the rest of the members are trying to (not so) swiftly move on.. yeah!

you guys are definitely the on and off type! nothing toxic just every time you both get genuinely TOO busy you’d cool off from each other and bounce back like nothing happened.

i feel like he’d want something long term but wouldn’t be too set on marriage? idk, if you guys did end it wouldn’t be on a bad note and you’d both just play it off (to the public) as if you were always “just” friends but bffr.. anyway!

you guys wouldn’t necessarily get exposed by dispatch/a news outlet but both your fandoms would like low-key know you had something going on and respect that privacy.

joshua hong

i can see him dating a gorgeous high class actor/actress. you guys meet at an award show and slowly got to know each other before comfortably settling into a relationship.

dates are superrr frequent, even your personal managers are shocked because damnn that devotion? you guys already told them that any free time you have in your bustling scheduals go to each other. very cute.

dates are very spontaneous and depend on where you are. believe it or not most dates are at home and consist of you laying your head in his lap as he makes bracelets and you revising your lines. (as with ll the boys) you get backstage concert privilege with kisses between sets and he visits you on set with coffee trucks for everyone and your fav pick me up snack if you're feeling down during filming.

couple items are very low-key! he's known for his handmade jewelry so he'll give you one or two but anymore will land ya'll in the mouse trap. so the more intimate matching things never see the light of day.

fans start getting suspicious when they realize that all the films or dramas he's been recommending lately have you in it but he just plays it off that he's been getting interested in more films during his down time and you became his favorite actress/tor .. right! also you suddenly keep singing seventeen songs (his parts) in your behind the scenes and they're just like..? okay maybe you just really go into seventeen outta no where.. whatever that means!

you both are very private people by nature so you guys leave 0 trace behind when planning dates etc like everyone is signing NDA's lol! so dispatch (and your fans) may have a feeling, but they have no proof.

does have marriage in mind for the long run but you guys would date for a longgggg time before that like 5+ years. would probably announce it randomly after you guys are satisfied with your career and respected enough to the point people don't throw a fuss but are genuinely happy for you. ya'll end up nicknamed: the nations unexpected but ultimate visual couple, for sure!

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

[heyiwrotesomethings]

salut j'espère que vous allez bien j'adore vos histoires de lecteur shinobu x et je voulais vous demander si vous pouviez faire une histoire de lecteur shinobu x fem où kanae n'est pas mort et shinobu a son vrai caractère et que pendant l'histoire, shinobu et le lecteur sa rivale pour voir qui est le meilleur tueur de démons ou juste le meilleur dans l'ensemble, qu'ils se taquinent constamment mais que shinobu a toujours une longueur d'avance sur le lecteur et que d'une manière ou d'une autre ils finissent en couple à la fin (merci donc beaucoup si vous acceptez ma demande et sachez que vous êtes mon écrivain shinobu préféré <3)

You’re My (Sparring) Partner

Shinobu Kochou x She/Her Reader

A/N: I don’t know any French so I hope Google Translate didn’t let us down too bad. Quick plot introduction: Kanae lived, Shinobu’s her good ol’ grouchy self, and she and reader are always competing to see who is better. Some bumps in the path before they finally end up together because Shinobu is stubborn. Thank you for the request. Espérons que vous apprécierez! Word Count: 4,340

“I killed two demons last night.” (Y/n) shared with a bit of pride over breakfast that morning, subtlety looking over the rim of her cup at Shinobu as she drank, before putting the cup back down with a quiet click. “I made very clean cuts too, that’s what you said, right? Kanae-sama?”

A quiet laugh left Kanae’s lips before she nodded, “Yes, you certainly are improving. I’m very proud.”

Shinobu rolled her eyes, her teeth lightly grinding together before she added, “Well my record in one night is four. Two isn’t that impressive.”

“Oh yeah, well—“

“Shinobu, (Y/n), please no bickering at the table. It’s a little early to be playing this game, don’t you think?” Kanae sighed.

“It’s not a game, Neesan.” Shinobu refuted, matching (Y/n)’s glare.

This rivalry had been going on for years. Ever since Shinobu finally accepted that she wasn’t fit for Flower Breathing and decided to cultivate her own breathing style and (Y/n) had wormed her way in to train under Kanae as a Tsuguko, the spot that should have been Shinobu’s by all accounts. It had left the girl bitter and looking for just about any excuse to show (Y/n) how much better she was than her. Even now as a Hashira herself, she still hadn’t been able to quite let go of that initial disappointment and start a new chapter.

Of course, (Y/n) didn’t take Shinobu’s challenges sitting down. She had earned her spot within the Butterfly Estate, but the only one who remained unconvinced was the one person she wanted to impress almost more than the Flower Hashira herself.

Ever since (Y/n) had met Shinobu, she hadn’t thought of her as anything short of brilliant. She took every curve ball life had thrown her way and found a way to hit a home run every time. Not able to decapitate demons, she made a special poison that could kill them anyway. Not suited for the more mainstream breathing techniques, she created her own. Not to mention her speed and mastery over Total Concentration Breathing Constant was nothing to sneeze at either.

To be acknowledged and accepted by Shinobu was all she really wanted and she was willing to do anything to prove her worth. She would compete with Shinobu until she earned her respect.

“Yes, it’s a very serious matter, Master.” (Y/n) agreed, smirking at Shinobu’s scowl.

“Well then take it outside. You are making poor Kanao nervous and I’m sure the other girls don’t appreciate the hostility brewing between you two either.” Kanae said, motioning to the group of girls around the table who did indeed just wanted to eat their breakfast in peace.

“Fine.” Shinobu’s hands slapped against the table as she got up. “I could go for a spar, how about you? Or are you still too sleepy from being up past your bedtime?”

“I recall you waiting up to greet me last night. So I’m sure we have the same advantage.”

“As if I was waiting for you. I had questions for my sister about our medicinal ingredient supply shipments.”

They bickered and taunted each other, even nudging and shoving each other as they made their way out the door. Kanae gave another tired sigh.

“Why can’t those two just get along?”

***

Shinobu flung a wooden sword at (Y/n) who was luckily paying enough attention to catch it before it smacked her in the face and quick enough to immediately retaliate.

“Readysetgo!” Thwack!

It was a dirty tactic to begin a spar without allowing enough time to at least get in a proper starting stance, but Shinobu had anticipated the swipe and blocked it easily.

“Can’t even catch me off guard properly.” Shinobu taunted.

“Who said I trying to?” (Y/n) asked with faux innocence, blocking Shinobu’s counter strike, “I gave you fair warning. Did you feel like I was trying to catch you off guard? In that case, maybe I did catch you a bit off guard after all. My apologies.”

Shinobu sneered, then jumped back. With the weight behind Shinobu’s block gone, (Y/n) was suddenly pushing back against nothing but air. She stumbled forward as Shinobu advanced, turning sharply behind her, wooden sword already swinging towards its intended target.

(Y/n) had been burned by that little maneuver once before and she wasn’t going to give Shinobu the satisfaction of a second. She continued to fall forward, kicking her legs up into the air when her hands came in contact with the ground. She could feel the displacement of air roll over her back, Shinobu had followed through with her strike and missed!

With all the force (Y/n) could muster, she torpedoed on her palms, attempting to catch Shinobu’s face with her foot, but Shinobu quickly cocked her head to the side and dropped her sword to the ground so she could brace her hands at (Y/n)’s ankle and knee. With a smirk, she twisted (Y/n)’s leg, and kicked out (Y/n)’s arms from under her, forcing her to the ground completely.

Before (Y/n) could attempt to scramble to her feet, Shinobu planted her foot firmly to the center of her back.

“That was an entertaining little display.” Shinobu cooed. “Where did you pick that up from? Weird boar boy?”

“Just get off of me already.” (Y/n) groused, she attempted to hit Shinobu’s ankle, but was not quite flexible enough to do more than brush against the offending foot.

“I didn’t hear you say you concede.” Shinobu knelt down, one knee in the dirt by (Y/n)’s side, foot still on the disgruntled Tsuguko’s back. She cupped a hand around her ear and got in real close, “Say it nice and loud so I can hear you, okay?”

So humiliating! (Y/n) stormed through the mansion after her devastating defeat to lick her wounds in peace. Shinobu always seemed to be one step ahead of her! Of course she was a Hashira, more skilled and practiced than (Y/n) was, but as a Tsuguko to the Flower Hashira, she should be able to last more than five minutes with Shinobu in a spar!

“Hey, everything okay in there?” Kanae had knocked on the door, “I see Shinobu is gloating again.”

(Y/n) opened the door to let Kanae in. Then she flooped back down on her bed and sighed.

“Master, please don’t take this the wrong way, but can’t you train me any harder? Or at least teach me all of your sister’s weaknesses?”

Kanae giggled, taking a seat on the edge of (Y/n)’s bed, “I don’t think that would be very fair. She would be angry with me for weeks, maybe longer. She can sure hold a grudge. As for training, I can only teach you so much… especially now that I have these Mount Natagumo spider slayers that are in need of a rigorous medication program in order to return to normal. I just don’t have the time to train you any more strenuously than I already do.”

“Oh…” though (Y/n) was already laying flat against the bed, she somehow seemed to sink further with her mounting disappointment.

“But there is something we could possibly do while Shinobu and I work on healing the spider slayers.”

(Y/n) perked up a bit, “What?”

“Mitsuri, the new Love Hashira. We got to become aquatinted at the last meeting. She’s a very sweet girl. It would probably do you both some good to train together. It would give Mitsuri a jumpstart on teaching experience and you would get tutelage from another Hashira. Seems like a win-win, doesn’t it?”

“Can you really set that up, Kanae-sama?” (Y/n) was sitting up now, much more excited.

“I don’t see why not. I’ll write her a letter an ask her if she’s busy. She can stay with us for a couple of days and over see your training until the spider slayers are more obviously on the mend.”

“Thank you, Kanae-sama!”

Things might just start looking up! She’d show Shinobu just how strong she could become!

***

Mitsuri was very sweet, almost too sweet. If (Y/n) wasn’t such a well-disciplined Tsuguko, they wouldn’t have gotten anything done. But for as green of a Hashira as Mitsuri was, she was incredibly strong! Maybe even more so than Kanae. Her actual teaching could use work, but (Y/n) felt like she was learning a lot and it was only the first day of three that Mitsuri would be available. She was going to really give Shinobu a run for her money the next time they decided to cross swords. Speaking of,

“Kanroji-san, what are you doing here?” Shinobu had happened by an open door and heard (Y/n) laughing, looking up from the stack of patient files she had in her arms, she had not expected to find her sparring with Mitsuri of all people.

“Oh, hi Shinobu!” Mitsuri loosened her hold on (Y/n) to wave at Shinobu, “Kanae asked me to help pick up on (Y/n)’s training while you guys are working hard with all of your new patients. I’d say things are going pretty well so far!”

“Surprise attack!” (Y/n) tried to pull Mitsuri to the ground. Mitsuri bent forward a little bit, but mostly stood her ground.

“Hey!” Mitsuri giggled, quickly switching the hold to put (Y/n) on the ropes instead, tickling (Y/n)’s sides to make her laugh and beg for mercy.

Shinobu wasn’t sure what it was, but she was not a fan of this new development. (Y/n) never laughed with her like that when they sparred… and why would she! Shinobu didn’t give a damn beyond adding another win to the score board. But they did look like they were having fun… getting along so quickly after only just meeting too… ARGH!

“Try not to go too hard on (Y/n), Kanroji-san. She’s fragile.”

(Y/n) gave Shinobu an annoyed look, “I am not. Kanroji-san can be as rough with me as she needs to be if I’m ever going to be a Hashira one day too.”

“That’ll be the day, won’t it?” Shinobu grumbled.

“I’m sure you’ll make a great Hashira one day (Y/n)! It would be so nice to get to see you more often.” Mitsuri beamed.

“That would be great!”

“That would be great.” Shinobu mocked under her breath as she walked away, the sound of the other girls laughter grating against her ears.

When she re-entered the infirmary and slammed the papers down on the table, Kanae looked up and observed her sister.

“What has you all broody?”

“I’m not broody.”

“If you say so…”

Kanae refocused her attention to the wiggly spider slayer in her arms. It was hard getting them to swallow their medication without giving them her full attention.

“Why didn’t you ask me to help (Y/n) with her training?” Shinobu suddenly spoke up after a few minutes.

“Hm? I figured you would rather do literally anything else. Besides, you’re helping me take care of all these new patients… Did you want to help (Y/n)?”

“No.” Shinobu answered hurriedly. “I just don’t think she and Mitsuri are taking the training seriously is all.”

Kanae looked at Shinobu from the corner of her eye and took note of her disgruntled expression. Such a cute, pouty frown. Kanae moved in to the next patient, a smile growing across her face as a sense of clarity came over her. She wondered just how long her stubborn little sister could hold out before her jealousy overtakes her pride.

Apparently the very same day.

“Kanroji-san, her stance is all wrong, see?” Shinobu had butted in between the two of them after Kanae had sent her off to eat lunch, but of course she could not simply walk past Mitsuri and (Y/n) when she had noticed (Y/n) stance was so blatantly off-balance.

“Oh! I guess you’re right Shinobu.” Mitsuri agreed.

“Stand with your feet further apart.” Shinobu mumbled, kicking (Y/n)’s foot further out, then twisting (Y/n)’s waist and adjusting the way she held her arms up and her grip around the practice sword.

Honestly, (Y/n)‘s stance was perfectly acceptable without Shinobu’s knit picking, but Shinobu had to find some excuse to put space between (Y/n) and Mitsuri. Why that was? She didn’t dwell on an answer.

“There, you feel that pull?” Shinobu asked and (Y/n) blinked back to life, having had gone somewhere else as Shinobu had gently pushed her body into place.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I feel it.”

“Good.”

Shinobu looked for every opportunity she could to step in. Only stopping when Kanae came looking for her and scolded her for letting Aoi’s lunch for her grow cold. She did end up eating with (Y/n) and Mitsuri though, which was good because… well, just because!

She squeezed between them at the table, getting gradually more annoyed as they talked over her head. She did manage to find one way to get (Y/n) to remember she was sitting right beside her.

“You have rice on your face.”

She reached out to brush her thumb over (Y/n)’s chin, coming away with a couple grains of rice.

(Y/n) blinked and subconsciously lifted her hand to her chin where her skin still tingled from Shinobu’s brief touch, “Oh… thanks.”

“You two are so cute!” Mitsuri sighed dreamily, “How long have you guys been together?”

Both (Y/n) and Shinobu’s heads snapped towards Mitsuri.

“We are not together!” They shouted in unison, startling Mitsuri.

“Ehh, really? I could have sworn… Just they way you two acted around each other today, I thought you might be a couple. I’m sorry if I made it awkward.”

“I’d rather cut off my own hands.” Shinobu scoffed, then she was startled by a heavy thump beside her as (Y/n)’s fists hit the table.

“Do you really have to go that far?” (Y/n) hissed, shooting up to her feet, “I’m so sorry the idea of being with me sounds so awful to you that you’d rather mutilate yourself. If you really hate me that much, then why don’t you leave me the fuck alone!”

“Well, you don’t exactly make it easy, do you?” Shinobu snapped back before she could think better of it, as was the risk being as hotheaded as she tended to be. She regretted it very soon after.

“All I ever wanted was for you to acknowledge me, to praise me just once instead of shooting me down. I thought competing with you was the only way to make you see me, but it only seemed to make things worse between us.”

She quickly rubbed beneath her eyes to catch any stupid tears that slipped over her resolve.

“Well, I know now that it will never happen so I’ll stay out of your way as long as you stay out of mine. And that means quit budging in on my training with Mitsuri!”

(Y/n) took Mitsuri by the arm and Mitsuri gave Shinobu an apologetic look, taking the rest of her plate with her as (Y/n) dragged her off.

“That probably couldn’t have gone worse if you tried.”

Shinobu snapped her attention to the other set of doors that lead outside. They slid open to reveal Kanae, who simply waltzed in as if she hadn’t been eavesdropping pretty much the whole time.

“What does it matter?” Shinobu spoke sharply, “I’ll finally have some peace around here.”

“You could have had a perfectly peaceful three days while Mitsuri was keeping her busy, but you couldn’t even last one without her.”

“Oh great, you thought we liked each other too, didn’t you?”

“If you would stop getting in your own way for a minute, you’d know it’s true. You two have always been trying to prove yourself to each other in some way, just not always the best way. Like it or not, you are each other’s drive to do better.”

Shinobu opened her mouth to argue, but Kanae have gave her a warning look before continuing on,

“I hope you two will realize your being silly and work this out before too long. If anyone here really needs peace from your overstayed rivalry, it’s me,” she teasingly ruffled Shinobu’s hair, “For now, I need your help back in the infirmary.”

With an annoyed grunt, Shinobu followed Kanae back to the infirmary. All the while she ranted within her mind. Everyone in this mansion was delusional. The only feelings she had for (Y/n) were ones of annoyance. But when she passed by the open door near the infirmary again and saw (Y/n) and Mitsuri cuddled up together in the grass, her heart betrayed her mind by pounding against her chest. Almost as if to burst right between her ribs and flop in the grass until it finally reached its destination. If Shinobu wouldn’t go to (Y/n), it would reach her on its own.

“Keep walking, Shinobu~” Kanae lightly warned, “If you want your peace, you must leave them be.”

Shinobu grit her teeth and continued off to the infirmary despite her heart’s protests. This is what she wanted, her heart would just have to deal with it.

***

The healing of the spider slayers was going much slower than anticipated. To Shinobu’s very much internal dismay, Kanae had asked Mitsuri if she could stay just a few days more, maybe a whole other week. For a moment, Shinobu thought things would finally go back to normal because Mitsuri simply couldn’t get anymore time away, but then Kanae suggested she take (Y/n) with her to keep training her until the spider slayers were closer to being cured.

To Shinobu’s dismay, both Mitsuri and (Y/n) found the idea favorable and the left together sometime that afternoon when Shinobu was busy making more stupid spider medicine.

“You seem to be grinding those herbs extra hard,” Kanae had noted, “I’m sorry, had I known you wanted to see them off, I would have come to get you, but you wouldn’t want to miss out on any peace and quiet, wouldn’t you?”

Damn her, Shinobu thought. It didn’t matter if she got to see (Y/n) off or not. She’d be back before she knew it, and in a way she was right, but not in the way she wanted to be.

Only two nights after (Y/n) had left with Mitsuri, she was being carried back in by the frantic Hashira that had taken her, bloody and unresponsive.

“I’m so sorry, Kanae!” Mitsuri cried, “I got distracted during the mission and didn’t notice right away that (Y/n) had been lured into an ambush pursuing a fleeing demon. She fought them off as long as she could before I could get to her, but… I feel awful! I didn’t know what to do, will she be okay?”

“Sit, Mitsuri,” Kanae soothed, “you got her here as fast as you could, that’s what matters. Let me take it from here—“

Shinobu pushed passed Kanae to (Y/n)’s cot, “This isn’t the time for talk, we need to get to work, now!” She demanded angrily.

“Shinobu,” Kanae warned, “if you want to help, you have to calm down. You won’t do her any good if you let your brashness cut corners.”

Shinobu continued to peer down at (Y/n)’s battered body and try as she might to quiet her boiling rage to a simmer, she could not. She was furious. Furious at the demons, even Kanae and Mitsuri to a lesser extent, but most of all she felt angry with herself. If she wasn’t so attached to her pride and stubbornness, maybe none of this would have happened. Maybe her last words to (Y/n) wouldn’t have been so harsh. What if she died before Shinobu could apologize?

“Shinobu, leave.” Kanae made the difficult call upon seeing her sister’s wide-eyed distress, but Shinobu shook her head, refusing to let go of (Y/n)’s hand.

Kanae exhaled sharply, there was no time for this. She wasn’t going to lose her Tsuguko because of her sister’s guilty hovering.

“Shinobu,” the harsh tone made Shinobu flinch, “out. I promise to let you back in once I’ve administered proper care. Mitsuri, take her out with you please.”

Shinobu numbly allowed Mitsuri to lead her away, keeping her eyes on (Y/n) until a Kakushi closed the door behind them. Unwilling to stray any further, Shinobu slid to the ground opposite the infirmary, and waited. Straining her hearing for any hint of what was going on beyond the door.

“You care about her a lot,” Mitsuri spoke up softly after a few long minutes of silence, “why haven’t you told her?”

If that wasn’t the million dollar question… Shinobu kept silent.

“Well, don’t worry. Kanae is going to get her all fixed up and then you can tell her all the things you wanted to say, okay?”

What did Mitsuri know? Shinobu thought bitterly. Shinobu saw that gash on her forehead, that deep wound in her belly, no one could say with one hundred percent certainty that (Y/n) would recover from this.

“You should practice what you want to say.” Mitsuri said, hoping to distract Shinobu from her dark thoughts, “I’ll talk through it with you, if you want. I’m rooting for you guys.”

Part of Shinobu wanted to tell Mitsuri to mind her own business, but she really did need the help if she was going to go through with this properly. So she took a deep breath, and took a step in the right direction.

When Kanae came out of the infirmary hours later, Shinobu and Mitsuri rocketed up from the floor and before they could bombard Kanae with questions, she held up her hands and said,

“She’s going to be okay. You can go see for yourselves.”

And when Shinobu rushed to (Y/n)’s side, she definitely did look better already. Blood washed away, wounds expertly stitched, clean bandages and clothes. Shinobu hunkered down in the chair by her bedside, scooting it as close to the bed as she could before taking (Y/n)’s hand and holding between her own.

Kanae smiled and shook her head. It was a very rude awakening, but at the very least Shinobu was heading in the right direction now. She went to rest knowing (Y/n) would be well looked after.

***

When (Y/n) awoke, the harsh light burned her eyes so she quickly shut them as soon as she opened them. Her body felt heavy and stiff. She couldn’t even wiggle her fingers. Well, none on her left hand anyway. She couldn’t remember the demons doing anything that would warrant a cast over her hand, but there was too much going on to process every injury fully, she imagined. It was weird how warm and sweaty the cast had made her hand though. It was a little uncomfortable.

(Y/n) tried to flip to her side instead of laying flat on her back, but found she was too weak to do it and groaned quietly. The ‘cast’ around her hand constricted in a light squeeze and a soft voice hushed her. Kanae, she assumed. Kanae must be with her, holding her hand. That made sense. Oh, her poor Master. It must have been hard to see her like that.

She tried to open her eyes again, blinking several times before she could even hold a squint. Though her vision was still a bit blurry, it was clearly not Kanae by her bedside. No, it was… was it really Shinobu?

“(Y/n), you’re awake.” Shinobu sounded so relieved that (Y/n) wasn’t so sure she had actually woken up.

“You’re holding my hand.” She blurted. No filter with her head injury apparently.

“Do you want me to stop?” Shinobu asked awkwardly, no bite whatsoever, nor true embarrassment at getting caught. She just seemed… shy, maybe a little uncertain.

“No… it’s fine.” Though she would have liked to air out her hand a little, she didn’t want to risk Shinobu getting offended and breaking whatever spell had come over her.

“I, I have a lot I need to say to you. Will you hear me out?”

Though (Y/n) was nervous, she nodded, managing to free her fingers to wrap them over Shinobu’s hand that cradled her own beneath the other. Shinobu took in a shaky breath, than began as she and Mitsuri had practiced.

***

One Month Later

“You aren’t back to full strength yet, don’t be so discouraged.” Shinobu spoke softly to (Y/n) as she helped her up from the cushy training room floor.

“But still,” (Y/n) pouted, hugging Shinobu and looking for further comfort once she was on her feet again, “I wanna beat you just once, is that so much to ask for?”

“Put those puppy eyes away. We both know you wouldn’t be satisfied if I just let you win.” Shinobu said, rubbing (Y/n)’s back.

“No, it would still be satisfying. The only real reason you won’t let me win is because you’re too proud of your flawless record of beating me to the ground.”

“Don’t say it like that.”

“But it’s truuue.” (Y/n) nuzzled her nose into Shinobu’s neck, making her laugh, “kiss me and make me feel better?”

“I guess I can give you that much.”

Shinobu coaxed (Y/n)’s face out of her neck with her hands on either side of her face and brought her in for kiss. She had only meant for it to be a short one, but (Y/n) had made it difficult to want to pull away, not that Shinobu really minded all that much. Not until she found herself suddenly pinned to the ground at least.

“I win!” (Y/n) grinned.

“No you don’t,” Shinobu frowned, “this wasn’t a match.”

“I didn’t actually say I forfeited, remember? This match is still on, baby!”

“Then my position still stands, you haven’t won anything yet,” Shinobu struggled against (Y/n)’s hold until she was nearly red in the face, but still she didn’t budge, “don’t you know cheaters never prosper?”

“All is fair in love and war, my dearest Shinobu.” (Y/n) giggled. “Are you gonna forfeit yet?”

Shinobu snuck her hands up (Y/n)’s back, making her shiver, she chuckled darkly, the same competitive glint in her eyes as always as she pulled the her girlfriend down to her lips.

“You wish.”

[thehollowprince]

I've already said before how much I can't stand Screenrant, and yet I fall for this clickbaiting rage bait every time I see it among my Google recommendations. Seriously... every time.

And I don't make posts like this because I think it's going to change the minds of anyone who irrationally hates the Jedi because someone in the fandom convinced them too by using guiding terminology. No, I make posts like this so that when someone goes looking, they'll find opinions that differ from what's popular, as well as using facts from the source material to back up those opinions.

So we're just going to go through this, point by point, and highlight the flaws in this "argument."

The only question I have for this is Why?

Why would an organization dedicated to defending peace and justice throughout the galaxy not have a base of operations? This is a question I'll repeat later on for one of these other "points," but it just bears repeating. How is the populace of the galaxy supposed to reach out to these new Jedi for help if they can't find them?

And while it sounds nice on the surface to travel the galaxy and train padawans as she goes, it's totally impractical, considering she's the ONLY Jedi doing this. Like, do you have any idea how long it would take to train new Jedi this way?

Like, I'm all for Jedi traveling the galaxy to bring peace and all that, but to do that, you have to have Jedi to travel.

I know this point has been talked about repeatedly, but let's once again hash this out.

The Jedi did not forbid relationships!

Relationships happen all the time, from romantic to familial to friendship. The Jedi frowned upon attachment. And before anyone hops on this post or jumps into my inbox, please look up the philosophy of nonattachment as it pertains to Buddhism and Eastern Philosophy.

Also, look up the difference between an attachment and a connection.

A Jedi's whole purpose was to put the needs of others first. That's their whole schtick. And if a Jedi couldn't put their commitment to the Order and the Republic above their own wants and desires, they were always free to leave. There are plenty of other Force-based groups in the Galaxy that didn't frown upon attachment or relationships. I don't understand why so many people think that the Jedi should have to change their entire philosophy to account for a few selfish individuals.

Go back and read the books and comics from over the years. With very few exceptions, every time a Jedi tried to have their cake and eat it too, they fell to the Dark Side. So Rey's Order actively encouraging relationships (because that's what Fandom is about anymore) is just going to continue the cycle of the Jedi Order falling because "how dare this ancient organization follow its rules and not throw out their entire philosophy" and thus starting the cycle all over again.

Yes, because having multitude of voices with differing opinions and viewpoints is bad. They should all just do their own thing, Lone Ranger style, regardless of how such chaos defeats the entire purpose of the Jedi.

Side note: what movies was this author watching where they came up with the idea that the Jedi Council thought they owned the Force?

The ranking system was there for a reason.

Can you imagine a new initiate coming to Rey and saying, "Hey, I know I've only been training here for two weeks, but I deserve to look at that Sith holocron because I'm a Jedi and we're all equal members with no rank."

You want them to be vigilantes.

Just say you want them to be vigilantes.

The entire point of the Jedi being such a prominent part of the Republic was to avoid bias in justice. We've seen how Senators and politicians and law enforcement could be bought off, but that wasn't the case for the Jedi. They were impartial peacekeepers and their place within the Republic was a vital part of that.

To me, this feels like the author wanted the Jedi to say, "Since you're mean to us, we're not going to help you," which is the complete antithesis of what the Jedi stand for.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I know your toddler is Force-sensitive, and your house falls apart every time they have a temper tantrum, but I can't help you. We don't offer training until they're older and have already caused massive damage. Best of luck."

Yes, absolutely. Because the defenders of peace and justice throughout the galaxy who should strive to remain calm and keep a level head in the heat of the moment should have LESS training. We just want cops with lightsabers, right?

The Jedi did not join the Republic as a military unit. All the times they acted as military commanders throughout their history was at the insistence of the Republic. Hell, they were drafted to lead the clone armies during the Clone Wars.

The Clone Wars, which I'd like to remind everyone, were orchestrated by several Sith Lords over the span of a decade, after decades more of destabilizing the galaxy. The Jedi specifically tried to stop the Clone Wars from happening, but the deck was stacked against them.

All of this blame on the Jedi for the failures of the Senate and the direct machinations of a Sith Lord who chested his way to the highest office of the Republic.

I highly recommend these people look up what George Lucas has to say about the Jedi and the Force. He specifically says that the Dark-Side is unbalance.

I'd also like to point out that the first mention of "the Light Side" was in The Force Awakens. There is no mention of "the Light" in the Original Trilogy or the Prequels. The "Light" is the balance.

This has been discussed multiple times by multiple people, but apparently it bears repeating.

When did they not "pay attention" to Force visions?

Because in both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, when Anakin has dreams about his mother and Padme, respectively, he doesn't tell Obi-Wan or Yoda the full extent of them. If he had told Obi-Wan what his dreams were about, they probably would have gone to save Shmi. And it was Anakin's own actions that led to Padme's death, the very thing he'd been dreaming about.

Hell, even when Luke had his Force vision in Empire Strikes back, if he'd heeded Yoda and been more cautious, he wouldn't have lost his hand. I want to remind people that when Luke showed up, Han Solo was already frozen in Carbonite, and Lando was able to save the others without the Jedi. All Luke being there accomplished was him receiving an ass-whoopin' and the revelation that he was Darth Vadar's son.

I don't know why people are so dedicated to trying to smear the Jedi at any and every opportunity, but it's getting boring. Especially when all one needs to do to refute these claims is to just watch the movies.

Like I said in my earlier post, this author wants Rey to create an entirely new organization and just slap the name Jedi on it for branding rights.

[just-a-torn-up-masterpiece]

baby

kinktober 2022 masterlist | monstober 2022 masterlist

natasha romanoff x reader

18+ : breeding kink, strap use (r!receiving), talk of pregnancy and children ofc

Natasha had been watching you fondly all day, running around the compound happily with Morgan, bounding around and playing with Billy and Tommy. The smile never left her face as you laughed childishly, playing silly tricks on the rest of the team and enjoying building Lego houses much more than the actual children did.

She didn’t think she could love you anymore than she already did but this was proven false with the way she saw the three children look at you in awe, hanging on every word you said when you explained an overly complicated plot of the pirate role play game you’d decided to initiate. And the exaggerated gargles you let out when you played dead at the stab of a foam sword to your chest made her laugh from where she sat, watching smilingly with Wanda beside her.

“You should tell her.” She whispered, eyeing the way the redhead's eyes never stopped sporting an admiring glint.

“Tell her what?”

“That you want this with her. It doesn’t take telepathy to know what you’re thinking - the two of you would be great. Just look at her, she’d be the leader of the group.” She laughed, pointing towards where the four of you had your eyes glued to the animated movie on the tv screen as spoons of ice cream lifted to your mouths.

“God she’s an idiot. I love her but she’s an idiot.” Natasha chuckled.

—

She watched behind her in the mirror as you readied yourself for bed, pulling a t-shirt over your underwear clad body before flopping onto the mattress with a sigh.

“Tired after your play date?” Natasha questioned with a smirk, heading over to perch on the edge of the bed.

“Yes, too much fun.” You pouted with a nod, leaning into the soft touch she brushed against your cheek.

“You’re great with them. You’d be a good mom.”

“You think?”

“Yeah. I mean, if you’d want that obviously but I dunno if that's something you-“

“Nat, calm down.” You interrupted her with a laugh. “If this is your way of asking if I want to start a family with you, the answer is yes. Obviously.”

“You do?” She beamed, pressing her lips to yours in her excitement as she grinned against your mouth. “You’d look so good pregnant.” She mused with her lips softly ghosting over your neck and her hand stroking over your belly beneath your shirt.

“You think so?”

“Mhm.” Her voice held that seductive rasp you know so well and her hand palmed at your breast before she ripped your shirt over your head hungrily. You felt the hum of her voice against the skin of your chest as she spoke with her body straddling yours. “You’d look fucking perfect with your belly swollen and full, carrying my baby.”

She swirled her tongue around your pert nipple with a graze of her teeth, kissing a path down your torso to your stomach.

“God, what i wouldn’t do to be able to fuck a baby into you right now. Just fill you up and breed you, make you truly mine.” She breathed with a ghost of a kiss over your clothed cunt. “Just me talking about it is turning you on, hm? Want me to try?”

“Yes, Nat, please. Let’s make a fucking baby.” You both laughed slightly against each other's lips and she made quick work of pulling the underwear from your body before hopping off the bed to pull her strap around her hips.

The tip of her cock brushed against your hole teasingly when she kissed you again, dancing her tongue with yours with possessive bites of her teeth into your bottom lip.

“You want my cock, baby? Want me to fill you up, yeah?” She rasped with a suck to your neck beneath your ear; she eased the thick strap into you at the nod you responded with, slowly pushing each and every inch into your pussy until she bottomed out.

She savoured every sigh of breath you let out with slow rocks of her hips, picking up her pace with perfect accuracy hitting your sweet spot in a practised way. She held her body up with a firm grip on your hips with her nails digging into the flesh, bound to leave marks behind as she pounded into you, watching your breasts bounce while the skin of your knuckles grew taut with your grip on the sheets beneath you.

Natasha looked down with dark, hooded eyes, a soft pink flush to her cheeks and stray hairs falling over her face; the sight only made your belly twinge more with your cunt clenching around her. The way her teeth sunk into her plump lip made her own arousal clear, the strap hitting her clit with each snap of her hips making her actions grow sloppy and stuttered.

“My little breeding bitch, aren’t you sweetheart?” She breathed out through heavy breaths, leaning down to push her lips to yours with bare chests pressed together. Her hot forehead leant against yours as her hands held onto yours, fingers entwined in a soft act of love and possession. “I just wanna fill you with my cum until you’re dripping and my baby’s growing inside of you.”

“Fuck, Nat, ‘m gonna cum.” You choked out with your breath hot against her lips and hers against yours.

“Me too, baby. Cum with me.”

Your hands squeezed hers with the wave of pleasure that crashed over your body and her skin littered with goosebumps at the choked moan that tumbled from your throat beside her ear with her own orgasm washing over her just moments later. The sound of sloppy kisses filled the room whilst you rode through your highs, sporadic snaps of her hips into yours with your free hand tangled in her hair whilst she kept a loving hold on the other.

“You’re in for a long night, sweetheart, I’m not gonna stop until we succeed.” She teased with a grin, stroking her thumb over your heated cheek before claiming your lips again.

[mothwingwritings]

E and Y for Chifuyu please!

Anon I want to kiss you directly on the open mouth for this one, I LOVE Chifuyu so let's get it. ▼ω▼

(Also yes, I am the worlds slowest human that takes 5000 years to respond so sorry about that I am still here and still answering I am just a little turtle typer ^^;)

WARNINGS: Yandere, mentions of stalking and hints at future kidnapping, Chifuyu being just a liiitle too invested in you, mentions of suicide if you squint.

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

From the get go, they bare their entire heart to you. It’s one of the things that drew you to Chifuyu in the beginning, how open and honest he was with you. You were a little scared of him at first, his status as First Division Vice-Captain in one of the biggest delinquent gangs in Tokyo was off-putting, to say the least. Despite that, Chifuyu was never anything but kind to you. With all the things he would so willingly and eagerly do for you, some people even joked that he was maybe too kind. Chifuyu would go out of his way to take you to and from work/school (he always seemed to know your exact schedule, despite the fact that you don’t remember ever sharing it with him), and he was always conveniently nearby whenever something went awry, ready to step in and save the day. Chifuyu was also inclined to bring you daily little gifts and treats just to see you smile, regardless of the fact that you never asked nor expected anything of the sort from him. It was all a bit much, but it was so endearing when he would offer these things to you that you always found yourself unable to deny him.

He wasted no time in getting to know you, and was quick to share the secrets of himself most people would try and keep hidden away. Not long after meeting him, every tragic, harrowing, fucked up occurrence that had ever happened in Chifuyu’s life had been relayed to you in excruciating detail, his guts spilled through late night conversations and wordy text messages. Hearing all he has suffered through at such a young age is heartbreaking, and it kills you inside when you see the tears wavering in his eyes as he weaves his harrowing tales. It makes you want to embrace him, hold him close and protect him from any harm which may befall him, shield him from any pain the future may hold. He melts into your touch, clinging to you shakily when you wrap him in your arms, desperate for your warmth and affection. His vulnerability only makes you feel that much closer to him, privileged that he trusts you enough to share his weakness with you.

But after some time the initial attachment you felt with him begins to waver. His stories go from heartrending to downright threatening, the focus of them shifting from all the sorrow he has endured to all the harm he has physically inflicted on others (and still can, should the need arise). These dark conversations most often happen after you hang out in a group setting or when you give someone besides him a little too much attention. When it’s the two of you alone he’s always been a very calming presence, but the moment there are others among you he instantly becomes on edge-even if it’s his closest friend surrounding you. It unnerves you, the stark contrast in how he presents himself when it’s the two of you alone enjoying each other’s company, versus when others are around.

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

Chifuyu is a slow burn kind of guy, so he has the capacity to wait for a very long time before he makes any kind of move. He wants to observe you first, take his time getting to know you and how you operate before he makes his move to claim you.

Though he was quick to become enraptured with you, he doesn’t want to rush anything. He prefers taking his time learning everything he can about you, savoring the time it takes to pick up on all your eccentricities and quirks. Each new caveat he discovers about your personality is like a goldmine, and he takes careful note of each and every thing he learns about you, committing them to memory. Should you find yourself staying the night at his home, he’s already picked up on your favorite body washes/shampoos/perfumes through your scent alone, and has stocked up accordingly. Whatever food or drink you prefer he memorizes so he can surprise you with them later. Your favorite color, animal, book, artist-he knows them all and then some.

Chifuyu is more invested in you than he is with anyone, himself included, and he takes pride in being the one person who knows you better than anyone else does or ever could. He may even know more about you than you do yourself, it certainly feels that way sometimes.

He bides his time as he considers the ideal way to confess his deep, all-encompassing love for you. He wants it all to be perfect. The place, how he presents himself, the timing, it all has to be something that will take your breath away, make you feel for him just as strongly as he feels for you. However achieving perfection takes A LOT of planning and he unfortunately has other obligations he can’t ignore that take his time away from you. As much as it upsets him, he doesn’t have the means to just pluck you off the street and make everything work out for the two of you, so he has to do a lot of juggling of his responsibilities that ends up impeding his progress.

Unlike other yanderes, he actually wants you to stay as ‘you’ as possible for as long as possible, not wanting to upset your way of life more than is necessary. He wants you to be happy and thriving without compromising your normalcy, but even more than that he wants himself and your relationship with him to be your primary focus, the one thing that makes you happier than anything else in the world. He will do everything he can to please you, his ultimate goal being to bring you to the same lovesick state he has been resorted to in your presence. He couldn’t bear the thought of you feeling any other way, nor could he live with someone besides himself making your heart race.

That being said, if someone were to insert themselves between the two of you and monopolize your time, attention, or (god forbid) love, he would need to rethink his whole course of action. Whatever trash has you fooled enough to feel such a way doesn’t deserve to be in your presence, nor do they have the right to have even an ounce of your affection. Chifuyu can’t understand why you are even bothering with them, can’t you see how they’re stringing you along, using you for their own selfish gain? Each time they touch you he wants to scream, every time you laugh at his stupid jokes it makes him want to hurl himself into the sun.

He doesn’t understand why you are doing this to him… Wasn’t his companionship enough? Are you trying to upset him? Chifuyu would never hurt you, never betray you, but if you keep spending time with some other jerk… He won’t be able to live with it. If you don’t love him, if you prefer someone else… he can’t really see much purpose in hanging around. Maybe he should just get it over with and remove himself permanently from the picture, that way you can be with whomever you want and he’ll stop being such a burden to you. That is the power you have over him, to decide his fate on a whim, no matter how misguided that whim may be. He prays that you open your eyes and see how wrong what you are doing is, before he is forced to do something drastic you both regret.

The choice is up to you.

[x0x0josephinex0x0]

hi I'm the one who asked for the shipping reaction, yes I meant idol!y/n and I'd like it to be romantic

I'm sorry for the confusion 😅

no problem lovey, i just wanted to make sure i got it right for you!! here it is :)

warnings: making out is mentioned. excessively. (for humor.)

seungcheol: this man has been simping for you for the longest time atp. like from the moment he saw you at some award show. he went home and immediately looked up your group and the music videos and watched through them all. he's had a thing for you since then, and then you became friends through a mutual friend (mingyu) and he was absolutely correct in his initial assumption that he'd be obsessed with you for as long as he lives. and when i say obsessed i mean this man DREAMS about you. he wakes up reaching for you even though you've never spent a single night anywhere near his bed. so he's ready for the rumors, baby. he's HOPING someone asks him about you. he's praying dispatch catches you on one of your biweekly coffee dates. he wants the world buzzing with thoughts of the two of you together. he is so damn tired of trying to beam the message into your brain but also doesn't want to wreck a perfectly good friendship if he thinks his feelings are totally coming out of left field. so when the shipping finally starts after you film a dance challenge together he's like "see? we're made for each other" and you're like ???? you liked me??? this whole time??? and he's like "HOW DID YOU NOT KNOW" and you're like "I LIKE YOU TOO OMG" because of course you do, you have eyes. and then you make out.

jeonghan: he literally created no less than sixty fake instagram profiles, with the help of his boys, to start dating rumors between the two of you and convince you that everyone sees you two together/thinks you should date. it becomes a whole thing, tho -- pretty soon the whole internet agrees with him. every time you go live fans ask about him. your company is a chill company with no dating ban but they send you an email being like "do we need to confirm this for your sake??" you have honestly never thought about him specifically like that until this all started happening, but as time goes on you realize jeonghan is everything you ever wanted. he's beautiful and kind to you and your family absolutely loves him. in short, you're whipped for him. and so finally, you ask him to come over, and you confess your growing feelings for him, which he reciprocates fully. he promptly asks you out. you have played right into his hands and he's more proud of himself than he's ever been in his whole life. and then you make out.

joshua: he is the most polite, most genuine man in the universe, so he's NEVER crossing that line of his own accord. and it gets rough. the two of you are literally perishing with desire for one another. you hang out every single day and the looks that pass between you -- desperate, yearning looks -- have the other members cringing and throwing up and BEGGING joshua to make a move. he will not do it because he doesn't want to take advantage of you or make your career/life difficult. finally wonwoo gets fed up with you two. when he gets trapped in a room with the both of you, he tells you both, "the internet is shipping you two." you both blush and look at each other. finally you ask joshua, "what do you think about that?" and joshua's like, "i think that sounds....really nice." wonwoo's like "omg FINALLY" and once he leaves the room, you both confess your longtime feelings for each other and agree to give dating a try. he holds your hand through the whole talk because he knows how nervous you get when confronting your own feelings. you've never smiled harder in your life and joshua's eyes have never been prettier than when he looks at you like he's looking at you. and then you make out.

jun: jun about to mr. darcy this mf. he has this dumb crush on u but he's so anxiety-ridden that he literally does nothing about it but is a blushing mess around you. you find him so incredibly cute all the time that naturally you become his bestie. he slowly falls more in love with you the more you spend time together but still can't find the right words to tell you just how precious you are to him. it's the shippers that push him over the edge, though. he can tell it makes you uncomfortable to be talked about like that, and that worries him EVEN MORE. and so he corners you one day and ruffles his hair all tortured-like and goes "ok so do you just want people to mind their business or do you feel uncomfortable with the idea of dating me?" and you're like "oh it's most definitely the first one because you're a fine piece of manhood" and he's like "oh? well allow me to confess that you have bewitched me, body and soul, and i love...i love...i love you". (yes this is happening at sunrise.) anyway, he tells you that he's liked you from day one, and he'll love you until day infinity. and then you make out.

soonyoung: he approaches you one day and just plops down like he usually does, but this time he takes one of your hands in his. "my fans are geniuses," he says, very seriously, which of course makes you laugh. when you ask why, he brings up his most recent live. you were watching -- you always watch his lives and he always watches yours -- but you had the comments turned off so you could focus on what he was saying. "a lot of the comments were talking about you," he tells you, referring to the recent dispatch photos of you and soonyoung out on the town together. "they said we should date." and suddenly the room is hotter, and you're looking at soonyoung like the world is in his eyes. because for you it is, and it has been. you spend the rest of the evening together, talking about your relationship and your feelings for each other, and slow dancing in the kitchen. and then you make out.

wonwoo: he's pretty much unaffected by shipping/rumors. literally does not care one bit about them. but he's still so in love with you he can hardly see straight. it's only logical that people have started to notice the way he can't keep his eyes off you at events and award shows where you're both in attendance, and are drawing attention to it. to him, this is a perfectly normal progression of events. still, he waits for you to say something because he knows how complicated relationships with other famous people can be and he doesn't want to make you do anything you're not comfortable with. so it's you who approaches him, and it's you who admits that your feelings are less-than-professional and more-than-friendly for him -- exacerbated by the shipping talk, but definitely there before any of that started happening. but then it's him who says, "it's about damn time," and pulls you into his chest for a massive hug. and then you make out.

jihoon: literally why do i feel like jihoon would become the clumsiest most awkward dude if someone hinted that he might like you?? idk i just think my guy would externally be like "hahaha wow that's crazy" when someone pointed out how he'd helped you down off the stage after a music bank performance (and had coincidentally beat minghao to the job even tho minghao was standing a lot closer and was a lot more ready than he was), but internally would be screaming bloody murder BECAUSE SOMEONE NOTICED AND WHAT IF YOU FIND OUT AND THINK HE'S A CREEP AND EVERYTHING GOES WRONG. so he literally cannot be normal around you. gets his hair caught in his headphones during a recording sesh with you and instead of trying to untangle it like a normal human he just rips his hair out. runs into the studio glass. forgets the words to his own song, that he wrote, because he's staring at your lips. finally you just say, "you're being weird. is this because people are shipping us?" and he nods. "i'm sorry...i didn't want you to feel uncomfortable," you say, but he shakes his head. "i like you SO much," he confesses. "and i don't want to screw it up." your jaw drops and you throw your arms around him. and then you make out.

seokmin: he's been joking about being your boyfriend since you met. but little do you know, he wasn't actually joking and really does want to be your boyfriend. but since he's joking all the time, it's a bit difficult to tell that he's serious. until the joke about him being your boyfriend becomes common knowledge among seventeen, who obviously think it's hilarious that you don't know he actually is in love with you. so they tease him all the time about his "girlfriend" during concerts and lives, and eventually fans learn it's you they keep jokingly calling his girlfriend, and it becomes a whole bit for awhile between seventeen and carats. you play along, until you start to sense it bothers seokmin. ever a comedian, you find this odd -- so you ask him. and he's a terrible secret keeper so he tells you that he wasn't joking the ENTIRE TIME, and he'd literally die for you if you asked. this, of course, makes you all kinds of happy, and when you start to giggle he's like "are u laughing at me :(" and you're like "no you dummy I AM ABSOLUTELY DOWN HORRENDOUS FOR YOU" and then you make out.

mingyu: mingyu would just become dumb and giggly around you. kind of like the less uncomfortable jihoon. gets extra clumsy around you and makes a complete fool of himself. breaks everything within a ten-meter radius when he knows he's gonna get to see you that day. the rumors begin because my mans cannot hide his true feelings for even a single second, and he's such a cuddler that he literally gives you a hug on live television. this is the catalyst. this is why fans spam both of your posts on instagram with requests for you two to go on a date. and since you are not an IDIOT, but he is a little bit, you bring it up to him. "so, they think we should date. i think they might be onto something." you give him a significant look, and his eyes get all wide and happy. "really?" he says with excitement. "you'd want to go on a date with me?" and you look him up and down, considering his literally god-like figure and his bright eyes and his perfect smile and go, "yeah, i really would love to go on a date with you." and then you make out.

minghao: is also not the type to give any mental space to any kind of rumor/shipping, but is also extremely whipped for you regardless. when he learns about the shippers he privately is amused because he actually does want to date you, but hasn't told you yet. and you don't bring it up either, worried it will upset him, because as far as you can tell, you're both just friends. although the way he takes care of you is so gentle and thoughtful and kind that you can't resist him. you know it might be your imagination, but you are starting to notice his hugs are a bit tighter, and his eye contact a bit more prolonged. finally it gets to a point where people are constantly asking both of you about each other, so you decide to broach the subject with him. "oh, that," he says when you bring it up. "i'm not worried about it." "i just don't want to be an inconvenience to you," you tell him. he shakes his head. "that could never happen. sometimes it feels like you're the only part of my life that's easy." and coming from hao, you know this is a confession. and then you make out.

seungkwan: bro is COMING APART AT THE SEAMS. he literally embarrasses himself every single time he sees you once the rumors start. because honestly, his feelings started before the rumors, but he refused to acknowledge them until his members started teasing him about you. you'd recently done a variety show together, and even the show hosts commented on how natural and flirty your chemistry had been. and now everything is tense and weird between you two when you hang out, and it's getting ridiculous. "do you care so much about shippers?" you ask him, a bit annoyed. "huh?" he responds, taken aback. "what are you even talking about?" "these people who say we should date? does it bother you that much?" a light of understanding hits seungkwan then, and he takes a deep breath. "okay, no. that doesn't bother me at all," he says. "it makes me nervous." "why?" you ask. "because they're right and i know it," he admits. "i really should ask you out." before you can stop yourself, you reply, "then do it!" he laughs. and asks you out. and then you make out.

vernon: in my brain, vernon has not looked at his phone notifications since 2014. if he had, he'd know about the shippers. but he hasn't, so he doesn't even know...until he gets an email from pledis about it. "did you know people want us to date?" he asks you the next time you hang out. you laugh for almost five minutes straight before answering. "vernon....my company has been having a field day with those rumors. are you trying to say you literally had no idea?" "i really didn't," he promises. "why didn't you say anything to me?" "because i figured it'd work itself out or something, i guess?" "so do you not want to date?" he asks. "huh???" you reply, sure you misheard him. "i mean....i've actually been thinking about it for awhile," he says. "and, well, the people are talking. we could give 'em something to really talk about." your stomach turns over as you look into his eyes. "for real?" you ask him. "the realest," he confirms with a soft smile. and then you make out.

chan: on the opposite end of the spectrum, chan is PAINFULLY aware of the shippers. he has no idea if you've been getting the same questions he has. but he knows you're super busy getting ready for a comeback, so he doesn't bother to say anything. he figures you probably don't have time to be on social media so you won't be able to see the way people are talking about you two. and he reminds himself to keep his facial expressions in check when he sees you onstage. the problem is, it's so hard, because look at you. and when you blow a kiss at him, it turns out to be actually impossible for him not to clutch at his heart, desperately hoping that means what he wants it to mean. backstage, he catches up to you to congratulate you. "i really haven't made this easy, have i?" you tell him. "what?" he asks. "well, i left you to fend for yourself in the middle of all of everyone saying we should date." "you knew about that?" "of course i did. which is why i blew you a kiss." "so people would keep talking?" he asks. "no...to see if you liked me in the same way i like you." you stare at each other before running to embrace. and then you make out.

[neonghostlights]

A/N: We'll Meet Again by Vera Lynn is used in this chapter. I actually love that song even though it's kind of creepy. It fits the vibes. Also, I promise we get more Eddie interactions in the next chapter.

Summary: You haven’t been the same since you woke up in the hospital with memory loss after the earthquake hit Hawkins. When strange things start happening and you feel like you’ve started losing your mind, a group of strangers offer to help. Even though you’ve never met them before, they seem to know you better than you think.

Warnings: Doctors, Weight loss/loss of appetite/food, Psychiatrist/Discussion of Readers Mental Health, Overbearing Parent, Nightmares, Blood, If I missed anything please let me know, Not proofread, 18 + only, Minors DNI

Word Count: 2.7k

Eddie Munson x Fem reader

Series Masterlist

Part Three

Monday, September 1st, 1986

The pounding on your front door matched the rhythmic pounding in your head. You hopped off your spot on the kitchen counter where you had been nursing your mug full of coffee to open the door for your mother. As the door opened you could see her standing on the doorstep with a frown etched across her face.

You followed her eyes as they trailed from your hair down to your shoes. Your mother always did this thing since the quake where she observed you, mentally making notes of what was off or changed since the last time she had seen you. You were pretty certain she probably kept a journal detailing how you looked or acted each time she saw you so she could go back and compare notes.

The soft hum of the engine came from her car still running in the driveway. The sky was cloudy and gray behind her, teasing the possibility of rain.

“Your clothes look looser,” your mom said as her eyes did another critical pass over you.

“Goodmorning, Mother. Happy to see you too on this beautiful morning,” you remarked sarcastically as you waved your arms at the cloudy world behind her. You turned to leave her at the open door as you took one last sip of your coffee and grabbed your bag off the couch.

“I’m serious,” she called after you. “Have you been eating?”

You huffed as you walked out the front door and closed it behind you. She stood over your shoulder as you locked the door. “Yes, I’ve been eating.”

It wasn’t a lie. You had been eating. But definitely not as much as you used to. It wasn’t something you had done on purpose. Food just didn’t hold much appeal after the first initial bites. Honestly, you hadn’t even thought much about your food intake or weight until you noticed the way your clothes started to fit now. Everyday you promised yourself that you would eat more just to push it off onto the next day. You should have known your mom would notice.

Your mother pursed her lips as she observed you climbing into the passenger seat of her car. The car that she has had for three years yet still had that new car smell.

“I have a good feeling about this new doctor,” she stated matter of factly as she started the car and reversed from the driveway.

You gave a half hearted hum before she continued. “I mean, he’s supposed to be the best neurologist in the Indianapolis area.”

“Do you really mean that or are you saying that because you know his parents?” you asked with an eye roll.

Your mom took a deep breath but didn’t say anything else as you reached over and turned on the radio. It was going to be a long car ride to Indianapolis.

The exam room was sterile and white. You currently sat on the exam table in the center of the room. The thin protective paper underneath you crinkled with each impatient swing of your legs.

Visiting the neurologist always made you nervous. You were always a little medical mystery that no one wanted to take the time to solve. The doctors in the hospital had made it seem like it was a cut and dry case of a head injury. But every time you’ve been to the doctor recently they seem to either not know or not care enough to dig deeper into why you weren’t getting better.

Hence why your mother had weaseled you into this new doctor's practice. She really did care and wanted to see you improve. Her way of showing it was just different than what you would expect.

“Can you please sit still and act your age?” your mother wrinkled her nose at the now ripped paper underneath your thighs.

“Sorry. I’m just nervous,” you muttered.

Her face softened at your admittance. It wasn’t often you admitted that your health worried you. You were usually the one brushing things off or always claiming that things were okay.

A loud knock sounded from the closed door before the doctor made his entrance.

Dr. Coleman was younger than you had expected. His charming smile when he walked into the room practically made your mother swoon from her chair.

You fought back the urge to gag.

“Well, hello there,” he said as he took your mother's hand.

“When Connie told me her son was a hot shot doctor I couldn’t believe it! Thank you so much for getting us in so soon!” She exclaimed.

“No problem at all,” he said before he turned to you. “And you must be my patient. Nice to meet you,” he said as he reached his hand out to you. You didn’t miss the way his tone softened greatly when he spoke to you. Like he was trying not to spook a wild animal.

You sent a quick nod as a greeting before he sat in a circular rolling chair and started to pull papers from the file he held under his arm.

“I looked over all of your records from the hospital and your previous doctor. I’m honestly very surprised with what I found,” he remarked. “But before we get into that, how are you feeling lately? What symptoms are you experiencing?”

You cleared your throat, not wanting to answer this question in front of your mom. You could only imagine the drama it would cause if you asked her to leave, plus having to deal with the interrogation on the ride home to Hawkins.

“Well, I'm still having daily headaches, memory loss, nightmares, and nosebleeds. I’ve recently noticed a lack of appetite and I think that’s made me lose some weight. Also, I think I’m having hallucinations.”

Your mothers head snapped to look at you. Dr. Coleman nodded like he wasn’t surprised.

“What kind of hallucinations?” The doctor asked as he read over your chart again.

You tried to swallow, your throat suddenly feeling very dry under your mothers glare. “Uh, well seeing things, hearing things, feeling things like I’m dreaming but I’m awake the whole time. And then I wake up and everything is normal.”

“Mhm,” he hummed as clicked off the overhead light and rolled closer in his chair and shined a bright light into your eyes, making you jump. He gave you an apologetic smile as he continued to look at your eyes and then moved on to using his cold hands to awkwardly palpate around your skull.

“Well, I think I have an idea of what might be going on,” he rolled back away from you and turned the light back on. He grabbed some prints of what looked like blurry pictures of a brain and held them in front of you and your mother so you could both see. The pictures were hard to see with the way he was holding them and you couldn’t really tell what you were looking at.

“These are some copies of your last brain scan and your first brain scan from the hospital when you first came in. I looked over the originals intensely and there’s one thing I noticed between the two of them. There’s no sign of any brain damage or injury in either of these. I’m looking at a perfectly healthy brain in both scans.”

“So what does that mean?” your mother asked as she put a hand to her own head.

“It means I think the initial diagnosis in the hospital was wrong. Looking at your records nothing indicated that you had hurt your head besides loss of consciousness, memory loss, and a headache. It’s my professional opinion that what you’re experiencing is psychiatric in nature, not physical. I have a list of great psychiatrists in the area that I think will be very beneficial for you.”

The room started to spin as you worked harder to get air in and out of your lungs. “I am not crazy,” you gritted out.

Your mother gasped at your tone. “I’m not saying you’re crazy,” the doctor said calmly. “It’s not unusual for ladies your age to feel a lot of pressure and stress, especially with some of the recent events around Hawkins. Perhaps the earthquake or some other event was a breaking point for your stress. The psychiatrists on this list should be able to find the right medication to help you.” He handed the list to your mother who was teary eyed and nodding along to every word he said.

“I am not stressed or under pressure. I hit my head in a freak accident. That’s it.” You jumped down from the table, ready to make your escape from the room.

“I know this is hard to hear. But physically the scans are telling me a different story. I wish you both the best of luck,” he said as he backed out of the room and shut the door behind him.

You didn’t spare your mom another glance as you stomped out of the office and into her car.

She stayed quiet as well for the majority of the ride home, sensing that you weren’t in the mood to talk. As you got closer to Hawkins, her need to say what was on her mind won.

“I’ll call in the morning and make you an appointment with one of the doctors on the list,” she said quietly, probably hoping you wouldn’t hear her.

“You can do that but that doesn’t mean I’ll go,” you snapped back. Your mom probably didn’t deserve your attitude, you were acting more like a fifteen year old than a twenty year old but you couldn’t bring yourself to feel bad. You knew you weren’t crazy like that stupid doctor had suggested.

Your mom took a deep breath before she spoke again. “I don’t see how it would hurt to get another perspective.”

She didn’t get it. She didn’t understand what it felt like to feel like this everyday. It was one thing to think of yourself as crazy, but to hear it from another person was too much. It made it too real. From not remembering certain things to the comments that Miss Joan had made in the grocery store that day, it felt like you were being left out of something. All of that on top of the fact that your mom had never actually told you how you ended up in the hospital made you suspicious.

“I’ll go if you tell me what happened to me during the earthquake,” you offered.

“What do you mean? We’ve talked about this before,” she said quickly.

You shook your head. “No, every time I ask any questions you change the subject. I just want to know where I was when it happened. Did you see me get hurt? How did I get to the hospital?”

She puckered her lips like she was physically stopping herself from saying anything damning. When the silence stretched for too long and it became clear that she wouldn’t be saying anything, you took matters into your own hands.

You smacked your hands against the dashboard, ignoring the sharp stinging in your palms. “God damnit, Mom! Just tell me!”

The car suddenly braked, causing you to jolt in your seat before it veered sharply to the side of the road. A passing car horn could be heard as someone honked at your mothers sudden maneuvers.

She sat staring straight ahead once the car was stopped and the flashers were on. Both her hands rested perfectly still against the wheel.

When she finally spoke it startled you. “I don’t know what happened to you. I was out of town for work and I got a call that you were in the hospital. When I asked what happened he said-“ She stopped herself abruptly, clamping her teeth together quickly.

“He who?” You demanded.

“I misspoke,” she said as she put the car back in gear and pulled out onto the road again. “Let's go get you something to eat before I take you home.”

You didn’t ask anymore questions for the rest of the day. If you were going to get any answers, you were going to have to go about it a different way.

You hesitantly walked into the office of your new psychiatrist.

The room was bleach white from the walls to the chairs, giving it a cold clinical feeling. Two chairs sat in the center of the room separated by a low coffee table. The coffee table housed a container of tissues, and oddly enough a record player.

You assumed that maybe the psychiatrist liked to use music during his sessions. You think you have heard before that music helps access certain parts of the brain. You don’t remember where you’ve learned that from.

You sit in the smaller chair that you assumed was designated for patients and place your forearms against the armrest, attempting to get comfortable as you wait for the doctor to arrive for your appointment.

You're surprised when you hear a slight crackling as the record player starts to play.

We’ll meet again

Don’t know where, don’t know when

The haunting tune unsettles you slightly as you shift in your seat, turning to face the door in hopes that it would make the doctor arrive faster.

“Well, hello there,” a man's voice said suddenly. You nearly jumped out of your seat when you realized the chair across from you was no longer empty.

In it sat a man wearing a white collared button down shirt, tucked neatly into white pants. His choice of outfit nearly made him blend in with the rest of his office. His blonde hair was styled and gelled perfectly on the top of his head.

But I know we’ll meet again

Some sunny day

He must be the doctor.

He gives you a kind smile full of bleach white teeth. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He’s soft spoken and sounds kind. You immediately feel comfortable in his presence.

“It’s okay,” you croak out. “I’ve been a little jumpy lately.”

His smile widens at that. “So I’ve heard. How else have you been feeling lately?”

You cleared your throat as you glanced back down at the record player that was still playing. You launched into the usual rundown of your symptoms. “Headaches, nosebleeds, nightmares-”

“No, no, no. Not your symptoms. Your feelings. How do you feel?”

Keep smiling through

Just like you always do

‘Til the blue skies drive the dark clouds

Far away

Your mouth was suddenly dry as you tried to think of an answer for him. “Um, tired, upset, confused, a little scared sometimes…”

“Guilty?” He interjected.

You tilted your head at him in confusion. “Why would I feel guilty?”

“He got hurt because of you. He was trying to protect you. Don’t you remember?” The psychiatrist's voice started to change. Gone was the soft spoken tone. His voice sounded deeper and distorted, making your hair stand on end.

You shook your head wildly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He let out a deep laugh. “The sooner you stop fighting then the sooner your suffering will all be over.”

Large black vines slithered out from under your chair, wrapping around your arms and pinning you into place. You thrashed against them in an attempt to get free but the more you moved the tighter they held you.

You watched in horror as the skin peeled off of his face and his hair melted away. Revealing disfigured skin of a monster. His once kind looking blue eyes were now cloudy and reptilian as he examined you like prey.

So will you, please, say hello

To the folks that I know?

Tell them I won’t be long

The walls of the office started to peel and drop away, leaving you in the middle of the world that you had only seen in your nightmares. Red flashes of lightning struck in the distance, Screeching of monsters echoed throughout the space.

You pulled against your restraints in another feeble attempt to free yourself.

The monster leaned in closer. “Don’t worry. We’ll meet again.”

You woke from your nightmare abruptly as you thrashed against the blankets. Blood dripped down your chin as it ran from your nose. You didn’t bother to wipe it away as you tried to catch your breath.

Maybe the doctor was right. Maybe you were crazy.

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[maspers]

Ranking the Miracucast by good they are at playing UNO

Marinette: She has a strategy. She plays to win. Her family has been playing UNO since before Marinette was in nursery school. She is ruthless and takes no chances. There are no allies in UNO. ...She still ends up losing more often than not because that's just how UNO is. 7/10

Alya: She's mostly just at the table for fun, and really enjoys how into it her friends get. 4/10

Adrien: Yes. 10/10

Nino: You would not expect this man to be good at UNO. But everyone just kind of... ignores him? He just casually goes along causing no drama, until he's the first person to call "UNO!" and everyone wheels around in their seats to face him with shocked looks on their faces. Adrien, however, can see right through Nino's facade and the moment Nino says "UNO!" both of them know that it's on like Donkey Kong. 9/10

Chloe: She has no idea whatsoever how to play, but she refuses to lose to Marinette. There is drama. There is house rules. There is drama about house rules. But they keep inviting Chloe back to the table because when she plays she also *hosts* the game at Le Grand Paris, and while they may not be good at much the Bourgeois family DOES know how to host events better than anyone else. 5/10

Sabrina: Initially didn't participate and was just there to act as Chloe's valet. Then one day she joined the table and curbstomped everyone, then went back to helping set up the snacks like it never happened. This has happened a couple times since then, and nobody understands it. Adrien and Nino have begged her to teach them, and she acts like she doesn't know what they're talking about. The only person to ever match Sabrina in a game of UNO was Marinette's mother Sabine, and all the players that were involved in that game signed an NDA stating they can't reveal who won. I have no justification for any of this, but I can feel it in my bones. 11/10

Mylene: Surprisingly vicious, but experienced players have no difficulty dispatching her. 6/10

Ivan: Unfortunately he is not very good at this game. There was one time he actually won though, with a pretty good strategy, and his smile was brighter than the sun. Since then everyone has wanted him to win again, but none of them are willing to sacrifice their own chances of victory for it. Ivan doesn't mind. He's just happy to be included. 2/10

Rose: Everyone expects her to be secretly good at this game for some reason. She doesn't understand why. She's pretty average at the game, but enjoys when she plays a card normally and everyone else glances around in a panic. This is fun! 4/10

Juleka: By herself she's a little better than average, but she's a real menace when Luka is also in the room. She knows all his tells and micro-expressions, and since Luka is Luka (see below) that means she knows everything. There have been talks of banning the Couffaine Twins from playing in the same round as each other, but such a ban was pretty impossible to enforce. 8/10 by proxy

Kim: In regular UNO he's a complete failure, but when the group is playing with large amounts of house rules he starts doing really really well. Not on purpose. Most of the time, however, he just shows up to eat snacks and arm wrestle with Ivan in the background while everyone else plays. 3/10

Max: Like with every game he's played, he knows ALL the strategies. Card percentages, color probabilities, the works. He should, by all accounts, be an expert at this game. But he does not understand the Heart Of The Cards and so he keeps losing. 6/10

Alix: Is definitely cheating. All the time. Everyone knows it. And it hurts, because Alix is legitimately good at the game too. Her classmates are begging for a regular game, but she just loves seeing what weird stuff she can get away with. Alix/10

Nathaniel: He wasn't particularly interested in the game originally, but then someone (Chloe maybe?) commissioned him to make a massive custom deck with original art based on the superheroes. Since he makes the cards, he somehow also became the judge on what can and cannot become a permanent house rule, since that often leads to new cards being made. He's still really awful at the game itself, but everyone showers him with praise and view his title as Deck Keeper as worthy of unparalleled respect. And since he made the cards, he's the only one capable of countering Heart Of The Cards bullcrap. 5/10

Lila: Has literally never played UNO before, though she will never admit it. 0/10

Luka: The jury's still out on whether or not his inner music hyper-empathy counts counts as cheating or not. Since they can't prove he's using it to know what everyone is feeling about their cards and plays, he's still permitted at the table. But the fact remains that he's very good at this the game. 8/10

Kagami: She has absolutely no idea what she is doing. The amount of cards in her hand sometimes gets so large Felix or Adrien has to provide one of their hands to help hold them. But she is also having the most fun she's had in a long, long time. So let's focus on the positives, shall we? -10/10

Marc: He swears the deck is not rigged in his favor. Nathaniel asserts there's no way he COULD rig the deck in Marc's favor, and Max ran the numbers to prove it. But somehow every time the group starts a new round Marc draws his cards and yup full of wild cards again. 6/10

Ondine: This was Kim's idea of a date. Ondine was not impressed. But she did stay for the snacks, and at least gave it the old college try. UNO just isn't her vibe, and that's okay. 1/10

Aurore: Doesn't usually play with everyone else, but she DOES know how to play, and one time she was asked to join a game when most of the group was unavailable and they needed more players. It was a bit awkward because she's a big Adrien fangirl and is used to playing with a different set of house rules, but they made it work, and fun was had. 4/10

Felix: He tries. He tries so hard. Everyone was wary when he joined the table, but there fears were unfounded because Felix is absolutely pathetic at UNO. He has the rules memorized. He keeps track of all the house rules meticulously, which interestingly means he's very good at keeping the game running smoothly. Everyone turns to him when there's uncertainty about a particular situation. But he just can not win. Ever. He doesn't even get close. He's managed to call "UNO" a grand total of once in his lifetime, and that was because the rest of his cards ended up in Kagami's hand instead somehow. It's awful. It's mortifying. He's a chess prodigy, an expert tactician, how has he been reduced to this? 1/10

Zoe: Was really excited to play, and let out a squeal of joy when she saw Nath's custom cards. She knows how to play really well, and was really quick on the uptake when it came to all the house rules, too. Since she's around technically the group no longer needs Chloe to host, but Chloe took that as a challenge to be an EVEN. BETTER. HOST. Zoe is not complaining, less work for her. And she still beats he sister most of the time, so it's all good. 7/10